Goneaway to UH?

[SMUtrojanFAN]

I remember a few years ago, me and a bunch of friends were sh*t-housed at the game against Oklahoma State when Woods set the reception record for TDs in a game. How embarassing, especially when 80% of the stadium were OSU fans, but we definitely let them know how much "richer" and "better" we were, and how they were all going to "mow our grass someday." Pretty lame for sophomores or whatever we were - kind of reminds me of Tech fans, actually. I'm just saying, that attitude is fairly consistent for SMU students at the games...er, the drunk ones anyway.

[OC Mustang]

I say this on occasion, and I am pretty much ignored when I do, but it is no surprise that recruits and often players decide we are not the place that they want to be. The attitude is pervasive, and although I was the epitome of it during and immediately in the years after college, I loathe that attitude now. Call it a dose of humble pie. Call it having a child with special needs who will never go to any college, much less SMU, and will probably do well to be a gardener or cook. Call it not being able to keep with the Jones' (Jerry, that is) and their contemporaries. Call it being simply sick of the pleasantries of a few [deleted] poisoning the air for others of us. The jokes begin to come off flat after awhile.

Because the truth is, this alum would be somebody else's gardener, or butler, or chaffeur, or whatever if I had to in order to take care of my wife and two little boys. SMU fans be damned if they think that is something to demean, in jest or not.

And although I loved and still love the alma mater, the Hilltop, God's Country...I think the attitudes among several generations of students and alumni simply suck. And THAT I would rank as among the top 5 reasons football players do not come to SMU. May be wrong...wouldn't be the first time...but I just wonder sometimes. Funny to me too that the first ones who say that kind of stuff generally don't show up to games anyway.

[RGV Pony]

good post, OC.

[RE Tycoon]

I don't know how it was when you were at SMU OC, but it was definitely pervasive while I was at school, but like anything you can avoid it if you really want to. I was pretty balanced, I had my friends who were straight snobs who drove M5's, special edition Mercedes SUV dignitary mobile thingy's; but I also had friends who will be paying off student loans for 20 more years, so I don't think it's fair to paint a broad stroke either way. I definitely don't think it comes off when you visit the campus (maybe if you listen in on a ditsy girl's conversation).

I hate to make a social commentary, but I really do think it's a reflection of the "Paris Hilton" culture over the last ten years or so. I remember when I was visiting USC during my college search in the late 90's. They had a picture of the USC student section with the kids holding up their car keys. They had subtly enhanced the logo's on the keys of nice cars while blurring out others (close up shot of the keys in hand). I can't remember the exact caption, but it was something like "People think USC students are snobs, so they show their keys to UCLA as time expires. The running joke is graduates of UCLA will work for USC someday"

Again not exact but that was the jist...point being is that being rich has a cache for kids today and schools like SC, and I'm sure SMU, cater to that in at least a subtle way. You lived in the LA area OC, I grew up in Malibu, it's very pervasive and reminds me of Dallas A LOT.

[OC Mustang]

Again not exact but that was the jist...point being is that being rich has a cache for kids today and schools like SC, and I'm sure SMU, cater to that in at least a subtle way. You lived in the LA area OC, I grew up in Malibu, it's very pervasive and reminds me of Dallas A LOT.

Along that line of thinking, I have an interesting anecdote that validates your point. I certainly think that the "well-bred" as well as "bourgeois", for lack of better terms, are indeed market niches for SMU, whether subtle or not so.

In late 70s or early 80s, I don't recall when exactly, an article was published in Town & Country regarding SMU as a great value for the "well-bred" and "bourgeois". The result was an increase in applicants from the LA/Pasadena area, as well as a handful from Laguna Beach.

What's funny is that if you talk to people about that age who show up at alumni gatherings and ask them how they found out about SMU, the article is referenced over and over as something their parents saw when they were in their late teens and sensed issues with either getting into USC or just wanting a school away from CA. At least that was my experience at a total of 4 SMU-ish gatherings in LA or Orange County (Newport) from 1998-2005.

[SMUtrojanFAN]

It's funny you say all that...I have family roots in San Marino (Pasadena), and my girlfriend grew up in Laguna Beach. Both my parents went to SC, and I grew up in Orange County. Am I the proto-type?? haha

Anyways, your points are all valid. SMU has some of the wealthiest people in the world. It also educates a lot of middle class (and lower socio-economic) students who could give a rat's [deleted] about the newest Louis Vuitton whatever, or this guy's 2012 Range Rover, or her father's island in the Mediterranean, or my fraternity bro's dad is the CEO of XY Fortune 500 company. My point is that even though this stereotype remains a part of the SMU culture, there is a balance that is not as easily perceived because of the nature of the stereotype.

haha, maybe this shouldn't be in a recruiting thread, but thought I'd say it anyway...

[OC Mustang]

It's funny you say all that...I have family roots in San Marino (Pasadena), and my girlfriend grew up in Laguna Beach. Both my parents went to SC, and I grew up in Orange County. Am I the proto-type?? haha

Anyways, your points are all valid. SMU has some of the wealthiest people in the world. It also educates a lot of middle class (and lower socio-economic) students who could give a rat's [deleted] about the newest Louis Vuitton whatever, or this guy's 2012 Range Rover, or her father's island in the Mediterranean, or my fraternity bro's dad is the CEO of XY Fortune 500 company. My point is that even though this stereotype remains a part of the SMU culture, there is a balance that is not as easily perceived because of the nature of the stereotype.

haha, maybe this shouldn't be in a recruiting thread, but thought I'd say it anyway...

S'alright...Ponypride put one up on Bill Parcell on Football thread.
If he can talk about that guy, we can talk up OC & USC. God, I miss the sushi there. And the Aliso Viejo Stadium 20...and the Spectrum (hate Fox Sports Grilll...got thrown out with my father-in-law and my youngest son in my arms at the time)...and Ichibiri's in Niguel Ranch...and Dana Point Harbor...and my kid's school in LN (St. Anne's) and the Ruby's in Mission Viejo Mall...and the In-N-Out in Laguna Hills...

I'll leave you with this one...my oldest son, Carson (yeah, yeah, I know...we are Trojan fans too), when he was 2, pointed up to the searchlights they have at the Spectrum. It was cloudy, and he called them bubbles.

Trojan fan...go have a beer at Houston's off Jamboree for me, would you? I used to take the boys to that Sports Chalet there when the wait was bad. And there is a deli...can't recall the name of it, over near the OC Performing Arts Center up by Southcoast...fantastic sandwiches....
Okay I'm done.