Craig James on the DMN Hotseat

[Hoop Fan]

must reading. the interviewer asked him what was the last thing he talked with Eric Dickerson about. CJ says he asked ED if he could believe SMU losing to Arkansas State. ED responds thats no big deal, they have Darren McFadden. CJ corrects him that its State, and ED throws down a few bleep, bleeps in disbelief.

On one hand its funny, on the other, James is always quick to pile on from a distance.

[Stallion]

did you read this board after the loss to Arkansas State? Most just accepted the season was down the drain and Bennett should be fired immediately. Why can't alumni of this university make honest statements that are not nearly as controversial as 80% of the comments made on this board. They are just expressing what a total embarrassment this football program has been over the last 20 years. Its is unacceptable. Why does Craig James have to be an SMU Cheerleader? We got enough of those. We need more alumni and former head coaches that will tell the truth-the truth that Orsini glosses over with his Top 25 Comments, the truth that every Football Coach, Basketball Coach and AD has refused to acknowledge for 20 years. The truth is that SMU is not playing with a Model that puts them on an even playing field with their natural and traditional rivals. But let's go dump on Craig James and Eric Dickerson every chance we get instead of actually dealing with the real problems. FIRE the COACH! Again! For the 7th Time.

[Hoop Fan]

well, i am neither in the cheerleader camp nor the fire the coach for losing to Ark State camp. I wasnt dumping on James or Dickerson either, but james does chide smu in a very mocking, derogatory way that you dont see very many other ex players do publicly to their schools. maybe its a love-hate thing with James. he has to remember like all of us do that there are 85 young men who put on the uniform every saturday for SMU. How do you think James comments in the paper ring with the current team? I just wish james would throw his influence and opinion around in constructive ways rather than making jokes in the paper.

[Stallion]

SMU Football Program is a joke over the last 20 years. All he is saying is the same thing everyone else including General "Abandon the Ship" Patton is saying. But it hurts litt' fweelings at poor ole SMU and makes them pout. Seriously, the alumni of this university have simply rolled over and allowed the athletic program to be destroyed with barely a whimper. Fire another Coach!

[jtstang]

He's just another alum who is embarrassed byt the state of this program. Like a lot of other alums, including me, who post on this board. He's just a public figure who vents his frustration in public as opposed to on a fan chat board. I think his quotes are always kind of funny.

[mustangbill67]

The last part of the quote -

and then he says, where's Arkansas State?. I love it. [deleted] obviously didn't major in geography, but he knew how to find the end zone. That's something our Ponies can't do.

Except for the NT game, that has been so true especially last week. I have no problem whatsoever with this James-Dick conversation.

[EastStang]

It would be nice if someone posted a link to the article. I couldn't find it on the DMN website. BTW, many of us who remember games every Saturday against BCS opponents and playing them close or even beating them occasionally, are pretty sick of the depths to which we have fallen. CUSA is a nice conference, but come on, losing to ASU and UNT in successive years is very frustrating. And Stallion is right, the coach is not the one who bears most of the blame. Its the system we created 20 years ago. We've made adjustments, but we still see ASU, UNT, TCU, TT, Baylor, getting better players than us, year in and year out. Is that because the coaches are crappy recruiters? How come Bennett was able to snag outstanding players for KSU and get toaster leavings for us? Did he suddenly lose his touch? Bennett and Tubbs were about as hard wired into North Texas high schools as any two coaches in SMU history. So, why didn't they bag the 4 star recruits? John Shumate has been successful just about everywhere EXCEPT SMU. Same goes for Forrest Gregg, Tom Rosseley and Mike Cavan. Are other schools paying players? What are they doing that we're not doing? What are they doing that we can't do? Those are the questions that need to be addressed before the football and basketball programs really go to a top 25 level. As far as ever being elite in football again, I'm afraid, that horse has already left the barn with the BCS. So, yeah scream loudly for Bennett's head, and dream of elite coaches coming here and then wonder aloud why they withdraw their names from consideration or take other jobs. The fact is that if Bennett goes, there will be few options for SMU to turn to.

[OR-See-Nee]

Here's the link. The quote is near the bottom of the column:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 666f3.html

I don't disagree with anything James said. His statements seem to be factual. But I don't know about the ED and geography thing.

[SoCal_Pony]

Hoop,

From 1981 to 1984, SMU was the MOST successful football team in the NCAA .

During the past 20 years, we are the WORST athletic program in the NCAA.

I say this in all seriousnes. Can you offer me even 1 example of a more dramatic fall from grace?...and you do not have to limit your response to sports…

I think that gives Craig James or anybody the right to complain…and bitterly.

[ponyboy]

From 1981 to 1984, SMU was the MOST successful football team in the NCAA.

Those years of so called glory in which we went 41-5-1 were bought and don't count. Our true fall has been from a less than mediocre program (44% win percentage from 1950 to 1980) in a major conference since Doak Walker left in 1949 to a less than mediocre program (39% win percentage since 1995) in a mid-major conference.

And James has no right to publicly criticise his school the way he does seeing how, as a top player on one of the cheatingest programs in the history of the hallowed NCAA, he was one of those who helped get us into our current situation.

Having said all that, it's tough to argue with most of Stallion's logic above. I still cannot help but get his looking down his nose as what he deems "cheerleaders" stuck in my craw. This team needs true cheerleaders, i.e. loyal fans who support their team through thick and thin, like it needs oxygen. Doesn't mean we can't also support Stallion's model for how to fix this thing. They are not mutually exclusive.

[PonySnob]

And James has no right to publicly criticise his school publicly the way he does seeing how, as a top player on the cheatingest programs in the history of the hallowed NCAA, he was one of those who helped get us into our current situation.

Hasn't it been pretty well established that it was the "triangle" that brought James to the Hilltop and not a paycheck after games like "[deleted]" received?

[ponyboy]

I believe James was basically clean. I've never heard anything to the contrary. But he ought to be ashamed to have been a part of one of the most sordid chapters in the history of college football. We bought those years and they do not count. He's got no right to jump on this team and, if anything, owes a debt to speak nothing but good things about his alma mater publicly.

[MrMustang1965]

And James has no right to publicly criticise his school the way he does seeing how, as a top player on one of the cheatingest programs in the history of the hallowed NCAA, he was one of those who helped get us into our current situation.

Kettle meet pot.

[ponyboy]

Well that's got to be a first. I'm now accused of failing in my duties as a cheerleader.

[SoCal_Pony]

It is amazing naïve for anyone to believe SMU was the only school ‘cheating’ back then or that we paid more money to get our players.

UT and Texas A&M have 5 times the alumni base we do and probably 10 times the support. But somehow little old SMU found a way to out-spend the big boys???.....Geat Real

We cheated just like everyone else. But unlike everyone else, we had the BEST football team. That is due to in part our location, our campus and our academic reputation. Those elements didn’t suddendly go away with the DP. We still have them. Yet somehow we've managed to become the WORST.

As I like to say….would you rather drive that Trans-Am in Dallas or College Station?