Somebody's lying

[George S. Patton]

I guess from what I have read Bennett was talking about the academic restrictions, transfer hours, etc. as a factor. Said something like the changes didn't occur like they were suppose to.

Funny, in May at the coaches tour event, Bennett and Orsini said they could get whoever they wanted into the university.

OK, so what are we talking about here? With respect to the fluff those tour events can be, it would have been better for them not to say anything about the restrictions or whatever because if you don't say it, it can't be repeated.

Is this Bennett's sour grapes?
Is the school saying one thing about changing its admitting policy and then double-backing on it and everyone missed it?

The bottom line: Someone's lying here.

[Hoop Fan]

well, it is very eyebrow raising. Bennett said it in such a way to be very emphatic...ie "and Steve and Gerald know this". If he lies, he lies with conviction.

[davidsmu94]

very true. I believe the main holdup is around transfer hours.

[that's great raplh]

he who smelt it dealt it

[Stallion]

.....and he's daring them to deny it. In the courtroom when unrebutted credible facts are alleged or unrebutted evidence is presented then that evidence must be accepted as true if not denied. I'm sure they had access to a microphone if they wanted to deny it.

This was the story of the Day it seems to me. Once again SMU is sending an Athletic Director out hopefully to hire a big name Head Coach without laying the foundation on which the AD can look those candidates in the Eye and tell them that SMU can compete on an even level with its opponents. Orsini will be grilled on these issues since the problem is conventional wisdom in the Coaching industry. In fact, if the major in Education apparently isn't even on the board then a real solution is years away as in probably after we fire the next coach. Coaches know that a problem solved 3 years down the line won't fully show up on the field for 7-8 years. Barnett, Bowden, Neuheisal, Mason, Gill and any top candidate with options will likely turn this job down because once again SMU failed to properly build the Model necessary to compete BEFORE SMU hired a Coach.

The result-top candidates decline and SMU is saddled with second or third rate options

Step 1 is to put a Model in place to allow you to compete on an even basis with your natural and traditional rivals
Step 2 is the hire the best Coach possible
Step 3 is for that Coach to recruit the best players possible.

SMU is back-ass-backwards

Phil threw the real fans of a strong athletic program a bone with that comment.

[davidsmu94]

agreed, however I wouldn't be suprised if we saw some academic changes announced within the next 6-8 months

[George S. Patton]

It's not only something that Orsini should be grilled on but you can put Dr. Turner in the same crosshairs. It needs to be asked, asked again and asked again by an aggressive alumni base.

David, you can't wait 6-8 months for this happen. The wheels have to turn in earnest immediately and the candidates must see it happen as they interview or else we won't get the coach we want.

[OC Mustang]

It's not only something that Orsini should be grilled on but you can put Dr. Turner in the same crosshairs. It needs to be asked, asked again and asked again by an aggressive alumni base.

David, you can't wait 6-8 months for this happen. The wheels have to turn in earnest immediately and the candidates must see it happen as they interview or else we won't get the coach we want.

Somebody said Turner in crosshairs?
Finally.
I've said it before, and I shall again. For as bad as Pye is purported to have been, Turner has been at SMU twice as long with more dismal results vis-a-vis revenue sports (B-ball & Football).
I know he has been a prodigious fundraiser, but at some point you have to ask HIM, what are you doing, Gerald? Sorry, he does not get a pass on this one. Yes, it's just one goal in the grand scheme of things, but it is a friggin' black hole financially (and that should get his attention if nothing else does) and marketing-wise, it is a serious monkey & the wrench.
I want him to answer for why whatever is missing is missing. HE has to participate in this discussion b/c Orsini's job is not to fight academic windmills. Turner, dammit, get your Provost into gear with marching orders that demonstrate that you are dishing out more than just lip service.

[Hoop Fan]

I sure as heck hope that Orsini is more convincing when he sits in front of the candidates than he was today in that press room. Lets see this for what it is. If we are meeting with the right candidates, they are interviewing Orsini and SMU much more than we are interviewing them. If Orsini is running the interview, we don't want the candidate. We need a guy with an opinion, a backbone and a card to play.

[BRStang]

I'll stand up for Orsini. I was thoroughly impressed with him and thought he did an excellent job in the press conference. I believe him when he says he intends on us being top 25, and I think it was pretty clear that he means business.

As far as recruiting restrictions, I heard Bennett primarily take issue with the fact that SMU does not have an education major and we have issues with transfers. I take Orsini at his word when he says these types of things will be addressed and put to bed in the NEXT YEAR OR TWO. Frankly, I seized upon his comment that he explicitly requested to be consulted on any athletes that might have problems getting into school and that he was not brought in on a SINGLE CASE since he's been here.

I like Orsini. He is strong and is taking his job seriously. He's kicking @ss and taking names as far as I'm concerned. Keep up the good work, Orsini. And thank you!

[RGV Pony]

.....and he's daring them to deny it. In the courtroom when unrebutted credible facts are alleged or unrebutted evidence is presented then that evidence must be accepted as true if not denied.

and those unrebutted facts are usually brought about by "...and isn't true that..."

the difference with these unrebutted facts and those in a courtroom are that those in the courtroom that I've been around as a witness, or party to whatever, is most of the time what follows "isn't it true" is something of petty or little significance in a lame attempt to deflect attention from the issues.

In this case, the evidence bears relevance.

Then again, I'm not an attorney.

[Pony in SA]

I mentioned this was going to happen a week or so ago when I relayed that they were asked at the San Antonio coaches event about this and told everyone they could get in who they wanted and that really wasn't an issue. Orisini mentioned same thing about he asked to be consulted if there were any problems and then said he knew of no problems and PB said the same thing.

Again, I agree with Stallion we need to look at making sure we play on the same field as our rivals but I also think we have had an evaluation problem in terms of recruiting. If we aren't even contacting coaches and kids at successful high school programs to just get our names out there, or we aren't paying attention and sending letters to kids with their names spelled wrong, that is a big part of the problem.

I just don't think it all has been admissions problems. I think the General is on to something.

[Hoop Fan]

I am not bagging on Orsini, he didn't create this mess by any means. As for him being brought in on no single admissions problems, if a stud kid wants to major in education, and we don't have it, whats to discuss? He won't even give us an official visit, much less jump through any other hoops we have made recruits go through. Its over before there is even "a case" to consider. The same goes for transfers, we can admit guys all day long if they don't mind losing 15 credit hours toward their degree. So technically, we dont have an admissions problem, but we sure do have a recruiting problem.

[Pony94]

I have previously mentioned that I had thought I heard from a SMU athletic employee that changes were under way to implement parts of the "Model". However, I can find no documentation to this fact, only discussion of portions of the models. See these minutes from the Faculty Senate. Anyone with more information on these matters??? This is from a long time ago!!

http://smu.edu/facultysenate/reports%20 ... 21,%202001)

http://smu.edu/facultysenate/reports%20 ... 07,%202001)

[Hoop Fan]

by the way, is the training table for athletes in place? didn't think so. Do they still eat the slop over at Umphrey Lee?