Everyone read this...

[Media]

Anyone on this board that is looking for the quick fix (JUCO, freshman, head coach, waterboy, preseason schedule, new conference) needs to go ahead a find a new team to degrade. I'll have you all know right now that this team has more than enough players who are more than capable of winning and making plays. For whatever reason call it what you will it hasnt been happening and people are being held accountable for it, rest assured. You people want to though a fresh QB in there, why? So he can go O-fer and repeat the necessary struggles of youth. Some people want to put a new QB in so you can have something to build on, but do you even realize that you have QB's to build on now. You have a QB who knows the system as good as the coaches and you have a QB who has prototype figures. If Bennett thought that Meeks or Phillips could run this show and get even 1 win he would have done it by now cause this game is about the present not the future. All it is on here is cry about this cry about that, it makes me sick and would imagine it would make any player who read this board sick. When it comes down to it nobody inside those practice walls gives two cents about what any of you want or have to say about them or thier teammates. Very soon there will come a time when SMU football will win and they will do it with players who you all slander, degrade, praise and ajole, band wagon this band wagon that. When that time comes we will see who said what about who, who you thought had it in them, when you said they would come through...and when that time comes no matter who you all supported, hated or felt indifferent about wont care about you or your two-faced white lying teeth. SMU football will prevail and rise above because the players on this team have more character and integrity than most people on here. From QB to nosegaurd things will work themselves out, NO QUICK FIXES NO SUCH THING. Its delayed gratification and when it comes all this will be a moment we can all look back on and laugh at. Its happening for a reason and things will come out in the wash. Nobody puts this much effort and time into something to have no results. These players will overcome you , me and these bad games and seasons for that one season (thats coming soon) that will resurrect SMU football forever! God Bless !

[ProudPonyPa]

Well, then, let's just close down this board and just watch the game!!! That will save the webmasters a lot of time!

[echothat1]

So, what position do you play, Media? :hmm:

[pony91]

Gosh-Your right-- How Dare me for being upset at starting 0-5?! I have been told to be patient for 12 years. After Jack Pardee embarrassed us 95-21, Notre Dame running out of bounds to keep from scoring, Baylor beating us a few years ago without throwing a pass, Okie State setting NCAA records against us etc... I pay good money for my season tickets and expect to see some frickin progress. I am behind Coach Bennett but he he is not being given all the right tools or a coordinator is out of his league then I want it fixed. I can't stand to be told I am not being a good mustang when being presented with these results.

[EastStang]

Sometimes, you have to get embarrassed enough to change habits. What is the wake-up call? Is losing to UTEP enough of one? Hopefully, our players will learn that we lost that game, not because UTEP (or Nevada) was better, but because of mental errors, like running the wrong route, dropping passes, or being out of position. I watched the Redskins-Eagles game yesterday, how many times were the Redskins called for false starts? Those are nothing , but mental errors. Even the pros make these mistakes. With experience, those mistakes go away. Hopefully, as our team matures, our team will improve and have fewer mental errors.

<small>[ 10-06-2003, 06:47 AM: Message edited by: EastStang ]</small>

[Hoop Fan]

welcome to college football. Relatively speaking, SMU fans are a tame bunch and generally treat the team with the utmost respect. Did you hear any boos on Saturday when we went to the half down to Utep? Most places you would have. There is gonna be some speculation and discussion when you are 0-5. How could anyone expect anything else? Seems to me the majority of posters here have been somewhat postive since Saturday night.

[echothat1]

False Starts were a result of loud fans...linemen couldn't hear the count.

I wouldn't compare the disasterous performances by SMU against TT, Baylor, OSU, Nevada and UTEP in ALL respects to a few false starts by the Redskins because of crowd noise.

Still, I see your point...I just think it's more than a "young team" issue...I'm just not seeing the overall talent and size needed to compete (or coaching)

[Crong]

91, I cannot agree with you more. Who is taking responsibility? Why hasn’t the model fully changed to compete with other schools? Can Mr. Copeland, Dr. Turner, the Faculty Senate, or Board of Regents make the necessary changes? If the Ad hasn’t fully changed the entire model, why doesn’t he feel more pressure? How much influence does the AD have? Was he the cavalier (no pun intended) with the new stadium and the Bennett signing? Or did Mr. Hunt, Mr. Ford, and others spearhead the committees and use their pocket books to make the changes? Why the basketball program stagnant, and why is the football program …well who knows where it will go?

I have tried to keep from posting on this board, but I have had enough. When is someone going to take responsibility? I am tired of excuses. If the model is broke, fix it. Don’t change a part here and there. Do it right, or don’t do it at all.

[Nacho]

Since Miami is our model, what would they do if they were in this mess?

[PerunaPunch]

At the risk of exposing myself to further ridicule, I'd like to continue with the "talent" topic.

In addition to what's been well hashed out before (youth... lack of marquis, blue chip recruits...), most good teams have one or more "stars" in addition to their "good" starters and quality backups.

Consider how our stars compare to the teams we want to compete against (what does Stallion call them, "natural and traditional rivals" or something along those lines). Just food for thought.

Media, I think everyone knows that Bartel gives us the best chance to win now. I don't think you'll get much argument on that fact from this board. But what you might consider is that although Bartel is a sophomore (which is still really "young" – maybe inexperienced is a better word – for a starting QB), if we had the depth of talent we're talking about, Bartel would be a redshirt freshman this year – he might not be starting yet, and he sure as hell wouldn't have been thrown to the wolves last year.

As a final note, I'm sure the JUCO situation is something of an issue. But again, for the record, we have every plan of putting a JUCO player (Chase) on scholarship (unless something has changed), and we have picked up 2 excellent transfers. So if the kid has the scores, there isn't any other barrier to taking JUCOs, is there?? As far as I know it boils down to the coaches'' evaluation of whether it's more beneficial to take a JUCO for the short term or use a scholarship for another freshman. At least last year we were pretty short on "ships" as Wolcott had to wait until the 11th hour to know whether his was available or not.

<small>[ 10-06-2003, 07:32 AM: Message edited by: PerunaPunch ]</small>

[Nacho]

Bartel was red-shirted his first year. He is a junior in school but a sophmore in terms of football eligibility.

<small>[ 10-06-2003, 07:36 AM: Message edited by: Nacho ]</small>

[Lefty]

Originally posted by Media:
.... When it comes down to it nobody inside those practice walls gives two cents about what any of you want or have to say about them or thier teammates. Very soon there will come a time when SMU football will win and they will do it with players who you all slander, degrade, praise and ajole, band wagon this band wagon that. When that time comes we will see who said what about who, who you thought had it in them, when you said they would come through...and when that time comes no matter who you all supported, hated or felt indifferent about wont care about you or your two-faced white lying teeth....

Now hold on a second, Media. The reason people on this board are upset is because we love SMU and the Mustangs. We also pay good money for our tickets, and some of us (like me) pay good money to travel - to Dallas or road games - to see you play and to support you. I think it's great if the players have thick skin when criticism (with or without merit) is offered, but let's not be too harsh about those who care enough to be upset. Believe me, if there was a way any of us could wave a magic wand and make SMU go 12-0, we all would. This website is full of the Mustangs' most loyal supporters. I'm not sure I'd give the most loyal of PonyFans the finger like that. Take a deep breath, and realize that we're with you, not against you.

[Duke Blue Blood]

I will continue to give Phil time, but lets be honest for a little bit. The inability to keep a lead at Baylor, Nevada and now UTEP is coaching, not the players.

DBB

[Hoop Fan]

Thats not necessarily true DBB. Maybe we are just well prepared at the beginning of games and then wear down late. That coin has two sides.

[Stallion]

yeah the people on this board will probably still be fans even when you are too "embarrassed" to admit you went to SMU!!!I always get a kick from these posts from people in the new regime almost as much as the ones from the lifetime cheerleaders. We've heard this speech 15 times before in FB alone until the regime gets booted and all of a sudden you have comments from Tom Rossley and Mike Cavan that SMU needed to lower their standards to allow them to compete. That's the point-we have been LIED to by this school for 15 years that it was serious about competing at the Division 1A level. There are still obstacles remaining today that make the COMMITMENT a lie.