When you can't get away from your history...

[George S. Patton]

Cue to the bottom of the note about our uniform change.
Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson (Graham used to work at the DMN. She's pretty hot!)

New coach, new style of play, old uniforms.

SMU announced late last week that it was reverting back to its white helmets and white pants as part of an initiative to bring tradition back to the program.

The uniforms will be officially unveiled at the annual football kickoff luncheon on Aug. 20 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.

"The fans have spoken and we have listened," SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini said in a statement. "Since I arrived at SMU, I have stated that I wanted to return the Mustang football program to national prominence. When people think of SMU, they think of white helmets with a red Mustang logo. When you have a rich tradition like we do here at SMU, it only makes sense to draw from that."

Wait, this sounds vaguely familiar. In 2003, SMU did away with the white helmets because then-head coach Phil Bennett said, "We're changing the perception of who we are. Although the white helmets were not bad looking at all, we were looking for a new identity."

And then-Associate Athletics Director Shawn Heilbron added, "Navy blue is a strong color.

Apparently, not strong enough. The Mustangs haven't won more than six games in any season since changing the helmets, including a 1-11 debacle last season that led to Bennett's ouster.

The white helmets and white pants were worn by some of the greatest SMU teams, including the famed "Pony Express" teams in the 1980s.

There is no word on whether $100 bills will be sewn into the lining.


Southern Methodist Mustangs, Pony Express, June Jones

[smu diamond m]

hah, I laughed

[mrydel]

There is appropriate time for that type of humor and Lord knows we deserve our share of criticism, but I do not think this was appropriate for a sports news network doing a release on our uniforms to take the occasion to knee us in the groin.

Oh well.

[RednBlue11]

love me some new jerseys

[MustangStealth]

"The fans have spoken and we have listened," SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini said in a statement. "Since I arrived at SMU, I have stated that I wanted to return the Mustang football program to national prominence. When people think of SMU, they think of white helmets with a red Mustang logo. When you have a rich tradition like we do here at SMU, it only makes sense to draw from that."

If only we would bring back an option offense to go with it...

[DiamondM75]

"The fans have spoken and we have listened," SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini said in a statement. "Since I arrived at SMU, I have stated that I wanted to return the Mustang football program to national prominence. When people think of SMU, they think of white helmets with a red Mustang logo. When you have a rich tradition like we do here at SMU, it only makes sense to draw from that."

If only we would bring back an option offense to go with it...

We did. The JJ offense is an option offense. The difference is, the option is to receivers instead of running backs. The QB reads the defense and decides whether to option long or short. Just like the old wishbone where the QB read the defense and decided whether to keep or pitch. Both offenses depend on the QB's ability to read a D and select the proper option.

[smu diamond m]

"The fans have spoken and we have listened," SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini said in a statement. "Since I arrived at SMU, I have stated that I wanted to return the Mustang football program to national prominence. When people think of SMU, they think of white helmets with a red Mustang logo. When you have a rich tradition like we do here at SMU, it only makes sense to draw from that."

If only we would bring back an option offense to go with it...

We did. The JJ offense is an option offense. The difference is, the option is to receivers instead of running backs. The QB reads the defense and decides whether to option long or short. Just like the old wishbone where the QB read the defense and decided whether to keep or pitch. Both offenses depend on the QB's ability to read a D and select the proper option.

Definitely not a traditional option by any means

[mrydel]

Definitely not a traditional otpion by any means

Which is why we switched the t and the p.

[smu diamond m]

Danmit!

[MustangStealth]

"The fans have spoken and we have listened," SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini said in a statement. "Since I arrived at SMU, I have stated that I wanted to return the Mustang football program to national prominence. When people think of SMU, they think of white helmets with a red Mustang logo. When you have a rich tradition like we do here at SMU, it only makes sense to draw from that."

If only we would bring back an option offense to go with it...

We did. The JJ offense is an option offense. The difference is, the option is to receivers instead of running backs. The QB reads the defense and decides whether to option long or short. Just like the old wishbone where the QB read the defense and decided whether to keep or pitch. Both offenses depend on the QB's ability to read a D and select the proper option.

That's like saying we ran an option offense under Bennett... the QB had the option of attempting to carry out the play as designed, or to run for his life, or to just take the sack and move on.

[jtstang]

There is appropriate time for that type of humor and Lord knows we deserve our share of criticism, but I do not think this was appropriate for a sports news network doing a release on our uniforms to take the occasion to knee us in the groin.

Oh well.

Otter: He can't do that do that to our pledges.
Boon: Only we can do that to our pledges.

[mrydel]

There is appropriate time for that type of humor and Lord knows we deserve our share of criticism, but I do not think this was appropriate for a sports news network doing a release on our uniforms to take the occasion to knee us in the groin.

Oh well.

Otter: He can't do that do that to our pledges.
Boon: Only we can do that to our pledges.

Exactly. Thank you Otter.

[smu diamond m]

These days, only your pledges can do it to your pledges.


Which might just be worse.

[HB Pony Dad]

There is no word on whether $100 bills will be sewn into the lining.

Could just as easily apply to the Trojans!

ESPN has been taking their shots at USC with Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo as well, but the NCAA looks the other way because of $$$$.

Start winning and generate $$$$ for the NCAA again and SMU will just laugh it off.

[RednBlue11]

finally a realistic perspective