http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/d1sc ... s-101-105/
101. Southern Methodist.
"One of my least favorite words or phrases in the Big Bag of Sportswriters Cliches is "learning/knowing how to win." It's incredibly prevalent in baseball --- i.e. a pitcher who pulls a Rick Helling, circa 1998, and "wins" 20 games with a 4.41 ERA with the help of some nice run support. If Helling "knew" how to go 20-7 that year, why did he manage a 16-13 record two seasons later when he recorded two more outs and allowed two more earned runs in two extra starts over the course of the season? He most certainly didn't "forget" how to win, did he?
OK, enough about Helling, who probably doesn't deserve to have the highlight of his Brett Tomko-like, $15 million career dragged through the mud. But the phrase "knowing how to win?" That's another matter.
It pops up in other sports as well. And if Southern Methodist happens to get better in Year One under June Jones --- and after going 1-11, it almost certainly will --- it seems like a sure bet that folks who cover that program or Conference USA will invoke the Mustangs are "learning how to win."
Here's my two cents: One, Jones is a good coach who will squeeze a little more out of the Mustangs than Phil Bennett did. Two, it takes an extraordinarily unlucky bunch to go 0-6 in games decided by 10 points or less, including 0-3 in overtime.
That's not to say SMU was a decent team last year. It was horrific on defense and committed far too many turnovers. But the Mustangs were much closer to being a nondescript 5-7 than a woeful 0-12, regardless of their record.
Jones will deserve every bit of credit he receives if/when he manages to finally get the Mustangs a post-death penalty bowl invitation. But modest progress this fall should be expected, since the odds say SMU won't be nearly as snakebit this time around."
--- Patrick Stevens
