Jordan Johnson not happy...

[Stallion]

It also shows that June Jones for whatever reason-either because they don't fit his system or he's failed to reach them-has failed to "coach 'em up". Not surprised I said this was coming last August when it was obvious Jones was going with every freshman with a pulse-(MexMustang seemed offended by that at the time as I remember). Still this wasn't going to be a situation such as with Todd Graham(Rice, Tulsa) or TCU(Franchione ) where a Coach came in and improved the program by simply installing his own coaching technique, personal motivation and X's and O's.

[huskerpony]

College sports-all college sports-is heading in the wrong direction in so many ways. Just when they make great strides in the Progress Toward Degree area we now have Coaches revoking clear offers to attend universities mere days before signing date leaving student athletes without a fair chance to get another offer, wholesale cutting of players for athletic reasons, we've got rules never mentioned in the NCAA Manual such as greyshirting which are simply ways of warehousing players, we've got rules on scholarship limitations which are largely ignored so teams can sign 30-40 players a year despite an 25/85 man limitation. The NCAA and most of its member schools are a lot less worried about Progress Toward Degrees and graduating players than they are about winning football games. I think the pendalum has started swinging a bit too far away from the players. Just wondering who speaks on behalf of the interests of the student athlete-it certainly is not the NCAA with their largely irrelevant Progress Toward a Degree which is a sham designerd to make what is going on more palatable to the general public.

Actually, I think I totally disagree with this. Well, not totally. Yes there is a lot of shadiness in pulling offers these days. However, like many coaches noted on signing day, an early offer is not a guarantee. A player must continue to produce both academically and on the field during their senior year to keep that scholarship.

Still, this is a problem that results from limitation of scholarships. I don't think there were a lot of players having their scholarships pulled in the 70's when there were no scholarship limits. But then you had the problem that Tom Osborne and Barry Switzer owned college football because they each had about 180 players on scholarship on their teams, and other schools didn't have the money to compete with that.

(Not saying we should go back to that, but it would be helpful to schools like SMU where they could sell the educational quality of their schools and don't get many walk-ons because of the cost of tuition.)

I must agree with you on this. Most schools have taken the word student out of the phase student athletic. The degree most get now is of the easy course type. Most players now must spend about 4 to 6 hours a day on football matters just to be able to compete at their position. The required time for study for most major degrees is just not available. I wonder how many of SMU player will be majoring in business, computer science etc in five years.

Are you serious? What does it matter what degree program an athlete is enrolled in? There is no rule saying "in order to play college football, you must become an astrophysicist, a lawyer, or a history professor." Many of these athletes are getting an opportunity to get an education that they could not afford or at a better quality school than they could gain admission to. I would hire someone with an education or communications degree from SMU over LSU or Troy any day. Plus, the addition of something like an education department adds non-athlete SMU educated teachers to our education system. I don't see that as a bad thing.

As for the 4-6 hours per day that players spend on athletics.......Yes it is a big time commitment and they put in a lot of hard work, but I spent that much time drinking beer most days at SMU, had a job, and graduated Magna Cum Laude with 2 degrees. Athletes often have issues with scheduling classes because of timing issues with practice, but they are limited to 20 hours per week of practices/meetings/etc. There is plenty of time for them to study. Decades ago, this was not the case.

What does that have to do with players' scholarships being pulled?

[KnuckleStang]

I guess I don't see what the huge deal is here. As much as I hate to use an SMU theatre dept. analogy, here goes. When I was at Meadows, the dept. had an official policy of evaluating the entire class after sophomore year and "cutting" those whose talent they had misjudged from the BFA program. They would basically "cut" half the class each time, from 28 down to 14. Of those who didn't cut the mustard, some would stay on at SMU to earn their BA or whatever other degree, but most would leave for other schools here and there. And almost none of the unfortunate students ever agreed with the decision. They all thought they were great and deserved to stay, even though they were not. Anyway, the decisions in this policy were based on work ethic, motivation and most of all talent. Don't know if Meadows still does that. I'm not surprised Jordan's upset, but I'm sorry them's the breaks.

[jtstang]

I guess the big deal is that Jones says the cuts were for violation of team rules, etc., and this kid says he had no "strikes" under the Jones system. Somebody is lying. If it is Jones, then this is the latest big lie told by the SMU athletic department to the media in recent years, on the heels of the bald faced lies told by Copeland during the burgers and Cheer fiasco. I guess the point is this--if a kid can't cut it on the team, just say so. Don't make up some lie and get called on it because it just drags the whole program down. And if the kid is the one lying, then he's just making himself look bad.

[StallionsModelT]

No no no KnuckleStang. We should have an awards ceremony and then a pizza party for these kids according to some of our posters on here. Good Lord no wonder we have sucked since A-Ha was on top of the charts.

[35straight]

Look. Coming from a former player, a halfway decent player in my opinion, I don't agree with cutting players just on poor performance. There were plenty of guys that would never see the field when I was at SMU. That didn't mean that they didn’t work hard or contribute to the team. Everyone has a role to play. Scout-teamers included. If a player signs a scholarship with a school they are interring into a contract that says they will abide by team rules and academic polices in order to stay eligible for competition. No where in my letter of intent did it say that I had to make so many tackles or put points on the board. If these kids aren't doing what is asked of them, then ok wish them the best of luck and send them packing. But just because a player doesn't live up to the staffs expectations at signing, by any means should we cut them. The school picked them; the school is stuck with them.

[jtstang]

That's a nice sentiment, and I don't mean any disrespect because you were halfway decent, but that ain't reality. Inasmuch as scholarships are renewed yearly, the "contract" to which you refer gives either side an out every year. You can't blame a coach for taking the out if he sees more potential in a new guy than one he actually watched perform last year.

[35straight]

I never had to renew my contract.

[jtstang]

I never had to renew my contract.

Am I wrong that scholarships are doled out annually? I have no personal knowledge of that, I am just regurgitating something I read here. Maybe it was posted by a numbskull. If so, make that two.

[Mexmustang]

No Stallion, you said JJ would never even consider the job, much less come. What I railed against was the way you put it, very negative as usual and extremely judgemental of a coach that could undress and re-dress you in the dark if necessary.

[StallionsModelT]

You know what, you're absolutely right. Not all 85 guys are going to be key contributors or even marginal contributors. The problem, especially when you have a coaching change, is that sometimes the kids who were a part of the previous regime don't "buy in" or adapt to the new environment. I know for a fact that several of the upperclassmen that were Bennett's kids didn't "buy in" to what Coach Jones and the coaching staff are trying to do. Talking to a guy at the Signing Day event the words I kept hearing were "doing just enough to get by" and "couldn't care less if we win or lose." We have had WAY too many of these type of kids here content to sit back and get their world class education and enjoy the four year vacation. I trust Coach Jones isn't just arbitrarily cutting kids out of the program. He's trying to turn around a team that has won one game against a Div. 1A opponent in two years. Clearly there are some guys who don't deserve the pizza party awards ceremony.

[Stallion]

Yes they are renewed annual. The NCAA had a deadline to notify athletes that their scholarship will not be renewed for next year-that's what caused the press release.

[StallionsModelT]

Mexmustang,

Just add that to the list under the "SMU will rue the day it passed on Todd Dodge" Stallion awards. The guy is priceless I tell you.

[35straight]

jtstang,
I stand corrected.

-35

From NCAA.org

Institutional Financial Aid Reduction/Cancellation
If a student-athlete is receiving institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability, that financial aid MAY be reduced or canceled during the period of award (e.g., during that year or term) only if the student-athlete:

Renders himself or herself ineligible for intercollegiate competition;
Misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement;
Commits serious misconduct, which warrants a substantial disciplinary penalty (the misconduct determination must be made by the university's regular student disciplinary authority); or
Voluntarily quits the sport for personal reasons. In this case, the student-athlete's financial aid may not be given to another student-athlete during the term in which the aid was reduced or canceled.

Institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability MAY NOT be reduced, canceled or increased during the period of award:

Based on a student-athlete's ability, performance or contribution to a team's success;
Because an injury prevents the student-athlete from participating; or
For any other athletics reason.

[KnuckleStang]

I hear you JT. And we should keep in mind that none of us knows the facts here. It's been well documented that when JJ came to UH, first thing he did was thin the herd of eveybody on the team who wasn't cutting it on the field, but also of people who did not have a team mentality, regardless of their skill level. Didn't he cut their leading rusher or something and everybody freaked out (see Willis--not saying JWill's not a team player, everyone get off my back!!!). If you're a coach, and it is your perception that some kids have serious attitude problems or are not In It To Win It, I think dispensing with the "three strikes" policy is appropriate. That said, if the administration is lying about these kids, that ain't cool.