Old Band Guy Speaks (Warning - A Very Long Post)

[Statler]

To those who know me from the old "Mustang Maniacs" board, it is I OBG now adressing you as Statler ("and may God have mercy on your souls"):

The short version is..."I have had it with you butt-sniffing, wannabe, win at any costs, sycophants!"

The long version is as follows:

I am extremely disappointed in those of you who do not support or understand the importance of the M Band as we have sojourned over the last twenty years of football quagmire. Since the death penalty we have experienced what is the equivalent of the NCAA's Bataan Death March. The absolute life force of what was SMU football had been sent into perpetual oblivion. The ONLY THING THAT ENDURED WAS THE SMU MUSTANG BAND AND PERUNA. However, the vast majority of you who has suffered sinced 1987 have sold your souls to Gerald Turner, Steve Orsini, June Jones, and, yes..even Madame Pickens. None of those people understand what the M Band means to SMU and especially the University. I challlenge you talk to Jerry Levias. He knows what the M Band is all about. Even the great Ron Meyer said the M Band was worth three points a game. Please do not get me wrong. I am pleased with the progress of the football under Coach Jones; however, we cannot leave behind those who have suffered in the cause.

The posts over the last several months and weeks have thrown under the bus (no pun intended....yet) our mascot Peruna, and now the greatest of all SMU traditions...THE MUSTANG BAND.

As it stands now, the geldings (a creation of the Madame Botox and June Jones) are going to Hawaii; however, as of today, the MUSTANG BAND and our mascot, Peruna are not going to game.

This is fact (for IPP and others who doubt --- I speak facts when it comes to the M Band) - as of today the Athletic Dep is NOT Paying for the band to go to a bowl game (which breaks 74 years of tradition) The M Band has gone TO EVERY SINGLE BOWL from the ROSE BOWL to the ALOHA BOWL AND THE UNIVERSITY PAID FOR THE M BAND TO BE AT EVERY ONE OF THOSE BOWL GAMES. The exception is the Mirage Bowl which was a regular season game with Cougar High and the Mitsubishi Corp paid for the band to go.

As it stands as of 11/24 (and this could change tomorrow), SMU is solicitiing donors that sent the MUSTANG BAND to the 2001 Inauguration for George W. Bush. If those big donors don't come through it is very unlikely that the M Band does not go to Hawaii.

The Mustang Band is the HUB OF SMU SPIRIT. Those guys and gals give their very lives and souls to support the university. DO YOU REALIZE THAT BY THE TIME THEY GET OUT OF CLASS, WARM UP, PRACTICE, COOL DOWN, and resume their campus life, each member has given at leat 2.5 to four hours of each day to support the athletic department? That is time they could have been studying, partying, or at least vegetating. That is just rehearsal. On game days, M Band members start their day four hours before game time with rehearsal, march to the stadium, perform at the game, play after the game. In addition, they have to play convocation, basketball games, various school functions, volleyball games, etc. Most do not receive financial aid. Yet, they chose to do this to support the institution that you love. THINK ABOUT IT.

Those of us who were privileged to obtain an education at Southern Methodist still have a great loyalty and a deep abiding love for our University. Most of the former bandspeople do not make six figure incomes (band is a function of the middle class and subject of another post at a future date). We give what we can after our donation to our churches and other charitable organizations. This year's donations have enabled the M Band to have 87 members (no thanks to the AD Dept.) (Yes I am calling out BUS, Varsity Shop, IPP, and others..how much have you given to the Diamond M Club?).

Even though we will never see Gerald Ford, Robert Dedman, Edwin Cox and even T. Boone Pickens' money, former Mustang Band members give something just as or even more valuable than money...our time. We play on the Boulevard and we are the only alumni band to play at basketball games during the break while M Band members are away. It makes one think that if the university, AD Dept, and SMU supporters like those on this board don't care about the M Band, maybe we should reevaluate our responsibilities.

Many complain about the size of the band..Do you realize that SMU's undergrad totals around 5k? Texas' undergrad is 40k. The Texas Band has 400 members. That is 1% of the student body. Apply that to SMU. 1% of SMU's undergard would be a band of 50 people. THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE. If not for the Diamond M Club and the endowment that it contributes to each year, the band would be in the 50 member range. THOSE ARE FACTS!!!!!!!!

There are some of us who are legacies. I am privileged to have a member of the greatest generation as my father. He played in the Mustang Band under the leadership of Frank Malone. Under Frank Malone, the M Band was named the "Best Collegiate Band in the U.S." by the Hearst Newspapers. My Dad left to fight in WWII, returned to campus, received his degree, and then fought in the Korean War. I am so fortunate that he is still with us today. He goes to every home game and holds his pony ears up with pride. However, we are deeply disappointed in SMU's treatment of the M Band and the unfortunate controversy regarding Peruna. It's as if all the toil, blood,sweat, and tears over the generations doesn't matter.

The Mustang Band still plays in the worst rehearsal hall in the USA. M Band plays under a swimming pool with supports about to crumble. Many former M Band members suffer from loss of hearing from playing in that rathole under the Natatorium. Event though it has no money, no rehearsal venue, lack of support from many of the SMU Community including the AD Dept headed by the mob boss, STEVE ORSINI, the MUSTANG BAND CONTINUES TO BE 'THE PRIDE OF DALLAS," "THE HUB OF SMU SPIRIT," AND "THE BEST DRESSED BAND IN THE LAND."

I just wish others would see it that way.

(HUBBA HUBBA TO ALL BAND SUPPORTERS)

(enuff said)

[Diamond Girl]

What he said. Well done, Statler.

[mustangdm]

Post of the Year!

[Mustangs35SMU]

Great great post.

[PK]

It's sad Statler, but the concept of tradition is quickly becoming a thing of the past...at least at SMU. If it doesn't make you money it isn't important. 20 years of neglect by the school administration towards the football program and athletics in general have gotten us 10 to 15,000+ alums who don't give a [deleted] about SMU football or any other SMU sport. If you don't go to the athletic events (because they were not entertaining), you don't see and hear the band...or see Peruna. So how are these most recent alums supposed to figure out the importance of these two institutions of school spirit and tradition. The Mob Boss and JJ may indeed get the football program turned around, but at what ultimate cost and for how long? Sure I want us to have a winning program again, but neglecting and diminishing the soul of our athletic program to do it is not right...and frankly I think it is not going to be good for the program in the future to neglect these institutions of tradition now.

[ponyscott]

Thats BS and hopefully will be corrected as a bowl team without a band is a real gelding trip. They add to the fabric of our University, the athletic teams and can't even imagine the game without the sounds of the Mustang Band....WTF? They should be there for both the football Bowl game and the Basketball games that are going on at the same time by coincendence...it would be a 'twofer' and they should be there. I had no idea that this would not have been budgeted if and when SMU made a bowl game finally. Weird stuff. How many teams at last years bowl games did NOT bring their school bands? Was there any?

[jtstang]

I am extremely disappointed in those of you who I have met over the years as we have sojourned over the last twenty years of football quagmire.

Well then I'm glad we never met.

[Statler]

I am extremely disappointed in those of you who I have met over the years as we have sojourned over the last twenty years of football quagmire.

Well then I'm glad we never met.

Sorry about that...that phrase did not come out they way it was intended. I will edit that.

[SMUSportsTalkNow101]

If the band does not get invited/paid for a trip to the Football team bowl game, but transport for a couple of horses(that could easily be substituted for with a couple of Hawaii grown stallions that look similiar enough-regardless if Madam Botox pays of not) is provided, shame on Steve Orsini, Gerald Turner and anyone on the Athletics committee allowing for these arrogant and bad decisions. Much is yet to be revealed about what is actually happeneing, it seems, but if the root of this post topic holds true then I am ashamed of what is happening at the top with this department. GO MUSTANGS AND M BAND!

[Pony!Poni!Pone'!]

Statler, I enjoyed your post and you made some good points. I am very much pro-Mustang band. In fact, I am pro pretty much any college band...it's my favorite part of going to a game.

That said, would you be satisfied if the Mustang Band received the same level of support from the university as did Notre Dame's band last year? Fact: Notre Dame's band did not make the trip. And that's no small omission....I've been witness to several USC-UND games at both venues, and I'm sure we all know both bands make those trips. I believe SMU is fortunate to have the possibility of locating donors to enable the band to make the trip.

In recent years, other schools have had similar issues. There was a bowl game in Florida in which Texas Tech participated, and someone donated nearly half a million dollars to transport the band.

Schools that see the athletic department or university itself pick up the whole tab for band travel-every SEC school that goes to all road games, for instance-are blessed with foundations (think Mustang Club) which underwrite the football program, freeing up funds for things like the band.

The Georgia Redcoat band, with all its SEC $, needed 400k to transport its band to the Outback Bowl one year.

I'm not criticizing you; however any discussion should include point and counterpoint.

That said, based on what you outlined in your post, what would you suggest take place? That the university cover the costs? The athletic department? Again, not picking on you..I'd just like to know your proposed solution.

[DCMustang]

Hubba Hubba. *Begins slow clap*

[SMUPhil]

Yes, in all honesty, I propose the University or Athletic Dept chip in for this, combined with asking big donors to step up as well. We do have a small band, 87 members, plus staff, so maybe 90-95 people going.

While I understand the points made that other universities don't always pay for their bands, I feel this situation is different. This isn't the 400-member Texas Tech band going to its 12th bowl game in 12 years, this is SMU's RETURN TO GLORY bowl game after 25 years of crap. If SMU is committed to "Top 25" in all we do, then I would think we would want to make a statement and come out looking like 'Hey, we're back!' on national TV.

[ponyte]

I am extremely disappointed in those of you who I have met over the years as we have sojourned over the last twenty years of football quagmire.

Well then I'm glad we never met.

Well, I am about to get on Statler's disappointment list. It isn't my intent. I have a couple of questions.

In which department is the Mustang Band? Is the band in the Athletic department? Or is it part of the Meadows school of Arts? There is talk about the athletic department being responsible for paying for the band's trip. If so, is the athletic department responsible for any expenses related to the band such as any trips to non athletic events, Pigskin Revue, or any other event?

If the band isn't part of the athletic department, then where does the budget for the band reside?

I don't question the bands importance, I just wonder about the organization and structure of the band within the SMU framework and the responsible department for the band.

[SMUPhil]

The band falls under the dept of rec sports I believe, same as the cheerleaders and Peruna.

[ponyte]

The band falls under the dept of rec sports I believe, same as the cheerleaders and Peruna.

Thanks. For futher clarification, is the Department of Rec Sports part of the athletic department or is it in a nother area of the University?