Jones to Student Senate: Horsies and TV Viewers

[High Horse]

He is...think about the number of drug and alcohol deaths of students that have occurred in the past few years. Bet he gets up every morning and reminds himself to smile.

[CalallenStang]

Calallen....can you provide a URL source for any statement by the University or a high ranking University official that stated Peruna was being replaced by the full size horses?

"First and foremost, let me stress that Peruna, the black Shetland pony who made his first appearance at a campus pep rally in 1932, is and will continue to be our mascot,"
SMU Athletic Dirctor Steve Orsini - 10/12/09

Dr. Turner doesn't like the horses...

Dr. Turner must be a great actor because he looks pretty happy in this picture.

Dr. Turner can put on a smile for anyone who gives anything. It's why he's a successful fund raiser.

As for links, there were no direct quotes, but those lines appeared so much leading up to the event that you would think that someone in the athletic department would have told the Dallas Morning News that they weren't going to be mascots by October 16. But no:

For the first time anyone can remember, Peruna will share the spotlight at Saturday's game with much larger mascots – two real mustangs.

And no matter what you say, when those horses are on the field they are acting AS mascots. I'd have no problem with the horses if they were, say, a major part of our football backdrop with a "pasture" next to the scoreboard with information on Pickens' cause (we are supposed to be educating the people about the cause, right?), but two horses that are soon to have names that are on the field of play ARE mascots and it doesn't matter what you or Steve Orsini or June Jones or their shill VarsityShop say otherwise.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 06ebe.html

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

So Calallen...just to be clear....you are now admitting since you can
not provide ANY url sources that the new full size horses were NEVER intended
to REPLACE Peruna?

[CalallenStang]

So Calallen...just to be clear....you are now admitting since you can
not provide ANY url sources that the new full size horses were NEVER intended
to REPLACE Peruna?

Not to direct quotes, but then, I didn't really spend too much time looking (I have a life). I think the failure of our athletic department to make it clear to our hometown newspaper makes it pretty clear that the athletic department's intent was, at least, to confuse the masses.

And by the way, the Hawaii media was calling those geldings our "mascots" when we were down there too.

[CalallenStang]

And by the way, IPP, here's one such story with a version of what I posted above:

http://www.hutchnews.com/Localregional/ ... 4T20-53-44

The horses and their trainers will debut at halftime of the Oct. 17 SMU/Navy football game in Dallas, after which they could be named the SMU mascots.

[CalallenStang]

And I think it's very clear that by putting them on the field (and having them run ACROSS the field in Hawaii) and giving them names (Liberty and Justice, to be named later this year...you can copy this post so that you can show me as wrong if you want, but I guarantee I will be right) is at the very least to ADD mascots, which diminishes the role of our ONE AND ONLY TRUE MASCOT, Peruna, thus diminishing the gift that the Culwell family has given to SMU for nearly 80 years.

[Samurai Stang]

thus diminishing the gift that the Culwell family has given to SMU for nearly 80 years.

I would personally punch each member of the Culwell family in the face if I believed it would further SMU's chances for victory. Their feelings and contributions to the past are irrelevant. What is important is the now.

[CalallenStang]

thus diminishing the gift that the Culwell family has given to SMU for nearly 80 years.

I would personally punch each member of the Culwell family in the face if I believed it would further SMU's chances for victory. Their feelings and contributions to the past are irrelevant. What is important is the now.

Do you believe that putting two geldings on the sidelines will further SMU's chances for victory? I submit to you that the uniform colors, mascots, fight songs, etc. have no bearing on our chances for victory whatsoever.

[Samurai Stang]

Do you believe that putting two geldings on the sidelines will further SMU's chances for victory? I submit to you that the uniform colors, mascots, fight songs, etc. have no bearing on our chances for victory whatsoever.

Col. Reb was removed as a mascot because he hurt recruiting. Peruna, a miniature horse that has been the symbol of SMU's losing program for 25 years, is not understood by those outside of SMU. If SMU were winning it would be different. As the situation stands however, Peruna is a tradition associated with a losing, a tiny horse that is more cute than ferocious. Mascots do matter. If you do not believe so, talk to Col. Reb.

[CalallenStang]

Do you believe that putting two geldings on the sidelines will further SMU's chances for victory? I submit to you that the uniform colors, mascots, fight songs, etc. have no bearing on our chances for victory whatsoever.

Col. Reb was removed as a mascot because he hurt recruiting. Peruna, a miniature horse that has been the symbol of SMU's losing program for 25 years, is not understood by those outside of SMU. If SMU were winning it would be different. As the situation stands however, Peruna is a tradition associated with a losing, a tiny horse that is more cute than ferocious. Mascots do matter. If you do not believe so, talk to Col. Reb.

Col. Reb was a symbol of racism to many - Peruna is not. Coaches who cannot explain how Peruna is a fearsome animal despite his size (just as SMU shall be a fearsome team despite the school's size) are lacking in ability to sell a school. Mascots don't recruit, coaches do.

[Samurai Stang]

Do you believe that putting two geldings on the sidelines will further SMU's chances for victory? I submit to you that the uniform colors, mascots, fight songs, etc. have no bearing on our chances for victory whatsoever.

Col. Reb was removed as a mascot because he hurt recruiting. Peruna, a miniature horse that has been the symbol of SMU's losing program for 25 years, is not understood by those outside of SMU. If SMU were winning it would be different. As the situation stands however, Peruna is a tradition associated with a losing, a tiny horse that is more cute than ferocious. Mascots do matter. If you do not believe so, talk to Col. Reb.

Col. Reb was a symbol of racism to many - Peruna is not. Coaches who cannot explain how Peruna is a fearsome animal despite his size (just as SMU shall be a fearsome team despite the school's size) are lacking in ability to sell a school. Mascots don't recruit, coaches do.

1. Col. Reb proves your initial statement wrong. Your whining cannot change that.
2. Mascots can keep recruits from embracing a school. See Col. Reb.

True, Col. Reb. was associated with racism, but it demonstrates that mascots matter. The average recruit will see a small horse, and then simply consider the whole tradition ridiculous. A mascot so fearsome that you have to explain it.

[CalallenStang]

1. Col. Reb does not = Peruna.
2. The average recruit will see a small school and not want to play there, either. A team so fearsome that you have to explain it.
3. The point of recruiting is to sway recruits one way or another and correct misconceptions they may have. If our coaching staff can not do that, then maybe they aren't as good at recruiting as we think. Ron Meyer, Bobby Collins, etc. could recruit without introducing geldings to the field. And don't try to rebut this by saying that that's because they were paying players - 75% of the schools in the SWC were paying players at that time and we weren't paying any more than anyone else.

[Samurai Stang]

1. Col. Reb does not = Peruna.
2. The average recruit will see a small school and not want to play there, either. A team so fearsome that you have to explain it.
3. The point of recruiting is to sway recruits one way or another and correct misconceptions they may have. If our coaching staff can not do that, then maybe they aren't as good at recruiting as we think. Ron Meyer, Bobby Collins, etc. could recruit without introducing geldings to the field. And don't try to rebut this by saying that that's because they were paying players - 75% of the schools in the SWC were paying players at that time and we weren't paying any more than anyone else.

Ron Meyer and Bobby Collins recruited in the SWC before the death penalty. This is a completely different environment. Every player that SMU recruits this year will have been born after the death penalty. Your examples of success come from a lifetime ago. Peruna has since then been sullied with SMU's disastrous athletics.

If the coaching staff has to correct misconceptions about SMU's mascot, as you suggest, then you are admitting that Peruna is a hindrance. It prevents the coaches from simply selling the program, and turns them into apologists for a mascot that has been the only lasting symbol of a losing program. Selling a program to a recruit is hard enough without the added obstacle of this Shetland pony.

[Get_Some_Ponies]

Samurai says he'd punch each member of the Culwell family in the face if it would help the program.

1) Classy
2) I would imagine Cully Culwell might give you all you could handle.

[Samurai Stang]

Samurai says he'd punch each member of the Culwell family in the face if it would help the program.

1) Classy
2) I would imagine Cully Culwell might give you all you could handle.

Calallen does not wish to hurt the feelings of the Culwell family or diminish their contribution. This is a ridiculous reason to not do what is best for the football program. I, however, have no such issues.

"Class" is a form of consolation for losers. For more information on the uselessness of being "classy" search all of the posts on this website regarding Phil Bennett.