If SMU is hiding behind this excuse, then this is no excuse. I would really hope that fans neither accept it, recite it or fall into this conditional thinking. I don't want to hear that anymore.
The program is supposed to be a revenue generator. I think we know that it's not. Based on hearing little items that season ticket sales are ridiculous, Moody won't be upgraded (or at least you don't hear that anymore), interest is worse than it was under the late Jimmy Tubbs and the string of embarrassing losses are too numerous to count. Oh, and he's lost the last 3 to the area rival. And those games haven't been close. And that program isn't a world beater.
It is the athletic director's charge to do what's best for the program. That means if he had to fight through some of the alleged financial pitfalls, he should have been resourceful enough to make it work. I don't care how. Find a way. Work with administration.
After three seasons, it was quite clear that Matt Doherty could not guide this program out of the black hole that it was in. Instead, he drove it deeper into the black hole. Even though the 2009-10 season was "better", it still was not a winning season. A coaching change should have been made then. When it wasn't, more people likely left the reservation.
And really, it doesn't matter that Doherty signed the greatest class in the history of ever in November. Sure, I put up the Handel's Messiah Youtube because I was excited. And then I realized that if the same guy is coaching this group, what difference would it make? Based on his track record, do players get better? Has Papa Dia gotten better?
I live in Fort Worth. Last night, I forgot the team was playing until about 8:45 p.m. when I checked the game thread. What does that tell you? And then when I found the score, I just
. I would also argue that if the SMU coaching job is really considered a graveyard sitaution, then it really doesn't help when the current occupant is dressed like an undertaker.
If Steve Orsini wants to continue to put all of his eggs in the football basket -- that's the story you hear -- and continues to neglect men's basketball, then people really need to question why he's still here.
I may show up for a game, but that's only if the spirit moves me.
