Bottom line: There is a now a film worthy for a time capsule

[HB Pony Dad]

It’s no accident that ESPN will air "Pony Excess" after the Heisman presentation. Last year, it had "The U," the network’s riveting tale of the University of Miami football program in the same time slot.

"The timing of the film is on the mark," John Dahl, "30 for 30”’s executive producer, said in a telephone interview. "Reggie Bush gave back his Heisman and Cam Newton is a big story now."

But it has been only SMU whose recruiting practices earned it the "death penalty." No school since has paid such a severe price and, in all likelihood, no school will again. For a happy ending, "Pony Excess" paints current coach June Jones as the long-await Messiah who, almost 25 years later, finally has led the school back to football respectability.

There are a lot of sports fans around the country, who don’t know SMU’s story. Many of them are too young. Others weren’t paying attention. Some need to be reminded. Bottom line: There is a now a film worthy for a time capsule.

Boston Herald - Bottom line: There is a now a film worthy for a time capsule.

[RednBlue11]

I emailed Bob Ryan last friday raving about the premier...maybe he passed it on?

[RednBlue11]

nvm, i forgot Ryan works for the globe.

[buckwheat]

Yes, couldnt be a better time for this to air. The montage at the end is a nice nod to the NCAA.
Cant wait to see it again and again.

[RednBlue11]

i should have know, the meyer and james connection to the Pats...of course.

[RednBlue11]

here's a nice article about the film in the Chronicle from last Sunday's paper.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/spo ... 26017.html

[HB Pony Dad]

I decided I liked this Subject Title a lot more than the original!

[smupony94]

I decided I liked this Subject Title a lot more than the original!

Hi

[ponyte]

That time frame is surreal. Dallas was exploding. It was pre-AIDS and post-penicillin. The media exposure to all things football was beyond imagination. TV, newspapers and radio galore with an insatiable thirst for football.

Now add in an up and coming football program with a dynamic coach to the mix and one has the perfect storm for SMU football success.

I don’t think the film captures just how go-go those times were and how on top of the world a kid could feel playing football at SMU.

My, what a ride. Too bad it lead to some excesses that destroyed SMU football for decades.

[RednBlue11]

Dallas was exploding. It was pre-AIDS and post-penicillin.

[Arkpony]

Actually it was NOT pre-AIDS. I recall going to a Pigskin Revue during the Dicker-James era and one of the references was to Aggie Intelligence Deficiency Syndrome which brought forth howls of laughter from the audience.

[SmooTen]

So glad i got to go to the premiere, but i will tell my mom to record it back home. Kind of sucked because they said there would be more stuff from now

[Dutch]

The media exposure to all things football was beyond imagination. TV, newspapers and radio galore with an insatiable thirst for football.

add in we were the last major market with 2 major newspapers. hight of the Times Herald v. DMN battle. in any other college town, the papers/media don't turn on the home team - VERY bad for business, but at the time, they were competing for the most juicy story. thad made a great point today on the ticket. if the Statesman started running negative stories about bad recruiting practices at UT, it would be best case out of business in 6 months, worst case someone would bomb the building.