Thoughts on Pony Excess

[smu1992]

I thought the documentary was excellent. I grew up a Mustang fan my whole life, graduated in '92, so I witnessed first hand all the things they were talking about.

I saw the UT game ('80) and the UA game ('81). In fact we drove up to Fayetteville that year to watch the game, we got there early and I caught Ron Meyer standing on the sideling close to the stands, I went up and got his autograph on the ticket stub (still have it). Then in the stands at Texas Stadium ('82) when Collins went for the tie.

My first year on the Hilltop in '89, when we rushed the field after that 'Miracle on Mockingbird Lane' come from behind win over UCONN, chanting "we want Texas, we want Texas" as we tear down the goal posts, LOL.

And of course the thrashing at the hands of Houston, which forever made me an anti-Cougar fan. As well as the fake punt at the end of the game by Baylor to score yet another touchdown, which made me an anti-Bear fan.

Then the Hawaii Bowl win from last year. Never been to Hawaii before, but that shows you how much of a SMU fan I am, I drag my wife (a Wisconsin person) all the way to Hawaii for Christmas just to watch a football game! After last year, she's become a Mustang fan.

I've always felt like CJ and ED did not do enough for the university after '89, but the documentary gave me some food for thought and reflection. I'm buying the movie and the book. Thanks for allowing me to relive those memories all over again.

See you in Ford on the 30th - let's go Ponies, beat Army!!!

[ponyboy]

Don't sprain a hamstring jumping to conclusions as you're wont to do, Nick. It seems to me likely that James was innocent, never took money and yet was lumped in with the rest of the players SMU made clear for two decades weren't welcome on campus. How would you react?

Stallion just said he was welcome to do the play by play before ESPN made him a big star...

He also had a daughter go to SMU recently, he must not have felt slighted by the university that much to spend 45k a year on his daughter attending...

Guy has had numerous opportunities to simply say the past is the past, lets move on and embrace my alma mater...

Is this really anything more than conjecture, Nick? Or do you have any actual experience and knowledge with this situation?

[Mitch McConnell]

I know one of the voices in the film. He said the fair estimate was about 40 percent of the roster were getting paid and the other 60 were not.

[NickSMU17]

I just gave you my actual experience Craig....

The guy takes shots at us on ESPN...he did so as recently as last week...

My wife and his daughter were sorority sisters...KKG....

My knowledge is that he is in it for himself...and could care less about SMU...I think thats BS...

[ponyboy]

It's clear to me to that the distance is there, Nick. Though he was a hero of mine when I was a teenager, I have not been in Craig James' corner for a long time until new info surfaced today that I had not considered. All I'm saying is that there may actually be a legitimate reason for his actions.

[ponyte]

I look at James' roll on ESPN a lot like Troy Aikman's when he announces a Cowboys game. Professional and not a homer.

ED doesn't depend on entertainment media for his livelihood. He can afford to be more partisan in his opinions. I don't think James has that luxury.

Last year when James' kid was involved in the TTU affair, there was a huge amount of blame SMU involved. SMU had nothing to do with the situation. However, for many SMU was implicated because of James. Not rational but may affect ratings. So James has to walk a very thin and difficult line to remain relevant and trusted by those tat are not SMU fans.

[ALEX LIFESON]

Actually Craig James came out in support of the program by serving as Color Analyst on SMU's Radio Broadcast team after his retirement from football-a fact often conveniently forgotten. Since then he has had a Day Job on Saturdays. You can't divorce the criticism Dickerson and James have had about SMU. They were both right to criticize the university and the program and Copeland and his legion of backstabbers were wrong.

Oh please, James had ZERO experience at the time, it was a good opportunity for all involved.

[NickSMU17]

Sherwood Blount was CJ's agent coming out of SMU......


Sure he was defn innocent...the university defn left him to rot...

What BS.....

CJ =[deleted]

[One Trick Pony]

Sherwood Blount was CJ's agent coming out of SMU......


Sure he was defn innocent...the university defn left him to rot...

What BS.....

CJ =[deleted]

I kinda dig this Blount cat! If he was his agent CJ is as dirty as the other MO FO'S

Think I will use Thads vision of his eyes for my avatar for a while.

[NickSMU17]

You, me, rgv, and sherwood @ javiers after bowl game...

[NickSMU17]

Hold on....

CJ worked at Blount's real estate office in off-season....


Oh yeah he was clean as a whistle guys....

[RGV Pony]

You, me, rgv, and sherwood @ javiers after bowl game...

I'll invite pony_fan as well, and someone remember to text Billy Clyde

[NickSMU17]

Don't sprain a hamstring jumping to conclusions as you're wont to do, Nick. It seems to me likely that James was innocent, never took money and yet was lumped in with the rest of the players SMU made clear for two decades weren't welcome on campus. How would you react?

Sherwood was his agent and employeer during college off-season....care to take back your opinion...


You are prob. right he just was at SMU b/c his G/F was there...

[Stallion]

Not even Craig James has ever claimed that he never took money-he has claimed that he didn't take money to sign with SMU. And I think it is correct to say that the NCAA, the Bishops Committee and the news media never proved otherwise. Pony Excess seems to confirm that. If there are truly fans of teams in the 1970s and 1980s that truly believe that their players weren't receiving extra benefits then they are hopelessly naive. This was true at Texas, A&M and every other school in the Southwest

[NickSMU17]

I totally agree..but the talk on this board was that C.James had a right to dislike SMU b/c he was innocent and lumped in with the cheaters...when in reality he was just as bad...