Does Sherwood get unfair blame?

[couch 'em]

Everyone paints this guy as a crazed out of control guy going rogue. But is this really the case? You can't fault him for beginning payments - that was just how football was done in the SWC. Sure, he said "you have a payroll to meet" and in retrospect that was the wrong, wrong, wrong move to make. But it's not an illogical move to make. Stop payment totally and you will potentially have tons of guys sell their story to the media. Keep paying the guys who are already getting paid and keep them quiet. They had been successful for years at keeping players quiet.

In fact, when you consider it was Stanley blabing after getting booted from the team, it was that we stopped paying him that sank us. If we kept paying him, perhaps he never talks!

Since the DP Sherwood Blount has said nothing about what has happened. Is this an act of bitterness like some say, or could it be an act to protect SMU? Is Sherwood Blount, despite being the fall-guy and getting banned for life, in fact a loyal alum?

[NavyCrimson]

very good points & like you said, he didn't do anything different than what the "other schools" were doing anyway -

smu's big sin was that they kept it going when they shouldn't have - in essence they lied

the ncaa had no intention of going after the other big-money schools & i would be willing to bet that they were dragged into those investigations against a$m & the others kicking & screaming

how texas gets around this stuff is truly amazing though

[Bergermeister]

What does "banned for life" entail? Talking to coaches? Donating money to the athletic department? Interaction with other boosters? After such a long period of time, should he be "re-instated"? Would he be a repeat offender? Does anyone in the entire athletic department or current SMU administration even know Sherwood Blount?

[mustangxc]

What does "banned for life" entail? Talking to coaches? Donating money to the athletic department? Interaction with other boosters? After such a long period of time, should he be "re-instated"? Would he be a repeat offender? Does anyone in the entire athletic department or current SMU administration even know Sherwood Blount?

I believe he cannot set foot on the SMU campus or attend any official SMU functions or interact with any current SMU player/official/staff.

[Dooby]

The NCAA, the Bishop's report and David Whitford's "Payroll to Meet" all paint Blount as out of control and uncooperative. Blount refused to cooperate with anybody and only met with the NCAA when Clements told him he had to, even though SMU lawyers were telling him he had to.

[Alaric]

my people say Sherwood got the ball rolling, that they love him but he's the guy the got the ball rolling

[CalallenStang]

The NCAA, the Bishop's report and David Whitford's "Payroll to Meet" all paint Blount as out of control and uncooperative. Blount refused to cooperate with anybody and only met with the NCAA when Clements told him he had to, even though SMU lawyers were telling him he had to.

Also College Football: History, Spectacle, Controversy by John Sayle Watterson (which does a good job of discussing the SMU situation, also mentioning other scandals of the time at Florida, Clemson - where they had two scandals and the president resigned because boosters wouldn't get rid of the athletic director, Illinois, and elsewhere)

Section on SMU starts on page 353. http://books.google.com/books?id=KFDCUP ... &q&f=false

[BUS]

From a lifelong friend.... I was told that S.B did what he did to help the players. He played at SMU and struggled to get his classwork done. He was tired all the time and just wanted to make things a little easier for the then (1980 +/-) era players. And yes, the NCAA makes too much money on product licensing to mess with certain schools.

Given that his daughter and now son (I hear) attend SMU - He is a supporter and not bitter but prudent.

[rich59]

Couchem, I agree 100 %. Sherwood only did what he did with the approval of the Powers That Be at SMU. They could have stopped him if they wanted to. Plus there are other people who were heavily involved. I am not speaking from hear say either. I have known and liked Sherwood for many years, since he was a player and to make him out to be some kind of bad guy is absolutely unfair and wrong.

[Big Al]

Sherwood did get unfair blame, unfortuantely his ego at the time was bigger than Dallas and the Texas Monthly article raised his profile tremendously. To this day, he never went public, never pointed fingers and took the fall for the admin. Sherwood did it out of competitiveness and love of the school.

Also the ball had been rolling for years, SMU was put on probation in the early '70's under Hayden Fry, but Ron Meyer and company took it to the next level.

Sherwood's name was connected to Stopperich, but who was connected to Stanley?

[smusic 00]

Sherwood did get unfair blame, unfortuantely his ego at the time was bigger than Dallas and the Texas Monthly article raised his profile tremendously. To this day, he never went public, never pointed fingers and took the fall for the admin. Sherwood did it out of competitiveness and love of the school.

Also the ball had been rolling for years, SMU was put on probation in the early '70's under Hayden Fry, but Ron Meyer and company took it to the next level.

Sherwood's name was connected to Stopperich, but who was connected to Stanley?

George Owen, via Bootsie Larsen, with help from Ken Corley (non-affiliated)...

a twisted story that involves coffee suppliers to UT and a UT alum judge who used some creative lawyering to compel testimony; the investigation into Stanley started before he even came to campus.

"A Payroll to Meet" is must-read stuff for anyone wanting more than was in Thad's (incredible) documentary.

[BIGHORSE]

I bet if S.B. bought a ticket and went to a game nobody would stop him.

[Big Al]

Seen him in the Stadium Club many times.

[One Trick Pony]

He lives in my Avatar.

[RGV Pony]

He lives in my Avatar.

and likes lemonade