Does Sherwood get unfair blame?

[Mitch McConnell]

I would hope that most on this board should not view any of these boosters as sympathetic figures. Their actions spoke for themselves.

[smusic 00]

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.

They did try and stop him. He was banned but continued to pay recruits on his own. When others found out, that's when the real cover-ups started to take shape. He may be a nice and likeable guy, but he instigated and controlled almost the entire illegal payment process in spite of the University and NCAA. One of many guilty participants, yes, but not just a soldier following orders. He was the General.

[mrydel]

I have always liked Sherwood and would be happy to have the opportunity to talk with him again. It would be enlightening to hear his side of the story.

[RGV Pony]

I have always liked Sherwood and would be happy to have the opportunity to talk with him again. It would be enlightening to hear his side of the story.

I thought that was going to say "I have always liked Sherwood and enjoy taking long walks in the rain around the square at sunset. I do wish they'd get a Hooters though"

[Pony Grey Hair]

Several years ago there was a reunion of the 1968 SMU football team that Sherwood played on and Hayden Fry attended. The reunion was at The Meadows Museum and Sherwood wanted to attend to see his teammates and Coach Fry. The school refused his request. What a bunch of .... that was! That decision and the one with the two recruits that came to school last summer and were denied admission tells you all you need to know about how Christian our admin is.

[One Trick Pony]

Si

[mrydel]

I have always liked Sherwood and would be happy to have the opportunity to talk with him again. It would be enlightening to hear his side of the story.

I thought that was going to say "I have always liked Sherwood and enjoy taking long walks in the rain around the square at sunset. I do wish they'd get a Hooters though"

There is a Hooters about 2.5 miles from my house. That is where I end up on my long walks when I tell my wife I am walking around the square. We are big time here.

[couch 'em]

I would hope that most on this board should not view any of these boosters as sympathetic figures. Their actions spoke for themselves.

Oh please. Boosters that acted rogue and didn't follow orders are one thing, but boosters who responded to the call of the university itself when this form of cheating was common and expected should not be demonized at SMU or elsewhere. It's just how business was done in that era. Try doing business in Mexico without laying out a few bribes. It's just the culture.

[smusic 00]

I would hope that most on this board should not view any of these boosters as sympathetic figures. Their actions spoke for themselves.

Oh please. Boosters that acted rogue and didn't follow orders are one thing, but boosters who responded to the call of the university itself when this form of cheating was common and expected should not be demonized at SMU or elsewhere. It's just how business was done in that era. Try doing business in Mexico without laying out a few bribes. It's just the culture.

So, reviewing all of the evidence, which category does Sherwood Blount fall into. He admittedly refused to follow orders. "It's my money, I'll spend it however I want." The Board didn't call up Blount and ask him to start paying recruits. As Whitford puts it, Blount and Meyer were "soul mates."

[couch 'em]

So, reviewing all of the evidence, which category does Sherwood Blount fall into. He admittedly refused to follow orders. "It's my money, I'll spend it however I want." The Board didn't call up Blount and ask him to start paying recruits. As Whitford puts it, Blount and Meyer were "soul mates."

Hard to say. The media reports (Pony Excess, The Whitford book, etc) sure make him look like a rogue and out of control. Personal references on this board seem to contradict that.

[mustangxc]

So, reviewing all of the evidence, which category does Sherwood Blount fall into. He admittedly refused to follow orders. "It's my money, I'll spend it however I want." The Board didn't call up Blount and ask him to start paying recruits. As Whitford puts it, Blount and Meyer were "soul mates."

Hard to say. The media reports (Pony Excess, The Whitford book, etc) sure make him look like a rogue and out of control. Personal references on this board seem to contradict that.

That is expected, as his friends will try to protect him, while the media will try to crucify him. I see him as being an SMU football fanatic. Well intentioned, but let his ego and personal agenda get in the way. He should have backed off and quit while he was behind.

[mustang1108]

Considering how sherwood is so called banned from the school i do find it interesting that his son is a freshmen here at SMU. I only know this because he was good friends with my little brother in high school

[Mitch McConnell]

Integrity thy name is Couch'em. I wouldn't know about laying out bribes because that's not how I operate. Now, if that's something you can accept doing and live with it and feel no shame for that as an accepted practice, then that's up to you.

It was because of people like Blount, Clements and others whose passion and -- to quote the film -- "need to win" served more of their self interests than what was good as a whole for the university. The male ego is a dangerous thing. And that's exactly what drove this IMO.

And it was because of those actions that caused terrible reactions: to the NCAA's death penalty, to the university overreaction with AK Pye's destructive academic restrictions to the school finally wading through all this to where we have something to talk about in athletics.

Because of the male ego, we had about 20 years of crippling repercussions. Certainly hope you enjoyed 1989-2008 like I did.

[mrydel]

Look, the only prettier picture of Sherwood than that magazine cover is the one next to the definition of pompous in the dictionary. But I spent 3 years with Sherwood on the SMU practice field. We shared the same position and coaches. A bond is developed. Don't tell me how I should feel about such people.

Is what Sherwood did wrong? Sure. Were others doing it? Sure. Could he have done things differently? Probably. Is he solely responsible for what happened? I doubt it.

My recollections of Sherwood are as a teammate, a dorm mate, and a friend. I have no control over or first hand knowledge of what happened after I left school and neither do most of us other than what we hear. And I have heard nothing that says abandon a friendship without knowing everything that happened from the mouths of those involved.

[CalallenStang]

Is what Sherwood did wrong? Sure. Were others doing it? Sure. Could he have done things differently? Probably. Is he solely responsible for what happened? I doubt it.

Fair assessment and wise words from Mrydel