Prez Turner in the DMN

[The Q]

Cool story in the Metro section today about SMU's effort to fill the stadium with fans this year. However ....

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SMU has no plans to try to displace the Cowboys as Dallas' team.

"We want to be their favorite No. 2 team," Dr. Turner said. "Adopt the Mustangs and the Mustangs will adopt you."

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To me, SMU is Dallas' team, not the Irving/Arlington/wherever Cowboys. OK, I've always hated the Cowboys, and they are, of course, the marquee franchise in this area. That will never change. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. I just don't like the idea of the "we want to be #2" approach.

[NavyCrimson]

totally agree - 'the Q' -

that's the whole $%%#$ problem with smoooo, "#1" & "try" is't in their vocabulary!

[Hoop Fan]

come on guys, not even UT could displace the Cowboys in Dallas. SMU's best approach is a more humble approach that appeals to more people. Not arrogance. Who was it, Avis, that built a company saying we're number 2 and we try harder. SMU needs to appeal to people by trying harder for the forseeable future and asking for community support. Not telling people we are gonna replace the Dallas Cowboys.

[NavyCrimson]

no one said we were going to 'replace' the cokeboys - that 'may' never happen - but who knows!!!!???

all we said was 'try' as if we're trying to be #1 then things will begin to happen -

that's the problem with smooooo, we've accepted mediocrity tooo %%$ long!!!

[MrMustang1965]

I grew up as both a Mustangs and Cowboys fans. However, when Jethro Jones bought the Cowboys and summarily fired one of the greatest football coaches ever...I wrote 'em off! And...I wrote off professional football completely several years ago when the salaries just got totally ridiculous. That said...I am still and ALWAYS WILL BE a Mustangs fan...come hell or high water!

I don't like this #2 approach, either. I've always said - and will continue to say - that SMU is the only Div. 1-A football team in Dallas and its citizens should embrace it because of that. Nothing would make me happier than to see the Plowboys head to parts further west than Irving. If the SMU marketing folks catch on, SMU could run with this and we could have sellout games every Saturday! When you're the only 'game' in town, people will buy it. Example: the Dallas Morning News. It's the only newspaper in Dallas - no competition any more from the Dallas Times Herald and the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram doesn't appeal to folks in Big D. Yet, people buy it.

There's no reason why SMU couldn't do the same. Of course, winning some games to develop more fan interest will help with that effort. And that begins tonight when we...BEAT THE HELL OUT OF TEXAS TECH!!!!!

[NavyCrimson]

your too %%^$# logical 65!

[king_k]

MrMustang1965,
I hate to tell you, but it's not 1965 anymore. No matter where the Cowboys move in the metroplex they will be the main attraction. We all have cars. I know plenty of people that travel from Dallas to see TCU play. I'm sure if we get our program going again people from everywhere will come to see us play, but we will still be #2.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

SMU is not competing against the Dallas Cowboys.

Come on guys, there are enough people in the Dallas area that just prefer college football, we just need to present them with a great entertainment value and they will come. And SMU is starting to really get better at offering that "total package". Did you see that BLVD at 6pm last night? The Cowboys have nothing to compare! It's really "apples to oranges". Let the Cowboys do what they do and we will do what we do. No need to demonize or blame the Cowboys. I am a huge SMU Fan and also a huge Dallas Cowboys Fan.

Replacing the Dallas Cowboys one of the most successful NFL Teams in history really should not be the goal. We don't need to "stop the Cowboys".

Let the Dallas Cowboys be Pizza Hut on Sundays and SMU can be Campisi's on Saturdays. Different schemes, different ballgames.

Pizza Hut doesn't want to be Campisi's and Campisi's doesn't want to be a Pizza Hut.

The appeal, the flavor, the needs are different, but yet both are successful.

I always found it odd the theory of "well if it just wasn't for the Cowboys SMU would be doing great".

Funny how many schools in the NCAA do just fine even if they are in close proximity to NFL Teams.

I agree Turner really should not use the "well we just want to be 2nd choice" lines. There are other ways of saying the same thing without sounding like a step-child.

I guarentee kids have a better time at SMU Games......by the way that "kids endzone" with the rock climbing tower is just another piece of the puzzle......great idea whoever came up with that!

[stang_fan]

Insane, I have to applaud you on your intelligent post.

[MrMustang1965]

Insane: I at least agree with your analogy with Pizza Hut and Campisi's. Pizza Hut is a 'family pizza parlor'. Campisi's reminds me of the restaurant in "Good Fellas" and lots of other Mafia-themed movies/TV shows. The Mustangs have that kind of attitude now and I like it! It's been too long in coming! WE'RE MADDER THAN HELL AND WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!

[RGV Pony]

Let me tell you, the REASON I became an SMU fan was because as a kid I thought it was cool they played where the Cowboys played. At the same time I was pissed that the lost to BYU (whom I hated).

For what it's worth, I also idolized JR Ewing on Dallas as a wee lad, and for the same reasons I was very pro Ron Meyer, and pro-everything Mustang. I think Dallas in general wouldn't be (or have been) so hard-pressed to feel the same way.

**to be P.C., it was wrong to do those things for which we got the d.p.