SMU Daily Campus Editorial: FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS!

[MrMustang1965]

OPINION


Fight for your rights
Brawl with Texas Tech unpleasant, but certainly not unnecessary


By The Daily Campus Editorial Board
September 07, 2004


Ed Board would like to thank Head Coach Phil Bennett for lighting a fire under the Mustangs’ collective asses. After putting up the best performance the team has shown in the recent past, Bennett stood up for his team in a way that should make any university proud.

With less than 30 seconds left in the game, Texas Tech made an unsportsmanlike move, attempting to run up the score. It seemed as though Tech’s tough-guy Head Coach Mike Leach wanted nothing more than to salvage his wounded pride after the Mustang defense had given his usually high-powered offense all they could handle, all game. His Red Raiders failed on four attempts against the Pony defense.

In the past, our Mustangs might have just accepted the fact that an opponent was trying to embarrass the team. But thanks to Coach Bennett, this year’s players didn’t just duck and cover. They stood up for themselves, the fans and the dignity of our school. Bennett’s confrontation with Leach at the end of the game sparked a three-minute brawl between the two teams. The scuffle resided with the crowd unanimously chanting “S-M-U!!!” and proudly cheering for the team that, even in defeat, still went down swinging.

While Ed Board doesn’t condone violence, in this instance, Bennett and our team showed that they were serious about the rebuilding process of a football program that is clearly on the upswing.

As for Texas Tech, Ed Board concurs with coach Bennett as he as quoted in Sunday’s The Dallas Morning News: “You’ll get your [expletive] kicked when you get into the Big 12.” Ed Board predicts that “Trailer Trash University” (to quote a few SMU students this weekend) and fifth-year senior starting quarterback Sonny Cumbie will have a rude awakening this season against powerhouses like the University of Texas, Oklahoma University and even next week’s battle against the University of New Mexico.

The Mustangs have a lot to be optimistic about for the rest of the season. Saturday’s game let all of the SMU-faithful know that the team is serious about winning. Bennett deserves a lot of credit for the turnaround. His determination and dedication to make SMU a solid program once again was apparent Saturday and deserves recognition.

Now the only thing left is to get that first win, so look out, Horned Frogs. Ed Board hopes to see everyone in Fort Worth this Saturday.

[Water Pony]

Glad to see Students get behind Bennett and the Team. Let's take it to the Frogs.

[Pony Up]

OPINION

Fight for your rights
Brawl with Texas Tech unpleasant, but certainly not unnecessary

By The Daily Campus Editorial Board
September 07, 2004

Ed Board would like to thank Head Coach Phil Bennett for lighting a fire under the Mustangs’ collective asses.

After putting up the best performance the team has shown in the recent past, Bennett stood up for his team in a way that should make any university proud.

With less than 30 seconds left in the game, Texas Tech made an unsportsmanlike move, attempting to run up the score. It seemed as though Tech’s tough-guy Head Coach Mike Leach wanted nothing more than to salvage his wounded pride after the Mustang defense had given his usually high-powered offense all they could handle, all game. His Red Raiders failed on four attempts against the Pony defense.

In the past, our Mustangs might have just accepted the fact that an opponent was trying to embarrass the team. But thanks to Coach Bennett, this year’s players didn’t just duck and cover. They stood up for themselves, the fans and the dignity of our school. Bennett’s confrontation with Leach at the end of the game sparked a three-minute brawl between the two teams. The scuffle resided with the crowd unanimously chanting “S-M-U!!!” and proudly cheering for the team that, even in defeat, still went down swinging.

While Ed Board doesn’t condone violence, in this instance, Bennett and our team showed that they were serious about the rebuilding process of a football program that is clearly on the upswing.

As for Texas Tech, Ed Board concurs with coach Bennett as he as quoted in Sunday’s The Dallas Morning News: “You’ll get your [expletive] kicked when you get into the Big 12.” Ed Board predicts that “Trailer Trash University” (to quote a few SMU students this weekend) and fifth-year senior starting quarterback Sonny Cumbie will have a rude awakening this season against powerhouses like the University of Texas, Oklahoma University and even next week’s battle against the University of New Mexico.

The Mustangs have a lot to be optimistic about for the rest of the season. Saturday’s game let all of the SMU-faithful know that the team is serious about winning. Bennett deserves a lot of credit for the turnaround. His determination and dedication to make SMU a solid program once again was apparent Saturday and deserves recognition.

Now the only thing left is to get that first win, so look out, Horned Frogs. Ed Board hopes to see everyone in Fort Worth this Saturday.

I also agree with the sentiment behind this editorial. But I have some issues with the way it was written. The emotion might be shared by many students and fans (including me), but dipping into name-calling like this (even when quoting others at the game) sounds like sour grapes over the final score. And is there nobody at the DC who can edit for grammar and AP Style?

[93Mustang]

I agree. While I support Bennett's actions 100% and think Leach is a scumbag, there is no reason for the Daily Campus to perpetuate the elitist attitude too many people already have of SMU by throwing out the Trailer Trash comment. Many Tech. fans felt the same way about Leach's actions as we do. What needed to be said was Leach, not Tech. or its fans, acted like an [deleted] Sat. night.

That said, let's stay fired up and beat TCU.

[DiamondM]

From a loyal Mustang married to a Texas Tech alum (who, incidentally, attended Texas Tech because it is 1 of 2 or 3 outstanding landscape architecture programs in the country and he wanted to design golf courses):

I completely agree that the end of game hurry up offense by Leach was a classless, unsportmanlike stunt, and that the rationalizations espoused by Leach and his quarterback (and some, though not all, Tech fans) constitute nothing more than empty, post hoc rationalization of an action that was clearly designed to kick sand in the face of an opponent that the Texas Tech coach and team deemed an unworthy, though pesky, opponent. I have told my husband as much, and he agrees that the last second attempts were uncalled for. It is no excuse to say that Leach and his team needed "practice" -- that just re-emphasizes the lack of respect Texas Tech showed SMU on Saturday. (Not to mention the fact that Leach was perfectly happy to put in back ups and use his running backs in the fourth quarter of the Baylor and Texas A&M games last year makes it all too clear that Leach thought SMU was a team that he could afford to embarrass.

I was also among the many loudly encouraging Coach Bennett to give Leach a piece of his mind after the game to make it known that the Ponies will not be disrespected. Although in retrospect, heated words were probably enough to get the point across. I'm glad no one was hurt in the scuffle that ensued, probably unintentionally on all sides, as a result of heated emotions.

However, I take offense to the Daily Campus' own classless behavior of calling an entire University, in print, Trailer Trash University. We work with Red Raiders, we pray with Red Raiders, and yes, we marry Red Raiders. Do Leach's actions reflect poorly on Texas Tech as a whole? Yes. But let's let Leach's actions do the talking and not paint every Red Raider with the same insulting and elitist brush. I certainly hope that all the Red Raiders don't let the words and actions of some SMU fans speak for the rest of us.

As a final note, for those of you who have now decided to root against Texas Tech based on this little incident, I suggest that you re-examine which Texas teams have actually pulled the kind of stunts that have damaged SMU, often intentionally, with more lasting and long-term effects than a few errant passes into the end zone in the waning seconds of Saturday's game. Take a look about 40 miles west on I-30, or a few hours down I-35 for example. I for one will be pulling FOR the Red Raiders against the treacherous Horned Frogs, Longhorns, and Aggies -- and not just because I married into the Red Raider family.

[davish75]

DiamondM you are 1,000% correct.

[MrMustang1965]

DiamondM: I agree with your analysis, too. However, it'll be a cold day in Hades before I root for TT, the Teasips, or the Aggies. There's a LOT of history and reasons for my feelings. My loyalties lie with only ONE Division 1-A school: SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY!

[Hoop Fan]

The ED board as they call themselves is a joke and a disgrace. Even when they have the right idea for a change, they botch it and come off looking childish and hypocritical in the process.

[jtstang]

However, I take offense to the Daily Campus' own classless behavior of calling an entire University, in print, Trailer Trash University. ...
As a final note, for those of you who have now decided to root against Texas Tech based on this little incident, I suggest that you re-examine which Texas teams have actually pulled the kind of stunts that have damaged SMU, often intentionally, with more lasting and long-term effects than a few errant passes into the end zone in the waning seconds of Saturday's game.

I think the DC says it was quoting some SMU students re: Trailer Trash U, so maybe it should just watch what it quotes. Although, viewed in the context of this forum, you have to admit its kinda funny. As for rooting against the forementioned TTU (fill in whatever acronym suits you), I simply continue to dislike them, along with all the others you alluded to, from the old SWC days when everybody hated everybody else. It has naught to do with "this little incident...."

[RE Tycoon]

I think everyone needs to lighten up. The fact that students are talking about SMU football, not to mention a SMU football team that is on a 13 game losing streak is amazing. Who cares what the 'ED board" says. It's not like anyone from Tech will ever read it. Although I graduated in May, I know that students on campus are pretty excited about football for the first time since my freshman year when Ford opened. So if by calling Tech "Trailer Trash University" gets a few more students fired up I say more power to them. From what I hear those of you going to the TCU game on saturday will be presently suprised by the amount of students attending, and for me that is all that matters OUR students caring about SMU football.

[MrMustang1965]

I also agree with the sentiment behind this editorial. But I have some issues with the way it was written. The emotion might be shared by many students and fans (including me), but dipping into name-calling like this (even when quoting others at the game) sounds like sour grapes over the final score. And is there nobody at the DC who can edit for grammar and AP Style?

Since you asked: [email protected]

Emily Powell is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Campus.