Many Grown-Ups on Ponyfans?

[mr. pony]

How many intelligent, fair-minded adults are there on Ponyfans? Reading the "Trashing June Jones" comments makes me wonder.

Let's sum up the Coach Jones situation, using short words so all the children on Ponyfans can understand.

(1) Like it or not, June Jones doesn't owe you or SMU anything. The debt is entirely the other way around -- we owe June Jones plenty. This nationally prominent, highly successful coach came to SMU and has resurrected SMU football after 25 LONG YEARS in the football sewer. In only 4 seasons, starting at the very bottom, he and his excellent staff have taken us to THREE STRAIGHT WINNING SEASONS AND THREE BOWL GAMES. Truly amazing, probably unequaled in recent Division One football. For those of you unfamiliar with the word "gratitude," look it up. It's under G in the dictionary. (Am I going too fast?)

(2) Despite our successes, who cares? SMU continually plays before pitiful home-field crowds. On game days more than half the seats in our fairly small stadium are often empty. We're almost totally ignored by Dallas sports fans and also by SMU students, many of whom just hang out nearby on the boulevard during
games. Coach Jones is justifiably disappointed in the almost total lack of interest and support, even

when we're succeeding. For God's sake, can any of you gripers name a top-flight coach who wouldn't be?

Dry up. For the last six weeks, Jones' team looked as bad as Bennett's worst season, except Jones' team had no want-to. Jones obviously agrees with you that he doesn't owe SMU anything. Why can't he beat Navy in Year Four of his precious stewardship? Why did his players WALK to the other end of the field to start the fourth quarter of that game while the Mids ran? The score was 17-17 at the time. That's a dead team and that's on Jones.

(3) Then a big state university, with a large fan base and playing in a much bigger and better conference, wants Coach Jones. He can go there into big-time football or wind down his distinguished career in a place where very few people care.

(4) Now ask yourselves: How would YOU feel in that situation, if you were as successful as June Jones? I'll help you: You'd say, Is this the way I want to finish up my whole career? Or should I wind it up coaching a team in front of big crowds in a big important conference, where people actually care about football?

Oh, I suppose you critics would say, No! I must be loyal to SMU regardless! I'm perfectly happy coaching in front of empty seats and uninterested students in an uninterested town! It's wonderful -- how lucky I am!! If you claim you'd say that you're either a liar or you're stupid, or you'd stay at SMU because your Mommy wouldn't let you leave town.

Personally, as a grown-up, I fully understand June Jones' feelings and I respect his and any other highly successful coach's right to want to better himself. Tell me, who doesn't have that right? And I'm just extremely glad that we dodged a bullet. Welcome back, Coach Jones. We need you and we look forward to continued success from you and your fine staff. Thanks for what you've done for us. We owe you. Yes we do. And if any of you June Jones-bashers don't understand that fact, ask your baby-sitters to explain it to you.

Hooray for the new era in SMU football, at last. Hooray for our bright future. And a special hooray for June Jones. He's earned it big-time, and we're hugely fortunate to have him. Again, welcome back, Coach, and please stay for a LONG time. You can feel sure that nearly all the adults around here greatly appreciate you. After all, grown-ups are like that.

[smupony94]

what is the official cutoff for a legitimate first post then? does it qualify or do we need 94 for that?

I defer to you

[mrydel]

The one comment I would make is that if Jones is upset about the attendance then he did not do his due diligence before taking the job, or he is not performing in the way he believed he could. I have been a student, player, fan, and attender of games from 1968. We have never had good attendance. Even in the Pony Express days, the only near capacity crowds we were getting were primarily supplied by the opposition (UT/Arkansas/TT/TAM). It is not hard to verify. Go to the media guide and look at past attendance from 1968 forward. I do not have my numbers in front of me but I would say in the area of 20,000 a game with the exception of those opponents above (when we were out numbered). Recently we have been playing opponents that also do not travel or are far away, or both.

So, either Jones is not doing his job by winning over the residents of Dallas with his exciting brand of explosive offense, or he did not look at the history of the school before he took the job. In either case, this particular gripe is no ones fault but his own.

Do we need to improve attendance, yes. Is it easy, no. Would it be easier with a coach that would try to represent his school of employment and reach out publicly to the community, perhaps.

[mrydel]

How many intelligent, fair-minded adults are there on Ponyfans? Reading the "Trashing June Jones" comments makes me wonder.

Let's sum up the Coach Jones situation, using short words so all the children on Ponyfans can understand.

(1) Like it or not, June Jones doesn't owe you or SMU anything. The debt is entirely the other way around -- we owe June Jones plenty. This nationally prominent, highly successful coach came to SMU and has resurrected SMU football after 25 LONG YEARS in the football sewer. In only 4 seasons, starting at the very bottom, he and his excellent staff have taken us to THREE STRAIGHT WINNING SEASONS AND THREE BOWL GAMES. Truly amazing, probably unequaled in recent Division One football. For those of you unfamiliar with the word "gratitude," look it up. It's under G in the dictionary. (Am I going too fast?)

(2) Despite our successes, who cares? SMU continually plays before pitiful home-field crowds. On game days more than half the seats in our fairly small stadium are often empty. We're almost totally ignored by Dallas sports fans and also by SMU students, many of whom just hang out nearby on the boulevard during
games. Coach Jones is justifiably disappointed in the almost total lack of interest and support, even

when we're succeeding. For God's sake, can any of you gripers name a top-flight coach who wouldn't be?

Dry up. For the last six weeks, Jones' team looked as bad as Bennett's worst season, except Jones' team had no want-to. Jones obviously agrees with you that he doesn't owe SMU anything. Why can't he beat Navy in Year Four of his precious stewardship? Why did his players WALK to the other end of the field to start the fourth quarter of that game while the Mids ran? The score was 17-17 at the time. That's a dead team and that's on Jones.

(3) Then a big state university, with a large fan base and playing in a much bigger and better conference, wants Coach Jones. He can go there into big-time football or wind down his distinguished career in a place where very few people care.

(4) Now ask yourselves: How would YOU feel in that situation, if you were as successful as June Jones? I'll help you: You'd say, Is this the way I want to finish up my whole career? Or should I wind it up coaching a team in front of big crowds in a big important conference, where people actually care about football?

Oh, I suppose you critics would say, No! I must be loyal to SMU regardless! I'm perfectly happy coaching in front of empty seats and uninterested students in an uninterested town! It's wonderful -- how lucky I am!! If you claim you'd say that you're either a liar or you're stupid, or you'd stay at SMU because your Mommy wouldn't let you leave town.

Personally, as a grown-up, I fully understand June Jones' feelings and I respect his and any other highly successful coach's right to want to better himself. Tell me, who doesn't have that right? And I'm just extremely glad that we dodged a bullet. Welcome back, Coach Jones. We need you and we look forward to continued success from you and your fine staff. Thanks for what you've done for us. We owe you. Yes we do. And if any of you June Jones-bashers don't understand that fact, ask your baby-sitters to explain it to you.

Hooray for the new era in SMU football, at last. Hooray for our bright future. And a special hooray for June Jones. He's earned it big-time, and we're hugely fortunate to have him. Again, welcome back, Coach, and please stay for a LONG time. You can feel sure that nearly all the adults around here greatly appreciate you. After all, grown-ups are like that.

so do you just quote things and not have any input?

i'm going to use that genius method of adding posts.

[Dutch]

The one comment I would make is that if Jones is upset about the attendance then he did not do his due diligence before taking the job, or he is not performing in the way he believed he could. I have been a student, player, fan, and attender of games from 1968. We have never had good attendance. Even in the Pony Express days, the only near capacity crowds we were getting were primarily supplied by the opposition (UT/Arkansas/TT/TAM). It is not hard to verify. Go to the media guide and look at past attendance from 1968 forward. I do not have my numbers in front of me but I would say in the area of 20,000 a game with the exception of those opponents above (when we were out numbered). Recently we have been playing opponents that also do not travel or are far away, or both.

So, either Jones is not doing his job by winning over the residents of Dallas with his exciting brand of explosive offense, or he did not look at the history of the school before he took the job. In either case, this particular gripe is no ones fault but his own.

Do we need to improve attendance, yes. Is it easy, no. Would it be easier with a coach that would try to represent his school of employment and reach out publicly to the community, perhaps.

i had a pretty interesting conversation this afternoon. found out another old fraternity brother was joining us in B'ham. asked him why he decided to go to the game, b/c he never really comes up from austin for games. said it was more about the fact that a group of us was getting together and he wanted to hang out. wasn't even all that interested in the game, but was the 'excuse' to meet up for a good time. said "we never went to the games in college, why now?" sad, but true. we're the vast minority.

[huskerpony]

what is the official cutoff for a legitimate first post then? does it qualify or do we need 94 for that?

I defer to you

Ok. I declare 555 then. He is 3 over the limit!

[mrydel]

Dutch:

I "Bolded" the part that mr. pony had posted. He accidentally (or on purpose) put in in the middle of the quote.

[whitwiki]

I am growed up

[Dutch]

Dutch:

I "Bolded" the part that mr. pony had posted. He accidentally (or on purpose) put in in the middle of the quote.

hmmm. ok. thanks.

i guess i should have reread the entire thing. good for you for noticing it. thanks for pointing that out.

[mr. pony]

How many intelligent, fair-minded adults are there on Ponyfans? Reading the "Trashing June Jones" comments makes me wonder.

Let's sum up the Coach Jones situation, using short words so all the children on Ponyfans can understand.

(1) Like it or not, June Jones doesn't owe you or SMU anything. The debt is entirely the other way around -- we owe June Jones plenty. This nationally prominent, highly successful coach came to SMU and has resurrected SMU football after 25 LONG YEARS in the football sewer. In only 4 seasons, starting at the very bottom, he and his excellent staff have taken us to THREE STRAIGHT WINNING SEASONS AND THREE BOWL GAMES. Truly amazing, probably unequaled in recent Division One football. For those of you unfamiliar with the word "gratitude," look it up. It's under G in the dictionary. (Am I going too fast?)

(2) Despite our successes, who cares? SMU continually plays before pitiful home-field crowds. On game days more than half the seats in our fairly small stadium are often empty. We're almost totally ignored by Dallas sports fans and also by SMU students, many of whom just hang out nearby on the boulevard during
games. Coach Jones is justifiably disappointed in the almost total lack of interest and support, even

when we're succeeding. For God's sake, can any of you gripers name a top-flight coach who wouldn't be?

Dry up. For the last six weeks, Jones' team looked as bad as Bennett's worst season, except Jones' team had no want-to. Jones obviously agrees with you that he doesn't owe SMU anything. Why can't he beat Navy in Year Four of his precious stewardship? Why did his players WALK to the other end of the field to start the fourth quarter of that game while the Mids ran? The score was 17-17 at the time. That's a dead team and that's on Jones.

(3) Then a big state university, with a large fan base and playing in a much bigger and better conference, wants Coach Jones. He can go there into big-time football or wind down his distinguished career in a place where very few people care.

(4) Now ask yourselves: How would YOU feel in that situation, if you were as successful as June Jones? I'll help you: You'd say, Is this the way I want to finish up my whole career? Or should I wind it up coaching a team in front of big crowds in a big important conference, where people actually care about football?

Oh, I suppose you critics would say, No! I must be loyal to SMU regardless! I'm perfectly happy coaching in front of empty seats and uninterested students in an uninterested town! It's wonderful -- how lucky I am!! If you claim you'd say that you're either a liar or you're stupid, or you'd stay at SMU because your Mommy wouldn't let you leave town.

Personally, as a grown-up, I fully understand June Jones' feelings and I respect his and any other highly successful coach's right to want to better himself. Tell me, who doesn't have that right? And I'm just extremely glad that we dodged a bullet. Welcome back, Coach Jones. We need you and we look forward to continued success from you and your fine staff. Thanks for what you've done for us. We owe you. Yes we do. And if any of you June Jones-bashers don't understand that fact, ask your baby-sitters to explain it to you.

Hooray for the new era in SMU football, at last. Hooray for our bright future. And a special hooray for June Jones. He's earned it big-time, and we're hugely fortunate to have him. Again, welcome back, Coach, and please stay for a LONG time. You can feel sure that nearly all the adults around here greatly appreciate you. After all, grown-ups are like that.

so do you just quote things and not have any input?

i'm going to use that genius method of adding posts.

Didn't take for some reason.
Here you go, Dutch. My comment to the esteemed Mr. Wilson:

Dry up. For the last six weeks, Jones' team looked as bad as Bennett's worst season. It's obvious Jones agrees with you that he doesn't owe SMU a thing.
Tell me, why can't we beat Navy in Year Four of Jones' precious stewardship? Why did our players WALK to the other end of the field at the end of the third quarter of that game, while the Mids ran? The score was 17-17 at the time. That's a dead team -- and that's on Jones. He should go.

[East Coast Mustang]

I swear I didn't write this, but it sums up the situation perfectly.

Que the drama queen diva bashing in 5,4,3,2...

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

it's how it happened Saturday on our big recruiting weekend

I keep hearing this about the recruiting weekend so lets take a look at some possible scenarios,
all of which would hardly seem satisfactory to some furious myopic people on PonyFans.

Option 1: June meets ASU before recruiting weekend, but then if he takes the new job right before the big weekend some would be saying "wow he knew we had this huge recruiting weekend, he didnt care, just up and left us high and dry, and now none of the kids want to even come visit and see our campus...why didnt he at least wait a few days until after....what a jerk!"

Option 2: Wait until after the recruiting weekend knowing you are probably leaving and then some would be saying "wow I cant believe when he knew he was leaving and he still went thru with the recruiting weekend not really into it, what a jerk".

Option 3: Do what he did and be called a jerk. And we dont even know if he was in full control of the time frame. ASU may have said we need to make a decision now so we need to proceed immediately.

Exactly how would some of you complaining specifically about the big recruiting weekend have done it differently? If you were offered what you thought may be a better job and decided to enter into discussions about this potential new job...probably going to accept new job but obviously not a done deal....how would you have handled the SMU recruiting weekend?

[jpe747]

Andrew I kind of agree with what was said before. I have been a big Jones fan - and guess I still am. However, it wasn't the leaving for greener pastures for me. It was how it was handled and the timing of what happened - in the middle of recruiting a great class and waiting for the BE to accept us. I think this thing was one big 'fiasco' - not what Jones or ASU or anyone else wanted to happen. It just happened. I hope that we all have a great year next year and Coach Jones becomes happy that ASU fell through because everything is rosy here at Mustangland, and we are the best team in the BE, etc. Nonetheless, I too feel some hurt because SMU was not treated fairly. I can forgive and hope.

[Treadway21]

IPP,

He did it a lot differently when he was leaving Hawaii. In fact, he put Orsini on the hook for over a month while SMU fans were going ballistic waiting for a new coach. The contrast of how he handled the two situations is striking.

[SMU89]

How many intelligent, fair-minded adults are there on Ponyfans? Reading the "Trashing June Jones" comments makes me wonder.

Let's sum up the Coach Jones situation, using short words so all the children on Ponyfans can understand.

(1) Like it or not, June Jones doesn't owe you or SMU anything. The debt is entirely the other way around -- we owe June Jones plenty. This nationally prominent, highly successful coach came to SMU and has resurrected SMU football after 25 LONG YEARS in the football sewer. In only 4 seasons, starting at the very bottom, he and his excellent staff have taken us to THREE STRAIGHT WINNING SEASONS AND THREE BOWL GAMES. Truly amazing, probably unequaled in recent Division One football. For those of you unfamiliar with the word "gratitude," look it up. It's under G in the dictionary. (Am I going too fast?)

(2) Despite our successes, who cares? SMU continually plays before pitiful home-field crowds. On game days more than half the seats in our fairly small stadium are often empty. We're almost totally ignored by Dallas sports fans and also by SMU students, many of whom just hang out nearby on the boulevard during games. Coach Jones is justifiably disappointed in the almost total lack of interest and support, even when we're succeeding. For God's sake, can any of you gripers name a top-flight coach who wouldn't be?

(3) Then a big state university, with a large fan base and playing in a much bigger and better conference, wants Coach Jones. He can go there into big-time football or wind down his distinguished career in a place where very few people care.

(4) Now ask yourselves: How would YOU feel in that situation, if you were as successful as June Jones? I'll help you: You'd say, Is this the way I want to finish up my whole career? Or should I wind it up coaching a team in front of big crowds in a big important conference, where people actually care about football?

Oh, I suppose you critics would say, No! I must be loyal to SMU regardless! I'm perfectly happy coaching in front of empty seats and uninterested students in an uninterested town! It's wonderful -- how lucky I am!! If you claim you'd say that you're either a liar or you're stupid, or you'd stay at SMU because your Mommy wouldn't let you leave town.

Personally, as a grown-up, I fully understand June Jones' feelings and I respect his and any other highly successful coach's right to want to better himself. Tell me, who doesn't have that right? And I'm just extremely glad that we dodged a bullet. Welcome back, Coach Jones. We need you and we look forward to continued success from you and your fine staff. Thanks for what you've done for us. We owe you. Yes we do. And if any of you June Jones-bashers don't understand that fact, ask your baby-sitters to explain it to you.

Hooray for the new era in SMU football, at last. Hooray for our bright future. And a special hooray for June Jones. He's earned it big-time, and we're hugely fortunate to have him. Again, welcome back, Coach, and please stay for a LONG time. You can feel sure that nearly all the adults around here greatly appreciate you. After all, grown-ups are like that.

Or maybe he looked at next years schedule and didn't think he would make a bowl