Nice to know what the rest of the BE really thinks...
SMU was about to soar on the field and implode off it. The program became one of the most successful in the country in the early 1980s and was hugely popular in Dallas, but corruption and rule violations were customary.
In fact, the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "Pony Excess" revealed that leaders at the highest level of the university, in the city's business community, and in Texas politics, were aware or complicit in the various violations.
FTA: "But in 1986, a Dallas TV station began investigating a claim that an SMU player received money to commit to the program and regular stipends during his career. "
This is a bold faced lie. The SOBs at WFAA contacted me while working in a morgue to talk about SMU recruiting. That was in late 1982. Hansen wanted to take down SMU and it took him years. The investigation was only continuing in 1986. It started years earlier.
ponyte wrote:FTA: "But in 1986, a Dallas TV station began investigating a claim that an SMU player received money to commit to the program and regular stipends during his career. "
This is a bold faced lie. The SOBs at WFAA contacted me while working in a morgue to talk about SMU recruiting. That was in late 1982. Hansen wanted to take down SMU and it took him years. The investigation was only continuing in 1986. It started years earlier.
The DMN/Belo/UT forces started going after us during the Dave Smith years. The fact that the Times Herald was in a death match with the DMN didn't help either. I have mentioned several times that UT and the Texas Legislature found a way to give some of their players summer jobs in a non-existent print shop. That was public money being stolen for the benefit of the UT program, but of course the press had no interest in bringing down Darrell Royal. SMU, on the other hand, was expendable.
ponyte wrote:FTA: "But in 1986, a Dallas TV station began investigating a claim that an SMU player received money to commit to the program and regular stipends during his career. "
This is a bold faced lie. The SOBs at WFAA contacted me while working in a morgue to talk about SMU recruiting. That was in late 1982. Hansen wanted to take down SMU and it took him years. The investigation was only continuing in 1986. It started years earlier.
I wish Thaddeus could have gotten this onto Pony Excess
They can give us crap about our past, but we have always been a legit football program... (not to go against) what team do they have that actually done anything? There is a reason why they are known as the Big Least.
Let's see Hartford paper and what was the name of that school that we happened to beat to win our first game after the death penalty... could it be UConn? They know who we are.
ponyte wrote:FTA: "But in 1986, a Dallas TV station began investigating a claim that an SMU player received money to commit to the program and regular stipends during his career. "
This is a bold faced lie. The SOBs at WFAA contacted me while working in a morgue to talk about SMU recruiting. That was in late 1982. Hansen wanted to take down SMU and it took him years. The investigation was only continuing in 1986. It started years earlier.
I wish Thaddeus could have gotten this onto Pony Excess
Its on the cutting room floor. Part of the story is in the DVD extended version. Certainly not the entire story.
