My recruiting observation

[Stallion]

I think I have had about 3 parents or players from this board really jump me over the years for being negative with this identical argument. In each case that player quit the team within 6 months later. None of those posters ever come on this board anymore and I can only assume their interest in SMU lasted about as long as a June Bug in July. Excuse me but I think some of the people who have put up with this mess for the last 20 years have more invested in this program than a lot of the players most of whom wouldn't have chosen SMU in the first place if they had had their druthers. Just a fact. Since the DP, I've already experienced the tenures of 4 Football Coaches, 4 Basketball Coaches and 2 ADs who were living in fear and walking on eggshells not to make the administration angry. (heck Phil Bennett has really been the first one to even publically admit there even was a problem-that's why I'm actually pulling for him). Each has been a dismal failure because NOBODY WANTED TO ADMIT THAT THE MODEL SUCKED. I predict I'll still be a fan long after all of the failed tenures of each of the above. And guess what I'm one pissed off Mustang that ain't going to silently let this program get flushed down the toilet.

[ponydawg]

GREAT! We are all with you, I am lucky that I have only had to sit thru 10 yrs of this crap BUT the point of this whole post was to make the point that if you are going to be pissed off then be pissed off with adminstration (which we all are) but not to bag on our newly signed recruits.

[Stallion]

I don't bag on anyone -I'm simply citing the news source on recruiting relied upon by every major newspaper in this state. FACT is 75% of the POSITIVE information posted about each recruit we have committed came from a post from ME-more than the rest of you combined at least until Ponyfans does its annual report!!!!!! There is not a recruit I have not done a detailed post about with every positive fact I could find about the kid. But I'm not going to play the part of the many cheerleaders on here-some with very vested interests- who have consistently been wrong for 15 years. Part of solving the mess at SMU is and always has been fully understanding the competitive disadvantages which ARE IN FACT the cause of the losing. I take great pride and guarantee that I will always continue to post the most accurate info I can from as many knowledgeable sources as possible.

[Pony Fan]

Stallion, I am sure this will surprise you but I totally agree with you.

[ponydawg]

Stallion, I agree with you. To be honest when I scroll down the Recruiting page I usually only click on ones with your name on it because you do report the facts both good and bad......with that said, once a recurit has signed on with us it does no good to post negative things about them before they even play a down of football at SMU.

" I got at least 6 Linemen committed who have no offers above the Sun Belt level. Who cares how Rivals rates them if they don't get other quality offers"

True, this is a FACT, but it also a form of ragging on what is NOW our players. I am not a "sunshiner", I am sick of the "next year" statements year after year, I am tired of getting my hopes up and then getting let down at the first game, but right now these 6 linemen who have no offers above the Sun Belt Level are ALL we got! I know it is extremely frustrating for you to come on here and read the post from the "sunshiners" who have not seen the light yet. But we don't have to change the sunshiners ways, we need to change the adminstrations ways, and us b*tching to the 9 regular posters on ponyfans is not going to do it.

[jtstang]

My worries about the negative post are not that they will run off recruits, I don't think that is the case at all...

Okay then, not you, but some on this board have theorized that negative posts will send players elsewhere. I still say if a recruit relies on this board to get the information to make his decision, then we probably don't want him anyway.

That is, unless you are a consensus blue-chipper thinking about SMU, then I was just kidding. Of course the great and wonderful Ponyfans.com is where you should get your information. Please come, we love you.

[ponydawg]

Agreed. And if a recruit does make his decision via a message board, that is idiotic.

[Col. Nathan R. Jessep]

Great, great.

Now that everyone has kissed & made up, would someone please drop a new recruiting molotov coc$%tail on ponyfans? I love watching the furr fly!

[jtstang]

Did you just order a "code red"?

[stangmom]

In fact, you're a good test case. Your kid just signed on to play football for SMU, right? He knows what our recent win-loss record is, met the coaches, presumably liked what he saw and made his decision with all of that relevant knowledge in hand. Did you and/or he ever come over to this board and read posts, both good and bad? If so, why didn't the "negative" posts run y'all off to another school as some here have theorized?

Yes, you are correct, my son signs to become a mustang on Wednesday. He knows the win/lose record and yes has met the coaches and been to visit several times unofficially and once officially. He received his first scholarship offer in May of 2004 from Colorado - very tempting I might say. Then in August he received his second from Syracuse......a little to cold for a born and raised Texan. Then in October he received his offer from SMU followed by a offer from Louisianna Tech. And in November he received an offer from UTEP.

He attended several camps this summer: TCU, SMU, Baylor, A&M and Houston. Once the camps were over he told us that if he had a choice between any of the places he attended camp it would be SMU, he really enjoyed the facilities and the coaches. During the call period and up until he stated that he was "committed" to SMU, he was receiving calls weekly from OL coaches, recruit coaches and head coaches from: Louisianna Tech, Army-Westpoint, Colorado, LSU and Kansas State. Several coaches made it a point to let him know what game they would be at to watch him. Many colleges seemed to have him on their radar and then SMU offered......that was where he wanted to go, he said he knew deep inside it was the place for him. "Why????" everyone who knew him asked. "Why, when you have Colorado and UTEP offering, Army and LSU calling, why would you committ to SMU, Don't you know their losing....you may not see a bowl game for 2-3 years, if then???? WHY???". His answer was..........."I have 5 things I am looking for in a school and they come in this order....1) Academics; 2) Small classes - I don't want to be 1 in 500 in a class; 3) A school with a good Law School option; 4) location to home and 5) Football." He would tell everyone..."Yes, I know SMU is not a bowl team now, but I can go there and try to help make a difference and put my name on that trophy when we do. What's the challenge in going to a program that is already at the top. I wanna help SMU get to the top. I want to be one of the ones to make the difference." So there you have it...........do message boards drive him to or from something...........NOOOP.....never have. And I must say, he does enjoy reading them. But he knows that many people have many different opinions and all that matters is what he believes. He loves the campus, he loves the students, he loves the coaches and he has fallen in love with the Dallas Area so I don't think there is anything that could change his mind. Many have tried.....none have succeed!

Go Ponies!!!!

[PK]

I love a kid who knows what he wants and sticks with it. Looking forward to great things from him...today, tomorrow and in his future.

[ALEX LIFESON]

Sounds like a mature young man, that makes his own choices. Sounds like an SMU guy to me. WELCOME!

[AusTxPony]

Also sounds to me like he has a "Stangmom" who instilled in him the right set of priorities. Congratulations on your son's scholarship and I welcome him to a wonderful school for the college experience.

[PonyFan]

Just to echo what others are saying here - stangmom, your son sounds like an extremely intelligent, well-grounded young man who has his priorities in the proper order .... which, of course, is a reflection on you and your family.

Welcome to SMU and to PonyFans.com

[RGV Pony]

I hope everyone on this board has a chance to read StangMom's post. It should d*mn near give ya'll goosebumps to hear how committed this young man already is to our program. Furthermore, I must say it cannot be lost on us that the recruit himself subtly proved Coach Bennett right. "If we can get 'em on campus, we have a real shot." Well guess what...in this case, Coach was right. Look where the recruit camped. Look who called. Look where he went.

Let's hope Coach is right on two other counts: first, "we will win championships here;" then, after those come, "I'm in this for the long haul."

Thanks for the insight, StangMom.