www.mustanglockerroom.com

[PK]

SMU fans never can be satisfied can they? Lets bash everything. Listen folks, maybe if people would have bought stuff in the past then SMU wouldn't have to change up the logos and merchandise. But they didn't. So to all of you negative jerks out there, SHUT UP.

Listen up yahoo, you of all people should know better. You were here during the good years. For the last 15 years people haven't been buying the school stuff because it represents a losing program not because they didn't like the logo. I have been about as positive as anyone can be under the circumstances for the last 15 years, but this latest bunch of crap has gone over the line. I have made my pledges and paid them. I have spent time calling on folks to raise money for this program and I have every right in the world to be upset with this latest crap. It ain't the logo people are not interested in...it's the totally noncompetitive nature of our teams over the last 15 years. Pye's great experiment was and is a total failure. Giving the store away to the faculty senate was a giant mistake. I love this University and it's athletics in particular. I do not appreciate the folks who have been hired to administer our athletics programs who appear to have no respect or interest in the heritage of our programs. Call it being "SMU fans who can never be satisfied" if you want, but the truth of the matter is that our football and basketball programs are in dire straits that are reaching a critical point...developing new logos is not the answer. Our current marks and logos are about the only traditions left. If the Athletic Administration in power does not understand that, then I am ready to join the ranks that say it is time for a change in the Athletic department.

[WorldStang]

Can anyone say.. NEW COKE vs Old COKE CLassic?

What the hell is everyone doing over there. We had a great uniform, had a great logo.. and since our team was losing, we change everything????

This doesn't make sense. As much as I hated Rick Neuheisel at Washington.. I loved the fact that during his first day as coach there, he invited the team to the fieldhouse where they went outside and burned the "new" purple helmet the former coach brought there.

He said.. there's some things that are going to be changed around here and one of them is our uniform going back to the classic look.

This new logo is awful.. our new helmets are not that great.. change it BACK!!!

[OldPony]

Welcome PK to the growing number of us who have come to realize that Copeland is part of the problem, not part of a solution. He can not leave SMU quickly enough.

[Dooby]

I am not sure Copeland is part of the problem; this thing was really screwed up when he got here. I am also not sure he is part of the solution; this thing is still pretty screwed up and he's been here 11 years.

The logo thing bugs me, but I have assumed it was just cr@p from the new website, so I haven't lost sleep over it. I take solace in the fact that there hasn't been some kind of formal announcement. I am not sure it is a for-real new logo, mainly because I can't believe they'd be that dumb. But maybe they are.

When you do change you do change logos, you do change colors, when you do change uniforms, you are sending a message. You are trying to reflect something-a change, perhaps. But the fact of the matter is the first 75 years of tradition was better than the last 15. If you want to make a change, you'd better back it up with an explanation as to why the change is for the better. Nothing has been offered to date and nothing over the last fifteen years has led us to believe it is getting better.

[MrMustang1965]

I take solace in the fact that there hasn't been some kind of formal announcement. I am not sure it is a for-real new logo, mainly because I can't believe they'd be that dumb. But maybe they are.

Dooby: there hasn't been a news release issued...yet!

But if you go to the school's 'official' athletic web site, the new logo (slanted SMU) is pretty prominent on it.

http://smumustangs.collegesports.com/index-main.html

[DiamondM]

For your information, the SMU Marketing Dep't conducted a number of focus groups, some with students, and at least one with some of the most committed alumni supporters (including me). As a primary matter, we were assured that the running mustang logo will continue to be the primary mark (including the mark on the helmets), but that this secondary mark allows retailers more options when they request SMU licensing.

On the whole, the older the alumni, the more they hated the different mark because it lacks tradition. However, at least one former football player on the panel who was younger than me liked the mark and thought others would too. This turned out to be true when students were exposed to this new mark. This is typical in these matters -- traditional old school vs. new school. Happened at OU when the students were crying out for another option besides the paper clip logo. In fact, they brought in some of the most loyal supporters precisely because they anticipated the reaction most of us had to the logo and wanted our feedback on how to improve it and to educate us on how it would be used.

I personally think the logo sucks and won't be buying anything with it on there. But calling for Jim Copeland's head because SMU has an additional trademarked image along side the old pony seems a bit extreme don't you think? I'm okay with having it around if some stupid 18 year old thinks that ugly horse looks "cooler" than my beloved Mustang, and they buy a shirt, or a hat, or a keychain with the logo.

My biggest disappointment is that we warned Shawn that without proper explanation and education of the alumni in advance of introduction of the new mark, the reaction would be extremely negative, even apocolyptic. I'm annoyed that there was no such explanation and education of the loyal alumni before this went online. And I intend to talk to someone about this failure.

Bottom line though is -- if you don't like it, don't buy it. But don't overreact as if this is the end of the world.

[PK]

Not only that, but if you go to the "Official" Mustangs Auction site, they have that new horse's head on there and not the running mustang.

http://smumustangs.collegesports.com/au ... tions.html

[jtstang]

Bottom line though is -- if you don't like it, don't buy it. But don't overreact as if this is the end of the world.

No kidding. The least of our problems is the freaking logo.

[NavyCrimson]

thx for the explanation 'm' /

that does - in fact - explain much of this bone head move /

while they're at, too bad they don't market some of the logos from the glory yrs of the 30-40-50's & some 'doak walker' retro jerseys like many have suggested /

i'm in total agreement with pk & the rest on this board that 'wins' sell, not 'logos changes'

[MrMustang1965]

DiamondM: Thanks for the explanation. No, it's not the 'end of the world' but it's just another example of how little thought and planning is put into some decisions on The Hilltop.

I'm curious about these 'focus groups', though. Can you give us a little more insight on who was present? How many people were in the groups? How were things presented? And how and why were you specifically contacted to participate in it?

No, I won't be buying any of the new products. I'll be buying as many 'classic' and 'traditional' items as I can either from the SMU Bookstore on Mockingbird, McCartney's on Hillcrest or on www.ebay.com, as well as from the continuing Spirit Shop online store.

Thank God I've got plenty of stuff from my parents', as well as my wife's, stash as well as what I've collected over the years!

[1982Express]

hey pk, I was here for the good years. I was here for the bad years. I was here, I've been here for more than just a few years. I have been around this school and program for decades. I saw Doak play. I saw Dandy Don play. I saw Hixson drop back a sling the ball all over the place. I was here.

Now, I can't remember who said the line about "when I am 48 blah blah"....hey pal, when I was 48 the Ponies were bad. Nice try on guessing my age or even who I am.

I know, lets do something that everyone on this board would love....lets march on the athletic department. Sure, we can set up a nice little protest outside Moody chanting "Leave Copeland Leave"....

i say rename ponyfans.com to bitteroldmen.com or myliferevolvesaroundsmusports.com

I love this bickering, its the reason I get out of bed.

I also love the way people attack Pye. Listen, he made some poor choices, true. But he was trying to give SMU a level of respect that had been lost. This is a university first and foremost. Football is a secondary matter at SMU.

Alright, lets keep this going, this is fun.

[PK]

For your information, the SMU Marketing Dep't conducted a number of focus groups, some with students, and at least one with some of the most committed alumni supporters (including me). As a primary matter, we were assured that the running mustang logo will continue to be the primary mark (including the mark on the helmets), but that this secondary mark allows retailers more options when they request SMU licensing.

Then why is this "secondary" mark at the top of the masthead on the athletic website with no pony in sight except in the pictures that occasionally get put up and almost all of the apparel in the "lockerroom" are with this "secondary" mark? It doesn't sound like you were in a focus group...sounds more like a scam session.

[MrMustang1965]

hey pk, I was here for the good years. I was here for the bad years. I was here, I've been here for more than just a few years. I have been around this school and program for decades. I saw Doak play. I saw Dandy Don play. I saw Hixson drop back a sling the ball all over the place. I was here.

Now, I can't remember who said the line about "when I am 48 blah blah"....hey pal, when I was 48 the Ponies were bad. Nice try on guessing my age or even who I am.

I know, lets do something that everyone on this board would love....lets march on the athletic department. Sure, we can set up a nice little protest outside Moody chanting "Leave Copeland Leave"....

i say rename ponyfans.com to bitteroldmen.com or myliferevolvesaroundsmusports.com

I love this bickering, its the reason I get out of bed.

I also love the way people attack Pye. Listen, he made some poor choices, true. But he was trying to give SMU a level of respect that had been lost. This is a university first and foremost. Football is a secondary matter at SMU.

Alright, lets keep this going, this is fun.

That was me that said 'when you're 48'...I stand by my statement on your age...you didn't see Doak play (except maybe on film), you didn't see Dandy Don play (except maybe on film) and you *may* have seen Hixson play as a youngster.

IF you're as old as you say, then you wouldn't be complacent about the current state of affairs in SMU athletics. I don't know anyone over the age of 40 who is.

And IF you're as old as you say and 'all this bickering is the reason you get out of bed', well...

[mustangswillwin]

Don't forget the old SMU Spirit Shop at Ford has moved their merchandise online...be looking for a new improved website...we are still recovering from the move, but hang with us to see new merchandise and the some good old traditional merchandise too!

www.smuspiritshop.com

[NavyCrimson]

you're kidding / i thought they were gone & buried??? (seriously)

no one ever said this?