DMN's E.J. Holland calls out June Jones ...

[JasonB]

EJ, however, is negative just to drum up ratings, by digging up things that aren't there. I just think it is not very professional. I want to hear about it if folks are struggling at practice,just as I liked it better when Broddus was not paid by the Cowboys and gave honest evaluations of players. But when EJ does it, it is hard to tell when he is exaggerating to drum up interest or if he is being real about it.

And you don't think any of the other reporters out there are overly positive just to drum up ratings? It is a two way street Jason.

On BAD radio today they were joking about how protected college football coaches are compared to pro coaches. Journalists are allowed to walk into an NFL press conference and ask what they want; in fact, asking difficult questions is looked highly upon. On the college side, however, about 80% of the journalists in the room have some connection with the school, and are so freaked out about being kicked out or snubbed they don't ask difficult questions.

So, what we are talking about here isn't really an SMU problem. It is an everyone problem. Chip Brown was interviewed the other day and said that back in 2011, Mack told the people closest to the program that UT would be horrible until 2013, maybe 2014. Nobody reported it because nobody wants to be shut out of the inner circle. That is just college sports.

In general, I wish that there was more straightforward feedback too. Some folks want to maintain relationships with the staff and will not ask difficult questions or point out a lot of negatives in practice. Others do it that way simply because they want to talk up their university, or maybe they feel like ripping on amateur players is a little... amateur.

But I also don't want the pendulum to swing all the way over to the other side. That is more tabloid journalism, and that is what I feel EJ resorts to from time to time.

[PSCA]

I don't mind EJ asking tough questions and/or voicing his opinion. I do think he can at times inject his personal opinions and basis in some of his reporting, whether it be a coach or player. My biggest issue with EJ ... is he can be a wise a.. at times ... and in his reporting. A lot of players feel the same. But then again, so can Stephen A and Skipp B. It's very evident he does not like JJ, and JJ is less than enamored with him ... you can see it in the eyes and hear it in the voice IMO. I'm just not sure how truly knowledgeable his support staff is ... I read their columns and comments often ... and I come away with a sense sometimes that they really know how to play Madden football or fantasy football .... therefore ????

Wasn't the SMU B-Ball program back in the 80's during the Koncak days a top 5 program?

[CalallenStang]

EJ is right to call out JJ, but that doesn't change the fact that he is less of a reporter and more of a message board poster with a (slightly) louder megaphone. In fact, I'd say that most people on this board would do a better job as a reporter than EJ has. Most on here would report truths instead of half-truths presented as truths. Most on here wouldn't run with SMU-to-the-SEC or any of the other stories unless the tip was fully verified. In short, most on here, given the same job, would switch from message board fan to reporter. EJ, meanwhile, remains a message board fan.

[RyanSMU98]

EJ is right to call out JJ, but that doesn't change the fact that he is less of a reporter and more of a message board poster with a (slightly) louder megaphone. In fact, I'd say that most people on this board would do a better job as a reporter than EJ has. Most on here would report truths instead of half-truths presented as truths. Most on here wouldn't run with SMU-to-the-SEC or any of the other stories unless the tip was fully verified. In short, most on here, given the same job, would switch from message board fan to reporter. EJ, meanwhile, remains a message board fan.

This sums EJ up nicely; he really seems to struggle to balance his Scout message board gig with his reporting responsibilities with the DMN. That ability to take an impartial look at the facts, combined with expressing informed opinions based on those facts, just doesn't seem to be in his skill set.

[RGV Pony]

And yet he's got everyone here talking about him...

[CalallenStang]

And yet he's got everyone here talking about him...

So did Laken

[Cougar King]

It's about time somebody outside of PF said something.

[PonyKai]

Nice to hear it coming from a source other than here.

[LHS81]

And yet he's got everyone here talking about him...

So did Laken

Laken got us swearing about her. Beyond comprehension as to how that as* clown 1) got the job; 2) kept the job; 3) got a promotion.

If you're talking about Laken, lipstick goes a long way. . . Just sayin

[PerunaPunch]

about 98% of the SMU media and forum commentators over the last two decades have sat on the sidelines and shut their mouths concerning the controversial and essential issues and problems in the SMU program so they could have a front row seat at the Mustang Club table and Coaching Pep Rallys. They damn sure aren't reporters either. Which one are you? How about you PerunaPunch-want to give one example where you actually called the SMU program on a controversial subject during 2 decades of ineptitude. And you guys criticize E.J. as a reporter? Haaaaaaaaaaaa! Whose the reporter and whose the Cheerleader?

Happy to oblige. I've been very critical of SMU over the years –– when deserved. I've been [deleted] about the lack of a training table since our return from the Death Penalty. I bitched about Mike Cavan in his later years as being a complete lame duck recruiter (and boy, for those who gripe about June, you should have been around back then!). I went ballistic when our best player Josh McCown left the program without our head coach's knowledge. More recently, I've been very critical of SMU's new School of Education, which is (or at least was) largely a facade. Created ostensibly as a school that would offer majors athletes would be interested in, most classes are (or at least were) too small and the existing openings were too competitive for our student-athletes to get in.

And as for those who think EJ reports the "truth", all I can say is those people ought to reconsider the credibility of the source. EJ has been barred from practice several times for fabricating stories and/or reporting information on formations and personnel that journalists are asked not to report. Now, some of you may consider that information the "truth", but if you do, I have to call your loyalty as a PonyFan into question. Consider that same sensationalist journalism he's using to sell subscriptions also gives our opponents an unfair advantage. If nothing else, I would keep your subscription, but just read it with a degree of skepticism. While I don't think much of his journalistic ethics or ability to string together a cogent sentence, he does seem to do a good job keeping up with recruits.

[PerunaPunch]

EJ, however, is negative just to drum up ratings, by digging up things that aren't there. I just think it is not very professional. I want to hear about it if folks are struggling at practice,just as I liked it better when Broddus was not paid by the Cowboys and gave honest evaluations of players. But when EJ does it, it is hard to tell when he is exaggerating to drum up interest or if he is being real about it.

And you don't think any of the other reporters out there are overly positive just to drum up ratings? It is a two way street Jason.

Some folks want to maintain relationships with the staff and will not ask difficult questions or point out a lot of negatives in practice. Others do it that way simply because they want to talk up their university, or maybe they feel like ripping on amateur players is a little... amateur.

Remember too, that since universities can't (or at least shouldn't) comment on personal issues regarding student-athletes (injuries, personal problems, grades, admissions, etc.), beating up on them with questions is not really fair as the coach/university can't defend themselves. I've seen it time and time again that a coach, the athletic department and the university will just suck it up and take wrath from fans because they're unable to comment on student-athletes. SMU ALWAYS takes the high road in these instances, which is a little frustrating because oftentimes the issues we rant and rave about on PonyFans are often unmerited.

[Stallion]

So in other words you took a complete pass on the most important issues that kept SMU at a competitive disadvantage for 2 Decades? But you now are complaining about the College of Education as something major in comparison to the crap that went around here from 1989-2006? Ha! Wow you are a revolutionary!!! You either didn't understand the problems or purposely chose not to rock the boat. Not exactly great independent journalism

[PerunaPunch]

Jeez, some people just can't figure out when it's time to cut bait and move on to another topic. O.K., I'll pay a little while longer.

Stallion, I haven't given anyone at SMU a flyer on admissions or recruiting. EVERYBODY acknowledges the fact that you've been harping on admissions for years. But the fact that you HAVE doesn't make championing that fight exclusively yours. In fact, although you vaingloriously refer to it as the "Stallion Plan" or whatever, my guess is that your efforts to change the system are almost negligible compared to the efforts of Jones, Turner, and a legion of other folks on the Hilltop who've been working behind the scenes for years.

The admissions issue and the School of Education issue ARE FACETS OF THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM –- that of getting student-athletes on the Hilltop and keeping them there to graduation. Only the School of Education issue is even more irksome (as far as I'm concerned) because they used its creation to falsely mollify us into thinking they'd made a great improvement, which they really didn't.

But yes, those are SOME of my pet peeves just like admissions is (or was) one of yours.

You either didn't understand the problems or purposely chose not to rock the boat. Not exactly great independent journalism

I'm not a journalist. But I did take a journalism ethics class while at SMU as part of the advertising curriculum and I am familiar with the rules relating to the media and student-athletes. So when I read things that have no business being in print, things that are harmful to our program or to our student-athletes, sure, I take exception to that.

Stallion, I really and truly appreciate all you've meant to this forum over the years, but I do maintain that you could be a lot more effective if you'd shut off Rivals and Scout and spend a little more facetime with the coaches, at Mustang Club, etc. Coaches aren't the most forthcoming people in the world, but you'll still learn a lot more from them and your peers than you would believing some 20-yr-old nitwit who's never played the game and makes $8 an hour contributing to the great coverage we get from the Morning News.

[lwjr]

I don't mind EJ asking tough questions and/or voicing his opinion. I do think he can at times inject his personal opinions and basis in some of his reporting, whether it be a coach or player. My biggest issue with EJ ... is he can be a wise a.. at times ... and in his reporting. A lot of players feel the same. But then again, so can Stephen A and Skipp B. It's very evident he does not like JJ, and JJ is less than enamored with him ... you can see it in the eyes and hear it in the voice IMO. I'm just not sure how truly knowledgeable his support staff is ... I read their columns and comments often ... and I come away with a sense sometimes that they really know how to play Madden football or fantasy football .... therefore ????

Wasn't the SMU B-Ball program back in the 80's during the Koncak days a top 5 program?

Yes they were. They were ranked as high as #2 during the 82-83 season, I think. Somebody help me with the year on this one.