Tradition

[ponyfanman]

I will preface my topic by saying I didn't attend SMU so I am not the authority on the subject and I would hope those that did can explain this. My dad did attend and my brother and I grew up loving SMU and still do. But "tradition" keeps getting thrown around and I would like to know what that means. The history of our uniforms says we don't have any. We don't have any "yells" that everyone knows. I'm not saying they don't exist but if it was so strong, what happened to them? My point is we are a program that basically needs to start over. Since the DP, we crashed but we are back somewhat and I'm ready to start some traditions. Every team on earth other than a very small few have cool uniforms, yells, etc.... Also, if there were some really cool traditions we had, lets bring em back. What are they?

[ponyfanman]

EXACTLY!

[PK]

Well, Peruna and the Mustang Band are pretty much the only traditions that have survived the last 20 years of neglect. Even the original true school colors have been abandoned due to leadership not being represented by people with SMU history or ties other than a pay check. There has been very little effort over the years to get freshman students infused with SMU tradition and pride. 20 years of neglect will do that to an institution.

On the other hand you don't just decide something is going to be a tradition. Traditions are born over time through continuous use of something because everyone identifies with it and want to continue doing it.

[malonish]

There are words to songs and chants that are taught at orientation but no one cares enough to remember them. Would you like those to be posted?

[ponyte]

Perhaps there is, as always, a differing perspective. The university host Mustang Coral for incoming Fr every year. The Fr are taken off campus and learn much about SMU including fight songs, cheers and other parts of SMU history. SMU does make an attempt to educate Fr. There are segments in parent orientation regarding fight songs, cheers and history as well.

Also, the incoming freshman march through Dallas Hall (not allowed to step on the seal). They are marshaled by Alum parents. This happens in reverse after graduation (and they get to step on the seal).

The band is a constant, so is Pigskin review.

Though relatively new, the Bard is a new tradition and seems to be accepted by both students and alumni.

Puruna has been around for 9 horsey generations.

I do think the university tries to instill some of the history and flavor of the school.

The biggest barrier to athletic success has been, for a variety of reason, losing. If one wins, then traditions somehow are created. If one loses, apathy is the result.

[StallionsModelT]

All I know is this:

I started at SMU in 2002 having a pretty good background knowledge of the SMU heyday in the 80's and the Pony Express. Growing up in Texas and following football in my early years at the end of the SWC, you kind of knew the story of SMU. Once a great program that got nuked by the NCAA and was another of the SWC cannon fodder for the big boys of Texas, Arkansas, Texas A&M. That said, I at least knew of the Pony Express era. I think this says a lot.

The only era of SMU football that has any sort of national brand or easily recognizable reputation was the Pony Express era. The uniforms were great, the teams were great, and THE TEAM WON. Regardless of the fallout that occured afterwards, it is this era that the vast majority of college football fans point to in regards to SMU. For a long time I think SMU, as an institution, wanted to distance themselves from this. Why I have no idea. EMBRACE IT! Lets have a little bit of attitude and "swag" as the kids call it today. Embrace our past and allow it to carry us into the future.

Those sweet Pony Express uniforms looked sooooo great against Rutgers. If we had any sense of marketing and branding we'd wear those bad boys every game. Just my two cents.

[Arkpony]

I agree! Wear those "bad boys"! Looked great!

[Diamond Girl]

The best place to learn about SMU traditions is www.SMU.edu/spirit. FYI: the Pony Ears originally were a V for Victory sign the football players used at some point during the '60s. The band adopted this sign, the band director Dr. Irving Driebrodt renamed it Pony Ears, and it's been Pony Ears ever since. Over the years, it's started looking more like bunny ears, though, since the V has become droopy. (I think it's time for the Pony Ears to get a boost from a little blue pill.)

[Diamond Girl]

StallionModelT,

Yes, the Pony Express made an impact, but there were two other significant eras in SMU football:
The Doak Walker years ('47 - '50) and the Jerry Levias ('65 - '68).

[mrydel]

The Levias era was followed by the mrydel era, but it did not really reach tradition levels.

[StallionsModelT]

Diamond Girl,


How many people are even alive that remember the Doak Walker era? Are those the kind of people that we are trying to market our program towards? Same for the Levias era. Yes SMU was successful in those eras, but hardly anyone that is a regular consumer of college football remembers that.

Your average 50 year generic guy can easily remember the Pony Express and the death penalty. Lets face it. That's who we are and that's (likely) who we will always be. You have two choices:

a) turn and run away from it including all the former players/coaches/boosters (this was the SMU approach from 89-07)
b) EMBRACE IT. FLAUNT IT. BE ARROGANT ABOUT IT. BUILD AN IDENTITY AROUND IT.

We have tried option a. It sucked. Why not go whole hog on option b? The kids nowadays want to play for a program that has "swag" and attitude and cockiness. Obviously they want to win and be in the Top 25 but we can get this thing moving in the right direction by embracing the Pony Express era in every way except bankrolling the team....

which I wouldn't be opposed to either but the NCAA might not appreciate it

[ojaipony]

All I know is this:

I started at SMU in 2002 having a pretty good background knowledge of the SMU heyday in the 80's and the Pony Express. Growing up in Texas and following football in my early years at the end of the SWC, you kind of knew the story of SMU. Once a great program that got nuked by the NCAA and was another of the SWC cannon fodder for the big boys of Texas, Arkansas, Texas A&M. That said, I at least knew of the Pony Express era. I think this says a lot.

The only era of SMU football that has any sort of national brand or easily recognizable reputation was the Pony Express era. The uniforms were great, the teams were great, and THE TEAM WON. Regardless of the fallout that occured afterwards, it is this era that the vast majority of college football fans point to in regards to SMU. For a long time I think SMU, as an institution, wanted to distance themselves from this. Why I have no idea. EMBRACE IT! Lets have a little bit of attitude and "swag" as the kids call it today. Embrace our past and allow it to carry us into the future.

Those sweet Pony Express uniforms looked sooooo great against Rutgers. If we had any sense of marketing and branding we'd wear those bad boys every game. Just my two cents.

THIS! ^

And, unfortunately, it's going to take sustained success to bring out attendance along with extremely aggressive marketing. That's the only way I see us getting even just 30,000 consistently. We're going to have to string together two to three 9 and 10 win seasons and a big bowl win or 2 before that starts happening (what I mean by "sustained success"). In the conference we're in, this is possible with 1-2 OOC teams that locals actually care about (but not 3 . . . need 1-2 cupcakes . . . I know I'll get flamed for it, but we need Ws first before anything else IMHO).

[ponyboy]

How many people are even alive that remember the Doak Walker era?

I thought tradition by definition was something that was established BEFORE anyone currently alive was around.

[mrydel]

How many people are even alive that remember the Doak Walker era?

I thought tradition by definition was something that was established BEFORE anyone currently alive was around.

Agreed ponyboy. Tradition carries on. I am all for embracing the pony express days. We should, but never at the expense of the by gone eras on which the tradition was built. That is why you see things like a ring of honor or the flags we have at Ford honoring past greats.

I would imagine that when the young ones on the board today are my age, if (and it is a big if right now) SMU has regained its standing among the top programs that even the Jones era will be remembered as an out of the wilderness era.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

The floppy pony ears annoy the living daylights out of me!