DMN: SMU is lucky to have June Jones - he's going to win

[skurtn]

Why do I feel most of the responses on that DMN blog are PF members.

[lwjr]

No, but SMU scheduling TAMU, Tech, and TCU alongside a FCS power has losses all over it. Everybody gave us kudos in the preseason for taking on a difficult non-con sched, and look what happened - surprise, surprise, we lost.

When TCU was building, you would see them schedule one Oklahoma or Tech a year, us, and then a patsy as a winnable game. Frankly, where we were 10 years ago that qualifies that non-con as two patsies and a reach game. I do think there are smarter ways to schedule, IF you want wins. If you want butts in the seats, however......



ONE NOTE: I worked as a clerk in the DMN sports department during my SMU years. You want a response from them? BE CIVIL. Idiots would call or write and either scream obscenities or, in some cases, wouldn't even tell you what the problem is - I had one guy leave a message on my phone that went "Your paper sucks!" and then he hung up. Nothing more. Well, congrats, dummy, I still don't know what the problem is.

Write them, tell them why you disagree, and make a case, and do it without insulting anyone. More often times than not they will make an attempt to answer you. Seriously: They LOVE to debate sports - it's why they took the job. But if your an [deleted] they won't acknowlege you. You know, kinda like a message board.

Leopold you are correct about how to respond. This applies to everyday life.

[skurtn]

I don't think PF got that memo.

[feelthehorsepower]

No, but SMU scheduling TAMU, Tech, and TCU alongside a FCS power has losses all over it. Everybody gave us kudos in the preseason for taking on a difficult non-con sched, and look what happened - surprise, surprise, we lost.

When TCU was building, you would see them schedule one Oklahoma or Tech a year, us, and then a patsy as a winnable game. Frankly, where we were 10 years ago that qualifies that non-con as two patsies and a reach game. I do think there are smarter ways to schedule, IF you want wins. If you want butts in the seats, however......



ONE NOTE: I worked as a clerk in the DMN sports department during my SMU years. You want a response from them? BE CIVIL. Idiots would call or write and either scream obscenities or, in some cases, wouldn't even tell you what the problem is - I had one guy leave a message on my phone that went "Your paper sucks!" and then he hung up. Nothing more. Well, congrats, dummy, I still don't know what the problem is.

Write them, tell them why you disagree, and make a case, and do it without insulting anyone. More often times than not they will make an attempt to answer you. Seriously: They LOVE to debate sports - it's why they took the job. But if your an [deleted] they won't acknowlege you. You know, kinda like a message board.

Leopold you are correct about how to respond. This applies to everyday life.

Leopold, winning gets butts in seats...being a loser team and scheduling Big 12 teams gets butt in seats for those Big 12 teams. Winning gets our fans in there and creates new ones.

[Topper]

Why can't anyone outside of Ponyfans call it like it is and write an article about how we were competitive with our SWC brothers for a decent amount of 80 years, but even after "4 bowl games in 5 years" we aren't even close to that again...that's where we want to be, those are the teams we want to beat or at least COMPETE with. It's like the media still has a stigma about SMU being that cheatin' little preppy school in Dallas that only won by paying players, and now we should be so happy to just be able to say we have a winning season. They all seem to just pour praise on Jones without ever asking those deeper questions.

Also sick of hearing how our academics mean we can't compete with other schools...Duke must be an effing team of miracle workers if they can win with their academic reputation.

We will attract some quarterback and wide receiver talent but we won't recruit on par at most other positions with the old SWC schools until we move into a more favorable conference. That may not happen in my lifetime. I agree with Rick that Jones has kept the program afloat, and a lot of people are angry with me for saying this, but our fanbase hasn't responded at all to the improvements and that hurts our chances of getting to play with, and thereby recruit on par with, the big boys. No, I'm not dumping on our fans, its just that there is not a lot of general interest in this program on or off campus.

[Stallion]

I agree with last half of your post. C of C threw SMU a lifeline-we need the fanbase to pull. We blame June Jones for recruiting but all those decent recruits are turned off by our small fanbase. If you are waiting for SMU to win 9-10+ games in perpetuity-then you got it back-ass backwards. 4 straight bowl games and 3 wins should have resulted in solid attendance gains

[Rebel10]

Why can't anyone outside of Ponyfans call it like it is and write an article about how we were competitive with our SWC brothers for a decent amount of 80 years, but even after "4 bowl games in 5 years" we aren't even close to that again...that's where we want to be, those are the teams we want to beat or at least COMPETE with. It's like the media still has a stigma about SMU being that cheatin' little preppy school in Dallas that only won by paying players, and now we should be so happy to just be able to say we have a winning season. They all seem to just pour praise on Jones without ever asking those deeper questions.

Also sick of hearing how our academics mean we can't compete with other schools...Duke must be an effing team of miracle workers if they can win with their academic reputation.

We will attract some quarterback and wide receiver talent but we won't recruit on par at most other positions with the old SWC schools until we move into a more favorable conference. That may not happen in my lifetime. I agree with Rick that Jones has kept the program afloat, and a lot of people are angry with me for saying this, but our fanbase hasn't responded at all to the improvements and that hurts our chances of getting to play with, and thereby recruit on par with, the big boys. No, I'm not dumping on our fans, its just that there is not a lot of general interest in this program on or off campus.

In order to increase non alumn fans you have to have a head coach that is visible in the city. Obviously you are buying this stuff that June is feeding you and so be it. We are not even recruiting on the same level as USF and they are in our conference having a bad year with low attendance. Recruiting has a lot to do with building relationships with high school coaches and it might help June if he at least drove out to Cedar Hill to meet the coaching staff.

[GiddyUp]

I agree with last half of your post. C of C threw SMU a lifeline-we need the fanbase to pull. We blame June Jones for recruiting but all those decent recruits are turned off by our small fanbase. If you are waiting for SMU to win 9-10+ games in perpetuity-then you got it back-ass backwards. 4 straight bowl games and 3 wins should have resulted in solid attendance gains

Always been a catch 22

[Mustangsabu]

Why can't anyone outside of Ponyfans call it like it is and write an article about how we were competitive with our SWC brothers for a decent amount of 80 years, but even after "4 bowl games in 5 years" we aren't even close to that again...that's where we want to be, those are the teams we want to beat or at least COMPETE with. It's like the media still has a stigma about SMU being that cheatin' little preppy school in Dallas that only won by paying players, and now we should be so happy to just be able to say we have a winning season. They all seem to just pour praise on Jones without ever asking those deeper questions.

Also sick of hearing how our academics mean we can't compete with other schools...Duke must be an effing team of miracle workers if they can win with their academic reputation.

We will attract some quarterback and wide receiver talent but we won't recruit on par at most other positions with the old SWC schools until we move into a more favorable conference. That may not happen in my lifetime. I agree with Rick that Jones has kept the program afloat, and a lot of people are angry with me for saying this, but our fanbase hasn't responded at all to the improvements and that hurts our chances of getting to play with, and thereby recruit on par with, the big boys. No, I'm not dumping on our fans, its just that there is not a lot of general interest in this program on or off campus.

In order to increase non alumn fans you have to have a head coach that is visible in the city. Obviously you are buying this stuff that June is feeding you and so be it. We are not even recruiting on the same level as USF and they are in our conference having a bad year with low attendance. Recruiting has a lot to do with building relationships with high school coaches and it might help June if he at least drove out to Cedar Hill to meet the coaching staff.

June was very present when we got here. He was plenty visible. The Alumni dropped him like a bad smell after ASU. No lunches, no happy hours, no radio show, no nothing. Many things are Junes fault but visibility isn't.

[mrydel]

June could have radio show, luncheons, happy hours if he wanted to. He stopped them when people quit showing up. If he would be more proactive in reaching out to the FOOTBALL community he might be able to get some support. His foundation work is all good but it is not going to put butts in the seats.

[PonySnob]

June could have radio show, luncheons, happy hours if he wanted to. He stopped them when people quit showing up. If he would be more proactive in reaching out to the FOOTBALL community he might be able to get some support. His foundation work is all good but it is not going to put butts in the seats.

Maybe he needs to spend more time devoted to coaching instead of his ministry and making movies..........

[birddogger]

I noticed the intrepid columnist hasn't responded to the deluge of comments...

[Topper]

Why can't anyone outside of Ponyfans call it like it is and write an article about how we were competitive with our SWC brothers for a decent amount of 80 years, but even after "4 bowl games in 5 years" we aren't even close to that again...that's where we want to be, those are the teams we want to beat or at least COMPETE with. It's like the media still has a stigma about SMU being that cheatin' little preppy school in Dallas that only won by paying players, and now we should be so happy to just be able to say we have a winning season. They all seem to just pour praise on Jones without ever asking those deeper questions.

Also sick of hearing how our academics mean we can't compete with other schools...Duke must be an effing team of miracle workers if they can win with their academic reputation.

We will attract some quarterback and wide receiver talent but we won't recruit on par at most other positions with the old SWC schools until we move into a more favorable conference. That may not happen in my lifetime. I agree with Rick that Jones has kept the program afloat, and a lot of people are angry with me for saying this, but our fanbase hasn't responded at all to the improvements and that hurts our chances of getting to play with, and thereby recruit on par with, the big boys. No, I'm not dumping on our fans, its just that there is not a lot of general interest in this program on or off campus.

In order to increase non alumn fans you have to have a head coach that is visible in the city. Obviously you are buying this stuff that June is feeding you and so be it. We are not even recruiting on the same level as USF and they are in our conference having a bad year with low attendance. Recruiting has a lot to do with building relationships with high school coaches and it might help June if he at least drove out to Cedar Hill to meet the coaching staff.

Ron Meyer and Hayden Frye were two of the most charismatic people you will ever meet and they were all over Dallas media whenever they had a chance. Both were successful, but neither one could raise our attendance to respectable levels. Our crowds were small then except when we played big state school rivals that could bring in the fan base.

[Topper]

I agree with last half of your post. C of C threw SMU a lifeline-we need the fanbase to pull. We blame June Jones for recruiting but all those decent recruits are turned off by our small fanbase. If you are waiting for SMU to win 9-10+ games in perpetuity-then you got it back-ass backwards. 4 straight bowl games and 3 wins should have resulted in solid attendance gains

I was very disappointed when we couldnt sell tickets for the UCF game that last time they came to town. We just beat TCU, received top 25 votes, and we were going up against the defending C-USA champ. No one in Dallas cared except for the die hard types like us.By the way, the weather was post-card perfect that day.

[mrydel]

Ron Meyer and Hayden Frye were two of the most charismatic people you will ever meet and they were all over Dallas media whenever they had a chance. Both were successful, but neither one could raise our attendance to respectable levels. Our crowds were small then except when we played big state school rivals that could bring in the fan base.

I have said this forever. However they were playing in the Cotton Bowl and Cowboy Stadium. Most games there we would have 30-35,000 which would fill Ford. I do recall a game against New Mexico State I believe that only had 13,000 in the Cotton Bowl. But there would be 60-65,000 if we played A&M or Arkansas. All he needs to do is get us 20-25,000 season ticket holders and the local drop ins and opposition can do the rest. I do not think that is asking too much.