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ponyboy wrote:Again, I understand the bad situation, but where is June's culpability? What would you a have had him do differently?

If this is such a slam dunk issue, why is no one able to answer this simple question?

Reference has been made to him doing this during a big recruiting period (which may not be his fault) and to steering recruits to go with him to ASU (which, if true, is definitely his fault). Don't know the truth either way, but those seem to be the two major areas of perceived culpability, if I am reading all these tea leaves correctly.

Ok, I got that. But do we have any evidence that actually occurred? Kids follow coaches. It's not an SMU thing.

Well, what evidence do we have that any of this happened? Because it's on the internets?

My problem with the guy is that it appears to me he does not want to be here anymore, as evidenced that he agreed to a deal to leave. That's what I think poisoned the well, not the fact that he agreed. How do you recruit a kid to SMU when he knows its not your first choice?

Again, he did exactly what we asked him to do. And we have no evidence he ever acted in any way that might be detrimental to this university. Some were turned off by his love of Hawaii or his bringing in the horses. Some didn't like that he wouldn't pop a collar on an SMU polo or wear little plaid pants from Culwell with embroidered ponies. Ok. But that's no reason to crucify the guy who may have singlehandedly saved SMU football.

People move on. I am calling this a tragedy. Let's show a little more class than this.

Stallion wrote:Oh June can come back-that's the problem-he has [deleted] in the well, destroyed our recruiting momentum but we are contractual bound to him-I just wish he have enough self respect to go back to Hawaii because he is not wanted here or ASU. He could be first Head Coach booed for leading team on the field at a Bowl game. I have never booed a player in my life though so it would have to be a unique situation where his name was announced. A bad ending is now inevitable

You and model t are full of crap.

Sent from my Android HTC Rezound

ponyboy wrote:Again, he did exactly what we asked him to do. And we have no evidence he ever acted in any way that might be detrimental to this university. Some were turned off by his love of Hawaii or his bringing in the horses. Some didn't like that he wouldn't pop a collar on an SMU polo or wear little plaid pants from Culwell with embroidered ponies. Ok. But that's no reason to crucify the guy who may have singlehandedly saved SMU football.

People move on. I am calling this a tragedy. Let's show a little more class than this.

Sorry man, but those things are not what this is about. I agree with you that he brought us out of the desert, but he should find a way to leave quietly. He poisoned the well, in my opinion. Circumstantial evidence is still evidence.

ponyboy wrote:Again, I understand the bad situation, but where is June's culpability? What would you a have had him do differently?

If this is such a slam dunk issue, why is no one able to answer this simple question?

The major thing here is that the negotiation went public and extended from Saturday to Wednesday. Saturday was the biggest recruiting day in 25 years at SMU and today was the biggest announcement for SMU athletics since the breakup of the Southwest Conference. As such, he should have told ASU officials that he has serious interest and is willing to negotiate but if negotiations are not finalized in a quick and quiet manner he will have to publicly withdraw his name from consideration of that job much like the Maryland situation last year.

ponyboy wrote:But most if not all of the recruits "signed on" to play for June. Is it possible they switched commitments just to ensure they followed him? Is it possible June Jones did everything right by SMU? What assumptions are you making?

And regarding the timing thing, what would you expect him to do? Ask ASU to wait? And did you want him to go ahead and bring the kids here while ASU was waiting so that he could recruit then to a school he was surely leaving?

You are wrong on that regard. A recruitable student-athlete signs a letter of intent with a University, not a coach. While I understand what you are trying to say at the end of the day it is important for a student-athlete to base his/her decision on many factors beyond the coach because their binding commitment is to the University.

mustangxc wrote: As such, he should have told ASU officials that he has serious interest and is willing to negotiate but if negotiations are not finalized in a quick and quiet manner he will have to publicly withdraw his name from consideration of that job much like the Maryland situation last year.

Or make them wait until after our bowl game. There is precedent for that.

You don't take a [deleted] in the water cooler

ponyboy wrote:I cannot muster a single bit of anger or hatred towards June Sheldon Jones and his staff. None.

I am thankful he did what he was brought to do. And, if he stays, I am thankful for that too.

And, to me, he's been a breath of fresh air to our stuffy, uptight campus. He's like Mike Leach in that sense.

What is it with human nature that we must crucify?

+1

Two more points and I am done.

A coach leaving affects recruiting. Let's think about the situation for a moment. Let's say he brings in the all-world Cali-centric recruits and convinces them to commit. So it's today, December the 8th, and our class has swollen with the new recruits. Now we know they'll almost certain decommit when JJ says he's going elsewhere. So when would be a good time for JJ to announce he's leaving? The day after they sign in mid February? If he waits for that, he'll not leave SMU ever.

Second point. Arizona State University poisoned this well and prevented a clean transition. It's they we should ALL be pissed at.

None of this is to comment, by the way, on whether June stays or goes. That's above my pay grade. It's about June's culpability, about what you would have had him do differently. It's a tragic situation not helped by crucifying the guy who singlehandedly saved SMU football from extinction. We should be erecting statues not gathering a lynch mob.

mustangxc wrote:

ponyboy wrote:But most if not all of the recruits "signed on" to play for June. Is it possible they switched commitments just to ensure they followed him? Is it possible June Jones did everything right by SMU? What assumptions are you making?

And regarding the timing thing, what would you expect him to do? Ask ASU to wait? And did you want him to go ahead and bring the kids here while ASU was waiting so that he could recruit then to a school he was surely leaving?

You are wrong on that regard. A recruitable student-athlete signs a letter of intent with a University, not a coach. While I understand what you are trying to say at the end of the day it is important for a student-athlete to base his/her decision on many factors beyond the coach because their binding commitment is to the University.

Ok, not quite done. Must respond here too. I said "signed on" in quotes because of course they don't really sign until February.

Stop the crucifixion.

Agree that ASU definitely has some culpability in all of this, but June and his agent were perfectly within their rights to tell them "listen, would love to talk this through with you, but it needs to be another day". That's really what it comes down to for me. He showed Hawaii that respect publicly even though I am sure internally everyone knew the writing was on the wall; he failed to do that for SMU and I am curious as to the reasoning behind that. Crucify the guy? No, but I would seriously question his decision-making paradigm (of course, many of us have been doing that for a while with his play calling anyway).

Ok, but problem is, if it needs to be another day, you lose the job opportunity. He got an immediate verbal take it or leave it from ASU. He took it and they shockingly reneged, leaving him (and us) in a very wierd place.

ASU's your devil here, however hurt our feelings might be.