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Sorry I really have no love for SMU football greats who sat back and never publically challenged the Pye Model. Eric Dickerson did. Craig James did- and all the little cheerleaders relentlessly cried and bitched when they justifiably criticized Smu's Athletic Model. Now those same cheerleaders are all on board with what those guys were saying over a decade ago.

I don't know if McCartney was a nut, but he certainly didnt practice what he preached and made the school look foolish when he backed out of the deal. I was not enthusiastic about him and simultaneously couldnt figure out why he was interested in us.

Coach Gregg put his name and reputation on the line when he took the SMU job, and the fact that he didn't fight his battles in the papers was the right way to go about things. I bet he did more behind the scenes stuff than we'll ever know about, and I'll always appreciate what he did for SMU, as a player, coach and AD.

Amen

Well said Hal.

I'm from Colorado...got recruited by McCartney...and had high school friends that played for him. The guy ran a thug program...JUCOs and criminals...and looked the other way as his team spiralled out of control. The entire team went after his daughter as a way of showing him who was in charge. Sal was just one of them.

McCartney was looking for a life raft.

dbone wrote:The guy ran a thug program...JUCOs and criminals...

So going to a JC is on the same level as being a criminal? Wow...

The interesting thing about McCartney, to me, is that he would have brought a triple-option attack. Instead of the gimmick Run-and-Shoot (more like Chuck-and-Duck) we tried under Gregg and Rossley, we would have tried a gimmick option offense, like Rice, Air Force, Navy, etc.

I wonder if we would have had more immediate success running the option? I don't think it would have been a good offense for the long term, but for a team as undersized as SMU was in the immediate post-DP, the option is usually a good offense. There were plenty of high school kids in Texas who could run the option in those days.

SMU battered woman complex lives on...

Pye Pye Pye DP Pye Pye waaaahhhhh

Longtime wrote:The interesting thing about McCartney, to me, is that he would have brought a triple-option attack. Instead of the gimmick Run-and-Shoot (more like Chuck-and-Duck) we tried under Gregg and Rossley, we would have tried a gimmick option offense, like Rice, Air Force, Navy, etc.

I wonder if we would have had more immediate success running the option? I don't think it would have been a good offense for the long term, but for a team as undersized as SMU was in the immediate post-DP, the option is usually a good offense. There were plenty of high school kids in Texas who could run the option in those days.

One of the advantages of the Triple Option is the fact that it tends to keep the clock moving.

On the bright side, we did lead the nation in Kickoff Returns that first season.

Coach McCartney is a good man as well. I hope he is dong well.

Yeah, McCartney, I do remember that. Boy, I wonder how that would have turned out at SMU. There are so many what ifs in Mustang football (Frank Broyles etc., etc.)

I still remember how Nebraska fans treated the BS Sal Aunese worship when Sal was in repose. SAL IS DEAD, GO BIG RED.

CA Mustang wrote:

dbone wrote:The guy ran a thug program...JUCOs and criminals...

So going to a JC is on the same level as being a criminal? Wow...

No wow needed. Just read up on the criminal activities that happened under his watch. It got completely out of control. Your comparison of JUCOs = criminals is a bit of a stretch. He built program with a lot of JUCOs...then team became a bunch of criminals...fact. Why they became criminals? I think nurture over nature on this one.

Great point dbone. If you consider history, that kind of a program (you speak of) often turns that direction.