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Everyone says the Dallas Cowboys will always be a problem for SMU but they never say that the Dallas Cowboys will also be a problem for TCU. Is there some kind of force field or magic barrier over Fort Worth?

MrMustang1965 wrote:Everyone says the Dallas Cowboys will always be a problem for SMU but they never say that the Dallas Cowboys will also be a problem for TCU. Is there some kind of force field or magic barrier over Fort Worth?

You make a good point, but the Froggies (damn their hides) have broken to the upper tier which gives them some heft. Still, when they renovated their stadium, they did so with less seating than before.

Point being, even consistent winning and winning big (Rose Bowl) hasn't translated into a surge of UT-like gameday crowds for TCU

MrMustang1965 wrote:Everyone says the Dallas Cowboys will always be a problem for SMU but they never say that the Dallas Cowboys will also be a problem for TCU. Is there some kind of force field or magic barrier over Fort Worth?

They have been able to win over the people who live in Fort Worth and have created the brand as Fort Worth's team. I would venture to say that at least half the TCU fans in their stadium for a game have never attended any classes at TCU. Fort Worth has a different culture than Dallas does. In some respects, Fort Worth is like a small community with a lot of pride in who they are and TCU is actually located in Fort Worth and as such shares in that community's pride.

PK wrote:

MrMustang1965 wrote:Everyone says the Dallas Cowboys will always be a problem for SMU but they never say that the Dallas Cowboys will also be a problem for TCU. Is there some kind of force field or magic barrier over Fort Worth?

They have been able to win over the people who live in Fort Worth and have created the brand as Fort Worth's team. I would venture to say that at least half the TCU fans in their stadium for a game have never attended any classes at TCU. Fort Worth has a different culture than Dallas does. In some respects, Fort Worth is like a small community with a lot of pride in who they are and TCU is actually located in Fort Worth and as such shares in that community's pride.

So what's keeping SMU from winning over the people of Dallas and creating the brand as Dallas' team? (I know, I know...it's a rhetorical question. Work with me on this one.) I can't argue with the majority of your post. However, your last sentence puzzles me. You state "TCU is actually located in Fort Worth and as such shares in that community's pride." O.K. SMU is actually located in University Park. But when SMU was founded it WAS in Dallas and its landmark building is called Dallas Hall, not University Park Hall. The citizens of Dallas raised the money for its construction back around 1911. It's not SMU's fault that it became landlocked in University Park. And Fort Worth has 'community pride'? Maybe I'm alienated from it but I see more news out of Dallas than I do out of Fort Worth. Can someone DEFINE Fort Worth's community pride other than the name Cowtown? Yes, Fort Worth is like a small community. I've always thought that way, too. But SMU is in the middle of one of the 10 largest cities in the United States. Surely there's a way to get its citzenry to embrace it more than it has in years past. (And here comes the 'winning will bring them' argument)

MrMustang1965 wrote:

PK wrote:

MrMustang1965 wrote:Everyone says the Dallas Cowboys will always be a problem for SMU but they never say that the Dallas Cowboys will also be a problem for TCU. Is there some kind of force field or magic barrier over Fort Worth?

They have been able to win over the people who live in Fort Worth and have created the brand as Fort Worth's team. I would venture to say that at least half the TCU fans in their stadium for a game have never attended any classes at TCU. Fort Worth has a different culture than Dallas does. In some respects, Fort Worth is like a small community with a lot of pride in who they are and TCU is actually located in Fort Worth and as such shares in that community's pride.

So what's keeping SMU from winning over the people of Dallas and creating the brand as Dallas' team? (I know, I know...it's a rhetorical question. Work with me on this one.) I can't argue with the majority of your post. However, your last sentence puzzles me. You state "TCU is actually located in Fort Worth and as such shares in that community's pride." O.K. SMU is actually located in University Park. But when SMU was founded it WAS in Dallas and its landmark building is called Dallas Hall, not University Park Hall. The citizens of Dallas raised the money for its construction back around 1911. It's not SMU's fault that it became landlocked in University Park. And Fort Worth has 'community pride'? Maybe I'm alienated from it but I see more news out of Dallas than I do out of Fort Worth. Can someone DEFINE Fort Worth's community pride other than the name Cowtown? Yes, Fort Worth is like a small community. I've always thought that way, too. But SMU is in the middle of one of the 10 largest cities in the United States. Surely there's a way to get its citzenry to embrace it more than it has in years past. (And here comes the 'winning will bring them' argument)

2 things -

1. Winning and being ranked in the top 25 or higher. Remember TCU's Rose Bowl season when they played Utah at home? I believe the Frogs were ranked #5 at the time and Utah was also ranked. Utah is not a team that fans in DFW really care about, but TCU was undefeated, highly ranked, and College GameDay was there. That kind of matchup would sell out Ford.

2. I understand your historical argument with Dallas, but in more modern terms I would argue that much of Dallas does not really identify with SMU as a representative of the city. The perception - right or wrong - is that SMU is the Park Cities' team, and to them this means wealthy, upper crust, and snobbish. Those of us who attended SMU and love our game day atmosphere know that the majority of our fans are open and welcoming, but we are only looking at it through our Red and Blue colored glasses.

As much as I don't like it, it's going to take a comprehensive effort on the part of the school, the athletic department (marketing) and the football staff and players being able to relate more to the community.

Can't argue with your last paragraph. SMU's going to need a Kilff Kingsbury-type coach and a LaDanian Tomlinson-type player, I guess. And more than just billboards and a few TV spots here and there.

The weird thing is that TCU has just as many, if not more, pretentious snobs than SMU. They just wear cowboy boots and have less impressive degrees.

StallionsModelT wrote:The weird thing is that TCU has just as many, if not more, pretentious snobs than SMU. They just wear cowboy boots and have less impressive degrees.

The only TCU folks I see wearing cowboy boots are the co-eds on game day just like I see on The Boulevard.

MrMustang1965 wrote:

PK wrote:

MrMustang1965 wrote:Everyone says the Dallas Cowboys will always be a problem for SMU but they never say that the Dallas Cowboys will also be a problem for TCU. Is there some kind of force field or magic barrier over Fort Worth?

They have been able to win over the people who live in Fort Worth and have created the brand as Fort Worth's team. I would venture to say that at least half the TCU fans in their stadium for a game have never attended any classes at TCU. Fort Worth has a different culture than Dallas does. In some respects, Fort Worth is like a small community with a lot of pride in who they are and TCU is actually located in Fort Worth and as such shares in that community's pride.

So what's keeping SMU from winning over the people of Dallas and creating the brand as Dallas' team? (I know, I know...it's a rhetorical question. Work with me on this one.) I can't argue with the majority of your post. However, your last sentence puzzles me. You state "TCU is actually located in Fort Worth and as such shares in that community's pride." O.K. SMU is actually located in University Park. But when SMU was founded it WAS in Dallas and its landmark building is called Dallas Hall, not University Park Hall. The citizens of Dallas raised the money for its construction back around 1911. It's not SMU's fault that it became landlocked in University Park. And Fort Worth has 'community pride'? Maybe I'm alienated from it but I see more news out of Dallas than I do out of Fort Worth. Can someone DEFINE Fort Worth's community pride other than the name Cowtown? Yes, Fort Worth is like a small community. I've always thought that way, too. But SMU is in the middle of one of the 10 largest cities in the United States. Surely there's a way to get its citzenry to embrace it more than it has in years past. (And here comes the 'winning will bring them' argument)

Many points to address. I may be wrong, but when I am in Fort Worth I get the feeling that they still have a population made up of mostly Texas folks if not purely Fort Worth folks where as Dallas has a very large population of people who have moved here from out of state. This shared heritage in Fort Worth helps in defining a community spirit. On TCU game days you don't just see purple around the campus, but all over the city, especially downtown. The mayor encourages the citizens to wear purple. I don't see Dallas doing that for SMU. Perhaps a few years in top 25 would change that. Unfortunately, the news that comes out of Dallas is not always something to build pride around. Fort Worth does have a number of exceptional things to have pride in besides the Cow Town moniker including their great art museums and world class zoo and botonical garden. Anyway, it would be nice if at least the park cities would give us some love.

PK: Your sig about SMU's colors is one of my biggest pet peeves, too.

Our problem is all the Yankee transplants in Dallas. Hardly any Texans here anymore. A victim of our own prosperity. Its why great civilizations fall - others immigrate and bring their backwards ideas poisoning the native prosperity and using it selfishly without loyalty. Happened to Rome, happened to Byzantium, happening to Dallas.

Same reason Dallas restaurants serve watered down mild garbage salsa at restaurants, yet you hit up La Familia in Fort Worth and it is still spicy and manly.

couch 'em wrote:Our problem is all the Yankee transplants in Dallas. Hardly any Texans here anymore. A victim of our own prosperity. Its why great civilizations fall - others immigrate and bring their backwards ideas poisoning the native prosperity and using it selfishly without loyalty. Happened to Rome, happened to Byzantium, happening to Dallas.

Same reason Dallas restaurants serve watered down mild garbage salsa at restaurants, yet you hit up La Familia in Fort Worth and it is still spicy and manly.

this is a stupid statement

bubba pony wrote:

couch 'em wrote:Our problem is all the Yankee transplants in Dallas. Hardly any Texans here anymore. A victim of our own prosperity. Its why great civilizations fall - others immigrate and bring their backwards ideas poisoning the native prosperity and using it selfishly without loyalty. Happened to Rome, happened to Byzantium, happening to Dallas.

Same reason Dallas restaurants serve watered down mild garbage salsa at restaurants, yet you hit up La Familia in Fort Worth and it is still spicy and manly.

this is a stupid statement

PROVE ME WRONG! You can't, therefore I am right.

couch 'em wrote:

bubba pony wrote:

couch 'em wrote:Our problem is all the Yankee transplants in Dallas. Hardly any Texans here anymore. A victim of our own prosperity. Its why great civilizations fall - others immigrate and bring their backwards ideas poisoning the native prosperity and using it selfishly without loyalty. Happened to Rome, happened to Byzantium, happening to Dallas.

Same reason Dallas restaurants serve watered down mild garbage salsa at restaurants, yet you hit up La Familia in Fort Worth and it is still spicy and manly.

this is a stupid statement

PROVE ME WRONG! You can't, therefore I am right.

I think couch'em is right.

couch 'em wrote:Our problem is all the Yankee transplants in Dallas. Hardly any Texans here anymore. A victim of our own prosperity. Its why great civilizations fall - others immigrate and bring their backwards ideas poisoning the native prosperity and using it selfishly without loyalty. Happened to Rome, happened to Byzantium, happening to Dallas.

Same reason Dallas restaurants serve watered down mild garbage salsa at restaurants, yet you hit up La Familia in Fort Worth and it is still spicy and manly.

Just a question: salsa is originally from Mexico, right? Therefore, the people who immigrated to Texas from the eastern U.S. (and other areas around the globe) would be the ones who brought THEIR 'backwards ideas' and 'poisoned the native prosperity' and used it 'selfishly without loyalty', according to your argument.