The myth: Winning cures everything (Part 2)
Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:44 pm
The price of the ticket is NOT the issue, whatsoever. It's the awareness that we are even playing on Saturday.
Again, because most casual sports fans who attend maybe 4-5 sporting events a YEAR have a perception that tickets to sporting events (plus parking and concessions) are expensive, they think for some reason SMU tickets are also expensive. When I tell people a good or even great seat is 20-25 bucks, they are stunned.
If anything, SMU should consider RAISING prices simply to raise the perceived value of the product. The price of the ticket should directly correspond to the quality of the product. But, the on-field product is not entertaining and the in-stadium experience is inadequate. Because we are in pro sports town, where the Mavs and Cowboys and Rangers really do it up right, the expectations of the casual fan are much greater. If you were a CASUAL sports fan, with no allegiance to SMU, and went to yesterday's game, would you want to come back -- even with a FREE ticket?
If you had told me that in Year 4 of the June Jones era, we'd be playing in front of 7,500 people and on the verge of losing 5 of our last 6 games (we were on the verge of that yesterday), I would not have believed it. But, I would have said, and loudly, maybe this isn't working. His team had FIVE turnovers (and are LAST in the nation in turnover margin) and made four huge special teams blunders that almost cost them a game.
The fact that they entered fall camp without a kicker is unfathomable -- and it almost finally bit them squarely in the [deleted] yesterday. For that reason alone, many coaches would come home to find "For Sale" signs in their front yard. And, the media that covers the team would be even less forgiving.
Can the President and the AD and the (thankfully) blindly loyal boosters sit in the their suites and look out the window and say, "Yes, things are moving in the right direction"? Granted, Thanksgiving weekend, a slumping team and a weak opponent are a recipe for disaster, but we are $8 million head-coaching dollars into this and I closed my eyes, reopened them and saw it as "the more things change, the more they remain the same."
Bowl berths aside (and the bowl landscape is far different than even 5-6 years ago), did you see anything from this program in the final six weeks that gives you reason to believe it might trend upward next season? This is a team that loses its entire offensive line, three of its top five receivers and doesn't have a remotely confident or groomed quarterback. And, the non-conference schedule includes TCU, Baylor and Texas A&M. Even, almighty June actually made a voluntary concession in his postgame interview that his program might take a step back next year. Huh?
TCU lost the core of its entire team and played an untested QB. They will be 10-2 with a 2-point loss at Baylor in its opener and a now baffling OT loss to us. There's no "step back" over there. That thought doesn't even enter their minds. I dare say TCU would hammer us if we played today.
Not trying to be gloom and doom here, but the reality is, the ROI on June Junes is negligible right now. And, to say "Just wait for the Big East dollars" is assuming we'll know what to do with them. It's not all June's fault, yet he should be smart enough to know that his infrastructure is rickety at best and he should demand that it change -- not demand a new field or new lights or an indoor facility. Would you want to play or coach in front of the kind of crowds we had this season? It's deflating before the game kicks off.
As for June and his performance, at the very least, I expect a well-coached, disciplined team that plays its [deleted] off. I don't mind losing. I don't expect to go 12-0. I do expect the kids to play hard for 60 minutes. I do expect the coaching staff to be professional and have a sense of urgency and to manage the game flawlessly.
Yes, it's better than it was from an outsider's view. Three straight winning seasons at SMU is a nice start. But, from watching up close, they have a long, long way to go. It can be done, but it's going to take a culture change that, after four years, may be under way but is still not yet in gear.
Just my reality check.
Again, because most casual sports fans who attend maybe 4-5 sporting events a YEAR have a perception that tickets to sporting events (plus parking and concessions) are expensive, they think for some reason SMU tickets are also expensive. When I tell people a good or even great seat is 20-25 bucks, they are stunned.
If anything, SMU should consider RAISING prices simply to raise the perceived value of the product. The price of the ticket should directly correspond to the quality of the product. But, the on-field product is not entertaining and the in-stadium experience is inadequate. Because we are in pro sports town, where the Mavs and Cowboys and Rangers really do it up right, the expectations of the casual fan are much greater. If you were a CASUAL sports fan, with no allegiance to SMU, and went to yesterday's game, would you want to come back -- even with a FREE ticket?
If you had told me that in Year 4 of the June Jones era, we'd be playing in front of 7,500 people and on the verge of losing 5 of our last 6 games (we were on the verge of that yesterday), I would not have believed it. But, I would have said, and loudly, maybe this isn't working. His team had FIVE turnovers (and are LAST in the nation in turnover margin) and made four huge special teams blunders that almost cost them a game.
The fact that they entered fall camp without a kicker is unfathomable -- and it almost finally bit them squarely in the [deleted] yesterday. For that reason alone, many coaches would come home to find "For Sale" signs in their front yard. And, the media that covers the team would be even less forgiving.
Can the President and the AD and the (thankfully) blindly loyal boosters sit in the their suites and look out the window and say, "Yes, things are moving in the right direction"? Granted, Thanksgiving weekend, a slumping team and a weak opponent are a recipe for disaster, but we are $8 million head-coaching dollars into this and I closed my eyes, reopened them and saw it as "the more things change, the more they remain the same."
Bowl berths aside (and the bowl landscape is far different than even 5-6 years ago), did you see anything from this program in the final six weeks that gives you reason to believe it might trend upward next season? This is a team that loses its entire offensive line, three of its top five receivers and doesn't have a remotely confident or groomed quarterback. And, the non-conference schedule includes TCU, Baylor and Texas A&M. Even, almighty June actually made a voluntary concession in his postgame interview that his program might take a step back next year. Huh?
TCU lost the core of its entire team and played an untested QB. They will be 10-2 with a 2-point loss at Baylor in its opener and a now baffling OT loss to us. There's no "step back" over there. That thought doesn't even enter their minds. I dare say TCU would hammer us if we played today.
Not trying to be gloom and doom here, but the reality is, the ROI on June Junes is negligible right now. And, to say "Just wait for the Big East dollars" is assuming we'll know what to do with them. It's not all June's fault, yet he should be smart enough to know that his infrastructure is rickety at best and he should demand that it change -- not demand a new field or new lights or an indoor facility. Would you want to play or coach in front of the kind of crowds we had this season? It's deflating before the game kicks off.
As for June and his performance, at the very least, I expect a well-coached, disciplined team that plays its [deleted] off. I don't mind losing. I don't expect to go 12-0. I do expect the kids to play hard for 60 minutes. I do expect the coaching staff to be professional and have a sense of urgency and to manage the game flawlessly.
Yes, it's better than it was from an outsider's view. Three straight winning seasons at SMU is a nice start. But, from watching up close, they have a long, long way to go. It can be done, but it's going to take a culture change that, after four years, may be under way but is still not yet in gear.
Just my reality check.
