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Ok, I've been in the tank for JJ from the beginning. Keep that in mind, disclaimer, yada yada yada.

If JJ was truly pissed about fan support, well, he has a point. The attendance here has been pitiful. We have 11,000 students and 40,000 living alumni in Dallas, and can't get more than 20k in Ford after we beat TCU? that was pathetic. I brought two friends of mine who aren't affiliated with SMU to that game and was embarrassed. It needs to get better, and it needs to get better fast.

The timing of this was terrible, with the recruiting weekend and all. No doubt about that. I'm not happy with the way JJ handled this, especially with how secretive he was at Hawaii w/ SMU. that was bull [deleted] and he owes SMU fans (all 15,000 of us) an explanation. No question about that. Steve-O and the CoC have every right to be pissed at him. He had every right to look for a better job, just like anyone else, but he could have handled the situation with some degree of delicacy, and it appears he didn't. That being said, he really got screwed by Steinberg or ASU or someone. Can you imagine? Accepting a job with another company, your employer finds out, and the offer isn't there to begin with? mortifying. maybe Karma's a [deleted]

Now, where do we go from here? I don't think we really have a choice but to keep him here and make amends. Maybe you think it sucks, maybe it won't last forever, but we've got a great class committed right now that could certainly make us competitive right away in the Big East in 2013, and I think we need to do everything possible to keep that together. Not to mention, EDDIE PRINTZ. I can't rave enough about this guy. He will be an absolute stud in the 2013 class- the kind of a guy who can be the face of a program and leave his mark for years after he graduates. My dad lives in Atlanta and was telling me how he has just been tearing it up and impressing the hell out everyone- they cant believe he wants to come here, given the options he'll have- i.e. SEC. And apparently, he actually fricking likes SMU. imagine that?!?! Short term, this is awkward, people are pissed, no doubt. But we need to look at the bigger picture. We have a legit class that will position us to hit the ground running in an AQ conference in two years. I really don't think this is the time to burn the house down, and I'm not just saying that to perserve my internet ego on here. Hell I dont know any of ya'll in real life, you could all be trannies for all I know. I'm just shooting from the hip

Now, to the blessing in disguise part. Maybe this whole incident isnt as bad as we think. I thought SO's comments tonight were well said. JJ needs to running back, tail between his legs no doubt, and recommit himself to this thing if he's going to keep taking paychecks. No more wearing black, no more [deleted] leis, Madeline gets two new pets, etc. Act like you give a [deleted] about SMU and not just the checks we're writing you. Get out there and get involved, not just running the team, but be an ambassador for the program. I agree with the sentiments on here that it looked the team kind of gave up after the impressive UCF win, starting at the top. Thats unacceptable, and hopefully it's addressed with June.

On our end, market the team just a little. Would it kill us to put a billboard or two up around town? Thad's 1 minute video he made was incredible- did it EVER air as an ad on TV? I didnt see it on any stations. If not, it should have. it was badass. Next year we have a favorable home schedule- TCU, (maybe) A&M, Houston, Tulsa come to town. That will boost attendance. But seriously- let's market this thing. I know it's been said here a thousand fing times before, but maybe JJ actually agreeing to leave will wake some people up to the notion that we can just have him on the sideline and expect the masses to file in and everything to be a-ok.

Things have been heated around here for the past few days, and I'm partly to blame. Let's keep in mind we all have one common goal, and that's to hook up with hot broads and see SMU win consistently.

I hope that made sense. PEace in the middle east.

see yall in birmingham...i'm still going to the bowl game to support the kids, whether or not JJ is there

It's a good post and fair points.

Good points. I'm po'd that the biggest day in SMU athletics history in the last 20+ years was overshadowed because the story yesterday was all about June Jones. That's not all on June, but its partially his fault. That is unacceptable from any university employee. And June needs to be reminded that he is exactly that. . .a contract employee and nothing more.

THAT BEING SAID, is firing June or putting the screws on him so that he becomes even more disgruntled the right approach? Is that the right thing for the program? I would say no. If you fire June, you'd better have a good idea of who is going to replace him and in all likelihood most of his staff. That's a tall order and at this point I'd bet that SMU does not have its ducks in a row to engage in a full-blown HC search.

From chaos comes opportunity. . .and this situation creates an opportunity for Orsini, Turner, and the CoC to reel June in. He needs to be checked. But it has to be done in the right way. Now is not the time to burn the house down. I am confident that Orsini will get the job done. The man is a great AD.

Not sure where all this 11k student thing comes from. That is incorrect. We are not that big - even if you include grad school students we are less then 9k. We are the third smallest 1-a school measured by undergraduates (which is what matters - grad students dont care about on campus sports) at 6k total undergrads. That is 1,500 students per class. If half of them showed up - which would be the biggest percentage of any school in the country except maybe brainwashed aggies...it would be 3k. We have about 100 k TOTAL living alumni - and only about 40k live in Dallas. If one third of the ones that live in dallas came to a game (again the biggest percentage you could even imagine) we would be at about 15k. So without help from non SMU Dallasites we can expect 18k - which is actually a pretty good turn out from our people.

that is why the marketing thing is vital, and scheduling teams that travel a little and are relevant are critical. Marketing us to Dallas has to happen - we have no choice so we better find the most efficient way to do that.

gostangs wrote:Not sure where all this 11k student thing comes from. That is incorrect. We are not that big - even if you include grad school students we are less then 9k.

http://www.smu.edu/AboutSMU/Facts

"SMU’s 11,000 students benefit from small classes, leadership opportunities, international study and innovative programs."

But you're right, grad students don't really show up and we need to market the [deleted] out of Dallas. What if we did stuff like free tickets around DFW for people who do blood drives or donate food? Just to see if we can get people in the stadium. Maybe just do this for a game where we're not expecting a lot of fans because the other team doesn't travel (like UCF this year). If you can get them on the Boulevard and in the stadium, who knows, maybe they'll come back?

Perhaps the pressure on Jones to recruit a great class and have a fantastic 2012 season just increased. He has learned that he has a limited market and he now has a reputation of not being so wonderful. He really needs to up his successes to increase his marketability now. Folks may not be so quick to move on him next year unless he has a super season.

ponyte wrote:Perhaps the pressure on Jones to recruit a great class and have a fantastic 2012 season just increased. He has learned that he has a limited market and he now has a reputation of not being so wonderful. He really needs to up his successes to increase his marketability now. Folks may not be so quick to move on him next year unless he has a super season.

that's the point I was trying to articulate in my post last night, but was too drunk to do so. thanks.

i cant believe i even wrote something that coherent

East Coast Mustang wrote:

ponyte wrote:Perhaps the pressure on Jones to recruit a great class and have a fantastic 2012 season just increased. He has learned that he has a limited market and he now has a reputation of not being so wonderful. He really needs to up his successes to increase his marketability now. Folks may not be so quick to move on him next year unless he has a super season.

that's the point I was trying to articulate in my post last night, but was too drunk to do so. thanks.

i cant believe i even wrote something that coherent

From the outside, I just don't see how he can continue as HC.

Agree...but thats what we got...

good time for the old Head Coach in waiting...

more people need to respond. this was my manifesto

Die die die