Many Grown-Ups on Ponyfans?

Andrew D. Wilson · Post by **Andrew D. Wilson** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:22 pm

How many intelligent, fair-minded adults are there on Ponyfans? Reading the "Trashing June Jones" comments makes me wonder.

Let's sum up the Coach Jones situation, using short words so all the children on Ponyfans can understand.

(1) Like it or not, June Jones doesn't owe you or SMU anything. The debt is entirely the other way around -- we owe June Jones plenty. This nationally prominent, highly successful coach came to SMU and has resurrected SMU football after 25 LONG YEARS in the football sewer. In only 4 seasons, starting at the very bottom, he and his excellent staff have taken us to THREE STRAIGHT WINNING SEASONS AND THREE BOWL GAMES. Truly amazing, probably unequaled in recent Division One football. For those of you unfamiliar with the word "gratitude," look it up. It's under G in the dictionary. (Am I going too fast?)

(2) Despite our successes, who cares? SMU continually plays before pitiful home-field crowds. On game days more than half the seats in our fairly small stadium are often empty. We're almost totally ignored by Dallas sports fans and also by SMU students, many of whom just hang out nearby on the boulevard during games. Coach Jones is justifiably disappointed in the almost total lack of interest and support, even when we're succeeding. For God's sake, can any of you gripers name a top-flight coach who wouldn't be?

(3) Then a big state university, with a large fan base and playing in a much bigger and better conference, wants Coach Jones. He can go there into big-time football or wind down his distinguished career in a place where very few people care.

(4) Now ask yourselves: How would YOU feel in that situation, if you were as successful as June Jones? I'll help you: You'd say, Is this the way I want to finish up my whole career? Or should I wind it up coaching a team in front of big crowds in a big important conference, where people actually care about football?

Oh, I suppose you critics would say, No! I must be loyal to SMU regardless! I'm perfectly happy coaching in front of empty seats and uninterested students in an uninterested town! It's wonderful -- how lucky I am!! If you claim you'd say that you're either a liar or you're stupid, or you'd stay at SMU because your Mommy wouldn't let you leave town.

Personally, as a grown-up, I fully understand June Jones' feelings and I respect his and any other highly successful coach's right to want to better himself. Tell me, who doesn't have that right? And I'm just extremely glad that we dodged a bullet. Welcome back, Coach Jones. We need you and we look forward to continued success from you and your fine staff. Thanks for what you've done for us. We owe you. Yes we do. And if any of you June Jones-bashers don't understand that fact, ask your baby-sitters to explain it to you.

Hooray for the new era in SMU football, at last. Hooray for our bright future. And a special hooray for June Jones. He's earned it big-time, and we're hugely fortunate to have him. Again, welcome back, Coach, and please stay for a LONG time. You can feel sure that nearly all the adults around here greatly appreciate you. After all, grown-ups are like that.

CalallenStang · Post by **CalallenStang** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:27 pm

Thanks, Leigh.

LHS81 · Post by **LHS81** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:28 pm

2ndandlong · Post by **2ndandlong** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:28 pm

Good first post. Welcome to ponyfans.

sbsmith · Post by **sbsmith** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:31 pm

Cool story, tell your client to fix his offense and stop losing high-profile games before he whines about attendance.

BIGHORSE · Post by **BIGHORSE** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:41 pm

It's not that he looked at another job, it's how it happened Saturday on our big

recruiting weekend and again on Wednesday on our Big East annnoucment.

skyscraper · Post by **skyscraper** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:46 pm

Welcome to PF.com
I do have gratitude for what June has done in righting the ship on the field and helping usher in much-needed institutional changes.
I don't have gratitude for the way he wrecked one of the biggest recruiting weekends in post-death penalty history (allegedly recruiting for ASU on SMU's dime) and overshadowing a massive moment for the university in our move to the Big East.
He himself is wrecking is own legacy at this school and has no one to blame but himself.

Dutch · Post by **Dutch** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:14 pm

not buying it. no one just shows up and their first bit of input is a 700 word diatribe.

LHS81 · Post by **LHS81** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:15 pm

You actually counted the words?

HorseSense · Post by **HorseSense** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:16 pm

"June---A Legend in His Own Mind" coming to your local channel

Dutch · Post by **Dutch** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:20 pm

LHS81 wrote:You actually counted the words?

no.

Dutch · Post by **Dutch** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:21 pm

LHS81 wrote:You actually counted the words?

but i do know how to copy and paste to MS Word, then do a word count.

558

Treadway21 · Post by **Treadway21** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:23 pm

Mr. Wilson,

Good to have you on ponyfans. If you have spent anytime on here, you know we are all concerned about attendance. We appreciate what he has done for use, and SMU is in a much better position due to his efforts.

You must surely understand why people are upset. We have been waiting for months to get confirmation of the move to the big east, and it is completely sabotaged by his actions. Additionally, we lost at least one recruit in the process. Even some of the players expressed their disappointment, which says a lot. Then he acts like nothing happened.

Please continue to contribute to the discussion. I wish Jones continued success while he is at SMU, however long that is, though I have lost some respect for him because of the how things played out (not all his fault), not because he was leaving.

huskerpony · Post by **huskerpony** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:24 pm

what is the official cutoff for a legitimate first post then? does it qualify or do we need 94 for that?

SMU 86 · Post by **SMU 86** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:25 pm

Andrew, what about what he and some coaches told recruits? Again I don't think anybody is made about the interview just how he handled it and what he told recruits.