Why The Jj Monster Doesn't Scare Me

emmitt01 · January 28, 2008

I'm watching the Dale Hansen interview with JJ and a few things stick out to me:

1)He can't touch Todge in terms of charisma. Todge made a comment at the football banquet that he tells parents "If you send your son to play with me I can promise you I will surround him with good men...coaches and good players" (this is obviously a paraphrase) JJ in this interview doesn't strike me as having that "genuine-ness" that Todge has.

2)He seems fake. Hansen asked him point-blank about pulling the scholarship from Ralston Dews. His answer started with "I don't really know the particulars on that...." HUH? You're the head coach, the guy who every pony fan is claiming pulled the trigger because this kid didn't fit your system, and you "don't know the particulars on that?" I would respect that man if he has simply said "the previous staff offered him and I didn't feel that he fit our system" or even "we're trying to bring in a different caliber of athlete and he wasn't at that level". I would have gone for either and not thought him arrogant for it. But I can't take the cop out. As an aside, Dews signed with a 1AA.

3)Maybe he just hasn't hit the recruting trail real hard yet but I'm not seeing "blue chip" talent flocking to him. I see a WHOLE LOT of SMU fans claiming that this kid and that kid are this close to signing merely because of JJ but I'm not seeing it in the commitments.

....

Ok, now dodgefan accuse me of being overly jealous, say I'm gonna have a coronary, or whatever it is you say...I just think Todge will keep us ahead based on his reputation and more importantly his personality.

MCMLXXX · January 28, 2008

I was unimpressed. I thought Hansen was very direct and asked some hard hitting questions.

UNT_92_Fan · January 28, 2008

Really thought you were talking about Johnny Jones.... I was confused... I have tired head

untcampbell · January 28, 2008

agree on point 2. He denied knowing about the situation and blamed it on the administration.

Said all commits were sent a similar letter (apparently before Jones was hired) saying that the new coaching regime may make different decisions on players, and to pursue opportunity appropriately. Jones said he was unaware of the particulars of the decision on the Tyler kid. Really sounded like a politician (read that LIAR) and blamed it on the administration when pressed, but said that he was comfortable with how the school handled the situation.

SilverEagle · January 28, 2008

agree on point 2. He denied knowing about the situation and blamed it on the administration.
Said all commits were sent a similar letter (apparently before Jones was hired) saying that the new coaching regime may make different decisions on players, and to pursue opportunity appropriately. Jones said he was unaware of the particulars of the decision on the Tyler kid. Really sounded like a politician (read that LIAR) and blamed it on the administration when pressed, but said that he was comfortable with how the school handled the situation.

I laughed out loud when he started talking about "Administration" in relation to that screw-up. The administration doesn't make recruitment decisions, the head coach does. The only decision that the administration makes is the decision on how much to pay (and in this case overpay) a coach.

$MU really would have been better off not having this guy on live TV. He is very unimpressive.

medpilot21 · January 28, 2008

I also liked the way Hansen asked him the "history of coaches here" question...." There have been many good coaches who were here before you and they didnt succeed...how are you going to be different?" JJ's answer... "Well, we're going to have a very exciting brand of football. The kids we have committed right now are fast. We will sacrifice some size for speed, but at the end of the year you will say we are a fast team." Good misdirection...get the fans excited about bringing in the Hawaii Offense. You still have to have the QB and receivers to make that work? No Timmy Chang or Colt Brennan at SMU. (at least not that we've heard?) I still think by using the word "success", Dale was asking Jones about wins? Also, who are these fast recruits who have committed to the Ponies? I still dont see them on Rivals?

So many issues to address... Coach Jones has his work cut out for him. I would love to have a series ironed out with SMU and have the Todd Dodge offense versus the "Hawaii-on-the-Hilltop" offense. Could make for a better show than the last meeting.

We'll see what they really have to work with on Feb. 6th...

GMG!!!

MeanGreenZen · January 28, 2008

The weird thing about this SMU recruiting class is how "national" the recruits are. Reading on PonyFans, the Mustangs are going after kids from New Jersey to California. Jones keeps talking about recruiting Dallas, but that is not being reflected in the kids he is bringing in to visit. My guess is he got such a late start in recruiting for SMU that he decided to focus on the kids he was trying to bring to Hawaii instead of DFW recruits.

Edited January 28, 2008 by MG Insurance Pro

MeanGreen61 · January 28, 2008

The weird thing about this SMU recruiting class is how "national" the recruits are. Reading on PonyFans, the Mustangs are going after kids from New Jersey to California. Jones keeps talking about recruiting Dallas, but that is not being reflected in the kids he is bringing in to visit. My guess is he got such a late start in recruiting for SMU that he decided to focus on the kids he was trying to bring to Hawaii instead of DFW recruits.

Some of 'um weren't on Hawaii's radar. Me thinks he's flipping thru the yellow pages. :rolleyes:

Mean Green 93-98 · January 28, 2008

The weird thing about this SMU recruiting class is how "national" the recruits are. Reading on PonyFans, the Mustangs are going after kids from New Jersey to California. Jones keeps talking about recruiting Dallas, but that is not being reflected in the kids he is bringing in to visit. My guess is he got such a late start in recruiting for SMU that he decided to focus on the kids he was trying to bring to Hawaii instead of DFW recruits.

SMU has only verballed one of the DMN's Area 100 - and he's #96. Contrast that with UNT's 8 commits on the list.

Edited January 28, 2008 by Mean Green 93-98

flyeater · January 28, 2008

suggestion...let's please cease from referring to June Jones as JJ on this forum. It's too confusing as earlier poster pointed out. June isn't one of ours, thus he's doesn't warrant the intimacy of being called by initials.

Let's call him Coach Island Princess.

UNTflyer · January 28, 2008

Let's call him Coach Island Princess.

greenjoe · January 28, 2008

And I really like "Hawaii on the Hilltop."

UNTflyer · January 28, 2008

The reason why the Island Princess doesn't scare me is because he's still asking kids to play at SMU.

January 28, 2008

I think that our coaching staff has proved that they can recruit and we don't have to fear anyone in the metroplex. We'll lose some in future battles but we'll also win some as well. If we can start stringing some wins together then recruiting won't be a problem.

Just don't sell June Jones short. He was hired much too late to be a real player in this recruiting class. He'll probably rely on out-of-state recruits, particularly California, to fill out this class. Next year though, he'll have a much better shot at us. The problem is that we use the same type of recruits. The faster the better.

He should have never done the interview with Hansen. He got nailed and handled it poorly. To some extent though, the administration was at fault in that they should have contacted Bennett's commits and warned them that their offers could be in jeopardy. Still, to admit that he didn't know what had happened made him come across as a buffoon.

However, he's still a proven coach and there will be plenty who'll want to play for him and get an expensive degree. But, afraid of him....no.

dodgefan · January 29, 2008

emmitt...Ok, now dodgefan accuse me of being overly jealous, say I'm gonna have a coronary, or whatever it is you say...I just think Todge will keep us ahead based on his reputation and more importantly his personality.

Oh no! I miss a few day's, and one of the first things I read, is more of emmitts burning phobia with SMU, and your desire to single me out again. Why am I even on your mind? I have a feeling you are not a Christian man, you waste way too much time and negative energy. Thou shall not covet thy neighbors........... Trust in Todd Dodge, and stop obsessing over what you have no control over. Son, if you could focus all of this energy towards something positive....like fundraising fot NT, we could get this new stadium going! Think positive!

Quoner · January 29, 2008

emmitt...Ok, now dodgefan accuse me of being overly jealous, say I'm gonna have a coronary, or whatever it is you say...I just think Todge will keep us ahead based on his reputation and more importantly his personality.
Oh no! I miss a few day's, and one of the first things I read, is more of emmitts burning phobia with SMU, and your desire to single me out again. Why am I even on your mind? I have a feeling you are not a Christian man, you waste way too much time and negative energy. Thou shall not covet thy neighbors........... Trust in Todd Dodge, and stop obsessing over what you have no control over. Son, if you could focus all of this energy towards something positive....like fundraising fot NT, we could get this new stadium going! Think positive!

Jesus approves.

flyeater · January 29, 2008

sooooweeeeeettt!!!

good_ken · January 29, 2008

I think that our coaching staff has proved that they can recruit and we don't have to fear anyone in the metroplex. We'll lose some in future battles but we'll also win some as well. If we can start stringing some wins together then recruiting won't be a problem.
Just don't sell June Jones short. He was hired much too late to be a real player in this recruiting class. He'll probably rely on out-of-state recruits, particularly California, to fill out this class. Next year though, he'll have a much better shot at us. The problem is that we use the same type of recruits. The faster the better.
He should have never done the interview with Hansen. He got nailed and handled it poorly. To some extent though, the administration was at fault in that they should have contacted Bennett's commits and warned them that their offers could be in jeopardy. Still, to admit that he didn't know what had happened made him come across as a buffoon.
However, he's still a proven coach and there will be plenty who'll want to play for him and get an expensive degree. But, afraid of him....no.

Supposedly the kids got letters stating that.

Bryan316 · January 29, 2008

Well, June Jones's $1 million-plus gives them very little room to try and buy another title.

NT80 · January 29, 2008

It will be Hawaii without Hawaii-type players. Over/under for Jones having second thoughts about this move to Dallas is late September, unless he craters to heat exhaustion first in August workouts.