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NDNation.com Staff: Scott Engler - Michael Cash - John Vannie - Mike Coffey - Kayo - Bacchus

Monday, November 10, 2008

On The Job Training

posted by Scott Engler
At the this point it's hard to understand how a realistic fan could have confidence that Notre Dame will improve to championship caliber under Weis. Yes, the talent pipeline is stocked and Notre Dame will be a power two years from now (that's what happens when good players mature,) but is Weis capable of taking the team over the threshold? Right now, I'm not even sure we'll run the table against Navy and Syracuse.

We're not in a position of strength coaching-wise to make the leap which at this point isn't from Good to Great, but from Poor to less Poor. We've lost three out of our last four games and six straight to Boston College. Saturday offically busts the positive trendline that started forming at the end of last season.

It was a big risk to promote Haywood to offensive playcaller while calling Weis's scheme. It's halfway there and a wing and a prayer.

Last March, I wrote in If Weis fails that, "Haywood is completely unproven as a playcaller. If he were turning the playcalling over to Chow, that would make perfect sense. If you think about this (and this is scary) we now have a completely inexperienced offensive coordinator, a defensive coordinator with one year of experience and a special teams coach with little experience and a track record of under performance. This is Notre Dame Football?"

In short, and yeah this is part 20/20, an experienced coach probably wouldn't make this move (see Pete Carroll.) We "still" can't pass protect against a three man line. No one needs a fancy offense, look at Alabama. Now granted they don't have all true juniors along the OL, but simplicity works when you have good players. Execution > Scheme.

The bottom line is that after almost four years, Weis is throwing darts. He's still a coach in training and there's little assurance, other than stockpiling talent, that he has what it takes to get it done.

Of course the flipside here is what happens to Notre Dame if we go in another direction, swallow the buyout and end up on the short end of the coaching carousel again. I've yet to see a "good" coach hiring process from any team and making a move without having anyone lined up could be disastrous... and Weis hasn't yet proven he won't make it.

But at this point, the odds are against him. Some losses are tough to come back from and Saturday's might just be the dagger. Tough to tell yet, but the debacle in Boston might just be the psychological tipping point for Charlie Weis.

The book isn't closed yet, but fans like this subway alum are going to be tougher to come by. Everyone still wants a winner, but fewer are expecting it and that's a sad state. And after a 3-9 season and dead mid-season stall, everyone has to be a skeptic.
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205 Comments:

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

Skeptcism is always warranted.

If this coach didn't take 2 teams to BCS bowls (with essentially 1 top ten recruiting class), I would be more skeptical.

If changes are not made at the end of the season, I would be more skeptical.

7-5, 8-4, 9-3 seasons are not that different.

This is essentially his 2nd year. He will get a 3rd.

11/10/2008 06:44:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Seriously, how can ANYONE support this guy at this point??? He is turning out to be one of the worst coaches ever. So he can recruit, then let him be demoted to recruiter (as if ND can't attract talent without Weis). Last season was beyond terrible and this season really just shows what kind of head coach Weis is. Please, pull your head out of the denial sand and let's get an EXPERIENCED head coach for 2009!

11/10/2008 07:11:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If Weis really loves Notre Dame he should resign. He expresses no shame in repeated losses. He is not even ashamed of his own mistakes. Father Hesburg should have expelled when he demanded to see the President of Notre Dame play calling under Dan Devine.

11/10/2008 07:21:00 PM  
Blogger Jack said...

¡ I think Navy is a team that can beat ND ! I'm glad Weis will call the offense while consulting with Mike Haywood & Rob Ianello.
Now is the time to win the game to be bowl elligible (& maybe end up in the Sun Bowl in El Paso Texas for New Years Eve). I hope ND wins one more game & maybe ends up in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas !

11/10/2008 07:29:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Charlie Weis is really Gerry Faust after spending 20 years eating at McDonald's.

11/10/2008 07:47:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why do people count the BCS bowl appearances as some evidence of Weis's greatness?

ND beat 0 good teams on their way to both of those BCS appearances. They got picked to the bowl not based on the strength of the team, but on the strength of the ND brand.

ND was outclassed in both games.

11/10/2008 07:49:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Next year will seal his fate. All of the building of this program through recruiting and experience
gained by this young team will bear its fruit in 2009. It is a BCS game or he is done. If you fire him now what the verbal committs leave and you will see a lot of players asking to be released from their scholarships

11/10/2008 07:55:00 PM  
Blogger ElyBoy said...

Three games ago, I figured that the Irish might have a slight chance against USC the way that they were playing.

After the game Saturday, I said that I can't watch them play anymore this year.
It's too rough.

Watching the Irish play is like listening to fingernails on a chalkboard.

Charlie has assembled a very talented team, but I'm afraid that it with take another head coach to win a Championship with them.

What a shame.
Charlie is a great guy, but just not a College Coach.

11/10/2008 08:03:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

'listless' best describes teams coached by Weis. You can have all the talent in the world but, if that talent doesn't buy into the coach and his philosophies, than 'paper talent' is useless...ND can recruit on its' own merits and while his three Super Bowl rings may have impressed the current crop, a 10-3 record (with 3 blow out losses to top teams) a 3-9 and now a no better than 7-5 clunker of a season should be enough to grade his abilities...we have yet to see the offensive line improve under his leadership; we have yet to see a true running back emerge under his leadership and we have to see the QB improve 21 games into his development...If we were in the SEC, the record would be 1-8 at best...cut the losses now and move on...we have seen enough of this poor representation of the school both in appearance, the way he seemingly treats people off the field and his lack of personal accountability. This latest move of now taking over play calling is the last salvo and should provide enough fodder for Mr. Swarbrick to look and find an experienced coach who minimally won't allow his team to get its' rear ends handed to them in the trenches...enough is enough!!!

11/10/2008 08:05:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This team isn't good enough to step up and win a game when it is there for the taking. The North Carolina and Pitt games painfully made that point clear. As far as firing Charlie, what a bunch of pathetic whiners. Like I said earlier, this team isn't capable of stepping up. Anybody that thinks this is a "solid" team needs a reality check.

11/10/2008 08:32:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let me spell it out for everyone in a nice bullet list of why Weis IS NOT THE GUY to be leading the Irish.

1. He can't inspire his team.
2. He was an offensive guru who now is not calling plays...wait...now he is..wait...now he isnt...this sounds like Maust with the ball punting...make up your frigging mind.

3. He doesnt seem to be very upset about being mediocre.

4. The OL has gotten worse each year.

5. He can't blame Davie or Ty..(even though they both sucked) anymore...and his team still sucks.

6. He has the biggest bust in the recruiting era (Beano once said he'd win two Heisman's) Pawlus...Ron PAWLUS...mentoring his qb...what the hell? are you kidding me?

7. He gets top recruits but still cant seem to get the best talent out of them...

8. He cant seem to find a freaking running back? Not one of them..has break away speed..if he had any stones, he'd put Tate as his running back...and Gray as his other running back...

9. He is, as rock pointed out..on the job training..not good enough...this is ND.

10. His teams have actually regressed...it's time to cut our losses...

NO MORE EXCUSES...

11/10/2008 08:40:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

AS i read through all the comments i realize that these negative fans represent exactly what they believe is the problem with the team. No fight!!! We have the talent, we have the coaches, we need the fight!!! That comes from the players being emotional not business like which charlie has repeatedly pushed the players to do. AS a fan with fight i suggest as they pass you on campus give them support. As a fighter period guys you should celebrate each play you make on the field like you just won the super bowl and then come back the next play and hit the opponent in the mouth until the final whistle blows. When you cross those side lines and enter the field of play you need to hate your opponent until the game is over and then show sportsmanship. right now that is what everyone else is doing to us!!!

11/10/2008 08:41:00 PM  
Anonymous BBB95 said...

Ely Boy-

Turn in your fan card! Criticize all you want, express your opinion on the coach and players, suggest areas for improvement, rant, rave, curse, swear, jump up and down, but once you stop supporting this team, don't let the door hit you in the a$$ on the way out and don't come back. True fans support Our Lady's team through thick and thin. We suffer through the Fausts, Davie's and Willinghams confident that the next Holtz is around the corner. Watch and support the Irish or turn in your fan card and go root for Michigan, your fair-weather support won't be welcome at the next national championship celebration.

11/10/2008 08:47:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Not ONE ND fan expected the Irish to win more than 9,8,or 7 wins this year. Why has everyone lost control and touch with what Weis is doing here? And I'm not using a shut out from BC as an excuse, but come on! CW is bringing in the talent that once flourished in the late 80's and early 90's. They will continue to get better and a easy schedule again next year won't hurt either, or will it?

11/10/2008 08:48:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Go look at the ESPN draft projections: Not a single ND player in the top two rounds. One could argue Bruton belongs there, but there is (still) a HUGE talent gap between Notre Dame and the type of team people here want us to be and the type of team ND should be.

I don't know that Weis will fix the problems we have. I think he is as aware of them as we are. Whether he can fix them or not, I don't know.

But I do know this: Some of the talk on this board makes me sick to be a fan. For those of you who haven't noticed, we are more than a football program. If you're so big on tradition, show some of the class associated with the school.

11/10/2008 08:57:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

bbb95...what Kool Aid are you sipping from.

Gimme a break...

This coach is worse than, and I hate to say this...but he's the worst coach WE'VE EVER HAD AT NOTRE DAME...period.

ND recruits itself...we have the history, the tv contract, the exposure, the nfl pedigree.

NOW LETS GET A REAL DAMN FOOTBALL COACH..

YOu may be content with Mediocrity..but TRUE ND FANS ARE NOT

sincerely.

THE CLOSER

11/10/2008 08:57:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

After looking at the Weis vs. Butch Davis at Miami post, which was very interesting because Davis had to deal with a talent loss that was as bad as what Weis has had to endure (in fact, ND was probably worse. Davis was able to go the juco route and pick up Jeremy Shockey and a few other key players), Davis, in Year 4 had almost the same record as Weis.

Davis ended that year by getting thrashed 66 - 13. The next week they upset UCLA at the OB.

11/10/2008 08:58:00 PM  
Blogger Regular Guy said...

What a bunch of losers. I mean the posters here, not the Irish. All of you thought CW was a genius few years ago. Now, all of a sudden, he can't coach? Anybody can see that this has nothing to do with coaching and everything to do with foolish disrespectful Administration decisions, like "renovating" Rockne's House and driving all our ghosts out (including probably Rock himself), those ineffective canned "pep rallies" that the docile students acquiesce in, extending the stadium seating to block Touchdown Jesus’ view of most of the field, that NBC contract with “color” guy Pat Hayden (straight from the bowels of USC), tearing down the old Fieldhouse, letting underclassmen stroll up and down the Administration Building steps like they own the place, and on and on and on. What’s next, changing the colors to red and gold? Changing the Victory March to Born to Lose? Astroturf? Letting girls in? As Gandhi said, “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat the future.”

11/10/2008 09:00:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How can you point to Weis as the reason ND lost to BC? He didn't throw four interceptions or have a punt blocked. Look at how the defense performed - they only gave up 10 points and kept us in the game.

The defense has made great strides under Charlie Weis and so has the offensive line - whether you want to admit it or not. Jimmy Clausen is developing nicely, he just has a propensity to throw interceptions that kill drives. That will get better next season. Jimmy will go down as one of the greatest QBs in ND history if Weis stays at ND.

Weis isn't the problem. The players need to step up and give their best effort at all times. Even Golden Tate admitted that they came out flat in the second half at Pittsburgh. We've held double digit leads against two ranked teams this season. If we win one of those games, no one is calling for Weis to be fired.

And if we get rid of Weis right now, that assumes that there's somebody better out there. Who would want the job if we've fired our last two coaches after giving them big extensions? Nobody would want that job.

Stick with Weis. He's the answer.

11/10/2008 09:17:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Those two teams were proven not to be of BCS quality. Did you watch the games?

ND owes it to the talent that it has recruited to give them the best chance to develop and win. The coach is also a teacher. If there was an accounting teacher that failed in teaching accounting theories and concepts, would they be given more time?

CW is a fraud. I am from New England. The Patriots cheated and Weis' resume was the beneficiary.

In years 1 and part of 2, other coaches hadn't figured out Weis. Now, everybody knows what he can and can't do. Or Ty taught the players fundamentals that Weis was able to call plays with, but the fundamentals are now missing.

Let's call a spade a spade and move on from CW. I can't beleive ND gave this guy an extension before his first 12 months on the job - typical ND administration - worrying about students drinking instead of making $4 Million/year mistakes.

ND needs to move now. They can't sell out home games and once NBC realizes they might as well show Harvard, football at ND will be irrelevant on a permanent basis.

11/10/2008 09:20:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Never forget this: No one coach in Notre Dame HISTORY has had Charlie Weis' record-to-date and survived, let alone gone on to a great ND career.

Charlie Weis IS the coach of Notre Dame's WORST single season record in HISTORY. This fact, alone, sealed his fate.

Charlie Weis, ND Alum, and Head Football Coach, has to look himself in the mirror every morning, and know/understand these FACTS. If Charlie Weis were a student today, he would be calling for the head of Charlie Weis.

If Charlie Weis is a TRUE Notre Dame MAN, he will leave on his own. He will NOT make the University pay for its mistake, and his failure. He is NOT, nor will he EVER be a great coach of a great Notre Dame Football Program.

We need to move forward. Sure, two years from now, ND may have a very good team. But, at best, under Charlie Weis, we will be a 9-3, maybe a 10-2 football team. And maybe, we'll be back in a Major Bowl. And maybe, the game will be competitive. And maybe, we'll even win. But 9-3 or 10-2, and a "maybe win" in some big bowl game just IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. This will be, at best, what you "might" expect from Weis. Let's move on now. Let's get ourselves an energetic, proven, COLLEGE coach. Let's take our chances with him. Or would you rather have Charlie Weis?

Would you rather have the coach who has to beat ALL HISTORIC ND COACHING ODDS, and go from goat to greatness. Anybody with ANY common sense would NOT bet on his success. Let's get rid of Charlie Weis.

~mpsND'72

11/10/2008 09:32:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've read countless postings over the past 24 hours, and I'm still waiting on an idea about a replacement for Charlie. I don't claim to have the answers, but before you all start calling for his head, how about providing a solution???

11/10/2008 09:32:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You guys should give Jim Harbaugh a look-see.

11/10/2008 09:38:00 PM  
Anonymous NDspa.89 said...

To fire Coach Weis now would be conclusive evidence of bias and gross discrimination against men from New Jersey. This is against everything that ND stands for! As far as a replacement how about that guy at UConn who will kick our bottoms at home next year?

11/10/2008 09:43:00 PM  
Blogger Lucky said...

It is time to cut our losses and move on. Weis has fallen to 1-15 in his last 16 games against teams with winning records. This futility is absolutely unacceptable.

He has proven he cannot put this team in the best position to win. Whether it be playcalling, keeping assistant coaches who do not develope players, or not be able to bring an intensity to his teams...which is a necessity in college football.

Yes, Weis is a great recruiter, but bringing in talented players is only part of the equation. Developing those players and producing on the field are a must. Two areas Weis has not been able to achieve in any of his four years.

ND has more than enough talent to be a top 25 team. Teams like TCU, Cal, Mich. State, and even Boston College do not have near the same caliber players as ND. However, coaches like Gary Patterson at TCU have proven themselves at the college ranks year after year with far less talent than ND.

We need a coach that is a proven winner at the college level. The players deserve better. They can see that the current coaching staff is hurting the program more than helping. They will not transfer if Weis steps down/is fired. They play for the University of Notre Dame, not Weis and Co.

Hopefully the adminstration understands that Notre Dame strives for excellence in every facet of life...academics, community service, athletics, etc. Football is just one more area where mediocrity is not good enough at Notre Dame.

The players, students, and fans all deserve better than what Weis has shown he can do.

GO IRISH!

11/10/2008 09:58:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm so sick of hearing this "talent gap" crap I'm about to explode. BC had maybe two players that were recruited by ND and they outplayed and out toughed the Irish on Saturday night. Oh yeah, I forgot the party line is that ND can't be successful unless they are top heavy with seniors and 5th year seniors.

Giving Haywood the reins to the offense scared the daylights out of me because you don't go from running backs coach for 7-8 years to O-coordinator at ND. If you look at most of the staffs of top teams their coordinators gradually progressed from position coaches to coordinator at a WAC or MAC school for a few years then on to the big time.

Weis must assume offensive play calling and possibly demote Haywood back to running backs coach while bringing in an "up and comer" play caller next year. The O-line play was much better under Davie and Willingham. No talent this year you say? USC made Sam Young their #1 lineman recruit and were even interested in Wenger but he already committed to ND.

The other excuse is ND is too young at certain positions. Well, USC in 2004 had a freshman WR (Jarret) a sophomore WR (Smith) two sophomore RB's (Bush, White) and two sophomores along the offensive line, yet they won they national championship scoring 55 points in the Orange Bowl. If Weis was coaching USC that year they would have finished 7-4 and got blown out in the bowl game.

This team's vital signs are fading and Weis may have lost this team.

11/10/2008 09:58:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A few points.

1. John Latina must go. One consistent issue during the Weis years, mediocre to terrible O-line. Everyone realizes you can leave 3 down linemen and they will get penetration in short order. Hmm I wonder why Clausen is always throwing into traffic?

2. Committing to the running game does not mean running 6 straight running plays to start a game, realizing that we are incapable of being a one dimensional running team and giving up on running. There is rarely a situation when we surprise anyone with run/pass play selection. (Except inexplicably in 3rd or 4th and 15 situations we decide to try an low percentage draw play.)

3. Weis has made mistakes but he is smart, able to adapt, and a great recruiter. Will he bring us to the promised land? I am not sure, I know we will be a very good team next year, but I can see him being a bit of a John Cooper perhaps, incapable of winning the big ones. The next two years will tell.

4. Firing Weis would be foolish at this point. You would have to have a what we percieve to be a great coach lined up before... oh we tried that last time. Firing Weis would injure our ability to bring in a top line coach.

5. Ron Powlus, indeed I have my doubts as well.

6. Weis' major deficiency is the inability to motivate players at this level. He needs to improve on this.

7. The right move is don't panic, let go of Latina at year end. I will settle for this plus at least 8 wins (including a bowl win).

11/10/2008 09:59:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What though the odds be great or small....

After watching the Irish this season it is apparent there has been improvement. With the exception of the BC game, this team has played good, not great, not bad, but good. If the 07 Irish were playing the 08 schedule 5-4 would be no better 2-7 (Washington and Michigan would probably be the only wins). This is not coaching, this is players maturing. Once these players learn how to win (which is something a coach cannot teach) they will cross the tresh hold and become the team we all want them to be. A coach can only put players in a position to win. I do say our defense needs to tackle better, our line needs to block better, and our backs need better vision, but improvement is visible. A coach cannot play the game, only the players can. How many time have you heard numerous commentators on numerous networks talk about how linemen do not truly mature until they are late juniors or even seniors? How many seniors are on our line right now? ONE. This team will be right where we expect it before we know it.

And by the way, if ND can recruit solely on its own blessed name, where were all the recruits when Charlie took the job? We gave the man the hammer, now, let him finish his house.

11/10/2008 10:00:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just as those who are certain that CW is not the man for ND, I am adamantly truly certain that he is the guy. The difference is I am not concerned with the flavor of the day but far more interested in building stone by stone on a solid foundation. That is what is happening, and CW said as much when he was hired and critiquing the program. I am absolutely amazed at the sunshine patriots/fans that claim to support college football's most storied program while making posts that do as much damage as can be done by posters. I sure hope the PTB are completely independent of this sad bunch of whiners.

11/10/2008 10:06:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

Notre Dame is an average or below average D1 program. That is a fact. Do you realize how long it's been since ND was relevant? About 15 years. That is an eternity. Think about it, the kids who are getting recruited right now are about 17 years old. That means for their entire friggin lives, ND has either absolutely sucked or had a phony AP-voter driven season that led them to a major bowl, where they were completely embarrassed by a team that actually earned its way there. You know full well the games I am talking about. There is not an incoming recruit who can even say they ever remember seeing ND win a single bowl game. Times have changed, and the game has totally passed ND by. No longer is there an advantage with the TV contracts. No longer is there an advantage playing a national schedule. Football is conference-driven and ND thought they were above that. And those Top 5 recruiting classes? The recruits are as overrated as the program. Nailbiter wins over the likes of San Diego State at home gets them AP votes. C'mon. Whatta joke. As soon as a recruit is being wooed by ND, they go from a 2 stars to 4 stars. Same player though, and the player sucks. Further underscoring, with those "horrible," "atrocious" Ty Willingham recruiting classes, ND still got top 40 classes, or so the rankings went. If that were true, why were they unable to be a top 40 team? The program is in total shambles and it will never, ever be any good ever again. Enjoy. "The beatings will continue until morale improves."

11/10/2008 10:10:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

" Anonymous said...
Not ONE ND fan expected the Irish to win more than 9,8,or 7 wins this year."

- And with the easy schedule this year, those low expectations ALONE should have gotten Weis fired! What have we sunk to? We should be expecting no losses, ever! Head Coach Weis has turned out to be one big armchair quarterback coach couch potato. Sadly, it is true. He was lucky to be at New England and showed dedication and "hard work" which got noticed. New England's success can not be attributed to Weis at this point, he was just lucky, aww shucks. ND was desperate for a new coach and Weis was able to do the Notre Dame speak that impressed the people doing the hiring....they had to choose fast since the hiring process was looking like it was going down in flames at the time and embarrassing ND and the new president-elect Jenkins. Weis should be permanently benched.

11/10/2008 10:10:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Look, everybody is tired of loosing. I get up for every game and let down; every time...even some of the wins this year were disheartening. At the end of the day though all this negativity is not going to do a damn bit of positive for recruiting or this teams future. The coaches, players and administration are not proud right now, they know they are not doing good and have to pick it up, BIG TIME!, but people we won 3 games last year, 3! We are going double that this year and will have some real upper classmen next year (wow). To be honest with you it’s my fault I expected so much out of a 3-9 team. There is one thing that does bother me though. If we don’t start playing with some heart and I don’t mean playing hard, I mean playing as hard as you possibly can every play and by hard I mean leaving it all on the field and if you lose you know you did the best you possibly could, by hard I mean taking it personally, by hard I mean loving the game. I hope you guys start fighting. Shout out to my Grandpa Wally (ND Law class of 69) biggest ND fan ever, fought hard before he passed away June, 19, 2008

11/10/2008 10:13:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The last Weis supporter should simply put the TV on mute whenever Weis speaks and just watch what happens on the field and let the results do the speaking. I can not believe that ANYONE would support Weis at this point. The last hope is recruiting...which anyone should be able to do since it is ND......why are the supporters always pointing to recruiting and NOT Weis' coaching and teaching ability??? Please, just give it up for the sake of ND football....we need a new head coach and we need him now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

11/10/2008 10:15:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I say fire the guy who hired the guy - and the guy before him - and the guy before him! We hired a guy with no head coaching expierence at any level - none!!! So now we complain that it is on the job training! Go figure!!!

11/10/2008 10:15:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

P.S. Why have the NFL teams stopped calling? Why is Weis no longer a "hot" commodity in the NFL? Who would hire this guy now?

11/10/2008 10:16:00 PM  
Anonymous Scranton Dave said...

I have been staying positive for the last 2 years saying repeatedly we will be a Top 10 team next year. I cant flip flop from that now but my faith is certainly shaken. Being shutout by our bitter rival leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but I still believe that we have to give Charlie next year. This is still an extremely young team on both sides of the ball and you could make an argument that the only differnce making player that we lose this year is Bruton. Believe me it kills me when we lose but this negativity on this board is depressing too. Lets give Charlie next year and if there is no BCS Bowl especially with that schedule then we can show him out. Lets hope the BC game is rock bottom and we fight through these next 3 games. Go Irish

11/10/2008 10:20:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

Where are all these great recruits that you fools keep crowing about? Check out BC's roster. They are all Fr-So-Jr's, just like your 4 and 5 star guys in the same classes. So why do these BC kids, who are EXACTLY THE SAME AGE kick the ever livin snot out of those frauds? I'm so sick of you suckhole apologists saying "wait until CW's recruits are 5th year seniors, then you'll see the return to glory." Gimme a friggin break. Losers.

11/10/2008 10:25:00 PM  
Blogger GrizDomer said...

Charlie should get one more year. However, ND should be looking at Bobby Hauck of Montana (the Jim Tressel of the Northwest). Montana graduated 26 players last year so this year should have been a rebuilding year (only 65 scholarships at the FCS level). Here Montana is at 9 -1 and headed to the playoffs again. Granted, App State will win it all but all Bobby Hauck has done is win with whatever players he has and adopted the system to the talent at hand. There are coaches out there that know how to win.

11/10/2008 10:32:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Are all of you serious?

Most of these remarks are ridiculous. Someone used the excuse that there are no ND players listed in the top 2 rounds of ESPN's projected draft... that's b/c our best players are underclassmen and won't be coming out

How about the fact that ND recruits itself and we don't even need Weis for that? Did someone tell the anonymous posters about Ty and his recruiting classes?

I saw another post about lack of experience on the coaching side, coupled with the "top talent" not producing. News flash to you... the top talent is inexperienced as well... as far as the "top talent" not producing... Have you seen Michael Floyd?

Building top programs requires time and patience (the last time I checked it was still a virtue). These comments are too representative of the culture that says give me the short-cut out of this. Becoming a champion, a true champion, takes hard work and dedication. So instead of being so pessimistic because you don't understand what it takes to build a program, I suggest we act like we're from ND; and that we know what it takes and means to be a champion. It's sometimes a long and painful process, but it makes the top that much sweeter.

Go Irish!

11/10/2008 10:46:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

Yes, I'm serious, you dork. Talk about the upside of these crappy players until you're blue in the face. Here's a newsflash for you: they suck. S-U-C-K. That is why they are geting pasted by EVERBODY. Deal with it, loser.

11/10/2008 10:51:00 PM  
Blogger Daniel Miller said...

Losing erodes memory. You are never as good as your best game and never as bad as your worst. The showing against BC on Saturday was ND's worst game of the season. The most disconcerting fact is that our offense is regressing. I think this is due to an inexperienced staff of assistant coaches. When Weis came on board, he went after guys who were great recruiters. Ianello was the recruiting coordinator at WI, Haywood the recruiting coordinator at TX--he did this to address his inexperience as a college recruiter. He thought he would not have a problem outsmarting college defenses, and that his NFL experience early in his career on the defensive side of the ball would be enough to let his great offenses win games.

Fast forward 4 years and Weis has proven himself a capable recruiter, but has been inconsistent schematically. When Weis was hired, I bought into the "offensive genius" label and in 2005 it seemed like the label fit. Now it just looks like he's too smart for his own good--game plans need to be simplified, core competencies need to be built (like a reliable running game), and the team needs to be as nasty as promised.

For the posters who talk about demoting this guy--it'll be a snowy day in hell when that happens. Weis's problem is that he's an NFL coach who runs a college program. There are dozens of NFL owners and GMs who if given the chance would hire him. Weis loves ND, but he would never stick around as the offensive coordinator if a new coach was hired. He'd wish his players well and move back to the NFL.

Weis will be the head coach at ND at least as long as Clausen is playing QB. The ND administration will not take the hit of Weis' buyout while he continues to recruit well. If nothing else, Charlie has bought himself time by making ND a desirable head coaching job again, because the fresh and sophmore classes are stocked with talent. It was not so when Charlie took the job.

11/10/2008 11:16:00 PM  
Blogger DMW said...

I told people in August that 2009 was going to be the make or break year.

It's a young team and we've gone from having no Pass D (2006) to no offensive line (2007).

Everything else has shown improvement, and losing two close games is not the end of the world.

11/10/2008 11:21:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

NICK SABAN...winner at MSU

.............winner at LSU

.............loser at MIAMI (nfl)

.............winner at ALA

BUTCH DAVIS...winner at Miami col
..............Loser at Cle (pro)
...............winner at UNC

CHARLIE.......winner at NYG (pro)
..............winner at NE (pro)

..........AND DRUM ROLL PLEASE....


loser at college...

You figure it out

what we have here is an amazing pro coach..who SUCKS in college

what we need is a Crappy Pro Coach..who is...ummmm...GREAT IN COLLEGE

lets go for JOHN GRUDEN baby...

and start winning again..BABY BABY

11/10/2008 11:25:00 PM  
Anonymous southbendblarney.com said...

Charlie gets another year, and we better hope he makes the most of it.

ND has skill talent (maybe not enough at running back), and the offense will be fine if the o-line comes together. I see a lot of Saban comparisons, but I would guess that his o-line has more experience than ND's and is therefore better. Defensively, they brought in a juco man-child (Cody) that instantly made them better, and ND can't do that.

Anyone who says that ND can "recruit itself" is not in touch with today's reality. Why did recruiting drop off under Ty then?

If Weis has to be fired after next year, recruiting momentum will stop and set the program back a few more years. The next guy would have to be a dynamic recruiter as well. (Or at least have a pedigree that will attract skill players.)

11/10/2008 11:26:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think everyone is overreacting. Who really expected this team to be that good this year? I predicted 7-5 before the season started. Also, for everyone who is calling for CW's firing, then who is guaranteed to come in here? We are going to have the same problem Tennessee, Washington, etc have right now. If we fired CW right now, these stud recruits are going to de-commit, and then we start the rebuilding process AGAIN. If we are playing like this next year then he should go, however if we give CW until 2009 then 2010 is going to be very special. Let's all take a breath and relax.

11/10/2008 11:33:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cw reminds me of Bill Callahan in Nebraska. Very business-like with lots of excuses and no motivational skill for college kids. I will be an ND fan forever but I hate this attitude that being pushed around and bullied we will not fight back. We just don't get any fire in the belly to get after it. BC intimidated the team ND on the LOS and ND's response was as the fans said - We showed no heart. Man, this is college football - this is for the love of the game not a million dollars paycheck per game. I want to see some emotion and attitude from the players. I want to see people showing they care. I want to see people flying around and getting after each other not over analyzing if the pass was two inches off. Can you imagine players like Zorich, Bleier,Golic, or Bettis and many others playing this way. Heck can you imagine Lou or any other successful coach standing there and saying - oh well we are making progress. Win or lose I'm with the Irish but lets be real - Without enthusiasm nothing great was ever accomplished.

The talent level is great on this team but I will take a bunch of one star players who want to get after it over a bunch of five star who don't get after it. If CW can't motivate them to get after then get out the way I know a bunch of high school coaches who would love to kick some butt. But at the same time if this staff is willing to kick butt then get after it and lets see what happens.

11/10/2008 11:37:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Angry Eagle...

Enjoy your limited crappy success...while you can.

But do me a favor...get out of our house...this is NDNATION..

not Fredo Piss Ant Forum...

IF not for Clausen being banged up...and sick...thus throwing 4 picks..and pressing...we might've had a shot...

Hell..we could've easily have been 7 and 1 going into this game..and our defense only allowed 10 points...

So enjoy it while it lasts..but just wait bro..

USC was down in the 90's...they lost to ND and UCLA just about every year...

yeah we are down a lil bit..but we are a young team and we are LOADED...at the skill positions...and we have Shaq Evans and Cierre Wood coming to town...and we're gonna stomp the living crap out of you next year.

IRISH LADD

PS..We Irish are a band of brothers and we will see this thing to the end...we have just begun our fight...

11/10/2008 11:44:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

Riiiiiiiiiiiight, Irish Ladd. Keep whistling past the graveyard. 6 in a row and 7 of 8. That's a polite way of saying "scoreboard." The truth is that BC is eclipsing ND as the foremost Catholic university in the country. And why wouldn't it? The same (if not better) academics, a beautiful campus, a world class city, better sports and hot chicks. You got frozen Indiana, ugly women and a goddawful football team with insufferable, whiny fans. Where would you go now? You forget Fredo was the older brother, my man. ND football is soooo 80s, like leg warmers, mullets and Rick Astley. Your team sucks, and it will continue sucking for a long, long time, with or without CW. You'll keep on flipping coaches every 4-5 years, and no one will ever want the job, just like last go around when you had to go through 10 choices (hello Urban Meyer) before finally settling for Soundbite Charlie, who suddenly became the "right guy" all along, according to ND Nation. Enjoy the ride, loser, I will.

11/11/2008 12:03:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I read Charlie blaming the loss on account of Jimmy Clausen feeling a bit under the weather. Does Charlie ever run out of excuses??? They are growing very tiresome. He should read his own book "No Excuses". GO IRISH

11/11/2008 12:08:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let's face it, Charlie deserves no credit for the two BCS appearances. Those BCS bowl games were the result of weak scheduling, the great play of Brady Quinn (Ty's recruit) and every bowl wanting to have Notre Dame based upon name alone and financial implications, and not that we deserved to be in those games. What happened when we got there? We got smoked! We had no business being in those games. How can a team that is 1-15 versus teams with winning records get invited to BCS games? Weis is a fraud the benefitted from having Tom Brady at NE, and Brady Quinn at ND.

11/11/2008 12:12:00 AM  
Blogger Robstark said...

I don't care what all you haters say Weis is a great football coach. We will be back, and Weis will show us the way. I can't wait to hear all you haters 3 years from now promising that you loved him the whole time. We are a young team and will soon be a powerhouse, stop being cry babies and let the guy do his job. Were any of you up for the job, what makes your backseat driving as@e@ so qualified? Go Irish. Go Charlie.

11/11/2008 12:35:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

great post. the truth hurts. there are some real idiots that will support anything thrown in front of them yr in and yr out. sample: anon abv"
1-If this coach didn't take 2 teams to BCS bowls (with essentially 1 top ten recruiting class), I would be more skeptical.
[yep he did, and we got our assess kicked, setting bowl losing records]
2-If changes are not made at the end of the season, I would be more skeptical.
[they were made last season dummy, don't look great now do they. let him do play calling, no let me...you'll be singing this tune forever!]
3- 7-5, 8-4, 9-3 seasons are not that different.
[oh no of course not, we got into a bcs bowl you mentioned on a 9-3 season, do you think that would happen with a 7-5 genius?]
4- This is essentially his 2nd year. He will get a 3rd." Oh OK so you're just 'essentially' out of your fucking mind bc facts like when he started coaching can be made up too!

11/11/2008 01:09:00 AM  
Anonymous Jeff Brown said...

I'm still in Weis' corner for at least one more year. I realize that he has been learning on the job but during his career, he has a track record of producing results when taking on new responsibilities. The learning curve for a head coach happens to be longer than anything he has faced before. I also realize that he works harder and is more intelligent that most of us armchair football experts. You also can not discount his recruiting. I would easily rank him as one of the ten best recruiters in the game today and probably one of the top five.

All this being said, 2009 is his put up or shut up year. He will have 4.5 recruiting classes and will finally have a full roster of 85 players. Most importantly, he will need to decide how best to solve the issue with the rushing game be it a change in assistant coach(es), blocking schemes, practice emphasis, playbook, etc.

11/11/2008 01:40:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

JON GRUDEN
JON GRUDEN
JON GRUDEN
JON GRUDEN
JON GRUDEN
JON GRUDEN
JON GRUDEN
JON GRUDEN
JON GRUDEN
JON GRUDEN
JON GRUDEN

THE CLOSER

11/11/2008 02:40:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ANGRY EAGLE

you name the place and i'll be there to knock your block off.

We are the Irish and we dont quit...

scoreboard?

umm..how many NC's does BC have? umm..that would be A BIG FAT ZERO

hot chicks? what? dude..I've been to Boston...and the chicks there remind me of a frozen eskimo pie with cherry noses and fat behinds..

a beautiful campus? have you even been to ND? I think not bro..

ummm...how many pros does BC have?

how many Heismans?

dude..shut the F UP...Can't wait till CW turns the corner and we stomp your ass next year.

LOSER

Sincerly

IRISH LADD

PS...go drink some moh..beeeeer you dimwit jerk wad...oh..and umm boston...Patriots? How many super bowls have they won without CW?

zero...that's scoreboard ...boozo

11/11/2008 02:45:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To the Boston College Jag Off. The best teams you ever had were Coached by Notre Dames own Frank Leahy. You are not even close to be the National Catholic University in the United States. You are not even third best in Boston. Harvard, Boston U and MIT and Tufts are all better schools tha you are.
Plus you are all Mobbed up with poit shaver athletes and your Campus looks is in the middle of slum.

After Notre Dame I know a number of Catholic Universitys that have ten times more beautiful campuses or co-eds than the Boston Bull Dogs you call Co-Eds. Fat,Drunk,Ass Ugly Hillary Clinton types. Who would want to go to school in the USSR verson of PINKO america that is your state.

The University of San Diego is a better Catholic University than Boston College. It also has a ten times better looking Campus and Co-Eds and the school is also Catholic and Pro -Life like ND is.


So is Santa Clara,Gonzago and Loyola.

BC makes Berkley look like Nixon.

Charlie now get off your ass and win out or we are going to send you back to Boston.
That should be punishment enough to get you motivated

11/11/2008 03:21:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

READ THIS JACK SWARBRICK, YOUR NEXT SEASON AT NOTRE DAME WILL START WITH AN ASS WHIPPING BY NEVADA IN OUR HOME OPENER.

COACH CHRIS AULT WILL POUND CHARLIE.

MAYBE THEN YOU CAN BRING IN YOUR NEW COACH. THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE SUCK AND CHARLIE IS OUR COACH .

NO EXCUSES CHARLIE, JUST WAIT UNTIL WE LOSE TO NEVADA BY 31 POINTS in our home opener next FALL

PLUS CHARLIE IS A PRICK to the Fans and Alums. Rocken was never arrogant or Layden,Leahy,Brennan,Ara,Devine,Faust or Holtz,Davey or even Willingham. Why because the respected what it meant to be an ND Coach to its fan base.

NOT CHARLIE WEIS. I am sure fans could fill pages of what a prick he has been to them since he got to ND. Being from New Jersy he seems to enjoy being one too.

Charlie, you have to start winning NOW. You sure aren't going to get to stick around on your peronality.

11/11/2008 05:37:00 AM  
Anonymous Gabby said...

Is JOe Colletto available???

11/11/2008 06:53:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If Weis is let go how many of this years incomming recruits will non-commit? Will some players like a Tate, Floyd or Hughes transfer? Will ND get another Willingham type.... a coach that coaches ok, but recruits terrible, I say get Weis surrounded with an experienced coaching staff not let him go....at least yet

11/11/2008 07:16:00 AM  
Anonymous gremlin said...

Weiss has had the good fortune to be around great coaches, but it appears he has never learned a thing. that is what happens when you hire a head coach who has no personal football experience in college. there is no more Tuna or Bill to bail him out. Bite the bullet and move on. if it takes a year to find a replacement take the year,but get moving now. he will not be able to recruit with his track record as a head coach.

11/11/2008 07:47:00 AM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

I have been to ND, twice. It sucks compared to the Heights. All your NCs were a looong time ago, my friend. Navy and Army used to be really good too. Truth hurts. Any time any place? this blogger is 6'3" 250 butthead. Careful what you wish for.

11/11/2008 08:29:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Didn't the O'Leary-Ty-then Charlie experience teach us anything? Honestly, we love Notre Dame and see it as the premiere job in college football . . . but the rest of the world doesn't. Saban isn't leaving the take-the-best-athletes-who-cares-if-they-graduate mentality of the SEC to come back to the cold. Gruden already turned us down once and has some issues our administration would never go for. There is no savior waiting in the wings; this will take time and hard work. Charlie's blown a lot of things, but he's brought in the talent and he WILL get another year. (And I suspect we'll see a new O-line coach and an experienced offensive coordinator join the staff.) You're wasting your time ranting against him; shut up unless you're going to cheer for the Irish.

11/11/2008 08:33:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

OMG you people all suck! Who are you people who say you will not watch anymore? What kind of fans are you? Weis and this team have struggled, but to yank the cord now would do far more harm than good. The first two years were good years, where Weis got more out of the players than was expected. Last year was Ty hammer comming down (not an excuse but a valid analysis). And this year is the first of the true rebuilding process. While not a success by ND measures, it is not a surprise to realistic fans either. Next year will be the year that ND either turns the performance corner or Weis will be done...and I think that is things don't go well Weis will take himself out before the administration is forced to. GO IRISH - fuck all you negative "fans" - GO IRISH!!!

11/11/2008 08:38:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have read many of the comments posted and agree with many, while questioning others. However, the point is, Notre Dame needs to be overhauled from the top down. Starting with the Administrators!! ND doesn't seem interested in winning championships any more. ND is too worried about being like Stanford, Duke, and the Ivy League schools. Isn't it ironic that that ND, being a Catholic University fails to give those who are less fortunate a chance to play for the Irish?!? Where are the Chris Zorich's or the Tony Rice's?? Young men who came from tough backgrounds who can play ball and yet still take advantage of what ND has to offer in the classroom and in life. These two examples have received more out of ND and then have given back tenfold in return for the opportunity to play for the Irish. They had heart, commitment, and loyalty. Lou Holtz stated once that after a regular season loss in his first or second year at ND, that he saw an underclassmen sitting at the bench with tears in his eyes. Lou stated that these are the type of players that need to be playing because they were devoted to winning and they personally hurt when the Irish lost! ND needs to return to its roots, which is a commitment to WINNING instead of a commitment to ENTERTAINMENT.

By the way, the underclassman that was doing the crying, Chris Zorich.

11/11/2008 08:47:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have read many of the comments posted and agree with many, while questioning others. However, the point is, Notre Dame needs to be overhauled from the top down. Starting with the Administrators!! ND doesn't seem interested in winning championships any more. ND is too worried about being like Stanford, Duke, and the Ivy League schools. Isn't it ironic that that ND, being a Catholic University fails to give those who are less fortunate a chance to play for the Irish?!? Where are the Chris Zorich's or the Tony Rice's?? Young men who came from tough backgrounds who can play ball and yet still take advantage of what ND has to offer in the classroom and in life. These two examples have received more out of ND and then have given back tenfold in return for the opportunity to play for the Irish. They had heart, commitment, and loyalty. Lou Holtz stated once that after a regular season loss in his first or second year at ND, that he saw an underclassmen sitting at the bench with tears in his eyes. Lou stated that these are the type of players that need to be playing because they were devoted to winning and they personally hurt when the Irish lost! ND needs to return to its roots, which is a commitment to WINNING instead of a commitment to ENTERTAINMENT.

By the way, the underclassman that was doing the crying, Chris Zorich.

11/11/2008 08:48:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have read many of the comments posted and agree with many, while questioning others. However, the point is, Notre Dame needs to be overhauled from the top down. Starting with the Administrators!! ND doesn't seem interested in winning championships any more. ND is too worried about being like Stanford, Duke, and the Ivy League schools. Isn't it ironic that that ND, being a Catholic University fails to give those who are less fortunate a chance to play for the Irish?!? Where are the Chris Zorich's or the Tony Rice's?? Young men who came from tough backgrounds who can play ball and yet still take advantage of what ND has to offer in the classroom and in life. These two examples have received more out of ND and then have given back tenfold in return for the opportunity to play for the Irish. They had heart, commitment, and loyalty. Lou Holtz stated once that after a regular season loss in his first or second year at ND, that he saw an underclassmen sitting at the bench with tears in his eyes. Lou stated that these are the type of players that need to be playing because they were devoted to winning and they personally hurt when the Irish lost! ND needs to return to its roots, which is a commitment to WINNING instead of a commitment to ENTERTAINMENT.

By the way, the underclassman that was doing the crying, Chris Zorich.

11/11/2008 08:49:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have read many of the comments posted and agree with many, while questioning others. However, the point is, Notre Dame needs to be overhauled from the top down. Starting with the Administrators!! ND doesn't seem interested in winning championships any more. ND is too worried about being like Stanford, Duke, and the Ivy League schools. Isn't it ironic that that ND, being a Catholic University fails to give those who are less fortunate a chance to play for the Irish?!? Where are the Chris Zorich's or the Tony Rice's?? Young men who came from tough backgrounds who can play ball and yet still take advantage of what ND has to offer in the classroom and in life. These two examples have received more out of ND and then have given back tenfold in return for the opportunity to play for the Irish. They had heart, commitment, and loyalty. Lou Holtz stated once that after a regular season loss in his first or second year at ND, that he saw an underclassmen sitting at the bench with tears in his eyes. Lou stated that these are the type of players that need to be playing because they were devoted to winning and they personally hurt when the Irish lost! ND needs to return to its roots, which is a commitment to WINNING instead of a commitment to ENTERTAINMENT.

By the way, the underclassman that was doing the crying, Chris Zorich.

11/11/2008 08:51:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

In the discussion of a replacement for Weis, why in the world is Jim Harbaugh's name coming up? Stanford is 4-3 with USC and Cal left on their schedule. Let's practice what we preach folks. We want excellence, right? I see you may be making a point that Weis is a terrible coach and Harbaugh is better than terrible (although, at least Weis doesn't whine like a little bitch everytime something goes wrong on the field...so I'm not so sure who is better....there's a difference between showing emotion and whining, and Harbaugh falls into the latter category). But certainly if the University were to go through the enormous/risky process of buying out Weis' contract and potentially closing the recruiting gates for a few years, we certainly better do a hell of a lot better than Harbaugh. Whoever suggested that should be FIRED from commenting on this blog.

11/11/2008 09:13:00 AM  
Blogger Michael said...

Wow,does anyone remember Joe Kuharich? Pound for pound CW has him beat. Perhaps Weis should read Tom Pagna's articles.

11/11/2008 09:23:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ACross has a sheenis!

11/11/2008 09:33:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Angry Eagle, based on your stats, it sounds like you are quite a fatass. Wanna come coach next year?

BC is just another heretical Jesuit dump and a breeding ground for aholes...

11/11/2008 09:38:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It would be unprecedented for a coach to have the #1 recruiting class and get canned in the same year.

11/11/2008 09:41:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ND doesn't have a "team." It has a large collection of individually talented individuals. Together, they have no brains, balls or guts. They haven't for years. Who is coaching is largeley irrelevant...

11/11/2008 09:43:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Angry eagle Fredo was the retarded older brother if I remember corecrtly. But perhaps we are being harsh on you at 6'3 250 pounds you are probably closer to vito spadafore from the sopranos (a little light in the loffers) Here come the Irish 07' 3-9, 08'7-5, 09' 10-2, 10' 12-0 NC here come the irish change is coming to america are you ready any time any place tough guy lol

11/11/2008 09:49:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

with weis as the head coach, notre dame will average 7-5,8-4 seasons year after year, PLEASE COME BACK LOU..............................................................

11/11/2008 09:54:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Everyone calm down. We've almost doubled our wins from a year ago with a young and inexperienced team. Sure the coaching has been sub-par AT TIMES, but the talk of resignations and firings is grossly premature for a guy just stocking his team with top-flight talent. Five true freshmen started on Saturday, meaning that already they are out-performing the upper-classmen. Let Navy and Syracuse be measuring sticks; if we don't win comfortably in Baltimore and dominate Syracuse, then we have a problem. For those of you who are sure that a better coach exists somewhere out there and is available next season, save the drama of the Weis Watch for after the season.

11/11/2008 10:06:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's about time for someone to get to the heart of the problem! Jimmy Clausen is,at best,a very mediocre quarterback. Charlie was sold a bill of goods and fell for it--hook,line and sinker.

11/11/2008 10:23:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

BRAVO!

11/11/2008 10:32:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't know how you guys are calling for CW's job. The Boston Masacre is on Jimmy, and the 5-4 record is right on par for the 7-5 record that any logical fan would have projected this year. ND is only 1 or 2 plays away from beating PITT and Carolina, where lack of expierience not coaching ineptitude cost us those games.

Honestly what was expected this year? Did you guys want them to run the table? They have a sophmore quarterback. The kid is 20 years old. Also a sophmore or freshman starting at essentially every meaningful skill position. I personally wasn't looking for drastic improvement in the W/L column, I was looking for drastic improvement on the field; and I have seen drastic improvement on the field. Perhaps because we've looked so good at some points this season, and then not showing up in Boston makes skeptics out of everyone. "I'll never call it a rebuilding year," but that is what it is fans.

Go Irish

11/11/2008 10:51:00 AM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

You losers are sooo pathetic, you are the incompetent older brother Fredo, and we are the coldblooded younger brother Michael deftly passing you over. I know you claim you are "smaaaaaht" and you "can handle things," but 3-9 and a soft 6-6 (with yet another embarassing loss this week to Navy) confirms otherwise, you are falling flat on your face just like when Fredo tried to run the family's Vegas club. Moe Green had to straighten him out, and Michigan State had to straighten you out. Hope you continue enjoying all those nostalgic '80s tunes like "Take on Me" and "Whippit" while you wax poetic about the Cosby Show and Michaael Stonebreaker. Meanwhile the college football world and BC continue to move farther and farther ahead of you. Hilarious!

11/11/2008 11:12:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm so glad I'm not jumping onto the "Fire Weis" bandwagon. Some people just aren't far-sighted enough to see the bright future ND has ahead with Weis, and that's OK. Some people just want to cry because it's not happening fast enough. Are you a better fan if you dwell on the negative hoping for a positive?

11/11/2008 11:15:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

NO EXCUSES, JUST LOSSES. FIRE WEIS NOW!

Any hope in the program is NOT because of Weis and the hope will increase with a new head coach.

11/11/2008 11:27:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jimmy Clausen must get the flu a lot in the fall....I bet it will carry over to January too.

11/11/2008 11:30:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree 11:15. The bandwagon's horses are ready to trot!! Too bad there's plenty of drunken morons willing to jump on!!
WEIS IS NOT THE PROBLEM

11/11/2008 11:43:00 AM  
Blogger DauntlessDave said...

Weis is hardly the problem.

What's with the panty waist posters who are always complaining that ND doesn't run enough? Tell that to Texas Tech.

Charlie's offense won a couple of Super Bowls and took ND to two consecutive BCS bowls.

If he doesn't win in 2010, then I'll agree he can't get it done. Until that time, we have a young and inexperienced team.

Too many mamby pambies on the board (even though the majority stated 7-5 at the year's start was probable.)

Sheesh!

11/11/2008 11:56:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The old man sold Charlie the kid's pedigree and made a deal with him that cost the team two considerably better prospects -- Demetrius and Zach who saw the hand writing on the wall and bolted. FOR SHAME. WHAT A PITY!

11/11/2008 11:58:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

As a Double Domer I knew that the ND support can get a bit thick at times, but Weis must go. Don't you all realize he knows what to say to appease the ND believers. Open your eyes folks, the guy is a tard.

11/11/2008 11:59:00 AM  
Blogger beav1 said...

The fire CW banter is a bit premature. His team lacks two things, confidence (which come with winning) and an offensive LINE COACH. That is it in a nutshell. FIRE LATINA NOW! The line couldn't stop me from rolling up hill in a hurricane and I'm in a wheelchair.

Signed, "can't run" in Va Beach.

11/11/2008 11:59:00 AM  
Anonymous Joe said...

Firing Weis at the end of the season is simply not an option. The 2009 commits will walk and it'll set the program back even further. Weis needs 2009, and we should expect 9 wins.

If 2009 results in yet another debacle, Weis will need to go. ND should put out feelers to Chris Petersen at Boise State, who ini 2007 signed a contract for $4.25 million for five years, or $850,000 per year. CW makes $4.2 million A YEAR. Peterson is a young guy that takes limited talent and gets the most out of it. CW takes good talent and kills it. I don't know the particulars about Peterson's personal situation or his contract, but can't we pry him away?

11/11/2008 12:33:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't think it has sunk in Weis' mind that in college football you can't lose games and still make the playoffs and have a shot at winning a championship. It's COLLEGE FOOTBALL not the NFL. It's not any given Sunday, it's win every Saturday.

11/11/2008 12:39:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

As much as I hate Urban Meyer, man I wish we had been able to snag him as coach. Ah well, spilled milk....

11/11/2008 12:43:00 PM  
Anonymous GoldenStateIrish said...

Come on, let's not overrreact to one terrible game. Don't forget this is the first game all year that we didn't have a chance to win at the end. Let the coaches do their job and you worry about your own in this crappy economy. Who among us can claim that we know more about coaching than Weis or even the current state of the program? Any takers should send their resumes to Swarbrick. We don't see what goes on in practice every day. Weis has earned the right to coach at least one more year due to his excellent recruiting. Willingham didn't deserve more than three years because he did poorly both on the field and in recruiting. At least if Weis doesn't make it past next year, the next coach will have a stocked cupboard to work with.

Did we make a mistake in hiring an inexperienced Head Coach? Perhaps so, and that is a lesson for the ND administrators to take in consideration for future coaching hires. However, it has been done and now we must pull for Weis to succeed. We can't keep spinning the coaching carousel like this.

11/11/2008 01:16:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ND, Inc. has turned the football program into a soulless team. A pity.

11/11/2008 01:18:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think we are right where most people predicted we would be. Don't be short-sighted. Last year's team would not have beaten SDSU. 7-5 is what most predicted, and so far, the Irish have lost all the "swing" games. I think what is frustrating to most is that they have had a chance to win every game. The Irish under Weis will be fine - next year and beyond.

11/11/2008 01:31:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just keep lowering your expectations people, we'll need it under Weis. For me, I am done. Good bye, I no longer will even bother to watch games on TV. Wake me up when there is new head coach.

11/11/2008 02:25:00 PM  
Blogger mike said...

I was a big charlie weis when he came to ND, but i have to say, has anyone here read the book "The Peter Principle", it may apply here big time.

11/11/2008 02:39:00 PM  
Blogger Jack said...

I see them here, I see them there
I see the Frenchies ...everywhere!
I guess its time to be the.. FIGHTING FRENCH ! Do we got to be stuck up! SI... ¡ VIVA WEIS !
jack : IRISH ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO THE SUN BOWL::: THE 2nd OLDEST BOWL GAME IN THE USA..

11/11/2008 02:40:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think it is funny how the players get a free pass. No one blames them at all? Last I checked, CW is not throwing INT's and isn't on the O-line missing blocks. Why do we want to repeat the last 2 situations so quickly where we ended up with our 2nd choice coach? I am looking forward to when we start winning next year and how everyone is going to have to retract their fire CW statements. It's not time to rebuild again and lose our recruits.

11/11/2008 02:44:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ANGRY EAGLE

take a couple of xanax and chill the F out.

I would love to stomp your fat ass.

Just name the place.

IRISH LADD
GO.......IRISHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

11/11/2008 02:47:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Being an ND fan is not giving up on your team when we are 5-4. It's not about just following the team when we go to BCS bowls(2005, 2006). It's about showing loyalty to the school, athletics, and everything else involved with the university. It's about watching every game in 2007, 2008, and beyond. If you want to hop on the bandwagon when we're dominant again in 2009, then don't waste everyone's time and go be a Kansas football fan for a year then Texas Tech and then whoever is hot next year. Go Irish!

11/11/2008 02:49:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If Charlie does not win a championship by 2012, I am done with him!

11/11/2008 02:50:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ok, Weis' inexperience as a head coach came out on Saturday. I do see a more talented team than a year ago, though, and most of the talent is young. We could have won that game, the NC game and the Pitt game if we did not make so many mistakes.

We knew what we got when ND originally signed Weis. The AD and the entire board's knee-jerk reaction to resign him to his lucrative deal was a big mistake, but they saw two BCS bowl births and excellent recruiting at the time. They chose to ignore his lack of head coaching experience. That's the same reaction as most fans, myself included, because he was relatively successful with Ty's players. We did get crushed by the top teams, except for one close loss to USC, but there were many positives at that point.

However, that was then. Now we as true ND fans have to think about the pros and cons of getting a new coach at the end of this season or by the end of next season. Weis is not hurting us as much as Willingham did because he is able to recruit. Will he be able to recruit next year after another poor season? If we pull the trigger at the end of this season or at any point, we absolutely need to make an improvement. Firing the guy for the sake of firing him will only hurt us. He is learning on the job, and that is scary and unacceptable at any major program. However, I think we need to give him at least until early next season because the 5th year seniors are Ty's, and the 4th years are Weis' first recruiting class, which was a terrible class because Ty started and Weis didn't pick up full-time until he finished the season with the Pats.

If we lose to Michigan St. next September, he needs to go. Until then or a loss to Navy, which would be completely embarrassing, we need to support him and the team, if we consider ourselves true fans! Go Irish!

11/11/2008 02:52:00 PM  
Blogger reggie said...

Talent is overated, Too many holes and not enough team speed. DTs and CBs still could not start for decent SEC team. Take the scouting services and stick em...they overrate too many kids. RBs are average - skill level is average. Throw in the most inexperienced coaching staff in ND history and I dont care how easy the schedule is - no bowl for ND.

11/11/2008 02:54:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I watched BC humilate our offense and witnessed on TV a BC player intimidate Clausen on the ground. A penalty missed by the big east officials. And if I heard the announcer correctley he commented that this players father played at ND. My thoughts were, is this BC player a "wanta be ND reject". Born in Massachusett and a fan of Jesuit Order, and whose two sons were educated in Jesuit schools it was terribly disturbing. Some BC fans have been purported to say that they feel because of the the large Boston Irish heritage, which I am, that the should be known as the fighting irish,but I am sorry to say that what I saw seem to be more indictive of the shanty irish

11/11/2008 02:59:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

LISTEN UP PEOPLE - The risk is KEEPING Weis, not letting him go. If you've had to hire and fire people you know that in most cases, you always say afterwards "I should have done this sooner". He's had his chance, he isn't very good. End of story.

11/11/2008 03:28:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you don't see a 9-3 team next year and a 10-2 team the following, then you can start to talk about firing a coach. Until then, stick to lack of foresight like you did with the credit markets, America.

patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience patience.

11/11/2008 03:30:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

You pussy, no wonder your suckhole school hasn't won anything in 20 years. ND is good at one thing: being popular. Popularity gets you your own TV network, your unwarranted AP votes, and your berths at bowls in which you have no business appearing (which is why you always get pummeled and will this year). And to what do you owe that popularity? You owe it all to a happenstance nickname coupled with a huge Irish-American segment of the American population. What a great marketing move calling yoursleves the Fightin Irish instead of, say, the Flying Frenchmen, which would have been more appropriate for a school founded by a French order.

11/11/2008 03:32:00 PM  
Anonymous cinciirish84 said...

First, to Angry eagle:
How pathetic must one's life be to troll another fan-based website? I am reminded of a joke that is actually often true:

"What does every Boston College grad have that no ND grad has?

A rejection letter from Notre Dame"

Second, I thought the BC game was absolutely pathetic, but most pathetic was the lack of emotion shown by the team. Perhaps some of this is youth, but MUCH of it is encouraged (or discouraged) by the coaching staff. Should CW go? Probably so, but not this year. Next year will be absolutely clear where we are headed, and if it is down even CW will know it. AND, if we continue to recruit, a better name coach (WITH EXPERIENCE) will jump at the chance, just as Meyer jumped at Florida.

Meanwhile, I'll be hanging on and hoping. Never give up.

We are ND

11/11/2008 03:43:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Prior to the season most true fans thought a 8-4 record and going to a mid-level bowl we can win would be a good season. 8-4 might be a reach, but 7-5 and a Sun Bowl victory should be a springboard for 10-2 next year and playing for the Championship the following year. I don't have blinders on, I have questioned the play calling on multiple occasions, but I think Weis is finally playing his players and you are going to start seeing a different attitude soon.

11/11/2008 03:47:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To Angry Eagle-

Why are you angry? Probably because you feel inferior or could it be the ugly Mass(as in butt size)women?

ND will be back before you gain manners. Although both could take a long time.

11/11/2008 03:50:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

Cinciirish, I am an Ivy Leaguer who picked up a grad degree at BC. Did not look down at either ND or BC when I was there. considered both decent schools but not Ivy caliber. So that is a moronic comment. Talking academic differences between ND and BC is like talking differences between Dartmouth and Penn, i.e. there really is no difference. But it does underscore that pathetic superiority complex ND folks have for some weird reason, weird in the sense that both ND and BC are peer, second tier national universities.

11/11/2008 03:57:00 PM  
Blogger The Commissioner said...

Who needs national relevance after you win the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl?

After Saturday night the Golden Eagle faithful can rest comfortably for the rest of the season in their low hanging branches. With a 17-0 drubbing of the inexperienced Irish, there isn’t anything else to play for.

Six straight wins against one of the most prestigious college football programs ever is all the satisfaction BC fans need. Sure they could focus on their other streak; 116 years of football history without an outright championship, but why press? After all, beating an institution steeped in national championships, Heisman winners and All- Americans is the only thing that should matter.

With the ACC still up for grabs for 11 of the 12 teams, it would seem to be the perfect time to strap it on and take a stab at the school’s first conference title. But with games at Wake Forest and Florida St., that just seems like a lot of work. Besides the Tangerine Bowl banner still shines brightly abreast the walls of Alumni Stadium.

After the big game Saturday night, Chestnut Hill College was also able to secure bowl eligibility. At this point there would be no need to jeopardize the eight game mid-level bowl-winning streak. Because even one more win could cause BC to play a ranked team. And that’s just not good for their pseudo-relevance in college football.

So, sit back and enjoy dear Golden Eagles, your season has been played. Kudos gang, you’ve done it again!

11/11/2008 04:00:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Can anyone honestly look at the near future of ND football and not get excited? We have excellent recruits picking us over other top programs once again, we already have outstanding players at skill positions on offense and a defense which gets better each week that's also stocked with underclassmen.
I get that some fans are frustrated we're not bouncing back from the abyss that was our last season as fast as some would like, but what are people sooooo negative about? What exactly do some fans see that I don't? I see a team much improved from a pride-shattering 2007 season, and getting better each week. I see a team which next year WILL end the season ranked in the top 25 (if not the top 10) and keep on getting better after that. WIth the recruits who are signing up to come here and play for Charlie and keep this upward momentum going, what's so bad?

11/11/2008 04:03:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ANGRY EAGLE -

You're team won, and yet you keep coming back, keep coming back, picking fights with demoralized Irish faithful. You represent yourself and your school well.

Were you an Ivy league footballer? Either way, you've built up an impressive body of meatheadedness on this board. Go bounce a t a club, get a hobby or something. When ND beats BC I won;t be trolling your websites rubbing it in.

11/11/2008 04:12:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let's see angry eagle, you are, as you describe, 6'3", 250# graduate of an ivy league school and MBA. AND YET, you still fill your day writing hate mail on another fan website....truly, absolutely, AMAZINGLY pathetic...get a life, man!

By the way, as for BC belonging in the same category as ND...

U.S. News and World Reports 2009 Top College Ranking:

Notre Dame #18
B.C. a fine, albeit much much lower, #34
By the way, Brown, last I checked an "Ivy," was just two spots above N.D.
SOOOO, ND:near Ivy class
B.C.:pretty solid NE school, who also happened to win a football game this weekend (after two straight losses)

We are ND

11/11/2008 04:19:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

All we really care about is beating you chumps and then watching you beat your heads against the wall, it is absolutely hilarious. Yes, no NCs, but we don't care about NCs or Heismans (and you shouldn't either, that stuff is as dated for you as Roger Staubach is to Navy). What's important for us is to ruin your season, and we have gotten very, very good at it. Lots of nice juicy heartbreak for the Irish faithful, like soiling the green jerseys and their fraudulent undefeated season a few years ago, and how about that lil 1993 game? That was toooo funny. We all still laugh about it up here in Beantown. Yes, we haven't won an NC, but we certainly have cost you won. Hahahaha

11/11/2008 04:36:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

Any time you start talking academic nuances, that means you have no football argument. Pathetic. I lump ND-BC-Gtown in the same boat, pretty good schools, nothing to be ashamed of. Sorry for the hanging preposition, but you probably didn't even notice it while your knuckles drag across the floor.

11/11/2008 04:40:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If ND improves from this year to next by the same amount that it did from last year, wouldn't they be undefeated against this schedule?

Wouldn't you all prefer to bet on that for next year rather than putting the program in the same spot it was in 4 years ago?

Would you all risk that only 6 seniors stick around for the 2011 season just like in 2007?

I understand people questioning ND's football program, but from these posts I'm starting to question ND's level of education.

C'mon retards, stay the course, take your chances against USC next year, and win the rest (when you're actually supposed to--not when you maybe think you can).

11/11/2008 05:19:00 PM  
Anonymous AngryEagle's corn hole said...

No, Angry Eagle is right, NOBODY cares about NCs and Heismans. Nobody, anywhere. Especially people from Massachusetts...they hate winning the big one. I know, so right.

11/11/2008 05:25:00 PM  
Anonymous Tridentum said...

Angry Eagle is really some JC drop out living at home with mom and dad. It's likely he has a job at Best Buy or some other electronics store that allows him to watch ESPN all day while hawking wide screens. He may have even dated once, but now he is a little older and his wide girth repulses the opposite sex. So, he's reduced to trolling on ND Nation for kicks when he's not playing video games or getting worked up over fantasy football.

11/11/2008 05:39:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ND was worse in weis 2nd year with basically the same players as the year before. If you were paying attention you could have had an idea of what might be coming.Although i never thought it would be this bad. Wake up he will never win championships.

11/11/2008 06:14:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

11/11/2008 06:28:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

It's funny because I know how much pain BC keeps inflicting. The best evidence of us getting under your skin is when you start talking US News & World Report rankings, NCs from the 60s, and Heisman Trophy winners from our grandfathers' era. Hilarious! I'm nevr leaving this blog!

11/11/2008 06:46:00 PM  
Blogger Dennis said...

Charlie Weis is not a college coach and he is learning on the job. His super bowl rings are losing their shine with recruits as the Irish lose winnable games but his recruiting has been 100% better than TW who was lazy and inept. However, we have been a much better team this year than last. Yes, we have had out setbacks but we were in every game except for BC. This team lacks identity down from the top. Are they a running team? A passing team? Are they offensive or defensive? What is their best play? This is the job of the coach. Give him 1 more year then evaluate. Talent alone should give them 9 wins next year.

11/11/2008 07:42:00 PM  
Blogger Curious James said...

For those defending Weis for one more year, what was your position with Ty? Everyone ran him out the door after three years.

The bottom line is ND hasn't had a good team since 1993. At least the Davie and Ty teams would pull out a big upset every once in awhile.

The biggest problem I have is that this team doesn't have a soul. I blame coaching. Part of a college coaches job is to motivate, teach basic skills and put kids in a position to win. Weis has never had to focus on those kinds of things. And the fact Ron Powlus is their quarterback coach shows a tremendous lack of judgement.

11/11/2008 09:05:00 PM  
Blogger mikeyk said...

This team has no killer instinct. This is a direct reflection on the coaching staff. They cannot adjust to the adjustments made by their opponents. The NC and PITT games were proof of that. The play calling is conservative and too predictable. Is the stretch play the only rush play in the book? What about counters and misdirection? What makes everything worse is being forced to listen to lame commentators on the tube and radio. Hammond and Hayden are just awful and Criquoi (sic) on the radio is worse. And they call him the voice of the Irish? To the true Irish fans, consider this; this program has not been the same since the loss to BC in 93. I keep telling my buds this and they say I am nuts. Don't know what is in store for the Navy game besides overturned furniture and colorful language. That's why the cat stays outside during ND games. GO IRISH!

11/11/2008 10:08:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Weis is a hapless head coach. For the love of God, please fire him!

11/11/2008 10:28:00 PM  
Blogger william said...

The bottom line is this is college football. These kids are 18 to 22 years old, and they need to be inspired to win. You can have all the talent in the world and continue to lose game after game because of these kids play without emotion. If a coach cant get his team to buy into the spirt, emotion, and inspiration of all that is college football, they will never rise to the top. Lou Holtz's "Ya gotta belive" speech says it all.

11/11/2008 10:41:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

Correction: all your fortunes changed for the worse when despicable Lou Holtz ordered that shameful fake punt in the 2nd half against BC, up by 50, in '92 (the first game of the series). That was, for all intents and urposes, the beginning of the end for Notre Dame. What a classless act. BC has never forgotten that, especially the following season when we ruined the final chance ND will ever have for another NC. It's why we BC people take such joy in ruining season after season for you.

11/11/2008 11:35:00 PM  
Anonymous Scranton Dave said...

Angry Eagle you really need to get a life. I would never even think of going on another teams fan site even for one post but to stay here all day? The Irish will be back dont worry, and we will beat you next year.

11/12/2008 12:18:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Three things for everyone who is calling for Weis' head to consider

1. Look at 2005 and 2006 - he took a miserable team and made them winners (and we were paper thin with no depth


2. We are still the 2nd youngest team in CF. Who is the youngest - yep you guessed it the team run by the guy who put us in this position to have such a young team WAshington

3. 3 top ten recruiting seasons
4. these ridiculous short sided calls for the head of weis will ultimately hurt us - recruits may shy away thinking Weis wont be with us very long.

If we do not look really good next year and show marked improvement I will join you, but logically this is what we should have expected. Remember as the Rock has pointed out we were one year away from a self imposed death penalty, but we only had 2 lineman over a 2 year span that killed us and I do not think anyone of us can appreciate how badly that hurt

GO IRISH

11/12/2008 01:26:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fact of the matter is, CW is going to be the coach next year. Then after the Irish go at least 9-3, CW is going to be the coach for 2010. Then when the Irish win at least 11, CW will finish his contract in the top 10 every year.

Perhaps ND has never had to endure it before, but this is what rebuilding looks like. Grow a sack.

11/12/2008 02:13:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ANGRY EAGLE...this is IRISH LADD...and I'm offically putting you in a TIME OUT.

My nephew is 4 and he gets a Time out when he misbehaves.

You are nothing more than a spoiled little baby.

You have the audicity to compare BC with ND.

11 NC's
7 Heismans
and more All American's than BC will ever have.

True... BC is a friggin thorn in our side...and true the 93 game will forever haunt any true Irish Fan......you know what's funny though?

We beat FSU that year...and yet they still won the NC over us?

It just goes to show that we Irish Fan's have class...and never bitched about it.

And yes...you are correct..that we havent had the swagger since Holtz...but what do you expect? We had two buffons that couldnt coach a damn...and now we finally have one who cares.

And mark my words...WE WILL BE BACK...and oh boy...what a grand day that will be when we can ram our triumpant victory down your fat neck.

Now shut up and go to your time out.

11/12/2008 02:23:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The team might be on hard times right now but it's well worth one more year to see if this team is headed to the top. After 15 years of let downs, what is one more? Besides, Weis is stocking the cupboards just fine, and that's not about to change. If we have to change coaches after next year, this year's #1 freshman class stands a much better chance of sticking around for the rest of their college careers than if we switch now.

11/12/2008 02:46:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am beginning to think Charlie Weis has "Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome" where by he likes playing the role of "healer" and the attention. If the program were fixed, he wouldn't be needed. Also, I think the role of getting attention and being "smarter" than others is important to him, just like the silly lawsuit in 2007 that he knew would bring a lot of publicity even though it was clearly a loser case (no attorney would take it on contingent fee and the other side refused to pay one cent). Interestingly a lot of people seem to feel sorry for Weis because of his weight instead of telling him to just lose it...I can't figure out why he is still gaining despite all of his money and athletic trainers at his disposal.

"Typically, the perpetrator feels satisfied by gaining the attention and sympathy of doctors, nurses, and others who come into contact with him or her and the child. Some experts believe that it isn't just the attention that's gained from the "illness" of the child that drives this behavior, but also the satisfaction in being able to deceive individuals that they consider to be more important and powerful than themselves.

Because the parent or caregiver appears to be so caring and attentive, often no one suspects any wrongdoing. A perplexing aspect of the syndrome is the ability of the parent or caregiver to fool and manipulate doctors. Frequently, the perpetrator is familiar with the medical profession and is very good at fooling the doctors. Even the most experienced doctors can miss the meaning of the inconsistencies in the child's symptoms. It's not unusual for medical personnel to overlook the possibility of Munchausen by proxy syndrome because it goes against the belief that a parent or caregiver would never deliberately hurt his or her child."

11/12/2008 08:57:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Enough already with the firing of Weis. Lets look at his first couple of years. In year 1&2 he took a team of mainly juniors & seniors which had played together and made them respectable which Willingham would not have done. These teams over achieved no doubt. In year 3 he was left with a team which had no junior/senior talent at all. The juniors and seniors who started were mainly 2-3star players coming out of high school and the rest of the team was inexperienced young players. This is a recipe for disaster and the season was. This year the freshman and sophomores are improving and it will take atleast another year for them to mature and get better. You can put in young talent, but you need mature leadership in place to be good. Everyone says there are no players who are first/second round draft picks for ND this year and that is probably true. These kids were recruited by Willingham. If you look at the players he has now and when all of them mature they will be a great team. Some possible high round draft choices in the near future: Sam Young, Golden Tate, Jimy Clausen, Brian Smith, Kerry Neal, Harrison Smith, Michael Floyd, Robert Blanton, Dayne Crist, Darius Fleming, Trevor Robinson, Ethan Johnson & Kyle Rudolph to name a few. Give Charlie another year and if he doesn't bring this team to where it should be then maybe it time to move on. I think all of you doubters will be wrong and ND will once again be on top where they belong.

11/12/2008 09:14:00 AM  
Anonymous John Ozzy Williams said...

I'll admit I'm concerned about the coaching. However, we don't have an heir to throne lined up. I think the best thing to do is finish the season. If Notre Dame fails to beat 2 of the next 3 we need to start looking. I think the kids need to know who their coach is durring the season. Afterwards we can throw out some names and see who is arround. Right now there aren't very many to pick from. I think Skip Holtz has a Notre Dame clause.

11/12/2008 09:31:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I still want to hear names from people. All I hear is fire him fire him. Alright then what? Who are we going to get? I have no issue with firing the Offensive Cordinator or the Offensive line coaches. They have been horriable all year. Our line should not be getting beat like it is. But Wise has turned the program around. Yes last year was bad and this year has not been as great as we had hoped but its better then last year. But I would love for all the Wise haters to give me a name about his replacement and a gurantee we will be able to get that person to come to ND. I mean if its only 4-5 years of job security why would we count on someone coming here if the fan patience is this thin.

11/12/2008 09:43:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Isn't attributing ND's poor performance to poor coaching and execution a little like voluntarily putting a restrictor plate in your NASCAR, then blaming the driver and crew chief when everyone else flies by you?? I'm not even talking about losses to BC or Pitt, I'm talking about the LSUs and USCs...they're just on a higher level that I don't see ND reaching unless some MAJOR CHANGES (i.e., deeper than firing some coaches) are made.

And to anyone that thinks CW should be canned after this year - you might want to send your resume to Al Davis. I'm sure you're the exact type of person he's wants for a front office job.

11/12/2008 09:54:00 AM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

I love that 11 NCs and 7 Heismans garbage you pathetic wannabes always dance out. Do you realize how meaningless that is? The vast majority of the Notre Dame NCs and Heismans were from the 40s, 50s and 60s! Newsflash, you insufferable fools: that was a long, long time ago, before the current players' daddies and even granddaddies were born. I wonder if I were to go to an Army Football blog, would they be crowing about their 3 Heismans and 2 NCs? I suspect not. Maybe you better set your clock for modern era time and realize that in the last 30 years ND has exactly 1 NC and 1 Heisman, both of which occurred in the same season 20 friggin years ago. A lot of very average programs have likewise caught lighting in a bottle in a single year and won it all during that period. Juggernauts like GTech, BYU and Washington. And BC has the same number of Heismans during that time. So stop living in the past and come to Jesus, you are nothing but a Top 75 program. Get used to it, and the beatings from the likes of BC will be a lot more palatable.

11/12/2008 10:03:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I find it funny how when Notre Dame was 5-2, everybody was praising the offensive line, Clausen and Weis for his coaching changes this year.

Then, we drop a 4 OT game to Pitt and lay an egg against BC - not that I'm happy about those games - but everyone turns on the program.

People today are too quick to make change. Who else could come into ND and recruit and build what Weis is doing? Who? Gruden? Bill Cower? Give me a name, please. Who would want to coach at ND when you can go to 2 BCS bowl games, substantially improve recruiting and get fired in year 4? Who?

How long did it take Mack Brown to win a NC with Texas? What about Nick Saban? Steve Spurrier? Joe Paterno? Bobby Bowden? None of them won a NC within 4 years of taking the job. None.

People point to the Bob Stoops and Pete Carrol's of the world and say, "if you don't win a championship within two years, we gotta fire you."

Face it, Notre Dame football has been pathetic since 1993. We've underachieved, played down to lesser opponents, lost recruiting battles across this country, gone through three coaches and continued the bowl losing streak.

These deficiencies didn't happen overnight, and whether you like it or not, it takes time to rebuild. Following last year's exodus of seniors, we've had to restock the cupboard - and we are starting to see results.

Clausen is performing better. Michael Floyd is emerging as a playmaker. Team speed is increasing. We are pulling recruits from SC's back yard.

I don't like the losses. I don't like the prospects of playing in a .com bowl, but you know what? It's better than 3-9 seasons. It's better than being outmatched in bowls year after year. And the bottom line is, this team has a strong foundation, and reinforcements are on the way.

11/12/2008 11:45:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wake up people!!! Its obvious there is a problem. The team is getting worse and I am tired of the excuse's. People are saying you can't blame the coach who are we suppose to blame the water boy. Geez,it starts at the top. Holtz never I mean never made excuse's. Bring LOU back!!! Offer him anything his inspiring,winning,positive attitude wants!

11/12/2008 12:09:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well said by the anonymous post directly above. Does anyone remember before the season when we were all predicting a season in the 3-5 loss range? We are still a young team and young players make big mistakes. Sophomores will muff punts, freshmen will run routes incorrectly, and even highly touted sophomore QBS will have mental lapses (Brady was a lesser QB his sophomore year). Yes, we went to two BCS bowls Charlie's first two years, but does anyone remember praying that no one would get hurt because there was absolutely no depth? We are finally building that depth and gaining experience. Give it some more time and be patient as we watch the maturation of this young team.

11/12/2008 12:14:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

Mediocre inexperienced players mature into mediocre experienced players, resulting in mediocre teams. When are you fools going to realize ND's recuiting classes are as overhyped as the program itself? You are the laughing stock of all college football, just ask Pat Forde.

11/12/2008 12:35:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

FIRE WEIS I am tired of watching a storied program crumble!!

11/12/2008 01:34:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Seriously. Most on here need to wake up and live a life of your own. Go do something productive. Stop criticizing others who are merely working their butts off to be the best they can be at what they do. These are 18-24 year old young men. They are learning about life, love, trust, responsibility, teamwork, and respect. Most of you need to learn about respect and BACK OFF.

If you do not enjoy watching ND football, then stop watching. It's that simple. Go do something that you control. Go try to compete at something yourself and see how that goes.

11/12/2008 01:37:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Eagle, I'd expect more class out of an Ivy Leaguer/BC alum. Your team proved victorious Saturday, and as much as it stings to lose, I congratulate them.

To the rest of NDnation, please do not associate a beautiful city and its people with this clown.

11/12/2008 02:08:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

angry eagle fan should shut up, hes a loser. if we keep charlie we will shut u, other notre dame rejects (u just hate us cause we denied u)and the rest of the country up next year

11/12/2008 02:15:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

Please, just call me "Angry," I think we are on a first name basis at this stage. And I'm not leaving until you admit that your pansy-ass program is weak. WEAK. And also admit that the '92 fake punt, up by 50, was totally classless. You deserve all the misfortune you've endured over the past 15 years and beyond for that inexcusable act. Lou Holtz will burn in hell for it.

11/12/2008 02:26:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lou Holtz won a championship in his third season. How many seasons are we going to give Charlie? The guy clearly cannot coach. Let's use his recruits with a real coach and win this damn thing already!

11/12/2008 02:34:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lou Holtz won a championship in his third season. How many seasons are we going to give Charlie? The guy clearly cannot coach. Let's use his recruits with a real coach and win this damn thing already!

11/12/2008 02:34:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ANGRY EAGLE I told you to go into time out you little baby.

Oh..and for the record...Tim Brown won the Heisman in 87...we won it in 88 and in 93...

and 93 was a joke...we beat the team ahead of us...and yet they won it?

oh...and in the two bcs games in 05 and 06...we were not blown out?

If memory serves me correctly...we were tied late in the 2nd qt against LSU and the score in the OSU game did not indicate how close it really was.

oh..and for the record...how many BCS bowls has BC been in the last few years? Just curious

now take some milk and cookies and take a time out!!

IRISH LADD...i'm out!!

11/12/2008 02:58:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

Enjoy your moral victories (hangin with the big boys in the 1st half!), and enjoy the Fake Punt Curse I gave you in '92 (yes I was there, and yes I said it at the tailgate after the game). Isn't it a coincidence that all the bad stuff has happened to your sorry program since that juncture?

11/12/2008 03:11:00 PM  
Anonymous Lady Irish '99 said...

"Angry,"

If you were inventing curses against the Irish at the '92 game, aren't you a little old to to be spending your day on here responding to every post? I mean, seriously do BC grads ever become adults?

If you went to grad school there in '92, that puts you damn near '40. Grow up, my 4 yr old is more mature than you.

As for your statment that NCs don't matter, I'd expect such a comment from someone whose team never one won. With regard to BC exceeding ND with regards to academics, I don't know what you've been smoking, but I think you don't even believe YOURSELF on that one.

Finally, you ridicule someone for talking about what you call "moral victories," and all you have to show for your team is that you beat a young, un-ranked ND team that already had 3 losses. IMPRESSIVE.

Really, who is the loser here?

Take your fat, curse-inventing, self-denying butt back to a bc site. Maybe you can come back when you get a clue and grow a pair. Now I'll just go put mine back in my purse.

-A Good Looking Irish "Chick"

11/12/2008 03:59:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Eagle, you silly jackass. I feel bad for you. I mean, I really feel your pain.

Ask random people what the foremost Catholic educational institution in the US is and I'll virtually guarantee that BC will never enter their consciousness (unless they are a Masshole.) The answer will either be ND or Georgetown. BC has regional appeal, but ND has national appeal. Think about it. South Bend is an icy hell. But people are still willing to turn their back on a cool town like Boston to go there in droves, because the education is more valuable.

Ask people what the greatest Catholic college football program is and no matter how bad the Irish are, ND will be the answer. Fair or not, it would take BC 100 years of solid performance to catch up. We have drifted in and out of the elite teams and we will do so again. BC has never been there and does not show evidence that they will be anytime soon, either...

11/12/2008 04:13:00 PM  
Anonymous Ferrell Pig said...

ND FANS - Please stop replying to Angry Eagle. He knows where he is on the food chain, or else he wouldn't get his jollies writing about the game on WEDNESDAY. Has nothing to do with football, junior, you're just a clown.

11/12/2008 04:55:00 PM  
Anonymous Scranton Dave said...

Angry Eagle you need to do better than using Pat Forde to prove your ridiculous arguments. He is an idiot.

11/12/2008 05:02:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have to agree with anonymous(?!), firing CW this year will put us right back on the coaching merry-go-round and set any thoughts of having a NC contender back another 5 years, at least. Recruiting will suffer again at least initially, and who knows how many 2009 committed recruits or current players committed to CW's program will jump ship? For that matter, with such negativity being displayed here and on other ND sites, how can we expect any further commits to next years class?
CW has shown he is a very capable recruiter. He got more out of his team than would be apparent from their basic talents his first two years at ND, so he can coach. Given 2 more years, I am convinced he will develope this young team into a NC contender. There are challenges, CW needs to get back to running the offense witness the Pittsburg game, and Lattina has to figure out that his run blocking schemes just plain stink (just replay some run plays and it's pretty obvious that it's the system and not the players that is denying this O-line any chance of consistant success running the ball).
This team suffered a crushing loss to Pitt, and as young as they are, I am convinced that the meltdown at BC was a hang over loss from the week before. This was so predictable, so the intense level of negativity is way too much of an over-reaction. Most everyone picked these two games as losers in the preseason so did the 4-1 start change these expectations?.
CW brought all of these young talented athletes here and IMHO, he deserves to coach and develope them here as upper classmen.
PS. Angry Eagle, stick around, we all need a little comic relief!

11/12/2008 05:24:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey angry,I guess they do not teach the what the word humility means in Boston. Count your blessing and be thankful for your success. Congratulations on your win.

11/12/2008 05:27:00 PM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

You folks are suuuch hypocrites, criticizing me for hanging on the very blog you are at. Crazy! I just get a charge out of checking out Whinerville and all its delusional denizens that are still convinced, despite all empirical evidence otherwise, that tired ND is still relevant. You guys are like the Winter Warlock in "Santa Clause is Comin to Town" after he lost all his powers. Just a shell of a program. Yes, you still have the same uniforms and the same stadium (kinda), but all the players you used to get are going to school at places like Texas, USC and Florida. Hilarious! Enjoy the Fake Punt Curse!

P.S. Scrotum Dave, the Pat Forde reference was a joke - everyone knows he gets under the skin of all you ND dorks.

11/12/2008 05:42:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Angry,wow you use words like denizen's and you can't define the word humility. Be happy that you are having success. Remember what goes around comes around. Congrat's again!

11/12/2008 06:25:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE SUGGESTING CW SHOULD BE FIRED, YOU HAD BETTER READ WHAT THE ND AD SAID ABOUT CHARLIE'S FUTURE WITH THE IRISH.

11/12/2008 07:21:00 PM  
Anonymous Scranton Dave said...

Please Pat Forde doesnt get under my skin. Goofs like him and Mark May amuse me if anything.

11/12/2008 07:25:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Angry Turtle Dove,

Has BC EVER BEEN relevant?
When was your last conference championship?

11/12/2008 08:13:00 PM  
Blogger dee$oney said...

C'mon guys. Saban rejected, among others, the ND gig. Until the school agrees to accept the less academically gifted students you will deal with recruiting overachievers. Overachievers play over their ability rarely.

Our boys will be fine. Get off the internet and get out of your mother's basement.

11/12/2008 09:40:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The majority of the playmakers on this team are still only sophomores. Give them time. Next year will be like 2005 and it will go on from there. Charlie might not be the guy for the job but these players still need maturing.

11/12/2008 09:47:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I finally figured out who Charlie Weis reminds me of.

The "Weis" of Oz.

All the promises. "No more losing to the Michigan States of the World." "If the Xs and Os are equal, we'll win because of my schemes." "No excuses" "9-3 will get me fired"

Lots of promises. Only Charlie is the one walking on the yellow brick road, upon golden bricks. On his 10 year fleecing of Notre Dame.

11/12/2008 10:02:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I disagree with all those who say canning Weis would start the process over again. What better time to bring in a good coach? For all his faults Weis can recruit. Let's give these great recruits to a real coach.

11/12/2008 10:05:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Did I really read a post about Willingham being a better coach then Weis? Now I know we've all lost it.

Lets not forget that we start 5 Sophs and 1 Frosh in the offensive backfield...

11/12/2008 10:23:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

can someone please explain to me...why Stoops, Saben, Meyer, Davis, Pederson, Skip Holtz and Poodle Carrol were able to turn their respective programs around with either less or equal talent, facilities and History?

I just dont understand why we've accepted mediocrity and losing time and time again to inferior programs and being blown out by equal or better ones?

Please tell me?

11/12/2008 10:43:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

With all of the 4 and 5 star players littering the roster, why can't they utilize the talent better? Maybe Weis brings too much NFL to the college game and isn't the motivator that they need.
All we hear is "wait until next year" blah, blah, blah. Then you will hear the chants when they lay an egg to can Chuck. Then we bring in the next high profile coach that can't produce and the cycle starts all over. Ugh.

11/12/2008 11:01:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't think anyone has accepted mediocrity as a standard, nor will that mentality ever grow roots at ND.

What I have seen is tremendous improvement but the mistakes and immaturity that accompany youth. A ND loss ruins my weekend/week but I understand that we are headed in the right direction. Can you imagine if Kamara won the fight for the ball in the end zone against MSU, Claussen doesn't get picked to start the 3rd qtr at UNC, Harrison doesn’t commit a personal foul to breath life into Pitts opening 2nd half drive...youth.

11/12/2008 11:01:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Everyone needs to stop complaining and just realize that we need a fiery head coach like Muschamp from Texas- im not sure what we will do with Weis's contract- but if we got Muschamp then i would gurantee a NC

11/12/2008 11:33:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I AGREE...WE NEED MUSCHAMP FROM TEXAS...

do you think we can get him?

that's exactly what we need...Please Santa...all I want for xmas...is a good coach...that cares about winning and doesnt make excuses...

Please Santa...bring us a coach worthy of winning...

Muschamp from Texas...Gruden...Cowhwer...or how about this....for a wildcard....KIFFEN...Lane Kiffen...He would kill for this job

what do you guys think??

11/13/2008 12:09:00 AM  
Anonymous phillyboy said...

you guys are all need to realize that over the past couple years the ND football program has steadily declined and the BC football program has greatly matured. Notre Dame USED to be a great football program but no college recruits want to go there any more because of how stuck up all of you people are. you have your own website to talk about how great ND is. thats ridiculous. all of the ND fans i've talked to are all in a stage of denial that the football program has been the worst even over the past decade or more. just give BC some credit for beating a one time college football power house and stop degrading their football program. its obvious how stuck up all of you ND fans are because your not even willing to admit BC shut you out. secondly stop hating on your coach. even though he's having a tough time since he took over the head coaching job, cut him some slack. College football is much different from the professional level and everyone knows it. and lastly realize how stuck up everyone has been who has commented on this blog its embarrassing once you ND fans realize you're a bunch of ignorant failures who sit on this blog and say that BC is a bunch of rejects when the just shut down ND 17-0. just give them the respect they deserve for finally becoming a solid football program in the ACC. which isn't an incredible division but its not the worst one out there.

11/13/2008 12:21:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

philly boy...ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?

How many NC's do you have? Heismans? AA's? not alcoholics...but All American's. Although if I were forced to succumb to such a suckhole college as BC, I might be privvy to the whisky too...your school is a frigging joke.

ND is down...but that's becuase of our high standards...the funny thing is that you guys beat us..after our 4 OT grueling loss and we were down...and it was at your field...and we still only lost by ten points...I"m not counting Jimmy's pick...we only gave up ten points...

we made a ton of mistakes...and we were still in the game.

You and ANGRY EAGLE are a bunch of whiners....

Just wait til next year...and get out of OUR WEBSITE...go to your suckhole BC baaawston website...if you even have one...and leave our blog for real, true fans, not whiny suckholes who are happy with beating us when we're down.

The Irish will rise again, mark my word.

Sincerely

IRISH LADD

11/13/2008 01:05:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm, umm, I mean Charlie is doing a great job. Please give me, I mean him, time to develop his players. By year eight, he should have these sophmores and freshmen ready to compete. Thank you to all my apologists, those checks are in the mail.

Signed,
Were on the right track

11/13/2008 09:24:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let the ignorant scream as loud as they want to. Let the pathetic masses think they understand that the solution to ND's problems is Weis' firing. Newsflash to the Blissfully Ignorant: the world is round, we have landed on the moon, little green men did not crash-land in Roswell, and Weis is NOT the problem at ND.
I better repeat that.
WEIS IS NOT THE PROBLEM!!!!!!
If you want a brighter future for ND, we need Weis at the helm and the top-tier talent to keep pouring into South Bend to play for him. Period.

11/13/2008 10:25:00 AM  
Anonymous Jim said...

I agree with most comments.Lets not forget how much talent we have. We lost games we should have one and I was there at BC and I was shocked.This team does not look prepared and we seem to lose our defense in the second half.I still believe we will be a contender.We are still young and Weis knows what ND Football means to all of us.Next year we dominate we sell out Clausen to Floyd 09.Jim

11/13/2008 10:36:00 AM  
Anonymous Jim said...

I have also heard that are players have no heart really.These losses are not their fault it is coaching.They came here to win and they will.When they and even Weis himself mature get ready.I am from Boston and look at how Brady turned out. Clausen will mature and then Mark May can shut up.Do not give up I never did with the Pats so don't you.We are young and loaded with serious talent.

11/13/2008 10:47:00 AM  
Blogger Angry Eagle said...

Poor Irish Ladd, clinging to those Heismans and NCs from 40 and 50 years ago. Whatta joke. PhillyBoy is absolutely right, you folks have this curious superiority complex. I lived in Great Britain in the 1980s, and it was kinds similar. They talked about their empire days of yore like it was yesterday, ignoring the fact that they had lost all their power after WWII and colonies were dropping from the Commonwealth like flies. ND and its insufferable fandom is just like that. Yes, many, many years ago, ND was a college football power, just like the service academies. Before that, the Ivies dominated. But the fans of those programs realized that college football hegemony had moved on, just as it has now moved on to the big state schools from big football conferences. Yes, there is a slice of the pie for tiny, private schools like BC, Vanderbilt, ND, Wake & Stanford that compete with them, but that is reserved for years when (by happenstance) everything comes together and the right recruits mature at the right time under the right coach in the right environment (i.e., BC climbing to No. 2 last year, Wake going to the Fiesta Bowl 2 years ago). Once you ND blowhards come to grips with that reality, you will enjoy your football experience a lot, lot more, without all this angst. You will view an 8-4 season as a good year, not a no-championship disaster.

11/13/2008 11:01:00 AM  
Blogger The Commissioner said...

You can watch past Irish games w/o the commercials here. It's pretty sweet.

http://www.hulu.com/videos/search?query=Notre+Dame

11/13/2008 12:04:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The solution is obvious: bring back Lou for a 2 year gig to stabilize and energize the program with the intention of hiring Skip as permanent

11/13/2008 12:35:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Go try to compete at something yourself and see how that goes."

Uh, most of us do compete every day, at our jobs and at making the best life we can for our families. And most of us don't do it for $4.2 million a year. Just because we don't "compete" at football doesn't mean we can't criticize a coach who hasn't shown that he can coach at this level. Weis has done a nice job recruiting so far (although the ND recruits are overrated), but he'd better start turning that talent into wins.

11/13/2008 12:55:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maybe I do have my head in the sand of denial. But, I still have some faith left. The offensive line is not living up to expectations. It is obvious, they can not pass block against 3 down linemen. They are also not opening up holes for our backs! We have the horses in the backfield. When the line moves people ie. Washington, Aldridge gets 89yards splitting carries. When the line fails against a quality opponent, linebackers have a field day with our backs. We then become one dementional and place a lot of hope in a QB who spent most of his Freshmen year on the sideline or on his backside. Clausen has improved tremendously, but his arm can't do it all. If there needs to be a coaching change, it's o-line. The defense has played well especially the secondary. Turnovers and 4 and outs don't give them much time to rest. I did expect more effective blitzing. Too many years of mediocrity has led to impatience. Give it a little longer before you give in. We have come this far.

11/13/2008 02:18:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I don't think anyone has accepted mediocrity as a standard, nor will that mentality ever grow roots at ND."

So all those who are just hoping we can beat Navy this weekend haven't accepted mediocrity? All those hoping we are 7-5 at year's end, have not accepted mediocrity?

If I had said four years ago, I'll bring in a coach and guarantee at the end of the 2008 season, he'll be 7-5, then you would have said "Yeah, bring him on"?

You have sold out and have accepted this mediocrity. "You are what your record says." Four years later we are an average team. Of course, "9-3 gets me fired".

11/13/2008 02:44:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My fater went to Notre Dame and has not missed a home game in 60 + years. Last year was the first ime he ever left a game eary and not just once. With all of the resources and high profile that ND brings to the table, I think that ever Gerry Faust could do better that we've see the last 1 1/2 years. A true leader is one that can position players to capitalize on their strengths and talents so that they are making the maximum contribution as a team player. Lou was brillant at that and so was Ara and Dan Devine, believe it or not, all winning National Chanpionships in their 3rd year. This is Charlie's 4th. . .he has turned Notre Dame into Notre Shame. . .please make sure he watches the movie Rudy by this weekend to understand what ND represents to the fans and loyal followers.

11/13/2008 06:32:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Seriously, it's been the same for years. You can't cover a 6'3" receiver that runs a 4.3 with a 5'10" corner who runs a 4.6. Charlie has the best talent in the country returning to South Bend and it's only a matter of time before everyone shuts their mouths and ceases to sound like May and Saunders.

By the way ND should roll on Saturday, I don't expect anything less.

Like Holtz used to say "Hey guys, this doesn't have to be close."

11/13/2008 08:10:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Stop whining.

Weis isn't a veteran college head coach yet--he never was. He's a man training for a job he already has, and is under pressure to do. Period.

This is what you guys get when you get someone with only NFL experience-- a guy who's training on the job. Deal with it.

Weis loves Notre Dame, the job, the kids, and he needs more time.

If it were up to you fools, you'd have a carousel of head coaches and you would be slicing their heads off the moment they didn't allow you the bragging rights of a win.

Weis must learn. He's learning.

11/13/2008 09:03:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"By the way ND should roll on Saturday, I don't expect anything less."

See, there in lies the problem, you may not expect anything less, but you may certainly get a lot less. I didn't think there corners last year were much taller or faster either.

11/13/2008 09:05:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I didn't think there corners last year were much taller or faster either."

Agreed, but I didn't see anyone on the other side of the ball that they should have been concerned with.

I think this Saturday it will be a little different.

11/13/2008 09:25:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Charlie Weis is a good coach and also a Domer. That makes him extra special in my book.

The team will start to gel and we're going to a bowl game. We may even beat USC,

11/13/2008 10:12:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Charlie Weis is a good coach and also a Domer. That makes him extra special in my book.

The team will start to gel and we're going to a bowl game. We may even beat USC,"

Well, I will concede that Charlie is a Domer.

He has coached the Irish to one victory over a TOP 25 team in four years. One. That was number 19 Penn State in 2006.

He has coached the Irish to one victory this year over a team that does not have a losing record. One. That was Sanford. They are 5-5 and will most likey not have a winning record at year's end.

Please tell me where your optimism stems from? Past results don't point to anything bright from Mister Weis.

11/14/2008 09:49:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Angry,it's still sad you know all these big word's and still can't be humble. It's funny listening to you now. Gimme another big word...plz!

11/14/2008 11:16:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Angry,

You continue to prove what 200 points lower (on the old SAT anyway) gets BC grads vs ND grads (and it looks like this apparent Brown Grad too.) I'm starting to put the pieces together; you didn't get in to ND did you?! This whole blog thing is 20 years of repressed inferiority complex and resentment. HA HA, that's it!.

Now, your Mom's calling you for dinner, dont' be late.

11/14/2008 06:07:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

After reading all these comments, I wonder if some people are watching the same games as the rest of us. Some of you die-hard fans believe if we don't have "blind faith", we're not supporting our team. Well, there's a difference between being foolish and using common sense. You're the same people who a few weeks ago believed that 21 year-old sophomore Jimmy Clausen was comparable to Brady Quinn even after I pointed out that super-human Michael Floyd and the easy schedule had more to do with his numbers than his progression as a player. You should've seen the hate mail I received when I was bold enough to leave my name and e-mail address on this site.

Sure enough, after missing easy throws against Pitt and a total collapse against BC, Clausen was exposed as nothing more than a QB who has a great arm but telegraphs his throws and can't read coverages.

However, I blame this on Weis just as much as Clausen. We blamed Willingham for the lack of an offensive line, but 4 years into Weis's tenure, the big men upfront continue to get pushed around, not providing Clausen enough time. Still, between the array of WR weapons and his experience in games started, there reaches a point where your QB needs to make better decisions. I haven't seen that progress in his 2 years at QB.

The truth is that too many Irish faithful threw their support behind Weis, blinded by his 3 rings as an OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR. Now, people are having a tough time coming to grips with the fact that they were wrong in wanting an NFL coordinator. Weis 1) clearly has a tough time understanding the passion of the college game and 2) wasn't ready to assume a head coaching position because his lack of understanding regarding special teams and how to handle different player personalities, among other faults.

Trust me, I hope he somehow figures this out and turns it around. As great as a service as the Navy midshipmen provide our country, it's embarrassing to "hope" we beat them on the football field. Syracuse, which should've been viewed as a gimmie a few weeks ago, is now seen as a potential loss. I wish the nightmare that has persisted since 1994 will end. However, to blindly throw our faith behind a team that continues to underperform and choke in key situations is foolish.

Considering our joke of a schedule, which no one believed would be this easy to start the season, 7 or 8 wins is NOT acceptable...not if you want to start talk of a national championship caliber team down the road.

-Ray

southbendstallions@yahoo.com

11/14/2008 07:07:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Enough is enough, the team is much improved from last year, but it isn't close to being acceptable.

With this mob mentality I think you could make arguments for Urban to be fired for losing to Mississippi, Mark released for getting pasted by Alabama and Florida, Pete to be disbarred for losing to Oregon St., someone PSU obliterated, not to mention Joe's banishment loss to Iowa. All of these frauds who call themselves head coaches are way over matched for this game and should do their respective university the trouble and fire themselves!!!!!!

How quickly everyone jumps off the bandwagon! There's nothing like a little turmoil to show one's true colors.

Anyone remember what Charlie turned the ’05 team into? That was a group of players that couldn’t find the end zone to save their own mothers lives.

Just curious, if we beat NC and Pitt would everyone be calling Charlie the second coming of Knute?

By the way why is Ray the Stallion taking $5 shots at Clausen, and referring to Floyd’s performance as superhuman? Guess what my fair weather ND fan, that’s a real D1 player. I know, I know we aren’t used to seeing that in South Bend lately, but try to act like there have been some in the past.

No I am not a Weis apologist, though I think he should stay no questions asked. If not I believe we’ll have a shot at Tressel due to his recent big game performance!

11/14/2008 08:29:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I always like when someone hops right on here and proves my point.

Fair weather fan? I suffer through every game like the rest of us. The comments I've made about Weis and Clausen have been the same comments I've made since both of their arrivals. Listen, when you strut onto South Bend campus for your introduction and start to make guarantees about a return to greatness, you open yourself up to criticism. That's exactly what Clausen did.

As far as Floyd being a "division I player", how many true freshmen wide receivers can beat double teams and adjust their patterns to catch balls that are underthrown by 5 to 10 yards? He has the height, speed, hands, and football sense to be great...and I GUARANTEE, barring an injury, that he will be a 1st round NFL pick. Obviously you haven't watched enough football to understand that his skills are light years ahead of the average 18 year-old football player.

Just do me a favor and explain how we've improved since last year? Our O-Line is soft, we can't run the ball, and we make big mental errors on offense, defense, and special teams.

All that's improved is our schedule. Enough said.

-Ray

11/14/2008 09:04:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ummm... We can score a touchdown and pressure the other teams QB.

Julio Jones
A.J. Green
Michael Crabtree(last year)

Most freshman recruits on top 15 teams.

Suffer? That's what you call it? Suffer would be like golf on a 70 degree fall day compared to how I feel.

It's obvious that our OL needs improvement, but not sure you can get much more out of this group. Charlie used to be brilliant at covering a weakness with a strength until there was no strength. Have some patience, we're on our way back, there are several more Floyds joining the team next year, and the year after, and the year after...

11/14/2008 09:31:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't think you realize...Michael Floyd is only 18 YEARS OLD!!!

Sure, AJ Green is having a big year. He's also a 20 year-old freshman with a top NFL prospect throwing to him. Michael Crabtree is another exception to the rule. He's a freak of nature and happens to be playing in the best offensive system for arguably one of the top 5 coaches in the country.

As far as the other schools...Texas, OU, Florida, Penn State, etc...as the rule, their leading receivers are 22, 23, even 25 year-olds! So I ask again, how many 18 year-old WRs carry their teams? Floyd = BEAST. His great play covers up a good number of Clausen's mistakes. He's the difference between this year and last year.

As far as having a pass rush, almost getting there doesn't count for anything. Going into the Washington game, I believe that only UW had fewer sacks than us. While I actually like the progress of the defense, I wouldn't say the pass rush is one of the strengths.

On offense, what progress are you talking about (besides getting Floyd)? Our points against Michigan came off turnovers and a short field. Regarding the SDSU game, do you realize that only Idaho scored fewer points against SDSU than we did? Even Cal Poly put up a 29 spot, and New Mexico scored 70!!! Some offense...

-Ray

11/14/2008 10:22:00 PM  
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