The majority of us sports fans were preoccupied with The NBA Playoffs, NHL Playoffs, NFL Draft, Major League Baseball and NCAA Baseball so a lot of people missed the verbal diarrhea that fell out of Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weis’ mouth recently. He said, “we could win today if I signed hoodlums and thugs."
This leads me to the aforementioned question, “what was that?”
It was a weak thing to say. A horrible take and it sounded like a weak excuse to me. If I were a Notre Dame fan I wouldn’t want to hear that from my head coach. He’s holding himself out like he is holier-than-thou.
Is that to say that others who won at Notre Dame did so with hoodlums and thugs? Did Ara Parseghian or Lou Holtz recruit hoodlums and thugs? Weis knew of the recruiting issues before he got there.
- B/R Ticket Guide
The University decided that it was time for Tyrone Willingham to be shown the door prior to his contract expiring at the end of the 2004 season. Weis was hired and his successes in his first two years were with guys that Willingham recruited. He’s now playing with guys he’s recruited and not winning. That is on him and him alone. Who was Coach Weis aiming that verbal scud missile of a statement towards? USC? Ohio State? The SEC?
That verbal scud was directed at USC and it is a weak excuse as to why the USC Trojans hold the Irish owners manual. Is Coach Weis implying that Navy has a bunch of Hoodlums and Thugs?
Navy did beat them as well in the lost season of 2007. A forgettable season that ended with a 3-9 record one of the worst in school history. I know it will never happen but I would love to see Notre Dame join a conference like the Big 10 or Big East instead of being a IA Independent. It is also a known fact that the Irish team is very young and these players haven’t developed at this point but still could.
This is not an indictment of the program. I’m just saying that what coach Weis said was a weak and tired excuse. The Notre Dame Football program is still one of the most storied programs in the history of college football. Memo to coach Weis stop uttering the weak smack, recruit good players teach them how to play the game the right way and win in your new role as CEO of the Notre Dame football program.
comments (16) write a comment »
write a new comment
8 months ago
Jeff,
To answer you question as to (what was that), my reply would be sadly typical jealousy and dare I say seemingly the coach is reacting to pressure from the alumni.
lordorrin
8 months ago
That was the exact truth. Its not an excuse, its the simple truth. Notre Dame doesn't let players in who have a troubled past. Is this wrong of them? I think not. They care not only about winning (which they have failed to do in recent times), they also care about who they bring into their school. They do not want the reputation of an Ohio State or Miami (FL) where sure they win, but they are in the news just as much because of off the field issues.
from 8 months ago
Thanks for the comments and feedback, I disagree with your take Nick. First of all where does he come off calling these college kids hoodlums and thugs? What he said was untrue and inappropriate and could easily be interpreted as having racial undertones and that is unnecessary at an institution of higher learning. If they were hoodlums and thugs they wouldn't be playing Division 1 college football. Oh and I would love to know who exactly he is talking about. I mean I want names and evidence and to see him prove his point. It sounds like you're a Notre Dame fan thinking that someone is dissing the program and I'm not. What I am saying is that was a piss poor excuse as the reason why he is losing. He is losing because the storied rivalry is no longer a rivalry it is the anually a** kicking for the Irish and he is bitter about that fact. It's funny to see how a coach can go 3-9 and some people are okay with that because he provided some weak smack that people bought. So are you saying that we should believe that ND lost 9 times to teams with a bunch of hoodlums and thugs I want to see that list from Navel Academy, I also want to see ND join a conference and play a conference schedule and then I'll believe it. Until then all I heard was a lie from a guy avoiding the obvious that he can't compete with the guys he recruited and he is not doing what he was brought there to do. I do believe Tyrone Willingham had a better record and graduated several of his players but he was shown the door the university showed no patience with him.
8 months ago
Weis needs to watch his mouth, not because it was inappropriate, untrue, or might be interpreted as having racial undertones, but because the media can't handle a quote like this. If you throw out terms such as thug, hoodlum, gangster, etc. they will spin it around till you're dizzy and then, all of a sudden, Weis is a full blown racist.
The quote is not an excuse because most teams are recruiting guys who have, well, serious character issues, to put it lightly. That's not to say that ND football is comprised of a bunch of choir boys, but there is a noticeable difference. Weis is trying to win games without guys who are using the team as a temporary bridge to the NFL. He's trying to eliminate the "me first" attitude and recruit some guys who give a damn about their education.
Unfortunately, because of his poor phrasing, the media will look past his good intentions and turn what he said into something that it isn't. ND may record a disappointing 3-5 win season, but at least there is sincerity and honesty about their program standards.
from 8 months ago
Dream on dude. Their program was a mess when Willingham was hired. He cleaned it up and got fired for not winning enough, all be it with good kids. When these kids matured, Weis came in and reaped the benefits. Comments such as this are excuses, excuses come from fear of loss. Charlie should focus on preparation and planning, he has had excellent recruiting classes, any failure to win should be directed toward him.
from 8 months ago
Thanks for the comments and the feedback, but I agree with Tex dream on. If you believe that what he said wasn't an excuse you're kidding yourself.
from 8 months ago
What does Willingham vs. Weis have to do with his quote? Weis doesn't have to make excuses, you're forgetting he went a step down from the NE Patriots to the Irish. All I'm saying is ND has certain standards for its students and athletes. Weis is abiding by these standards by saying he won't bother with guys who have poor GPA's and a history of bad behavior. As you say, Weis has an excellent recruiting class. You're absolutely right. However, he didn't recruit anyone that's going to jeopardize the program and make ND look bad. I'm not kidding myself. But, I will say, both of you are making something out of nothing. Yes, Weis's record thus far is unimpressive, but that has NOTHING to do with him making a statement about ND's recruiting. So, I guess you could say, neither of you make a valid point.
from 8 months ago
You're clearly mistaken John. I know it was a step down from coaching in the pro's and ND got Charlie Weis not Bill Belichick. I know all about the ND standards and abiding by them and if that is what he meant then that is what he should've said. I recall writing the article and nowhere in the article did I say that ND needs to recruit players with a checkered past. The only really Tyrone Willingham was brought up is that fact that he was once the Head Coach at ND and fired prematurely in my opinion. His statement has everything to do with his recruiting it is a blatant excuse as the reason his team ended the season with a 3-9 record. You're apparently under the impression that someone is trashing your beloved ND program and I'm not. The implication was wrong, the statement was a poor choice of words and nothing more than an excuse. The point was made in the article but it sounds like your bias has made it difficult for you to see.
8 months ago
Yeah, it was an excuse. And no he wasn't calling everyone that beat ND hoodlums and thugs. I think he was making a reference to the fact that ND has a lot more limitations on who they can recruit than other schools such as FSU, LSU, Miami and any of the osu's. That's fact. He may have not chosen the best words, but you can't argue that those other schools mentioned above are in the news alot more than ND is for transgressions off the field. And no...it's not all the players of these schools, but a very small but highly publicized percentage of players.
from 8 months ago
Thanks for the comments and feedback, I can argee with that ohiondfan. It was an excuse and the school does have a lot of limitaions on who they can recruit than other schools. I can't argue that the schools mentioned are in the news alot more than ND. I'm also aware that what is really going on is kids making bad choices and those transgression and bad choices are on the individual and not the school. The days of recruiting a bad apple are over due to the fact that it is not worth it and schools know that. It also has to be mentioned that all of the other schools are in or near major cities with a lot of influences good and bad and it is on the individual to make the right choices but there is nothing in south bend but the ND. That's not a bad thing but it is a reality.
8 months ago
JL,
This statement flew under the radar alright. My question is what happened to this so called coaching genuis? I guess Tom Brady can make anyone look brilliant. Great point you made on Charlie Fat winning with Ty's recruits and losing with his. JL the man has shown me nothing and why is Notre Dame giving him the benefit of the doubt when they broke Ty Willingham off as he was getting the program back in shape? Charlie Fat is trying to place blame on outside sources when he in turn cannot compete with 80% of the D1 schools. Memo to Fat, listen coaching genuis winning cures everything so maybe you need to recruit more hoodlums and thugs!
from 8 months ago
Thanks for the comments and the feedback, Mark. I hear you and I can agree with your takes. It was way under the radar but when it is mentioned several people seem to be under the impression that you're dissing the program. As soon as people start taking a unbiased look at whats happening and stop attempting to defend the program and face the reality that you're not winning they'll see the statement for what it was a weak excuse. One that I'm not buying.
from 8 months ago
To me, Charlie Weis is the first in a long and continuing line of overrated Patriots system coaches, along with the likes of Rob Ryan, Josh McDaniel (he'll get an HC gig by next year), Eric Mangini, and maybe even Dante Scarnecchia or Dean Pees should either of them flee Foxboro for greener pastures. Weis' comment was pathetic and it was clearly an excuse for his own mediocrity as a recruiter (Ty Willingham recruited with ND's standards and he picked up plenty of good players) good article.
from 8 months ago
Thanks for the compliments and the feedback, Max. I chose not to group all of the ex-Patriots coaching together like that but I understand the argument.
8 months ago
Carson Palmer
Reggie Bush
Randy Moss
A short list of recent players who were unable to attend ND due to academic (Palmer, Bush) or behavioral (Moss) issues or shortcomings. Those three names contain 2 Heisman winners and potentially a third in Moss. ND fan or ND hater, the team would have experienced an amazing jolt if their standards for players were adjusted.
from 8 months ago
Thanks for the feedback, Sebastian. I know ND attempted to recruit Randy Moss I have no knowledge of them attempting to recruit Carson Palmer or Reggie Bush. I can't say that they didn't either but what I will say is I'm neither a ND fan or a ND hater and the statement was still a blatant excuse. You and I both know that ND is not going to change their standards at all and I have no problem with that but when a head coach who isn't winning allows this type of crap to fly out of his pie-hole someone needs to call him on it & tell it like it is. Coach Weis needs to find and recruit players that meet the schools requirements and are conducive to the football team winning.
write a new comment