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Obviously a coaching change is what really needs to happen at the University of Notre Dame, but can we refrain from the name-calling?

Every time I look at the articles being written about Charlie Weis and his future at Notre Dame, I look at the comments posted by people around the country and am appalled at the things being said. Weis may be a little arrogant and may not be the best coach for the Irish, but what does his personal appearance have to do with anything?

I thought it was very moving yesterday that 33 fourth- and fifth-year seniors came out of the tunnel and gave him the respect he deserved. Obviously these young men have a lot of respect for the man, and by the tears in Weis' eyes you could tell how he feels about them.

Whether you are a fan or not, you can't knock his abilities at recruiting. Weis has done a fantastic job bringing in top recruits from across the country. He has also maintained an excellent graduation rate (96 percent), which a lot of top football schools can not compete with.

The biggest problem that has plagued the Irish is the ability to transform the talents of top high school recruits into wins, and that responsibility ultimately falls on the shoulders of the head coach. When you have some of the biggest talent in college football with the likes of Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate, and Michael Floyd and you can't win big or even win period, then it has nothing to do with lack of talent, just an inability to utilize the talent to its full potential.

Weis will move on and I'm sure he will end up with a nice big contract in the NFL, which is where he belongs. In the NFL you are not teaching fundamentals, you are teaching a system. College football players are coming in to a program and learning the fundamentals of football and what it takes to be successful at the next level. Weis has not been able to transfer his abilities as an NFL coordinator into being a head coach at the college level. How many times have we seen this happen?

Regardless, I am just tired of people saying that Notre Dame hasn't been able to recruit; look at the facts. I'm sick of hearing about Weis and his weight issues. What does that have to do with who he is as a coach? The man has a big heart and has gone out of his way to mentor a heck of a lot of young men throughout college football, and not just at the University of Notre Dame. Not to mention what he has done for raising awareness for children and adults with special needs.

So do me a favor: Allow the man some dignity; whether you love Notre Dame or hate em', there is no need for the name-calling. Weis deserves a little personal respect.

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