It would be easy for me to pile on the “fire Charlie Weis” bandwagon after Notre Dame finished 6-6 with a crushing at the hands of archrival USC Saturday night.
He stands at 28-21 after four seasons under the Golden Dome — by the way, the man he replaced, Tyrone Willingham, was fired after three seasons with a better winning percentage.
The drumbeats are exploding to ax this former “genius.” By the way, who termed him that?
What might save his bacon is his 10-year, $30 million deal — he just finished the third year. I don’t think the ND administration cares to pay for the reported ridiculous buyout.
Second, it is unlikely the first major decision of new AD Jack Swarbrick will be to fire Weis.
No question, there will be discussions — both official and “unofficial” — in the next few weeks as to the future of the Fighting Irish football program, whether they go to a bowl game or not; they still will draw a large following, if they do.
You expect it: after all, Notre Dame used to be THE most visible program in college football and an argument could be made it still is, though the USCs, Floridas, OSUs and the like might call them fightin’ words.
They do not hire ballyhooed coaches to go 28-21 in four years and deliver no conference titles — er, sorry about that — or national titles. Their alumni are everywhere and very, very passionate and vocal about their football. They won’t settle for mediocrity
It has been since 1988 that the Irish won their 11th national football title — under Lou Holtz. In a paraphrase from Larry the Cable Guy —  “that won’t get ‘er done!!!”
I wrote before that I thought Willingham got the shaft from ND officials. I don’t want Weis to get axed in order to somehow make up for that.
At the same time, if Weis cannot get this turned around, and soon, how long do you think the NBC moolah will continue to flow, especially in a worsening economy?
It won’t leave them destitute by any means; according to one web site that caught my eye — http://newsinfo.nd.edu — the football team is worth $101 million. However, it won’t help, either.
Listen, I don’t know if Charlie Weis really and truly deserves to be fired. He won his first two years with Willingham’s players and those ballyhooed recruiting classes of his might be on the verge.
By all accounts, he apparently didn’t help himself with his arrogant attitude or grating style since he got to South Bend.
By the same token, the college football (or basketball, etc.) landscape has changed; coaches aren’t given years to build a winner like they used to be. It’s a “what have you done for me lately?” world — Phillip Fullmer at Tennessee come to mind?
Weis was brought in as the savior of the program, to restore the roar, and he has not delivered on those expectations. Does he deserve fired for that, especially when college football is not what it was decades ago when ND could get ANY player it wanted?
With the Florida teams, USC, the SEC, Ohio State, Michigan and the other big dogs going all over the country to recruit and getting the blue-chippers ND used to stockpile, is it realistic to think ANY school can reign supreme year after year anymore? I don’t think ANY school should settle for mediocrity but fans have to face facts, too.
Maybe it just comes down to this: the ND alumni, fans, supporters, everyone have simply lost confidence in Mr. Weis.
It could also be a breath of fresh air from ND’s administration to essentially come out and say: we are men and women of our word; a contract is a contract (just like a handshake and your word used to be your bond) and we will live up to our end of the bargain; we expect Mr. Weis to do the same.
The same goes for other coaches on the hot seat or who were already forced out.
Just some food for thought.
Another overpaid athlete ends up court.
This one is one of our 4-legged friends and it’s over ownership of reigning Horse of the Year Curlin.
A judge rejected a proposed sale that would have consolidated control of the horse under winemaker Jess Jackson.
His Stonestreet Stables owns 80 percent of the richest North American racehorse in history; he had offered $4 million to buy out the remaining 20 percent interest from William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr., two disbarred attorneys needing some major cash.
I wonder what Curlin thinks?