Charlie Weis' Monogram Club Speech

[Irish Envy]

I've been thinking about where I was last year when I spoke to you and where I am now. I really like the fact that the bar has been raised. I really like that. The number one sin that can occur at this time is that people say that you are preseason ranked really high after last year no one even cared about you, and now your players are going to have big heads. Trust me - I will bring them down. Big heads are not going to be the problem. I will let them have big heads until about August 6 when they show up. Then those heads are going to be beaten on a regular basis. I'm not worried about the magazines. I'm not worried about the hype. I'm just worrying about winning one game at a time, because that is the mentality that I grew up in.

I also grew up in the mentality of understanding what Notre Dame is all about. Tonight I talked [with Debbie Brown] and learned a lot more about the volleyball program, because I actually support the other sports here. I try to pop in to see just about every other team play. I try not to be a distraction, but I like to see what is going on. From somebody who went to school here and was not an athlete here, the one message or theme that I give to anyone who represents this university - especially as a coach, whether it is as a football coach, a volleyball coach, or a volleyball coach - I tell people that the one thing you have to understand about this place is that tradition never graduates. It doesn't make a difference who graduates. We are a special place. Tradition never graduates. I can already tell you that heading into next year, before we play one game, there will be a lot of cynics at the end of this coming season, saying, `Well, you lost Quinn, you lost Samardzija, you lost McKnight, you lost your offensive line, you lost Abiamiri and Landri, you lost guys from your secondary.' And I'm going to say, `So what?

I'm not happy with how the season went. I'm very disappointed, to be perfectly honest with you. I felt I blew the Michigan State game. I think the team came in flat. We rallied, which was nice, but the bottom line is that we lost, and that's not good. Against USC, we can talk about that play as long as you want, but the bottom line is we had an opportunity to win, and we didn't. That's just the way it is. Let's quit whining about it; they won, and we lost. That's just the way it goes. We had an opportunity to put them away, and we didn't. That's our fault, and I obviously will take that responsibility. Then we went to the bowl game, and we came out flat. I will take responsibility for that, too. Hopefully I learned a little bit about that long layoff. I'm used to a week or two weeks before a Super Bowl. I really hadn't experienced that long a time period. I think I learned some valuable lessons of how I will do it differently this year.

You gotta love this guy.

 

[Dannyboy Ayers]

you have got to love a coach that will tell it like it is and also take responsibilty for the losses as well as the wins. " I am very disappointed" that tells me that he will not settle for anything other than the title.

 

[Indydomer]

He better win a few of those big games this year though.

 

[Fitzgerald]

Or what? You gonna fire him?

 

[Dannyboy Ayers]

lets keep in mind that this is only going to be his second year and last year was great but if we think we are going to have a shut down D we are mistaken. Any type of improvment will be big though

 

[nayers]

lets keep in mind that this is only going to be his second year and last year was great but if we think we are going to have a shut down D we are mistaken. Any type of improvment will be big though

way to see the glass as half empty brother..

on a serious note, i see our d being much improved in some areas, especially the secondary, the only areas of concern for me have been well documented in previous threads, i.e the LB position and the D-Line depth, if we can stay healthy(fingers crossed) we should be fine, and i think our offense will out score most teams

 

[Dannyboy Ayers]

If you read all of my posts you willse that I too feel that are d will be much improved but I am just trying to be realistic. However, any improvment from last year will be a big one.

 

[maison bleu]

I'm sorry, but I found that speech beyond LAME. Two of three losses are explained away by "We came out flat." I'm sorry, but "coming out flat" is straight from the Dictionary of Sports Cliches. What does that mean? Why did they "come out flat"? How many times are they going to "come out flat" this year? (I'm really hoping they do against Michigan) If "coming out flat" is something within a coach's control (I don't think it is), why did Mister Super Bowl Rings allow it to happen twice in a season, once in a BCS bowl game? If you can't get it up for that, well, it's time for Viagra, IMNSHO.

Answer to all of the above questions: "We came out flat" is a non-answer, pablum served up for the feeble-minded.

 

[Irish Envy]

I'm sorry, but I found that speech beyond LAME. Two of three losses are explained away by "We came out flat." I'm sorry, but "coming out flat" is straight from the Dictionary of Sports Cliches. What does that mean? Why did they "come out flat"? How many times are they going to "come out flat" this year? (I'm really hoping they do against Michigan) If "coming out flat" is something within a coach's control (I don't think it is), why did Mister Super Bowl Rings allow it to happen twice in a season, once in a BCS bowl game? If you can't get it up for that, well, it's time for Viagra, IMNSHO.

Answer to all of the above questions: "We came out flat" is a non-answer, pablum served up for the feeble-minded.

I suppose, but both times the team did come out flat. Against MSU, it happened to be Weis' first home game and the second was the Bowl Game after a long layoff. Say what you will, but those were learning experiences for a first-time coach.

 

[Dannyboy Ayers]

He said it himself that he was not used to that long of a layoff between games and that it would not happen again. He is still finding his way of doing things and polishing his own game as well as trying to perfect his players.

 

[maison bleu]

Believe me, I'm totally perplexed that a team could beat Michigan in the Big House and lose (yet again) to the Flaming Sparties. But "coming out flat" is a non-answer. What does that MEAN? BQ's passes were off target? The Shark stumbled while running his routes? The O-Line was hungover? The D was gawking at the East Lansing hotties?

"We came out flat" is a synonym for "We lost because we sucked that day." It's not any kind of answer as to why ND lost.

 

[Dannyboy Ayers]

you can take it as we didn't execute the way we practiced, that too many mental mistakes were made, loss of focus in pivitol moments. or simply not playing with the fire needed to put the game away when the opportunity presents itself.

 

[Irish Envy]

Believe me, I'm totally perplexed that a team could beat Michigan in the Big House and lose (yet again) to the Flaming Sparties. But "coming out flat" is a non-answer. What does that MEAN? BQ's passes were off target? The Shark stumbled while running his routes? The O-Line was hungover? The D was gawking at the East Lansing hotties?

"We came out flat" is a synonym for "We lost because we sucked that day." It's not any kind of answer as to why ND lost.

Well, like I said, there were a multitude of issues that could have led to Notre Dame not playing up to par against the Spartans.

1) Rhema McKnight's injury against Michigan

Rhema was the starting WR alongside Samardzija and after he went down, we really had an unknown quantity in Stovall as his role hadn't been definted in Weis offense yet. Say what you will, but we struggled in the first half and I fully believe this was the major factor into the sputtering offense. It took a full half to get in sync with the replacements.

2) First Home Game

I think Weis would agree that he got wrapped up a bit too much of the hoopla for the first home game. The guarantee of a win at the Pep Rally, the pressure and expectations. I definitely think home games will be different this upcoming season.

You can say "came out flat" is cliche all you want, but if you watched the game, that is exactly how we looked offensively in the first half.

 

[Dannyboy Ayers]

the flaming sparties took it to overtime with your toothless wolverines. and what bowl game did they not come out flat for? OOPS!!

 

[Dannyboy Ayers]

another way of looking at what coming out flat means is the way michigan played against Nebraska in the almost bowl I mean alamo bowl. the way they played was flat.

 

[maison bleu]

Well, I'd say a better explanation of M's loss in the "Almost Bowl" (good one, dannyboy) is that their defense played like crap. Actually, that's a good explanation for ND's loss in the Fiesta, too, a lot better & more honest than "we came out flat."

So ND has "come out flat" for how many bowl games in a row now?

 

[Irish Envy]

Well, I'd say a better explanation of M's loss in the "Almost Bowl" (good one, dannyboy) is that their defense played like crap. Actually, that's a good explanation for ND's loss in the Fiesta, too, a lot better & more honest than "we came out flat."

So ND has "come out flat" for how many bowl games in a row now?

Just one.

The others we didn't even belong in.

 

[Irish Legend]

Believe me, I'm totally perplexed that a team could beat Michigan in the Big House and lose (yet again) to the Flaming Sparties. But "coming out flat" is a non-answer. What does that MEAN? BQ's passes were off target? The Shark stumbled while running his routes? The O-Line was hungover? The D was gawking at the East Lansing hotties?

"We came out flat" is a synonym for "We lost because we sucked that day." It's not any kind of answer as to why ND lost.

So what does 3 loss Llloyd say when Michigan loses 3 or more a year? He's usually trying to blame the refs or anyone else but himself!

 

[maison bleu]

So what does 3 loss Llloyd say when Michigan loses 3 or more a year? He's usually trying to blame the refs or anyone else but himself!

I don't know... But if he were to say it's because the Wolverines "came out flat," I'd think it was BS.

 

[Indydomer]

Fitzgerald you see now why I said he better win the big games this year. If he doesn't your're going to hear critisim like this all the time. Charlie can't win the big one... blah blah blah

 

[Indydomer]

On a side note, Do you guys still play in that shithole you call the Bricky Bowl up there in Hobart. I went to La Porte. I hated playing there. Everytime a crucial play would come a damn train would go by. Well I guess it doesn't really matter Hobart sucks now anyway.