The Nation Notices: "Misery Index Week 11: Sulking in South Bend" -- USA Today

[palinurus]

The Nation Notices: "Misery Index Week 11: Sulking in South Bend" -- USA Today

Misery Index Week 11: Sulking in South Bend

We're No. 1.

 

[Junkhead]

Meh. The misery was much worse when Weis or Golfingham were still here.

 

[koonja]

Meh. The misery was much worse when Weis or Golfingham were still here.

What's the story behind Willingham and the golf jokes?

 

[IrishJayhawk]

What's the story behind Willingham and the golf jokes?

He golfed instead of recruiting. Or scheming. Or...well...anything...

 

[koonja]

He golfed instead of recruiting. Or scheming. Or...well...anything...

Was he just a huge golfer or what? Is there a funny quote or story behind it?

 

[Junkhead]

What's the story behind Willingham and the golf jokes?

Supposedly he spent way more time golfing, while recruiting talent sank to historic lows for ND. I'm too lazy to look it up but I think there were a couple classes that didn't even crack the top 25 or 30, which for ND is pathetic.

 

[notredomer23]

Was he just a huge golfer or what? Is there a funny quote or story behind it?

IIRC he would play 18 holes about 3-4 times a week. No one with a full time job should have time for that, especially a head football coach.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Was he just a huge golfer or what? Is there a funny quote or story behind it?

As I understand, he golfed a lot. More than Bush and Obama combined.* People attribute his lack of recruiting success after the first class to that fact.



*Note the bipartisan joke.

 

[koonja]

IIRC he would play 18 holes about 3-4 times a week. No one with a full time job should have time for that, especially a head football coach.

Yeah, if BK/Diaco were doing that, that'd bother me. If you can legitimately average 18 holes per week, that's pretty good IMO. 3-4? That's 12-18 hours of golf!

He's lucky he wasn't coaching here during the twitter years, lol.

 

[Junkhead]

Was he just a huge golfer or what? Is there a funny quote or story behind it?

It's just fun to say Golfingham.

 

[Rhode Irish]

He was enough of a golf nut that his current "occupation" is volunteer coach for the Stanford women's golf team.

 

[koonja]

He was enough of a golf nut that his current "occupation" is volunteer coach for the Stanford women's golf team.

Seriously? So he volunteers for college Women's golf, and he's also on the 'playoff committee' which doesn't pay?

He must win a lot of money in golf lol.

 

[Junkhead]

Hell, if I could get a 3 million dollar a year job and have time for that much golf, I'd be in heaven. I make a tiny fraction of that, and only played like 4 rounds this entire year due to lack of time.

 

[BGIF]

This is simply a measurement of a fan's knee-jerk reaction to what they last saw (or thought they saw) . The way in which a team won or lost, fan expectations vis-a-vis program trajectory, and the tradional inferiority complex of the fan base all factor into this ranking

.

Gauging reaction on Twitter, however, you'd think Saturday's 28-21 loss to Pittsburgh was enough to shut down the program

.

... anyone who didn't think the Irish would take a significant step backwards was delusional.

"Knee jerk reaction" yup!

"Shut down the program" yup!

"Delusional" Trifecta!

 

[Rhode Irish]

.

"Knee jerk reaction" yup!

"Shut down the program" yup!

"Delusional" Trifecta!

They definitely have us nailed. My personal rage over the loss was due almost entirely to the travesty of justice that was the Tuitt ejection. It was so important and so wrong that I can't just accept it move on. All of the football stuff is aggravating and I can accept all of that and shrug it off, but the Tuitt thing was totally infuriating.

 

[ACamp1900]

I think you had a coaching staff that was supposedly past losing to far inferior teams squeak one out to Navy then lose to a horrible Pitt team... that scenario was a Charlie Weis, Ty Willingham scenario,... At least in a lot of fans minds... Yet here we are... Thus, mass panic and twitter meltdowns.

Not hard to understand, even if you disagree...

 

[IrishLion]

My misery stems from throwing 20-yard corner routes on third and short.

And from knowing how happy Mark May will be for the next year.

 

[dmort]

ND lacks mental and physical toughness.The O-line should have blown Navy's defense off the line.Ditto with Pitt.Until the line can dominate the line of scrimmage there won't be a consistent running game.

 

[IrishLax]

They definitely have us nailed. My personal rage over the loss was due almost entirely to the travesty of justice that was the Tuitt ejection. It was so important and so wrong that I can't just accept it move on. All of the football stuff is aggravating and I can accept all of that and shrug it off, but the Tuitt thing was totally infuriating.

This. It's the feeling of being robbed that is the worst. I recognize that there were many other factors that lead to ND's downfall, but when you're already decimated on the DL to have a first round pick ejected on a bogus call is just a game changer. Then to have a bogus pass interference call on 4th & 6 is also a game changer. And then to have the ref somehow give Pitt an extra yard and a half on the spot... and then have it held up on review... isn't a game changer, but it is sure fishy.

Those are the kind of calls that make me want to seek hypothetical vengeance of some sort because it's just inexplicable garbage and unfair. Was it the same side judge who ejected Tuitt as spotted the ball? Who was it that made the pass interference call? I go full on conspiracy theory mode when crap like this happens, and it's far harder to shake than just getting outplayed in a close game. If we just get flat out beat, I wake up the next day and am over it. This game... 48 hours later, I still think about it.

 

[Ndaccountant]

This. It's the feeling of being robbed that is the worst. I recognize that there were many other factors that lead to ND's downfall, but when you're already decimated on the DL to have a first round pick ejected on a bogus call is just a game changer. Then to have a bogus pass interference call on 4th & 6 is also a game changer. And then to have the ref somehow give Pitt an extra yard and a half on the spot... and then have it held up on review... isn't a game changer, but it is sure fishy.

Those are the kind of calls that make me want to seek hypothetical vengeance of some sort because it's just inexplicable garbage and unfair. Was it the same side judge who ejected Tuitt as spotted the ball? Who was it that made the pass interference call? I go full on conspiracy theory mode when crap like this happens, and it's far harder to shake than just getting outplayed in a close game. If we just get flat out beat, I wake up the next day and am over it. This game... 48 hours later, I still think about it.

I can see this and must say that I am not immune to these thoughts.

However, what I can't shake, is why we got ourselves into a game that close to begin with? Pitt was awful against the run all year and we came in with a passive rushing attack. We had mental breakdowns on numerous occasions and looked hard pressed to stop Boyd, even though it was painfully obvious what Pitt was going to do with him pre-snap.

I appreciate that the games with PITT historically are close and we have really blown out just two teams all year. But I really expected to be up by two scores most of the second half. The Tuitt call had a major impact on the game, no doubt about it. But, the overall plan to bomb away against Pitt when you know you have a undermanned defense seems illogical to me, especially given the run game success the week prior and the opponent. When Tuitt got tossed, it should have only cemented the run game plan even more. I just don't get why you put the game on Tommy's shoulders when you have a very good OL and a talented RB core.