With 4 games left and no hope for a winning record, we can look back on this season and reflect on what was good, bad and ugly.
The Good: Talented Fr. and Soph. got meaningful game experience. It looks like they are going to get more as these last four games play out. Their performance will be judge by these games and not just the controlled conditions of the Blue/Gold game. They also learned or hopefully learned what a bad taste losing leaves you with. They should have learned that hard work added to the talent will make them better. With all the defection they should now understand what being part of a team means. Also, under the good CW learned more about become a head coach and dealing with losing, college kids, and practice intensity. Recruiting is probably at its highest since Lou's heyday. We are getting recruits, top notch recruits while losing. What is going to happen when we start winning!!!
The Bad: Losing, losing big!! Not playing as a unit (O-line). Whether we are 0-5 or 5-0 people are out to get us and you have to show up every play or they will embarrass you. Transfers are bad only in that the media and other coached see a kid leaving and will use that to whatever advantage they can to put us down. However, if you win kids can transfer and no one will talk about it after the first 48 hours (USC transfer this summer come to mind). If a kid does not want to be here for whatever reason it is best for them to move on, not only athletic wise, but academic wise. Only 214 player get drafted every year and roughly half make an NFL team. So there is more to a transfer than just playing time, or at least there should be!
The Ugly: Where do we start here. The media of course and their dredge up the Ty was fired because of his color and CW is not better after three years! This is a tiresome topic and one that little research has been done on the part of the people spewing this topic over the airwaves. The fan base. Man have some of us gone over the edge. CW went from Rockne to Faust in one year!!! I can not attest to the credentials of the of the posters on the web, but man it sounds like every poster out their is either Lombardi, Noll, Landry or Walsh!! It is very easy for us to sit in out recliner and question play calling, when in fact we have not been to practice or at the game. Yes, CW should throw down file more, but last time I checked the QB needed to be upright to do that!!! Calling players out by name. I find this the ugliest of offenses. These are just kids 18 - 22. This is not their profession, yet. Remember we are not a school that allows its players to have their own dorm and light class loads. Just as we have issues that we have to deal with while working, they also have issues to deal with during the season. I am sure they are doing their best, why call them out by name and criticize them. How many of us would like someone to post or blog about us after everyday at work!!!
Finally as Jimmy V said, don't give up, never give up. I am as sad and disappointed as any ND fans about this year, but I believe better things are to come. One year does not make a coach or a team. Of all our great coaches, Knute, Leahy, Ara, Lou, I believe Ara is the only one not to have a .500 or losing season. Hopefully this is CW and ND's last for a very, very long time.
The Good: Talented Fr. and Soph. got meaningful game experience. It looks like they are going to get more as these last four games play out. Their performance will be judge by these games and not just the controlled conditions of the Blue/Gold game. They also learned or hopefully learned what a bad taste losing leaves you with. They should have learned that hard work added to the talent will make them better. With all the defection they should now understand what being part of a team means. Also, under the good CW learned more about become a head coach and dealing with losing, college kids, and practice intensity. Recruiting is probably at its highest since Lou's heyday. We are getting recruits, top notch recruits while losing. What is going to happen when we start winning!!!
The Bad: Losing, losing big!! Not playing as a unit (O-line). Whether we are 0-5 or 5-0 people are out to get us and you have to show up every play or they will embarrass you. Transfers are bad only in that the media and other coached see a kid leaving and will use that to whatever advantage they can to put us down. However, if you win kids can transfer and no one will talk about it after the first 48 hours (USC transfer this summer come to mind). If a kid does not want to be here for whatever reason it is best for them to move on, not only athletic wise, but academic wise. Only 214 player get drafted every year and roughly half make an NFL team. So there is more to a transfer than just playing time, or at least there should be!
The Ugly: Where do we start here. The media of course and their dredge up the Ty was fired because of his color and CW is not better after three years! This is a tiresome topic and one that little research has been done on the part of the people spewing this topic over the airwaves. The fan base. Man have some of us gone over the edge. CW went from Rockne to Faust in one year!!! I can not attest to the credentials of the of the posters on the web, but man it sounds like every poster out their is either Lombardi, Noll, Landry or Walsh!! It is very easy for us to sit in out recliner and question play calling, when in fact we have not been to practice or at the game. Yes, CW should throw down file more, but last time I checked the QB needed to be upright to do that!!! Calling players out by name. I find this the ugliest of offenses. These are just kids 18 - 22. This is not their profession, yet. Remember we are not a school that allows its players to have their own dorm and light class loads. Just as we have issues that we have to deal with while working, they also have issues to deal with during the season. I am sure they are doing their best, why call them out by name and criticize them. How many of us would like someone to post or blog about us after everyday at work!!!
Finally as Jimmy V said, don't give up, never give up. I am as sad and disappointed as any ND fans about this year, but I believe better things are to come. One year does not make a coach or a team. Of all our great coaches, Knute, Leahy, Ara, Lou, I believe Ara is the only one not to have a .500 or losing season. Hopefully this is CW and ND's last for a very, very long time.
