M
Moostache
Guest
Ok -
I am historically a naive Irish backer. I literally enter every season believing that ND should win 10 games and be in a minimum New Year's Day Bowl game. The streak of years without a MNC has not changed that yet. So, take my ramblings with the appropriate grain of salt...
Why will ND be a force next year when they were a farce this year?
Simple - recruiting.
Not that I believe the freshmen will be the panacea to cure all that ails the Irish either; no, I look at the recruiting prowess of this 2008 class and see something that I believe all Irish fans can take heart in....change. And not just change for change's sake either. On NSD last year ND was jilted by several high profile players...we all know who and when, but the names of who did not come are no longer important. The important thing was that on NSD last year Weis made a pledge that things would be different. That he and the staff would work themselves to death if necessary to make sure that '08 would not be '07 redux...
Well, we are not officially home quite yet, but the recruiting facts speak for themselves. Coming off THE worst season in ND history, Weis is poised to bring in one of the best ever classes by many 'experts' opinions. He vowed it would be different...and then despite what many weaker men (yes, I am pointing squarely at YOU Mr. Davie..) could have used as excuses for failure (bad season, tough academics, dirty recruiting by opponents), Weis is set do what many said could not be done. He is bringing in a consensus top-3 (and possibly #1) recruiting class.
The weather in South Bend did not change....
The academic requirements did not nose dive off a cliff.....
The co-ed's did not suddenly become blonder or more numerous or less virtuous...
No, what changed was the addition of Corwin Brown and a new dedication to doing things a certain way that pushed Weis and Co. over the top. Now obviously the job is only 80% done...a verbal pledge is non-binding (and given the way coaches treat their word these days I am only shocked MORE verbals are not reneged on), but the fact is that the 23 names currently committed to ND are a special group. They are the first, but certainly not the last, group to be pursued with a mutual commitment in hand from day one and they responded in astonishing fashion.
3-9.
Just look at THAT!
Notre Dame Football.
3-9.
Now look at the list of 22 (**editted - I mistakenly said 23 originally, though I am quite confident that ND will sign more than the current 22 commits on NSD...) players verbally committed to ND....staggering. The only thing more remarkable is that it is being done without even a hint, rumor or sour grapes statement implicating improper inducements to these players!! ND, and by extension Weis, is blazing a new trail in the recruiting world. NO ONE recruits like THIS when they are losing 75% of their games! NO ONE...
So why does this success mean 2008 will be a complete reversal of 2007? Simple really....because Charlie said so. I know, I know...he also said "Nasty" at one time too and we have not seen much 'nasty' yet. But Weis has said that starting on Monday (12/17/2007) that he was going to work to fix what went so terribly wrong this year. I believe him.
Not just because I so desperately want to believe either. No, I see that he has said things in the very recent past and then produced results commensurate with his statements. He vowed things would be different in recruiting and they are. He has made staff changes when he felt it was necessary and I believe in Corwin Brown as a part of the solution. And now he has said that he is going to fix things with this team in the future.
The recruits, many of whom had their pick of ANY university in the country if they wanted it, also believe him. Even during the recently deceased horror show of a football season in 2007, the underclassmen played with a passion and verve that showed THEY also believe him. If this many players, with so much at stake can continue to put their faith in Charlie Weis as the man to lead them to success and hopefully championships, they we as mere fans (or alumni or subway alumni) should be able to do the same for another year.
I think the results on the field in 2008 will vindicate this leap of faith.
To me, the results Weis has produced in recruiting after vowing to do so make the Kool-Aid the sigar-sweetened good kind instead of the Nutra-sweet or sugar-free crap many of us have been forced to woof down over the past decade +....
I am historically a naive Irish backer. I literally enter every season believing that ND should win 10 games and be in a minimum New Year's Day Bowl game. The streak of years without a MNC has not changed that yet. So, take my ramblings with the appropriate grain of salt...
Why will ND be a force next year when they were a farce this year?
Simple - recruiting.
Not that I believe the freshmen will be the panacea to cure all that ails the Irish either; no, I look at the recruiting prowess of this 2008 class and see something that I believe all Irish fans can take heart in....change. And not just change for change's sake either. On NSD last year ND was jilted by several high profile players...we all know who and when, but the names of who did not come are no longer important. The important thing was that on NSD last year Weis made a pledge that things would be different. That he and the staff would work themselves to death if necessary to make sure that '08 would not be '07 redux...
Well, we are not officially home quite yet, but the recruiting facts speak for themselves. Coming off THE worst season in ND history, Weis is poised to bring in one of the best ever classes by many 'experts' opinions. He vowed it would be different...and then despite what many weaker men (yes, I am pointing squarely at YOU Mr. Davie..) could have used as excuses for failure (bad season, tough academics, dirty recruiting by opponents), Weis is set do what many said could not be done. He is bringing in a consensus top-3 (and possibly #1) recruiting class.
The weather in South Bend did not change....
The academic requirements did not nose dive off a cliff.....
The co-ed's did not suddenly become blonder or more numerous or less virtuous...
No, what changed was the addition of Corwin Brown and a new dedication to doing things a certain way that pushed Weis and Co. over the top. Now obviously the job is only 80% done...a verbal pledge is non-binding (and given the way coaches treat their word these days I am only shocked MORE verbals are not reneged on), but the fact is that the 23 names currently committed to ND are a special group. They are the first, but certainly not the last, group to be pursued with a mutual commitment in hand from day one and they responded in astonishing fashion.
3-9.
Just look at THAT!
Notre Dame Football.
3-9.
Now look at the list of 22 (**editted - I mistakenly said 23 originally, though I am quite confident that ND will sign more than the current 22 commits on NSD...) players verbally committed to ND....staggering. The only thing more remarkable is that it is being done without even a hint, rumor or sour grapes statement implicating improper inducements to these players!! ND, and by extension Weis, is blazing a new trail in the recruiting world. NO ONE recruits like THIS when they are losing 75% of their games! NO ONE...
So why does this success mean 2008 will be a complete reversal of 2007? Simple really....because Charlie said so. I know, I know...he also said "Nasty" at one time too and we have not seen much 'nasty' yet. But Weis has said that starting on Monday (12/17/2007) that he was going to work to fix what went so terribly wrong this year. I believe him.
Not just because I so desperately want to believe either. No, I see that he has said things in the very recent past and then produced results commensurate with his statements. He vowed things would be different in recruiting and they are. He has made staff changes when he felt it was necessary and I believe in Corwin Brown as a part of the solution. And now he has said that he is going to fix things with this team in the future.
The recruits, many of whom had their pick of ANY university in the country if they wanted it, also believe him. Even during the recently deceased horror show of a football season in 2007, the underclassmen played with a passion and verve that showed THEY also believe him. If this many players, with so much at stake can continue to put their faith in Charlie Weis as the man to lead them to success and hopefully championships, they we as mere fans (or alumni or subway alumni) should be able to do the same for another year.
I think the results on the field in 2008 will vindicate this leap of faith.
To me, the results Weis has produced in recruiting after vowing to do so make the Kool-Aid the sigar-sweetened good kind instead of the Nutra-sweet or sugar-free crap many of us have been forced to woof down over the past decade +....
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