"Trouble Along The Way" on TCM now

[BGIF]

This is an early 50's movie with John Wayne playing a college football coach that's been fired for rule breaking in most of the nation's conference. A small Catholic college, St Anthony's, is struggling financially. The head of the college thinking of Notre Dame's success (It's was the Leahy era) dreams of taking his college into the big time. He hires the unemployed coach to do that.

You'll get a whiff of the play for play, no show students, out of eligibility athletes and other abuses that use to be common-in-place.

You'll also hear, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing". It's widely attributed to Vince Lombardi but it wasn't his. Lombardi was a college assistant coach when this movie was made.

 

[dshans]

This is an early 50's movie with John Wayne playing a college football coach that's been fired for rule breaking in most of the nation's conference. A small Catholic college, St Anthony's, is struggling financially. The head of the college thinking of Notre Dame's success (It's was the Leahy era) dreams of taking his college into the big time. He hires the unemployed coach to do that.

You'll get a whiff of the play for play, no show students, out of eligibility athletes and other abuses that use to be common-in-place.

You'll also hear, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing". It's widely attributed to Vince Lombardi but it wasn't his. Lombardi was a college assistant coach when this movie was made.

It was, indeed, a good movie. It was "PAY for play" rather than "PLAY for play." There's a Marx Brothers' movie with the same theme but a different, humorous slant. I don't remember the title. [Forgive my picky-*** reference to an obvious typo.]

My impression, over my many years, is that ND's football program wasn't always as straight up and narrow as it is today.

 

[BGIF]

It was, indeed, a good movie. It was "PAY for play" rather than "PLAY for play." There's a Marx Brothers' movie with the same theme but a different, humorous slant. I don't remember the title. [Forgive my picky-*** reference to an obvious typo.]

Sorry for that (and for the "common-in-place")

My impression, over my many years, is that ND's football program wasn't always as straight up and narrow as it is today.

I would suspect that Rockne had more clout with Admissions than any of his successors in getting recruits in and keeping them in. I doubt there was anything like ResLife back then either. Was there even a ResLife when Hornung was the Golden Boy?

 

[dshans]

Oh

Sorry for that (and for the "common-in-place")I would suspect that Rockne had more clout with Admissions than any of his successors in getting recruits in and keeping them in. I doubt there was anything like ResLife back then either. Was there even a ResLife when Hornung was the Golden Boy?

I suspect that were there a ResLife (or an equivalent body) with the equivalent sway, guidelines and authority that exists today, the Golden Boy and many others would not have stayed, much less made, the course. I also assume that the standards for admission for possible football talent was, shall we say, "flexible."

Life goes on. History is writ. Hell, admission standards are more a hurdle.

 

[irishtrain]

Hey guys its a well known fact that at one time Notre Dame bent the rules better than anyone. When the admn decided to play it straight it took many losing years and a man named ARA to set it right again. I've seen the movie many times and its close to what it was like at many places. Today the teams that are doing it and disguising it are the winners. Its why I said my peace about Ala/LSU-if I wanted to watch pro football I'd do it on Sunday. Part of my pro comment lies with the fact that college life/education/carrying the same work load is simply not the same everywhere. Wake Forest Notre Dame WAS a college football game. LSU/Ala was my ranch hands (putting it politically correct) against yours.