How Do You Approach the Rest of the Season?

[Luckylucci]

I'm casually attached because I can't let it affect my life to a great extent. I have two kids under two, a wife and plenty of house/yard work and hobbies. Last weekend, I taped the game while my FIL and I installed a new pool cover. Walked in when NC State was kneeling it, immediately deleted the game.

I simply don't have the drive to be tormented anymore. There are far too many things I'd like to accomplish with my life that I can't allow a college football team to dictate my emotions for a whole weekend.

If we were playing hard and winning then I'd be more inclined to invest myself but not this year. I'll catch the games if I don't have something else to do, whereas previous years everything was planned around the games.

This has to be the definition of what a fair weather fan is. I'll watch, when they start doing well again, lol.

Not saying you are, its just interesting that so many die hard ND fans, are now not watching games, because they aren't good.

 

[dad4aa]

People rooting for ND to lose or hoping they lose so BK gets fired is ridiculous. I cannot see any situation (outside of something stupid like assaulting a player, co-ed, etc) where he gets fired at the end of the year. He has had winning seasons every year he has been here and the only coach to lead us to a NC since Holtz. I would be totally shocked if he is not given a chance to redeem himself next year.

 

[dad4aa]

None of us are happy with the outcome of the season but as a fan base we have to support the team. Aside from Kelly...I feel like we owe it to these kids to support them even through a down year. I mean that's what makes sports great right? There's years where you expect greatness and get mediocrity and there's years like 2012. Watching your team lose is tough but it makes winning so much better and gives you a sense of appreciation. I will watch every minute of every game that I can. If you aren't with the team through the losses you don't deserve to root for the wins. We Are Not Bandwagoners... WeAreND

Excellent post!!! reps

 

[greyhammer90]

Had a wedding last weekend in which I was a groomsman. Checked the score at the end of the game, saw we lost, ordered a shot.

I'll watch it if I'm home and able to, but its hard to care more than people who actually run the football program do. Losing to Duke and NC State with our facilities/recruiting/MONEY tells me that someone in the program cares much, much less about the success of the program than I do.

 

[Irish Insanity]

This has to be the definition of what a fair weather fan is. I'll watch, when they start doing well again, lol.

Not saying you are, its just interesting that so many die hard ND fans, are now not watching games, because they aren't good.

It's not as much watch them if they're winning don't if they're losing. If the product put on the field wasn't so dysfunctional and a complete waste of the wealth of talent we have it would be different.

 

[Luckylucci]

It's not as much watch them if they're winning don't if they're losing. If the product put on the field wasn't so dysfunctional and a complete waste of the wealth of talent we have it would be different.

So, you are saying that if the team wasn't talented, just bad players and they were losing, then you'd watch?

I'm not necessarily directing this towards you, just your statement but I don't buy that for one second. Its funny because the Oregon Ducks are going through the same thing and this entire state had been on the bandwagon, funny how quickly folks jump from that bandwagon, when they were previously, die hard fans.

 

[Irish Insanity]

So, you are saying that if the team wasn't talented, just bad players and they were losing, then you'd watch?

I'm not necessarily directing this towards you, just your statement but I don't buy that for one second. Its funny because the Oregon Ducks are going through the same thing and this entire state had been on the bandwagon, funny how quickly folks jump from that bandwagon, when they were previously, die hard fans.

No, I'm sayng if our coach put a watchable product on the field I'd watch it. I've been an ND fan since the early 90's. Diehard since the mid 2000's. I've planned mostly all of those weekends around a game if we had one, no matter how shity we were. I won't the rest of this year. Not with this coach. Not with the product we've seen thus far. It has nothing to do with the players or how talented they are.

 

[IrishBroker]

At this point, I'm only interested to see young guys playing and guys competing for individual awards

The team is a dumpster fire and pretty much unwatchable other than what I mentioned.

But I'll always root for the good guys. It's just I don't care how they finish this year.

 

[ShawneeIrish]

I have been DVRing the games and watching without checking score. Hard to get too excited about the games at this point. Enjoy watching the guys play but BK just infuriates me so much. I would not root for us to lose any games, but at this point kind of feel like every loss is disappointing while a win is still a little disappointing because could mean more years of BK and also the moments when we play well just upsets me about all the talent squandered this year. I am attending the Army game but I am way more excited about the trip than the game.

 

[Blaise]

I will watch every game and root my butt off..

However I find myself not being devastated when we lose.. The texas game crushed me. the Msu game upset me to no end... However, Duke and NC ST I was past really getting upset.. I guess going to a bowl as a 7 win team or not going and only winning 5 games doesn't matter as much to me. I hope we win every game from here out but if we don't. It will no longer ruin my weekend

 

[greyhammer90]

I will watch every game and root my butt off..

However I find myself not being devastated when we lose.. The texas game crushed me. the Msu game upset me to no end... However, Duke and NC ST I was past really getting upset.. I guess going to a bowl as a 7 win team or not going and only winning 5 games doesn't matter as much to me. I hope we win every game from here out but if we don't. It will no longer ruin my weekend

This is a good summation. Every season has a low-end emotional switch-off point for me. When a season gets to a certain point of train-wreckness, I stop caring emotionally but am still interested to see outcomes/circumstances. The Duke game was my shut-off point. I can't care anymore because I'm mentally exhausted. At this point I'm not going to get upset at anything other than a Navy loss. The season's already wrecked, so I'm just interested in what the fallout is.

 

[Hammer Of The Gods]

I'm going to root for individual performances but overall this teams need to lose. Kelly has to go and we need to regroup.

 

[kmoose]

So, you are saying that if the team wasn't talented, just bad players and they were losing, then you'd watch?

I'm not necessarily directing this towards you, just your statement but I don't buy that for one second. Its funny because the Oregon Ducks are going through the same thing and this entire state had been on the bandwagon, funny how quickly folks jump from that bandwagon, when they were previously, die hard fans.

I would rather have a sister that worked in a whorehouse, than to have a family member who was a Duck fan. Worst fans in the world, period. Pretentious, ignorant, entitled, soft, and stupid are the NICE ways I would describe them. I hated living there during college football season....

 

[kmoose]

These types of seasons suck but I keep thinking it will all be worth it when things get turned around.

This! And when things do get turned around, and the NDOMs and wizards come back? F*ck them. They can wait for the next wagon; there's no room for their kind on this one.

 

[Luckylucci]

I would rather have a sister that worked in a whorehouse, than to have a family member who was a Duck fan. Worst fans in the world, period. Pretentious, ignorant, entitled, soft, and stupid are the NICE ways I would describe them. I hated living there during college football season....

Yea, can't say I'm a huge fan. The reason the fan base is so bad, IMO, is because a majority are bandwagon Duck fans. Not even football fans, just really like to be able to say, they are Duck Fans, because everyone is, lol. I have a lot of friends that are both Duck and OSU fans, I can say that not all Duck fans are this way but a large majority of the fan base seems to be so. Even though they've had substantially more success than the Beavers, since I've move to Oregon, I enjoy going to Oregon State games more.

 

[ulukinatme]

With lots of beer.

Smartest thing you've said all year.

You hate seasons like this as a fan, but it does make things interesting. We're getting to see a lot of players that we normally wouldn't see in a good year. I think we had a bit of that in 2011 when the team was up and down. We were forced to put guys like Tuitt into action as a freshman, and a lot of other underclassmen to get their feet wet. It paid dividends the following season by helping us go 12-0. Not saying that's what's going to happen this year, but it's refreshing to see us mixing up the roster a bit and seeing guys like Dexter running the ball, Stepherson is getting attention, we're seeing lots of fresh faces in the secondary which will help for next year.

Things are a little unstable now, but what comes next will be good. We find out now who has the heart to play on this team, and we're starting to see who will be the big stars for next year.

 

[scUM Hater]

Keep rooting on the team and Coach Kelly. He fired Van Gorder (long time coming). The talent they have and all the youth that is playing only bodes well for the future. Kelly needs......HAS.....to have an incredible hire for his defensive coordinator. They will be so much better next year. Averaging 33.7 yards a game and not losing much after this year offensively and defensively. If they get a serviceable defense next year, it will be all good. GO IRISH

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

This has to be the definition of what a fair weather fan is. I'll watch, when they start doing well again, lol.

Not saying you are, its just interesting that so many die hard ND fans, are now not watching games, because they aren't good.

I'm okay with that label. I thought I was a diehard until this year. I went through Davie, Willingham, Weis and tried not to miss games and I'd set aside 30 mins before and at least an hour after to watch replay/highlights/etc. But this season was one gut shot after another and I have too much to do. If we were trotting out a quality product, even an average 8-5 to 9-4 team would keep my attention but this is atrocious compared to the talent level.

The foundation is showing cracks and I thought we were building something better. The recruiting class may begin to fall apart and all of Kelly's hard work may go up in smoke. I've invested a great portion of every day to following ND and seasons like this make it feel like it's been a waste (probably because it really is).

If fairweather fandom means I'm a better father/husband/property owner, so be it.

In fact, I hope all the hard core people suffer through this year because it'll make next year that much better for them.

I find more pleasure in other things and I'm okay with it.

Onward march, ye faithful soldiers.

 

[scUM Hater]

I'm okay with that label. I thought I was a diehard until this year. I went through Davie, Willingham, Weis and tried not to miss games and I'd set aside 30 mins before and at least an hour after to watch replay/highlights/etc. But this season was one gut shot after another and I have too much to do. If we were trotting out a quality product, even an average 8-5 to 9-4 team would keep my attention but this is atrocious compared to the talent level.

The foundation is showing cracks and I thought we were building something better. The recruiting class may begin to fall apart and all of Kelly's hard work may go up in smoke. I've invested a great portion of every day to following ND and seasons like this make it feel like it's been a waste (probably because it really is).

If fairweather fandom means I'm a better father/husband/property owner, so be it.

In fact, I hope all the hard core people suffer through this year because it'll make next year that much better for them.

I find more pleasure in other things and I'm okay with it.

Onward march, ye faithful soldiers.

The recruits will leave if Kelly gets fired. Then we will be set back again.....

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

After the Texas game I told myself I need a new hobby, but if ND were playing an exhibition game vs Southwest Missouri State I would still watch. I grew up with ND football and can't not watch. No longer excited, but I can't not watch.

Similar to Koon, I look forward to plopping my ass on the couch with a bottle of vodka and a bag of pretzels for a few hours.

 

[scUM Hater]

 

[Circa]

My sister got married this weekend so I didn't watch the game and I have no desire to go back and watch the recording. That's probably how I'll handle the rest of the season. I'll watch if I'm around the house but I'm not going to treat it as must-see-TV and I won't be watching it on the DVR if I miss it live.

Even when I watch, I'm rooting for us to lose at this point so we get rid of Kelly.

Damn Millennials..

 

[gkIrish]

The recruits will leave if Kelly gets fired. Then we will be set back again.....

Did they leave when Charlie was fired? Did any leave when BVG was fired? The idea that there will be a mass exodus of recruits is a myth. Maybe 2-3 guys leave but you can also gain recruits who were committed to the coach you just hired.

Maybe, just maybe, some recruits love the school but dislike the coach and would commit to us with a new coach...

By your logic, you should never fire a coach.

 

[kmoose]

I provide, here, for your edification............. perhaps the wisest, most clear headed, most concise and on-point post to ever grace the pages of Irish Envy:

Life's too short to worry about going undefeated, national titles, etc. I mean, would it be great to win a natty? Hell yes. Is that the goal? Hell yes.

At the same time, just enjoy watching the Irish every week. Enjoy it for the moment and not for what happens a few months down the road.

 

[stlnd01]

Jesus, some of you people are pathetic.
Of course you watch the game. You watch it all the way to the end. On DVR if your kid's got soccer practice or whatever. There's still a lot to root for, and being there for the bad as well as the good is part of being a community, even, dare I say it, the Notre Dame Family. You sure as shit don't root for them to lose so the coach gets fired. What the hell...

 

[stlnd01]

I provide, here, for your edification............. perhaps the wisest, most clear headed, most concise and on-point post to ever grace the pages of Irish Envy:

Reps, sir.

 

[gkIrish]

Jesus, some of you people are pathetic.
Of course you watch the game. You watch it all the way to the end. On DVR if your kid's got soccer practice or whatever. There's still a lot to root for, and being there for the bad as well as the good is part of being a community, even, dare I say it, the Notre Dame Family. You sure as shit don't root for them to lose so the coach gets fired. What the hell...

I don't agree with hoping we lose but I could argue that those who are rooting for that care about this program much more than others.

It's no different than rooting for your favorite NFL team who is out of the playoff hunt to lose all their games to get the #1 pick. You are rooting for whatever is best for the team going forward.

 

[IrishInFl]

A soon as college hockey season starts, that takes priority. For example, Irish football is on in the evening, as is Irish hockey versus my UMD Bulldogs. I will watch the replay though.

 

[stlnd01]

I don't agree with hoping we lose but I could argue that those who are rooting for that care about this program much more than others.

It's no different than rooting for your favorite NFL team who is out of the playoff hunt to lose all their games to get the #1 pick. You are rooting for whatever is best for the team going forward.

If you think that's what's best for the program.
Also, getting the #1 pick is indisputably better than getting, say, the #5 pick. Firing Brian Kelly for some mystery savior? Not as much.

 

[gkIrish]

If you think that's what's best for the program.
Also, getting the #1 pick is indisputably better than getting, say, the #5 pick. Firing Brian Kelly for some mystery savior? Not as much.

It's not a perfect analogy but it's the same logic.

These people aren't rooting for losses because they are bad fans. That's all I'm trying to say.