How Do You Approach the Rest of the Season?

[Luckylucci]

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.

To me, its a completely different scenario. These players have a limited and somewhat small window to play college football. Most will never go on to play in the NFl and their football days will be over. I want those guys to have the best possible experience. Those that do, still only have a few years, which as we all know, goes by very quickly, to enjoy it. The players only have so much eligibility and no choice in how long they stay, when their eligibility is up, they are out. In the NFL players have choices, to some degree. At the very least, much more say in the matter than you do in college.

Isaac Rochell, Big Mike, Q, etc. all signed to play at ND because they love the same qualities about the university/football program that we all do. I think the very least we can do, is cheer for their success, not hope for their failure. I'd like to see Rochell win as many games as possible, in the last year of his ND career. I'm sure he does as well, and that means more to me, than whether or not this means Kelly comes back.

We have no way of knowing whether Kelly will be back, based on poor results. What we do know, is that the seniors would much rather go out winning than losing and that's enough for me.

 

[IrishLax]

I missed NC State game. First game I've missed in years. I will watch the Stanford game (at least partially), I will watch the Miami game (at least partially), and I will be at the Virginia Tech game.

Probably won't watch any others. Missing the NC State game was one of the better weekends/uses of time I've had recently. This team is truly an embarrassment from top down and mentally taxing. And I'm never one to talk in hyperbole like that... I truly mean it. Unlike Weis 3-9, there isn't a good "excuse" for this year except shitty roster management and coaching.

The only way I think Kelly should keep is his job is if we go at least 5-1 over the last six.

 

[irishff1014]

Hell Saturday I knew the game was going to be hell and probably rough but I still set me alarm to watch the game. I got off night work Saturday morning and had to work Saturday night. I slept til 12 and back for a few hours after the game and I would do it again. Not saying some others aren't true fans but die hard fans don't drop them no matter how bad they are.

 

[NorthDakota]

Why on earth would anyone root for their team to lose? These are kids playing a game, come on.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Why on earth would anyone root for their team to lose? These are kids playing a game, come on.

No, they're not kids. But you still shouldn't root for your team to lose. Ever. Under any circumstances.

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

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.

College hockey? And you live in Florida? You belong in New England, my friend. The college hockey games bring more crowds than any football game.

 

[gkIrish]

To me, its a completely different scenario. These players have a limited and somewhat small window to play college football. Most will never go on to play in the NFl and their football days will be over. I want those guys to have the best possible experience. Those that do, still only have a few years, which as we all know, goes by very quickly, to enjoy it. The players only have so much eligibility and no choice in how long they stay, when their eligibility is up, they are out. In the NFL players have choices, to some degree. At the very least, much more say in the matter than you do in college.

Isaac Rochell, Big Mike, Q, etc. all signed to play at ND because they love the same qualities about the university/football program that we all do. I think the very least we can do, is cheer for their success, not hope for their failure. I'd like to see Rochell win as many games as possible, in the last year of his ND career. I'm sure he does as well, and that means more to me, than whether or not this means Kelly comes back.

We have no way of knowing whether Kelly will be back, based on poor results. What we do know, is that the seniors would much rather go out winning than losing and that's enough for me.

There's nothing I can disagree with here but I guess I don't think winning 5 games vs. 3 games is going to have any material affect on the lives of our seniors. It can have a huge effect on the underclassmen and the future of the program though.

 

[loomis41973]

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...

+1 What kinda fan roots for a loss? So the coach can be fired????? GTFO



BK will be here next year. Wasting brain cells to think otherwise.

 

[Luckylucci]

There's nothing I can disagree with here but I guess I don't think winning 5 games vs. 3 games is going to have any material affect on the lives of our seniors. It can have a huge effect on the underclassmen and the future of the program though.

If that were the case then I'd understand. I guess, I was coming from a place where instead of putting a number on wins, it's the attitude that I'd like to see them win them all. A home win versus Stanford, great moment for the players. A road win at USC, good win for the players. Will it change the season, no. But it gives the young guys confidence and upperclassmen lasting memories. I want that substantially more than BK getting fired, is all.

With that said, I do realize this has been an atrocious coaching job, in most areas.

 

[stlnd01]

If that were the case then I'd understand. I guess, I was coming from a place where instead of putting a number on wins, it's the attitude that I'd like to see them win them all. A home win versus Stanford, great moment for the players. A road win at USC, good win for the players. Will it change the season, no. But it gives the young guys confidence and upperclassmen lasting memories. I want that substantially more than BK getting fired, is all.

With that said, I do realize this has been an atrocious coaching job, in most areas.

Yeah. I guess I don't think a win or two one way or the other is going to make that big a difference for Kelly's future. If he's going to get pushed out it'll happen whether we're 3-9, 4-8 or 5-7. But if we're able to rebound and win 8 or even 7 games at this point - which purely on a talent basis we could certainly do - that would represent something of an accomplishment for this team and give some good momentum into next year. I'll root for that.

 

[Circa]

Who Is the skinny funny looking guy next to the fat Chicagoan looking guy that started the questioning at the Stanford presser? Kelly won that go around better than Clinton could even begin to understand a stance and go around of that nature.

 

[irisheyes]

Saturday, Donny, is Shabbos, the Jewish day of rest. That means that I don't work, I don't drive a car, I don't fucking ride in a car, I don't handle money, I don't turn on the oven, and I sure as shit dont miss the notre dame game.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

How Do You Approach the Rest of the Season?

I will still watch every game the remainder of the season, whether live or on DVR. I've been a Notre Dame fan since 1993 and I can count on my hands the number of games I've missed.

For those that want to lose all the games and have BK fired; do you remember what ND was like before he got here.

The end of Lou Holtz era, Davies, Ty, Weis. Getting a new coach doesn't guarantee more success or the same success as Kelly has had. I'm to scared to see what ND will be like without Kelly.

Again I started watching ND in 1993, the end of the Holtz era. He produced two good seasons 1993 1 loss team, robbed of a national title, and 1995 two regular season losses to NorthWestern and OSU and then an orange bowl loss to FSU. 1995 seasons seems like a typical Brian Kelly season...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bkess8]

As long as I do not have military obligations to be out on the ocean defending AMERICA I will not miss the game. I do enjoy the ups and downs of the season and seasons of past but this one has taken a special toll on me. I for no specific reason feel more invested in wanting these kids to succeed. I want these kids to succeed because just going to ND is an accomplishment and they deserve to be rewarded for being held accountable both on and off the field.

I will still be pissed if we lose another game this season! I will probably say stupid comments like over 75% on this board but I will until my dying day always love ND football and will never miss a game if I don't have too!

 

[Crazy Balki]

Stanford is a must win. Going into the BYE, 3-4 with a win at night at home against a main rival gives you a good bit to work with moving forward. 2-5 going into the BYE and I don't think we recover or would even be capable of recovering.

Man, this has to be the most depressing sports year in my life as a fan.

- ND kicks off 2016 with a bad loss in the Fiesta Bowl, then the new season comes around and we're 2-4 against 6 average at best teams.

- Bears are 1-4 and I'm fairly confident they have accumulated more injuries on their roster than the rest of the NFC North COMBINED.

- Bulls missed the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

- Blackhawks fail to defend their title and get ousted in the first round by one of the most hated teams on the ice. They were the only team I root for that was anywhere close to good.

- White Sox miss the playoffs for the 8th straight season (3 appearances in 20 years....ugh). Add in the Cubs recent success to pour salt in the wound.

 

[Irish#1]

I laughed when I read the OP, because I immediately envisioned my wife. Rolling her eyes she says, "Oh yeah, he'll be watching the games. I might need to be rushed to the hospital, but he'll find a way to watch the game". lol

 

[CrystalHead]

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.

Your not a Notre Dame fan. Period. These kids have committed to the team I love and deserve support in years like this. They have showed no signs of giving up even though they are 2-4 I fully expect them to show up against Stanford. Win or lose I will be watching and rooting hard for these guys to win. To say you root against these kids in order to get rid of a coach just blows me away. I get your frustration and found myself saying I'm done watching this team this year, but the following week I find myself right in front of the TV hoping for a victory for these kids. But hey, what do I know, I only lived through the Faust, Davie, Willingham and Weis seasons.

 

[kmoose]

There's nothing I can disagree with here but I guess I don't think winning 5 games vs. 3 games is going to have any material affect on the lives of our seniors. It can have a huge effect on the underclassmen and the future of the program though.

You know what else could have a huge effect on the underclassmen and the future of the program?

Beating 3 Top 25 teams (#16Miami, #25Navy, #17Va.Tech) and your biggest rival(USC) in the second half of the season.

So which would you rather root for?

 

[NDShark]

You know what else could have a huge effect on the underclassmen and the future of the program?

Beating 3 Top 25 teams (#16Miami, #25Navy, #17Va.Tech) and your biggest rival(USC) in the second half of the season.

So which would you rather root for?

Yikes -- that realization that the hard road lies ahead

 

[Blaise]

To me, its a completely different scenario. These players have a limited and somewhat small window to play college football. Most will never go on to play in the NFl and their football days will be over. I want those guys to have the best possible experience. Those that do, still only have a few years, which as we all know, goes by very quickly, to enjoy it. The players only have so much eligibility and no choice in how long they stay, when their eligibility is up, they are out. In the NFL players have choices, to some degree. At the very least, much more say in the matter than you do in college.

Isaac Rochell, Big Mike, Q, etc. all signed to play at ND because they love the same qualities about the university/football program that we all do. I think the very least we can do, is cheer for their success, not hope for their failure. I'd like to see Rochell win as many games as possible, in the last year of his ND career. I'm sure he does as well, and that means more to me, than whether or not this means Kelly comes back.

We have no way of knowing whether Kelly will be back, based on poor results. What we do know, is that the seniors would much rather go out winning than losing and that's enough for me.

Exactly how I feel... losing every game doesn't mean this team is better in 2 or 3 years... but these kids... I Hope they win because they chose ND and they deserve to go out winning as many games as possible

 

[IrishLion]

1. I wait all offseason for this sh*t. There is no way that I'm going to stop tuning in. I need my fix, regardless of records and success and outcomes and whatnot. I'm too addicted to ND football, and skipping out on games or sending them to the back as "priority" would be a disservice to the anticipation and impatience that I deal with all offseason. I will continue to plan my Saturdays around watching the Irish, and I will continue to have fights with my wife about such an arrangement. I would have it no other way.

2. Those saying they no longer feel the need to tune-in because this team is "unwatchable" should try and adjust to a new perspective: based on the principles of newsworthiness, excitement, and pure yackity-sax entertainment, this team is the definition of watchable. There is a weekly storyline as to whether or not BK will let the offense go prolific; there is weekly drama about the defense; there is weekly drama as to what insane, unpredictable, and non-repeatable occurrence will strike next; the games are competitive in their entirety; there are no dull moments. All of these things describe a team that is 100% watchable haha... just not for the reasons we all wanted. It's a soap opera, so just embrace the obscure points of watchability.

3. I'm ready for a new head coach. But I also firmly believe that BK isn't getting fired unless this team finishes with just 4 wins or less. Jack is too loyal, has orchestrated too many changes on behalf of BK, and just signed the guy to an extension. He ain't dumping BK unless there is systemic catastrophe... and a 5-7 record will get explained away as "growing pains" for the team. If you want a new coach, you need to root for total and utter failure, which I can't bring myself to do.

 

[NDohio]

I missed the NC St game (i was sorta dealing with a hurricane) and was receiving text updates throughout the game. I do my best to not miss a game and will continue to find a way to watch. I am often watching on a handheld device of some sort as my daughter is traveling all over and playing soccer - I do turn it off during her games though.

This season I will watch a little differently though. I want to see the young guys improve and become better players.

I feel a lot like Lucky does about cheering for them to win. These college students have a finite number of games that they can participate. I want them to be successful in as many of them as possible. As my daughter is playing her senior season, this becomes even more prominent for me as she is experiencing things for the last time - ever. This is the final experience for the ND seniors and they deserve our support. It's disappointing to hear fans of a college football team long for these student athletes to fail simply because you want the coach fired.

 

[military_irish]

I don't know how anyone could root for this team to lose or careless if they lose because they want BK gone. I'd feel, for lack of a better term, dirty if I rooted for them to lose.

We as diehard fans have watched most, if not all, of these kids since high school recruiting to starting or contributing to this team. We are brought into their "world" by all the inside videos we get to see from our local journalist and the ND Icon videos. We see the hard work and heartache they all endure to make us fans happy on Saturdays.

We owe it to them to not give up, as they still go out every week and bust there butt for our entertainment.

 

[Blaise]

Here is my question to the people who are rooting for ND to lose...

You care deeply enough about this program that you belong to a message board.. Its a way of life for you... What happens if you root for them to lose and they lose 7 games and they keep Brian Kelly... Do you go into next year hoping again for them to lose from Game 1 on in order to get the change you want?

 

[no.1IrishFan]

To the OP.

We walk up to these next 6 games and grab them by the pussy.

 

[gkIrish]

You know what else could have a huge effect on the underclassmen and the future of the program?

Beating 3 Top 25 teams (#16Miami, #25Navy, #17Va.Tech) and your biggest rival(USC) in the second half of the season.

So which would you rather root for?

Notre Dame was 6-2 in 2009 before dropping the final 4 games.

If we had won 2, or maybe even 1 of those games Charlie Weis would still have been our coach in 2010. Instead, we brought in BK, who did a fine job of turning the program around for 3 consecutive seasons.

So is it really that bad?

 

[fitz_bu47]

I watch every game I can. If I can't I DVR it. That said, I do the same with the Kansas Jayhawks, and have with both teams through some really rough years, my wife says I am a glutton for punishment (The Jayhawks have been particularly hard to watch, although better this year.).

I also am a lifelong Royals and Chiefs fan, so, again, I'm used to some tough times. I think that's what being a true fan is though. The struggles you go through with your team make years like 2012, or even last year for the Irish, that much sweeter when they happen. I feel like in a silly way, I've "earned" the celebration when they are good b/c I was there during the bad.
This feeling was really evident to me the last couple years w/ the Royals. They had been bad for so long, that when they finally got it done the feelings were amazing for me, my buddies/family. The "new money" Royals fans were still happy, but not crazy like we were, and this year as soon as the team struggled a bit they were out. I'm not talking ish, that's probably a more normal way to handle stuff that "doesn't really matter" like sports we cheer for, and aren't on the team....but I just can't do it. Win or lose, I'm watching and cheering and hoping.

 

[kmoose]

Notre Dame was 6-2 in 2009 before dropping the final 4 games.

If we had won 2, or maybe even 1 of those games Charlie Weis would still have been our coach in 2010. Instead, we brought in BK, who did a fine job of turning the program around for 3 consecutive seasons.

So is it really that bad?

You disgust me, if you root for ND to lose even ONE game. In fact, I am amazed that you would even CONSIDER it. I'd like to see you stand in front of the team in the locker room and try to justify why you rooting for them to lose is in their best interest.

 

[gkIrish]

You disgust me, if you root for ND to lose even ONE game. In fact, I am amazed that you would even CONSIDER it. I'd like to see you stand in front of the team in the locker room and try to justify why you rooting for them to lose is in their best interest.

1) I am not rooting for it. I'm just saying it's not an unreasonable position.

2) It's shortsighted and overly simplistic to say winning a game is better than losing it in every instance. Let's say we win on Senior Day to bring our record to 4-7. Losing the final game means BK is fired and say, hypothetically, we can get Tom Herman. Winning that game means BK stays and we are mediocre or bad again next year. I don't think there's anything wrong for rooting for a loss in that scenario.

I get that you don't think BK being fired is an overall positive for the program so this doesn't compute for you but for people who do think him being fired is an overall positive then it's perfectly reasonable to want to lose that last game. I think you would also be surprised as to how many players would gladly take a loss to change the coaching situation.

 

[irishff1014]

Like I said I will keep watching every minute I possibly can of ND football. Like lion said I keep up with this program to way to much to just quit. I want to watch the young guys grow and see how this team deals with this season all the way through. i want to see if Kelly can fight his ego b cause like I have said another have said he isn't getting fired.