Media Day

[Fbolt]

I like that Kelly has never taken a swipe at Weiss, but it looks like he let one slip during the presser:

“Our recruiting has changed,” he stated. “We’re recruiting young men that are coming to Notre Dame to play for “Our Lady.” Your not here to hang your hat because your going to the league. If you want to do that there are other schools for you, and we may not get some of those guys that have that attitude. There could be eight-star players, nine-star players, whatever the highest star is out there, if they don’t fit that mentality we won’t recruit those guys. We’re starting by recruiting guys that want to be at Notre Dame to get their degree, and play for Notre Dame.”


Sounds like a Weiss/Clausen dig to me...

Kelly's Boys Focused

 

[Old Man Mike]

I've always viewed "taking swipes at" and "digs" as statements where the primary intent was to strike at the personality associated with the issue involved. That is, the "swiper" has an agenda to demean another personality. I don't think that Kelly does that --- probably not at all, let alone at Coach Weis.

Kelly IS however a frank and honest man, and will say what he thinks about current team policies and systems. If in that frankness, someone unnamed gets poorly reflected upon, Kelly has still given accurate information and has not pointed fingers, as he believes in looking out the front windshield and not the rear view mirror. It is WE who will decide to obsess or not upon any "deductions" we wish to make about things both in the past and about which Kelly spends very little time considering himself.


p.s. The way that Kelly speaks of most of these sorts of things is as if he is offering a "different philosophy" rather than the only way that anyone could possibly do things. He believes in his philosophy, and not in some array of other possible ideas. He has his reasons and the press will insist that he describe them. Coaches with other philosophies have the burden of defending their own.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Right on Old Man Mike!

Kelly in fact uses humor and hyperbole to make a point. I saw that statement, and can see how some might see him as taking a swipe at CW. But two things dissuaded me:

1) Brian was glee-filled when he was pantomiming "eight stars, nine starts, or how ever many stars they have now." I think that makes it real clear that Brian Kelly has nothing but ridicule for an establishment that only regards the physical talent of an individual recruit, with no regard for his intellectual, spiritual, moral and logical development; and that establishment is the brunt of his attack.

2) Brian Kelly has made respectfully and painfully clear from day one, that past coaching staffs (plural) at Notre Dame have not done the things required to win football games and play championship football. He stated this out of the chute with the utmost respect, and genteel civility. And his comments have not been like a guy in a diner's, either. He has always been focused on what he is going to do, and just instructing civilians, pedestrian to football operations on where thing have fallen short. This gives someone with observational skills all they need to see when rapid change is being made.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I like that Kelly has never taken a swipe at Weiss, but it looks like he let one slip during the presser:

“Our recruiting has changed,” he stated. “We’re recruiting young men that are coming to Notre Dame to play for “Our Lady.” Your not here to hang your hat because your going to the league. If you want to do that there are other schools for you, and we may not get some of those guys that have that attitude. There could be eight-star players, nine-star players, whatever the highest star is out there, if they don’t fit that mentality we won’t recruit those guys. We’re starting by recruiting guys that want to be at Notre Dame to get their degree, and play for Notre Dame.”


Sounds like a Weiss/Clausen dig to me...

Kelly's Boys Focused

To be fair, that wasn't a pointless dig at Weis. One of the major problems with the program that Kelly had to correct last season was the overwhelming sense of entitlement that came from Weis' NFL-centric culture.

If he said, "At least I don't look like Jabba the Hut," then that would be out of line. But addressing specific changes he's had to make-- which inevitably draws in the previous staff-- is totally legit.

 

[Old Man Mike]

One other thing that is probably good to say about Coach: he is still a human being. I personally would find it difficult if I took over a complicated situation and the previous responsible persons had left it in a mess. My responses to certain questions just might reflect a little restrained anger. I'm giving Kelly a complete pass on this.

Even Loyal Lou was nearly apoplectic during the first Clausen season about the poorly planned transition between Quinn's last team and the embarrassment that the coaching staff put out there for Jimmy. I was a bit apoplectic myself despite being a lot more ignorant than Lou. Sometimes things need to be said.

 

[military_irish]

I've always viewed "taking swipes at" and "digs" as statements where the primary intent was to strike at the personality associated with the issue involved. That is, the "swiper" has an agenda to demean another personality. I don't think that Kelly does that --- probably not at all, let alone at Coach Weis.

<a href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/swiper no swiping/karenfoster1/swiperSample.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff29/karenfoster1/swiperSample.jpg" border="0"></a>

I also don't think Kelly does it, on purpose anyway. But apparently there were issues with the last regime. So when he speaks about what he does, it shows what the other coaching staff did not do. So it will most likely come off as a "dig" when in reality it is just the truth.