Players Skipping Alma Mater

[RDU Irish]

Lax - Come off the ledge. Even after a frustrating performance, this team is way better than what we had put up with for over a decade.

 

[NDinFL]

Lax - Come off the ledge. Even after a frustrating performance, this team is way better than what we had put up with for over a decade.

This.

I mean comparing BK to Kiffin?

C'mon man

 

[WakeUpEchoes]

This.

I mean comparing BK to Kiffin?

C'mon man

+1. Absolutely absurd.

 

[RDU Irish]

What makes Kiffin especially pathetic is the talent he works with. Not that our cupboard was bare but USC has been significantly above us on that front. Then consider the Pac10 or 12 or whatever, not much to contend with except Stanford and Oregon for the past five years. Only now do they have some second tier programs on the upswing. Until recently they went quickly to third tier pretty much skipping second tier entirely.

 

[Grahambo]

Ease up on Lax.

 

[IrishLax]

Lax - Come off the ledge. Even after a frustrating performance, this team is way better than what we had put up with for over a decade.

Not really. This team is "way better" than 2007. Maybe a little bit better than 2004, 2008, and 2009... but I'm not sure. Have to see how the season plays out. This team is undeniable worse than 2005, 2006, and 2012. So really it's on par with what we've seen the last decade.

Sure, Kelly is a different person/proven coach/program builder with a track record than Kiffin. That's inarguable. But his record in "big time" football since they both started coaching in 2010 is awfully comparable. Yeah, Kiffin had more talent in some respects but he also had sanctions to deal with and Kelly hasn't. Both have had lots of trouble retaining star signees for whatever reason. Both had one VERY good year... mostly using players from a previous regime. To say their football resumes to this point are that different is pretty crazy.

The big differentiator is that Kiffin actually had a downward trajectory considering where USC was pre-Kiffin and where the Trojans peaked at in 2011. Kelly -- for now -- has an upward trajectory from Weis and for all we know he's about to pull some miracle run out of his Irish tuckus and we finish the year 11-2. So you can't judge where Kelly is heading until at least next year whereas you could judge Kiffin.

But their successes/failures since 2012 are pretty darn comparable.

 

[RDU Irish]

Not really. This team is "way better" than 2007. Maybe a little bit better than 2004, 2008, and 2009... but I'm not sure. Have to see how the season plays out. This team is undeniable worse than 2005, 2006, and 2012. So really it's on par with what we've seen the last decade.

Sure, Kelly is a different person/proven coach/program builder with a track record than Kiffin. That's inarguable. But his record in "big time" football since they both started coaching in 2010 is awfully comparable. Yeah, Kiffin had more talent in some respects but he also had sanctions to deal with and Kelly hasn't. Both have had lots of trouble retaining star signees for whatever reason. Both had one VERY good year... mostly using players from a previous regime. To say their football resumes to this point are that different is pretty crazy.

The big differentiator is that Kiffin actually had a downward trajectory considering where USC was pre-Kiffin and where the Trojans peaked at in 2011. Kelly -- for now -- has an upward trajectory from Weis and for all we know he's about to pull some miracle run out of his Irish tuckus and we finish the year 11-2. So you can't judge where Kelly is heading until at least next year whereas you could judge Kiffin.

But their successes/failures since 2012 are pretty darn comparable.

3-0 turnover margin versus a ranked opponent is not statistically likely to end well. I am not surprised that Tommy was not dynamic enough to make up for the deficit he put us in. I have a hard time putting it all on the coach, yet.

Kelly is nowhere near the train wreck that is Lane Kiffin. Kelly is not destroying this program. I will agree that Kelly is not a proven elite coach and has a lot to prove. IF we finish 8-5 this year and follow up with a similar or worse record next year, I think we are forced into a corner. I just don't see it happening.

However I think it is equally ridiculous to act like Kelly is above reproach. He makes mistakes. It's not sacrilege to point them out.

Except first game, first two series on offense have been embarrassing.
Time management has been confounding at times, most recently kneel it out with 40 seconds and three TOs.
Had all offseason to tailor the offense to Tommy, yikes.
AND BACK ON TOPIC - Sending his team to the locker room before the Alma Mater after a loss - wtf?

 

[SoDakDomer]

I guess one positive, depending on how you feel about coach kelly at this point is I doubt he is going to be receiving a bunch of NFL interest this off season.

 

[WakeUpEchoes]

I guess one positive, depending on how you feel about coach kelly at this point is I doubt he is going to be receiving a bunch of NFL interest this off season.

LOL. Was going to post the same thing. His stock is probably a little down now.

 

[anarin]

LOL. Was going to post the same thing. His stock is probably a little down now.

If you buy into the legit interest

 

[irisheyes]

Tommy Rees’ Mentions On Twitter Are Absolutely Brutal | College Spun – Social. Local. Consumable. College Sports.

As much as i agree this kid may not be the best qb notre dame has ever seen. He may be one of the strongest with all he has to go through.

 

[Emcee77]

We are a good team without a QB. Serious question: is that Kelly's fault?

My immediate reaction is to say no. Kelly has recruited two QBs to ND: one guy transferred prematurely and another got suspended. He inherited two QBs, one unrated and one very modestly rated. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he's had some really bad luck at QB.

On the other hand ... let's just assume that Rees is a QB with very modest physical gifts who has worked hard, been coached well, and simply reached his celing.... but what about Hendrix? Lots of athletic ability, highly regarded by Kelly himself when he was a young player ... how is this guy not better than Rees? Is he like Crist, a physically talented guy who just doesn't have it between the ears? Maybe, but how many excuses can I make for Kelly? At some point, he's got to get a QB ready to play before I can really believe in him.

 

[irishpat183]

Lax - Come off the ledge. Even after a frustrating performance, this team is way better than what we had put up with for over a decade.

Way better?? Like how?

 

[RDU Irish]

Only one or two are even creative. Morons.

Hope all those people feel better about themselves today. Knobs.

 

[NDohio]

Way better?? Like how?

Serious question - were you an adult during the Davie/Willingham/Weis years? All of them?

I was. And those years were miserable. I didn't have any hope from one year to the next. They were all terrible coaches that did not have any clue on how to build a program, didn't relate to the players or their staff, and left the program in worse shape than when they started. It was depressing to be an Irish fan. I was miserable every Saturday in the fall. I spent Saturdays cheering against tOSU, Michigan, and USC 'cause my team had no clue and no direction.

Yes, things are better now. Way better. During all of the regimes mentioned above, the game Saturday would have been a complete blow out. Down 14-0 after three minutes all of those teams would have quit. This team did not. And the future looks better than the present. I never said that during those twelve miserable years.

 

[RDU Irish]

Way better?? Like how?

Well a couple of quick examples:

4-10 vs. MSU from 1997 to 2010, 3-0 since - losing to Sparty so much over that stretch may have scarred me for life.

Six losses in a row to Boston College was pretty fvcking emasculating from 2001-2008, not to mention they knocked us out of bowl contention in 1999. 4-0 from 2009-2012

 

[Patulski]

I'm just saying that this recent move seemed borderline Kiffian.

It's been outlined numerous times on this thread why it's not just about singing a song or "swaying like nuns". So either you a.) automatically dismissed a valid complaint by people who actually went to ND b.) are fishing for reps from one of the other manly men who don't see the point in athletes embracing their community or c.) are just being a jacka$$. ND students who aren't freshmen have seen a lot of losses - as have the football players. But after all of those losses, the alma mater was sung, to show that the University is greater than the game.

You guys are really talking out of your a$$ with that sh$t.

You do realize that tons of alumni hate the swaying. They hate the mums. They hate that awful "here come the Irish of Notruh Dame" before the kickoff and all of the pu$$ification of game day.

They want ND to be a bada$$ program again and a stadium atmosphere that celebrates the gladiators on the field, not Muffy and Biff in the stands.

They don't care what this "everybody gets a trophy" generation of students wants. They want their program back. They understand raising the helmets to the student body during the Victory March after winning - the VICTORY MARCH - but don't want the football team swaying after getting their a$$ kicked by Oklahoma, or worse Syracuse, Navy, Air Force etc, to "Notre Dame Our Mother" as a symbol of "community". It literally makes them want to puke.

Thankfully, it looks like the administration agrees. There will be all kinds of whining from the thumb suckers in the current student body. Hopefully ND will weed out their kind and get more students who would rather fight after losing than sway. That's what the friggin' Fighting Irish student body used to be, not a bunch of nerdy,
diaper wearing wimps who need a collective hug after seeing their team getting their a$$ handed to them.

And for the record: As far as I'm concerned the raising of the helmets should only be after winning. When you lose you get your a$$ into the locker room. There is no reason to celebrate anything when you lose. You lose, get your a$$ back to work and raise the helmet when you win. So, they should change the order of the songs after the game back to what it was before that fat a$$ Weis changed it, with the VICTORY MARCH being the first song again.

Second rant over.

 

[tko]

You guys are really talking out of your a$$ with that sh$t.

You do realize that tons of alumni hate the swaying. They hate the mums. They hate that awful "here come the Irish of Notruh Dame" before the kickoff and all of the pu$$ification of game day.

They want ND to be a bada$$ program again and a stadium atmosphere that celebrates the gladiators on the field, not Muffy and Biff in the stands.

They don't care what this "everybody gets a trophy" generation of students wants. They want their program back. They understand raising the helmets to the student body during the Victory March after winning - the VICTORY MARCH - but don't want the football team swaying after getting their a$$ kicked by Oklahoma, or worse Syracuse, Navy, Air Force etc, to "Notre Dame Our Mother" as a symbol of "community". It literally makes them want to puke.

Thankfully, it looks like the administration agrees. There will be all kinds of whining from the thumb suckers in the current student body. Hopefully ND will weed out their kind and get more students who would rather fight after losing than sway. That's what the friggin' Fighting Irish student body used to be, not a bunch of nerdy,
diaper wearing wimps who need a collective hug after seeing their team getting their a$$ handed to them.

And for the record: As far as I'm concerned the raising of the helmets should only be after winning. When you lose you get your a$$ into the locker room. There is no reason to celebrate anything when you lose. You lose, get your a$$ back to work and raise the helmet when you win. So, they should change the order of the songs after the game back to what it was before that fat a$$ Weis changed it, with the VICTORY MARCH being the first song again.

Second rant over.

goddamn, preach on my brother!!!!!!!

 

[koonja]

I don't understand the 'well were better than we were' point for supporting the argument that we're doing well. Why compare yourself to your miserable past?

Just because you move out of a trailer park and into a ****** apartment doesn't mean 'you've made it'. Compare yourself to your peers. And our peers should be the schools with the resources, tradition, and recruiting we have.

I'm not saying I want Kelly gone at all, but the 'if you think we're not good look at willngham years' argument is pointless to me.

 

[Irishman77]

You guys are really talking out of your a$$ with that sh$t.

You do realize that tons of alumni hate the swaying. They hate the mums. They hate that awful "here come the Irish of Notruh Dame" before the kickoff and all of the pu$$ification of game day.

They want ND to be a bada$$ program again and a stadium atmosphere that celebrates the gladiators on the field, not Muffy and Biff in the stands.

They don't care what this "everybody gets a trophy" generation of students wants. They want their program back. They understand raising the helmets to the student body during the Victory March after winning - the VICTORY MARCH - but don't want the football team swaying after getting their a$$ kicked by Oklahoma, or worse Syracuse, Navy, Air Force etc, to "Notre Dame Our Mother" as a symbol of "community". It literally makes them want to puke.

Thankfully, it looks like the administration agrees. There will be all kinds of whining from the thumb suckers in the current student body. Hopefully ND will weed out their kind and get more students who would rather fight after losing than sway. That's what the friggin' Fighting Irish student body used to be, not a bunch of nerdy,
diaper wearing wimps who need a collective hug after seeing their team getting their a$$ handed to them.

And for the record: As far as I'm concerned the raising of the helmets should only be after winning. When you lose you get your a$$ into the locker room. There is no reason to celebrate anything when you lose. You lose, get your a$$ back to work and raise the helmet when you win. So, they should change the order of the songs after the game back to what it was before that fat a$$ Weis changed it, with the VICTORY MARCH being the first song again.

Second rant over.

I thought for sure I read the post of the year when you went on the first rant. Wow this one takes the cake!

Awesome! Pure forum gold!

Go Irish!

 

[koonja]

You guys are really talking out of your a$$ with that sh$t.

You do realize that tons of alumni hate the swaying. They hate the mums. They hate that awful "here come the Irish of Notruh Dame" before the kickoff and all of the pu$$ification of game day.

They want ND to be a bada$$ program again and a stadium atmosphere that celebrates the gladiators on the field, not Muffy and Biff in the stands.

They don't care what this "everybody gets a trophy" generation of students wants. They want their program back. They understand raising the helmets to the student body during the Victory March after winning - the VICTORY MARCH - but don't want the football team swaying after getting their a$$ kicked by Oklahoma, or worse Syracuse, Navy, Air Force etc, to "Notre Dame Our Mother" as a symbol of "community". It literally makes them want to puke.

Thankfully, it looks like the administration agrees. There will be all kinds of whining from the thumb suckers in the current student body. Hopefully ND will weed out their kind and get more students who would rather fight after losing than sway. That's what the friggin' Fighting Irish student body used to be, not a bunch of nerdy,
diaper wearing wimps who need a collective hug after seeing their team getting their a$$ handed to them.

And for the record: As far as I'm concerned the raising of the helmets should only be after winning. When you lose you get your a$$ into the locker room. There is no reason to celebrate anything when you lose. You lose, get your a$$ back to work and raise the helmet when you win. So, they should change the order of the songs after the game back to what it was before that fat a$$ Weis changed it, with the VICTORY MARCH being the first song again.

Second rant over.

I'm on my phone. Could someone please make it rain on this man for me.

 

[aubeirish]

I don't understand the 'well were better than we were' point for supporting the argument that we're doing well. Why compare yourself to your miserable past?

Just because you move out of a trailer park and into a ****** apartment doesn't mean 'you've made it'. Compare yourself to your peers. And our peers should be the schools with the resources, tradition, and recruiting we have.

I'm not saying I want Kelly gone at all, but the 'if you think we're not good look at willngham years' argument is pointless to me.

I think the point was made for those who think that firing Kelly is the solution. It's not. Obviously, we are at the point where we want to look forward and compare ourselves to the best to stay up there. I think it's a process. I don't think Kelly envisioned so many setbacks when he took the job. Loosing QBs, key recruits, etc...

This season is not over, and I still think we can get a winning record out of this. I didn't feel like this team have quitters. They lost games, but they didn't give up. It's still a process. We have to be patient. Rome was not built in one day.

 

[irishpat183]

Serious question - were you an adult during the Davie/Willingham/Weis years? All of them?

I was. And those years were miserable. I didn't have any hope from one year to the next. They were all terrible coaches that did not have any clue on how to build a program, didn't relate to the players or their staff, and left the program in worse shape than when they started. It was depressing to be an Irish fan. I was miserable every Saturday in the fall. I spent Saturdays cheering against tOSU, Michigan, and USC 'cause my team had no clue and no direction.

Yes, things are better now. Way better. During all of the regimes mentioned above, the game Saturday would have been a complete blow out. Down 14-0 after three minutes all of those teams would have quit. This team did not. And the future looks better than the present. I never said that during those twelve miserable years.

This team, this year?? I don't think so.

I'm talking about the 3-2 team this year.

And yes, I was in my 18-college years during that era (played high schoool ball with David Givens)

 

[irishpat183]

You guys are really talking out of your a$$ with that sh$t.

You do realize that tons of alumni hate the swaying. They hate the mums. They hate that awful "here come the Irish of Notruh Dame" before the kickoff and all of the pu$$ification of game day.

They want ND to be a bada$$ program again and a stadium atmosphere that celebrates the gladiators on the field, not Muffy and Biff in the stands.

They don't care what this "everybody gets a trophy" generation of students wants. They want their program back. They understand raising the helmets to the student body during the Victory March after winning - the VICTORY MARCH - but don't want the football team swaying after getting their a$$ kicked by Oklahoma, or worse Syracuse, Navy, Air Force etc, to "Notre Dame Our Mother" as a symbol of "community". It literally makes them want to puke.

Thankfully, it looks like the administration agrees. There will be all kinds of whining from the thumb suckers in the current student body. Hopefully ND will weed out their kind and get more students who would rather fight after losing than sway. That's what the friggin' Fighting Irish student body used to be, not a bunch of nerdy,
diaper wearing wimps who need a collective hug after seeing their team getting their a$$ handed to them.

And for the record: As far as I'm concerned the raising of the helmets should only be after winning. When you lose you get your a$$ into the locker room. There is no reason to celebrate anything when you lose. You lose, get your a$$ back to work and raise the helmet when you win. So, they should change the order of the songs after the game back to what it was before that fat a$$ Weis changed it, with the VICTORY MARCH being the first song again.

Second rant over.

Great post. Sadly, this is the same direction the entire country is moving.....

 

[NDohio]

I don't understand the 'well were better than we were' point for supporting the argument that we're doing well. Why compare yourself to your miserable past?

Just because you move out of a trailer park and into a ****** apartment doesn't mean 'you've made it'. Compare yourself to your peers. And our peers should be the schools with the resources, tradition, and recruiting we have.

I'm not saying I want Kelly gone at all, but the 'if you think we're not good look at willngham years' argument is pointless to me.

Look up!!! That's my point going right over your head.

The question asked was whether we are in a better situation now than what we were the last ten years. If you can't see that the answer to that question is yes, I don't know what to tell you.

I do not think we have made it. I never said that. I do think the current coaching staff has a program building plan in place and that success is right around the corner. I expected more this year. Of course I thought our QB would be a dynamic athlete with legitimate dual threat talents. Oh well......

I am not happy with the way this year is currently going. The difference is that I see good things in our future. I NEVER felt that way during the D/W/W era.

 

[NDohio]

This team, this year?? I don't think so.

I'm talking about the 3-2 team this year.

And yes, I was in my 18-college years during that era (played high schoool ball with David Givens)

Can't make that call yet. We will have to see how they respond the rest of the way. I believe(really, really hope) they respond in how I expect them too. This week's game is HUGE!

 

[koonja]

Look up!!! That's my point going right over your head.

The question asked was whether we are in a better situation now than what we were the last ten years. If you can't see that the answer to that question is yes, I don't know what to tell you.

I do not think we have made it. I never said that. I do think the current coaching staff has a program building plan in place and that success is right around the corner. I expected more this year. Of course I thought our QB would be a dynamic athlete with legitimate dual threat talents. Oh well......

I am not happy with the way this year is currently going. The difference is that I see good things in our future. I NEVER felt that way during the D/W/W era.

I didn't read your post, so don't think my comment was towards you please. I just have seen that argument a lot.

 

[Booslum31]

You guys are really talking out of your a$$ with that sh$t.

You do realize that tons of alumni hate the swaying. They hate the mums. They hate that awful "here come the Irish of Notruh Dame" before the kickoff and all of the pu$$ification of game day.

They want ND to be a bada$$ program again and a stadium atmosphere that celebrates the gladiators on the field, not Muffy and Biff in the stands.

They don't care what this "everybody gets a trophy" generation of students wants. They want their program back. They understand raising the helmets to the student body during the Victory March after winning - the VICTORY MARCH - but don't want the football team swaying after getting their a$$ kicked by Oklahoma, or worse Syracuse, Navy, Air Force etc, to "Notre Dame Our Mother" as a symbol of "community". It literally makes them want to puke.

Thankfully, it looks like the administration agrees. There will be all kinds of whining from the thumb suckers in the current student body. Hopefully ND will weed out their kind and get more students who would rather fight after losing than sway. That's what the friggin' Fighting Irish student body used to be, not a bunch of nerdy,
diaper wearing wimps who need a collective hug after seeing their team getting their a$$ handed to them.

And for the record: As far as I'm concerned the raising of the helmets should only be after winning. When you lose you get your a$$ into the locker room. There is no reason to celebrate anything when you lose. You lose, get your a$$ back to work and raise the helmet when you win. So, they should change the order of the songs after the game back to what it was before that fat a$$ Weis changed it, with the VICTORY MARCH being the first song again.

Second rant over.

I wish this guy was sitting by me for the game. Ever since the #1 vs #2 FSU game my buddy and I dress in full Leprechaun gear and we go to two games a year. Over the years we've sat next to ladies knitting (yes...that's no lie) and we've sat next to two nuns who were actually reading a book during the game (not the bible). This week we got behind and were trying to fight our way back and when anyone in our section stood up on a third down when we needed a stop, there were people (sitting right next to us) yelling at them to sit down. When I asked them "what gives?" they said that nobody had the right to block somebody else's view and that yelling doesn't help anything. My response was...you sound like you are watching this game in your living room and I wish you were there right now. I want more excitement out of the crowd...when ND travels they can't hear themselves think on the field. We used to be like that even when the stadium was smaller. What the hell happened? Can't stand it. I agree with the Biff's and Buffy statement and I agree that we raise our helmets and sway when we win...period. You want it to be a tradition that we do after every game...then win every game damnit.

 

[ThePiombino]

I wish this guy was sitting by me for the game. Ever since the #1 vs #2 FSU game my buddy and I dress in full Leprechaun gear and we go to two games a year. Over the years we've sat next to ladies knitting (yes...that's no lie) and we've sat next to two nuns who were actually reading a book during the game (not the bible). This week we got behind and were trying to fight our way back and when anyone in our section stood up on a third down when we needed a stop, there were people (sitting right next to us) yelling at them to sit down. When I asked them "what gives?" they said that nobody had the right to block somebody else's view and that yelling doesn't help anything. My response was...you sound like you are watching this game in your living room and I wish you were there right now. I want more excitement out of the crowd...when ND travels they can't hear themselves think on the field. We used to be like that even when the stadium was smaller. What the hell happened? Can't stand it. I agree with the Biff's and Buffy statement and I agree that we raise our helmets and sway when we win...period. You want it to be a tradition that we do after every game...then win every game damnit.

'50 Shades' no doubt?

 

[aubeirish]

I wish this guy was sitting by me for the game. Ever since the #1 vs #2 FSU game my buddy and I dress in full Leprechaun gear and we go to two games a year. Over the years we've sat next to ladies knitting (yes...that's no lie) and we've sat next to two nuns who were actually reading a book during the game (not the bible). This week we got behind and were trying to fight our way back and when anyone in our section stood up on a third down when we needed a stop, there were people (sitting right next to us) yelling at them to sit down. When I asked them "what gives?" they said that nobody had the right to block somebody else's view and that yelling doesn't help anything. My response was...you sound like you are watching this game in your living room and I wish you were there right now. I want more excitement out of the crowd...when ND travels they can't hear themselves think on the field. We used to be like that even when the stadium was smaller. What the hell happened? Can't stand it. I agree with the Biff's and Buffy statement and I agree that we raise our helmets and sway when we win...period. You want it to be a tradition that we do after every game...then win every game damnit.

SMH. No one should be sitting unless it's a TV timeout or half time. If your not going to watch and cheer the whole game. GTFO. Give your ticket to somebody who will. Sweet lord.