Fat Charlie's bad start

[Masterofreality]

Wow.

That Notre Dame juggernaut under Chompin' Charlie is really off to another auspicious beginning- losing to San Diego State by 6 in the 4th quarter at home. For those who don't know, San Diego State lost their first game to Cal Poly! Does anyone know where Cal Poly even is? It could have been worse but San Diego State just fumbled on the goal line.

Notre Dame's only touchdown so far was after a blocked punt. I thought that Weis was an offensive genius.

I know that after the drunken Irish lost to Navy that they're trying to soften their schedule, but after this, I suppose that their first game from now on will be against Butler. They just can't hang with those west coast teams.

NBC must really be regretting giving ND another few million. The big advertiser is an ear cleaning solution. I don't even know why I tuned in for a few plays. I'd rather be watching golf.

[American X]

Does anyone know where Cal Poly even is?

Pollyania? I think Snipe lives there.

Nice job MOR. You hit Submit, ND scores touchdown. Would you mind spewing some anti-Irish diatribes every Saturday for about four more months?

I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.

[Masterofreality]

Pollyania? I think Snipe lives there.

Nice job MOR. You hit Submit, ND scores touchdown. Would you mind spewing some anti-Irish diatribes every Saturday for about four more months?

I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.

No kidding. I'm keeping my mouth shut during every ND game for the rest of the year. My timing was impeccable.

[wkrq59]

MOR,
Isn't Cal Poly in San Luis Obismo or is it Opismo???
In any case, you're dead right about the Fighting Irish.
the perfect example of Weiss being lacking as a coach came when the receiver whose name I can't remember was overthrown fairly wide open in the end zone and the person doing the sideline stuff for NBC said Charlie said as the receiver walked by, "See, I told you that's what happens when you run the wrong route."
The damn pass was overthrown. Period. The kid made a helluva try for it, but Kenny Frease couldn't have caught that ball.
The officiating in that game was horsesh!t for both teams, but it didn't cost San Diego the game. Notre Dame didn't beat them, either. They lost the game thanks to some critical UNFORCED mistakes.
Hell, UC played a better ball game than ND did. If Notre Dame plays like that again at any time during this season, the Irish faithful will be grumbling.
Anybody watch the pasting East Carolina dealt West Virginia? Actually, I think UC could be right up there with the best in the BE if their defense keeps playing well. Yeah, they gave up 52 points, but many of those were after the game was well in OK's hands. Oklahoma just had too damn many really good players and athletes. eventually the determined kids just wear out.:D

[GoMuskies]

UC could be right up there with the best in the BE if their defense keeps playing well. Yeah, they gave up 52 points

There's no "but...." that can have this make any sense (unless it was fumbles and interceptions that led to the points, and it wasn't).

UC's defense did not play well today. And their QB broke his ankle, so it was an all-around bad day to be a Bearcat.

[Kahns Krazy]

Pollyania? I think Snipe lives there.
.

Oh snap. ...

[mlcspinner]

ND is 1-0

thats all that matters, do you think WV would like to be 1-0 right now

[BlueGuy]

ND's quarterback needs a freaking haircut.

[GoMuskies]

do you think WV would like to be 1-0 right now

Since WV has played two games, it would be weird.

[Juice]

And ECU is legit, so while it looks bad on the surface, people will realize that Skip Holtz's team is really good. They could run the table in a bad CUSA, plus they play some more BCS schools (NC State and maybe one more).

As Notre Dame fan I will admit that their performance was embarassing. This team is going to have a long season against a very soft schedule. Also, can someone go to South Bend and give Jimmy Claussen a haircut?

[GoMuskies]

ECU has UVA and NC State, both awful teams.

[Stonebreaker]

Notre Dame won. Same as OSU, and UM. Winning ugly gets the same result as winning by 40.
Every team wins ugly at times, even X.

[nuts4xu]

Go Irish!!

[jdm2000]

I know Charlie has a looooooong term contract, but would Skip Holtz be a viable candidate for the next ND coach? How would the ND faithful on the board feel about that?

[Juice]

I read today that Skip Holtz was in the running for the WVU job but they turned him down for Bill Stewart, after he beat OU in the bowl game. Then Skip gets revenge.

I do not think ND will fire ND anytime soon. They are paying him and Ty. If they get rid of Mr. Frontbutt they will then be paying for three coaches. Money means nothing to ND, but I just don't see it happening.

Last week watching Michigan lose to Utah I thought this was definitely the year ND gets back at UM, I am not thinking that way anymore. No team that I support is good, except for Xavier.

[XU 17]

2-0: I think Charlie is pretty happy, ACL/MCL considered. Nice try.

[GoMuskies]

ND still stinks. Michigan just happens to be worse at this point.

[GoMuskies]

BTW, what happened to Notre Dame playing a tough schedule? I guess it's not their fault that a lot of their traditional opponents are down, but ND could conceivably be 11-0 going into the USC game without beating a single good team.

[Masterofreality]

ND still stinks. Michigan just happens to be worse at this point.

Maybe never in the history of college football has a team gift wrapped a game to the other team more than Michigan gave away that one. Seven, count 'em SEVEN fumbles- 3 of which led directly to touchdowns. Only under the gaze of Touchdown Jesus, I guess. Zero props to the Drunken Irish for this one. San Diego State lost again last night and they fumbled their game away to ND also. Maybe Fat Charlie made the same deal with Satan that Beaknose did, only Beelzebub extracted some payment already with the knee injury. At least the Fat Man can say that he finally has "an old football injury" since he never was good enough to play.

How horriffic has the Big 10 become? Not as bad as the Big Least, but just terrible. How much laughter is going on in Morgantown over Rodriguez' foibles today?

No question that the power in College Football is firmly entrenched in the sunbelt- in the crescent from the southeast to the west coast.

[Masterofreality]

BTW, what happened to Notre Dame playing a tough schedule? I guess it's not their fault that a lot of their traditional opponents are down, but ND could conceivably be 11-0 going into the USC game without beating a single good team.

I'll give the Drunken Irish this- their schedule is a damn sight better than Ohio State's. Geezuz. Youngstown State, Ohio and Troy other than USC for a non-league? Then they play basically the same nondescript Little 10 schools that ND plays. Fattie's boys are playing a couple of Big Least cupcakes, but they are playing 3 Pac 10 schools, Boston College, who has the best Catholic school program now, North Carolina, who is getting better and their usual Navy game.

Football scheduling is way tougher than basketball because you have to make these games 6 and 7 years in advance. Who knows who'll be good then? ND did seem to studiuosly avoid any SEC, Big 12 or any schools that are located in the state of Florida though.

[Smails]

"Maybe Fat Charlie made the same deal with Satan that Beaknose did, only Beelzebub extracted some payment already with the knee injury. At least the Fat Man can say that he finally has "an old football injury" since he never was good enough to play."

Damn...that is some bitter, hateful shit right there MOR. I think you've made it very clear that you dislike CW, but don't you think that's a bit much. Are seriously reveling in the fact that he got his leg folded in half? Damn

[Masterofreality]

Oh, Smails, I don't really mean it.

Actually, I really don't care much about college, or even pro football. Overhyped games and overpriced tickets. I'll care when Xavier fields a football team again. I truly have little interest in what the Drunken Irish, Oh-ho-ho State, or any other football team does. If it wasn't raining cats and dogs on the past two Saturdays, I would have been on the golf course rather than flipping around to football. There was not even a golf tournament on to watch. I went to the Browns game last night only because I had a free ticket into a loge.


The only guy in the world who I truly hate is BeelzeBob. Other than that, I'm just jacking with the Notre Dame myopians who A) Were crowing that Weis was the second coming of Knute Rockne two years ago and B) Still think that their football team matters on a national scale. Take NBC away and none of those games, other than maybe Southern Cal, would be on a network higher than the Big Top network.

I hope that Weis's knee recovers. There, I feel so much better.

[kyxu]

Other than that, I'm just jacking with the Notre Dame myopians who...still think that their football team matters on a national scale. .

They definitely do, and threads like this help prove that point.

Even when Notre Dame is terrible, they're still talked about. When they're unranked, they still receive mention on Sportscenter with the ranked teams, and they have built-in leverage with the bowl committees despite not being in a conference.

It is an institution dripping with money with a national alumni/fan base, and a lot of that is attributable to football. Notre Dame will always matter, nevermind how much we may not want it to. When a Notre Dame loss ceases to be front page material on cbssportsline or espn.com, then we can all argue irrelevance.

[Masterofreality]

Ok, I'll be starting no more threads. I really don't care. I only started this one because they were sucking so bad in their first game. If SD State doesn't fumble on the goal line it would have been a horriffic loss.

The Drunken Irish will matter A) When and if they are ever ranked again in the Top 10. B) When they actually earn a bid and win a bowl game- something that hasn't happened for 15 years.


Other than that, it's all empty hype, mostly brought on by NBC who paid a bunch of money for programming. ND was their only way to get any football presence back since CBS and ABC/ESPN locked up the major conferences. If ND continues to barely beat the San Diego States of the world that money train will end.

[GoMuskies]

Notre Dame might just get someone they can handle in a BCS bowl this year....if they get the ACC champs or anyone outside of USF from the Big East.

It would be kind of amusing to see them get pounded by East Carolina in a BCS bowl.

[kyxu]

The Drunken Irish will matter A) When and if they are ever ranked again in the Top 10. B) When they actually earn a bid and win a bowl game- something that hasn't happened for 15 years.

"mattering" and "being competitive" are two different things in this context. I won't argue that they've been competitive amongst the elite the last couple of years, but Notre Dame football definitely matters.

Also, NBC wouldn't continue to renew their TV contract if people ceased to watch them. But as it stands, whether to see them win or lose each Saturday, a lot of people tune in to those games. Let's take you for example...you hate Notre Dame, but you obviously watched them in the hopes of witnessing a loss. As far as ratings are concerned, all intentions are equal.

[Masterofreality]

Also, NBC wouldn't continue to renew their TV contract if people ceased to watch them. But as it stands, whether to see them win or lose each Saturday, a lot of people tune in to those games. Let's take you for example...you hate Notre Dame, but you obviously watched them in the hopes of witnessing a loss. As far as ratings are concerned, all intentions are equal.

I only watched a few minutes because it was, as I said above, raining like hell the last two weekends.

As as for NBC renewing because people still watched, check out this article from last December. Ratings in 2007 were down 40% from 2006. It's too early to tell about 2008, but if they keep playing second rate teams and barely beat them, the deterioration will continue.

As I said above. NBC renewed because they needed sports programming or they would continue to slip into irrelevance. By the way, on their latest renewal, the "terms were not disclosed". Speculation is that ND almost gave their rights away to NBC to stay on the air. If you're NBC and you're now getting cheap programming, why wouldn't you re-up?

That being said, NBC is probably thrilled that they have the Ryder Cup this weekend rather than another mediocre Notre Dame game against an equally as mediocre Michigan State team. That game is being carried on ABC as part of a contractual deal the Big 10 has with ABC. They probably aren't thrilled either.

Whatever. I'm done with this. I've wasted way too much time posting about something that I could care less about.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_53/b4065037218411.htm?chan=search

[GoMuskies]

I watch ND a l lot less since they switched to NBC. I usually forget the ND games are on. I pretty much stick to CBS, ABC and ESPN for college football.

[kyxu]

I'm not trying to make a federal case about this. I just think that it's delusional when people say Notre Dame football "doesn't matter" or is "irrelevant", when in fact it very much is. The fact that you started a thread about how terrible Notre Dame was, even in a game they actually won, is evidence of that.

And of course, 2007 is going to be bad. That's an outlier, as they were a 3-9 team with a national audience. But in 2005 and 2006, Notre Dame encountered top 10 national rankings and their ratings on NBC had been the best in years, including one of the most highly-watched college football games in the past decade (2005 ND vs USC on NBC). And as your article mentioned, teams get a "ratings boost" from playing Notre Dame.

And aside from NBC, do you also notice that ND games NOT on NBC are still broadcast nationally? (Michigan State vs ND is actually on ABC broadcast nationally this coming weekend, by the way) Even during a 3-9 season, ND's away games versus Michigan, Purdue, Penn State, Stanford all were viewed nationally on ABC or ESPN.

Notre Dame has been completely over-matched against college football's elite programs the last 10 years. That is something that isn't disputed. But the football program definitely matters on a national scale. It's not something I necessarily agree with, but it's true.

[XUglow]

I am with Go. I don't think about ND football any longer with regards to any particular game being anything of any importance. (I also forget about NBC being a source for football.) If I am at home on a Saturday, and there is nothing better on, I will watch ND, but there is usually something better to watch, and by usually, I mean always.

[pickledpigsfeet]

I only turned the game on to see Chuck's knee get blown out and to see if my prayer that the earth open up and swallow both teams (Michigan and ND) whole came true. Sadly it didn't but I'll make the same prayer again every year that those two play.

[sylvester]

I thought that Weis was an offensive genius.



Charlie does not call the plays. The offensive coordinator, Mike Haywood, calls the plays. But yes his 4 super bowl rings help in considering him an offensive genius.

[DC Muskie]

Charlie does not call the plays. The offensive coordinator, Mike Haywood, calls the plays. But yes his 4 super bowl rings help in considering him an offensive genius.

Stacey King got three rings playing for the Bulls. I wouldn't call him a genius.

I hope Charlie gets better. That's an awful way to get injured. I'm surprised that doesn't happen more often.

[XUglow]

Stacey King got three rings playing for the Bulls. I wouldn't call him a genius.

I hope Charlie gets better. That's an awful way to get injured. I'm surprised that doesn't happen more often.

I caught cleats across my shin in a game I was coaching one time, and it hurt like hell, but I guess I was lucky compared to Joe Pa and Charlie. Those guys are coming at you faster than you realize until it is too late.

[sylvester]

Stacey King got three rings playing for the Bulls. I wouldn't call him a genius.

I hope Charlie gets better. That's an awful way to get injured. I'm surprised that doesn't happen more often.

Charlie did call the plays for the 4 super bowl rings and that is what separates King from Weis. Obviously the talent pool he is calling plays for is entirely different it does not take away from the point that his playcalling was incredible.

[DC Muskie]

Charlie did call the plays for the 4 super bowl rings and that is what separates King from Weis. Obviously the talent pool he is calling plays for is entirely different it does not take away from the point that his playcalling was incredible.

Actually no he didn't. His first ring was back in 1990 as a special team assistant coach.

I'm not sure what you mean by "incredible" Romeo Crennel hasn't done much with the Browns and he has a few of those Super Bowl rings. Plus it's hard to win them without players.

[sylvester]

I stand corrected, 3 of his 4 rings are from his days of calling the plays.

I was not discussing Romeo Crennel, the discussion was concerning the offensive playcalling of Charlie Weis. Romeo deals with the other side of the ball I think.

[BlueGuy]

It seems that going from coaching NFL to the college level seldom works out, regardless of how many SuperBowl rings one has. The only two coordinators I can think of off the top of my head are Fatty in ND, and Robinson in Syracuse. Both have multiple rings as coordinators, and both suck as college coaches. And then you have people like Wanstead, who suck at both levels.

Then again, you have people like Carroll at USC, who sucked at the pro level, and now dominates on the college level. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.....

[DC Muskie]

I stand corrected, 3 of his 4 rings are from his days of calling the plays.

I was not discussing Romeo Crennel, the discussion was concerning the offensive playcalling of Charlie Weis. Romeo deals with the other side of the ball I think.

Your defense of Charlie's play calling ability was based in part to the number of Super Bowl rings he won. All I'm saying that Romeo called the defense and won three rings as well.

Either way, nether guy is doing much since then. And Stacey King is retired. So there you go.

[D-West & PO-Z]

It seems that going from coaching NFL to the college level seldom works out, regardless of how many SuperBowl rings one has. The only two coordinators I can think of off the top of my head are Fatty in ND, and Robinson in Syracuse. Both have multiple rings as coordinators, and both suck as college coaches. And then you have people like Wanstead, who suck at both levels.

Then again, you have people like Carroll at USC, who sucked at the pro level, and now dominates on the college level. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.....

I love it when people say Carroll sucked at the pro level because its just not true. The man had a winning record as an NFL head coach after 4 years and a division title and 2 playoff appearances in 4 years. Now was he as good as an NFL coach as he is college coach? Obviously not, but he didnt suck in the NFL.

P.S. I have no ties to Carroll and dont care how he does one way or another, but I hate when people dont know what they are talking about and just say things because other people have said them.

[wkrq59]

Many of oldsters recall when Xavier football was a few paragraphs at the bottom of all three papers left-hand sports pages and Notre Dame, which had been held up from grade one by the parochial school nuns as all that is good about college football for catholics. Having Notre Dame equated with good and catholicism and other programs--catholic or non-catholic alike as evil, got a little annoying.
It reached the pissed off stage when we learned in high school and college that Notre Dame was not God's chosen football team. And this was before that Touchdown Jesus (a really bad term by the way) was shown after every score at South Bend.
Notre Dame has long been a good and storied football program that in the past 15 or so years has proved to be quite normal and human.
Fat Charlie was funny. I was amused by his press conference after the UM game. I am also concerned that the man may be headed for a bad scene on the sidelines he won't walk away from. Did you hear how hard he was breathing during the conference? My concerns come as a formerly hyper-obese man myself, who despite a 111-pound loss is still too damned heavy.
Notre Dame will always be a program with an exquisite winning traditions. But, damn it, they aren't the only outstanding football program in the country.:D