Are the Irish eyes a’smilin’ in So Bend?
Posted by UFreak in 
Is Notre Dame, an institution that for the longest time did not accept invitations to bowl games (and not just in seasons in which it finished 6-6), an institution that for the longest time did not accept female students, and an institution that in football has been forever fiercely independent, finally beginning to seriously consider joining a conference?
On Tuesday in New York City, Fighting Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick met with a few reporters and conceded that, in terms of current conference realignment rumors, “You can each come up with a scenario that would force our hand.”
Such a scenario has two overriding factors: money and brand relevance. Beginning this season ESPN and its partner ABC will have the television rights to the four BCS bowls and the BCS Championship Game through 2014 (ESPN will air the BCS title game from 2011-2013 and ABC, which will retain exclusive control of the Rose Bowl, will air the 2014 BCS championship game from Pasadena). As Disney influence over college football continues to expand, Swarbrick must consider how Notre Dame’s exclusive contract with NBC to air Fighting Irish home games (which runs through 2015) impacts his program.
Currently, Big Ten schools receive $22 million annually in television money, according to a recent report on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines.” Notre Dame, through its contract with NBC, receives about $15 million. That’s correct: Indiana and Purdue both earn nearly 50 percent more in television money than fellow in-state program Notre Dame, even though the Irish dwarf both schools in terms of national interest.
Then comes the matter of Notre Dame maintaining — many would say reclaiming — its national prestige.
Swarbrick, a Notre Dame alumnus who earned a law degree from Stanford, said college football is in a period of peak instability, and that “we are at a point right now where the changes could be relatively small, or they could be seismic.” In an environment in which a playoff is seriously being discussed — a scenario that, to listen to the voices who dominate ESPN (and who, presumably, would not be so foolish as to directly contradict the wishes of ESPN executives on air), would be welcomed by that “family of networks” — Swarbrick and Notre Dame president Father John Jenkins, C.S.C., must consider where a Notre Dame that has no conference affiliation and no home games broadcast on ESPN might fit.
It has been 22 years since Notre Dame, a school that won a national championship in all but one decade between the 1920s and 1980s, last played for the national title. And the truth is that when Notre Dame is not mired in mediocrity, as it has been for the past 15 years, its independence only extends its appeal: the school’s many fans and alumni draw strength from it while its even more numerous legion of ardent detractors use it as the source of their vitriol. Either way, Notre Dame football receives more attention than any collegiate program, football or basketball, and most pro sports franchises.
As long as the Irish are winning. It has been a long time, however, since the Irish were consistently special (26-24 over the past four seasons). And so, within the confines of the Golden Dome and the Joyce Athletic & Convocation Center, Fr. Jenkins and Swarbrick, respectively, must wonder whether this fallow period represents a blip or if it is a symptom of the changing landscape of college football. If they conclude the latter, then expect Notre Dame to join a conference.
It is ironic that the first ESPN “College GameDay” episode to air from a campus site took place at Notre Dame (before the 1993 tilt between No. 1 Florida State and the No. 2 Irish). GameDay is emblematic of how college football has changed in the past two decades: host Chris Fowler and analysts Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit are rock stars as soon as they step on campus. GameDay hasn’t visited South Bend in five seasons (the ’05 USC-Notre Dame classic). It’s also somewhat funny that at halftime of ESPN football games viewers are returned to a studio that features Lou Holtz, the last messiah to resurrect Notre Dame from the ashes, while Notre Dame’s NBC viewers get … Jimmy Roberts.
Nearly two decades ago the first age of the super-conference was born, as the Southwest Conference (SWC) was sacrificed in order to create the newfangled SEC and expand the Big 8 to the Big 12. Then in 1992 the SEC, taking advantage of a loophole in the NCAA by-laws, created a lucrative conference championship game. The era of expanding conferences without regard to geography (Louisiana Tech, for example, is a member of the Western Athletic Conference) was upon us.
Swarbrick is concerned, and rightfully so — “I’m spending 50 percent of my time talking to people about this” — that we are at the dawn of the next age of the super-conference. When a few conferences, such as the Pac-10 and Big Ten, expand to join the economic elite of the SEC and Big 12 and separate themselves from the rest of the pack. And perhaps eventually those elite conferences become the framework for a playoff structure. At risk is whether Notre Dame passes up its opportunity to enlist with these elite and the ramifications of failing to do so.
(An aside: In 1987 Sports Illustrated had the opportunity to purchase ESPN. Really. The magazine passed. If you don’t think the magazine regrets that decision every day … some opportunities only come around once.)
The irony in all of this, of course, is that Notre Dame initially became a national brand specifically because it was spurned by the Big Ten. In 1926, as Knute Rockne and the Irish were at the height of their powers, Notre Dame’s application to join the conference was voted down, primarily because the athletic directors at Michigan (Fielding Yost) and the University of Chicago (Amos Alonzo Stagg) were suspicious — and perhaps just a little bit envious — of Rockne’s success. By spurning the Irish, the Big Ten forced Notre Dame to take to the national stage, where the school became the first of its kind to engender coast-to-coast appeal.
Earlier Tuesday a Notre Dame fan spoke for most of the school’s faithful when he remarked on Twitter, “The argument for joining a conference almost always boils down to … ‘We gave up.’ ” There is much truth in that sentiment. An independent Notre Dame that can consistently finish in the top five makes up for in prestige and merchandising much of what it might sacrifice in television money by not aligning with the Big Ten…..UH, DUH! STUPID, ANY TEAM WOULD!!!!….gawd they’re so smart and so stupid all at the same time!
The question is, can an independent Notre Dame draw and develop players who have no personal memory of a time when the Irish were the brand name in college football? Is the Irish brain-trust up to that challenge, or is it simply more expedient to abandon the attempt, to allow the school’s football independence go the way of bowl-game refusals and all-male student bodies?
UCats fans,..is the party over?
Brian Kelly has done a very admirable job in Cincinnati since he arrived, and started talking about playing for the National Title!…Few outside Cincy noted what he was saying, and, even IN town few figured he was sane or even sober! (noticed how I skipped any reference to Chokin’ Huggins…). THEN!…he delivered! An Orange Bowl birth last year, and now this incredible run with a team the was suppose to be rebuilding! “Rebuilding” is an odd word to use when talking about UCincinnati Football, but that’s permitted after the Big East crown in 2008.
Kelly’s terrific job in town here, spells big trouble for all the “new” UC fans though, thanks to that big hunk of sh.t Charlie Weis and his uncanny inability to produce wins in South Bend! Even with a comically weak schedule, the “Round mound of Crap” can’t win enUFf games (or, ANY BIG GAMES) to keep his job despite an 18 million dollar buyout clause!….Really, how bad do you need to be if the idiots who over-paid you are also gonna over-pay to just F*CKIN’ LEAVE!!! To LEAVE!!,…he’ll get 18 million, after splooging some 4 million+ a year for SUCKING ASS!?!?!…..Sure, from a “Hey but he’s getting 18 million on top of what he’s already robbed from the University” stand-point, its a great thing! Sure, he duped the living sh.t out of that idiot who writes checks for school employees,..but then so did THIS kinda dumb bitch. Charlie has obvioulsy smoked her in this category, but I already mentioned that.
So, Notre Dame is going to pony up and send Fat Ass packing, with an 18 million dollar golden parachute…still hard to believe, but, they are! Now, here’s the UC interesting part; THE man they are going to go after REALLY REALLY hard is your good pal, Brian Kelly. Says WHO?…Says THESE GUYS! So, does he take the cash and replace the (fat) ASH?…probably! Will UC Football perish?….yeah, probably (again!)…..so, you have TWO choices, UCat fans,….Become Irish fans for at least the last 3 games if the regular season, or pony up 2.5 mil a year and keep Kelly in Ucat riches! Well, I guess you could also hope to hell that John Gruden wants the job in South Bend…hhmmm, this here says NO
Hey, don’t get mad at the messenger, as a Gator fan I’ve been going thru this every year Tubby-ass has BEEN in South Bend! That load of shit has just kept on Failing! Heck, they might still go after Urbs, but they’re gonna like Kelly’s offense (not a spread) much “more gooder” than Meyer’s. ME?..I’m gonna hope he loses AND they keep him, figuring 18 MILLION DOLLARS is just too much damn money to hand a failure as he leaves!…..I’d hope they’d be more interested in losing and making him pace the sidelines, then follow that up with pressers where he makes a complete ass of himself, than they are in making a change…you know, get your money’s worth!
Sorry Charlie,..aka: “Pear Bryant”, or Mr .593!
Navy dumps The Irish 23-21, maybe spoiling the Irish shot at the big Bowl game payoff. I say “maybe” because, well, when you “ARE” Notre Dame you only suck ass until your next win….regardless!
ITs not like they didn’t have EVERY OP to make it to the BCS level Bowl(s),….being Notre Dame and all. The rules for them are “special”, in that they don’t have to win a conference, play a conference Championship game, and don’t even have to reach the top 12 Like Boise State, TCU and the like. They, ND, only have to finish in the top 14 to “earn” an auto bid to a BCS game, despite what everyone else has to do. Add to that, they they’ve been as successful in Big Bowl games as “Pear’s” lawsuit was against the Doc’s for his failed gastric bypass surgery!, and well….- Apparently Irish fans just love to watch their team lose BIG!
Charlie Weis Notre Dame Record – (35-24)
Ty Willingham winning percentage – (.583)
Bob Davie winning percentage – (.583)
Charlie Weis marquee wins – 0
First loss to Navy since 1964 – (2007)
Second loss to Navy – (2009)
Finished 2007 season last in D-I in offense.
Highest 2 season loss total ever (2007-2008)
First lost ever to an 8 loss team (Syracuse 2008)
Lost Senior Day game at home to a lame duck coach (Syracuse 2008)
Now 0-5 against annual rival USC
Still, Chunky Weis in his 5th season at “The Dame” has yet to have a “BIG” win or finish a season with any level of achievement. His lone Bowl win is against a sub-average Hawai’i team and he has a very Div-Two level success against top 25 teams! Still, his Pear’ness maintains the special status title as; – Head Coach!
Purdue is his “biggie” so far this year ( by 3), and his other conquests have been; Washington (by 7 in OT), Washy State, Nevada, Boston College (by 4), and Michy State (by 3). His losses; USC (again!), UMichy, and Navy (for the 2nd time in 3 years!). No, Notre Dame has gotten EVERYthing and more out of this hire!…Yeah, he didn’t dupe them and then deliver NOTHING!
Games remaining on the schedule include to “away games” against Pitt and Stanford, and a “home game” against UConn. UC rang Uconn up for something like, 4300 yards thru the air in their win over the hapless Huskies. So look for Clausen to get back into the Heisman race after that one (maybe he wont fumble at he goal line in THAT home game)! Five years, and the magic man has failed to deliver ONE signature win…ONE!. How he’s not being sued for malpractice is nothing short of a mini-miracle! Notre Dame fans have become the Chicago Cubs of College Football. The biggest difference being, of course, the Cubs wouldn’t “make” the post season based conclusively on their 1940′s success , TV contract, and Rabid fans who fight tooth and 3-leaf clover for respect, without having beat anyone!
I’m not exactly sure that Florida will make it to the National Title game (again) this year,…I know, tears and sorrow all around,…sure. But one thing IS certain. Five years ago two coaches took over programs that were mostly under achieving,….One has won 2 National Titles and is still in the running for a third, while the other is still struggling to play in one of the 14 post-new Years bowl games– despite top recruiting classes the last 4 years!….Well, and the special considerations ONLY enjoyed by Notre Dame! When will the excuses end, at the “Bend”?….No, wait!….Its Ty Willingham’s fault (still), right!?!?!?
MY favorite’st Coach, Chunky!!
NCAA 2009 Season Kicks off in, T-minus 14 days….Early BIG Game: ND vs UMichy
Apparently THE IRISH Coach, Chunky Wide-Ash Weis is finally on the hot seat…..OK,…its a BIG ash Hot-seat! Yeah, sometime after Sweet Lispin’ Lou (Holtz) pulled the ’88 Title out his ass, Notre Dame fans started accepting losing like it was Gold-Dome ”gospel”! So much NOW, that they’ll make up excuses as to why they stay divoted to their current Head Coach, Chowder-Head cinch-pants!
The history of stank Chunky has bellowed from So-Bend is well-known, but needs to be mentioned again. Chunky is 29-21 overall at ND, and an amazing 15-16 (yes, one game UNDER .500) since he held the school for (fake) ransom and milked that incredible contract extension. 15-16 is acceptable in So-Bend these days??? WOW!…well, I can kinda see how that’s possible, actually,.. for two reasons primarily.
One: that afore mention silly-stupid contract the School pledged him, based on little more than a rumor HE started. They are stuck with a rediculous buyout amount, which is odd considering Chunky is so over-the-top full of himself. This is the guy who, after a loss to Michy State, guaranteed that he would never lose to MSU again!….They are 1-4 against Michy State, under the Chunksters rule!….His promises, like his lawsuits, seem baseless! I guess the only thing WORSE than losing to Navy, is knowing you just handed an over-rated blowhard 10 million in waddlin’ away money….even with those deep pockets, that’s gonna sting.
The second reason?….They’re unsure if Urban Meyer will leave Florida to come in and replace Charlie! For that matter, there has to be a short list of qualified and INTERESTED Coaches out there who would come to SoBend right now (ND’ers will dispuke that, but c’mon!). Now, on the cusp of the 2009 season, ND fans pine away for the Glory Days, with Weis, and an uber-easy schedule. A schedule that would have Syracuse preparing BCS Bowl game ticket packages! Not a bad time to post the +7/8 win-loss record that will save your job, huh? (Again, only in Notre Dame is that good enUFf!) Heck, a Pop Warner level schedule, and 3 straight top 10 recruiting classes (and one top 15) SHOULD start paying off SOMETIME, right?!…Not if you’re a Domer, “this is all Ty’s mess still“!..Yeah, only in Chuckles will they trust! (Good, now dismiss your Urban romance already!)
Notre Dame wins 9 games this year, if they are able to put down Dick Rod and his young Wolfies!