A New Low For Notre Dame Football?
Here is how far Notre Dame football has sunk: The Not-So-Fighting Irish are reduced to complaining about poor etiquette by Navy, a program that has beaten them twice in South Bend in three years.
After the Midshipmen won in South Bend 23-21, Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo talked about how his team beat a predictable Notre Dame defense.
“I think the one thing that helped us, and I really hope this doesn’t come across wrong, but I think the thing that helped us this year was last year because we knew that they’d line up the same way,” Niumatalolo said.
Naturally, the Irish took that the wrong way.
“I thought it was very disappointing what the Navy coach said after the game,” Notre Dame associate head coach Corwin Brown said. “He didn’t want something to be misconstrued, then he said it regarding how we prepared and what we prepared to do. I’m going to tell you this - we came out in the second half, minus one mess-up, they don’t get anything.
“To say that we didn’t prepare well or we didn’t have a good game plan, that’s crazy.”
Yeah, well, Notre Dame DID lose, again. That is why head coach Charlie Weis and his entire staff is watching their job security erode right before their eyes.
The Irish had BCS aspirations this season. This team appears to be loaded with potential NFL talent.
Now they appear headed to another so-so bowl game, to the chagrin to Notre Dame boosters. The two losses to Navy are coffin nails, since Notre Dame had won 43 consecutive games against the Midshipmen.
By the way, Brown also complained about Navy’s cut-blocking techniques. “Very malicious,” Brown said. “In this game, which we’re supposed to be playing for our kids and we’re working for our kids, you don’t let your players do something like that.”
Not only is Navy rude, it is dirty too. Who knew?
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE
Questions to ponder while wondering if, deep down, Jim Riggleman is all that excited about getting the Nationals managerial job:
- Isn’t is odd that baseball teams can spend tens of millions of dollars on dubious free agents, then cut corners on the basic stuff?
- And speaking of the Dodgers, are we to assume that it’s no fun working there right now?
- Can Kurt Warner keep posting crazy numbers in the second half? Or is he finally getting old?
- Has the NFL ever had a more entertaining player than Chad Ocho Cinco?
- Will the Bears give our old friend Lovie Smith another season to give his program back on track?
TONY GONZALEZ BEARS HIS POLITICAL VIEWS
It turns out the Falcons tight end and his wife are big pro-animal advocates. They posed mostly nude for a PETA ad, to the amusement of Atlanta cornerback Tye Hill, the former Ram.
“I’m sure he’ll get some ripping for it once everyone knows about it,” Hill told CBSSports.com. “But he has a lot of years on a lot of guys so I don’t know how much ripping he’ll get.”
QUIPS ‘R US
Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:
Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN.com: “Mark McGwire has had nearly five years to figure out what to say next. And yet here we are, weeks after the St. Louis Cardinals hired McGwire to be their new hitting coach, and still not a word. No news conference. No teleconference. No statement. No nothing. If a quivering McGwire was unwilling to speak under oath at a March 2005 congressional hearing on steroids, what makes you think he wants to speak about the S-word — and his alleged use of the juice — in November 2009? That’s easy: He doesn’t. McGwire would rather chug pine tar than sit in front of another conga line of microphones, in front of an SRO crowd of reporters, and have to explain his relationship with performance-enhancing drugs. But this is the situation he created and the situation only he can resolve.”
Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle: “What’s the difference between Manu Ginobili and Ryan Howard? Ginobili is more dangerous with a bat in his hands.”
Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: :It’s sad to see FSU’s legendary defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews ending his career with the most pitiful defense he’s ever had in Tallahassee. It’s almost as sad as when the Beach Boys went out with ‘Kokomo.’”
Terence Moore, FanHouse: Unless you believe something along the lines that the folks at Touchdown Jesus will spray paint the Golden Dome, Urban Meyer will become the next head football coach for the Fighting Irish. Sometime. It’s going to happen, all right. Meyer will end his brilliant stint with the Florida Gators for a return to South Bend, Ind., where he left his heart as a Notre Dame assistant coach from 1996 to 2000. It’s going to happen, because unless you haven’t been paying attention, Meyer keeps saying how much he covets the Notre Dame job. He said so emphatically during a radio show on a South Florida station in December 2008. He also wrote as much two summers ago in his authorized biography. Meyer has yet to claim that he misquoted himself.”
MEGAPHONE
“We’re 28th in the league (actually, 27th heading into the game) in goals against. Against good teams, that shows up every time. We don’t have a buy-in right now – we’re not checking – so we look light and slow. . . . We really got schooled by a hungry team that was ready to play. . . . Unless you manage the puck and are determined with it, and fight hard to get it back, you certainly can’t win against experienced teams. And that is what we tried to do. And we got destroyed.”
Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock, after taking a 9-1 beating from the Red Wings.
INBOX
From our electronic mail bin:
“Before MarkMcGwire fesses up to his past, perhaps you might want to address some of the skeletons in your own closet. We all have heard rumors so now is the time for you to clear the air about your own episodes in ‘poor judgment’. It seems fair to me.”
R. Blakely
I have never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. In my 30-year career playing pick-up basketball in four cities, my name was never attached to any PED scandal. To clear my name, I will submit to testing today, if need be.
ELSEWHERE IN STLTODAY.COM
The Blues finally released some of their pent-up frustrations at home. It was about time.
McGwire has this opportunity to try and straighten some things out and where is he? – hiding behind TLR. The World Series has been finished for over a week now, stand up and face the questions and move on. If you can’t address this so called media, you might as well stay in California. How about Moe saying he has to communicate with McGwire through TLR? What the Hell is that? The Cardinals have put themselves in a terrible position here all thanks to the manager once again – and it is only going to get worse.
If he is serious about this job and this organization then he will stop thinking of himself for once and tackle this head –on. Because I got news for Mac, as much as TLR will try to stop this train, he is going to end up a grease spot on the road.
Maybe Mac can try some of that new magic cream his buddy Sammy is using and just disappear.
HaHaHa. I love anything that shines light on the poseurs in South Bend. Play like a champion today! HaHaHa. I think I may actually cheer the day that NBC decides not to renew their ND TV contract. Here’s to 100 more years of Charlie Weiss’ reign, may they unfold in the same grandiose fashion as the past 5. HaHaHa.
Face it SW, if McGwire has any success at all with Cardinals’ hitting, his past will be forgotten, by fans and most of the media. There will be the one guy in the media crowd short on storylines to bring it up, but, success will breed acceptance. And TLR knows that. By the way, TLR is still the best bet for Cardinals as manager. Who else in baseball is better (and available). TLR will bring another winning season and just maybe McGwire will figure out why the hitters were last in pitches per at bat.
Notre Dame complaining about Navy is like Goldman Sachs bankers complaning about the monetary system. The game is stacked in their favor…when they lose it’s pathetic, not tragic.
Hell, get a real coach, you know, someone who’s actually been a head coach before. Their hiring history, excluding Lou Holtz, has been pathetic since the 70’s.
Thanks, Fatty Hitchcock for leaving your starting goalie in for eight of those nine goals. EIGHT goals against! It’s almost as if Hitchcock doesn’t give a crap about my fantasy hockey team.
Jeff, I don’t think Mr. Blakely had reference to your using steriods and I believe you knew that as well. If not, let me say it. You and other reporters that were around during the steriod area did nothing to bring it into the open. To say you knew nothing about it would be difficult to believe or accept since you all have considerable access to the clubhouse, dugout,players and the organization. To say you knew nor heard anything about the usage of steriods has to be untrue. To say those of us that accuse you offer no proof of your knowledge and therefore cannot place any reporter responsibility for sweeping it under the rug makes no difference. Like McGwire, you are guilty until proven innocent and should apologize to the fans.
McGwire did nothing to my family nor to me personally. There is nothing he did that warrents an apology to me. If ever any legal proof is given to expose him as a user and should he want to apologize as did ARod and Pettitt only after proof forced their belated apology, that would be his decision and not one I would feel necessary. As with a number of other sports writers, I enjoy your efforts in bring sport news to we readers. However, as with a number of other sports writers, I also see you guys as hypocrites in your constance stream of McGwire criticism and public apology demand. When you apologize for misleading the fans by not investigating or reporting the steriod abuse DURING the steriod area, then and only then I might agree with a public apologize. Until then, each time I here from one of you, the self rightous public comment you dish out, I can think of only one thing, HYPOCRITE.
Oh yes! You can certainly use this in your tipsheet column if you wish.
Will any of our lives change if Mark McGwire admits to using steroids? I seriously doubt that it will improve the economy, end the wars in the Middle East or solve world hunger. If McGwire said “OK I took steroids”, the only thing it would do is make lazy sports writers look for something new to harp on.
Notre Lame choking up the year in which all their sheep had picked The well-paid Anointed Ones to win the whole enchilada — how perfect. This despite the millions of shady dollars in should-be-illegal national TV contracts. Maybe some of the NFL ringers they use are not content — salaries need adjusting? Keep Charlie Weiss, please. Maybe they’ll find another thug along the lines of a Switzer, Schembeckler, Bryant, Spurrier, Parseghian, or Holtz. I’m sure they’re looking hard. Best team big money can buy, right?
RealFan, you offer one of the key reasons why Magwire should NOT be considered as the batting coach. He never hit for average and knows NOTHING about working the pitch count. All he ever did was swing from his shoe-tops; no discipline whatsoever. He couldn’t have advanced a runner if his life depended on it. He got a lot of walks only because pitchers were afraid to come in to him. Bad move, and I don’t care whether or not he gargled with steroids every morning.
Could we find a proofreader? You manage to screw up not only a good pun but make the headline ungrammatical: “Gonzalez Bears his political views.” Try “Bares.” Sheesh. Anybody home?
So, Jeff has never done performance-enhancing drugs for basketball. What about anything that helped you stay up to study or meet a deadline? Ever take anything to help you relax? Ever done any illegal drugs at all? These are the questions we want answered, the skeletons you need to bear (sic). Nice try at avoiding the issue by giving a cute yet inane response to the question. So, are you willing to fess up?
Amen, Drunken Sailor. I totally agree. The best thing he could do right now would be to just come out and say it and be done with it. Then the media will go elsewhere. It’s a shame the media are like they are. If you’re in the public eye, you can’t just live your life. They hound you. I also agree he owes nobody any apologies. If you don’t like him, then fine. Don’t come to the games. Pesonally, all I really care about at this point is whether he can help the hitters. For that, we’ll see.