Gold Standard No More

A wise man once said make sure you always start off with a bang. In the spirit of that statement, I figured it only be right to use my first blog to slam the person I despise the most in this world.....Charlie "The Coward" Weis!

For decades The University of Notre Dame has maintained that it holds itself to a higher standard than any other university, especially when it comes to their football program. They refuse to join a conference, even in the ridiculous BCS era where a conference winner automatically gets a BCS bowl bid (ask anyone in the Big Ten if they would prefer to be an independent over the past few years). And they have always held their coaches to an extremely high standard when it comes to winning.

Weis' football team enters their next game with a mediocre 5-4 record. They have lost three out of their last four games, including a 17-0 shutout to Boston College (the first time that has happened in the 18 times these two have played) this past Saturday. His football teams are 1-15 in their last 16 games against opponents with an above .500 record. And since fat boy got his 10-year contract extension midway through his first season his teams are 1-8 against ranked opponents.

So what did the only man with two asses do? He threw his offensive coordinator under the bus publicly and reclaimed the play calling duties of his team.

Now this alone does not make him a coward. He is the head coach and has every right to call the plays if he chooses. It's the timing of this whole thing that got to me. All chubs has been saying during this losing streak is that they are on the right track and that he can get them out of this funk they are in. So how convenient that their next two games are at Navy (giving up 29.2 PPG) and home versus Syracuse (33.3 PPG). Now we can watch the Irish put up 35 against Navy and probably put a 60 spot on the board against the Orangemen and listen to Chuck say how Notre Dame is on the right path with him at the helm and calling the plays was the reason for the offensive breakout. Never mind the fact that he is 27-19 through his first 46 games (a worse record than Bob Davie had at that time) and his best coaching job was losing to USC. If you think about it, his signature win was a come from behind victory against a Michigan State team that didn't make a bowl (had a hurricane not broken out during halftime the Spartans probably win that one).

I know that Offensive Coordinator Mike Haywood is attending a funeral on Thursday in Houston. But isn't it strange that when Weis was asked if Haywood would regain his play calling duties when he returns, tubby had no comment. If that doesn't scream 'let's wait and see what we do this week' I don't know what does. Weis could have chosen anytime this season to take over the play calling. He even could have let Haywood, who rejoins the team on Saturday, help call the plays against Navy. But instead he chose to handle the offense against the two worst defenses on the schedule. It wouldn't shock me to see him call the plays the next two weeks while he claims he's letting Haywood take some time with his family and then hand him back the reins at USC. And after the Trojans pound Notre Dame and the Irish offense only puts up a field goal, Weis can use that to show how much better the team is with him calling the shots and how that is the reason for their offensive futility this season.

All we've heard is that it was Tyrone Willingham's fault for the 3-9 debacle last season. Yet we forget this is Weis' fourth year with three full and highly rated recruiting classes and he's shown bubcus. I guarantee if Rich Rodriguez has a 3-9 season in his third year at Michigan, the only team he'll be coaching is the California Penal League (that may not be so bad considering that's where most of the Miami Hurricane's end up playing).

But in all honesty, I hope Notre Dame does hang onto Charlie. I love watching them struggle week in and week out and nothing would make me happier than seeing Weis in year six trying to explain to the media that the Irish are on the right path and should return to glory anytime now. All hail the Gold Standard!