Maybe.
All good points, but consider:
If anything, Charlie proved that Notre Dame can still compete. He put the lie to the lazy, armchair conclusions about academic standards being too stringent, or that top-flight recruits wouldn't give South Bend a second look, or that Notre Dame could no longer go up against Southern Cal and Michigan and Florida and steal players out from under them. All of those built-in excuses that were proffered by Bob Davie, calcified via Willingham and lazily adopted by the blinkered national media (and much of their mouth-breathing readership) have been systematically disproven over the last five years. Can Notre Dame recruit? Notre Dame can recruit. Can it win? Notre Dame can win. No excuses, indeed. We can compete. We can win. Charlie might not have accomplished it, but he proved it possible. The failures of Charlie Weis are not endemic to Notre Dame. Today, when looking back on the Weis era, we hold him to his own standard, and can say that he did not get the job done; but proudly so, for without him, there might be no more standard.
***
For the Fighting Irish of 2010, it's a bit different. The foundation is set. We don't need someone to pull us out of the fire; we need someone who can take us over the top. Hopefully Brian Kelly will be that someone. As we close the book on BGS, Notre Dame is once again gearing up for a new beginning, another "return to glory" with the start of another spring practice. There is a lot to look forward to.
Complete thread:
- Swofford hinted at an Orange Bowl tie-in for ND -
Jay,
2012-07-04, 13:38
- He's good, that Swarbrick character. -
KGB,
2012-07-04, 18:17
- I'm not a horticultural expert -
Bill,
2012-07-05, 07:02
- Fr Ted botched the process in 1964 -
Dylan,
2012-07-05, 08:12
- 1985 was messed up, too - CW (Rakes), 2012-07-05, 11:30
- What's that quote that people hate? -
KGB,
2012-07-05, 08:05
- another thing to consider if Kelly busts -
Jay,
2012-07-05, 10:20
- Maybe. -
Kevin,
2012-07-05, 10:35
- get your yuks in now -
Jay,
2012-07-05, 10:41
- I agreed with that. -
Kevin,
2012-07-05, 11:13
- I had already deleted my snark - Jay, 2012-07-05, 11:15
- agreed on the cross chatter - HumanRobot, 2012-07-05, 11:15
- Well... -
FunkDoctorSpock,
2012-07-05, 10:55
- People looked at Quinn when Weis was hired -
JN,
2012-07-05, 12:08
- Not "at least as safe a bet" -
CK08,
2012-07-05, 12:34
- It absolutely was not a foregone conclusion. - FunkDoctorSpock, 2012-07-05, 12:37
- Maybe you're right... - FunkDoctorSpock, 2012-07-05, 12:27
- Oh, you mean Brady Poop-Squat Quinn? -
Geoff,
2012-07-05, 12:22
- If Quinn's performance is to Weis's credit.... -
bk,
2012-07-05, 14:11
- 21 games started vs. 0 - BPH, 2012-07-06, 10:16
- I think it's very possible -
CW (Rakes),
2012-07-05, 14:23
- I agree with CW -
Geoff,
2012-07-05, 15:27
- As a Browns fan, I'm going to advise against that. - MHB (Rakes of Mallow), 2012-07-06, 08:44
- I agree with CW -
Geoff,
2012-07-05, 15:27
- Also, Weis repeatedly stated Quinn was "battle-tested"... - FunkDoctorSpock, 2012-07-05, 14:16
- If Quinn's performance is to Weis's credit.... -
bk,
2012-07-05, 14:11
- Not "at least as safe a bet" -
CK08,
2012-07-05, 12:34
- my main thought -
Jay,
2012-07-05, 11:01
- Understood. - FunkDoctorSpock, 2012-07-05, 11:12
- That's true. However, Charlie left several significant - BillyGoat, 2012-07-05, 11:06
- You're both right... - scriptcomesfirst, 2012-07-05, 11:05
- People looked at Quinn when Weis was hired -
JN,
2012-07-05, 12:08
- I would like to hear a dissenting opinion. -
KGB,
2012-07-05, 10:54
- the most salient dissent is really -
Jay,
2012-07-05, 11:25
- Can you ever expect it to really stop, though? -
Jeremy (WeIsND),
2012-07-05, 13:11
- The Navys, Tulsas, and South Floridas have to stop - CK08, 2012-07-05, 15:39
- Can you ever expect it to really stop, though? -
Jeremy (WeIsND),
2012-07-05, 13:11
- That's gold, Jerry. Gold - scriptcomesfirst, 2012-07-05, 11:03
- the most salient dissent is really -
Jay,
2012-07-05, 11:25
- I agreed with that. -
Kevin,
2012-07-05, 11:13
- get your yuks in now -
Jay,
2012-07-05, 10:41
- Maybe. -
Kevin,
2012-07-05, 10:35
- This may be the origin. -
LaFortune Teller,
2012-07-05, 09:00
- That may be it. - KGB, 2012-07-05, 09:58
- Can't find the exact quote - Domer99, 2012-07-05, 08:38
- another thing to consider if Kelly busts -
Jay,
2012-07-05, 10:20
- didn't Holtz take a pay cut to come to ND? -
HumanRobot,
2012-07-05, 07:49
- A repost from an article - Domer99, 2012-07-05, 07:58
- he did - Jay, 2012-07-05, 07:54
- I also thought that Frs Ted and/or Ned were more involved -
Jeff (BGS),
2012-07-05, 07:28
- As an aside -
Domer99,
2012-07-05, 08:06
- I get that sense too, and yet - Jay, 2012-07-05, 08:44
- Didn't Jenkins fly out to meet Urban Meyer? -
Bill,
2012-07-05, 07:40
- who's saying that? -
Jay,
2012-07-05, 07:49
- The 'meanies' -
Bill,
2012-07-05, 08:14
- okay - Jay, 2012-07-05, 08:59
- Bugs Meany? -
FunkDoctorSpock,
2012-07-05, 08:27
- That guy sold me Stonewall Jackson's sword - it's engraved! -
MattG,
2012-07-05, 10:39
- The hood of the car is still warm! -
Dylan,
2012-07-05, 10:41
- There was nothing in the pocket that would "jingle" the coin - Savage, 2012-07-05, 10:46
- The hood of the car is still warm! -
Dylan,
2012-07-05, 10:41
- Actually, I think it was Owen. -
BillyGoat,
2012-07-05, 09:53
- I once got a stone from Danny Fisher - scriptcomesfirst, 2012-07-05, 11:09
- That guy sold me Stonewall Jackson's sword - it's engraved! -
MattG,
2012-07-05, 10:39
- The 'meanies' -
Bill,
2012-07-05, 08:14
- Yes, Fr. Jenkins arrived in Utah complete with police escort - hobbs, 2012-07-05, 07:45
- who's saying that? -
Jay,
2012-07-05, 07:49
- As an aside -
Domer99,
2012-07-05, 08:06
- Fr Ted botched the process in 1964 -
Dylan,
2012-07-05, 08:12
- is there a better AD in country? - JD in Portland, 2012-07-04, 21:14
- I thoroughly enjoy reading KGB rants -
bpeters07,
2012-07-04, 19:52
- They're even more amazing in person. - FunkDoctorSpock, 2012-07-05, 07:17
- Same here. They make my day - Busco21, 2012-07-04, 20:59
- I'm not a horticultural expert -
Bill,
2012-07-05, 07:02
- Schad reports - Jay, 2012-07-04, 15:03
- He's good, that Swarbrick character. -
KGB,
2012-07-04, 18:17