Observation: ND faithful turn on their own quicker than the GOP cult.
Winningest coach in school history.
Classless exit? Yes, but it is the nature of the business (and presumably consistent w/ terms of his contract) to seek greener pastures elsewhere. Kelly came to Notre Dame in the same manner, leaving Cincinnati in "Baltimore Colts" fashion, abandoning his undefeated team on the brink of a major bowl game. Decisions are made quickly. Social media limits the ability and space for parties to be less abrupt and conduct transitions like gentlemen.
Abandonment and betrayal of players? Yes.
But, I would expect Notre dame and its faithful base to adopt the Michelle Obama approach of "When they (Kelly) go low, ..... we go high."
ABC people. Always Be Classy.
Replies to: Observation: ND faithful turn on their own quicker than the GOP cult.
See the reaction less as political, and more like when someone walks out of a long term marriage.
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Kelly found his trophy wife...
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Late last night I posted this in response to Frank's comments on the Footie...similar thoughts to
both of you, but with a couple of additions....
"Agree with you about the "bidness"...Kelly has delivered consistent 10-12 win seasons recently yet among his peers...most of whom have done far worse...he doesn't even make the Top 50 list in compensation...then along comes LSU with their "Take it or Leave It...NOW" offer. Not sure how many on this board wouldn't take such an offer in their chosen profession.
I really don't like where CFB is headed...the very fact that HC's are paid Top 0.1% wealth is nuts...the message to not only the college players, but also every aspiring kid in H.S. or pee-wee leagues is that "monetization" is the ONLY measure. I'm guessing that the ND Padres have been trying to find a balance, but the prospects of pulling that off now are close to nil...speaking of "NIL", that's just another example of this mentality...don't like what that portends for the University going forward. It's not their fault...not Kelly's fault...it's OUR collective fault IMO...we never, ever raise our voices in opposition to this ethic...
I'm very interested...and concerned...about how the ND Admin/Trustees handle this...clearly, football is part of ND's DNA, but for us it's a bit different than Alabama...or at least it has been...we REALLY care about 'Student Athletes' and football being just a 'part' of the ND experience.
As an aside...when I was in H.S. and looking at colleges, I visited ND on a home football weekend...lots of fun all around campus and the Irish won the game...but that year, and previous years they hadn't done very well and never even sniffed a NC...but it didn't matter...it was the whole package that I was interested in. Yes, the added joy of being in contention and being able to puff one's chest out at being "National Champion" is terrific (thank you, Ara), but that shouldn't define ND's "Success". I trust that Fr. Jenkins and the Trustees still see things that way...I don't envy them in this current environment.
As for speaking to the kids...I don't have a problem with it...some will appreciate it, some may not, but I believe there are some genuine feelings involved that need to be expressed face-to-face."
Finally, as for Kelly leaving so abruptly...Swarbrick lured him away from Cincy 11 years ago in the dead of night, so there's no way he didn't see this coming after numerous conversations with Kelly regarding his "discomfort" with current pay relative to his peers, etc....as Conor said, with the way information travels today, you have to close immediately...sad, but true.
Let's all pray that we find another coach like Ara who is supremely talented as a HC, and REALLY buys into the total ND experience....
Edit: spelling
Great post. There is a delicate balance, discussed by Swarbrick today, who shares your sentiments.
College football is big business -- NFL like as a money making machine, reflected in the off the charts coaching salaries.
Notre Dame has seemingly tried to maintain the proper framework, -- a University that celebrates a great football team, where the players are students first and foremost, as opposed to "bought and paid" circus performers.
Swarbrick made clear that the #1 characteristic in finding a new coach is finding someone who embraces the uniqueness of Notre Dame, yet who can win football games.
The looming question is whether Notre Dame's model can still produce a national champion.
It’s a lot harder to win one at ND. Whether someone can remains to be seen.
I was never a Kelly fan, but the emoting about him leaving was a bit over the top. He had hit his ceiling and a place where it is much easier to win a chip was offering him double his money for a long time. Oh by the way, it was an immediate take it or leave it. I don’t blame him at all for taking it but the slime ball way he did it like the way we took him from Cinci was reprehensible.
It’s also just a more transactional world since the days of Ara and Holtz. These guys are lizard people who sell themselves to the highest bidder. Just a fact of bidness and it is a very big bidness. It’s a sharkpool and Kelly is clearly one as he demonstrated 12 years ago when we poached him. Trying to balance the ideals of Notre Dame in that venue while staying competitive is a very difficult undertaking.
People are just emotional.
It is kind of weird for everyone to be questioning a decision that most of them would make if they were in his shoes...and then to criticize him for things beyond his control (like someone at LSU leaking the news before he could get back to South Bend).
The bottom line is that he has a job, and a competitor offered him a raise, and he took it. There is nothing personal about any of this. Most people posting here would take a job change like that in a heartbeat.
He didn't betray the players like you say. (See, even you can be emotional.) The players always knew this was a possibility, and they always knew they could "betray" Kelly by entering the transfer portal. This is just business, plain and simple. The reaction to the job change comes from that aspect of fandom that makes being a fan fun: the emotional aspect of it. I don't think you need to besmirch an entire group, like Notre Dame fans, or the GOP...then again, that is how socialists think, in terms of groups rather than individuals.
Fair points Ned. We largely agree.
Agree with: "The bottom line is that he has a job, and a competitor offered him a raise, and he took it. There is nothing personal about any of this. Most people posting here would take a job change like that in a heartbeat."
But Kelly did betray the trust of his players (and recruits),only because of the timing (w/ major bowl game on the horizon), and the abruptness of his decision.
I get that Kelly placed his interests (financial and new life opportunity) above fulfilling his coaching duties this season. That is the business of college football. I am not condemning the man. But, it is a betrayal.
As to lumping ND faithful with the GOP cult, GUILTY as charged. Shocker that posters swung at the curve balls!
Heh. Indeed, shocker.
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You have that backwards. He’s the one who turned…….on his own team, which still could make the CFP.
He’s slime which is par for the course with these guys.
..vs Dem cult circling wagon around own no matter what they do.
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When you leave and violate every value you supposedly espouse....
....then people tend to remember.
The guy showed his true character. Fuck him.
He showed that 11 years ago when he came to South Bend the same way he left it.
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12...but it seems like yesterday now...
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Can see nothing has changed here
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Just listened to Swarbrick's presser. He showed great class and deftness in fielding questions.
Impressive.
Yes. And he said that Kelly did not tell him anything. Despite their friendship.
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Damn man. You're really taking this personal. The fact that you even believed what he was saying
is crazy. It's all coach speak and he made a business decision. That's all this is.
Must inject politics into everything
Do better, Conor
Have you nothing to say to Baron on that subject?...nothing?
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Must inject yourself into everything
Do better, Tyrone
His every post proves his stupidity.
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Actually he injected football into politics. Lets agree Connor's analogy loyal ND fans= loyal GOPers
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Watching Dan Patrick on Peacock now...
Don't know what connection he has to ND...insider knowledge etc....but he is big time Irish honk....HIS comments not SRD....
Coaches were totally blindsided
One coach was conducting an in house visit with a recruit and found out after he left the visit. Ouch.
Team notified by text
7 am meeting lasted less than 15 minutes
Kelly believed he couldn't get over hump at ND
Wanted to collect all time winning record before leaving (why he turned down earlier overtures by LSU)
Serious doubts about fit and how successful he can be in SEC
Welcome to big business college football ND
The whole thing sounds strange....
Listened to the Shamrock podcast
sounds like Kelly was frustrated at the lack of investment at the VP level over the years, things like:
Gug is outdated
No training table
Assistant coach recruiting travel
That's bullshit that they don't have training table. That
was rectified long ago. Kelly excuses, all of them
•
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Money and number 5. Went as far as he could at ND.
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To quote Randy Moss "straight cash, homie!"
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Holy shit, no Wapo link. You feeling ok this morning?
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No need to beg, but it shows you are well trained.
You post all the Wapo links and I am well trained? Now that is funny.
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You invoke Michelle Obama? Isn't she the privileged one who wasn't proud to be American? LOL dude.
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Except for possibly Jackie Kennedy, Michelle Obama is the most influential First Lady in US history.
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Make that most expensive.
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Sure she is. With who? The media?
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If she has eligibility left...I think she could be a positive influence on the O-line...
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Calling her influential takes a lot of balls and only Big Mike has bigger ones.
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Al Franken begs to differ.
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Andy Cuomo on Line 1.
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