Football Grumblings

I don’t even want to talk about the Bears.

If it wasn’t obviously from the last two weeks that the Bears coaching staff – namely Lovie Smith – is unable to prepare the team to play football each week, then yesterday’s sad little performance should have made it painfully clear.

I’m considering jumping on the bandwagon and becoming a New Orleans Saint fan for the rest of the season.

Instead, let’s talk about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Many football seasons ago, when Lord Charlie Weis was handed the keys Rockne’s office, the sports pundits and football intelligencia proudly spoke of Weis’ superior skills in designing offensives and building up quarterbacks. Certainly that would translate into good things in South Bend.

Nearly five complete football seasons since then and what does the Irish have to show for Weis’s leadership?

A potent offense and spectacular quarterback, but not much else.

No defense. No special teams. No team identity.

Notre Dame has an Offensive Coordinator running the team. They don’t have a Head Coach. If they had a Head Coach I think the Irish would have beaten Michigan and Navy. Maybe even USC. But the Irish don’t have a Head Coach, they have an Offensive Coordinator.

At what point does Charlie start paying attention to what is happening with Jimmy Clausen isn’t on the field and start working on making the defense play as intense and consistent as the offense? Is that even possible?