SI.com declares that Weis is done

Stewart Mandel wrote it. It's an excerpt from a column he threw up late Saturday afternoon. And I didn't take it that he necessarily wrote that Weis was definitively going to be fired after this season. Only that it's clear that, whenever it happens - this season, next, the one after that - that this is going to end badly.

Since when is job status speculation out of bounds for columnists? Did you ever think that the reason that there's no straight reporting on this is because there's not really anything to report yet? Why would Notre Dame fire him this week? What if they go into USC and somehow, miraculously win? And you just committed seven figures to fire the head coach? What a bonehead business move that would have been.

Assuming, then, that doesn't happen - with apologies to write then drink for taking a talk radio turn here - I wouldn't dismiss the idea of them getting a top-shelf college coach in there. Pete Kerasotis (sp?) at Florida Today wrote a pretty convincing column last week about why he still thinks Urban Meyer ends up in South Bend. That's not a fanboy writing on a blog straight from his Chicago basement. That you have to kind of raise an eyebrow to.

If North Carolina can land Butch Davis, why is it out of the question that Notre Dame, flush with money and player talent, could draw a big name?

 

"The writer doesn't control the story, the story controls the writer." Or similar.

This is ND's first step to showing Weis the Golden Door. Book it.

 

I would love to see Notre Dame throw a Nick Saban like package at Urban Meyer just to see what happens.

 

I'd be the last person to defend SI, but may I point out that what you allege to be a declaration was punctuated with a question mark. You know, one of these: ?
That means there's a question being posed.
I don't know how a declaration can end with a question mark.

 

Exactly. SI has gone to hell in a handbasket in a number of ways, but speculating -- with a giant question mark -- is is no way, shape or form out of bounds.

If I have a problem with this blog entry, it's this: It doesn't tell me anything I don't know already. Charlie Weis is in trouble at ND? No shit?

 

Heck, Notre Dame could throw a Nick Saban-like package (plus $1.00) at Nick Saban, just to see what happens.

 

If they fire Weis, I think the only thing Notre Dame could do is offer some coach a truckload of money to clean up the mess. Someone like Gruden or Meyer or someone along those lines...

 

I would go a different route. Find a cheaper up-and-comer, like Cincinnati's Brian Kelly, who can coach. There's already some recruiting momentum and there are plenty of players there to win with now (of course, you'd have to anticipate some might leave - although some might be thrilled to see the guy go). This isn't like the Washington or Syracuse situations, where you're starting from scratch.

I don't think you want Gruden - another NFL guy.

 

Anyone who would even consider leaving Gainesville for South Bend needs his head examined. Seriously. And his family should shoot him for even considering it, should it ever come about.

 

I agree completely. I just threw out Meyer's name because UF outbid ND for Meyer the first time, so it would be funny if they tried to return the favor. Meyer also said years ago that ND was his dream job, but he did turn them down when they tried to lowball him a few years back.

 

It seems to me the entire athletic department there needs an enema if they want to be a football power.

That's just based on the last three hires, starting with the George O'Leary fiasco. But what do I know?

Hey, Bob Davie's always available.

 

I don't think everyone is as obsessed about the weather as people on this board seem to be at times. Chicago isn't paradise, there's no question. But neither is it Buffalo. I always roll my eyes at kids who make recruiting decisions based on weather. I mean, it's four years of your life.

You win a national title at Notre Dame, or even put the program in a position to compete for them, and you're a legend. Especially if you come riding in on a white horse right now.