RIP Lou Holtz

[micropolitan guy]

Ore-eh-gon

 

[I Should Coco]

My only encounter (kind of) with Holtz: Notre Dame hosted Ohio State in 1996, and through my wife's family I was able to get two tickets to the game. My high school buddy, a die-hard Irish fan, and I drove over to South Bend early on Saturday and we enjoyed tailgating and other pre-game festivities.

The latter included joining the tunnel of fans that lined the walkway the Notre Dame players and coaches took between the chapel and the stadium. Every player and coach walked through, high-fiving fans ... except for Holtz. He brought up the rear, riding in the back seat of a Cadillac that drove between the church and stadium. No interaction with the riff-raff for him.

 

[DanOregon]

 

[playthrough]

Hadn't seen that one. Ouch.

 

[Meat Slapping Sound]

That verdict skit that he, Mark May and Rece did was always the most contrived, childish crap put on TV at that time. It may be the first thing I ever hate-watched.

He was certainly a memorable character in the history of college football, but not a particularly likeable one. I didn't like him when he was at Notre Dame. I really didn't like him when he was at South Carolina. I liked him even less when he was an "analyst" on ESPN.

I had similar feelings about Lee Corso during the early days of College Gameday, but as I grew so did my admiration and fondness for him. That never happened with Holtz.

Regardless, he definitely left his mark on the sport, and not many people his size can say that.

Mark May can **** off forever, though.

 

[Here me roar]

Ore-eh-gon

Suburb of Toledo is pronounced that way

 

[outofplace]

If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all, so I probably shouldn't say anything about Holtz.

 

[Meat Slapping Sound]

If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all, so I probably shouldn't say anything about Holtz.

Nah, let it out. He was a tool.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

My high school football coaches were all big Notre Dame fans and Holtz disciples. Early 90s.

So I had a lot of Holtz messaging thrown my way. He had some sort of motivational tape …it was a mandatory viewing a few times at the start of the season. It was definitely better than an hour of practice in the August heat and humidity.

We also were taken to Notre Dame once to watch practice. Which was cool.

He always seemed to be playing a character to me with his shtick. I didn’t watch him on TV too much, but the act did wear pretty thin.

A successful coach and won a title at one of the most storied college football programs. I’ll leave his political crap out of it. But it was obviously not surprising.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

He won a national title at a school that recruited itself and he STILL had to strongarm them into lowering academic standards and needed help from the referees in South Bend during the Miami game in order to do it.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

A case could me made that he won a title at Arkansas after beating OU, 31-6, in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1978. The Hogs, Notre Dame and Texas were all 11-1 and ranked No. 1 by David Rothman's NCAA-approved FACT computer rankings.

 

[Meat Slapping Sound]

A case could me made that he won a title at Arkansas after beating OU, 31-6, in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1978. The Hogs, Notre Dame and Texas were all 11-1 and ranked No. 1 by David Rothman's NCAA-approved FACT computer rankings.

Other SEC schools have made weaker claims to titles.

Recently.

 

[Liut]

A case could me made that he won a title at Arkansas after beating OU, 31-6, in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1978. The Hogs, Notre Dame and Texas were all 11-1 and ranked No. 1 by David Rothman's NCAA-approved FACT computer rankings.

That might have been the Orange Bowl where the start was delayed by heavy rain.
As the story goes, Holtz was giving a rousing pre-game speech when he was interrupted by a knock on the door.
The referee informed Holtz the game would not start at the scheduled time.
Holtz lost his mind.
"Coach, I don't control the weather."
Holtz turned to Monte Kiffen.
"Monte, I've got these guys all fired up and now, they can't play. What am I going to do?"
Kiffen took a heavy drag from his cigarette, then exhaled.
"Well ****, coach. I don't know."
I haven't done the story justice, but it sounds so much like Kiffen.
RIP, both men.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

That might have been the Orange Bowl where the start was delayed by heavy rain.
As the story goes, Holtz was giving a rousing pre-game speech when he was interrupted by a knock on the door.
The referee informed Holtz the game would not start at the scheduled time.
Holtz lost his mind.
"Coach, I don't control the weather."
Holtz turned to Monte Kiffen.
"Monte, I've got these guys all fired up and now, they can't play. What am I going to do?"
Kiffen took a heavy drag from his cigarette, then exhaled.
"Well ****, coach. I don't know."
I haven't done the story justice, but it sounds so much like Kiffen.
RIP, both men.

Arkansas-OU wasn't delayed. But it was the game where Holtz suspended three starters and the Vegas line moved to OU -18.5.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Suburb of Toledo is pronounced that way

So is the city in Wisconsin. I think that's why so many people mispronounce it, because it's pronounced differently in the region(s) they grew up.

I learned the correct pronunciation by watching "James at 15," the movie/series about the kid uprooted from Oregon to Boston. So I wasn't stupid when I moved here. I also knew that those who worked in the woods were loggers, not lumberjacks, from the same show.

I think Holtz and Saban both graduated from Kent State. Not sure they were ever on staff there as grad assistants.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

All I can add is Hayden Fry never could pronounce Wisconsin. Unless there was a real place called West Consin.

 

[Dirk Legume]

I have no idea why I remember this, but when I was about 14 or 15 I read a piece about Holtz, probably in Sports Illustrated, that I think, opened with the fact that Lou wore his watch on the edge of his arm so that he could save the time it took to turn his wrist to check the time. At that age, it seemed perfectly reasonable and a great idea, so that's how I started wearing mine.


For a short period...because it hurt to wear it that way. I also never did learn whether it was true or not.

 

[rtse11]

So is the city in Wisconsin. I think that's why so many people mispronounce it, because it's pronounced differently in the region(s) they grew up.

I learned the correct pronunciation by watching "James at 15," the movie/series about the kid uprooted from Oregon to Boston. So I wasn't stupid when I moved here. I also knew that those who worked in the woods were loggers, not lumberjacks, from the same show.

I think Holtz and Saban both graduated from Kent State. Not sure they were ever on staff there as grad assistants.

Saban was a G.A. at Kent State, along with Dom Capers

 

[dixiehack]

All I can add is Hayden Fry never could pronounce Wisconsin. Unless there was a real place called West Consin.

So he did not, in fact, say it all.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

So he did not, in fact, say it all.

Well played.