The Echoes Were Awakened (Part III of V)
August 16th, 2012.
It was a day when a certain award-winning sportswriter for ESPN wanted to make a statement regarding one of college football's most iconic programs.
Sports fans, college football fans, and especially Notre Dame fans read the column written by Rick Reilly on www.espn.com regarding Notre Dame football and its recent struggles.
Reilly did not hold back on his sentiments that Notre Dame should be "demoted". He even went as far as to say that the Irish would have been halfway down the Mountain West Conference after their string of failed expectations over the years.
But one certain list that Reilly wrote turned every domer's face beat-red.
"From now on:
• Notre Dame no longer gets its own television deal with NBC.
• Notre Dame no longer gets to be the only school in the country with an inexplicable seat at the BCS decisions-making table.
• Notre Dame no longer gets its yearly undeserved hellahype in preseason rankings and preseason All-America teams."
The one quote that really stung was this,
"That hurts your feelings? Watch Rudy 'til you feel better."
Rick opened a deep wound and poured salt into every Notre Dame fan walking this earth with that cold-blooded statement.
Now for anyone who has known me personally, I have bled blue and gold since I was three-years-old. My very first memory of Notre Dame was seeing my grandmother's 2'x3' framed 1988 National Championship custom-stitched satin blanket hanging in the basement. Ever since then I became a fan of the Fighting Irish.
Reilly's comments angered me. I have grown thick-skinned during these trying times of being an Irish fan, but an article such as that made me irate.
Allow me to break down Reilly's points one-by-one and see if Notre Dame is truly responsible for their "pedestal" in college football.
1) "Notre Dame no longer gets its own television deal with NBC."
Well Rick, is it Notre Dame that made NBC televise their games? Or is it that NBC offered their money to televise their games? It's the latter Rick. So try to explain to me why is that Notre Dame's fault for their national TV contract.
2) "Notre Dame no longer gets to be the only school in the country with an inexplicable seat at the BCS decisions-making table."
Did Notre Dame walk up to the committee and demand a seat? Did they tell them that they are Notre Dame and it is their divine right to decide where they wanted to play? No. Mike Golic said on "Mike and Mike" that they have to be invited to the table, which they were.
3) "Notre Dame no longer gets its yearly undeserved hellahype in preseason rankings and preseason All-America teams."
Now Rick correct me if I'm wrong, is Notre Dame responsible for the writers and judges giving them those rankings? Does Notre Dame distribute their take on preseason rankings? Do they tell what player should be on the All-America team? Again no.
Notre Dame has no control over the statements Reilly made in his article. They do not demand all the perks and rewards they get from the NCAA, they only take them. If you have such a gripe Reilly, tell the NCAA board of directors yourself and do something about it.
Listen, I understand that Notre Dame was not the program it used to be. In fact, from 1997 to 2011, they were the laughing stock of football. I get that.
But trying to compare Notre Dame's woes with the Penn State scandal!?
"If there's anything we've learned from the Penn State mess, it's that nobody gets to live on a pedestal anymore."
Rick, you just compared Notre Dame's on-field issues with Penn State's child-abuse scandal? You compared BCS preseason rankings to pedophilia.
And you have the audacity to compare that tragedy to Notre Dame's win/loss record?
You tell Notre Dame to go back a grade? I suggest you go back to being the award-winning writer you once were and not a cheap shot artist.
But I have to thank you Rick. The entire university would like to thank you for your words.
You see, you gave the Irish something to prove. You could've easily just let them remain on their "pedestal" as you called it, and let them continue their struggles. But no. You just couldn't pass up the opportunity to ultimately bury one of the most prestigious programs in all of college football for your own personal folly.
You became Frank to Notre Dame's Rudy. You said that this team would never have a chance at glory again.
Little did you know that in the 15 weeks leading up to November 25th, your words would ring hollow and Notre Dame has risen to the top of college football.
Part four "Here Come the Irish" coming up next!
P.S Here is the full article from Reilly,
(http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/8264769/notre-dame-irish-relegated-insignificance)
It was a day when a certain award-winning sportswriter for ESPN wanted to make a statement regarding one of college football's most iconic programs.
 |
| Rick Reilly, Notre Dame's ultimate critic. |
Reilly did not hold back on his sentiments that Notre Dame should be "demoted". He even went as far as to say that the Irish would have been halfway down the Mountain West Conference after their string of failed expectations over the years.
But one certain list that Reilly wrote turned every domer's face beat-red.
"From now on:
• Notre Dame no longer gets its own television deal with NBC.
• Notre Dame no longer gets to be the only school in the country with an inexplicable seat at the BCS decisions-making table.
• Notre Dame no longer gets its yearly undeserved hellahype in preseason rankings and preseason All-America teams."
The one quote that really stung was this,
 |
| Pretty sure Rick watched Rudy and welled up but refuses to admit it. |
Rick opened a deep wound and poured salt into every Notre Dame fan walking this earth with that cold-blooded statement.
Now for anyone who has known me personally, I have bled blue and gold since I was three-years-old. My very first memory of Notre Dame was seeing my grandmother's 2'x3' framed 1988 National Championship custom-stitched satin blanket hanging in the basement. Ever since then I became a fan of the Fighting Irish.
Reilly's comments angered me. I have grown thick-skinned during these trying times of being an Irish fan, but an article such as that made me irate.
Allow me to break down Reilly's points one-by-one and see if Notre Dame is truly responsible for their "pedestal" in college football.
1) "Notre Dame no longer gets its own television deal with NBC."
 |
| NBC and Notre Dame will be together until at least 2015. |
2) "Notre Dame no longer gets to be the only school in the country with an inexplicable seat at the BCS decisions-making table."
Did Notre Dame walk up to the committee and demand a seat? Did they tell them that they are Notre Dame and it is their divine right to decide where they wanted to play? No. Mike Golic said on "Mike and Mike" that they have to be invited to the table, which they were.
3) "Notre Dame no longer gets its yearly undeserved hellahype in preseason rankings and preseason All-America teams."
Now Rick correct me if I'm wrong, is Notre Dame responsible for the writers and judges giving them those rankings? Does Notre Dame distribute their take on preseason rankings? Do they tell what player should be on the All-America team? Again no.
Notre Dame has no control over the statements Reilly made in his article. They do not demand all the perks and rewards they get from the NCAA, they only take them. If you have such a gripe Reilly, tell the NCAA board of directors yourself and do something about it.
Listen, I understand that Notre Dame was not the program it used to be. In fact, from 1997 to 2011, they were the laughing stock of football. I get that.
But trying to compare Notre Dame's woes with the Penn State scandal!?
"If there's anything we've learned from the Penn State mess, it's that nobody gets to live on a pedestal anymore."
Rick, you just compared Notre Dame's on-field issues with Penn State's child-abuse scandal? You compared BCS preseason rankings to pedophilia.
And you have the audacity to compare that tragedy to Notre Dame's win/loss record?
You tell Notre Dame to go back a grade? I suggest you go back to being the award-winning writer you once were and not a cheap shot artist.
But I have to thank you Rick. The entire university would like to thank you for your words.
You see, you gave the Irish something to prove. You could've easily just let them remain on their "pedestal" as you called it, and let them continue their struggles. But no. You just couldn't pass up the opportunity to ultimately bury one of the most prestigious programs in all of college football for your own personal folly.
You became Frank to Notre Dame's Rudy. You said that this team would never have a chance at glory again.
Little did you know that in the 15 weeks leading up to November 25th, your words would ring hollow and Notre Dame has risen to the top of college football.
Part four "Here Come the Irish" coming up next!
P.S Here is the full article from Reilly,
(http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/8264769/notre-dame-irish-relegated-insignificance)
Comments
Post a Comment