Pat Fitzgerald responds to criticism of sideline antics

In other news, the Danny Hope gif is priceless.

My problem is that Beyer was right there.  It was borderline taunting of a player on another team who had just made a huge mistake.  It was a DB move pure and simple.

His over-exuberance for a personal foul call--which was not even for a potentially more legitimate reason like a TD, game-winning FG, sack, or goal line stand--upset his karma ... if you believe in that kind of stuff

He just made himself look stupid, end of story. Nothing overly malicious or amoral, not a big deal, he just comes off as a clown, like he puts it. Fine by me

I like Fitz. One of the better representatives of the Big Ten. But that was kind of embarrassing. And I don't buy that it was a sarcastic response to not getting calls all day. I think he lost his composure. Not the end of the world, but not his best moment. 

I don't like him. He was doing that same double arm raise after they beat Michigan in the rain a couple of years back. He's supposed to be the coach, not a player. Even if he's happy while raising his arms in triumph, it makes him look like a twit. It was funny to see the clip of him sacking Brian Griese during the game, because he was doing that same double arm raise when he was a player. It's his trademark I guess.

Dear Pat:

Scoreboard.

That is all.

Rub a stuffed animal in someone's face

The word clown and sports go well together.

He adds a lot of personality to the conference. He coaches and talks like football is just a game, and I think a lot of us could use a reminder of that, sometimes.

He generally is not a douche and I have much respect for the job that he does at N'western. We all have our moments that we're not real proud of, here was his. IMHO

In the overall scheme of things, and I was sitting right behim Fitzgerald when he was jumping around like a clown, it didn't matter.  I'm much more pissed off about the reffing in the MSU-Nebraska game that probably cost us a trip to Indy.

I didn't have a problem with it at all. He probably felt immense disappointment that the play appeared to not be a success, and then saw the flag and, along with most of us, assumed that it had sealed a win for his team. What we were feeling in disappointment was what he was feeling in excitment. 

Now, had he been chirping or taunting Desmond Morgan after the flag came out, it would be a different story.

Gif is priceless

given Fitzgerald's career, my tremendous respect for him as a player and coach I find this explination very disatisfying.

I still love the guy and what he's done for Northwestern but that's some weak sauce.

Let the records show that the only place I've seen anyone bitching about this on MGoBlog. So...yeah.

I'm going to file this in the "Who Gives A Shit?" category and move on to more pressing needs: What do we sacrifice to AIRBHG to keep him in Iowa City?

The tone of this board would be a lot different had we lost.  As it were, he looked like a fool for a few moments in an intense game in a key situation.  Time to move on.

Along the same lines. I'm a big fan of coaches that show their emotions during the game so long as it isn't direct negatively toward players. If you are at a school with limited talent and history maybe that little extra emotion inspires the players a little. The first one is awesome just because every word can be heard. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHAYkxzE-e0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3OvteeN0qI&feature=related

Anyone who wants to hate on Fitz really needs to go somewhere far, far, FAR away and never come back.

Fitzgerald is a GREAT coach. He loves his program and he wants like HELL to take NW to the next level. I saw nothing wrong with that he did...he was just trying to motivate his team. He didn't show up ANYONE on Michigan. He wasn't in anyone's face, he was just trying to put some emotion into his team.

Face it, I don't care if Michigan is ranked or not...when you're NW and you beat them, it's a HUGE win.

If Michigan didn't have Hoke, the best coach in the conference. They'd be honored to have Fitz, the 2nd best coach. Hoke and Fitzgerald also have tremendous respect for one and other.

If you didn't read any of the above. Maybe this will sink in: If you don't like Pat Fitzgerald. You can't like Jordan Kovacs. They're one in the same. May not have all the tools, but they're going to give you EVERYTHING they have to win and fight like hell for their team.

I was a few beers in and in section 10. When I saw the flag fly I pointed out to my buddy "look at that idiot jumping on the sideline" he then asked who it was and I told him"gotta be a student assistant or something. Pat Fitzgerald is better than that". Was kinda upset to find out it was him. I have great respect for what he has done there but that was terrible sideline behavior for a head coach

Was it less than classy? Yes. Was it borderline childish? Yes. But it's not a very big deal within the context of that game and certainly not in the wider context of college football behavior. It's no "60 minutes of unncessary roughness" statement.

Besides, his punishment will be his childrenand grandchildren never being able to escape the gif of that moment when the google the old man.

He looked like an immature teenager. That being said, I don't think it's that big of a deal and regardless
of what he is saying about his actions, I'm sure he is embarrassed behind closed doors.

That being said, at the moment I was watching him jump around, I was kinda glad he decided to not leave NW when we were conducting our coaching search a few years ago.

YAY My QB possibly just got injured, I'm going to jump around like an idiot.

I keep seeing people say, "Well, if there was a camera in my living room..." Well, there isn't one. We aren't paid a lot of money to be public representatives of a university. Fitzgerald is. Did he jump around like that when his team scored a td to take the lead with 4 minutes to go? No. He only did this after a personal foul on his QB. The guy is a douche. If there were a camera in my living room, then I'd adjust my behavior. I certainly wouldn't jump around like a fool after a personal foul on my qb. Now, I might jump around like a fool after Rountree makes an amazing catch, after Gibbons kicks the tying field goal, after DG scores the go-ahead td in OT, or after Demens makes a monstrous stop on 4th and 2 to end the game...but not for some random  pf call that you don't even know is going to result in a score.

I actually like this part.  "Like I tell [my wife] Stacy all the time, you'll have to excuse my passion. Get over it."

Seems to me a coach acting like a "knuclehead" will most likely motivate his players to act like knucleheads.

At least Fitzgerald displayed better sense jumping around on the sideline than he did when shopping for a chair recently:

http://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2012/10/26/3552092/pat-fitzgerald-goes-shopping-for-a-new-chair