ND: Tears Of Infinite Sadness
Might as well do one thread for all the basking in the mewling of the Irish. This one from NDNation is well, something.
The highlights of the post:
-We lose because black people play football now (seriously)
-Catholics are too rich make good football players
-ACADEMIC STANDARDS (just ignore Stanford)
-Time to join the B1G
This is like the perfect storm of Notre Dame superiority, poorly disguised racism, and the standard academics excuse.
I wonder how that "Academics" excuse will play when a bunch of Northwestern MBAs and law students hang 70 on them.
Anything else pop up worthwhile today? I'm off to write my father and thank him for being the first person in his Irish Catholic family to go to Michigan instead of ND, thus setting the stage for me to avoid the fate of my cousins. Gonna be a great Thanksgiving this year!
The best paragraph IMHO:
...Shoveling against the Tide: In fact, Alabama is a convenient metaphor for the changes in the game. One of the changes relates to the fact that college football has become a game played by black men. The advantage accrues to the schools that can compete for young black men, often from disadvantaged backgrounds, representing a culture that elevates athletic achievement to the highest level. Success in sports brings cars, bling, and fame. How can they resist?...
Edit: Fixed it up, Rich Text Editor ate the HTML.
September 12th, 2011 at 2:12 PM ^
I'm just gonna quote theyellowdart above:
"Sorry, but implying that one of the key Reasons for the decline in Notre Dame football being 'They're letting black people play now.' is racist."
Using a fact to form a racist implication does not make said implication less racist.
September 12th, 2011 at 2:21 PM ^
What's racist is the suggestion that NDs demise has something to do with an nationwide increase in black players. As if black players somehow shun ND. As if ND doesn't consistently land a ton of blue-chip recruits who happen to be black. ND has institutional recruiting advantages over 99 percent of the schools out there; it does not lack for talented players, be they black, white, or purple.
Plus, in many ways, ND now casts a wider a net than it did during the ol' days; it's more diverse, and therefore more accessible to non-whites.The problem isn't race; it's that ND is a stale program that chooses bad coaches, and that assumes past glories will fuel present ones. Have you not seen the Irish play this season? The team has more talent that both Michigan and USF. The team was in a position to beat both of them. But it didn't. Because it choked. Because it's undisciplined and poorly coached.
September 12th, 2011 at 4:46 PM ^
I think there is something to the notion that ND does not appeal that strongly to the average black person, but not for the specific reasons they gave. ND is a Catholic school. It's pretty upfront about that. The ND team actually goes to Mass before home games. To a non-Catholic (and most African Americans are not of that faith), the whole atmosphere can feel a little alien.
September 12th, 2011 at 5:39 PM ^
I think there is a lack of appeal to ND because they lack an identity. If I'm a recruit, I'm not going to ND because I don't have confidence the coaching staff can lead my team to a national championship, let alone actually be around for four years. The fact that they aren't in a conference is a huge drawback imo. Having their own network in NBC is overated. Having said that, they seem to be recruiting just fine, even better than what they probably deserve, which makes the author's opinion that much more confusing to me.
September 12th, 2011 at 8:38 PM ^
It's South Bend.
And instead of being a minority on campus and in town, being the only black people in town/at the school.
September 12th, 2011 at 10:12 PM ^
I guess the standards for racism are set pretty high in Alabama. Ha.
September 12th, 2011 at 12:21 PM ^
I don't really want to get into enjoying the flood of tears coming from ND Nation as some of it I understand, especially the questions about their head coach. Granted some of it is over-reaction.
However I am waiting to see Damefan's post because I am not a fan of him so much.
September 12th, 2011 at 12:44 PM ^
The Hopelessness of the Return to the Return to the Return to Glory
by Charles Murray
September 12th, 2011 at 12:57 PM ^
Was this written by Paul Hornung, who once opined in a radio interview that
Notre Dame must ease up on its academic restrictions because "we gotta get the black athlete. We must get the black athlete if we're going to compete," Hornung said.
September 12th, 2011 at 1:17 PM ^
People always bitch when they suck and not meeting expectations. Are Michigans or other Big Ten's schools academic standards less than NDs? Michigan has a ton of black athletes. Have you ever seen Michigan take a recruit that ND turned away because if academics?
September 12th, 2011 at 1:24 PM ^
sounding like a jackass, I don't think there is anything particularly racist about the paragraph you posted. It is possible to discuss race without being racist, and I think this was an example of that.
September 12th, 2011 at 2:28 PM ^
Closing line, it basically states blacks will simply pick the school that loads them up with fringe benefits. It's a blanket statement that the entire black culture values material goods over education.
It's also false of course, Miami had a very multiracial fringe benefits scam going.
September 12th, 2011 at 2:27 PM ^
http://www.ndnation.com/boards/showpost.php?b=football;pid=235537;d=this
"Perhaps our lads are too intelligent to realize that UM's players didn't know they were beat. With 80 yards to go and only 30 seconds on the clock? The intelligent ones would have folded. Then going for the TD with only 8 seconds left? No way! Nobody's that dumb. thing is nobody told them they wwere beat.
I believe we think too much on the field. We have a tradition of excellence in our student atheletes. UM (along with every other D1 program - Vanderbilt being the exception) of excellence in Athletics only. Student is just something that is written on the tax return under occupation."
September 12th, 2011 at 2:28 PM ^
The lads should read less Proust and do more ball security drills I say.
September 12th, 2011 at 2:49 PM ^
September 12th, 2011 at 3:25 PM ^
We wore gold t-shirts with green lettering that read NOTRE WHO? I wish that mine still fit but I'll take game. That is all.
September 12th, 2011 at 4:12 PM ^
...is full of a bunch of mouth breathers. I refuse to believe I attended school with any of the people on that site. Sadly, I'm sure I did.
That was an insane game. The most on the edge of my seat I have ever been since the Bush Push game. And even more heartbreaking.
Notre Dame is losing these games because we suck and have no leadership. Period. No excuses. No blame. You just have to totally suck to let a guy get loose for 64 yards with 23 seconds left to play with a secondary full of upperclassmen.
Congrats on your win. And you all should root for us next week... because no one likes to see mass suicide, right? Also, ND kicks rule breakers out of school instead of letting them play without suspension like MSU which means we're the more morally acceptable school to root for.*
*yes, that is sarcasm.
September 12th, 2011 at 4:15 PM ^
Courtesy Her Loyal Sons:
Denard Robinson – Destroying More Irish Lives than the Potato Famine
September 12th, 2011 at 4:37 PM ^
I dunno. Mass starvation and death abetted by an occupying imperial power is often not funny. Substitute "Irish" with "Kurdish" and "the Potato Famine" with "Saddam Hussein" and you pretty much have the equivalent.
Still, I do like me some Denard t-shirts...
September 12th, 2011 at 5:06 PM ^
It might not be in the best taste, but I'm not sure the analogy totally works since one instance is a famine and one is a genocide (passive vs. active). Since it's on a ND board, it could be one of those "we can say it bc it's us" things.
I think we can all agree that comparing Denard to "an occupying imperial power," at least on the football field, is apt sentiment.