
Matt Archbold graduated from Saint Joseph’s University in 1995. He is a former journalist who left the newspaper business to raise his five children. He writes for the Creative Minority Report.
The University of Notre Dame’s football coach Brian Kelly had a rough day yesterday. A very rough day. His team had five turnovers at the worst possible moments—many of them in the red zone. The loss is damaging to Notre Dame because many thought this season would be different from so many others when the Irish seemed poised for greatness only to fail.
While what happened on the field was disappointing, I think what occurred on the sidelines was worse. A purple-faced Brian Kelly cursed and screamed at not only at his players (who are 18-23 years old), but he did it on national television for people of all ages to see. And let me tell you something, you didn’t need to be a lip reader to figure out what he was saying. By the look on my 11-year-old’s face, she figured it out pretty quick.
To put it bluntly, if there was a drinking game where you drank every time Kelly cursed I would’ve needed help getting off the couch, never mind getting to bed.
This is not far from an isolated incident. I saw Charlie Weis cursing on the sidelines many times, as well. In fact, “60 Minutes” showed him coaching and cursing up a storm.
I’ve seen Brian Kelly in interviews, and he seems like a decent guy, but isn’t this type of behavior unfit for any grown-up, never mind the most recognizable face of the country’s most well-known Catholic university?
I understand football coaches aren’t kindergarten teachers. But given the reality of the game and knowing that families are watching, couldn’t we curb the f-bombs? You’d think Notre Dame football games are something I could sit down and watch with my kids.
I’m a fan and let me tell you, when that interception occurred in the third quarter I wanted to scream at my television. But you know what, I didn’t. I didn’t because my kids were watching. I’ve had setbacks in life but I don’t flip out, become so purple-faced I look like an oompa-loompa, get in people’s faces, curse at them, and chase them down so I can curse at them some more. I don’t. And if you ask me, The University of Notre Dame shouldn’t allow it either.
Greg Pollowitz of NRO’s Right Field said today that he believed Kelly should be fired:
I think the trustees of the university should fire him this morning. Not because of the loss, but because of the way he treated his players. This is really uncalled for.
I don’t think calling for Kelly’s job is necessary or even appropriate ... yet. But the trustees and the administration should let Kelly know that kind of behavior is unacceptable. Completely unacceptable.
We can argue about how Catholic Notre Dame is, but the fact is that Notre Dame is the most well-known Catholic institution. Screaming and cursing at young students like that just isn’t acceptable.
On one hand, people at home are watching and don’t need you tossing f-bombs into their living room. And on the other hand, it’s not appropriate behavior whether the cameras are there or not.
George O’Leary was fired just weeks after being hired as the head coach of football at Notre Dame for lying on his resume. Is Brian Kelly’s cursing at young men on national television more acceptable? I don’t think so.
ND fan for 52 years, never seen a bunch of quitters in my life, I burned everything I own of ND. I would rather see the team 0-10 with good grades than the BS is saw tonight
Oh the coaching- play calling and preparation was that of my local high school! please resign. ND win or loose is about devolping young people for the future
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It is really a shame. Foul mouthed and clearly not a good coach. Perhaps he should find more intelligent and effective ways to lead. Not any kind of role model for this university.
It is not a good witness, but it’s also common even it catholic universities. As for us offenses go, it’s not a big deal in my opinion. We Catholic Christians have much more to worry about than a foul mouthed coach. That kind of goes with the territory. And I’ve heard worse the private areas of community life when the Faithful aren’t around to notice.
I’m not proud of it but I’ve said some pretty bad things myself even when something has gone wrong right before I said Mass.
And I’ve certainly heard worse lfrom otherwise godly men during disagreements within my religious congregation. I’m not sure what many of you are complaining about . Notre Dame where I attended Moreau Seminary is about as Catholic as you can get, more so than Jesuit affiliated institutions where I did additional graduate work and have served on the faculty.
I am not justifying what the coach did . I just don’t see it as a big deal facing the Church or anyone else given everything else that we are dealing with. I can’t even believe it’s worth the of discussion in a blog.
May the peace of Christ which passes all understanding be with each of you.
It is clear he has lost the team!!!! Good he is a jerk, why would any kid want to play football for this guy..
I think N.D. hired an interior decorator instead of a football coach,glitz helmets,a foulmouthed one at that.
“If people are upset by bad language, they can’t be very robust individuals”
—My reply: No, if people do get upset by the use of bad language, when used inappropriately to attack others in public, it means that these types of people have class and feel that such behavior is unprofessional (such as this coach) and have more respect for themselves and others.
Anything that demeans people is not proper—especially when it’s blasted across the glode via the TV!
The more important issue is why ND is not playing well on defense, which was supposed to be a strong point this year. On the winning touchdown by Michigan last week, the darned defensive back had not a clue where the ball was. He needed to be turned around so as to see the ball and make a play on it.
I was screaming and cursing while watching on TV.
How does ND fix its defensive issues going in to the Michigan State game?
“B” posted on 9/4, the old “whoever is without sin…” and told us to worry about our own salvation. No doubt we should all be worried about our salvation, however, we are a church, a community. We not only want to get to heaven, but we want to make sure our loved ones get there too! Christianity is not an “all about me” deal; the New Testament clearly states is all about our love, concern and treatment of our “brother.” Sept. 11th’s Sunday gospel tells, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector…Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Maybe some forms of spiritualism are indiviualistic, but certainly not christianity!
All that being said, any behavior that enters one’s home, affects those in the home. What Kelly says in the locker room is one thing, what is broadcast, albeit, mouthed on TV reflects upon his character and Notre Dame. When he brings uncouth language into my home, shame on him!
I haven’t stopped praying for ND to come to its senses. As a Catholic, I believe in hope and redemption. There is still a lot of good going on there, and we can hope that it continues to grow and the Administration gets a wake up call. Perhaps Our Lady (Notre Dame) is unhappy with them and that is why they are struggling on the gridiron?
Well if your boss were the infamous Fr. Jenkins, maybe you would curse too, maybe even drink. After all its not every day you get to see Jesus kissed quite the way Jenkins has done it, excepting that guy way back in the garden. Personally I feel that it is inevitable that the coach will get the Nobel prize for his command of the English language, at least, or possibly the Nobel prize for peace, based on how they award those things. So, we should all be happy, any way you look at it, it is a win win for Notre Dame. I mean with Jenkins the bar is raised so high, what more can one expect? Rumor has it they will be awarding Satan himself the an ecology award since as a spirit he does not emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and for the most part he keeps sulphur emissions safely sequestered in Hell, thereby preserving the polar bear habitat. Although I did hear they were looking for some new actors to play the walking dead in a new zombie movie and it appears that Fr. Jenkins is considered by most experts as a natural for the lead role. But, of course these are only rumors, he is probably too busy wiping his the brown off his nose, which I hear is most thoroughly encrusted since a graduation ceremony some time back. Of course I have not seen him up close, so it is hard to say, but there is an odor about it all somehow isn’t there?
You’re kidding right? You’re equating a deliberate lie on a person’s resume, with using strong language out of frustration. Clearly you have a lot to learn about morality. Then again, we shouldn’t be surprised to hear this kind of jibberish from a basement blogger who doesn’t live or work in the real world.
Posted by teedy on Tuesday, Sep 13, 2011 12:40 PM (EDT):
Stating that it’s OK for a coach to swear at their players because they’ve heard swears before is like saying it’s OK for your boss to swear, yell and degrade you in front of your co-workers….
_ _ _
Saying X is OK, is not the same as saying someone should not be sacked for doing X.
*
If people are upset by bad language, they can’t be very robust individuals, & it’s their fault if they go to places wherre people are like to use such language. It’s amazing this issue is even thought important enough to discuss. For real obscenities - look at the arms trade: now that really is obscene. A few Fs, Ds, Ss, & Cs are chickenfeed by comparison.
“Posted by Dianna Ewald on Wednesday, Sep 14, 2011 10:35 PM (EDT):I see that even broadcasters swear..on national tv..
Jaworski drops the S bomb during the Monday night football broadcast…
his apology was all that was necessary.”
—my reply: saying a foul language word during a conversation vs. turning purple, sreaming, yelling and waving your arms around and degrading someone on your team in front of a football stadium AND having it aired on network TV is not the same thing.
Again—Tell me, really, how many of you posting that what this coach did OK would like to be treated that way by your Boss at work? I be more than half of you would call the labor board and try to take him to court!
Teddy—well said!!!!!!
Stress is not coaching football at ND—stress is when you find out your child has cancer, you lost your job, sept 11, 2001, based in the Middle East, your spouse of 50 years dies, ....
Please ,,, he is a football coach making $4 million a year. He just needs to remember, NO Coach, No Person, No player will ever be bigger than the University of ND.
Good luck in lansing coach, if i was playing for you I would not believe in you because I would not trust you…..
Frank,
You are a good man and respect your comments. I am not saying treat these men as boys, just the opposite. He needs to treat them like men with respect and dignity while holding them accountable. He lost complete control of himself, I get it, people make mistakes.
I simply agree with coach Holtz, coach U Meyer and Desmond (ESPN)- there is no room for his actions in college sports. Desmond gets it, he played for a tough guy (BO) who demanded much from his men and always treated his coaches and players with respect - tough love. I know first hand :) Should he be fired, not my call , I just think its sad that he will only get fired if he loses. God works in mysterious ways… tough lose in Ann Arbor.
“When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing”
? Bo Schembechler
“Posted by ND Alum on Thursday, Sep 15, 2011 9:04 AM (EDT):There is no doubt that Kelly’s tirade and foul language are reprehensible. However, you must realize that Kelly is under IMMENSE pressure from administration and alumni and fans to produce a winning team. In everyday life, when we are put under high levels of pressure and stress, words that we don’t want to say inevitably come out due to
anger, frustration, or fear. It’s not right, but it can be forgiven.”
—my reply—That is no excuse for his behavior. If he killed someone, would you say it was ok because he was stressed, etc? This guy is a madman!
“Posted by ND Alum on Thursday, Sep 15, 2011 9:04 AM (EDT):There is no doubt that Kelly’s tirade and foul language are reprehensible. However, you must realize that Kelly is under IMMENSE pressure from administration and alumni and fans to produce a winning team. In everyday life, when we are put under high levels of pressure and stress, words that we don’t want to say inevitably come out due to anger, frustration, or fear. It’s not right, but it can be forgiven.”
—my reply—That is no excuse for his behavior. If he killed someone, would you say it was because he was stressed, etc? This guy is a madman!
Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/should-notre-dames-coach-be-fired-for-cursing/#ixzz1Y2NULURD
There is no doubt that Kelly’s tirade and foul language are reprehensible. However, you must realize that Kelly is under IMMENSE pressure from administration and alumni and fans to produce a winning team. In everyday life, when we are put under high levels of pressure and stress, words that we don’t want to say inevitably come out due to anger, frustration, or fear. It’s not right, but it can be forgiven.
Notre Dame is, was, and always will be just another “Football Tech.”
There is no reason to expect them to be better or worse than anyone else.
I see that even broadcasters swear..on national tv..
Jaworski drops the S bomb during the Monday night football broadcast…
his apology was all that was necessary.
http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/blog-2381-jaworski_drops_s_bomb_during_mnf.html
@Mike,
As for the advice thanks I am sure that Jeffery Marx has written a pretty good book. With that being said, mentoring kids takes time, patience, and an open heart. Believe or not I have mentored quite a few kids and I have always treated them with respect because they are children. Here is the point, these players are not children they are grown men. Every body seems to lose their mind when it comes to college students. If this was a person of the same age out working for a living nothing would be said. I have the pleasure of serving with young men every day that are the same age as these players and let me tell you they are not children. I have seen these men make life and death decisions and lead others into harms way. Look at this way, if your child is away at college and you tell them they have to be in at 2100 more than likely they will say that they are an adult. So why are we treating them as children. We can not protect them forever. If that is the way people think then the he or she should not be allowed to move away to college and should live at home until they are 26. If the player was so offended then he should speak to the coach about it we should not be fighting their battles for them.
Just because Coach Kelly made a mistake should we condemn him for life? I am sure you have made several mistakes in the past, not including the major ones, but should I judge you on that solely? I don’t think so.
As for your comment regarding the beatings no I don’t look at it that way but I don’t believe in quitting either and that is what those players did and he reacted to that. Again, not saying it was the right thing to do but I am not going to call for his firing for that. Now if in the future I turn on the game and I continue to see this yes then he should go.
No glass house Mr Frank. Just applying common sense.
I am so glad you are the minority when it comes to mentoring kids—you should read the book Season of Life. This may help you understand the correct way to mentor and motivate kids in a tough sport like football.
You are probably a fan of the saying - “the beatings will continue until the morale improves…........”
This is simply another nail in the coffin of what was formerly a Caholic college, now given the title of “Notre Shame” University. We can expect nothing holy coming from that campus and especially not from its Anti-Magisterium staff.
This is simply another nail in the coffin of what was formerly a Caholic college, now given the title of “Notre Shame” University. We can expect nothing holy coming from that campus and especially not from its Anti-Magisterial staff.
You know what Kelly should be fired abanned from sports all together. Then what we need to do is stop keeping score so we don’t hurt the kids feelings. Yes, I said kids they are not men they are little boys who need their mothers to hold their hands. Sounds stupid does it not. People the man over reacted he even said that he did. People who live in glass homes should not throw rocks.
Sadly this is not the Notre Dame of Rockne, Leahy,Parseghian or Holtz. The same school that sullied the name of Our Lady by bestowing an Honarary Law degree on an antichrist, hired a man that resorts to humiliating his players. Wow, what a surprise! I recall Holtz correcting a player after a poor play immediately as he came off the field but in a direct and calm manner, without the purplish face and language. I bet that kid came away wanting to run through walls for his coach. I wonder if the ND player on the receiving end of Kelly’s tirade feels the same way about Kelly? Welcome to the quickening where professionalism on the sidelines is out the window with leadership at Notre Dame’s helm. If the fish rots from the head, start cleaning house with President Jenkins and take out Kelly with him. The school honoring OUR LADY deserves better!
Paddy Pops
This is a leader that demanded that a young man take films during a lightening storm with high winds on a metal platform. The young man listened to his leader and lost his life.
This is a leader of young men that lost complete control of himself during a game. then said he didn’t realize the cameras would be on him—- really.
This a leader that demands respect and does not give it to his coaches or players.
This is a leader that deserves to be disciplined!!!
The ND President and University leaders should be ashamed of themselves for doing nothing and keeping quiet.
Stating that it’s OK for a coach to swear at their players because they’ve heard swears before is like saying it’s OK for your boss to swear, yell and degrade you in front of your co-workers….
Secular or Catholic college.
Losing your temper and cussing out players isn’t something any coach should be doing.
ANY head coach is going to be faced with disappointment, frustration, players making mistakes - it’s part of the job.
As such, I can see occasionally losing it, but no one who doesn’t have the self control or discipline to deal with those things in a grown up manner is not only incapable of the job, but more importantly, is not helping the players to learn how to be better people & players.
I agree that Kelly should be told how he is expected to act, and if he cannot do so, then yes, he should be let go.
The same goes for ANY college coach.
No He should not be fired. If we fired every coach for cussing we would have no coaches in the SEC.
The players haven’t heard a word from Coach Kelly that they haven’t heard before in sports…by the time time they get to ND to play, they’ve been
coached by some of the best high school coaches in the country. For instance, they were to receive a Cincinnati player last year, who accidentally died on spring break before he graduated. That boy had played for the best…actually #1 in Division 1 football two times in the past 4 years…and I know he has heard swearing in his pre-college world. A coach swearing at a player is not going to makke a player of that caliber feel anything other than what he did on the field. They know it’s directed at their play, not their person. ^i^
Hell NO!!!
Without reading all the comments regarding coach Kelly. I came to the
conclusion that the ND coach was reacting to harshly with the players.
His ranting made the players more nervous.
“Posted by jim on Thursday, Sep 8, 2011 4:03 PM (EDT):Hey teedy, I bet you still think Obama is a muslim. The soccer game comment makes perfect sense. You don’t like coaches yelling. In soccer, they don’t, and the players are a bunch of euro-flopping pansies, like what you’re a fan of.”
again, I don’t like soccer and when you assume, guess what happens?...
“Posted by InSouthBend on Thursday, Sep 8, 2011 11:34 PM (EDT):Kind of silly, all this “I’m offended by curse words” chatter. If your kids are raised properly and they find cursing
offensive, then you did a good job. However with all the economic issues and other problems in our Country, Coach Kellys cursing should be the least of our worries. If you are looking for a cause there are many other worthwhile ones out there.”
-my reply: So, you don’t think a person’s behavior like Kelly’s isn’t influencial? It’s OK to degrade people publicly? It’s OK to broadcast such behavior on TV? Additude and behavior can be contagious…
Behavior like that spreads hate and it was showcased as disrespect to others…If you don’t think behavior like that doesn’t stem to the problems of the world, then you must live a self-righteous and scrupleless existence….
Posted by Natasha on Thursday, Sep 8, 2011 1:39 PM (EDT):Teedy- “You “shall not kill”—That coach was “killing” the player’s confidence and degrading him with the use of profanity.
Guess if a man’s confidence can be killed by some curse words, he didn’t have any to begin with. It’s a shame that a man can’t handle some adversity in life without crumbling.”
—my reply: you’re missing the point of the commandment and that there is other ways to “kill” someone. I’ll will, again, aks you questions to ponder so you can give yourself the opportunity to understand…So, you mean to tell me no one has made you feel less confident about something in your life with their remarks? You mean to tell me you never said anything to someone you regretted? That’s part of the commandment of “do not kill”...
Coach Kelly has been a wonderful Coach in Cincinnati and the one thing he never has been accussed of is not having respect from his players or being undisciplined. Shall we suspend every parent ..or let’s say ex-VP Chenney or swsearing? There are a lot of important things in this world and a Coach swearing is not one of them.
All other comments about ND’s “Catholicity” aside, Coach Kelly’s behavior is unacceptable. If he cannot maintain any manner of self-discipline, how can he expect his athletes to play “disciplined football”. A team assumes the personality of its coach. Coach Kelly’s actions indicate a man who is not in control of himself or his team. He comes off as an abusive, “Great Santini” type of man. That may not be a fair assessment, but that is the perception.
Posted by Steven on Friday, Sep 9, 2011 11:33 PM (EDT):
@Manticore: What if Kelly turned on your son?
## What if he turned on someone else’s ? Would it matter ? Shorting of acting in a criminal fashion, coaches should be free to act and speak - or not - as they think right. He probably had perfectly adequate reasons to behave as he did.
This says everything that needs said: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd0C_u3IyPs
They wouldn’t even bring up abuse if they realized the statistics of how many children are or were abused and how many of those were by Priests..trust me..most abuse is at home..not the church. We are no more likely to be abusers than any other church.
I am SO glad y’all were so thoughtful to remind us about the abuse scandal, because I haven’t been reminded of it in about five minutes. Thanks for bludgeoning us with it at every possible opportunity, no matter how irrelevent the topic or how far removed the writer, as I am sure you will continue to do for the next five hundred years because nothing will ever be good enough for you. Thanks for keeping it so present in our minds by not allowing us to talk or think about anything else for a freaking second.
In other words…
WE GET YOUR POINT ALREADY. You are not being clever or original.
(Ooh man, you want to hear some real swearing? I am ready to put this coach to shame. I had better stop.)
This is what is wrong with the kids today, you people. My goodness you act like they have never said a bad word, drank or even dare I say have sex. One person pointed it out perfectly, we 18 - 22 year old’s fighting in a war making life and death decisions and your offended because someone used rough language. What are you going to do when they go out into the real world and someone yells at them, sue them. I love ND with all my sole and I will gladly send my two boys there. If while they are there they get yelled at so be it. May be the deserved it, they are grown men not children. Also, as for what I have seen the players need a reality check because it does not seem to me that they want to win at all. GOD BLESS NOTRE DAME>
Please don’t tell me about “real” Christians…the ones that never miss church and “hate their next door neighbors but don’t forget to say grace”.
All 3 of my sons went to a private Jesuit High School and on to private Christian colleges..two very athletic. They think this is a joke..anyone who believes that a college Coach at Notre Dame hasn’t cursed is living in a fantasy world.
I would think if as parents, your children have never heard a curse word, then Mitchell may have a point. The reality is that Coaches of all sports are the
reason our children are competitve at any of them and cursing isn’t the worst thing they’ll see in college. Please tell me of any college competitve team that has a Coach who has never said a swear word. Kelley is an amazing Coach and a good man..a good Christian. ^i^
Kelley is a loser,
His language is an indication that he shouldnt be the coach of the Irish. He represents the University of Notre Dame and everyone that has graduated from there. We need people who dont swear and have control of their emotions. By employing coach Kelley it just says that the University of Notre Dame isnt a qualify instutition. As long as they have a coach like Kelley dont send your sons or daughters to Notre Dame. As long as Kelley is coach I wont give a penny to the Catholic Church either.
Really, if you have to ask this question you must come from a sheltered home. The answer is no. If you can’t handle an occasional expletive while watching a football game, turn off the TV or go home and cry.
Hymm…it happens at all the other…blah blah blah. I watched Wisconsin, Oregon State, Alabama, Penn State, Iowa/Iowa State and Michigan yesterday and Kelley was the only big jerk out there.
first of all B, Catholics are christians so you need to remember that. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Secondly, Kelley shouldn’t be fired for cussing, but for the play calling. If I am a defensive coordinator, all I really have to worry about is passes to #3 and #6 and then in a very obvious formation and down situation give the ball to #20. I watched the game with Michigan and I could call every play before it happened, not because I am some football guru but just common sense and repetitive play calling on the part of Kelley. You also need a QB who doesn’t go from brilliant to dud regularly and who can actually run the ball himself. 3rd and less than one and they give it to who? #20, of course when #11 could have bent down to tie his shoe strings and had the first down with the size of ND offensive line. I coach middle school aged boys and we run more offensive formations and plays than ND has been. I know it is not an easy job, but come Kelley, open up the offense and get inventive and use some imagination. But they still my IRISH to the end. GO IRISH
Coach Kelley, can you please win a game soon. Thank you.
No, he should not be fired for cursing. When the
public is so involved in winning and there are
thousands in the stands, it isn’t a normal situation.
He was hired to win and he lost his cool.
It happens at high schools and colleges everywhere.
I’ll even contend that it happens in a lot of the
player’s homes…Catholic or not. We Catholics are
not noted for our refusal to swear. ^i^
Fire him for losing his temper and acting like an insane person and making the University look bad as well. Cursing is never acceptable anywhere. He has a bad attitude. We used to call it unsportsmanlike conduct. Is screaming at anyone who does not perform well a good way to effect a change? No. Meanwhile the screamer looks like a huge mistake himself. Why did they hire anyone that immature? Fire him get professional help for him before he hurt someone and get a coach who is stable and wise.
There is no excuse for the tirade shown. He is putting all the blame on his victim and not accepting that maybe he is at fault as well.
Mike Shannon
It is to bad that Notre Dame does not have the class of a BYU, have stadards and expect coaches and players to live up to those standards. The coach is just sorry he got caught not for his behavior. A Christian school should be setting an example, unfortuately, if he had won the game no one would be saying a word. Notre Dame used to have some class. Now they are at the bottom of the heap and definitely they do not represent Christian values which is sad.
There is no place for this type of language/behavior from the coach—it matters not whether it is a Catholic University. Sports are games of rules, and to excel, one must be self-disciplined. The very discipline the coach expects of his players is the very discipline he lacks himself.
Notre Dame should do the appropriate thing—can the coach and hire someone who will present the type of role model and and distinguished behavior that is appropriate for one in that position.
I was so pleased to see Weis go. He was a bombastic disgrace. Now, you have this fool making a fool of himself, demeaning his players and demeaning the caliber of Notre Dame. You have not removed Weis, you have simply replaced him with a thinner version. The team, the school and the fans deserve and should demand better. Keeping someone of this caliber reduces the integrity of the program. This is not the way to motivate and mentor players.
To answer the question “No, of course not.”
The coach is doing his job—the kid made a big mistake—there are many people depending on him out on the field and he screwed up—the coach is making sure he REALLY gets that—much in the way Christ made sure people really understood that moneychangers in the Temple we really screwing up the sacredness of the temple—we don’t know if Christ cursed but he used a braided rope and smashed tables and goods—-
Let the coach do his job—if the player doesn’t like it being held accountable or the pressure—he can choose to quit—- let the coach do his job and stop judging people—-
Absolutely! ND and also Georgetown need to “clean up their act”!Many do not even consider them Catholic or Christian anymore. They have a long long way to go to get back on-board. They, along with Fordham, and many others need lots of prayer!
I’m with you on this- I wrote up a blog a couple of years ago at American Catholic demanding that ND fire Charlie Weiss after seeing the 60 Minutes piece having fun with his over-the-top cursing and oversized ego. I stopped being a ND football fan at that point. I am a high school teacher- I have witnessed how cursing has become more and more common among young people- it is a pretty big issue for Christ says we are judged by every word that proceeds from our lips- our words reveal our hearts- so I rate cursing a major concern. Our Catholic high school football coach does a great job of monitoring this sort of thing and it makes a real difference- and when opposing Catholic high schools have coaches who see no moral weakness in their own cursing show up it is predictable that their young players follow suit- bit like the old adage- like father like son.
It looks like ND learned nothing from the Weiss hiring fiasco- I will continue to root for their opponents since there is nothing worse than a poor example from those who have every reason to know better.
@Manticore: What if Kelly turned on your son?
I love all the posts here about Notre Dame being irrelevant, i.e. “Notre Dinosaur,” etc., yet said individuals found the time in their day to post about Notre Dame #irony #irrelevantbutmusttalkaboutit #internetgenius
Natasha: regarding your point about these being men .... if Brian Kelly were in the NFL and lost his cool to that degree with his “men”, he’d truly have ZERO credibility with his team. No, he rants and raves precisely because he FAILS to treat them as men. That kind of out-of-control anger on the sidelines has been long ago discredited in the coaching profession as being an effective way to coach, teach or lead.
From what I understand, numerous cameras will be dedicated on Coach Kelly during the entire game. Don’t know if it will be to monitor skin color change, profanity or both.
Everybody does it - why the fuss ? It’s better than more violent conduct, like kicking someone’s face in. Young people are going to be cursed and insulted sooner or later; that’s part of life - maybe the coach should be praised for giving them a foretaste of their later lives. They must be very feeble, if they can’t take a few bad words - which in all likelihood they already use anyway; they’ve probably been called far worse by their parents. Talk about a fuss about nothing.
Face it, we shouldn’t be cursing anytime, if someone’s watching or not. We’re all human and like you said if your kids weren’t in the room you probably would’ve cursed too! You’re just a “hater”. It shows in your article. Let it rest and talk about something else already!
I find his reaction to be not appropriate for any sideline. The simple fact is that Coach Kelly was seeing his dream of a great season and the accolades that would follow HIM evaporating with plays like this. It is not about the kids. He is a man that deserted the Cincinnati players without a second thought. He is all about Coach Kelly. “How could that player be so stupid to ruin MY year”. This is on the ND administrators. They are chasing a BCS Championship at all costs. They should be asking themselves, what would Ara do? What would Knute say? I think that ND is a great institution but they are letting good, common sense get in the way. Kelly is that close to being Woody Hayes.
I don’t think the fact that Notre Dame is Catholic or sort of Catholic or not really Catholic should have anything at all to do with the issue. Anger expressed inappropriately is a growing problem in our society ... think road rage, domestic and child abuse, etc. ND’s coach needs help, he should be told to get such help, get a grip on his temper or be fired.
james, I’m sorry you were too poor to go to Notre Dame.
What is so Catholic about a University that hires limousine leftists to teach the spoiled, self-centered, narcissistic children of the very wealthy?
The problem is not just the swearing and over reaction to a silly game. The problem is too many defend such silliness and view sports as an important part of education and life. It should be viewed as it authentically exists which is trivial, nonessential, and almost worthless.
Kind of silly, all this “I’m offended by curse words” chatter. If your kids are raised properly and they find cursing
offensive, then you did a good job. However with all the economic issues and other problems in our Country, Coach Kellys cursing should be the least of our worries. If you are looking for a cause there are many other worthwhile ones out there.
Gary Oetjen went to Boston College.
First an foremost, I am a Catholic and I used to be a Kelly Fan, I really do not care about the motivational sideline antics exhibited by Coach Kelly. What I want to do, is highlight that this guy is a user of people for his own personal advancement. The reason he was so upset on the sidelines is that he simply lost control. For the first time, he is failing to spread his “BS spell” over the ND Football Players. He is losing; he does not know what to do about it, He has and will continue to lose. He is a joke and does not deserve to be in the same institution as the greats before him. I honestly believe that you can trace his erratic behavior to his political up bringing. He is no better than the liars and “Jokes” (Congress) we hired to run this country. Kelly has been able to successfully present himself as a poor Catolic Irish Chior Boy to the ND Administration. Prior to his true expressions and tirades, he was thought to be a calm, collected, gentleman, whose destiny was to carry on the ND tradition. All of this is just “BS” and shame on ND if they do not spank this guy. Of course they will not. Perhaps they are just as bad as Coach Kelly as they foresake their beliefs for a successful football season. No wonder the Catholic attendance at church is RAPIDLY decreasing. For the kids at Grand Valley State and Cincinnati; I am sorry that phony people like Kelly exists!
At least Archbold’s happy. This is probably the most page views he’s ever had. It follows the classic faux-journalist formula for internet readers, made famous by Brian Hamilton from the Chicago Tribune:
Notre Dame + Controversial Issue + Written Equivalent of a Farting Noise = Page Views.
I, for one, applaud both of you. Hamilton now has a muse. He must be so happy, he’ll tweet it eventually, if he hasn’t already.
@Paul Malak,
As you can turn the channel if you don’t like the program, you apparently stopped reading the column since you didn’t like the headline. Read the column before you unload a Kelly-like diatribe against it.
Hey teedy, I bet you still think Obama is a muslim. The soccer game comment makes perfect sense. You don’t like coaches yelling. In soccer, they don’t, and the players are a bunch of euro-flopping pansies, like what you’re a fan of.
Perhaps the leprechaun poured Irish fairy dust into Kelly’s beer the night before the game. That would explain his out of control actions which surely will cause more star athletes to transfer or decommit from Notre Dinosaur. When superman Floyd leaves for the NFL, don’t expect Notre Dinosaur to win seven games again or ever be considered for the BCS. Dane needs to transfer right now to be eligible for next year, if he ever hopes to compete in the NFL.
Face the facts that FauXian Notre Dinosaur is irrelevant. It’s hostile (overt/covert racist) campus life towards brown students makes it toxic for Inner-City stud athletes to consider throwing away their college years at a cultural desert. Clean up its racist campus and perhaps it might attract Inner-City stud athletes to save its embarrassing program that can’t compete or even beat Navy. Kelly needs professional help with his hate.
Kelly’s behavior was atrocious. College sports should not put up with that type of behavior.
Bobby Knight
Teedy- “You shall not kill”—That coach was “killing” the player’s confidence and degrading him with the use of profanity.
Guess if a man’s confidence can be killed by some curse words, he didn’t have any to begin with. It’s a shame that a man can’t handle some adversity in life without crumbling.
Bob- I didn’t miss your point, or any others on here that call these men kids. Because your point is that they need someone to stick up for them, and that cursing at them won’t help them perform better. At 18 years old a man better be able to overcome some curse words and get the job done.You have a commenter on here who thinks a grown man is going to commit suicide over being cursed at! Verbal Abuse!! Kelly is worse than Patton!! Absurd..
If you look at this situation and acknowledge these kids are actually Men, then no one wold be saying a word about it.
“Posted by bpm1979 on Thursday, Sep 8, 2011 11:48 AM (EDT):Where does it say in the bible, “Don’t say f*ck?” No-f*ckin’-where!
I kid.
The reality is that you can hurt someone every bit as much - and very often more - without swearing, and for the ND football players, I can assure you it is a non-issue.
Cursing/swearing/cussing/whatever is a total red herring. Had ND prevailed on Saturday, this would not have ever been brought up…but you have a 10 point dog coming into Notre Dame’s house and really just embarrassing the Irish (the dropped passes and Crist’s first interception wouldn’t have been acceptable in a high school game), and people love their ND football, and want to start pointing fingers.
The bigger issue - IMO - is how Kelly lost his cool, and exhibited a total lack of composure. Sure you want fight and fire in a guy, but that wasn’t the way to exhibit it.
Teams very often take on the characteristics of their coach…and Kelly melted down”
—-REPLY—Using profanity is part of the commandment “You shall not kill”—That coach was “killing” the player’s confidence and degrading him with the use of profanity…This commandment is not just about bringing someone to death, but harming a person’s spirit.
Where does it say in the bible, “Don’t say f*ck?” No-f*ckin’-where!
I kid.
The reality is that you can hurt someone every bit as much - and very often more - without swearing, and for the ND football players, I can assure you it is a non-issue.
Cursing/swearing/cussing/whatever is a total red herring. Had ND prevailed on Saturday, this would not have ever been brought up…but you have a 10 point dog coming into Notre Dame’s house and really just embarrassing the Irish (the dropped passes and Crist’s first interception wouldn’t have been acceptable in a high school game), and people love their ND football, and want to start pointing fingers.
The bigger issue - IMO - is how Kelly lost his cool, and exhibited a total lack of composure. Sure you want fight and fire in a guy, but that wasn’t the way to exhibit it.
Teams very often take on the characteristics of their coach…and Kelly melted down.
In my opinion, a good coach, “coaches” his team during the week, and does not have to yell at them during the game. It is too late, then, teach them anything new. I favor one warning, and then “out” the next time.
If it offends you so much, why do you watch. Do you bother to condemn other coaches who do the same thing or is it the two words, Notre Dame, in front of coach that caused you to write this dribble because you know it would draw attention? If I was watching something that I didn’t like I would turn the channel and not watch it anymore. How many other coaches do you want fired for being guilty of doing the same thing? Why don’t you call them out also? I’ll tell you why, because you wouldn’t get near the response you did by singling out the head coach of Notre Dame. Total self serving hack job. You should write for the Chicago Tribune.
but you can talk about drinking games ?
Natasha, “kid”, “young man”, whatever. You’re missing my main point.
I’m not advocating for helicoptering parents, nor am I saying that a tongue-lashing is going to stunt the “young man” for life.
What I am telling you, from a lifetime of football experience, is that such behavior is not necessary. I’m not saying that it’s not common—- sadly, it is. But that doesn’t make it right, nor does it make it productive. In fact, it’s counterproductive to the goal of teaching and motivating him to perform better.
There’s a difference between getting animated while you are correcting a player’s poor performance versus getting personal and making a scene while berating a young man who just made a mistake. There’s a better way to teach and motivate. Not to mention, losing his poise like that does not increase the team’s confidence in his decision-making in the crunch.
I’ll bet even Bill Parcells wanted to put a bag over his head after watching Kelly’s rant-ic psycho-behavior. What member of the coaching fraternity wouldn’t? And Parcells was no shrinking violet when it came to letting people know where he stood. Think back on his press conferences.
Granted, though I sure don’t want to see Chris Christie in the Oval Office, here’s a thought that’d surely give fellow democratic socialists like myself some real chills ... Christie as President, with Parcells his press spokesman or Secretary of State/Pentagon Chief, CIA Director and oh, yeah, press spokesman, too. But no room for Kelly. At least Christie and Parcells aren’t class-challenged and know when to back off and laugh at themselves.
KIDS- they are NOT kids!!! Quit calling them Kids!! 18 year olds dying in Iraq and Afghanistan in WAR, and you are calling these college men KIDS. Wow I’m really scared about who my girls will end up marrying, probably a 30 year old kid bc parents can’t accept them as Men and train them as such. Don’t worry, I’m sure the ND coach will be hearing from all the players parents ” You can’t yell at my baby boy like that”
I read an article about how employers have to deal with their employees parents calling and asking why their little boy can’t get time off for their family vacation, and parents wanting to know their kids employee benefit packages. These are college grads that have parents following them around in the work place. Disgusting.
These college football players are MEN, and they can handle themselves as such. If they think being cursed at is disrespectful or out of line, then they can tell the coach or choose not to play. They certainly don’t need a bunch of mommies and daddies sticking up for them.
As for kids watching it on t.v…Good it will teach them a lesson. If you mess up be prepared to have someone breathing fire down your back for it. Take it like a man and fix the problem. There comes a time in everyone’s life when they have to take some heat. Hopefully they won’t wilt under the pressure. Cowboy up and get the job done.
That kind of coaching is not only unnecessary, it’s counterproductive. If he thinks the kid is not giving 100%, he should sit him on the bench. If he thinks the kid is making mental errors, the problem is coaching. All that swearing at a kid will do is cause him to play more tentatively, out of fear of making a mistake. Positive attitude is what breeds champions. You can be demanding without being demeaning, but obviously Kelly doesn’t understand this.
Heard about this article on ESPN radio this morning. As a Catholic institution, it seems such a figure should not be publicly breaking a Commandment of God: thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Beyond that, the f-bomb, etc., is unbecoming but not unexpected.
Posted by jim on Wednesday, Sep 7, 2011 5:36 PM (EDT):teedy, you strike me as someone who enjoys when soccer players fake injuries, because overall it makes the game safer. AND
Posted by jim on Wednesday, Sep 7, 2011 5:42 PM (EDT):teedy, you also strike me as a housewife who hasn’t gotten out much. How many kids do you have? Enough to drive one of those colossal Ford cargo vans? Also, do you think Obama is a muslim coming to get us?
—my reply—
1. I’m not a woman
2. I;m favoring the tea party
3. I don’t own a van or have kids
4. Your soccer game comment makes no sense at all
—-In your case, you are a PRIME example of what happens when one assumes=you make a COMPLETE A** out of yourself!
Granted, I was in the last class to enjoy the all-male Notre Dame. By my experience, if Coach Kelly deserves criticism for this, so too, do most of the priests I knew! ND is not for the meek. It is of the world and for the world. And ND grads do far more good for mankind than any educational institution I know. The football team serves the mission to show toughness in adversity.
Coach Kelly has faults, as do we all. This is most venal.
For the record. The Student-Athletes on the football field are MEN not kids. If they did not go to college these men would be treated like adults in any other walk of life. Just because they go to college instead of directly to the work force does not make them any more sensitive. And if you screw up in the “real world” some leaders to scream, yell, and curse at you depending on the mistake. A turnover on a football is almost like losing a major account at any other job.
secondly, I hope your 11 year old doesn’t watch the daily news because there are far worse things on there then a coach cursing on the sidelines at grown men (example would be the sexual abuse accusations both in and out of the catholic church).
and as for people saying these are kids… like the one poster said 19 year old kids are dying in wars and have been for years.. since when do we not consider 19 year olds adults??? my dad had a house full time job and two kids at 19 and did a heck of a job raising us. they can handle it. i was in the military for 10 years and i got cussed at.. and never once did i boo hoo about it, i sucked it up and tried to do it right the next time so i wouldnt get cussed at.
there is where this country is getting to now.. mediocrity seems to be the norm.. oh you didnt win, so thats ok. NO its not, it teaches people not to strive to do their best. he cussed… BIG FREAKING DEAL!! lol.. he should be fired.. personally i found weis’ nose running every game on the sideline more offensive than kelly ranting. BIG DEAL.
and someone mentioned other big time coaches dont do this… really?? lol watch the SEC coaches sometime.. wow that was an ignorant statement to say the least. just because coach dungy didnt cuss doesnt mean all the best coaches dont. wow talk about ignorance.
and like someone else said.. you are more upset about kelly cussing than having a president that basically stands for everything OPPOSITE of what catholics stand for come and visit????? seriously?
one word for these people .. HYPOCRITES!!!!!!
I am a practicing Catholic who has been angry at Notre Dame for a long time. It is a university that is Catholic in name only. Until that school becomes truly Catholic again,(follows the teaching of the Church), their football team will continue to lose. Example: Pro Abortion Obama getting an award from Notre Dame. God is not a fool.
are we talking about the same Catholics that have kegs at their church get togethers??
for people saying they cant get behind their alma mater cause the coach cusses?? seriously are they even in the real world?? WOW should he say.. thats ok guys.. lets turn the ball over every time in the red zone.
like i said ive been to church dinners and pot lucks where there are KEGS of beer and everyone drinking and smoking.. and we are going to worry about reading lips of someone cussing???
Fire Kelley! and hire Mike Leach!!
@Karen ... Glad to make your day, Karen ... but you’re really going to love this added little “Twilight Zone” or “Kelly Zone” story from Yahoo that I just found a short while ago: Get your laughin’ seatbelt on ... you’ll need it! http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Someone-spotted-a-UFO-during-the-Notre-Dame-weat?urn=ncaaf-wp5993
Geeesh, and I used to think being a New England Patriots’ fan back in the good old days of the Seventies when they always found a 1,001 ways to lose a game in the last minutes and even stands would catch on fire!
He should be fired for having anything to do with this ugly football team.
I am watching the game tonight vs University of South Florida and an interception was thrown at the 7 yard line. Coach can be seen mouthing “don’t give me that f***** bull*****”. Although the player is there primarily to attempt to get into the pros, he is also at ND to obtain an education - both academic and in life. This is inexcusable behavior and as an alumn, I cannot, in good conscience, continue to support my cherished alma mater.
None of you weaklings would last one second in the military.
What the heck is “Notre Dame University?” I didn’t found that place.
I think you’re overreacting. Should he knock it off with the fbombs? Of course.
But I’m less concerned about a hot head football coach than I am with the way a university who dares to carry the name of Our Lady treats the unborn.
Father Jenkins should be shown the door before this football coach.
I’m glad Notre Dame lost. I hope they continue to lose.
The current ND coach represents Notre Dame University throughout the world and all ND graduates. He should be gone ASAP before he really embarrasses the school. He acts like he has emotional problems. Who would want to play for him now or in the future?
Would all of you coach critics feel better if he went to confession and expressed his regret? Oh that’s right I forgot - us Catholics don’t go to confession anymore! Oh well!
teedy, you also strike me as a housewife who hasn’t gotten out much. How many kids do you have? Enough to drive one of those colossal Ford cargo vans? Also, do you think Obama is a muslim coming to get us?
Personally, I just think the lot of you are Boston College alumni who didn’t get into Notre Dame and are holding lifelong jealous grudges over it and how terrible their football team has become. But lets be serious, Jesuits aren’t real Catholics anyways.
teedy, you strike me as someone who enjoys when soccer players fake injuries, because overall it makes the game safer.
Hey Steven - GREAT reference to “Touchdown Jesus” - RIP my buddy down 75…
The new rebuild is not going to be in touchdown format, I’m quite disappointed!
CNN: 20K Missiles Looted From Tripoli Warehouse
I’ll never forget the amount of swearing, the “quality” of it and the glaring, blaring and obnoxiousness of it all upon entering a then-small and all-male (Biscayne College) then owned and totally run by the Augustinians. Okay, I was one of only two kids from western MA and a public school product, so when it came to “catholic culture shock,” it was if I’d stuck one hand in an ungrounded light socket, while my other hand was plunged in a bucket of water, and of course, during one of those late August South Florida thunderstorms the area’s known for.
In some respects, the Brian Kellys of Catholilc collegiate and JOCKWORLD “CULTURE” don’t surprise me except for how successful they demonstrate how ingenious some Catholics can be when it comes to discovering newer depths of depravity Dante didn’t get around to finding.
Geeesh, it’s taken nearly forty years to find civilized people from upper New Jersey, and that only happened when I started watching Buddy Velastro’s “Cake Boss” show. Sure, he’s brash and so’s his “Famiglia,” but in a far more civilized way than the “Jersey Shore” nutcakes I had for some “classmates.”
Still, Kelly HAS TO GO if Catholic higher education and its athletic programs want to retain what credibility they have remaining. After all, remember this was a home game when Kelly pulled his big embarrassing rant: with “Touchdown Jesus” looking down. No wonder the place was hit with lightening. LOL!
....and I am sure if any player on this man’s team commits suicide or dies from stress, poeple will be standing around with flowers and candles crying “WHY”—look at the source! Then we’ll see if anyone says “it was just football”, “it was just swearing”,ect…..
This coach is a pure example of what is wrong with the sports industry…Grown men turning purple, having hissie fits and being a sore LOSER!
“Posted by jim on Wednesday, Sep 7, 2011 4:15 PM (EDT):Real men drink bourbon, play football, smoke cigars, and swear. “
my reply:
and when “most men do”—they end up unemployed, in rehab, with cancer and/or liver problems and lose the respect of their families!
and when “most men do”—they end up unemployed, in rehab and lose their families!
“Posted by chrystale on Wednesday, Sep 7, 2011 11:37 AM (EDT):It’s also because you’re career doesn’t depend on the outcome of the game…”
—I’m sure if he lost his job for performance (or for the fact that he belongs in a high chair with that type of behavior!)—he’d live sitting pretty—for these jerks get paid THOUSANDS of dollars!
If I were the Pope, the first thing I’d do, prior to sending Brian Kelly a memo to resign via the PopeFax (all Catholic schools have a PopeFax), is I’d get that team out on the field and practice some special teams and ball security drills.
Real men drink bourbon, play football, smoke cigars, and swear.
“Posted by anon on Tuesday, Sep 6, 2011 4:09 PM (EDT):The Church needs to “get a life”? You worship football. Yea, that sounds about right for the sports fans.”
—yeah, I guess this guy missed his day at CCD when they talked about not “worshipping false gods”....This person sounds like they need to get themselves back into a church so they can get a life that will be led by spirit!
“Posted by INNative on Wednesday, Sep 7, 2011 1:39 PM (EDT):This is the most ridiculous article I’ve come across in a long time. Football isn’t a sport for pansies regardless of who you’re playing for. It’s a rough, tough, contact sport. Yes, Coach Kelly cursed. Wow. Get over it. I’m friends with many Catholics who also curse. And drink. Who cares? If you don’t like the broadcast, turn the channel. Or listen to it on the radio. Just get off the soap box.”
—you’re missing the point. Obviously, this man’s behavior got the attention of children-like the daughter of this writer. Obvioulsy, the writer does his best to not expose his duaghter to such language and behavior.
There has been TOO MUCH smut and inappropriate behavior being broadcast on TV. It seems like nothing is safe on the tube—With having a “sex changed” Chaz Bono on dancing with the stars and Sports games, where poeple are acting like idiots, like this coach.
Sure many catholics curse and do other things, we are sinners, but when you are trying your best not to expose yourself or children to such behavior, it is sad that the family television has drastically changed from the boob-tube to Hell’s monitor!
From reading this “man’s” lips, it looks like he was screaming at one of his own player’s “you ****in’ scumbag!” Wow! He’s nice! That’s how you conduct yourself around young men? That’s how you display yourself on TV? Catholic or not, it should be seen as unacceptable. The cursing is one thing, but how he was belittling his player should be looked into for at least an suspension for his vulger display of behavior.
Why is everyone keep talking about Obama yet they overlook that Reagan was behind the mass murder of thousands in Latin America? AND HE GOT A DEGREE TOO. Next thing you know, gays will start marrying each other. Ban the school, eliminate football!
Bottom line: No one should turn themselves purple!
Cursing? You got to be shi##ing me. He killed the team videographer for God’s sake.
This is the most ridiculous article I’ve come across in a long time. Football isn’t a sport for pansies regardless of who you’re playing for. It’s a rough, tough, contact sport. Yes, Coach Kelly cursed. Wow. Get over it. I’m friends with many Catholics who also curse. And drink. Who cares? If you don’t like the broadcast, turn the channel. Or listen to it on the radio. Just get off the soap box.
You make a great point -D.
Exactly my point Nancy.
As a practicing Catholic man who loves college football, I am embarassed for Notre Dame and how their football program “represents”. Coach Kelly is a great example of where N.D. is today. What comes first at N.D., God or Football? I think we all know the answer.
We can all use BYU’s code as a good example of sportsmanship, good conduct and their respect for each other.
Yay, “Karen” and whataweakling!
Way to work in references to child rape to try to score cheap points in an argument about football! W00t!
Having achieved your goal of feeling superior, you can now return to your daily routine of sniggering at d*ck jokes over at Deadspin. And why do I get the impression you’re both still big Lawrence Taylor fans?
Actually, I don’t have a problem with coaches who curse at their college/HS players. Within reason and limits—which is why Kelly’s performance on Saturday was all the more remarkable. On every series, Kelly? He was one player mistake from an aneurysm. It was the unrelenting nature of his behavior that made it objectionable for me.
If this is a catholic debate it shouldn’t be about Kelly’s tantrum on the sideline…How about the University giving President Obama an honorary degree when he is clearly the most pro abortion president this country has ever seen. That is a bigger problem.
When we go to Confession, we are suppose to confess our sins, repent, do penance, reconciliation, and make a sincere effort to sin no more, in order to be absolved of our sin through God’s Love and Mercy. (see CCC on The Sacrament of Penance.)
I have heard Catholics swear. I used to be very prolific at swearing. I work everyday to move beyond tnat. I’m just surprised this is the nature of the discussion on a Catholic website.
The topic is Notre Dame’s coach throwing a tantrum not the commercials. The questionable morals of the commercials is a separate discussion.
People like to think Catholics can act however and say whatever they want. Just go to confession and it’s all gone. Now that is shortsighted way of thinking.
I have heard Catholics swear. I used to be very prolific at swearing. I work everyday to move beyond tnat. I’m just surprised this is the nature of the discussion on a Catholic website.
The topic is Notre Dame’s coach throwing a tantrum not the commercials. The questionable morals of the commercials is a separate discussion.
People like think Catholics can act however and say whatever they want. Just go to confession and it’s all gone. Now that is shortsighted way of thinking.
Ask any football player now and past, all coaches swore. Players do to it’s a part of the game has been since it started.
You’re worried about a few bad words when all the commercials that pay for everything are loaded with sex and alcohol. And it’s OK to get drunk according to the article. Stupid and moronic.
Steve i ask your forgiveness, but that doesn’t mean that I or anyone else will ever sin again. Not trying to be mean but it sounds like you never heard a CATHOLIC swear before.
Remarkable. I thought this was The National Catholic Register not Sports Illustrated. The nature of the comments is very surprising. It is possible to be sports fan and a Catholic. Vulgar or mean spirited commentary is not necessary.
Archbold’s kids are baseball players, but not for Bobby Cox—because he yells a lot and his last name is vulgar.
F%^&ckn; A you think recruits give a damn about a coach who swears. LOL Recruits and fans care about winning. Their also getting one of the best educations in the nation.
Steve—It’s NBC fault that a coach was screaming the F bombs one after another at coaches and players, wow, you must be a good ND fan. Turn a blind eye or blame it on someone else. Maybe you should ask coach Holtz what his thinks about Kelly as a coach….you may not like the answer Mr ND.
The recruits will solve this problem by not visiting or attending ND, recruiting is a small world. Plus, dont think for a minute his coaches wont leave to work for someone with more class.
Whatever happened to forgiveness and allowing someone to atone for their sins? Mercy is a central theme of our Catholic faith. The coach embarrased himself and the university but he doesn’t deserve pay with his job.
It’s also because you’re career doesn’t depend on the outcome of the game…
Whats funny if Notre Dame bounces back this season all you will have forgotten about firing Kelly. hmmmmmmm
I cannot believe you be watching a football game while abortions are happening in your own country. Cafeteria Catholic!!!!11one1!!1!!
Karen—You never answered my question. If a young man said a bully was picking on him or his sister. What would you tell him to do???
I dont need lol, I will and my kids will always defend themselves against a bully that threatens them or a friend. I/we will never blame it on someone else, run scared, hid or say its just football. ND needs to stand up and make the right call….
God Bless you Karen
note: nice spin on the no name calling….
Everybody in this thread would support participation trophies and orange slices at halftime. In my day, we got dirt and butt-kickings, and we won because of it.
Wow you people really need to get a life. The players chose to go to ND and I’m sure they are fully aware of Brian Kelly’s emotional investment good or bad. Get over it!!
What if Notre Dame won would all you dumb F%$%ks still be talking s&*t.
CoastalMike—- well said, you get it. Who would want to coach with or play for this guy!!! Kelly is so into himself that he said he didnt realize the cameras were on him…... this is a great leader.
ND will look the other way because they have money lots of it, yes billions in Endowments so they can afford to look the other way—sad, really sad for a program with great tradition—30 years ago.
Hypocrite was not merely name calling - it was giving my opinion of you stating you would HIT a coach if they screamed at you like that, and you tell you children to do the same. I say hypocrite b/c you’re so bent about yelling, yet you advocate physical violence. Way to go there buddy. Great parenting. Hit a coach. You, or they, could get arrested for that if said coach wanted to press charges. And, unlike you, I don’t need to give MY credentials here because what I say is enough, and we all have experience and credentials. None of it matters. I don’t need to prove anything. What does is you advocating you and your kids hitting a coach…LOL
Firstly, the idea of Notre Dame not being Catholic is laughable—but the people on here saying such things will never be convinced. Lou Holtz, when asked what Notre Dame meant to him said, “If you’ve never been there, I couldn’t explain it and if you have, I don’t have to.” If you think Notre Dame has no Catholic character, you’ve either never been there or your idea of Catholic character is so far removed from reality, you’re beyond help.
Secondly, no one seems to have mentioned the fact that NBC found Kelly’s yelling compelling enough television to show it in close-up, high definition. This is the look they want. It is NBC’s responsibility, not Brian Kelly’s to make sure nothing inappropriate is seen on television. If you are looking for someone to fire, it’s the guy who chose to show the sideline at that moment. They could have shown the commentators in the booth, a replay of the last play, the students in the stand, a weather report for the rest of the game or any number of other things. They didn’t, because they determined that what they were showing was appropriate for television and what the majority of viewership wanted to see. As for the players, they hear comparable language on their way to class from their friends and each other.
Finally, it is Brian Kelly’s job to make these student-athletes win and to develop them as people. Maybe some coaches do this by praying with them, some do it by talking with them, some do it by screaming at them, some do it in other ways—but Kelly was hired because he had shown that his way was effective thus far. If you hire a carpenter to build your house, you don’t really get a say in whether he uses a manual screwdriver, or a power drill, a flat head or phillips head screw, as long as the house is to your specifications and meets code. He did nothing illegal or outside NCAA regulations, he was only expressing his desire to win and exercising what he thinks was the best way to accomplish this. To suggest firing him for this is laughable and shows just how out of touch with reality Mr. Archbold is.
Karen- Nice, name calling. You missed my point. So how would you recommend that you defend yourself from a bully? Use the bug and a wish approach that some schools are using—“tell the bully thats bugging me and I wish you would stop”...
Name calling is not a good educated way to debate any subject. This is about a coach that is mentoring young men. So how should any man or young man defend himself from a self centered bully.
By the way the only reason i brought up that I play football (div 1/NFL) is because i have experience men that motivated players to play with dignity and respect in a violent game without losing control with the tv cameras on them or not. In my opinion you become a great leader of men when you understand that no man, coach or player will ever be bigger than ND. Coach Kelly does not see it that way,,,, just like Charlie.
also, young men will defend themselves from Div 1 coaching bullies like Kelly by not playing for them.
A very safe bet is the ND players will stop playing with passion for this self centered bully when times get tough during a game - thats called real world young lady.
The defense of the coach in this thread is typical in the culture where love of watching men chase a ball around is a high priority. Do you all get this excited when talking about the faith?
This entire comment thread is a true example why comment threads are the garbage bins of the internet.
This has to be the most ridiculous post I’ve ever seen. First let me say that I am a huge Catholic and believe in all that is holy. I am also a huge Notre Dame football fan and have been my entire life. But lets get real, this is football, its one of the toughest jobs in football and your going to call for this man to be fired because he is emotional, fired up, and yelling/cursing at his players during the game in which they were embarrased? Isn’t that his job? Your all liars if you say this is the only time you’ve seen a coach curse on TV or seen a coach go crazy. It is part of the game and I have no problem with it. Id rather a coach be that animated than not show any emotion or care in the world like that bum Charlie Weis.
Go play soccer you wimps!
It’s football, get over it. Maybe blog more about altar boy groping priests than this ridiculousness
I’m sorry but this is uncalled for…. not fired but he sure deserves a…..... U-N-P-A-I-D…..... time out. Did anyone notice the faces if the players as he was in their faces screaming cuss words and putting them down.. >>> TIME OUT >>> UNPAID!!!!!!!
Have a little class man… great way to show the young how to lose control of yourself and blame it on being frustrated… do they do that to you when they are frustrated with your coaching… and we wonder why young kids today cant control themselves!
Do Catholic blogs need Imprimaturs?
Obviously, from the content of some of the comments above, the answer is yes. I rest my case.
Hey “NFL guy with 3 Rosebowls and 4 years in the NFL.” You would have hit Coach Kelly AND you tell your kids to HIT a coach or anyone else who yells at them like Coach Kelly? I think physical violence is far worse than yelling and cursing during a FOOTBALL game among men. You Hypocrite.
Coaches cursing at football games is possibly the very least of all problems with the NCAA. The only organization more corrupt than the NCAA is the Government. This article is like saying it’s okay to aid and abet criminals as long as they don’t curse.
I’m not sure what if anything should be done about swearing coaches…. but @ James, thank you for defending ND. My husband was a student for 2yrs recently and we as a family lived there. I’m tired of hearing how non-Catholic ND is. If someone can direct me to the correct blog to share this opinion I would gladly post there, but if any of you saw the “pro-life” protester’s tactics up close with your own young children you would be happy to have them removed as well. The graphic nature of the photos that we were barraged with was absolutely sickening as well as other things, but I have taken this way off the original topic.
Forgive me.
We’ll see an effect on recruiting, if he’s still around; who wants to play for that jerk? Never seen a guy so completely enraged and purple. Humiliating subordinates in the workplace has a lot of negatives, not the least of which is that people don’t want to work for you. Believe me, there are already some derogatory nicknames for Kelly in the ND locker room.
Brian Kelly didn’t just say some curse words in anger, he “lost it,” and he kept loosing it. He disgraced himself, Notre Dame and most of all, the young players under his charge. There are coaches as good as him who consistently behave with dignity and know how to encourage and motivate young athletes without denigrating them. I hope Notre Dame finds such a coach and that they win the rest of their games this season. I’m a USC fan who is first a sports fan, and more than that, I understand how young athletes in this country are enobled by coaches who treat them with dignity and respect, and who are, first and foremost, a living example of those very qualities of character they wish to instill in young people.
What I don’t understand is why what could have been a mature discussion about the behavior of Coach Kelly from the sidelines on Saturday has morphed into a roast of both the University of Notre Dame and the Catholic Church. I agree with Boniface in the fact that this thread “managed to bring together angry, judgmental folks of all stripes.” We’ve got those that judge Catholicism running up a tally of every single church offense since WWII, the haters of Notre Dame the institution chiming in about how sin ridden and non-Catholic the school has become, and lastly, we’ve got those who will hold a grudge forever and for always. President Obama speaking at commencement has come and gone, and the tragic loss of student life was (believe it or not) far more painful for their families and members of the immediate Notre Dame community than it was for those of you passing judgement from what you saw and read in the media. People make mistakes. Mistakes happen. It’s the unfortunate side effect of being humans. If you’re the praying type, pray that tragedies like those that claimed young lives might cease, and that men and women in high profile positions are guided not by a social compass, but instead by the Holy Spirit. If anti-Catholicism is more your speed, hope that all men and women be guided by a strong moral compass regardless of their religious affiliation. All of the above, however infuriated it made you, is now past. Why can’t we pray and hope for the University of Notre Dame to continue to produce some of the most compassionate, intelligent, and ambitious young adults (of all religions and no religion) in the nation, AND talented and young athletes; whilst leaving this thread for those who actually watched the game and have a specific opinion about the topic at hand?
I was far more dissappointed with coach Kelly’s complete melt down on the sideline than I was about Notre Dame’s loss. Frankly, as a Notre Dame alum, class of 75, I felt compled to write the adminstration as asked they take corrective action. Today! Coach Kelly should be disciplined, not fired. As a leader, he must control his emotions. Intense? Sure. Upset? I run a medical device company, and of course I get upset with employees now and then, but I am in charge, and I, like coach Kelly must set an example for others to follow.
This is Notre Dame coach, we expect, and will enforce excellence in all that we do. This is not Ohio State,and we will not allow a Woody Hayes to roam the sidelines.
Tom O’Malley
Scarsdale, NY
P.S. Beat Michigan!
Hope your kids enjoy soccer! Don’t forget to bring the refreshments. I also have 2 superbowl rings and 1 nobel peace prize. Watch the UofM-Ohio St. documentary, how many games and rose bowls did those 2 coaches win with their profanity laced tyraids. Different strokes for different folks, HERO!
This behavior reveals the true Notre Dame. Profane, bullying, succeed at all costs, abusing positions of authority.
Don’t fire him - celebrate him. It is, after all what Notre Dame is at it’s core. Who better to demonstrate it to the world?
If only he could coach, the man might deserves a statue of his own.
Wrong my friend I was a 4 year letterman for a school that played in 3 Rose Bowls and played in the NFL!!’ I would have hit Brian k in the mouth if he was my coach. I told my kids to do the same if anyone tried to treat them that way!!!
You need to read Season of Life to understand what tough love really means.
It’s really too bad guys like you don’t get it ..
Brian Kelly represents everything that college football is not about!! The college experience as a student athlete is about a countabilty, integrity respect of others and understanding that you are part of something that is bigger than any player or coach!! If one of coach Kellys coaches or players acted like him they would have been fired. I just some news organizations would look into how he treated his played at CMU and Cinci (how he left)—- trust my inside people - he left with no dignity or respect. His true colors where live on national tv - his language and character was clear as a bell on my LED screen.
ND will look the other way - a sad common theme for the Catholic religion (sorry mom and dad).
Yes , I am a good catholic dad from Wisconsin.
Brian Kelly should be fired , however the gutless people running the university will not fire hi
Unless he fails to win—my bet is there are many ND fans pulling for him to lose.
Go Michigan beat ND!!!!!!
To the writer and the rest of you so called catholics, worry more about your priest’s molesting children than what goes on at the University of Notre Dame. You are EMBARASSING yourselves!
He should be fired because he killed a Notre Dame student when he sent the kid up in a scissor lift to tape practice during 50 mph winds.
Ask the Notre Dame Board of Trustees to do something proactive ???
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha .....................................................................................................................................................................................ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !!
I’m more concerned about you suggesting a drinking game while watching a football game and perpetuating the myth of Irish people being alcoholics.
A football coach yelling and swearing at players is part of football culture. Hell I was swearing at the TV when Crist missed a wide open Floyd and instead threw an interception in the end zone, a perfect field goal kicker missed a chip shot, a receiver was open and not looking for the ball, and the team captain got two face mask calls in 15 seconds allowing a touchdown. As long as there wasn’t a live audio feed then let the coach do his job with the 18-20 year old young MEN playing football at Notre Dame.
I’m glad someone is bringing this up. The thing that really bothers me is the way Brian Kelly berates his players on the sidelines. I can understand some cursing and screaming in the heat of the moment but he goes way to far. It’s embarrassing to everyone involved. As the leading public face of a Catholic institution I don’t think it is acceptable.
college ball is ridiculous without a playoff who cares about the games…its all BS…
...college football is a joke…without a playoff its so stupid and not worth watching ...anybody who watches college football has severe mental problems…
A religion that endorses festivals of drunken revelry and gambling, is rampant with Priest abuse of little boys, and has a shady history (Nazi collaboration anyone?)and you’re worried about a football coach cussing at his players?? Such a holier than thou person aren’t you?
Fa. Jenkins and his ilk have caused Notre Dame’s problems of which a coach cursing is the least. The ‘Catholic Designation’ needs to be removed from this pretend Catholic school.
You need to get a life. Find me one coach in any high pressured sport that will promise you he or she won’t swear when their players are on the field making blunder after blunder. You don’t think those admin folks, parents, average fans, NBC, graduates, etc. aren’t swearing one way or another. I sure was. Matt why don’t you quit watching football, go for a walk in the woods, find a nice shady tree, and spend the rest of the day expalining your feelings to it. Grow a couple will you.
I say this as an outsider who respects Notre Dame’s program: Kelly is a complete embarrassment to your respected university. Notre Dame fans, you should be mortified—your administration sold your souls to get this clown who A-abandoned his Cincy players before their biggest bowl game ever, B- is indirectly responsible for the death of a student due to negligence, willful oversight, and/or gross incompetence, and C- acts like Dick Van Patten on a purple-faced roid rage every time his players make any mistake. You sold your souls, and for what? A win over a mediocre Miami team in a nothing bowl game and losses to South Florida at home?
The answer for the Irish is pretty simple: bring in Skip Holtz or coax Urban Meyer out of retirement. Kelly is not a good enough coach or person for the likes of Notre Dame.
Why is this surprising? He has had the same demeanor at both CMU and Cinci. His supporters and his critics both realize he is a VG college coach, but has a large ego, and blames his players when things go wrong. Some people will say, “A lot of coaches drop F-bombs”. Yes, they do, but shouldn’t ND hold itself to a standard where they have a VG coach who also has a great image, and takes a proper role in developing his players are better men. Penn State, Michigan State, and Northwestern are 3 Big Ten schools that seem to have found coaches that can do both—why not ND?
like there’s not enough hypocrisy in organized religion. don’t even get me started on the “holier than thou” ND student body and staff.
This is about football and a coach’s on field demeanor. Still whining about Obama and ND? Catholics, and Catholic priests in particular, have a lot more to be ashamed of than having a sitting President at a graduation ceremony. Get real. Its a football game.
Really, there are people that want Kelly gone because of cursing? Why not fire him for loss of a student who got up on a fork lift in bad weather…or for letting a DUI offender back on the team…or letting a alleged rapist stay on his team during a 2010 scandal…Notre Dame has no moral code, and they have no football program either…what a joke.
If it is true that Coach Kelly was cursing, it would not surprise me if he made a public apology.
The Church needs to “get a life”? You worship football. Yea, that sounds about right for the sports fans.
First of all, GET A LIFE and one in the real world. Nothing wrong with Brian Kelly!! Hopefully someday the church gets a real life and gets in the real world and becomes meaningful in the world in a real way. Most of you won’t get this until your minds are freed of doctrine. Long live the Irish and thier football program.
Pretty sure his reaction to the on field play was very laid back compared to most ND fans at the game or watching on TV.
Should he be fired because it is a “Catholic” university? That is laughable. Swearing is the least of the concerns of the errors/hypocrisy of the priests/popes/clergy throughout the history of the Catholic church. He would be more in line if he was molesting alter boys, killing Muslims, etc.
What is unacceptable is the emphasis on sports. Things are as bad as they are today because people watch this stuff. What does that say about our priorities? It is simply a game yet the money, time, and effort wasted on it is a crime.
I love the number of people who clearly didn’t actually read the article. It’s right there in black and white:
“I don’t think calling for Kelly’s job is necessary or even appropriate ... yet. But the trustees and the administration should let Kelly know that kind of behavior is unacceptable. Completely unacceptable.”
All you staunch defenders of college football as it is now, and by that, I include the rising numbers of goons recruited to achieve that all important bowl appearance and/or national championship, etc., should ask yourself if debauching the game to the level where it rests now has been worth it.
Do you truly realize what you’re defending when you take this absolutist position that a nearly anything goes (so long as it produces the “w’s”) ... and if you have, what does this say about your real understanding and love of the game?
If I come across as judgmental, so be it. Maybe it’s time somebody “got a little judgmental” and wrote or said some things that make people uncomfortable and twitch in their seats. Or are we just supposed to go along and accept the rising number of young men suffering brain injuries, debilitating cases of decades-long dementia and finally Alzheimer’s Disease years after they’ve finished their last game.
When I was much younger and attending Biscayne College during the Dolphins’ glory years, the team used to practice on my campus. We shared the same cafeteria building and Coach Don Shula, one of the finest gentlemen to have ever coached the game, used to eat with the students, not his players. Biscayne was not a football school. It was too amall, and thankfully so. The men who pulled an undefeated season were strong, walked tall and showed no sign of what was to come. Years later, while watching Larry Csonka present the AFC trophy to the Patriots I couldn’t believe what I’d just witnessed. And Csonka played a rough game in a (relatively) much more civilized era of football.
Were there pressures to win? Of course. But was there so much money? Far from it. Maybe that’s one of the root causes for this win-at-all-costs-and-to-hell-with-the-consequences-attitude affecting not only football from Pop Warner to the college “big leagues” ND plays within and the NFL. Even monetary pressures, substantial that they are, are no “reasons” for the kind of “get the best n’ meanest goons before they “do something stupid” (oh, like beat, rape or kill somebody?) and get sentenced beyond their “effective playing years.” Monetary and the “gotta win” syndrome affecting big progams like ND’s don’t come close to qualifying as “reasons” to justify the antics of the Kellys, the recruiters of Univ of Miami, and college football in general.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/the_bonus/02/27/cfb.crime/index.html
The coach of ND’s football program isn’t just a “coach” in the technical sense. Isn’t he also a member of the faculty, a role model, a mentor as well? Do you want your kids’ college deans, department heads and big name professors running off at the mouth at your son or daughter because he or she flubbed a question in class?
Kelly is also a primary representative of ND being that he is also a “public figure”...because let’s face it, when a man gets to coach a major team at that level, he’s not just coaching a team, he’s also a walking-talking billboard and not just for the institution, but for the many local businesses and or regional businesses which depend on him to maintain at least some modicum of adult-like control on his temper and public persona. If any of his players reacted that way towards another player, you’d want an adult figure to step in and break it up.
Why then should anybody give even the slightest pass for the Kellys of the college scene?
I can almost hear the keys clickin’, and other repliers will no doubt be comparing Kelly’s inexcusable “behavior,” with James Hoffa’s “sons of b…..s” rallying cry directed at Tea Partiers. But before anybody gets into high gear, let’s remember a couple of things. James Hoffa, Teamster’s present President and son of the late and murdered Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa was not calling for his members to “take out” any of the TP’s in the same way his father was “taken out.” But, it sure looked like very few people on that ND bench were doing much to help that kid if Brian Kelly entertained any tempting thoughts of “taking out” that player who simply blew a play. That’s all, simply blew a play during a game.
Put that into relative perspective up against all the economic damage to the economy by the “DELIBERATELY-AND-OPENLY-PLEDGED-DO NOTHING-TO-SERIOUSLY-HELP-PEOPLE-DESPERATE-FOR-A-JOB-TO-FIND-AND-NOT-LOSE-IT-TO-CHINA-AND-PATRIOTICALLY-HELP-REVIVE-THIS ECONOMY-BECAUSE-IN-DOING-SO ... WILL-ONLY-HELP-TO-REELECT-OBAMA ... REPUBLICAN-PARTY.”
There’s a huge gap between humiliating a young man for life and heated political rhetoric by a labor leader on Labor Day ... but watch the ever-so-righteous-defenders of football’s win-at-any-cost-antics do their tut-tut’n act when it comes to trash-talking Hoffa. BTW, the stakes in the game of politics and job creation are much higher than the bragging rights of ND or Michigan State: Would anybody care to disagree with that? If you do, well, I strongly suggest you share your opinions with somebody who’s been out of work for a long time as opposed to the likes of the far over-paid and over-pampered caste of college football coaches “working” for academia’s biggest football [factories.]
Sure, Hoffa’s well compensated, but at least he’s out their fighting for other people making far less; and not out there using woefully unprepared kids with extremely dubious reputations to get that all-important bowl appearance or “w” at some “all important” level.
When will this nation EVER grow up?
Regarding N.D.:
I am a Cincinnati resident, former location of Kelley; a USAF veteran of 28 years, Catholic physician and have lost much respect for N.D. since they invited our “great” president Obama to speak.
Agree that the coach should be chastised but not fired.
I could elaborate ad finitum but will not unless by someone.
I think it’s hilarious! Brian Kelly will lose alot of games this year so he better get used to it! He will be cussing alot this year! Ha, Ha!
What a hoot! A forum for archconservative, single issue Catholic apologists, anti-Catholic fundamentalist “Christians”, anti-Catholic/anti-“organized” religion pseudo-intellectual atheist/agnostics and a other assorted kooks and malcontents. Well done Mr. Archbold. You’ve managed to bring together angry, judgemental folks of all stripes.
Bottom line: Notre Dame graduates more of its student athletes that almost every other institution participating in intercollegiate athletics. That is the mission and it is a success. The rest is window-dressing.
Any Catholic University that invites the Pro-abortion President to speak at graduation has bigger problems then foul language of a coach.
I think he should be fired for murder.
This is a joke, right? Fire the football coach for cursing at his players. I mean, I’m beside myself. Dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.
WOW…calling for his job is a little extreme…Im sure that many of the coaches who preceeded him did the same thing..they just didnt have tv all over the place. Im not saying what he did was right but when it comes down to it who gives a F&*k..
“B”... just because you hear cursing and screaming in the school yard, at the football game, the soccer field, the BAR, the backroom, on campus, or even in the church yard doesn’t mean it’s RIGHT! JUST because people EVERYWHER use the “f” word more than they use the word ‘church’ doesn’t mean it’s OK. BRUSHING it off as… ‘reality’ is a TRUE COP-OUT. THAT is why we have so many problems in our society in the first place. “Well, everyone does it…”, so why bother trying to effect POSITIVE change… especially in our ‘leaders’ - athletic or otherwise? I hope YOU are kidding. I know this coach might be the ‘norm’ but that is not acceptable… whether it’s at a catholic college or our local high school. THAT kind of leadership, we would be better off without.
With that said. No, this man shouldn’t be fired…. we’ve all slip and curse now and then. Often in anger, we later dread saying something we shouldn’t have… but saying it and repeatedly doing it without acknowledging wrongdoing, is pretty much unacceptable. The man needs to do a public apology and then move on… in the ‘right’ and ‘true’ direction of leadership.
Finally, I know of several men who I have seen coach who have NEVER used that kind of language. IT is possible to be ‘manly’ and NOT SWEAR don’t you think?
I think he should yell more, Notre dame football has become a joke because of people like like you matt
Hilarious. Many of you folks are funny. I am not a gung-ho do no wrong Catholic like many here, but correct me if I am wrong, didn’t Jesus explode in the temple and flip tables in anger. Kelly has good company in the temper category…no?
I abhor any kind of cursing and swearing. With that said, I do NOT think he should be terminated. The College should use this opportunity and YES, make an example of him. Censure him, fine him, revoke some privilege, something. Fire him NO… at least not this time. At the same time, the college needs to insure that its entire staff is well versed in what is appropriate language and that the ‘street’ language you find elsewhere is UNACCEPTIABLE! Whether you are on the field or in church, the president must be the same. IF a coach or staff member still finds it necessary to use such abhorrent language then write him up, once, twice, and then suspend him. Finally, if he refuses to ‘repent’ of his ways, then FIRE HIS ... well know what I mean…. ‘butt’.
The problem is not just the foul language. The problem is our obsession with sports. The greater sin , objectively grave, is our idolizing of who caught the ball and who dropped the ball.
That the coach, players, and watchers get so worked up over such an inherently worthless pursuit, like chasing a ball, is beyond absurd.
I don’t think it’s the swearing that is so much of an issue (unless of course it involves using the Lord’s name in vein). I think it THE WAY Kelly was swearing—the guy is over the top livid. Even if he wasn’t using a single curse word his behavior would be questionable because of how animated and intense it is. He’s losing it.
@Ahap. Nice cheap shot. Catholics do not “look the other way” regarding youth protection. The Church has implemented the most stringent program for youth protection of any school system or social organization. The incidence of child abuse in the public schools is much higher.
I’m guessing you’re a SNAP mole, targeting Catholics for you’re own misinformation campaign. Your lack of facts and perspective is telling and you bring discredit upon your cause ..
Wait a minute. Seriously? Catholics are getting up and arms and calling for the firing of a football coach for cursing…but, they’ll look the other way and forgive/forget the hundreds of priests who’ve preyed on children.
Yeah, that makes sense. Looks like the Catholic priorities are in the right place as always.
Thank you, Matthew. We watched it and had similar reactions to his tirade on the field as well. Although, I’m not going to weigh on if he should be fired. That’s within the pay grade of the fine folks in power over at ND to discern.
But what I do know is human/sports psychology has taught us over and again that humans simply don’t respond positively to being treated in such fashion - dogs don’t either for that matter! No wonder they lost…
The last Notre Dame skipper to win a National Championship, the venerable Lou Holtz, was no stranger to the salty lexicon either. I think if the ND brass are suddenly going to treat this as a “firing offense”, then they should have communicated this expectation to the coach beforehand - and then let him decide whether he could coach effectively within this restriction. Secondly, if this style of game-day coaching was really off-limits, then they should have observed his behavior at the University of Cincinnati - before they hired him .. In other words, the administration should have been more pro-active in setting the behavioral standards they were expecting from the coach ..
It’s not like he molested anyone. Oh wait, he wouldn’t get fired for that either.
The ND fans here need to understand that criticism of public actions of ND has nothing to do with a judgment on the inner spiritual state of students who attend but is totally valid as a criticism of the leadership of the School. The leadership sets the direction, the principles, the policy.
And for those who mentioned the great pressure of Mr Kelly’s job, a man’s character isn’t judged by what he calmly rationally plans to do, but what he actually does, especially under pressure. If pressure turns me to sin (language, drink, physical aggression, etc) then it is incumbent on me as a man concerned about his salvation to avoid the situations that could lead to sin. “The pressure made me do it” is no more valid than “the devil made me do it”.
Fire him for cursing at kids?
No.
Fire him for killing a kid by telling him that if he didn’t go up on that scissor crane in the wind he wouldn’t be a team videographer anymore?
Yes.
Fire him for sweeping a rape by one of his players under the carpet and indirectly causing the victim to kill herself?
Yes again.
Kelly is scum.
Sorry. These “kids,” as everyone keeps referring to them, made a decision to come to ND and are getting a free $100K education. If they fu .. sorry, screw up, they better dam ... sorry, darned well better be ready to face the consequences.
Everyone keeps referring to them as kids as if they were 9-year-olds screwing up. Their 18-year-olds (and older) who made asinine (sorry if that’s offensive) mistakes. They deserved to be yelled at. At what age should they stop being coddled for failure?
BTW—Love all the Obama hatred here. Obama has 10 thousand times the morality and righteousness of the boy-raping advocates of the Catholic Church today.
IMO… a very silly article considering the major problems facing us today… but let’s discuss it:
#1) No… I say leave the NCAA coach(es) alone.
They may actually be a great help to these young ‘unprepared’ men today.
These pampered, spoiled, and overly-protected children (the average and typical college student today - especially our Catholic children) MUST learn to live in the REAL world. The good, the bad, and the ugly…
Believe it or not Matt… this world today is NOT a pretty place and they won’t always have their mommies to protect them from every bad thing or influence.
Time for them to grow-up and learn how to ‘survive’ in this difficult and ‘disordered’ world.
If not… they will just be used… and abused… and controlled… and…. etc…etc.
Do you get the picture?
#2) Yes, of course… the ‘f-bomb’ is always disgusting… period. But it happens.
IMO… it’s one thing to ‘unfortunately’ see/hear it in public at a highly competitive NCAA football game where lower secular standards and very ‘intense’ emotions prevail… BUT HEY MATTHEW… how about actually seeing/reading it on a personal ‘Catholic’ website of a still active and apparently well respected NCRegister blogger. Don’t you think that’s a bit disgusting too?
If so… why not write about that too my man???
It was bad for TV, bad for ND, not great for Kelly. Don’t fire him just wash his mouth with soap and have Tony Dungy teach him how to coach without profanity. I expected better from him at ND.
“Judge, and you shall be judged” Do not worrie about Brian Kelly and his walk with Christ. You need to worrie about your own. I have a feeling if we would have won the game, you would not have said word one. Unless you life is right with Christ, do not worried about Kelly’s. Jesuse died on the cross for our sins, and that includes Coach Kelly.
A lot of people dropped the ball on this one. I felt the coach should be fired. Not for using curse words but for cursing at a player. It’s one think to hit your finger with a hammer and curse, but to curse at another person is different. This is out of line for a Christian.
This is silly. Thee is no need to go all Flanders over Kelly’s rant—he’s on the sidelines talking to an adult, not dropping F-bombs in a press conference. Leave the effete hand wringing over curse words to the Mormons!
Of all the issues that plague our nation, you choose to expend your energy on this topic? Obviously, the profanity was overboard. But as previously noted, the pressure that any high profile Division 1 coach experiences from their institution and fans, coupled with the advent of realtime sports broadcasting into virtually every home in America, can be daunting. The guy made a mistake, and the best thing to do is bring it to his attention, not berate him and the institution that he represents. A number of people who rush to criticize Notre Dame and the type of institution it is or no longer is have both benefited and profited from receiving a great education there. At the end of the day, this is just college football. Energy should be focused elsewhere, as should the fiery animosity toward Brian Kelly and Notre Dame.
From the beginning of his tenure at ND Kelly constantly has blamed his players for all to see. To me that’s the most egregious aspect of his behavior. Great coaches - great leaders of men - save that for the locker room in private.
Folks, we need to quit judging—PERIOD. I am not condoning Kelly’s reactions and cursing at his players. But…we do not know what happened after the game—-do we know IF he apologized to those at whom he screamed? NO, WE DO NOT! All you “holier than thou” folks out there need to look in the mirror—-we all make mistakes and have hot heads from time to time—none of it pretty or acceptable, but non the less, part of the human condition. I am sure Kelly is embarrassed by his behavior and my bet is his father will have something to say to him about it. As for Notre Dame being “Catholic”—-some of you don’t have a clue about what that means—get off the BO event which has NOTHING to do with ND being catholic. The majority of you have never been to ND let alone gone to school there—-you are just repeating what has appeared in the “media” and trying to make it your own and you look like fools because you know NOTHING about the high academic standards this university sets for its students. GET A LIFE.
To answer the headline: No. And you’re an idiot for suggesting it.
To all of you who say Notre Dame isn’t Catholic: Have you ever been to mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart? I go there weekly, and can assure you that yes, it is definitely a Catholic mass. I would encourage you to put aside your blind hatred and give the Holy Cross order a shot. We Catholics face enough troubles from the outside world without infighting weakening our Faith. You really should make it a point to travel to Northern Indiana some time. Spend a little while praying at the Grotto maybe. I can’t see anyone doubting the Catholic nature of the school who has at least done this. And please, don’t hate on my school. I’ve worked very hard my entire life to be able to attend the University, and for as challenging as it is academically, it is even harder when I read such terrible comments directed at myself and all past, present and future members of Notre Dame.
Were any of you in the stadium on Saturday? I was! The heated conditions were not on the sidelines but throughout the stadium! There were hundreds treated for heat exhaustion/dehydration. The temp was in the 90’s with humidity and a heat index of 100 or greater. Breezes were barely blowing up top; I can’t imagine how stifling it was on the field level! The purple face was not only Brian Kelly’s but so many in the stadium. Yes, Coach was yelling at players who made mistakes (under those same physical conditions). And, yes, weather aside he could have tempered his use of certain language. But the media and most commenters are focused on his purple face and blowing a gasket. I am a faithful, practicing Roman Catholic, who believes in a loving and forgiving God. I forgive Coach Kelly, and hope you will too.
As a student who just graduated in may from the University of Notre Dame, I completely disagree with those who say the University “isn’t Catholic.” Are you kidding me?! Have you ever BEEN to the University in the past few years and seen how the Catholic mission is embodied in the University? Mass in ALL of the dorms? The widely attended Basilica mass? The reverence given to Fr. Hesburgh? HEARD the lyrics to the Notre Dame fight song? SEEN students taking the two MANDATORY theology classes required? The students, while not perfect, are generally Catholic. They practice the faith and adhere to it in their daily lives. Catholicism is discussed both in and out of the classroom.
That isn’t to say that there are students who aren’t Catholic, or who don’t widely practice the faith. I’m not Catholic (I’m Hindu). But I find myself in a small minority. Never did I feel pressured to conform to the Catholic faith or identity. I identified with Notre Dame as a god-fearing individual and that was between the University and me. Notre Dame can be extremely Catholic if that is what the student wants to make it, or, it can just be a place for those who believe in a higher power and not strictly a Catholic place. That of course, is up to the student. But to any student who is willing, the University offers a place to entwine academics and Catholicism.
I’m with Ryan & Karen…Yes he does deserve some award.But i haven’t figured out which one for such an issue to bring up.I’v heard many and i mean many High School Catholic students on buses going home after school with worse language.So wake up Matthew !!...My Gosh !!..Like Karen said turn the channel or remove her from the room…I won’t even go there about the priests just being moved around from parish to parish…You have the nerve to bring this subject up fire the Coach…omg….
I am glad I came across this article. It illustrates just another good reason why I cancelled my cable TV reception over a year ago! Why sit in your living room to watch this kind of stuff? Much better things to do with one’s time.
Kelly needs to go. Yet another big stain on his judgment.This is a win at any cost violent man. Thanks to him there is already a dead student out there! Verbal abuse can be every bit as caustic as physical abuse. For the clergy of this school to allow such a man to be the face of the athletic program and the school (which the football coach at notre dame is), has become a travesty.
Is there a Dumb Journalism award? Because this piece should win it.
The Catholics worrying about Kelly’s language should instead focus their attention on the decades of priests molesting children and not getting fired, but instead moved to a different parish. It’s football people. Worry about something that matters and needs constant attention. To the author - I thank the good Lord your daughter only saw a lip-synced version of the “F” word on TV, and did not suffer molesting from a trusted priest. In this situation, you could have changed the channel at that point or removed her from the situation - yet you write about it like it was some traumatic event. Typical Catholic. Typical…
I personally do not want to see people cussing and throwing hissy fits on television (or anywhere else for that matter) irrespective of the venue. I think it cheap and beneath the dignity of anyone and is disrespectful of those having to watch such vile behavior. This is just another indication that people are losing the ability to govern their actions.
Where were these articles when a female student from another school killed herself after a sexual assault by football players was swept under the rug? How about when a student died last year cause he had to spend time on a lift in high winds?
Have you ever seen video of Lou Holtz on the sideline too? It wasn’t pretty with the f-bombs he was dropping out there. You guys wonder why people dislike Notre Dame? It’s stuck up articles like this! It’s okay for your church to sweep pedophilia under the rug, but please don’t swear during a nationally televised football game.
It’s worth noting that many of the people in authority positions in any Catholic institution were raised and taught by religious who doled out corporal punishment on a regular basis. That’s changed, but hot tempers are probably still unlikely to cause much cultural backlash for at least another couple generations.
Great job getting linked to D…spin. I’m sure that your site traffic will go thru the roof!!
Really? Is this really what the world has come to? It is football. This occurs at any Catholic university that has such a program. The only reason why this is brought to attention is because Notre Dame is a national brand. They have a contract with NBC, right or wrong, and they are broadcasted on a major network. So he swears? Boo-hoo. Should people be mad at him because he swears? No. Should people be mad because a president some doesn’t like because of his own personal views don’t match theirs gave a speech? No. People should be mad because his actions or actions of members of the football have led to the death of two young adults. That is what people should be mad about, not this
Is it just me or does it seem that the really big perennially successful teams have relatively calm coaches ( Woody Hayes excepted of course)? Geeshe, no wonder why those kids drop balls and throw interceptions, they’re probably nervous wrecks with a coach like that! I wonder how much more emphasis is put on “don’t screw up” (thus sticking the concept of screwing up in their brains) over execute successfully.
Fire the bum. Nothing would send off a more reassuring message to millions of ND’s fans, not to mention the families of these kids and athletic administrators, coaches and “athletic department boosters” like that guy accused of utterly debasing UMiami’s football program ... and on down to h.s. coaches across the country and world for Notre Dame to wake up and start being what she used to be; a Catholic institution of higher learning at the college and graduate school level first and foremost.
What General Patton did to the shell-shocked GI in Italy was nothing compared to what this coach pulled or the late Woody Hayes of Ohio State. See, though, our big name universities have been lured far too much by the big bucks that big buck athletic programs bring in through television revenues, etc. (BTW, why is this lame team getting such a juicy monopoly of NBC’s prime Saturday afternoon game watching time? Tradition? Hmmm, did that coach behave like Rockne, Parseghian or Holtz?
Sure, coaches lose it now and then and their players should get a chewing out but ONLY AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME AND PLACE, NOT ON NATIONAL TELEVISION FOR THE WHOLE NATION TO SEE.
Some “leader” ND got for a “coach.”
This Kelly is only one of a cast of many, many macho guys who believe their leadership qualities depend on their vocal strengths as if they take a special ‘roid just for use on Saturday afternoons, or for that matter any game in any part of the country and coached at any level.
Ever watch some of these “men” coaching Pop Warner and h.s. teams? And ever notice how many other “men” are too afraid to pull their kids out of the program when they should be out there punching the coach right in the face after he’s grabbed their kids or neighbor’s kid by the face guard and shook the boy’s head as if it were some doll’s head he could take his frustration out on ... even during practice sessions?
Hell, let’s start seeing some coaches hauled off to the defendants box with lots of cameras rolling. It happened in youth hockey and what a changeover that produced, especially in hockey crazed New England.
Speaking of New England, there’s one basketball coach, formerly of UMass-Amherst, where he left a program in disgrace in the latter 90’s and no parent should ever consider buying tickets to bring his family to sit behind this coach’s bench for all the choice words their kids would pick up; not to mention the implicit message that verbally brutalizing his players on and off the court, and refs of course, is y’know, “part of the game.” I wonder how many of this “I’ll coach anywhere for a price ‘coach’” former AD’s were privately overjoyed to hear his door slam for the final time.
Kelly’s yelling is only symptomatic of a much larger and deeper set of problems affecting college “sports” today, not to mention so many other aspects of life, especially in this country. Maybe it’s time for a “time out” and “grounding” of college sports for a year or more. Make people miss it badly enough to be willing to let the real pros clean it up and fire en masse the bums that are polluting it with their win at any cost mentality.
While a lot of Catholics rightly question ND’s dedication to teaching the Faith; I’m disappointed that not enough Catholics (and I’m not referring to this combox) aren’t clamoring to institute some of the more necessary, and dire steps to clean up college athletics at ND and programs from east to west/north and south.
Guess that’s too heretical.
Only in a Catholic publication would you see Drinking Games being referenced, and not in a negative light! Maybe the author should look at his own house before throwing stones, and I’m not even a ND supporter.
It’s been written that dear Frank Leahy when true failure occurred would tell the offending player that; ‘You will burn in hell for that’. Check that out
Maybe coach Kelly wouldn’t have to yell so much if he could field a respectable team. I’ll bet he and all the ND fans in the country are wishing he stayed at Cincinnati. If all the teacher’s students fail, maybe the teacher is to blame.
If we agree that it is not acceptable, and I don’t see any arguments here supporting it (other than the ‘get real’ comment, which is sort of silly in that by acknowledging it and discussing it in the first place you show that you are already, ‘real’ and have gotten there), then, it would take certain steps to achieve the worthy goal with respect to children’s spiritual formation, it starts there. If for example in Catholic context one is taught that attending Mass is optional or acceptably periodic practice then I’d be willing to bet that cursing is not going to be a detail discussed, nor would be the concrete steps one can take to replace a bad habit with a virtue (which requires commitment and leadership from adults, assumes knowledge and attempting to practice it honestly themselves).
As to what happens between adults in private, if it is habitual then it is abusive but it can be addressed. If it is occasional then it can be addressed. Some people if bullied in childhood or adulthood tend to become the enemy themselves if not helped to find another way. Some people did not have the benefit of spiritual formation or the faith in childhood. Actually most Catholics nowadays had very little of any sort of formation. Weekly Mass attendance most would agree would be better than nothing at all.
So long as it isn’t constant in terms of children then for their well being the Catholic approach which is to confess and make amends for the harm done is a much better approach than denial that it is happening or the notion that it does not matter at all. Children who never witness adults arguing never see successful resolution or forgiveness in adults is a different problem as they will find it difficult in their adult lives to do so appropriately. And in fact especially given that the world is not presently attuned to virtue as a good and there is very little in the way of cultural Catholicism from community as in times past it is also a very good thing for children to be aware that people can make mistakes and change and convert even if as an adult. In fact particularly as an adult. If they don’t witness that then they miss out on an important aspect of hope.
Finally of course if one is falsely imprisoned, or stalked and so has not the benefit of privacy in one’s own home due to others’ criminality, the stress that imposes is a special sort that one would not wish upon others but the reality is that people will fall. Children in those circumstances can be helped to develop resilience and may be specially equipped in their adult lives to comprehend the needs of special populations of humanity who undergo persecution as a result of reversion or conversion.
In the case of the ND coach with the f bomb already having left the barn, there is still an opportunity to show what being Catholic means. It is not about being frozen in a state of eternal niceness, it is not about never slipping up, it is not about already having arrived in heaven as a saint floating around on cloud 9 sprinkling whosoever passes with pixie dust. And what a relief it is not any of that and people are real and that in Catholicism better than in a nihilistic view people are capable of getting real. For in nihilism one is stuck in the life sucks for me and for you and then there is death mode, perpetually which gets to be a drag and a killjoy for, everyone.
The coach can acknowledge and apologize to fans. The president of ND may also do so for giving support to a sin in our times which is collectively contributed to and has no justification in morality and shakes the goodness of young people worth encouraging. The eternal moment is the sin committed with the return to God’s mercy, not just the one. It is the cross and the resurrection, not just the one.
Brian Kelly is an embarrassment to the University and to the coaching profession. After having seen that rant and the absolute humiliation of a decent young player over a single football play, Kelly should be suspended or fired. The NCAA has all kinds of reasons to suspend players for their errant behavior, both on and off the field. Kelly should be held to the same, high standards of conduct, even higher, actually. He’s supposed to be the mature adult. Both the University and the NCAA should promptly sanction Kelly and remove him from his position for a minimum of three games, and without pay. I hope Notre Dame recruiting suffers as long as Kelly is there, in any capacity ! I surely wouldn’t want my son to play for such an absolute jerk !
Notre Dame has relaxed its educational standards so it could recruit fast black athletes who, back in the past, would have not met the educational requirements and so would not have been admitted to the University. And Notre Dame signed Kelly whose reputation includes a wide-open mouth along with a wide-open offense.
Notre Dame knew what it was doing. Sadly.
It is about the money. Period. It is not about a Catholic education or even about a classic college education.
The NCAA Football world is rife with corruption and it is not fixable. The NFL should create its own NFL Farm Teams - like Baseball has - and Notre Dame ought drop its major sports programs.
But, we all know it won’t.
Swearing and acting the fool doesn’t make him a bad person or even a bad examPle. I think he’s a great example of a sore looser, and I point to this kind of behavior for my kids all the time. What if you just said to your daughter, “Look at this man behaving like his world is on fire. You see why we talk about being gracious in sports? He looks crazy!”
As for the screaming at the kids, I know it takes all kinds to motivate, but I couldn’t play for him.
I wonder if we’d be talking about this had Brian Kelly not looked so aggressive in his behavior toward whomever #7 is. He didn’t just curse at the guy, he berated him in a way that was demeaning and insulting. When ND’s qb attempted to intervene on his receiver’s behalf, Kelly disregarded him and went after the receiver even more. Kelly came off as a jerk and a bully, and that’s the problem. Contrast his style with LSU’s Les Miles, whose players would run through a wall for him if he asked them to. Miles is, for all of his perceived faults nationally, a fundamentally decent guy who treats his players well, even when they screw up.
By the looks of that purple face, all he needs is one weak blood vessel in his brain to render his cussing a moot point.
Matthew,
Thank you for responding. It seems to me that many Catholics, presumably you are among this number, have chosen to ignore the not so distant past. This seems clear to me when you state “If Leahy and Rockne did it, it doesn’t necessarily make it right”. What about the nuns and their rulers? You appear old enough to know that isn’t simply an anti-Catholic joke.
When Catholicism was truly the venue for the poor and down-trodden to find their path in the world such tactics were not only condoned, they were expected. Nowadays, Catholics in the US are far more likely to well off, financially at least, and seem to want to make Catholicism as narrow-minded as Evangelical Christianity.
Now, i don’t think that rapping a child’s knuckles with a ruler was ever a good thing, but to counter your response to my invocation of Rockne and Leahy, is yelling at tough kids, who are nearing adulthood and playing a violent sport, a bad thing? No, not at all. Does the fact that someone could read Brian Kelly’s lips when he was swearing hurt children who are watching the game? No, not at all, but trying to shelter them from that reality certainly does do great harm.
Teaching children about what the world can be is a great and noble thing, but putting blinders on their eyes and trying to convince them that that potential is already reality causes people to grow up delusional.
If parents don’t want their kids imitating such actions, they should either not allow them to watch, or talk to them about what they saw. A child learns nothing from ignorance.
How much is Kelly’s buy-out? This bozo makes Charlie Weis look like George Clooney on the sidelines.
Notre Dame gave the abortion president Obama an honorary degree in LAW and now they expect God’s blessings. Maybe Notre Dame can get Obama to pray for them. Other wise, they gets as they gives. Ask the Notre Dame 88. If you are going to fire Kelly and keep Jenkins, the motherload of evil, even God cannot help.
What else would you expect from a school that has been “Catholic” in name only for many years and supports abortion. I will always pull for the other team these days - and I’m Irish. Actually, why does their football team get their games nationally televised all throughout the season, year after year, when they’re average to below average and have been for years.
18-23 year old students/kids? Uhm there are 18 year olds dying over in Iraq and Afghanistan, I think the little college football players can handle being cursed at.
It’s unprofessional, undisciplined, and I was glad my young kids weren’t watching my alma mater. I think the university ought to make clear that this is unacceptable. They have a very strict code about what the student athletes may say on TV, precisely because they represent the university to some degree, and it’s perfectly reasonable that the coach also have his televised speech covered by a code of conduct, whether the mic is on him or not.
I’ll let others toss out the first stone. Under great strain sometimes it is difficult to self edit, like when someone is being harassed such that one’s mental state is compromised. But the garden variety setback in life, no, it doesn’t call for launching expletives. And when one’s job is to be on national television, no in the normal course it shouldn’t come up. But coaches are under a pressure that most can’t relate to.
I think that Christians should call one another to a higher standard. And when one person has walked a mile in another’s shoes and understands first then that one is the one who may have a talk with another to rise above or meditate.
But people who are only around to hate and point fingers in the first place, to generate division and swearing, really aren’t invested in the well being of the one swearing or the ones sworn at or the ones who witness it. They are invested in other things. I suppose if someone is swearing in the course of a heated argument it doesn’t really excuse the other from responding to the actual substance since as much as we are to refrain from curse words we are also to refrain from seeing others in the worst possible light. It takes two to tango in relationship and in the Christian world. It’s easily remedied, to apologize and quit swearing (and often for some people it is a harbinger of major depressive episode), to change. But it’s another to listen to the content. Everyone has responsibilities in that. People who provoke others to lose their peace of mind through illegal methods have their own issues and contribution. Of course, if someone coerces another to certain extent the one who sins is not responsible and their sin is attributed to the one who is coercing. Patti Hearst, for example.
Scott,
If Leahy and Rockne did it, it doesn’t necessarily make it right. And I think it’s a worthy topic of conversation whether it’s right to scream and rant at students the way Kelly did -especially at a Catholic university.
But additionally, Rockne and Leahy didn’t have cameras in their faces broadcasting them to every home in the country. Doesn’t that change things?
Are you kidding? This is the most absurd piece i have read since the debacle at Notre Dame Stadium yesterday. Do you think Knute Rockne or Frank Leahy avoided swearing at their players because they coached at a Catholic University? No, they didn’t. Like it or not, behavior that would seem like a childish tantrum in most other setting is perfectly acceptable on the football field. They are 18-23 year old kids, sure, but they just as surely are not 18-23 month olds playing paddy-cake.
I’m glad this issue is being brought up. I saw the game and was very uncomfortable with the behavior I witnessed on the sidelines. Even the television announcers seemed to have awkward pauses whenever the cursing occurred. Since Notre Dame has a contract with NBC, the NBC announcers clearly didn’t want to draw attention to what was on-screen, but anyone watching couldn’t help but notice.
Coaches have many different styles. Some yell, some scream, all have different ways of teaching and motivating. Some excellent high school coaches (Bob Hurley comes to mind) use curse words and swears as a regular teaching effect. Personally, however, I would not respond well to a coach who hollers like a sailor.
But the power of a visual cannot be understated. Remember last year’s Bears/Packers NFC Championship game, when Jay Cutler removed himself from the game with a torn ligament in his knee? Because he was not writhing in pain, commenters and peers from around the NFL chimed in with their thoughts on Cutler’s unmanliness.
Several moments on a television cannot give us the full scope and breadth of Kelly’s ability to coach, teach, and motivate, so we really shouldn’t be calling for the man’s job. But if, in the heat of the moment, he continually melts down, it would be appropriate to remind him to be a good example for the young men: when adversity strikes, don’t curse and scream, but accept the misfortune, use rational judgement, and move on to the next opportunity.
B, didn’t you violate your own advice by telling the rest of us how to live our lives rather than just focusing on your own “damn self”?
You could care less about the cursing. It just gives you somthing else to cry about ND.
You can’t be serious about this, right? Getting fired, for blowing up and cursing in such an ultr-macho, semi-barbaric sport? Really? And obviously the people on here commenting about “how Catholic” a college “still is, or isn’t” may have a couple nuts and bolts to tighten up. Worry about yourself! American’s, and most so called Christians (Catholic included) love pointing the finger at everything accept themselves, demons, satan, dark forces, sinners, and so on. The “Catholic” thing to do would be to pray and meditate on what your issue is with this individual and his treatment of the young men he is responsible for “guiding” and “leading” via the outlet of a sport. Stop the judging and the childish finger pointing. Your 11 year old was tainted by Kelly’s unheard (but recognizible) rant at a player? Do you think that is the worst she ever heard, or will hear uttered out of someone’s mouth? Crawl out of the box, and face a bit of reality. This world (especially America) is not dandelions and bunny rabbits, face it!Jim Kelly is human, you all are human, and to be “FULLY HUMAN” we must recognize all of our faults, insecurities, and most of all our mistakes, sins, or whatever you wish to label them. If you are without “sin,” cast the first stone my friends, but if not, focus on your damn self, your own soul, and your own “salvation.”
Peace.
B
Why is this even an issue? Notre Shame ceased being Catholic when BO gave the commencement speech and they arrested the pro-life protesters.
I think he should be told by the university that he needs to take care of his temper. Yeah, it stinks when your team is losing, and even more when your job depends on their record, but still. This is uncalled for behavior, and quite frankly, not how a man should be acting. Grow up, or else learn how to give your team better instructions so you’re not tempted to cuss them out for allowing turnovers.
Agreed. Even though Notre Dame is no longer Catholic, coaches anywhere should be manly enough not to abuse their students.
Cursing is at the very bottom of my list of Notre Dame public offenses. I don’t think it even occurred to me to expect anything better. I just figured they dispensed with the Catholic theatre altogether. Why pretend?
Matt Archbold graduated from Saint Joseph’s University in 1995. He is a former journalist who left the newspaper business to raise his five children. He writes for the Creative Minority Report.