Charlie, put down the Sledgehammer
A ride, a ride a glorious ride. What do you do when you are no longer 25?. You work and you eat and you sleep and you repeat, every once in a while you come across a good day when you don't have to shower. My wife doesn't understand why those days are so great. But it is really quite easy. On those days I don't have to try to impress anybody, I come as I are....please know that I don't care about impressing anyone, sweetie, I am off the clock.
During this football off-season I need some help with something other than personal hygiene. Can someone to tell me where the lines of loyalty should be drawn? Do you love the Irish so much that you are wiling to cheer for them no matter what moves they make or no matter what happens?...hmm.... I think that sounds a bit too much like a Cub fan to keep me comfortable; but I don't want to abandon ship either and become a fair weather fan. However, the thought of being in fair weather sounds pretty appealing when its twelve below.
I am just not an abandon ship kinda guy. I am that frog choking that crane or stork or whatever it is. You know that email you were forwarded five times in 2002, "Never give up". That is me, always has been. Not sure why but sometimes I just fail despite myself. When I hit a brick wall, instead of going around it, I say, "What kinda moron but a brick wall here? So I go and get a battering ram and kill myself over it for about a year or so until someone has to pull me off ....it is usually a good friend or God and it isn't always gentle.
It makes it all the more painful for me to watch Charlie Weis in his struggle to succeed at Notre Dame. Charlie also has that never say quit attitude. Have you ever heard anyone question Charlie's wanting to win? I haven't. He wants it more than anything. Don Keyote and I can empathize with ol' Chuck. Sometimes wanting it, no matter how bad you want it, just isn't good enough *note to self to make a banner with that phrase on it* and I blame athletics for it all. Yep, you heard me.
We all learned a lot of great life lessons from sports but they weren't holistic and parts of it taken quite literally it can leave you: misunderstood, frustrated, and broken. We are taught in sports to keep pushing; keep working; keep trying; never quit; give it all you have; outwork everyone and you will make it to the top; etc and stuff. Disagree with me if you like but I am not sure how you can disagree and not find some empathy for Charlie.
It has taken me a few dozen times in the wringer to finally figure out that sometimes you need to take a timeout, a step back, to find the right direction. It mostly isn't about your own effort but about how capable you are to motivate your co-workers to establish and strive towards a common goal, with the emphasis being on the word "common" and "co", as in shared, as in that-is-why-it-was-in-bold. One man can't do it himself, no matter how hard he tries or how bad he wants it. I don't care what you high school coach told you while he was trying to squeeze one more sprint out of you.
Back to the Job of Jersey, and let's talk direct. Charlie, take a look at yourself. Look where you are. You have two bum knees, one blown out and the other is the victim of your martyrdom. You almost died once because you wanted gastric bypass surgery on your own terms. Nobody outworks you and you have gotten many a soul to believe in you. But Charlie, the tarnish is overtaking the polish. It is time for team. You, your staff, and the players for this great University of Notre Dame, heck throw in the rest of Blue Gold Nation while you are at it. You can't do it by yourself. For goodness sake, take a look at where it has gotten you despite all of your individual effort. Sure, there has been a lot of progress in many areas, but in order to keep fuel-in-the-tank for the run-to-the-top it has to come from more than just you.
Now it isn't that we don't recognize or appreciate the hard work. It is just that we think that you need to take a step back, and get everyone back on board. You recruited some top shelf kids who happen to be good football players. Let them re-buy in. Use the staff shake up as an opportunity to slow yourself down so that everyone can proceed together. We don't need another gimmick or slogan and we don't need you to work harder, we simply need you to lead, but not so far ahead as people wont follow.
Go Irish!
During this football off-season I need some help with something other than personal hygiene. Can someone to tell me where the lines of loyalty should be drawn? Do you love the Irish so much that you are wiling to cheer for them no matter what moves they make or no matter what happens?...hmm.... I think that sounds a bit too much like a Cub fan to keep me comfortable; but I don't want to abandon ship either and become a fair weather fan. However, the thought of being in fair weather sounds pretty appealing when its twelve below.
I am just not an abandon ship kinda guy. I am that frog choking that crane or stork or whatever it is. You know that email you were forwarded five times in 2002, "Never give up". That is me, always has been. Not sure why but sometimes I just fail despite myself. When I hit a brick wall, instead of going around it, I say, "What kinda moron but a brick wall here? So I go and get a battering ram and kill myself over it for about a year or so until someone has to pull me off ....it is usually a good friend or God and it isn't always gentle.
It makes it all the more painful for me to watch Charlie Weis in his struggle to succeed at Notre Dame. Charlie also has that never say quit attitude. Have you ever heard anyone question Charlie's wanting to win? I haven't. He wants it more than anything. Don Keyote and I can empathize with ol' Chuck. Sometimes wanting it, no matter how bad you want it, just isn't good enough *note to self to make a banner with that phrase on it* and I blame athletics for it all. Yep, you heard me.
We all learned a lot of great life lessons from sports but they weren't holistic and parts of it taken quite literally it can leave you: misunderstood, frustrated, and broken. We are taught in sports to keep pushing; keep working; keep trying; never quit; give it all you have; outwork everyone and you will make it to the top; etc and stuff. Disagree with me if you like but I am not sure how you can disagree and not find some empathy for Charlie.
It has taken me a few dozen times in the wringer to finally figure out that sometimes you need to take a timeout, a step back, to find the right direction. It mostly isn't about your own effort but about how capable you are to motivate your co-workers to establish and strive towards a common goal, with the emphasis being on the word "common" and "co", as in shared, as in that-is-why-it-was-in-bold. One man can't do it himself, no matter how hard he tries or how bad he wants it. I don't care what you high school coach told you while he was trying to squeeze one more sprint out of you.
Back to the Job of Jersey, and let's talk direct. Charlie, take a look at yourself. Look where you are. You have two bum knees, one blown out and the other is the victim of your martyrdom. You almost died once because you wanted gastric bypass surgery on your own terms. Nobody outworks you and you have gotten many a soul to believe in you. But Charlie, the tarnish is overtaking the polish. It is time for team. You, your staff, and the players for this great University of Notre Dame, heck throw in the rest of Blue Gold Nation while you are at it. You can't do it by yourself. For goodness sake, take a look at where it has gotten you despite all of your individual effort. Sure, there has been a lot of progress in many areas, but in order to keep fuel-in-the-tank for the run-to-the-top it has to come from more than just you.
Now it isn't that we don't recognize or appreciate the hard work. It is just that we think that you need to take a step back, and get everyone back on board. You recruited some top shelf kids who happen to be good football players. Let them re-buy in. Use the staff shake up as an opportunity to slow yourself down so that everyone can proceed together. We don't need another gimmick or slogan and we don't need you to work harder, we simply need you to lead, but not so far ahead as people wont follow.
Go Irish!
Total Comments 12
Comments
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This makes little sense. "You can't do it alone"? What made you think he was?Posted 01-16-2009 at 10:48 PM by Unregistered
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Well done, guy with a funny beard. The last sentence, alone, was worth the price of admission.Posted 01-16-2009 at 11:41 PM by HamOnWry
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You can't hold Jimbo's Jamboree's jock-strap.
Posted 01-17-2009 at 01:04 AM by jem5b
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Jimbo's posting one now.
Pulitzer material in the making.
Jimbo's the Greatest.
We love Jimbo.
Cordially,
The Friends of Jimbo's.
Posted 01-17-2009 at 01:06 AM by jem5b
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@makes little sense
Well of course he isn't doing it alone. It is a commentary, some license was used. It was meant to invoke thought and make you take a different perspective. The sun was in my eyes, I tripped......it wasn't my fault.Posted 01-17-2009 at 06:00 AM by Amish Irish
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I thought it was going to be about the all you can eat crab house being closed in South Bend.
Good read though.Posted 01-17-2009 at 10:25 AM by grirish
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Yet another rock in the foundation of BGN's blogosphere. People who wear beards always seem more intelligent., have that Old Testament aura about them. Must've been tough scratching out the essay using a rock and the back of a shovel! Viva Amish!!Posted 01-17-2009 at 10:35 AM by psdo51
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We feel your pain, Amish! Now you can come down off the ledge and take a deep breath.
Patience is a virtue, and maybe God has another plan. We can only pray that Charlie can lead ND to the Promised Land (and by that we mean a NC, not the death of the program).
Let us pray (all bow heads).
Posted 01-17-2009 at 02:12 PM by bettyann
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Jimbo Says:
Whataya buying these compliments with free subscriptions?
Jimbo Rules.Posted 01-17-2009 at 04:27 PM by jem5b
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Man, unregistered ate your lunch, Amish!
Good stuff, my Mennonite brethren. I dunno what the problem is... But Weis certainly can't fix the problem alone; that's for sure.Posted 01-17-2009 at 07:31 PM by illestdomer2005
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Oh come on Illest. There were many more flaws in the blog that that. He/she only came and took a nibble at the buffet.
On a side note, I am glad to see Corwin Brown posting on here.Posted 01-18-2009 at 01:04 PM by Amish Irish
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Amish, maybe you could create a position for yourself as "Team Philosopher". On second thought, that would take virtually all of your time and the Board (and us!) would suffer so. Great piece!Posted 01-23-2009 at 03:05 AM by OC Irish
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