So what does the Domer-centric media have to say?
Well, they import a piece from the Trib. on what is happening with Pitt and Coach Dave Wannstedt.
Notre Dame has released their game notes (PDF). Game notes, as I often mention, are more amusing when you are watching the game at home. If you’ve looked them over you can usually start catching just how much the broadcast team is relying on that information to drop little information to make it seem they have worked really hard at the research for the game. For example (pg. 3):
Coach Weis Vs. Coach Wannstedt
Charlie Weis of Notre Dame and Dave Wannstedt of Pittsburgh are making their collegiate head coaching debuts this weekend and are no strangers in terms of coaching competition on the football field. During their careers in the college ranks and the National Football League, Weis and Wannstedt have played each other on opposite coaching staffs 22 times. Weis carries a slight edge, as his teams have won 12 of the 22 meetings. The first meetings between the two coaches occurred when Weis was an assistant at South Carolina and Wannstedt was with the Miami Hurricanes (1986-87). The coaches then met on opposite sidelines during the New York Giants – Dallas Cowboys rivalry during the 1990s in the NFL. As Weis moved from the New York Giants to the New England Patriots, New York Jets and back to the Patriots, the two coaches met several more times with Wannstedt coaching the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. Most recently, the two coaches met on the NFL gridiron in 2004 – splitting a pair of games between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins.
So you may see someone throw out that 10-12 stat. Or worse, not realize that they are including both games from the 2004 NFL season. The second game — a New England loss — came after Wannstedt had already resigned from the Dolphins shouldn’t be included. Now personally I find that kind of reaching all the way back a little silly. I’m willing to give him the time at New England as offensive coordinator, but not when he was the Patriots tight ends (93-94), running back (95) or wide receivers coach (96)
Just from his offensive coordinator time with New England, Weis has a 5-4 advantage over Wannstedt and the Dolphins from 2000 to 2004. The Dolphins won the first 3 meetings and New England the last 4. The total points scored by both sides in 9 games: 153 for Miami and 152 for New England. You can take from that kind of superficial information whatever you want.
Here’s an article talking about ND looking to stretch the field more with the passing game. They now have two receivers at 6′ 5″. They are a senior and junior with rather lackluster numbers for their careers.
Of course, Charlie Weis is calling the offense.
A one-year turnaround seems daunting, but Weis believes he has the key ingredient: His success in the NFL was predicated upon the premise of fewer plays and multiple looks, thus confusing defenses as to what exactly he would call.
“Most offensive people would like to do the unexpected as often as they can,” quarterbacks coach Peter Vaas said. “If you can come out with three tight ends and two running backs, and you have the ability to stretch the field and throw the ball deep, now when everybody sees two running backs and three tight ends, what are they thinking?”
Said Weis: “With that veteran offensive line returning and with the number of veteran skill people we have, it allows me to be versatile. I don’t have to come out here and be conservative.”
It will still be up to the players to execute, and it is still a new system.
This piece discusses whether and how fast ND can turn things around under Weis.
Quick fixes are fewer and farther between in Division I-A college football, however, where the nation’s powers tend to remain the elite.
There are exceptions — and Notre Dame hired Charlie Weis as coach with the intention of becoming the latest.
Finally the issue of Charlie Weis and his past influencers — Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick.
If Weis can meld Patriots mojo with Notre Dame mystique and make the Fighting Irish fearsome again, he’ll take a place with Rockne, Parseghian and Leahy, coaches with icon status at Notre Dame.
“And the flip side of it is, if you don’t you’re just a dunce,” Weis said, typically blunt.
It’s impossible to watch the 49-year-old Weis, with his windbreaker pulled over his thick upper body and shorts down to his knees, slide behind a microphone and start zapping reporters in his Jersey accent and not think of Bill Parcells.
“Several people say it and especially my wife,” Weis said. “It’s not exactly the same but, really, I’m from Jersey, he’s from Jersey …. He’s earned the right to bust chops with the media. So I have to pick and choose my spots and be more tactful, because people are like, ‘What have you ever done?'”
Hours before Notre Dame’s first practice of the preseason, Weis picks and chooses a couple of spots.
Asked about access to players:
“Well, what do you need to talk to them about? I’m coming up here and basically answering most of the questions that you’re asking. I think I know more than they do.”
The whole thing that Weis has modeled in media dealings of “one voice.” Where he controls and restricts all access to coaches and players. Here’s the thing. He’s got one year of grace with the media. Then he has to start winning or they start turning on him — hard.
I live in Cleveland. Before that I’ve spent time in Pittsburgh and Chicago. Cleveland sports media is not exactly a rough crowd. I got here in ’94 when Belichick was head coach and the year after the mess with Bernie Kosar. Everyone says Belichick got burned in Cleveland because of the Kosar thing.
No. In ’94 the Browns went 11-5. That after going 6-10, 7-9 and 7-9. Seems to indicate the moves were working. Everyone except the hardest of the hard-headed at the time conceded that Belichick was right — it was the way he did it and the absolute refusal to talk to the media (and by extension considering the lack of internet and direct communications, the fans) that kept the fuse lit.
Here was what started it really burning. Belichick lost both division games to the Steelers and a 3rd to them in the playoffs. 0-3 against the hated rival in one year. Never been done before.
That made things uncomfortable, but what got the media to turn on him was his continual restrictions on talking to players, coaches and him.
Again, no willingness to give any answers or talk. The lack of access and information when people and the media wanted something.
If you’re winning (like in New England) you can get away with the arrogance and controls. The media may grumble and grouse a little, but it has no traction. The fans don’t care when you are winning. That’s all that matters.
So when Weis refuses to do any interviews before the Pitt game with ABC Sports — except completely on his terms — and operates that way with everyone; it won’t hurt him this year, and it may not come back on him if he does succeed quickly. But if it takes him a couple years to get going — he’s in trouble. Once goodwill is lost, it is doubly harder to get it back.
