Gene Wojciechowski: ESPN's Resident Spin Doctor

Certainly, this blog attracts more insightful and knowledge thirsty readers from around the Nation than, say, ESPN.com. So, we fully expect that when we mention the name Gene Wojciechowski, most readers will ask, 'Wojawhatski ?'

As our readers will agree, the Nation can rarely be accused of judging a book by its cover; or in this case, a writer by his name. However, we must make an exception. Gene is a Gene. His first name perfectly captures his writing stylistics. Bland, uneventful, boring. And, his last name, with no discernible pronunciation, perfectly depicts his point of view.

Recent submissions from Gene include a combination romantic love letter to Brett Favre/bandwagon driving advertisement elevating the Jets to elite status after beating the Titans. Of course, everything crashed down a week later. But hey, what 'columnist' doesn't get caught up in the chance to hyperbolize a players performance and punch a teams Super Bowl tickets every now and again (with a whole lot of again)?

Last week Gene took a unique point of view regarding Notre Dame, Charlie Weis and Ty Willingham.

Gene was able to find a cozy spot aboard the ever expanding bandwagon that ND made a huge error in giving Weis that huge extension just roughly halfway into his first season. Nothing unique there.

What is unique is that Gene uses Tyrone's firing after just three seasons to try to argue for ND to retain Weis.


Willingham's tenure was the shortest of any non-interim Notre Dame football coach in the previous 70 years (George O'Leary never coached a game). It was a mistake to fire him then, just as it would be a mistake to fire Weis now.

He argued that ND's usual 5 year commitment to a coach was part of what made the Gold Dome different than other programs. That firing Willingham was something that made ND just like everywhere else.

Notre Dame lost its football DNA and its inner self when it dismissed Willingham four years ago. It compromised a belief. But it's not too late to go retro.

It's not too late to go 'retro'. No indeed.

Retro: short for retrospective. Meaning: involving, relating to, or reminiscent of things past.

You know, things past. Like firing a Negro for 'poor performance', and then letting a white guy who drops it even lower keep the job.

Clearly, Gene longs for the past.

If only ESPN would put him in theirs.

Notre Dame: Weis Leading Team To Destiny

We aren't big believers in karma. In 'what comes around goes around'. In the notion of what you put out is what you get back.

If we were, certainly Notre Dame's Football fortunes would be no surprise after what the Cult of College Football did to Coach Tyrone Willingham.

Having said that, we did want to point out something very interesting.

Charlie Weis, holder of an immense and long contract awarded after not even completing a full season, enjoyed two 9-3 seasons to start off his reign as the Pope of ND football. As has been pointed out over and over; he won with Ty Willingham's players. And, as has been pointed out over and over; he is having a hell of a time winning with his own players.

All this despite his offensive genius.

Last season, Notre Dame suffered through the worst season in school history. Despite this, Weis was able to add another class of highly touted recruits and able to somehow propagate a false hope for 2008.

After having Touchdown Jesus himself help secure the win over perennial powerless house San Diego State, Michigan presented ND with a gift wrapped victory.

And the Irish faithful believed! 2-0, and Charlie the Genius was going to make it allllll righhhht.

And then Michigan State steamrolled the Irish for the 9th time in 12 years. And suddenly, what on paper is a schedule about as challenging as a Special Olympics spelling bee, the season is in jeopardy.

Stanford and Syracuse look to be the only games the Irish should be favored to win.

Now, we don't believe in karma, and we don't believe that the Irish are being punished for past transgressions against an Original Coach. Certainly, Weis' poor coaching and inability to develop all this talent he has recruited easily explains the troubled times in which the Irish now find themselves.

But, we ask you to think back.

After 2 straight 9-3 seasons behind the Devil's spawn of a gel-haired-QB, Weis named Demetrius Jones as his starter. He said he was his man.

Then, after one half of getting battered and abused thanks to his offensive line's matador blocking scheme; Jones was yanked. Benched. The recipient of the blame for Weis' failed schemes and failed player development.

Including that day, the Irish have gone 5-10. Three of those victories came against borderline high school competition (Duke, Stanford, SD State), and the other two came against big name schools in periods of utter disarray.

Now we aren't suggesting that ND is being punished for their treatment of the Negro QB. But we are saying that things sure were better before Charlie trampled the young man as if he were blocking the dessert table.

No, we don't believe in karma.

We just think Charlie has been exposed for what he is.

An NFL offensive coordinator.

Not a bad thing to be, for sure. But certainly not what you want heading a formerly important major college football program.

Karma's a bitch.

But reality...reality is the devil.

In this case, a white one.

If The Candidate Were A Coach...

College football and presidential politics. Two arenas filled with corruption, empty promises, high hopes, dirty money and politicians.

What if the Obama, Hillary and McCain were college football coaches?

Who would they be?

Half-rican American Barack Obama is the presidential equivalent of former Notre Dame (current U Dub) coach Tyrone Willingham.

Obama burst onto the scene as a man with a vision of renewed hope and dignity. He didn't have a truly measurable track record, but he had a commanding, polished and regal presence that has allowed for a predominantly white electorate to get over their deeply rooted desire to reject him based solely on his fraternally bestowed Negro-ness. Upper middle class and well educated whites have welcomed him with open arms. Coronating him the savior of American politics and warmly wrapping themselves in the comfort of the communication of his positive vision. But, as soon as he mis-steps or doesn't meet the incredibly high standards that will be expected of him; the clamor for his leaving office will be deafening. There will be no margin for error in his term. And, after he is run off, whomever is chosen as his white successor will be given a mandate of a minimum of two terms. Despite the strong possibility that there will be no discernible difference in performance at the time of the mandate. And, certainly, any early success gained by the successor will be attributed to the successor's 'genius'; Obama's contributions will quickly be discounted and he will be labelled as shiftless and lazy.

Hillary Clinton is Nick Saban.

Somehow, Hillary is able to convince herself that what comes out of her mouth is honest and true. Her moral character allows her to easily reshape reality to her personal needs, and her mind believes it. Whether it be NAFTA, snipers or health care; she doesn't bat an eye or hesitate to give the politically expedient and personally beneficial answer or comment. Regardless of what historical documentation of the event says actually happened. In normal life, that is called lying. In college football or politics, that is the ability to spin or sell your program. Hillary's other great talent is to look at the rules, and rather than find ways to comply with them (ie, party tenants for the number of delegates required to win the candidacy and party decisions for states that broke rules), she looks for loopholes in the language that allow her to attempt to gain an advantage over others. Hillary runs an authoritarian regime, emasculating those around her and rarely looks pleased or happy. Such is the life of one who sees every interaction as a power struggle.

John McCain is Mike Price.

Mike Price took a woeful Wazzou program and turned it into a winner. A little older than the average 'hot coach', Price seemed to be earning the chance at a plumb coaching job later in life than many coaches. Given the keys to the storied Alabama program, it turned out that Price simply wasn't a good fit for the 'party'. His 'philosophy' didn't quite match that of his constituents or the other 'party' power brokers. He ended up never coaching a game for the Tide and is now back to having some success in a smaller program with a less 'conservative' philosophy out in the Southwest.

Politicians and college football coaches.

What's the difference?

Notre Dame: Do the Right Thang

Notre Dame is in the midst of the most tragic season ever encountered by the university. 1-8. Losing to Navy for the first time in 40 odd years. One loss away from the most in a season in school history. An underachieving and glaringly ineffective motivator as a coach.

To mimic the brilliantly succint and poignant Dan Shanoff: Worst. Season. Ever.

The boo birds are out in full force at ND Stadium. Subway alums are questioning Weis' future at the Cathedral of College Football. And, blogs are routinely roasting and lambasting Weis and his Dom DeLuise like physique.

Piling on would be easy. Pointing out each and every Weis shortcoming would be no challenge.

Bringing up Ty Willingham's record after an equal number of games and juxtaposing the scope and magnitude of the various victories and losses of the coaches is unnecessary.

Willingham did more. He won more. He suffered less humiliating losses. He beat better teams. The records can not be changed. They can not be sugar coated or washed away.

Bringing up that Willingham was fired after just three years would be obvious.

Bringing up the hypocrisy involved in the situations of each coach would only open up a discussion on the implication of race on the university's decision to purge itself of the Negro coach and keep the soft, flaccid coach presently orchestrating the debacle being conducted under the out stretched arms of Touchdown Jesus.

Even the most feverish ND fan is aware that ND has clearly treated these coaches very differently.

However, two wrongs don't make a right.

We support ND giving Weis 5 full years (as has been the tradition, generally, at ND) to establish his program. Despite the university's abandoment of its very own philosophy in regards to Willingham's tenure: support for Weis should be universal.

Firstly, Weis' first two BCS bowl seasons were built on the backs of Willingham's recruits. Only now is Weis' program reaping the rewards of the touch of his sausage like digits.

To allow Weis the chance to leave the university after essentially one season of work, and to pay him some sort of buyout on his 10 year extension, would be an insult to every ND fan and booster out there.

This season's ND is the program Weis has built. The key players on his first two teams were developed and recruited by Willingham, so let's credit Coach Ty with those victories. And grant him those two years. Essentially, Ty Willingham provided ND with 39 victories over a 5 year span. Not great. But just about 8 victories a year.

Over a one year span, Weis has provided 1 victory. No 'elite' programs fire a coach after just one season.

To allow Weis to leave is unacceptable. He must be brought back for at least 3 more seasons. He should not be allowed to ride off into the sunset with one win and a nice severance package. Three more years of Saturday beatings on NBC must be enforced.

We agree that Ty Willingham was let go prematurely. That Ty Willingham was not given the expected ND standard of opportunity.

Despite the underachievement, horrendous motivational skills, poor game day preparation and huge gunt displayed by Weis; he must remain coach of ND. He must be given the expected ND standard of opportunity that was denied Brother Ty.

It would be unfair to apply the unfair standard exercised in the pink slipping of Coach Ty to Weis. Supporting the firing of coach Weis is tantamount to supporting the racial discrimination that was clearly the culprit in the removal of Willingham as coach.



We urge all ND fans:

Support Coach Weis. Don't support racial discrimination in the hiring/firing of football coaches.


We urge ND:

Keep Coach Weis. Don't support racial discrimination in the hiring/firing of football coaches.



And we urge the rest of you:

Enjoy watching the fat man destroy the history, traditions and future of ND football!



Catch it on NBC!

Former UL-Lafayette Football Coach Wins Suit Over Firing

Jerry Baldwin, who served as the Negro Head Football coach at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette from 1999-2001, was victorious in his law suit which asserted that he was fired over his race. Not his won-loss record.

Baldwin amassed a fairly dismal 6-27 record, and school attorneys say attendance was very low at home games.

Certainly, the won-loss record played a role, no one could argue that. But, the jury found that it wasn't the sole reason for his dismissal.

Jurors found that Jerry Baldwin's race wasn't the only reason he lost the job, but was among the reasons. University officials broke his contract and inflicted emotional distress through negligence, according to the jury of six whites and six blacks.

Apparently, there was unequal support shown to Baldwin's program when compared to white coaches that preceded and followed him.

In closing arguments for the eight-day trial, Bernard said white coaches before and after Baldwin got new equipment and had a greater ability to market the football program via a coach's television show and through the university's marketing department. Baldwin worked with used equipment, the marketing director was fired his second year on the job, and he never had a coach's show to promote the football program, Bernard said.

The jury ruled in favor of compensatory damages.

Jurors voted 10-2 to award Baldwin $500,000 for general damages, including emotional distress; $600,000 for past lost wages; $900,000 for future lost wages, and $2,676 for special damages.

The university offered a feeble defense.

The same administration officials now accused of racial discrimination are the same people who gave Baldwin the job as the first black head coach at a major Louisiana university, Oats argued.

Well, that's just wonderful. And, eerily similar to the types of things we heard seeping out of South Bend after running Ty Willingham out of town, 'we gave the Negro a chance...we didn't support him once he lost a few games...but we gave him a chance..."

The university's lawyers were also dismayed with other elements of the plaintiff's case.

He also said there are no signs that Baldwin's ability to get another job in coaching has been hampered by the firing, and Baldwin's attorneys did not present any evidence that he suffered extreme emotional distress.

It's a shame. Clearly, the neither the university nor their counsel are able to relate to the trials and tribulations their unsupportive environment caused their Negro coach.

Mr. Baldwin is no longer in coaching. That is evidence enough that his prospects for further employment have been hampered. And, Mr. Baldwin is now a minister at New Living Word Ministries, a clear demonstration of his quest to find peace and salvation after the emotional and mental torture he endured at the hands of the administration of UL-L.

Certainly, Ty Willingham is taking notes.

ND Lineman Quits Team, Receives Scholarship Release Without Issue

Notre Dame offensive lineman, Matt Carufel, decided that his boy hood dream of playing football for Notre Dame was actually a real life nightmare and decided to quit in the middle of the season.

He is, at least, the second member of the Irish squad to choose to leave school and run as fast and far as he could from Charlie Weis since the season started.

The other player to do so was Negro QB Demetrius Jones.

The Irish made Jones wait for his release, even going so far as threatening not to release him from his scholarship before finally caving to pressure by concerned media outlets (like this one) to do the right thing.

Carufel, a white lineman, was granted his release without incident and with no problem.

Ty Willingham could not be reached for comment.