Well I watched with some bemusement on the various websites and messageboards as people reacted to the interview. And then, last evening....well past my bedtime, I read this incredible letter that a man....a BLACK MAN....had posted. He wrote:
As a black ND fan, allow me to state my feelings.
This has been the worst weekend for me as a black man and an ND fan. Being
black has/had nothing to do with me being an ND fan until this weekend.
Nothing. I'm just a person who happens to be black. I have views that are
birthed from a mother that is half Irish and half Jamaican (what a mix) and
those views are to work hard, earn what you get, don't accept handouts,
treat others like you would treat yourself or your own family, and in all
situations be slow to speak, humble and meek in your approach, and wise in
your application of ideas and advices. I had no idea that I was being
taught corner stone philosophies of what some people consider
"conservative" and neither did she. I have taken to all of those principles
and I did so at a young age. To be quite honest with you all it's the
reason I was drawn to watching and rooting for ND at 10 years old, while
watching them at 3AM via satellite as a boy living in Europe.
I have been saddened, disrupted, and boiled in many directions this weekend
as I watched and listened to the senseless and irresponsible comments and
antics from adults that look like me that should know better, Frankly I
think a large portion of American blacks are just plain dumb when it comes
to racial assessments and assignments, and I think their European
counterparts are wholly smarter in their approach and understanding of it.
They judge everything on a visceral level and come to the same conclusion
on every matter that happens to involve a negative outcome for a fellow
black person. I've lived all over the world and I can tell you this, there
is no where on this planet where black people are treated better and given
more opportunities than the United States. No where. Black people in this
country have no clue how good they have it here, and perhaps that is part
of the problem here. They have no perspective. Now let me say this, I'm not
so naïve as to think racism isn't alive and well in this country, hell I've
experienced it myself on occasion, but I also knew it when I saw it and it
wasn't debatable. The funny thing about those situations though is that I
felt uncompelled to report r talk to someone about it when it happened
mainly because clams of racism are empty these days due to the very thing
that Saunders and the liberal PC/black media are doing.
I have never been more ashamed of my (supposedly) educated voices of my
community than now. We are at an all time low, with the antics of Jesse
Jackson and Sharpton and their ilk, and now this. ND football used to be an
escape from this stuff for me but alas now it has even tracked me down
here. All I ask for as a black man is to be given the same opportunities
that everyone else similarly credentialed would receive. That's all, no
more and no less. Zook was not performing after three and he was canned,
Cutcliffe was over performing historical standards for his institution, and
was fired, both of them after three years. Why should I expect preferential
treatment for Ty above those other coaches because he looks like me? That
would be racist on my part wouldn't it? It would also signal that for me
and people like me we will always be dependant on special treatment to be
successful, which to me would signal more of a slap in the face than any
racial slur. In it's essence that is the core of my beef with the welfare
state under Carter and Reagan and Clinton. Welfare in essence was set up in
my mind to the tune of share cropping, and dependence. I sometimes feel
that the 70's/80's welfare mentality is what guides a lot of this knee jerk
reactionary prose and rhetoric. The philosophy that we need someone to help
our poor silly souls out, because we earned a pass due to oppression that
took place 200 years ago. It disgusts me, and if anything it makes us look
like wimpering fools that cry wolf every five minutes in order to generate
fear and guilt that in turn will keep the milk tit flowing with milk. That
topic is best breached another day though.
So to a point, since the firing of Ty was (supposedly) racist (according
to Ty and Saunders et. Al.), doesn't that in essence make his hiring racist
as well, if we follow logic through that would is the only plausible
answer. It's as vapid as saying "Bush went to war for oil and Haliburton"
or if you like "Kerry is commie". Senseless bumper sticker rhetoric that
doesn't respect the issue fully or the persons the issues touch. At the end
of the day we are all less respectful to the issue and each other because
of it.
There are other African Americans who feel the way I do, but are too afraid
to do so publicly because as we've seen with others like us they ostracized
and marginalized in our community and are made to feel as outsiders with
labels like "sell out" or "uncle Tom". That's sad, because for a group of
people that wants change so bad they sure don't accept the other point of
views that would accommodate such a thing.
I have a gut feeling and it isn't so good at this time. I feel that the
trust between some alums and subs that happen to be of differing sides of
the racial line in this debate about Notre Dames treatment of Ty will
suffer. I think most of the African American subs and alums understand but
I think its only human nature for the ones who got burnt (mainly te white
alums) to feel shell shocked and harbor distrust. I don't think most will
have this reaction but I think a few will and that in my estimation is the
real sadness in this tragic episode.
I am upset, angry, sad, frustrated, furious, and full of grief. Most the
emotions I have towards Ty Willingham (a man I expected better from) and
Saunders are rangy. They go from disbelief all the way to rage. If any one
thing is holding us back it's the slave mentality of persons like Ty and
Saunders and dare I say a slight majority of Africa Americans that voice
themselves this way. That's right I said it, it's slave thinking. It's
slave mentality. These are men that wouldn't know anything about "the
struggles" per se. Not that I would, but I'm a hell of a lot less wealthy
than they are, and I feel I have a hell of a lot better perspective on this
stuff than they do, and I also feel I understand what Dr. King wanted
better than they do. Today, we have been reduced to using Dr. Kings legacy
like a weapon instead of building upon it's great foundation. Even in the
immense wealth that this country (with al of it's problems) has heaped upon
these men and with all of the things that Dr. Kings legacy has afforded
them they are still not grateful enough to not understand the virtues that
I learned from that little Irish Jamaican woman from south London years
ago.
I weep today for the state we are in.
Naithan Jones
I found it to be an amazing, well thought out, well argued position. I'm sure I have no idea what its like to be a black man in today's world. And then I remembered a little debate that I had on another message board with another writer. He argued that perhaps Notre Dame felt that the charges of racism hit just a little too close to home and perhaps we felt just a little too sensitive because of that. So I responded with the following....(my comments are the ones that are the 2nd ones...in response, just for the record):
(Him)I have no doubt that Willingham will rebuild an awful program that he inherited.
(Me)What is with the belief that Ty Willingham is the reincarnation of Bear Bryant or John McKay?? The guy is a totally average head coach. Nothing more, nothing less.
(Him)Just like Charlie Wiess will benefit from a great recruiting class that he inherited.
(Me) By the way, its Weis. One "S", and the "E" comes before the "I". I'm surprised someone as knowledgeable about college football wouldn't know that. Here's what's funny. How come last year....when Ty was there....Notre Dame had no talent? Don't you remember all those pundits on ESPN & ABC telling you and me that ND was dead...that the program would NEVER, EVER mean anything again....that the admissions standards were too tough, etc etc etc......and that ND was waaaaaaay too slow to ever compete against traditional powers (ahem, like Michigan) because ND just couldn't get players anymore? How come the same kids who were 6-6 and 5-7 under Ty....how come those kids are making those plays NOW? Why is that? You don't suppose it just might be coaching, do you? And wait a minute, I'll grant you that Washington was left with a fairly bare cupboard, a combination of the Rick Neuheisel reign of terror and Keith Gilbertson sorta screwing things up even more.....but, wait another minute. If Ty is just a coaching legend, how come he's not taking someone else's players and winning with them? Isn't that what Urban Meyer is doing at Florida?
(Him)I don't know if Ty Willingham would have ever turned ND into a national championship contender, no one will because they pulled the plug after two season...before he ever really got a chance to build the program to his own specifications. They pulled the plug on him faster than they did any coach before him with a comparable record. Hmm...what's the difference between Ty and the rest of the ND coaches?
(Me) How come Jim Tressel won a national title at Ohio State in his 2nd year and in his THIRD year Ty was 6-6? How come it takes him longer to "turn things around" than other coaches? Maybe the reason they pulled the plug on Ty was because he was ineffective. Maybe that plug got pulled because he lost more games by a larger margin (against rivals like Michigan & USC) than any other coach in school history. Even wider margins than jokes like Gerry Faust did. And whether you know it or not, Tyrone, when he was hired....signed a contract that gave the school a buyout option after the 3rd year. Did you know that??? So basically....the school protected itself from having the disaster of another Bob Davie (current ESPN "expert") or Gerry Faust. After consecutive seasons of poorly coached, poorly performing teams---as well as a couple of very poorly regarded recruiting classes---the university pulled the plug. Why is that racist? Why is that racist in your eyes and Ron Zook get fired IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON not? Maybe Ron got canned because of some vast, anti-Polish (or Czech or whatever nationality Ron Zook is) conspiracy. Where's the outrage?
(Him) If his skin color had something to do with him getting hired (as some ND fans were more than happy to crow about upon his hire), then its safe to say it probably played at least a part in his early dismissal. You can pretend that one doesn't have anything to do with the other but deep down, you know there's a sliver of truth there. That's why you're so defensive and sensitive about it. The truth hurts and decade after decade, the thin veneer or respectability that was Notre Dame football starts to rot away and rot away until you can see that they're just like everyone else.
(Me) Or maybe, just maybe....instead of being "overly sensitive" to that "sliver of truth" that your looking for....maybe I'm a little bit tired of people who know nothing about the university claiming that there's a conspiracy afoot that's not really happening. How about this one? Maybe your critical of Notre Dame because your anti-Catholic!!! Is that it? Maybe you "deep down"....maybe there's a "sliver of truth" to the fact that this is all about you HATING CATHOLICS! Now, just for the record....I don't think that's the case at all. I'm sure you just maybe don't like the fact that Notre Dame fired some guy that you like as a coach. But me making the claim that you are anti-Catholic is as ludicrious as the national media claiming the Willingham firing was racially motivated. How come there's no outrage from the local media that covers Notre Dame? You never hear a beef about it from any of the Chicago papers. Its always someone like ABC or ESPN....people that can spout off opinions without ever having to back up their comments. Maybe what's closer to the truth is that you don't like Notre Dame and never have. There's nothing wrong with that. I understand that Notre Dame has a very polarizing effect on people. Most people either love them or hate them. I'm okay with that. I just wish that if their going to comment on things, they would do a more thorough investigation into ALL the facts.
(Him) Personally, I happen to like Wiess and think he's a good coach and a great husband and father. For a third or fourth choice of a coach, he's a great pick up. I wish him the best of luck and I'm sure he'll have a long career in South Bend. He's a lot better than ND deserves.
(Me) I'm glad you like Weis. So do I....and I'm sure that he might disagree with you in regards to your comments about Notre Dame not deserving him, especially since he's a graduate of the school and therefore probably has a greater understanding of the university than either Bob Davie (who never truly "got" what made the university special) or Willingham (who did understand that the university was special---but never embraced it). As for Weis, your correct about one thing. From all accounts, he's a great husband and father--particularly with his daughter Hannah, who is autisitic (Weis and his wife have established a charity related to the disease with under Hannah's name). I'm confident that Weis is the right choice. I can tell you this....for the first time since Lou Holtz was coach, I go into games figuring at the very least that the coaching matchup will be even. How many times did the Irish go into a game with Bob Davie as head coach where they could say "Well, at least from a coaching standpoint--we've got the edge". The answer would be almost NEVER. With Willingham, the answer would be--well, more than with Davie, but still not enough. Ty is more of a "CEO" type of coach. He was never a defensive or offensive coordinator, so he was at the mercy of his assistants. Unfortunately for Ty, he stayed with some rather poor choices for too long. Weis has been a successful coordinator at the highest level or football. If he's not a success, I'll be shocked. The guy understands Notre Dame, its myths and legends...and he knows the importance that Irish fans place on them. That doesn't make Irish fans ego maniacs.....it makes them the same as Michigan fans, Alabama fans, USC fans, Texas fans....and fans of big programs all over the country. History has shown that the most successful coaches in Notre Dame history are guys who are almost tortured souls (Leahy, Ara, Holtz)---guys who are miserable after a loss, and really not as happy as they should be after a win. Weis is JUST like that. Willingham's philosphy was that "I never have a bad day". That's a great way of thinking. But not if your a great head coach. The losses that he suffered---the big ones and the close games--never really bothered Willingham that much. History has shown that coaches like that are not successful at Notre Dame. Maybe that sort of philosphy will work at Washington. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Jeff
Anyway, its not an easy subject no matter how you look at it. All I know is that I'm happier with the coach we have now than I've been since Lou Holtz left. He's someone who understands the school....he understands what its all about. He gives us an advantage on the sidelines that we haven't had since 1996 (ahem, the last year that Lou was walking the sidelines). Ty's happy in Washington, more power to him. I'm just wondering how many black coaches WON'T get hired because of the damage that Ty Willingham, John Saunders.....and other talking heads like Michael Wilbon & Alan Grant from ESPN have done. Who WON'T get hired because a university worries about the social pressure they'll receive if that particular black coach their considering DOES NOT work out? You know when this will stop being a problem? When a black coach gets a job---that he deserves---and gets fired. Not because he's black, but because people recognize that he wasn't doing a good enough job. Then, he'll be like everyone else. And isn't that what the media really wants?
Later,
Jeff
