What’s Not to Believe About Manti Te’o?

There is something wrong with this picture, so many pieces missing to a story about a man who was either duped or took part in a bizarre hoax. There is a plethora of holes to this story and Manti Te’o is deemed as a liar, be it that he could be a victim of a sophisticated online and telephonic hoax — especially when Ronaiah Tuiasosopo allegedly was behind the girlfriend hoax.

It’s horrendous and humiliating, disgraceful and unnecessary, on the heels of the weirdest story to ever affect the world of sports — in the age of social networking, which could generate a strange conspiracy. The stunning news, breaking in the same week that Lance Armstrong confessed to Oprah Winfrey about his doping, has left folks wondering whether Te’o was a victim or perpetrator, whether he was telling the truth or a lie, whether he was credible or untrustworthy. In many people’s eyes, including my own to be quite honest, he’s a liar and admittedly told ABC’s Katie Couric that he briefly lied to the public about his relationship with Lennay Kekua after learning she never existed. His online girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, wasn’t ever real but was fiction and a fake character. My guess here is, with all the inconsistencies of a strange and twisted saga, that Te’o took part in this hoax. It turns out, as the story continues to get relentlessly more bizarre, the person on the phone was a man.

What’s next? Will he finally come clean and admit that he was the hoaxer? The spotlight, for now, is on the most remarkable college football standout. It’s an ongoing soap opera, a maddening tale, a serious mystery stranger than Stephen Kings’ novels, turning a national sensation into an Internet punch line. The Notre Dame star turned into a storyteller in recent weeks, and happens to be in the middle of one of sports craziest controversies, based on his personal life. The weird thing about it all, upon hearing that his girlfriend had died, is the fact that he only sent white roses to her family and never visited his girlfriend in person.

Why didn’t he visit this so-called girlfriend after she allegedly had a car accident? Why didn’t he visit her when she was allegedly diagnosed with leukemia? Why didn’t he attend her funeral? There was no death notice, no obituary and no announcement of her funeral. So then if Te’o's girlfriend was imaginary, what else is? He talked to the person, via social networking, and stayed in touch for a long time by texting, sending Facebook messages and having phone conversations. As a man, as a guy who doesn’t believe in online dating services, I’d have to see my girlfriend in person, cuddle with her and give her a kiss.

It’s hard to believe anything he tells us.

The most surprising act, however, stunned the world and everybody has been talking about it, and cannot put it to rest. That’s because bits and pieces to this story unfolds each week, as there is never a dull moment. But when he visited Couric for a televised interview to share his side of the strangest story, with the controversy surrounding his imaginary girlfriend, he admitted he lied about his nonexistent girlfriend. So what else has he been lying about? In his first on-camera interview since Deadspin broke the news, he told Couric, on an episode of her talk show last week that he “wasn’t as forthcoming about it.” And now, suddenly, he’s willing to talk about it and told Couric he didn’t lie.

It’s almost fascinating that he’s not telling a lie, when he said the two met through his cousin and at a game his sophomore year. I’m not buying that. For one thing, he told Couric during the interview that he reached out to the person on Facebook. For another, he told his father that he and a fictitious character had met once in Hawai’i. It’s also puzzling and troubling to believe him, considering that in her FaceTime chats, her screen appeared black. How come he wasn’t suspicious? How come he never questioned it? How come he didn’t have any doubts?

Sincerely a week ago, according to Te’o unsurprisingly, he said he understands why people might be cynical about their relationship — although he told Couric that his feelings in the relationship were real. He initially wondered if she was real or not, especially when he was talking to her online and not dating in person. And, as online dating goes, you never know who you may be associating with — what to expect from the other end of the computer screen.

“I was just so caught up in the whole thing,” Te’o told Couric during the interview.

Through it all, though, it’s hard to tell whether he’s being honest or just telling a straight lie. In defense of his son, Te’o's father, said his son is just a kid and not a liar. The kid might not be telling it all. The kid might be acting and could be the eventual subject of a book later. And yes, he revealed he had no role in the hoax, but how are we supposed to, as people, believe what he says when it’s a complex story and difficult to solve the puzzle? The core issue here isn’t whether he’s homosexual or straight, which seems too personal and irrelevant. It’s that he’s accountable for a convoluted story that leaves everybody in a state of confusion, as everybody is wondering whether he’s a troublemaker and pulled off a bizarre stunt for attention. A week ago, during an on-camera interview, he insisted that he didn’t help create this Kekua character. Before he talked to Couric about a sickened and uncanny story, he told ESPN reporter Jeremy Schaap in a 2½-hour off-camera interview in Florida, where he was training for the NFL draft that he was never involved.

So was he framed?

Who knows?

You only hope Te’o, a creative writer in a sense, isn’t lying to our faces and has been nothing but truthful, but more importantly, honest within himself. In the end, like anything else for that matter, the truth will surface and we will know if he’s fibbing or not, making us wonder more about deceptiveness and not so much about forthrightness. He’s gullible. He’s naive. And mentally, he’s not all there, I assume — maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what I see in the man. Americans were hoping for an explanation in his first televised interview. So when we heard him speak to Couric in that very same interview, he said he has been ensnared in. That makes one often wonder if this was a publicity stunt that could propel him to Heisman trophy. That makes one often wonder if he fabricated a story with Tuiasosopo to hide his sexuality. He conveniently omitted details during his interview, which shot down much of his credibility, and to this day, folks are still suspicious and unsure what to believe.

“I wasn’t as forthcoming as I should have been, ” Te’o told Couric during that interview.

This is an embarrassment, no question about it. Through it all, throwing intrusive questions out there, tough and hard ones that makes a person reveal the truth if successful, Couric teased us with a homosexual query. That was so distasteful and unacceptable, but she was obviously comfortable throwing it out there. She went as far to ask whether the All-American linebacker was gay.

“Are you gay?” Couric asked during the interview.

“No far from it, far from it,” Te’o responded with a chuckle.

On Katie’s nationally syndicated television show, she played tapes of voice messages left by a woman Te’o said he thought was Kekua. The person on the voice mail talked about her first session of chemotherapy. In one of those messages a woman called him out after she said another woman answered the phone. Even now, after learning she wasn’t authentic, he still wants to believe it was a woman. It certainly sounded like one. This particular individual wished him a good night in one of those recordings: “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I love you so much hon. Sweet dreams.”

There’s not a shred of evidence to go on here, even though one can suspect that he contributed in an everlasting scandal. He’s now become the center of tale of an immeasurable episode that has exhausted everyone to a degree. There’s a sense that he’s untruthful and is fallible. It’s a bit unearthly, although possible, that a 22-year-old woman had a near-death accident and then suddenly was diagnosed with cancer. Through her travails, when the two planned to meet while in San Diego, not once did he visit her in the hospital.

“It was a conversation that I didn’t want to have with my parents,” Te’o told Couric. “To say, ‘Uh Mom, Dad, I missed my flight … because I’m going to see Lennay in the hospital.’ ”

The lamest excuse was, after he was told that — on September 12 — Kekua died, that he was just frightened: “I was just scared and I didn’t know what to do.”

Still, he tends to talk about Kekua as if she’s real. You figure something isn’t right with the Te’o story after a phone call on December 6, from a woman he mistaken for Kekua’s sister. Oddly enough, he remembered that she said it was Lennay, who was his make-believe girlfriend. Eventually, he realized it was all a lie when a Twitter picture was sent to him later that month, with the girl he thought was Kekua, holding a sign with that day’s date. And yet, even though he had his doubts, on the day of the Heisman presentation, he still thought about her and shared that his girlfriend lost her battle with cancer.

Was Te’o the victim of an elaborate hoax, or was he involved in creating humbug?

“He’s not a liar. He’s a kid,” Brian Te’o said. “He’s a 21-year-old kid trying to be a man.”

I don’t know. Maybe he lived a lie.

That’s what I’d like to find out.

Lane Kiffin Deflates Air Out of USC

If the late Al Davis were alive today, he’d feel vindicated and like he’s the world’s smartest person. The more it’s brought to our attention, the more fans learn the truth about Lane Kiffin, the second-year coach at USC, whose bizarre play calling and methods have smudged the Trojans’ national title aspirations.

With five losses this season, it’s hard to trust Kiffin, and his father, Monte, who is USC defensive coordinator. Whether they are athletic director Pat Haden’s guys or not, the Kiffins don’t deserve merit or applause for sabotaging the beauty of a prestigious and distinguished program that a multitude of Southern Californians marvel for its history of triumph, names and Heisman trophy winners. The Kiffins aren’t the centerpieces of the USC culture, just a step backwards, which could very well turn into a dilemma.

It was conceived that Lane and Monte are unfitted for demanding coaching jobs, a more notable and respected athletic program, where expectations are immense. The perception of the Trojans suddenly fading into the background is real, with no standards like before when USC used to be the powerhouses of college football, and weren’t vulnerable or substandard. Fact is, the Trojans are standing by someone who has proven he cannot coach an elite program, which is now on decline. This is something USC fans, students, faculty and alumni are not all too familiar with, but in the post-Carroll era, the Men of Troy are hurting without a first-rate coach who has an acute understanding on how to groom an attractive program inured to triumph and accumulating bowl titles.

Haden is absolutely serious about Kiffin returning next season. But what about your program, Haden? What about protecting the school, and not someone who had familiarity with the university under the tutelage of Pete Carroll from 2001-2006? What about keeping a winning team intact, and not caring so much about Kiffin’s recruiting brilliance, needing Ed Orgeron by his side to lure a top recruiting class?

Through it all, Haden assures Kiffin that he will return regardless of the Trojans (No. 18 BCS, No. 21 AP) finishing 7-5, after entering the season ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. For so long, the Trojans have been on top of the mountain. The tale of this storied program is something many would prefer not to tell when USC lost to Stanford, Arizona, Oregon and UCLA, three of those losses in the past month. Of course, no one ever saw this coming, since the Trojans were projected to contend for a national title, with all their talent, athleticism and depth. Unlike UCLA or Notre Dame, USC was devoid of Rose Bowl consideration, after an embarrassing loss to UCLA, which sent the Bruins to the Pac-12 title game Nov. 30.

The man who was hired to clean up the mess and purge all of the scummy violations is counting on Kiffin to change the culture and guide the Trojans to the promise land, failing to realize that he’s deflating just as fast as a football, quickly exposing himself to unfavorable judgment. The man who was brought on board to clean house is allowing Kiffin to demolish USC, and ride another season of hell and torture. The truth of the matter is, Haden is smarter than that, and should know better, who was once a Rhodes scholar and is a retired NFL quarterback. The bottom line is, Kiffin is a cheater and failure on so many levels.

In all seriousness, Kiffin wasn’t ever coaching material, although he worked in the shadows of one of the greats in NCAA history. And the longer he’s in Los Angeles, the faster the program will submerge under his watch. Bad as his past is, bad as his reputation is, Kiffin cannot be trusted, not anytime soon, not ever. If USC looks to move forward, they’ll have to divorce Kiffin and both parties would have to go their separate ways.

Until then, the Trojans won’t succeed with Kiffin on the sideline calling ill-advised plays and exploiting weird schemes, which gives him and his father bad names, as the vast majority are impatient and outraged hoping to run the Kiffins out of town. The most hated person in college football, undoubtedly, is easily Kiffin. From Knoxville to Los Angeles, Kiffin has encountered a tremendous amount of hatred and seems unwanted at every institution in the US of A. The spotlight placed on Lame Kiffin, the most scorned person at USC, is too much — and not once this season did Kiffin take responsibility for this team’s suffering, long suffering – to be exact.

He is not a hero in the sense of reviving a program, but a saboteur of some sort and a con artist whom we’d like to see disappear into the darkened clouds of his own allegations from the past, and never step foot on campus ever again. It’s utterly repugnant that he ignored NCAA rules at Tennessee, where Kiffin was cited by the NCAA for his involvement in coaches and student hostesses making improper contacts with recruits. For a long time, he was in people’s heads, beating and abusing the system, just what he had in mind. As a scumbag with no morals and no sense of integrity for the game, Kiffin violated the rules as if he was above the law, arrogant and reckless during the NCAA investigations, which led to another boneheaded action.

That was when he forayed into the Tennessee Titans and hired running backs coach Kennedy Pola as his offensive coordinator, without getting permission from Titans then-head coach Jeff Fisher. For much of his coaching career, Kiffin has been a sneaky, untrustworthy person who’s out to create mishap and play loose with the rules that enables him to behave impolitely and wrongly, which usually results in infractions. What we can take away from Kiffin’s arrogance and self-indulgence, along with his lack of awareness and concern about an institution, is the fact that he refuses to consult the rulebook and just go about it his way.

Kiffin, from the first day, was never the guy for USC when, in fact, he was hired by ex-athletic director, Mike Garrett, another former Trojan football legend, leaving USC in an absolute mess and tarnishing his legacy with a reputation as the worst sham in college athletics. The humiliating 22-13 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday night marked the first time since 1995 that the Trojans were swept by their rivals. So now there’s blame on Kiffin, which seems accurate with his play calling in critical situations.

The criticism of Kiffin is understandable, after failing to call timeouts after two runs were stopped in the Notre Dame game and after he didn’t signal for a timeout in a goal-line situation early in the game, which might’ve taken away a touchdown pass. Kiffin, who has more enemies than friends, is blamed for the Trojans disappointing season because of his dumb mistakes and clock management issues. This is something the Trojans don’t need, because the fall from grace has been horrendous, particularly when they could and should have beaten the unbeaten Irish Saturday.

While USC could have smeared No. 1 Notre Dame from playing for its first national championship in 24 years, the Irish celebrated on the field in Los Angeles and finally had bragging rights over USC, with the versatility of Everett Golson, championship-building guru Brian Kelly and senior linebacker Manti Te’o. The Trojans talent was unlimited, with Marqise Lee and Robert Woods of a lethal USC receiving core, along with Matt Barkley, who the Trojans missed on Saturday night. The injured quarterback was replaced by redshirt freshman Max Wittek, who had a solid debut. He completed 14 of 23 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions, but it certainly wasn’t good enough to end the Irish’s hopes.

And so the Trojans lacks leadership and have a lethargic, futile and flawed defense. But the bigger issue here is Kiffin, folks. It won’t get any better for USC, until Haden realizes that he’s essentially not made to be a coach. For his career, he is a staggering 37-32 as a head coach with the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Volunteers and USC. It sounds like Kiffin can only beat unranked opponents, and loses to top-ranked opponents. That’s become his trait, and it’s a bad trait.

As long as Haden calls Kiffin his guy, well, then, expect the worst.

Run, Jimmy, Run! Good Timing for Clausen to Leave Irish

Outside of C.J.’s pub in South Bend, a crazy individual refused to appreciate what Jimmy Clausen has accomplished under polarizing Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis. Instead, that individual expressed his anger and gave the Irish’s starting quarterback a black eye.

Constant debates have been had in the last few weeks on whether Clausen forgoes his senior season and leaves behind the chaotic memories at Notre Dame.

Unsure of his future arraignments, Clausen might walk away from the Irish after becoming a Fighting Irish as he and his girlfriend left the bar, where a sinless individual cowardly punched Clausen in the face.

Then, the heartbreaking loss to Stanford in the season finale on Saturday night before losing to Connecticut a week ago in an upset, is another reason for Clausen to wave bye-bye and ditch school, in which a decision on Weis’ future remains in limbo until an official announcement is made sometime this week.

Amid turbulence at arguably the premier program in the country, tradition has been toppled as Notre Dame is in crisis. Even more pathetic is how Clausen has been faulted, humiliated, and bullied for someone else’s blunders. Before all this, he was popular around campus, and was even worthy of earning his own masterpiece as beautiful as Touchdown Jesus.

Weis groomed Clausen, which reminds us of the direction the fingers should point when accusing someone for the program’s humiliations in recent years. Because the Irish failed during Clausen’s stint doesn’t mean losing is his fault, and most of the pitfalls have been from poor coaching.

Weis’ arrogance is too soft to guide a demanding program comprised of ambition and historic victories. Clausen was too gifted, committing to a preeminent school where his confidence and poise was expected to change the dimension of Notre Dame’s dreadful mockery, a serious crisis describing the Irish’s struggles in the last few years.

After two seasons of miserable plights, Clausen is eligible to declare for the NFL Draft in April. He has nothing to lose, escaping an unbalanced program in need of a compelling coach, inclined to bear a mental challenge to restore an identity within the depleted program.

The Irish, in prior seasons, have been devoid of a national title, but earned a fair share of bowl games. To a school committed to winning on the national stage, earning a bowl game lower than the national title game isn’t reaching expectations.

This season saw the Irish take gigantic steps backwards and own a 6-6 record in which Notre Dame only qualifies for a bowl game if the system runs out of 7-5 teams. It’s a tough situation for a program used to dominating or finishing near the top of the BCS polls.

As chaotic as the BCS system is, the Irish lost out weeks ago when a loss to Navy elicited skeptics, ridiculing the much-dignified program as doubters believed they were doomed. The track record at Notre Dame isn’t pretty, of which the school’s brand name isn’t anywhere near prestige.

Within a five-year span, the Irish interviewed more coaches than a brand name corporation hiring someone to work nightshift positions on a regular.

There was Tyrone Willingham, who lasted only three years before he was dismissed. His departure never settled too well, with many believing it was more of racial bias, not a coaching change to enhanced success in the future.

His predecessor, Bob Davie, didn’t last long either, replaced in five seasons.

Then, Weis arrived as if he was the genius of football, leaving behind the NFL lifestyle to finally go solo in coaching. Seemingly, he’s not nearly as effective when he ran superb offensive systems behind Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells.

When he first arrived to Notre Dame, it seemed he was capable of handling a demanding job.

Early on he averaged a decent winning percentage in his first two seasons. But suddenly, mystique and gratitude crippled America’s football team, bringing forth lingering questions of Weis’ future with the Irish.

It disrupted half of the season, as Clausen’s name early in the year was mentioned as a potential Heisman candidate.

Outplayed in most of the games, the Heisman talk gradually died down and Weis’ job status absorbed spotlight. Most of the season, a circus transpired and created an infamous frenzy surrounding Weis.

Other important aspects were put on the backburner, wondering if Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops is next to coach a distraught program or Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly. Finding a successor is tough, because of the Irish’s demands and values.

No later than this week, the job probably will open immediately and Stoops is a household name to replace Weis. Although he has failed to capitalize in big games, he’s a profile coach who's known for changing the mood within a program, as well as Brian Kelly, who’s responsible for the fifth-ranked Bearcats' storybook season and makes less than $1.5 million a year.

Yet, he’s close to leading Cincinnati to a second straight BCS bowl game, with a 33-6 record in three year. Any coach who takes on the job will demand an enormous contract, but thus far, athletic director Jack Swarbrick hasn’t contacted anyone about the position. As of now, Stoops is locked in a contract with Oklahoma through 2015 for an amount of $30 million.

Rumor has it he won’t opt out of his contract to revamp a struggling program.

As emotions and body language described the type of season the Irish has witnessed, Clausen emerged into a high first-round NFL draft pick.

He’ll make the big dollars next season, if he avoids all the troubles in South Bend. He’ll either land with the St. Louis Rams or Oakland Raiders, two teams suffering with similar issues as the Irish.

Equipped offensively, Notre Dame rarely showcased their explosive tandem of receivers Golden Tate and Michael Floyd. To end the season, the Irish were humiliated and pulverized by the muscular and bodybuilder Toby Gerhart at Stanford Stadium.

Did the country forget about Clausen? Absolutely!

He has definitely grown and mellowed as a top-profile quarterback, showcasing better precision and awareness. During a stint when the Irish aren't a viable threat, Clausen emerged into the team’s inspirational leader and athletic figure, completing downfield passes with indescribable arm strength.

Clausen has some competition though. In the same year the upperclassmen depart the campus lifestyle, Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, or Sam Bradford could be selected after Clausen if he runs away from the troubling mess at Notre Dame.

Now marks the perfect time for Clausen to escape all burdens, and rise to the next level.

Sure enough, the NFL will accept him. It’s a league that greatly appreciates up-and-coming stars, and he is quickly growing. And he has definitely outgrown the Irish, a program in much uncertainty.

At least running from the Irish, Clausen won’t have to deal with the drama.

Notre Dame Must Lose Weis Clown to Purge Circus

The mental state of humiliation doesn’t settle too well in the scenery where mortals are a theme now, tattering respectability for Notre Dame believers that witnessed yet another hopeless season.

Doomed in a period when the Irish were praised, presumably entering a promising season with high expectations, South Bend critics bash the embattled coach Charlie Weis for all the letdowns. All the burdens and finger pointing is specifically leaning toward the Weis Clown, generating a dreadful circus in South Bend where the Big Top has arrived.

The Irish, of late, are utterly a joke and laughable. As one of the most prestigious programs athletically in the country, reliance at Notre Dame has deteriorated.

I'm not too sure if the Irish are cursed by demons or ghosts, but I will admit that the program is cursed as long as Weis remains in command of a school in desperate need of an inspirational voice, rather than a liberal coach.

The problem is, Weis’ soft mannerism isn’t steadfast in sending a beneficial idea that elevates a subordinate school. If the Irish aren't at the top of their game and prove they aren't topflight in college football, the season seems depleted. As of now, a promising year is ruined when the Irish mentally and physically self-destructed at Pittsburgh in a loss.

To suggest the Irish moved too fast in signing Weis to a $40-million contract, good for at least five seasons, may have been true and even a ghastly blunder. Because wins are considered an illusion at Notre Dame burnt out fans expects a coaching change, but athletic director Jack Swarbrick is not in a hurry on judging Weis’ future -- carefully pondering and evaluating options.

As usual, Weis downplays all the brouhaha of his job status, in which his return next season is dubious while lingering questions continuously annoy and disturb the Irish.

Rather than speaking arrogantly at press conferences, it would be nice if he was a gentleman. If he wants to downplay the status of his job, that is fine and dandy, but rudely delivering arrogant remarks makes Weis a laughable clown under the Big Top.

The lousy losing streaks have become a notorious routine at Notre Dame, sadly impairing mystique and gratitude to define the Irish as underachievers. In the last 10 games, the Irish aren’t nearly as flawless and performed pathetically in the previous years under Weis, with a 1-9 winning percentage against ranked opponents.

Didn’t the Irish used to fight in contests? Wasn’t ND known as the Fighting Irish? Lately, the word "Fighting" is removed from in front of Irish.

In a long time under Weis, they haven’t delivered powerful jabs to avenge a tremendous 0-5 record against the rival USC, a team that has suffered from embarrassing defeats to ruin shots of bidding for a national title.

No! He never beat USC.

In the last three seasons to date, Weis is 16-19—losing respectability in failing to revive the Irish and not surviving winnable contests.

Assuming he had possessed a matchless resume standing behind the crafty and Spygate criminal Bill Belichick and built a workable offense around Tom Brady at New England, Weis respectively was legit for accepting a coaching offer to establish a righteous identity at a prestigious program.

What we didn’t know and never took into account was the difficulty of guiding a demanding program, especially the Irish.

What we didn’t expect was an acute disaster.

One reason Weis still is employed is for his sublime recruiting classes he has built and assembled.

But, obviously, he hasn’t produced enough wins. And with a horrific track record, Weis’ job should be on the line. Whenever the Irish failed to produce victories, firing coaches was a usual practice they’d followed in recent seasons, which is the reason I’m surprised Weis hasn’t been terminated for all the letdowns.

Given their cultural reactions to failures: Tyrone Willingham built a winnable program, but apparently wasn't good enough so was tossed overboard.

There was Bob Davie, who didn’t last any time, and had been tossed over in the deep end.

And now this, Weis, who has turned into the biggest tragicomedy -- each season bringing the circus into town and destroying the tradition of Touchdown Jesus as a billboard of Weis’ downfall epitomizes the miserable season.

This season alone, the defense has faltered, a usual stumble during Weis’ tenure. So the most subpar program in the country releases unseen results, ranking 83rd in total defense and allowing a staggering 391 yards per game.

Not matching up to the pedigree as advertised, opponents usually have their way against the Irish and turn a typical afternoon into a terrifying outing.

Bringing back reminders of the insulting billboard directly on the corner of Edison Road and State Road 23, is a message that ND faithful are tired of the typical outings. The sign states a distasteful message, which Weis will never forget when he does depart from South Bend.


“BEST WISHES TO CHARLIE WEIS IN THE FIFTH YEAR OF HIS COLLEGE COACHING INTERNSHIP,” signed “linebacker alumni."

No sympathy at all. No sympathy whatsoever.

I feel where unhappy campers are coming from.

Multitudes of people living in South Bend are used to winning, not producing enough victories to barely qualify for bowl games. No luck for the Irish, currently standing at 6-4 under the careless Weis Clown.

Well, at least some things were right during a brief moment, when Jimmy Clausen earlier in the season had his breakout moment. Honestly, Weis could’ve turned the recruiting prospect into a legitimate Heisman candidate, similar to the time he turned Brady into a Super Bowl champ.

But he can’t win without Belichick or Bill Parcells. So, Weis is not nearly as great as Lou Holtz, who sustained memorable victories in his coaching days.

With all the depth of excellence, it seems Notre Dame would be unbeaten this late in the year, but instead they’ve struggled to preserve victories with the preeminent receiver Golden Tate and the prevailing tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Dating back to the demoralizing 23-21 loss against the Navy two weeks ago, Weis became the hot topic. But now, he owns a 35-25 career record and a .583 winning percentage.

By now, the only way to avoid circus activities is to ride the coaching carousal and fire Weis Clown.

If so, maybe next year the circus won’t arrive in town and form a joke.

With Weis' Unknown Future, Traditional Victory Is Substantial

That isn’t how to describe humanity for a head coach barely managing to survive downcast predicaments among a subpar program.

A new billboard facing the Notre Dame campus isn’t anything close to staring directly at Touchdown Jesus.

It’s more than an insult to coach Charlie Weis, who has taken more scrutiny and insults as the billboard sends a ruthless message on the past two seasons. It reads that he hasn’t measured up to standards. And if he fails to accomplish enough victories this season, assumptions will be to fire the arrogant and ill-mannered Weis.

A famous tradition hasn’t lived up to its values, at a prestigious school where Touchdown Jesus stands and where the spirited band braces tradition with unique lyrics.

The Irish have high expectations each season, but with inferior records of 3-9 and 7-6 in the past two seasons under Weis isn’t acceptable, nor a primary standard at Notre Dame, where demands are undeniable and where skepticism is inexcusable. In two seasons, he has mustered history from a negative standpoint, as Notre Dame suffered from unfamiliar indignities by digesting the most loses in 120-year history of Irish football.

With a 29-21 record, Weis remains the scapegoat for struggles. But he can earn back credibility and possibly remain coaching, if he can clinch another BCS berth. That’s all the Irish cares about, another title to renew idealism among one of the most respected programs in the country.

Weis is face with tremendous pressure this season, and is held liable if the Irish stumble with a fairly light schedule. The rabid fans in South Bend are spirited, weary of excuses and barren recruiting, like persuading Jimmy Clausen to commit and start as the virtuous leader by taken the snaps and heaving passes.

From logical perspectives, Weis’ status is determined by Clausen’s productivity. If he has a dreadful year, it decides Weis’ future and will even disintegrate his coaching qualities.

A solution for positive results was a solid performance from his skittish and lovable quarterback, Clausen. Another solution was an impressive victory in the season-opener to make a vital statement, against an inferior Nevada. It was easily considered to be an upset alert, as many anticipated the Irish to stumble.

Entering the game, there was tremendous pressure on Weis to lead his team to victory, along with his top quarterback. An entire week heralded Weis’ long-term future with the Irish, and heralded the very little success in a brief period of Notre Dame’s shaky tradition with Weis managing, but none of that was much of a worry on Saturday in South Bend.

Bringing back memories of the Hawaii Bowl, Clausen was a fighting Irish. He airborne passes, he scrambled inside the pocket, he brought time and he tortured Nevada with his vigorous throwing arm to give the spirited fans belief that they’ll earn a BCS berth. In a pivotal game, Weis wore a smile as Clausen alleviated tension, and inspired elated fans to cheer during frenzies in the entire game, en route to a breezy 35-0 shutout over Nevada.

It’s definitely a way to maintain momentum in a schedule that favors the Irish. It’s apparently a way for Weis to aloof from worrying constantly about his job security and focus strictly on winning a national title. In the season-opener, Clausen played with Heisman potential and was serious, poise and greatly dominant. If they’re expected to have a superb year and reach a pinnacle, Clausen has to have a phenomenal year. Finishing with four touchdowns magnifies momentum and illustrates the type of season he’s expected to have.

It was never really a competitive contest. From the start, it was Clausen’s cannon arm and urgency to complete 10 of 11 passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns, with a career-long 70-yard pass. And this is a confident quarterback that Weis recruited, and trusted to restore a winning tradition. Giving Weis credit could be a bit too early, but on this day, he can earn some for preparing his team to have the ambition and determination. With a faulty BCS system every win counts, particularly for Weis, a scrutinized coach who can’t afford to have a collapsing year.

With Weis’ recruiting, the Irish are solid and equipped with receivers. That makes life easier for Clausen, able to rely on Michael Floyd, who made sensational catches and most of the highlight reels. Throughout the season, he’ll be a primary target, after catching two touchdown passes for 70 and 88 yards.

It was enough for a swinging party among fans and teammates, in a victory that was extraordinary and meaningful to relive tradition. At least for the week, Weis can wear a smile and not think about coaching next season. For now, he can think about a BCS berth and a longer future with Notre Dame.

Clausen was a brilliant recruit after all.

Let’s hope it last for at least the rest of the season.