Charlie Weis: Goodbye
When coaches are in trouble, we—the media—pounce.
He might get fired.
He could get fired.
He should get fired.
He will get fired.
Any.
Day.
Now.
If he loses this game, he’ll get fired.
Yes, he won that game. But it was close. So if he loses this game, he’s dead.
He’s dead.
I think.
Maybe.
Personally, I hate this stuff; hated the whole Charlie Weis firing frenzy. We, humans, are so bored that this genre of speculation counts for genuine entertainment. We question and wonder and pronounce. In South Bend, the Weis-is-gone watch has been going on for years. Then they’ll bring in a new coach. And he’ll stink. So the speculation will start again. And again. And again. They say coaches are hired to be fired, and it’s almost always true. But why do people find the drama so engrossing? Why was Weis’ fate at Notre Dame—a long-lost college football program—especially interesting? Does his dismissal impact my life in any way at all?
Come to think of it, does Tiger Woods’ car accident? Let’s say he fell asleep at the wheel. Let’s say he didn’t, and his wife caught him with Madonna and a line of cocaine, then beat the snot out of him with a Louisville Slugger. What difference does it make to me? Why is it news? Why do we care?
I’m always baffled by this disconcerting form of entertainment.
Why, dear God, do we care?
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November 30th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Amen.
November 30th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Because he was incredibly cocky and because Notre Dame is one of the few programs that’s constantly in the national spotlight.
But mostly because he was incredibly cocky and unlikable.
November 30th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
We care because unfortunately people love to see other people crash and burn. It makes others feel as though their lives aren’t so bad! It’s sad, but I am afraid true!………8-(
December 1st, 2009 at 12:07 am
Let me tell you why I care. Even Gods that trod the earth need to get kicked in the ass in public every so often.
December 1st, 2009 at 9:22 am
In regards to Tiger I assume your books on the Mets and Cowboys were only about on the field stuff then?
December 1st, 2009 at 10:55 am
Ha! Good point. However, I think there’s a big difference. The swarm around Tiger is an ambulance chaser-esque ordeal, where people are trying to pick at the remains of a celebrity. I do think writing a biography is incredibly different. A. It’s retrospective. B. The information isn’t snagged by flying a chopper over someone’s house or digging through garbage—you call the players and talk to them about their memories; research by reading clips, watching old games, etc. Maybe I’m off—but strikes me as a different game.