Some video surfaced over the weekend of Charlie Weis trying to rally the troops in South Bend and I'm guessing he'd prefer the video not be making the rounds like it is. The upshot, if you haven't seen it or heard it is that Weis implies the Michigan Wolverines will come into South Bend in September making excuses about their team and he finishes with a flourish: "To hell with Michigan!"
As the SportsbyBrooks article so neatly lays out, here was Fat Charlie's commentary in the video:
“I’ve always been one never to make excuses and not blow hot air. I believe you have to back up your words by performance on the field. I think that’s the message our team is going to try to stay, we’re gonna start on September 6 with San Diego State, we’re going from there. I think the first opportunity we’ll have to make a statement is that day.
“Then we’ll listen to Michigan have all their excuses as they come running in, saying how they have a new coaching staff and those changes. To hell with Michigan.”
I'm not sure where I would even start.
Well, okay, I do. Charlie, you're never one to blow hot air? Come on. I mean, just... come on!
And you believe you need to back up your words on the field? Well, I do, too, and that's admirable of you. But you lost 38-0 last year to an 0-2 Michigan team that was QBed by a freshman (Ryan Mallett) who hated his coach. And you're going to talk smack?
And to bash a program like Michigan, well, I would think it'd make more sense to bash us, you know? If we got mad, what's the worst we could do? Beat your ninny boys by a couple TDs? Michigan might hurt you. Like, physically damage your pretty-boy QB.
But on the subject of non-excuse making, let's look at a couple of gems from Charlie from last season...
When Demetrius Jones bailed on ND before their 38-0 drubbing against Michigan last fall, Fat Chuckles said this:
"What happened came as a surprise," Weis said. "But I'm not going to use it as an excuse and say our team was distracted."
No, clearly you're not going to say that. We've point this out before, but this is like saying, "Your sister's low-cut top and huge tits came as a surprise to me, but I'm not going to insult you and call her a whore."
Against BC a few weeks later, Evan Sharpley was a putrid 11 for 29 for 135 yards and the story was this:
Clausen started but failed to lead the Irish to a score. He was 7-of-20 for 60 yards and was pulled after he threw his second interception on Notre Dame's first offensive play of the second half. That set up BC's third touchdown.
"I'm never big on blaming the quarterback for the lack of production on the offense," Weis said.
Gotcha. So you'll just comment on how you WON'T say that.
Oh, and hey, remember when the Trojans curb-stomped the Irish 38-0 for the second 38-0 shellacking ND took last year? And Chuck said this:
When asked if he believes the Irish have hit rock bottom, Weis chose his words carefully.
"I'm going to answer that very cautiously, because I don't want to be called sarcastic using New Jersey rhetoric," he said. "So let me just say people better enjoy it now, have their fun now."
Yeah, everybody better enjoy it now... all you meanies enjoying ND struggling! We're a class act and we'll be back! Of course, the minute Michigan has a struggle, like a new coach installing a new offense, fatso will be the first one to mock them, implying they're making excuses they haven't even had a chance to make yet.
Oh, I was already looking forward to college football but this kind of stuff just makes it even better. Keep talking, Charlie.