Prick is a strong term. It’s defined as “a contemptible or despicable person.” Is that your definition of Brian Kelly?
The term is also routinely used to demonize a person’s character in a complete and categorical way. Is that what you wish to convey in calling Kelly a prick?
Let’s assume that that’s the case and that you view Kelly as contemptible and/or despicable and on that basis look at the reasons you’ve cited to make your point.
And if that’s NOT what you meant, you can clarify that later.
The Interview
Football is a business and as in all businesses, interviews often take place at awkward times. But when money or opportunity calls, few can be so SIMON PURE as to simply hang up the phone.
What ACTUAL HARM that you are directly aware of resulted from Kelly’s taking the interview?
After all, Kelly went on to coach ND – and quite successfully – for another 9 years. And if he had left, you – who are so delighted that he’s gone – would then have been rid of him NINE YEARS SOONER.
Rather than call this episode contemptible, I view it – in terms of its ultimate zero negative impact on ND -- as tantamount to a NON-EVENT.
Assuming, of course, that had Kelly left, ND’s next coach or coaches wouldn’t have gone on to win more than the 85 additional games Kelly did in the same time span.
Blowing Smoke
I’ve heard this story, but what’s its source? How many degrees of separation from its FIRST TELLING to its appearance in YOUR POST? Do you know?
And what exactly is the allegation? That Kelly was hiding his intentions or even a done deal? Was he not still technically working for ND? If so, what was he supposed to do – tell the kid's parents he was moving on? Was it still not his job to recruit the kid for ND?
Seems to me he was in an inherently conflicted situation where one way or another, there'd be COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
But then, I don’t know all of the facts, so I’ll stop there. But then, do you? And if so, again, what’s your first-hand source? Your evidence as opposed to hearsay.
Berating Crist
Were you around the many times both Nick Saban and Lou Holtz threw sideline tantrums and got up in players’ faces? How about Woody Hayes or Lombardi? Or Billy Martin?
Have you ever read about Bear Bryant’s preseason workouts at Texas A&M? And how about Holtz grabbing a player by his face mask and dragging him off the field in a game in which ND had already laid over 40 points on an elite MSU defense? There's film on it -- MSU/ND 91 Highlights. It comes right at the end. And actually, I think Holtz did it more than once.
All of those guys WON TITLES, but does that absolve them of being pricks? Because according to your definition as it relates to Kelly, that’s what they were. And as such, why haven’t they been castigated the way Kelly is. And NONE of them ever has been.
But then, this is sports. Athletic combat. Some guys have short fuses, and they blow. Is it contemptible behavior? Not in my book. After all, what is football, REALLY, if not a sanctioned, ruled-based domain in which the point is to KNOCK THE SNOT OUT OF SOMEBODY.
And then if you win -- which all of those guys did -- ALL IS FORGIVEN.
Talking Down ND.
Taking digs at institutions -- even ones you work for -- and talking behind peoples’ backs are two of life’s MOST ENDURING -- or is it ENDEARING? -- PASTIMES, and EVERYONE DOES IT. Yet, I fail to see how this makes us all pricks.
Not to minimize your sense of offense at this, but I think that with this one we’re talking no more than foot faults or at most peccadillos.
My Take
I never saw Brian Kelly as either an easy or natural fit at ND and always felt that he’d taken the job with one eye on the door from the GET-GO. He either suspected or flatout knew – and in my opinion, rightly so – that ND would never give him the degree of autonomy that the best coaches of the best programs routinely get.
And yet, despite that, he was both COMPETENT ENOUGH and PROFESSIONAL ENOUGH to remain at ND for 12 years, winning 113 games, going 12-0 twice in the regular season, making the playoffs twice, and playing once for the NC.
Unfortunately, he IRREDEEMABLY ALIENATED ND FANS TWICE. First, despite coming close, he never won that NC and then at the point where his teams were progressing ever more steadily towards NC-caliber, HE QUIT.
Pardon my bluntness here, but as I see it, those disappointed by Kelly MOVED SEAMLESSLY from CRY-BABYING to SOUR GRAPES.
Had he won an NC and/or not quit ND when he did, WE WOULDN’T BE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, all of his ALLEDGED characterological deficiencies notwithstanding. Because, under those circumstances, ND fans, despite any pious protestations to the contrary, wouldn’t have cared a whit.
NOT AT ALL. And with Kelly completely ABSOLVED.
But since none of that happened and he left, people seem to want to keep PUNISHING the guy for whatever degree of satisfaction that affords them. And I suspect it will continue until ND supporters have either something BETTER TO GRIPE ABOUT or a new WHIPPING BOY emerges.
