Charlie Weis class act

[BermudaSooner]

Can't say I don't love ND being 1-9, but Weis is a class act:

Friday, Oct. 19: Unbeknownst to virtually anyone outside the program, Weis entertained a seriously ill cancer patient in his office for 20 minutes the day before Notre Dame played USC. Tom Heuser (19), a 75-year-old semi-retired farmer from Iowa, had nothing to offer Weis in terms of booster donations -- just perspective on what matters in life. Weis gave the man sideline passes and invited him to the team's pregame meal.

Thursday, Nov. 1: Two days after running back Robert Hughes (20) learned that his brother had been killed in Chicago, Weis personally drove Hughes home after practice for the funeral the following day. Weis stayed with the family for a couple of hours, then drove home late that night.

Say this much for the man: he has not allowed a colossally bad football season to warp his perspective; he has not crawled into a woe-is-me bunker; he has not soured on an outside world that has largely soured on his coaching.

That deserves to be said, and Weis deserves to be applauded. It might be the only applause he gets all fall.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3107854&sportCat=ncf

[birddog]

that's pretty cool. too bad he couldn't give the guy much of a show.

[AlabamaSooner]

I've always considered him to be a classy guy. He always seems to be doing stuff like this.

[EnidHighSooner]

Yep, I applaud him.

[NormanPride]

He always does all these nice things to distressed people, but he's such a jackass in all his interviews. I've heard alums say that he disrespects them and the tradition there as well. Personally, I think disrespecting ND alums and traditions is wonderful work, but I doubt the ND people feel the same.

Still, you can't totally hate a guy that does such wonderful things outside his job. I wonder why he's so two-faced, though.

[Collier11]

Thats why it is embarrassing at times when people get on sites and dog out coaches just cus they cant win at a high enough level. While I would be borderline suicidal if Ou was ever 1-9, that doesnt take away from the human side of it all

[peanous]

Being nice doesn't give you a free pass to drive a once mighty program off the cliff!

[The Maestro]

Ummm...just wondering...is anyone else thinking he does more stuff like this since he is 1-9? Just wondering...not accusing. Good P.R. during a craptastic season.

Regardless, nice gesture and I am sure it means a lot to the folks he reaches out to.

[Partial Qualifier]

Being nice doesn't give you a free pass to drive a once mighty program off the cliff!

true but I applaud him anyway. And your post makes me wonder if Weiss would shred his recruit info if/when he gets ****canned ;)

[peanous]

Maybe he should spend more time coaching or give it up and join the Shriners

[sooner518]

Thursday, Nov. 1: Two days after running back Robert Hughes (20) learned that his brother had been killed in Chicago, Weis personally drove Hughes home after practice for the funeral the following day. Weis stayed with the family for a couple of hours, then drove home late that night.
Not to be a jerk, but didnt Switzer get in trouble for providing transportation for student athletes in a situation like this back in the day? I think he bought a plane ticket home for an athlete (not a football player, it was a female I believe) who couldnt go home for Christmas or something. I remember reading about that in Bootleggers Boy

[orangekaje]

I will always think highly of Weis ever since I read the story last year where he called the risky first play of their game wished by a dying boy that ended up passing away prior to the game.

[StoopTroup]

I saw an interview Charlie did and they talked about his own special needs child.

CW even said that his daughter has taught him more about life than anyone.

It's good to see folks do stuff like he's doing.

[NCSooner18]

Not to be a jerk, but didnt Switzer get in trouble for providing transportation for student athletes in a situation like this back in the day? I think he bought a plane ticket home for an athlete (not a football player, it was a female I believe) who couldnt go home for Christmas or something. I remember reading about that in Bootleggers Boy

I would think that giving an athlete a ride and purchasing them a plane ticket are considered largely different.

[critical_phil]

Maybe he should spend more time coaching or give it up and join the Shriners


maybe you shouldn't be such a peanous.

[Leroy Lizard]

How is it that we happen to know about these things?


he has not crawled into a woe-is-me bunker;

Maybe not, but he seems to have lost control of the team.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=303428

Not exactly a confidence-inspiring coach.

[Stitch Face]

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=303428




What makes it even more frustrating, Weis said, is the players look better in practice than they do in games.

That's because in practice they're playing against Notre Dame.

[TUSooner]

I have gained respect for him just watching him patiently deal with all those post-loss press conferences.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

He is one guy that is hard to figure out. He makes statements like the one on Fox Sports after he got the job that "Notre Dame now has a tactical advantage over every football team out there." "What is that Charlie?""Me. There's not another coach out there who knows as much I do." Or you hear about the limo drivers talking about how much of a prick he is. Or the other tales you hear about things he said or did..But thats not the stuff you hear in the media. Its these kinds of things which I applaud him for, but its like a Jekyl and Hyde deal.

[crimson&cream]

Being nice doesn't give you a free pass to drive a once mighty program off the cliff!
Hey dense, most times things like Charley has done have nothing to do with the other. Thats a weak equation , bring nice and no free pass to ruin a FB program. They have little to do with being hand in hand. Would being mean give him a free pass to ruin a FB program.
I salute his humanity even tho I greatly dislike ND and even when in South Bend at the College FB HOF I actually went out of my way to visit the ND campus, saw the Golden Dome, then the FB stadium and when we drove around it there was a sense of awe knowing the all history that had taken place inside there.

[KantoSooner]

I would think that giving an athlete a ride and purchasing them a plane ticket are considered largely different.

Unless she lived in Hawaii, for instance, in which case giving her a ride would have made Barry into Teddy Kennedy.

[sanantoniosooner]

I, for one, am glad to see he's good at something.

[ashley]

Have you noticed lately that people talk about guys that are losing like they are bad people? That is one of the reasons coaching is so tough.

[peanous]

Bet if you were in front of him in the all you can eat buffet line you might not think he was so nice.

[Dan Thompson]

I've liked the guy since he was interviewed on 60 Minutes.

[sanantoniosooner]

I, for one, am glad to see he's good at something.
hey Indy Sooner.........you didn't like my compliment?

I guess you wish he was bad at this also?;)

[TXBOOMER]

I guess nice guys do finish last:)

[bluedogok]

Ummm...just wondering...is anyone else thinking he does more stuff like this since he is 1-9? Just wondering...not accusing. Good P.R. during a craptastic season.

Regardless, nice gesture and I am sure it means a lot to the folks he reaches out to.
There were stories like this ever since he has been there, so it isn;t something new for OR during a bad season.

As far as his press conference demeanor, he looks exactly like his mentors Parcels and Belichick and how they talk to the press. Some of it is the same from Stoops, when you get asked stupid questions all the time, you get fed up with it sometimes. There are many morons out there who call themselves sportswriters.

[sooner518]

I would think that giving an athlete a ride and purchasing them a plane ticket are considered largely different.
we are talking about the NCAA here.............

[Jdog]

Not to be a jerk, but didnt Switzer get in trouble for providing transportation for student athletes in a situation like this back in the day? I think he bought a plane ticket home for an athlete (not a football player, it was a female I believe) who couldnt go home for Christmas or something. I remember reading about that in Bootleggers Boy

It was a plane ticket to the Bay area for his running back Steve Sewell when his dad passed away.

[sooneron]

I would say he does some nice stuff for those that are suffering or are ill, but when he was refusing to release his qb from scholarship earlier, he pretty much turned in his classy card.

[RedstickSooner]

Not to be a jerk, but didnt Switzer get in trouble for providing transportation for student athletes in a situation like this back in the day? I think he bought a plane ticket home for an athlete (not a football player, it was a female I believe) who couldnt go home for Christmas or something. I remember reading about that in Bootleggers Boy

Totally different deal. One involved whipping out the pocket book -- the other involved using his entire day to travel and visit a student's family.

What Switzer did should *not* have been a violation -- but the NCAA is run by *********s who don't ever use any common sense in their interpretation of the rules. Still, a coach is allowed to travel to visit a kid's family, and giving a kid a ride to do so -- well, that sounds like something that wouldn't draw the penalty. It's not a benefit. A coach bringing one of his players along when he drove somewhere could be considered part of his coaching job -- he can coach the kid up while they're on the drive, right?

Sticking a kid on a plane may be the right thing to do when the kid's dad just died -- but it doesn't involve any coaching. So, seems to me, that's where the major distinction would lie.

Weiss is a decent guy, and has long been a public advocate for kids with developmental disabilities (one of his kids is autistic, or something along those lines, I think). Which is great. He's also managed to give Neuter Lame their worst season ever -- which is awesome.

Personally, I believe that man is a hero. He has become my second-favorite college coach, (among active coaches), behind Stoops.

Great guy, and he's running Notre Dame into the ground. What's not to love?

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

Not to be a jerk, but didnt Switzer get in trouble for providing transportation for student athletes in a situation like this back in the day? I think he bought a plane ticket home for an athlete (not a football player, it was a female I believe) who couldnt go home for Christmas or something. I remember reading about that in Bootleggers Boy

I don't remember exactly but it was something like that. I think this is where the NCAA usually shows their azz.

[Curly Bill]

Great guy, and he's running Notre Dame into the ground. What's not to love?

I couldn't agree more. ;)

[Leroy Lizard]

I think he bought a plane ticket home for an athlete (not a football player, it was a female I believe) who couldnt go home for Christmas or something.

You are referring to the track athlete that Switzer gave a ticket to go home. (Canada, I believe)

The NCAA never found out about that incident. He admitted it on his own in his book. He has no misgivings about what he did.

[Animal Mother]

There were stories like this ever since he has been there, so it isn;t something new for OR during a bad season.

As far as his press conference demeanor, he looks exactly like his mentors Parcels and Belichick and how they talk to the press. Some of it is the same from Stoops, when you get asked stupid questions all the time, you get fed up with it sometimes. There are many morons out there who call themselves sportswriters.

Your comment about sportswriters should be carved in stone. Why can't people leave their obno dog personalities out of writing? Because it doesn't sell !!!!