Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/734095
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 10, 2016 5 FAN FORUM SUGGESTION BOX The Fan Forum section of Blue & Gold Illustrated is my favorite. Second only to actually attending a Notre Dame home game, this section lets one bond with like-minded Irish fans. Trouble is you only allot a very lim- ited amount of space. The Sept. 26th issue had one letter and an even lon- ger response. Then you saw fit to use 15 percent of the page with a photograph. Did a "fan" submit that photo? I think not. One to two less pages on the pre- vious game summary (that most of us watched) or maybe less than 10 pages dedicated to the next game might prove to be adequate. It would be interesting to know how many e-mail submissions you receive each week. I'm sure there is a mixture of positive and negative comments, but that's what the Irish Nation is feeling. Why not give it a try and see how your subscribers respond? On a separate note, Coach Kelly was correct in his post-Duke game press conference. It is very visible on the TV screen that this year 's Irish team lacks passion from the top down. During this press confer- ence Kelly himself actually displayed some passion for the first time in my memory. It starts at the top with Kelly and his staff. If there is no en- vironment created, there will be no passion. I have two suggestions for Coach Kelly: One, bring back Coach Holtz's "What's Important Now" WIN Phi- losophy. It appears to be lacking. Two, I would not allow players to touch the "Play Like a Champion Today" sign until the TEAM has dis- played/earned the right, honor and privilege to do so. Greg Fox Laguna Hills, Calif. Mr. Fox, Fan Forum always has been a popular section with our readers, but it is not as active as it was in its "glory days" before the 21st century, or the pre-Internet days. The volume of mail is relatively small in comparison, which is why a couple of years ago we added the "From The Web" on BlueandGold.com to augment the Fan Forum section. Instead of letters to the editor the old-fashioned way, people today vent better in a mes- sage board forum on our website. UP IN SMOKE Did this season go up in smoke with the arrest of the players at the end of August, or when Brian Kelly was unable to pick a starting QB? As fans we wait through the cold of January to get to Signing Day, and then six long months till the start of the season. To see it totally go south before the end of September is very depressing. I guess this season answers the question "Is Notre Dame a team or a program?" Unable to sustain success seems to be the pattern. Hopefully DeShone Kizer doesn't go down the path of Everett Golson and become turnover prone trying to make too many things happen. Love the magazine since 1984. Still have every issue. Gorman Findley Centre Hall, Pa. BE HEARD! Send your letters to: Letters Blue & Gold Illustrated P. O. Box 1007 Notre Dame, IN 46556 or e-mail to: lsomogyi@blueandgold.com FROM THE WEBSITE One of the prime debates after Brian Kelly's decision to fire defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder the Sunday after the loss to Duke was, "Was this Kelly's call, or did director of ath- letics Jack Swarbrick force his hand?" After all, Kelly said after the Duke game he actually was more encouraged by the defense and continued his public defense of VanGorder. The BlueandGold.com message board had debates about this on both sides with more than a hundred responses. Here is a small sampling: Jackson Browne: It's so obvious to me that Jack Swarbrick talked with Brian Kelly after Kelly had made clear his opinion at the postgame presser. JS told him his differing opinion on Brian VanGorder — and it may not have sounded so much like an opin- ion. He is the boss, you know. Then, JS told him to think about it, and all the possible consequences of standing his ground. The next day, early, BK called JS and said he would like to let BVG go. So, BK is being honest when he says he initiated "that" conversation. You're damn right it's something BK and JS had previously discussed! PreTill2: You might be right but I doubt it because JS doesn't appear to be the type that would strong-arm his coach. BK is done if he did. He is highly thought of and will find another job — as would I. JS isn't qualified to tell BK who he should hire or fire. LCBrasefield: Either way this firing doesn't put Kelly in a favorable light. Heck, just tolerating BVG's incompe- tence for so long doesn't put him in a favorable light. If Kelly decided to fire BVG, it shows the ridiculous extent of his vacillating in that it took an epic loss to prompt his decision. If Swarbrick told Kelly to fire BVG, it makes Kelly a puppet who needs someone to make important coaching decisions for him. BlueandGold.com readers debated extensively about whether Notre Dame director of athletics Jack Swarbrick (above) forced Brian Kelly's hand to fire defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND