CATS LAND COMMIT NO. 8

[DarthCat]

Careful catfan5. While appreciate the support, I am 100% F’ing Pro Fitz! No ifs, ands, bits or questions about it. I am thrilled with our success on the field and off, and if someone was to tell me the results of the last three years are guaranteed for the next 20, even WITHOUT a Big Ten Championship, I’m still thrilled.

What I am concerned about, and the reason I’ve started this whole thing, is I want to see us winning more head to head recruiting battles against the programs we want to emulate/surpass. Consistently losing to Stanford and Notre Dame and other Big Ten schools over and over again.....I just don’t know how success can be sustained in the BT with diamonds in the rough, projects, and these other schools plan B kids they don’t offer until late in the process, when they have already accepted an NU offer. And as our success has increased, and our facilities as well, I am disappointed to see our recruiting staying largely the same in terms of the schools we are and are not beating out for kids. In my opinion, while all recruiting is an ‘inexact’ science, the positive return rate in competing at the top of P5 level, is far lower when you are trying to outsmart everyone and build a team with kids fewer of those top P5 schools wanted.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Your point wasn’t that it is hard to recruit for championship contention. What you said, and what I responded to, was you saying that the program was ‘run into the ground” (in 1998) and Barnett was largely to blame for that.

I agree in thinking it is hard to recruit at the championship levels for anybody. But Barnett did NOT run anything into the ground here, and to imply the 1998 season, when the team was already filled with the next group of players who’d win a BT title, that he’d brought in, is distorting things greatly I believe.

They won zero B1G games. How is that not “into the ground?”

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I am with Darth. I think you all should stoop this you are not a fan crap. I saw Fitz' rant. 12 years he has been here. Best finish is tied for 2nd in the weaker West Division in 2015 and 2017. Every time there is a major game, I recall Iowa and Michigan in 2015 (there are many others), the Cats get rolled. How about Illinois State, Western Michigan and Duke the last two years? These performances really play well to the casual fan who can fill the stadium, don't you think?.

Frankly, I do not think he is allowed in either the defensive or offensive coaches' meetings. He runs special teams and how has that been? I have taken tons of people to big games for the Cats to only spew on the field. He is the cause of the the lack of interest of the causal, non-NU, fan. This is who I bring to games.

Please tell me that he is a good game coach while explaining the end game strategy against a crappy Kentucky team. He is a great face of the program, but after 12 years, I think we have seen the best from him.

Further, the new facility is great, but go to some other schools and see their facilities.

Stop making things up.

 

[DarthCat]

They won zero B1G games. How is that not “into the ground?”

Roster was filled with players who would bring a BT Championship in two seasons. The 1993 team won zero Big Ten games with a roster comprised of Fitz, Schnur, Rice, Schaf and many others who would be the core or two BT Champions. Was the program ‘in the ground’ then too, or rebuilding and ramping up? I’d say the latter. And just as I’d say hat team was building, I’d say the 1998 team was doing the same, but suffering the immediate problem of a developmental gap as new players were gaining experience.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Roster was filled with players who would bring a BT Championship in two seasons. The 1993 team won zero Big Ten games with a roster comprised of Fitz, Schnur, Rice, Schaf and many others who would be the core or two BT Champions. Was the program ‘in the ground’ then too, or rebuilding and ramping up? I’d say the latter. And just as I’d say hat team was building, I’d say the 1998 team was doing the same, but suffering the immediate problem of a developmental gap as new players were gaining experience.

And they won zero B1G games. ZERO. The program was absolutely “in the ground” at that point.

 

[DarthCat]

And they won zero B1G games. ZERO. The program was absolutely “in the ground” at that point.

I guess then that in your opinion, Francis Peay had ‘the program’ in better shape in ‘90 and ‘91 in his 1 and 2 win BT seasons, and Dennis Green did from ‘82-‘85 with 3, 2, 2 and 3 win seasons than Barnett did in either ‘93 or ‘98, both ZERO win seasons. (Even though the roster was filled with freshman Barnett recruited who would win us our only Big Ten Championships in over 60 years.).

Interesting.

As Barnett drove the program ‘into the ground’ twice then, and brought us two zero win BT seasons, probably not a huge logical leap to think you’d rate him one of the worst NU coaches ever then, along with Venturi? I mean, they are the only two coaches in the last 100 years of NUs history with two ZERO win BT seasons.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I guess then that in your opinion, Francis Peay had ‘the program’ in better shape in ‘90 and ‘91 in his 1 and 2 win BT seasons, and Dennis Green did from ‘82-‘85 with 3, 2, 2 and 3 win seasons than Barnett did in either ‘93 or ‘98, both ZERO win seasons. (Even though the roster was filled with freshman Barnett recruited who would win us our only Big Ten Championships in over 60 years.).

Interesting.

As Barnett drove the program ‘into the ground’ twice then, and brought us two zero win BT seasons, probably not a huge logical leap to think you’d rate him one of the worst NU coaches ever then, along with Venturi? I mean, they are the only two coaches in the last 100 years of NUs history with two ZERO win BT seasons.

As said previously, I think Barnett deserves all the praise he gets for 1995 and 1996 but is far too often given a free pass for what happened from 1997-1998.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

I am with Darth. I think you all should stoop this you are not a fan crap. I saw Fitz' rant. 12 years he has been here. Best finish is tied for 2nd in the weaker West Division in 2015 and 2017. Every time there is a major game, I recall Iowa and Michigan in 2015 (there are many others), the Cats get rolled. How about Illinois State, Western Michigan and Duke the last two years? These performances really play well to the casual fan who can fill the stadium, don't you think?.

Frankly, I do not think he is allowed in either the defensive or offensive coaches' meetings. He runs special teams and how has that been? I have taken tons of people to big games for the Cats to only spew on the field. He is the cause of the the lack of interest of the causal, non-NU, fan. This is who I bring to games.

Please tell me that he is a good game coach while explaining the end game strategy against a crappy Kentucky team. He is a great face of the program, but after 12 years, I think we have seen the best from him.

Further, the new facility is great, but go to some other schools and see their facilities.

This is non-sense. Fitz goes to whatever meeting he wants to go too. Geez! Then you top that with more goobleygock on Fitz being the reason the casual non-NU has no interest. That’s almost laughable. Like you I have brought plenty of non-NU fans to games and not once have a heard all of these newbies spewing $*#t about Fitz killing their interest. In fact, almost to a person, they respect the program he sustains.

Of course, like any coach you can name he makes calls that can be second guessed. Calls don’t work out and you look like a bum. Easy to sit in the crowd with all the experts and make the correct calls. Easy to bring up a horrible performance and omit upset wins if it fits the narrative.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

This is non-sense. Fitz goes to whatever meeting he wants to go too. Geez! Then you top that with more goobleygock on Fitz being the reason the casual non-NU has no interest. That’s almost laughable. Like you I have brought plenty of non-NU fans to games and not once have a heard all of these newbies spewing $*#t about Fitz killing their interest. In fact, almost to a person, they respect the program he sustains.

Of course, like any coach you can name he makes calls that can be second guessed. Calls don’t work out and you look like a bum. Easy to sit in the crowd with all the experts and make the correct calls. Easy to bring up a horrible performance and omit upset wins if it fits the narrative.

And, you know, we did beat Kentucky.

 

[DarthCat]

As said previously, I think Barnett deserves all the praise he gets for 1995 and 1996 but is far too often given a free pass for what happened from 1997-1998.

‘97? You mean the season of our third best record in 26 years? Yeah, what a bum. Just drove it right into the ground.

 

[willycat]

Don’t recall mentions of fan message/opinion board comments. Do recall multiple statements about sell outs and attendance and the lack therof. Considering my 26 years of season tickets, attendance at almost every home game during that time as well as 2-3 road games per year, enough donations to the program that have earned me the illusive West lot pass so many on this board aren’t willing to part with $600 to get, I’m not gonna lose sleep thinking I’m ‘not a fan’ or ‘the problem’.

This is a place for discussions and sharing OPINIONS about NU football. That’s it. The good, bad and the ugly. About points on which most of us agree, and those that are unpopular. If players and parents have their feelings hurt by these conversations, if they don’t want to see their son’s performance or crededentials questioned, they don’t belong on a fan message board. Even if they don’t have their feelings hurt, they still don’t belong on a public forum if what they are seeking is the uninformed adulation of the program’s fans.

Those of you who want this to be some kind of tribute forum, where you can effuse your love without the fear of contrasting opinions, take it to the kids’ Twitter or Instagram pages. There any dissenting comments about a kid are inappropriate and truly don’t belong, as that is NOT a opinion discussion forum. This most definitely is.

Agree with just about everything you said, except $600 DOES NOT guarantee you a spot in the west lot.

 

[NJCat]

‘97? You mean the season of our third best record in 26 years? Yeah, what a bum. Just drove it right into the ground.

1997.

Northwestern University 24
University of Oklahoma 0

'Nuf said.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

1997.

Northwestern University 24
University of Oklahoma 0

'Nuf said.

The Oklahoma team that went 4-8 (2-6)?

 

[DarthCat]

Agree with just about everything you said, except $600 DOES NOT guarantee you a spot in the west lot.

I don’t know what it is frankly. But I thought that was the amount that had everyone up in arms.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I don’t know what it is frankly. But I thought that was the amount that had everyone up in arms.

$600 is the minimum to be considered “active.” Basically if you’ve given/had season tickets for any kind of duration and give $600 you shouldn’t have a problem.

 

[Gladeskat]

Well, I’d say because when the kids who would be juniors and seniors in 1998 were first recruited, it was 1993 and 1994, right? There was no winning season, bowl trip or ANYTHING to offer. Yeah, he struck gold with the enough players to give us the 1995-1996 teams, but it’s reasonable to expect there wouldn’t be enough to carry on consistently, and a gap of sorts.

We went into 1998 with a redshirt freshman QB (who turned out to be pretty damn good in he Ivy League) and two redshirt freshman RBs in Marshall and Anderson. There wasn’t enough talent recruited in the ‘93-‘95 classes, with no bowl game or winning season to show these kids in even their parents’ lifetimes, not to mention facilities that were archaic and an administration who thought winning football games was the antethesis of the school’s academic mission, to sustain it, as the higher level recruits off the Rose Bowl and Citrus Bowl seasons grew up.

Considering the class he brought in after that 1997 season, the 1998 class, (which won the BT two years later), and the 1999 class he had verbally committed before leaving, Navarre, Brown, ‘Anderson’ (?) (the DL we lost to Stanford who roasted Barnett for lying to him), it was safe to say he was restocking NU very well up until he left.

The '93 and '94 classes were excellent! Rated around top 25-35. The '95 class produced one starter. Marshall was a true soph in 1998.

 

[BleedingPurple15]

I find the whole premise of this thread off-base. It's hard for me to believe that high school recruits make their college picks so heavily based off of practice facilities.

Even if NU's athletic center is of superior quality, we still fall short in a number of other areas, including stadium facilities, program tradition, and an apathetic fan base. Which means that the relationship the staff builds are that much more important.

 

[IGNORE2]

Yeah but what does he think of you?

Much less

 

[DarthCat]

The '93 and '94 classes were excellent! Rated around top 25-35. The '95 class produced one starter. Marshall was a true soph in 1998.

I stand corrected. Marshall played as a true frosh in 1997, where Anderson took a shirt. I had forgotten.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Well, I’d say because when the kids who would be juniors and seniors in 1998 were first recruited, it was 1993 and 1994, right? There was no winning season, bowl trip or ANYTHING to offer. Yeah, he struck gold with the enough players to give us the 1995-1996 teams, but it’s reasonable to expect there wouldn’t be enough to carry on consistently, and a gap of sorts.

We went into 1998 with a redshirt freshman QB (who turned out to be pretty damn good in he Ivy League) and two redshirt freshman RBs in Marshall and Anderson. There wasn’t enough talent recruited in the ‘93-‘95 classes, with no bowl game or winning season to show these kids in even their parents’ lifetimes, not to mention facilities that were archaic and an administration who thought winning football games was the antethesis of the school’s academic mission, to sustain it, as the higher level recruits off the Rose Bowl and Citrus Bowl seasons grew up.

Considering the class he brought in after that 1997 season, the 1998 class, (which won the BT two years later), and the 1999 class he had verbally committed before leaving, Navarre, Brown, ‘Anderson’ (?) (the DL we lost to Stanford who roasted Barnett for lying to him), it was safe to say he was restocking NU very well up until he left.

Exactly what happened at Wisconsin... but, Alvarez stayed and won again.

 

[IGNORE2]

I guess then that in your opinion, Francis Peay had ‘the program’ in better shape in ‘90 and ‘91 in his 1 and 2 win BT seasons, and Dennis Green did from ‘82-‘85 with 3, 2, 2 and 3 win seasons than Barnett did in either ‘93 or ‘98, both ZERO win seasons. (Even though the roster was filled with freshman Barnett recruited who would win us our only Big Ten Championships in over 60 years.).

Interesting.

As Barnett drove the program ‘into the ground’ twice then, and brought us two zero win BT seasons, probably not a huge logical leap to think you’d rate him one of the worst NU coaches ever then, along with Venturi? I mean, they are the only two coaches in the last 100 years of NUs history with two ZERO win BT seasons.

Funny thing, on the b-ball board, that gcg supports, a single NCAA tourney is a pass for life. Yet a guy takes the team to the Rose Bowl for the first time in a lifetime or two and many of the same guys burn him in effigy.

 

[DarthCat]

You know xyzbobxyz, I used to lean more towards the anti-Gary side. I was still bitter at the opportunity lost with the players we had in the fold coming in in the 1999 class and what ‘could have been’ had he committed and stayed. We arguably lost one of the best recruiting classes in NUs history with his departure in January ‘99, and how he left, well, we all know.

But seeing the recruiting battles the man won, the team he built, with NONE of the advantages Fitz has had to show kids, and seeing how hard it is for us to win these kids over NOW, I am just AMAZED what he did.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Funny thing, on the b-ball board, that gcg supports, a single NCAA tourney is a pass for life. Yet a guy takes the team to the Rose Bowl for the first time in a lifetime or two and many of the same guys burn him in effigy.

I think Barnett is on balance the best/most accomplished coach in NU history (Ara’s a close second), but it’s a pet peeve of mine that he’s always given a free pass for how quickly the program came crashing down after 1995/1996.

 

[IGNORE2]

Yes, it absolutely does. You’re coming off like a total ass and I’d bet the house that the kids friends and family are reading it. You’re exactly the problem that Fitz went off about.

The day Fitz cares about what I think will be the day I care about what he thinks. And if he has time to worry about a message board then he has a time mismanagement problem. And if high level talented young adults can’t handle a message board, then they should rethink playing P5, B1G ball, as harsher and more accurate criticism lies ahead. And if parents have not had enough life experiences to know that internet message boards are the least of their worries for their kids, then they should stay off the internet. IMHO

 

[DarthCat]

I think Barnett is on balance the best/most accomplished coach in NU history (Ara’s a close second), but it’s a pet peeve of mine that he’s always given a free pass for how quickly the program came crashing down after 1995/1996.

I’ll grant the pet peeve reasoning for displaying a slight anti Barnett bias, as I’ve definitely had it too. But I disagree completely the program ‘came crashing down’ after 1996. 1997 was our third best season in decades, despite losing our top playmakers on offense and defense. Autry, Bates, Fitz, Rice, Hudaifa, Schnur, and more. Unless you are Ohio State or Alabama, teams all take a step back after losing so mich talent.

But if you are going to hold a grudge there, what was Walker’s excuse in 2001 and 2002, or Fitz’s in 2013 and 2014? Those, in my opinion, were worse and less explicable falls as the team remained largely intact the year after the 2000 and 2012 highs respectively.

 

[NJCat]

The day Fitz cares about what I think will be the day I care about what he thinks. And if he has time to worry about a message board then he has a time mismanagement problem. And if high level talented young adults can’t handle a message board, then they should rethink playing P5, B1G ball, as harsher and more accurate criticism lies ahead. And if parents have not had enough life experiences to know that internet message boards are the least of their worries for their kids, then they should stay off the internet. IMHO

Completely agree. Nailed it.

 

[DarthCat]

You come back to make a post like this on the free board? Come on, show some common sense.

Common sense? I love this. Like the kids and their families who have just gotten a quarter million free education can’t afford $100 for a year access to The Rock. “Don’t say anything disparaging on the ‘free board’!!!! They’ll see it!!!”

The point of the Premium Boards is to largely keep opposing fans for a particular week off the conversations, as they’re unlikely to pay $100, or whatever it is, to argue with opposing fans for a week.

But you think a kid who has just committed to 4-5 years to NU, and to whom the opinions on this board are as important to them as you and CoralSprings seem to think, are gonna stay off the Premium Board?!! That is hilarious!!

“Dad, I wanna read my Congratulatory Thread on the NU board, but it’s on the Premium Forum.”

“Well, I’m sorry son. As HUGELY important as the opinions and validations of anonymous message board fans are to you, our family and all of our friends, $100 is just too steep.”

Hey, to that point, does anyone know where these kids could get their "Congratulatory Threads" from the message board embroidered on a banner? I know it would mean a lot to them and their families.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I’ll grant the pet peeve reasoning for displaying a slight anti Barnett bias, as I’ve definitely had it too. But I disagree completely the program ‘came crashing down’ after 1996. 1997 was our third best season in decades, despite losing our top playmakers on offense and defense. Autry, Bates, Fitz, Rice, Hudaifa, Schnur, and more. Unless you are Ohio State or Alabama, teams all take a step back after losing so mich talent.

But if you are going to hold a grudge there, what was Walker’s excuse in 2001 and 2002, or Fitz’s in 2013 and 2014? Those, in my opinion, were worse and less explicable falls as the team remained largely intact the year after the 2000 and 2012 highs respectively.

Zero B1G wins. Zero. A feat never “accomplished” by Walker or Fitz. Not sure how much more room there would be to crash.

And you’re really going to try to spin a 5-7(3-5) season in 1997 as “our third best season in decades?” While perhaps true in terms of absolute records, I thought we were suddenly supposed to Expect Victory... and it doesn’t exactly make it look great that it was followed by a 3-9(0-8) season in 1998.

Walker’s 2001/2002 seasons and Fitz’s 2013/2014 seasons are indeed disappointing. But I thought we were supposed to expect some fluctuation over time. You know, just like Saint Gary.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Zero B1G wins. Zero. A feat never “accomplished” by Walker or Fitz. Not sure how much more room there would be to crash.

And you’re really going to try to spin a 5-7(3-5) season in 1997 as “our third best season in decades?” While perhaps true in terms of absolute records, I thought we were suddenly supposed to Expect Victory... and it doesn’t exactly make it look great that it was followed by a 3-9(0-8) season in 1998.

Walker’s 2001/2002 seasons and Fitz’s 2013/2014 seasons are indeed disappointing. But I thought we were supposed to expect some fluctuation over time. You know, just like Saint Gary.

Actually, if someone told me that we could bring in recruits who would win 3 B1G titles in 6 years, but we had to take an 0-fer sandwiched in between, I would take that a heartbeat.

 

[catfans5]

Careful catfan5. While appreciate the support, I am 100% F’ing Pro Fitz! No ifs, ands, bits or questions about it. I am thrilled with our success on the field and off, and if someone was to tell me the results of the last three years are guaranteed for the next 20, even WITHOUT a Big Ten Championship, I’m still thrilled.

What I am concerned about, and the reason I’ve started this whole thing, is I want to see us winning more head to head recruiting battles against the programs we want to emulate/surpass. Consistently losing to Stanford and Notre Dame and other Big Ten schools over and over again.....I just don’t know how success can be sustained in the BT with diamonds in the rough, projects, and these other schools plan B kids they don’t offer until late in the process, when they have already accepted an NU offer. And as our success has increased, and our facilities as well, I am disappointed to see our recruiting staying largely the same in terms of the schools we are and are not beating out for kids. In my opinion, while all recruiting is an ‘inexact’ science, the positive return rate in competing at the top of P5 level, is far lower when you are trying to outsmart everyone and build a team with kids fewer of those top P5 schools wanted.

Darthcat, I appreciate your comments and respect your opinions. What I find most troubling is that when one poses a thought which either questions Fitz or when one does not genuflect before the altar which is Fitz, one is automatically derided as not a fan, not loyal to the program or an idiot to shut down any dissenting opinions. I find those responses to your points to be repugnant which was why I jumped in to support you.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Actually, if someone told me that we could bring in recruits who would win 3 B1G titles in 6 years, but we had to take an 0-fer sandwiched in between, I would take that a heartbeat.

Hypocrite.

 

[DarthCat]

Darthcat, I appreciate your comments and respect your opinions. What I find most troubling is that when one poses a thought which either questions Fitz or when one does not genuflect before the altar which is Fitz, one is automatically derided as not a fan, not loyal to the program or an idiot to shut down any dissenting opinions. I find those responses to your points to be repugnant which was why I jumped in to support you.

I agree with your position on that cf5. Thanks for the clarification. What’s funny here is I’m usually in the “as fans we don’t know crap” camp on evaluating coaches and calling for their heads. I defer to the professionals there, the coaches.

So basically I’ve got half the posters calling me a ‘kool aide drinkin Pollyanna” and the other half calling me a non fan who should be kicked off the boards.

 

[catfans5]

This is non-sense. Fitz goes to whatever meeting he wants to go too. Geez! Then you top that with more goobleygock on Fitz being the reason the casual non-NU has no interest. That’s almost laughable. Like you I have brought plenty of non-NU fans to games and not once have a heard all of these newbies spewing $*#t about Fitz killing their interest. In fact, almost to a person, they respect the program he sustains.

Of course, like any coach you can name he makes calls that can be second guessed. Calls don’t work out and you look like a bum. Easy to sit in the crowd with all the experts and make the correct calls. Easy to bring up a horrible performance and omit upset wins if it fits the narrative.

How many of those newbies became season ticket holders? How many of the new season ticket holders for this year are ND fans since tix are cheap?

Sorry, but the appeal of Fitz and the novelty of NU as the lovable underdog is gone.Fitz and the program were put on the prime time stage with night home games against PSU, Michigan, and OSU. How did we do? NU fans counter that with we beat MIss State and Kentucky in Bowl games. Yes, but you lost Illinois State. Can’t remember, as I sit here at a wrestling meet, a really significant win, other than at Nebby with Colter at QB.

I am sorry, but his bad game coaching decisions are a trait. I do not think such consistent judgment calls would be accepted in NU operating rooms or of a practicing trial attorney. He now has no excuses with the new facility. Do you think he will get NU to the B10 title game in next five years?

 

[thewildcat2011]

How many of those newbies became season ticket holders? How many of the new season ticket holders for this year are ND fans since tix are cheap?

Sorry, but the appeal of Fitz and the novelty of NU as the lovable underdog is gone.Fitz and the program were put on the prime time stage with night home games against PSU, Michigan, and OSU. How did we do? NU fans counter that with we beat MIss State and Kentucky in Bowl games. Yes, but you lost Illinois State. Can’t remember, as I sit here at a wrestling meet, a really significant win, other than at Nebby with Colter at QB.

I am sorry, but his bad game coaching decisions are a trait. I do not think such consistent judgment calls would be accepted in NU operating rooms or of a practicing trial attorney. He now has no excuses with the new facility. Do you think he will get NU to the B10 title game in next five years?

Lol what are you on about?

 

[DarthCat]

Zero B1G wins. Zero. A feat never “accomplished” by Walker or Fitz. Not sure how much more room there would be to crash.

And you’re really going to try to spin a 5-7(3-5) season in 1997 as “our third best season in decades?” While perhaps true in terms of absolute records, I thought we were suddenly supposed to Expect Victory... and it doesn’t exactly make it look great that it was followed by a 3-9(0-8) season in 1998.

Walker’s 2001/2002 seasons and Fitz’s 2013/2014 seasons are indeed disappointing. But I thought we were supposed to expect some fluctuation over time. You know, just like Saint Gary.

So let me see if I understand. ‘Absolute record’ is valid when citing that as the ONLY reason for your critique that Barnett ‘put the program in the ground’ in ‘93 and ‘98, yet ‘absolute record’ is less valid when using it to point out that the ‘97 season was the third best NU had attained in decades.

Further, when comparing the coaching success/failures of the ‘97-‘98 seasons under Barnett vs. the ‘01-‘02 seasons under Walker or ‘13-‘14 seasons under Fitzgerald, how well the seasons adhered to the message of a marketing campaign (Expect Victory) is more important in your comparative assessment than the number of starters at skill positions each coach had returning in the comparative year?

 

[IGNORE2]

Zero B1G wins. Zero. A feat never “accomplished” by Walker or Fitz. Not sure how much more room there would be to crash.

And you’re really going to try to spin a 5-7(3-5) season in 1997 as “our third best season in decades?” While perhaps true in terms of absolute records, I thought we were suddenly supposed to Expect Victory... and it doesn’t exactly make it look great that it was followed by a 3-9(0-8) season in 1998.

Walker’s 2001/2002 seasons and Fitz’s 2013/2014 seasons are indeed disappointing. But I thought we were supposed to expect some fluctuation over time. You know, just like Saint Gary.

Can you kindly start referring to CCC as Saint CCC going forward? Some consistency would be refreshing.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

How many of those newbies became season ticket holders? How many of the new season ticket holders for this year are ND fans since tix are cheap?

Sorry, but the appeal of Fitz and the novelty of NU as the lovable underdog is gone.Fitz and the program were put on the prime time stage with night home games against PSU, Michigan, and OSU. How did we do? NU fans counter that with we beat MIss State and Kentucky in Bowl games. Yes, but you lost Illinois State. Can’t remember, as I sit here at a wrestling meet, a really significant win, other than at Nebby with Colter at QB.

I am sorry, but his bad game coaching decisions are a trait. I do not think such consistent judgment calls would be accepted in NU operating rooms or of a practicing trial attorney. He now has no excuses with the new facility. Do you think he will get NU to the B10 title game in next five years?

He is a football coach not a surgeon or an airline pilot. I think the decision to go for it on 4th and 1 has a little less impact in the overall scope of things. Nearly EVERY decision that doesn’t work out gets criticized by every fan base. Sometimes they don’t work out even for the most respected/experienced coaches. Didn’t gambling Fitz end up on the plus side of the ledger last year? Geez, we won 3 OT games, Mr. Magoo must have been on the other sideline.

So now we have new facilities we have “ no excuse” to not get to the title game? Tell me exactly what other advantages NU has over other B1G schools when recruiting those players you need to get to that title game. Easy admissions, wild game day experience, state wide fan support, state of the art stadium, hero worship from the student body, pleasant weather conditions, tradition of winning, being the only game in town?

We beat Stanford, Notre Dame, Penn State, over the course of the last 3 seasons. I guess MSU, Iowa and Nebby aren’t significant wins either. Bottom line is 3 10 win seasons in last 6 and 3-1 in bowl games during this period.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Can you kindly start referring to CCC as Saint CCC going forward? Some consistency would be refreshing.

No, that would be Saint Bill.

 

[catfans5]

He is a football coach not a surgeon or an airline pilot. I think the decision to go for it on 4th and 1 has a little less impact in the overall scope of things. Nearly EVERY decision that doesn’t work out gets criticized by every fan base. Sometimes they don’t work out even for the most respected/experienced coaches. Didn’t gambling Fitz end up on the plus side of the ledger last year? Geez, we won 3 OT games, Mr. Magoo must have been on the other sideline.

So now we have new facilities we have “ no excuse” to not get to the title game? Tell me exactly what other advantages NU has over other B1G schools when recruiting those players you need to get to that title game. Easy admissions, wild game day experience, state wide fan support, state of the art stadium, hero worship from the student body, pleasant weather conditions, tradition of winning, being the only game in town?

We beat Stanford, Notre Dame, Penn State, over the course of the last 3 seasons. I guess MSU, Iowa and Nebby aren’t significant wins either. Bottom line is 3 10 win seasons in last 6 and 3-1 in bowl games during this period.

How have we done in games to win the Division? Oh I forgot, we have not had any? He has talked of championships and being ready to play. I guess in some folks minds, those wins make up for the shellacking at Duke. I guess you would call those 3 wins significant since it got us to that illustrious game against that storied football program, Kentucky, where I received over 10 texts while at a high school wrestling match basically saying, "WTF, Fitz?" about his coaching decisions.

I asked a specific question about your viewpoint, "Do you think he will get NU to the B10 title game in next five years?"

Just to note, I will continue to go the games and get tickets because we have a good tailgate group and the games are fun. We have no expectations of the program at all which I think is valid based on prior years/results. Those wins you mentioned were a lot of fun. Nebby fans after the game thanked us so they could fire their coach because of his bone headed decision making. However, the most fun win was watching Minny give up during the 2nd quarter during the cold and rain.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

So let me see if I understand. ‘Absolute record’ is valid when citing that as the ONLY reason for your critique that Barnett ‘put the program in the ground’ in ‘93 and ‘98, yet ‘absolute record’ is less valid when using it to point out that the ‘97 season was the third best NU had attained in decades.

Further, when comparing the coaching success/failures of the ‘97-‘98 seasons under Barnett vs. the ‘01-‘02 seasons under Walker or ‘13-‘14 seasons under Fitzgerald, how well the seasons adhered to the message of a marketing campaign (Expect Victory) is more important in your comparative assessment than the number of starters at skill positions each coach had returning in the comparative year?

If you win zero conference games, it can’t get worse.