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Spygate's effects on Notre Dame

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09:57 AM ET 05.18 | Based on interviews former New England Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh conducted with HBO and the New York Times last week, Charlie Weis allegedly knew about the team's illegal taping of defensive signals and benefited from that information as the Patriots' offensive coordinator. If that's true, Notre Dame's head coach once actively participated in cheating, cheating that aided him in the job that got him his current one. How extensive was Weis' involvement? Did he protest? Who knows? Weis remains steadfastly silent. A Notre Dame spokesman declined an interview request on Weis' behalf last week. Previously, Weis has skirted the issue, saying it's not a Notre Dame matter. "My response is pretty straightforward: Simply speaking, it's just not a Notre Dame matter," athletic director Kevin White said, declining to say whether he has an explanation from Weis about Spygate. "That's what we believe. It's just not a Notre Dame matter." But anything that has to do with the head coach at Notre Dame is, to varying degrees, a Notre Dame matter. Beyond quibbling over fine print, there's this: Irish fans treasure traveling the high road. Weis, as he did in that Gettysburg address and has done before, portrays himself as the willing chauffeur on that ride.

Chicago Tribune

Charlie Weis, Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images Charlie Weis, Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
May 18, 2008  10:03 AM ET

FIRE HIS ****!!!!!!!!!

The entire Patriots organization is corupt!!!!!

Strip them of their Super Bowls and ban Bellicheat from the league for life!!!!!!

May 18, 2008  10:03 AM ET

Of course he knew, but it did not affect his offense other then maybe they were out on the field more

May 18, 2008  10:19 AM ET

He should dust off his cameras and get taping now for the 08 season. Charlie will need every advantage he can get. (Does anyone else smell disaster brewing once again in South Bend?)

May 18, 2008  10:31 AM ET

The Rams walkthrough tape is currently in his belly.

Really, does this affect ND at all? I don't see why this matters for Notre Dame.

May 18, 2008  10:40 AM ET

Hello! The cheating is where Con Artist Charlie got that "decisive schematic advantage" he was fond of talking about when he came into Notre Shame. Problem is, as he quickly learned, is that he couldn't tape other college teams like he could while in the pros (which every team has done btw). Thus, this explains Charlie's total suckage in college. Notre Dame will not fire him as he's don't nothing illegal at Notre Dame. One thing I do hope is this hurts him in recruiting where other players will no longer view him as this jedi master of offense but as the Jabba the Hut of cheaters.

May 18, 2008  10:42 AM ET

Really, does this affect ND at all? I don't see why this matters for Notre Dame.

IrishR#1-Receivers on Lockdown |

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have a potential cheater on the order of Shoeless Joe and you ask this? This is Notre Dame?

May 18, 2008  11:03 AM ET

Haven't really thought much about the spy gate angle, I'm still getting a charge out of the qoute "to hell with Michigan" from Sir Charles at the helm. I do wonder if this spy gate thing affects his "Genius" lable he had coming from the Pats?

May 18, 2008  11:25 AM ET

Haven't really thought much about the spy gate angle, I'm still getting a charge out of the qoute "to hell with Michigan" from Sir Charles at the helm. I do wonder if this spy gate thing affects his "Genius" lable he had coming from the Pats?

Airborne72

yeah and the stink will attach itself to the Golden Dome if he's guilty - and remain for a time after he's gone. This is just what the Irish DONT need.

May 18, 2008  11:37 AM ET

He's not calling the plays anymore. As far as I know, Haywood hasn't done anything. To be honest, this offense, at least passing-wise, won't be great this year. This season lies on the defense, which should be great. This doesn't affect Notre Dame. It would have been nice to know when we hired him, but this doesn't matter now.

May 18, 2008  11:44 AM ET

If ND doesn't make it to a bowl this year, Charlie will be fired. Plain and simple. Jon Tenuta will be promoted to head coach. If we do have to fire Weis, I'm not worried about a replacement. Tenuta could become the head coach or Corwin Brown could become the head coach and Tenuta becomes the defensive coordinator. Maybe even Haywood. ND has some good position coaches. Charlie needs to get his act together.

Clausen will probably come under fire this year for a lack of stats due to the fact that ND will run the ball 70% of the time. Notre Dame has a great running game. They could even make up for the lack of an O-line presence, although I do think the O-line will be greatly improved. At the end of last year, all of the linemen finished in their most comfortable position. Chris Stewart is on the inside, Dan Wenger is at center. Matt Romine was injured last year, so that could be a big help with his return.

May 18, 2008  12:04 PM ET

I'm lifelong ND fan. My concern would be is Weiss the competent coach ND thought they were getting when they hired him or did he obtain his accomplishments thru cheating. So far his accomplishments at ND makes one think he may be just a fraud.

May 18, 2008  01:08 PM ET

HAAHAA>. maybe Charlie faked his way into that SOuthbend gig.. I hear now Charlie is kissing up making up with the alumni.. nothing like gettin your **** kicked to bring u back down to earth eh??
Another 7-5 season.. ND football is what it is now.. like looking at old army navy reels of Mr Inside Mr Outside.. or the whole.."Did u know the University of Chicago were the originally monsters of the midway??

May 18, 2008  01:32 PM ET

You have a potential cheater on the order of Shoeless Joe and you ask this? This is Notre Dame?

Equating throwing the world series to this has to be the dumbest thing I've heard in quite some time!

Parents should keep thier children off the computer.

May 18, 2008  01:40 PM ET

No matter how much involvement or benefit Weis had from the cheating, this is always going to be a shadow of "proof" as to why Weis is failing at Notre Dame.

May 18, 2008  01:41 PM ET

THANK-YOU!!! I've been waiting for this all weekend after what Walsh said recently involving Weis.
bossfan1 - no you did not get the competent coach you thought you got. Spygate may be ridiculous, but after Walsh's latest statements it may reach more teams/leagues than we thought...

May 18, 2008  02:47 PM ET

You have a potential cheater on the order of Shoeless Joe and you ask this? This is Notre Dame?

Equating throwing the world series to this has to be the dumbest thing I've heard in quite some time!

Parents should keep thier children off the computer.

Hillary Clinton

You know, Hillary, that's why you're not winning. If you cared to read other posts, you would see that Charlie might be most implicated of the Pats coaches in the Spygate scam. Any tapes of defenses will have passed his eyes. I admit Shoeless Joe comparison was extreme, even hyperbole, but this is cheating of a very, very high order. And ND wouldn't want that because the stink WOULD be great. (Almost as bad as your campaign.)

Now you should go back and TRY to see to the needs of your husband. How are we supposed to think you can take care of the business of the nation when you can't take care of business at home?

May 18, 2008  02:53 PM ET

BTW, Hillary, people in Kazakhstan might like your daughter, but you ,,, not so much.

May 18, 2008  03:12 PM ET

Charlie sez: "Brat me!"

May 18, 2008  03:29 PM ET

Gee Wizz. No crap he benefitted from cheating. Look at his teams now the play calling is so out there and alot of times makes no sense at all. He is exposed. If i knew what a defense was going to do id be a pretty damn good coach too.

 
May 18, 2008  04:36 PM ET

All Cheatin Charlie has to do is beat Michigan and he'll be able to breath easy for the rest of this year.

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