The University of Notre Dame’s football coach Brian Kelly had a rough day yesterday. A very rough day. His team had five turnovers at the worst possible times – many of them in the red zone.
The loss is damaging to Notre Dame because many thought this season would be different from so many others when the Irish seemed poised for greatness only to fail. But while what happened on the field was disappointing, I think what happened on the sidelines was much worse. A purple faced Brian Kelly cursed and screamed at not only at his players (who are 18-23 years old) but he did it on national television for people of all ages to see. And let me tell you something, you didn’t need to be a lip reader to figure out what he was saying. By the look on my eleven year old’s face, she figured it out pretty quick.
To put it bluntly, if there was a drinking game where you drank every time Kelly cursed I would’ve needed help getting off the couch, never mind getting to bed.
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September 5, 2011 at 12:14 am
I'm glad this issue is being brought up. I saw the game and was very uncomfortable with the behavior I witnessed on the sidelines. Even the television announcers seemed to have awkward pauses whenever the cursing occurred. Since Notre Dame has a contract with NBC, the NBC announcers clearly didn't want to draw attention to what was on-screen, but anyone watching couldn't help but notice.
Coaches have many different styles. Some yell, some scream, all have different ways of teaching and motivating. Some excellent high school coaches (Bob Hurley comes to mind) use curse words and swears as a regular teaching effect. Personally, however, I would not respond well to a coach who hollers like a sailor.
But the power of a visual cannot be understated. Remember last year's Bears/Packers NFC Championship game, when Jay Cutler removed himself from the game with a torn ligament in his knee? Because he was not writhing in pain, commenters and peers from around the NFL chimed in with their thoughts on Cutler's unmanliness.
Several moments on a television cannot give us the full scope and breadth of Kelly's ability to coach, teach, and motivate, so we really shouldn't be calling for the man's job. But if, in the heat of the moment, he continually melts down, it would be appropriate to remind him to be a good example for the young men: when adversity strikes, don't curse and scream, but accept the misfortune, use rational judgement, and move on to the next opportunity.
September 5, 2011 at 1:07 am
Whether you like it or not, yelling, screaming, and cursing are part of sports. There is something very primal about sports that usually puts it outside the bounds of political correctness. Do I want it to be clean and family friendly? Yes I do. But do I understand it when things get heated and a little ugly? Yes, I get that aspect of it too. Players and coaches get frustrated and sometimes don't always think straight. It's human nature.
September 5, 2011 at 1:14 am
I'm reminded of today's Gospel reading, about remonstrating with our brothers when their behavior is visibly lacking. Of course swearing is a part of life and a part of sports. But why does that automatically mean that we can't ask our brothers to live at a higher standard?
Do I swear and curse sometimes? Of course I do. We're all human and we're all broken. Do I swear at my children when remonstrating with them, or at young men under my charge? I try not to. There are usually better and more constructive ways to deal with things. Of course this is easier to see once the heat of the moment has passed.
September 5, 2011 at 1:15 am
Yelling, screaming, and cursing are not part of sports, not even in a secular setting; they are about immaturity.
Imagine Our Lady encouraging foul language — or perhaps indulging in it Herself — at some village children's game.
September 5, 2011 at 1:55 am
Big deal! I am so sick of this 'new puritanism'! Is everyone going to get sacked every time they do something someone else doesn't like?
September 5, 2011 at 2:22 am
Fired, no. Fined by Notre Dame, maybe. Strongly counselled by his bosses and some priests and given some shrink time, for sure.
September 5, 2011 at 3:34 am
@Dennis: Bringing down God's condemnation is not "something someone else doesn't like" its damnation.
September 5, 2011 at 5:02 am
Just do what they do on the Sci Fi channel, say Frak! What the Frak are you doing?
September 5, 2011 at 8:12 pm
Irenaeus: LOL, or "fudge"
No he shouldn't swear, in the field or outside, but he shouldn't be fired either
September 6, 2011 at 4:28 pm
My father, who as raised as a Seldom Baptist (not a Southern Baptist) still has a very bad image of Catholics and Catholicism as a result of being the referee at a Catholic High School football game in Charlotte, NC a few decades ago.
It seems the coach called the players over to a huddle for prayer before the start of the second half and when the prayer was over the coach yelled at his kids, "now get out there and win this G*#D*~! football game."
The message he got out of that one experience was that they (Catholics) only say they are Christians, they don't really believe in the things to which they attest. In his mind, all Catholics have to do is say a few Hail Mary's after the offense and its all ok.
My dad is not the only one to get a bad first impression of Catholicism in this way. To many people, that ball game may have been their one of few, if not their only exposure to a 'Catholic' or a Catholic college. The coach not only represents the college, but unfortunately the faith.
Directors of Athletics at our Catholic Universities need to be well aware of this in their hiring and disciplining.
I don't think he should be fired for this, but he should be made to know what is at stake.
September 7, 2011 at 12:58 am
Why did NBC keep the camera on the guy? I think your problem is with NBC, not Brian Kelly. I think nobody here would want NBC putting a camera in their face at tense moments of their lives, or any other time.
As far as families watching, well, football is an inherently violent sport, and major college football is extremely high pressure and high stakes*; surely you're assuming some risk by letting your eleven-year old watch it to begin with? This can't be the first time you've found out sports coaches use salty language on the sideline.
* While you pat yourself on the back for controlling your temper in life's setbacks, ask yourself if you've ever had to coach a major college football team for millions of dollars to win a few games a year.
September 9, 2011 at 3:35 am
Catholics have a reputation for bad language. I converted from the Assemblies of God 10 years ago. I am still not used to the coarseness of language used by Catholics – and I mean the the ones in mass every week. Parish youth group leader uses sh** da**, a-hole, cr*p regularly. and then there's the movies they attend & allow in their homes. We have the complete truth, but we're not letting it into our lives.