It's no coincidence that the University of Connecticut beat Notre Dame in double overtime on Saturday, say some of the Fighting Irish faithful. The reason this happened is clear: President Obama made Touchdown Jesus cry.
The President, of course, spoke at the university's May commencement; an act which angered many Catholics due to the controversies over Democratic views on abortion and stem cell research. And according to some commenters on a Notre Dame football message board, this has angered God, or something.
I apologize in advance for linking to a partisan political site like the Daily Kos: That kind of political peanut butter has no business getting into our sports chocolate. But in this case they did do the the legwork of sifting through the comments to find these examples, so credit where credit is due.
From the Rivals.com Notre Dame message board:
* After the ARROGANCE of Fr.Jenkins in awarding an Honorary Degree to the "Messiah"...despite loud, angry protests from the Alumni....let them sink...lower and lower and lower! -- Jack from PA
* Typically a huge Notre Dame fan because they are such a unique and awesome institution. Since abortion loving Obama came to campus I could not care if they lose every game here on out. Stick to your roots Notre Dame!!!!!!!!!!! -- bmcdermott70
* Well as least ND gave Obama an honorary degree. You really want to know what ND football problem is; lack of character, lack of identity. Even the University of Miami has an indentity; partying and getting laid. When one of the worlds most well known Catholic Universities honors a champion of abortion "rights", they have betrayed the basic precepts on which they were founded. ND is an empty shell encrusted with rotting, empty tradition. Knute Rockne comming back from the grave couldn't help this team win. Sad. -- richarddennisjr1
* and that boys and girls is what happens when you let Obama speak at a Cathoilc university! -- John R.
Not a lot of logic included with these; especially that last one, where we are led to believe that God tends to get very Old Testament when it comes to college football. Among other Notre Dame excuses on the board are "our admission requirements are too high" (hmm, doesn't seem to be hurting Stanford this season), and "Charlie Weis is dumb." By the way, the Obama comments are only four of more than 200 on the board so far, so let's not paint all Golden Domers with the same brush.
***
Wingnuts: President Obama to blame for Notre Dame football woes [The Daily Kos]
I rarely put my real name to comments, so here this goes...
I AM ASHAMED OF MY FELLOW ND FANS. How do we call ourselves catholics yet fail to have compassion and understanding of anothers beliefs? Did God say "forgive your fellow man", or "judge your fellow man"?
Gazooks, this will give robertg another venue for his conspiracy theories. Divine retribution.
This is absurd and irresponsible. You title this article as "Notre Dame fans have rational explanation for football failure: President Obama." Maybe there are some other quotes out there that directly support this??? but the ones you picked are merely angry football fans voicing their displeasure towards the Notre Dame football program in any way possible. None of them directly blame the Obama visit for the failure of the football program. I hope you're proud that you've resorted to such a respectable method of gaining a reader's attention. Why don't you try reporting something factual?
This is the most ridiculous article I have ever seen on here. I can't imagine anybody but the village idiot blaming Obama for ND's football problems. Come on nbcsports find some news worth our time.
If Notre Dame's record is an indicator of God's mood, He's clearly happier with Obama than he was with Bush.
Which, really, should come as no surprise.
/pokes sleeping internet commenter beast
Yea, This is the reason for the season that we have. Who in the world writes this garbage? Actually, what we should do is ask President Obama for a football financial bailout!
I'm getting the impression that the average commenter here doesn't quite get Rick yet.
I have always thought ND folks were intelligent. Anyone who blames the President for the failure of this year's ND football team/coach is retarded.
By "judge", if you are referring to " Matthew 7v1, the original Greek word is closer to "condemn", as in "Condemn not, lest ye be condemned". Jesus was referring to Lev 19v15, in which we ARE to judge, but to do so righteously, in fairness & Christian love for one another.
Lev 19v15: "You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor."
Jesus can't be the reason for Notre Dame having such a crap season. Florida doesn't even play them this year.
/agrees with "thesepretzels". Can there be tryouts again?
"Thou shall not lose to Navy"
"Thou shall not lose to Navy"
Wow! It looks like there are a few Obama loving Dems on MSNBC. You are a bunch of spineless pricks, especially Eric Marshall.
That's like blaming the guy who made you breakfast for the dinner you had.
Absurd!
Great analogy Mick. I couldn't, for the life of me, find a better example.
Actually...the second and last one do...unless inferring is not your bag of tea, in which case the last one doesn't have an antecedent and therefor could be responding to just about anything...
Oh, and you're an idiot, the article clearly had a heavily satirical edge (see: Touchdown Jesus). Have a nice day.
I wonder what Olberman's commenter name is?
My guess is "mission: accomplished."
I have been a Notre Dame fan since 1956 and until now have never felt ashamed of the students and fans. As Catholics you have a history of being hated and slandered. Now you are sounding like the good god-fearing trash from the south. They profess to love Jesus and want to live as he preached, but hate everyone who is not white, anglo-saxon, protestant, and ultra-conservative Republican. After 8 years of criminals and traitors in the White
House, you should be proud that we have an intelligent man as President. An American President who is trying to better the everyday life of all Americans.
Unfortunately the so-called "Christians" who choose to attack President Obama will use any means to espouse hatred. Notre Dame's heartbreaking losses this season are just that-games lost by close scores due to the defense breaking down or a better team's play. God doesn't waste its time on sports-there are more important things to worry about then a football team. I do thank Rick for exposing such stupidity-to think these people actually walk among us!
Is there a point to this other than for Rick to rub it in? I don't think so. Hey, maybe Ricky is looking for a writing job on the Daily Show!
To think that our Heavenly Father really cares about football in the whole scheme of things is pretty ridiculous. Sorry ND fans, your program is going to have to stand on it's own two legs. That being said, join a conference and "earn" your respect.
J. Martin, you are a flaming hypocrite. Perhaps you could find a better way to defend Obama rather than stereotyping the Southern population? Instead of being ashamed of the students you should be ashamed of yourself.
Obama made Touchdown jesus cry and that's why ND stinks? How about Weiz being a putz?
Oh, come on you all! Everyone knows the Catholic God would not behave this way...but don't neglect that that otherwise fine institution was named for his mother and my Jewish friends all attest that hell hath no wrath like a Jewish mother!
No, I speak from many years of having the misfortune of living in the South. Everything I say is true and you know it! The land of Slavery, Religious bigotry, and racism. Did the KKK not appear at the LSU game this weekend? There are many great people in the South, people I like and respect. However, they are a small percentage of an otherwise red neck population.
Perhaps we should distinguish between ND boosters and fans and the ND alumni. Most graduates I know are very intelligent and rational and would never attribute the woes of the football team to who the commencement speaker was.
Can't say the same about their rabid fan base though. It seems they'll blame just about anyone. I'd like to know who they blame for the basketball team? Nixon?
Something tells me the usual sports blog commenters haven't made their way to your blog yet Rick. Not between this post and the Favre debacle. Keep up the good work, enjoyed you on Deadspin.
maybe he can get linked on "blogdome."
oh, right...
The Learning Curve??
Oops... Sorry ND! I'm all caught up in the Saints season this year and haven't been paying attention.
-god
It was only a matter of time until this story appeared
the responses confirm the final triumph of stupidity
ah, mon dieu
Leave GWB out of this discussion
It's easy to caricature these posts. After all, they are written on message boards where brevity is practically the rule, and notes are written in haste, letters transposed, etc., making their incomplete "arguments" (with misspellings included--thanks for that detail Rick, because it's so mature of you) easy targets. More importantly, they assume a worldview which the writer of this article equally assumes (and assumes his readers will assume) is absurd. That worldview holds that there is a God, and He can be pleased and displeased by our actions. (I know, I know, totally crazy!) Furthermore, that worldview holds that when Christian individuals and institutions betray the principles that made them what they are, the ripple effect can be real and far-reaching, and touch even the lesser things in life. Put another way, while it may be a reach to believe ND old timers thought God was categorically "on their team's side," they did feel what they did and how they did it mattered to Him--even football. Were they that wrong? Doesn't anyone find it remarkable that a small school in Nowhereville, IN is still considered the Mecca (or at least A Mecca) of college football, even in its decline?
You may disagree with their ideas, and even consider football itself to be trivial, and that's fine (though that'd be tough for Rick, for obvious reasons), but some ND alums still think that ND football is an extension of the university's identity, and not being true to oneself has its consequences. I've heard that sort of thing at commencement addresses...and political rallies.
>>(with misspellings included--thanks for that detail Rick, because it's so mature of you)
Dude, you wanted me to go through and copy edit those messages? For real? Let me just say ... not going to happen. Also: Seriously?
Thanks. A hard rain is gonna fall, and that rain will be called "Invitation-only commenting."
Nice article Rick. This story ranks right up there with the posts of ND haters calling Charlie fat. Maybe that could be your next story.
Um, dude, seriously, appositive, appositive...
It is at very least customary to include the [sic] to indicate original context, etc. But Rick, your defense barely masks your intent, made abundantly clear in your lucid (well-spelled) prose. I know very well what you are up to, or do you deny your consciousness of the "fact" that the orthography of those quickly typed posts provided you with a bit more "evidence" for the point you are seeking to prove? Why don't you just tell us straight out what that point is, Rick? That those who felt ND made a mistake last spring are all religious freaks and buffoons? And who is politicizing the ND football scene more, a few posters whose point of view you cannot fathom (or is, in fact, silly and extreme), or you the commentator who made a federal case of it, photo of the president and all?
Well said David86, well said!
Seriously people, how many people on here whole heartedly believe that god would punish a college football team because they had a president speak who believes in abortion. That in itself is the most absurd thing i have heard in a while for college sports. If god is punishing ND for letting him speak then why didnt the whole catholic nation get punished when they swept the whole catholic priest and little boy's thing under the rug?? No one just wants to admit that the AD's and ND in general need to step out of the 1800's and start recruiting and getting coaches the same way the other big colleges do. instead they claim to remain old fashion in their ways when doing those things. I'm not a rocket scientist but apparently, thats not working. ND seems to think that because who they are everything is going to fall right in their lap, look around its not happening anymore.
Ok, one last thing (sorry omitted this from my previous post). Anyone see the headlines today? Jimmy Clausen punched in the face by an irate fan? That right there should show you that the fans are just grasping at straws trying to place the blame on whoever they can. Sure you can throw the players under the bus all you want, but when it comes down to it the people in charge are to blame, not the players, not Nixon, and certainly not god. Is it so hard to actually believe that Charlie Weis is not a good coach?? We have seen it time and time again, when coaches go from NFL to College, and vice versa, most the time they fail.
dude, you're mixing your religious metaphors.
I don't think Catholics go to Mecca...
Wow...thanks eric for that because honestly after reading this article, i considered supporting another team. i have been a notredame fan all my life even though i'm not catholic its sad to see so many against obama. the world is full of enough anger and hate. the world is full of differences, including beliefs, so just pray for those you differ with and reframe from derogatory comments. nd fans are way to classy for that.
Well, I heard somewhere that a small minority is allowed: four of them to be exact--the same number of people that justified writing a headlined article on how "Notre Dame fans have rational explanation for football failure." But their pilgrimmage to Mecca wasn't important enough to write about...
I have compassion and understanding.........until your behavior harms another person. I do not have understanding for child molesters, rapists, murderers (especially murderers of babies) etc.
And the Bible is VERY clear. Judge the tree by the fruit. If you support the killing of unborn children, that's your choice. Just like child molesting, etc. But I judge the actions. Like the Bible says to.
P.S. I am absolutely pro-choice! No woman should be forced to get pregnant. But after choosing to engage in behavior that results in pregnancy, NO ONE has the right to murder a child because they don't like the consequences of their "choice".
Glad to hear you are no longer in the South. I don't know how we could have dealt any longer with the presence of one so, so much better than we poor ignorant rednecks.
And on a more serious note, J.Martin, You are the perfect example of ignorant, yankee trash that gives Northerners such a bad name. And you are also a liar and a coward. Now, have a nice day now, y'hear.
Haha Notre Dame sucks, Charlie "ate the chocolate factory" Weis sucks, hateful Republicans suck, Reglious nut bags suck and SEC sucks, Pedophile Priest suck. Maybe GOD is angry that the catholic church was protecting all of the scum of the earth scum bag priest that were molesting little boys.
Mr. Bill you suck, Norte Dame sucks, most Republicans sucks, child molesting priest suck.
Leviticus 19:15 says nothing about "Christian love", which is unsurprising since it's in the OLD Testament.
BTW, what IS "Christian love"? What exactly distinguishes "Christian love" from the love that others feel? The more I hear and read about what some Christians love to do, including some of their "spiritual leaders", the more that phrase worries me.
ND Sucks: Is it just child molesting priest liberals are against cause I've seen plenty libs stand up for Roman Polanski?
For as dumb as religious people are you make yourself seem even dumber and I didn't even think that was possible but you did it congratulations!!!!
Huh? What? Yo!Who are the intellects that are driven to express Notre Dame football collapsed due to God punishing the institution for the May 2009 conferral of a degree on Obama? Notre Dame was hammered way before this debacle happened last spring. Hence irregardless of priests sexually assaulting young boys,the Catholic Church losing members (like myself) due to its "mission" getting too out of touch with the members,and Catholic educational venues no longer fulfilling its purpose--God and Christ have seen fit to level condemnation on this football team. Absolutely amazing! I am not dismayed; I am flabbergasted that in our society there are individuals who are freely and willingly entertaing such a mindset. Yes! Several posters have truly denoted a mindset that is beyond rationalization. This discussion reinforced my decision to cut ties with the Vatican--if this is a "barometer" of the current mindset of American Catholicism it is on the skids.
Mr Bill Get a life. How about blaming it on the Sec. of no defense.
Politics and personal views have nothing to do with the last 13 years of ND football. I take that back maybe politics, the politics that force Lou Holtz out.
well that's something new to me
Hey, at this point nothing would surprise me.
Chalk up the 2009 season to poor coaching? horrible execution? or God being pissed at ND for the Obama debacle?
Fact: pick one, pick all, pick none result is the same -- what a disaster! Amen.
I know this may be harsh, but most of these catholics are clowns and hippocrytes anyway. First of all i am a Christian and voted democratic this time. People who call a human being Holy Father(the only Holy father is God the father(Jesus said their is none good but him), kisses a MAN's (they kiss the popes ring) ring, ignores child molestation, covers up priest having kids with married or single women, worries more about being a good catholic than living by God's word, uses abortion and fear as a tool to push their political agenda, likes the death penalty, likes war, likes theocracy, thinks that God cares about a football program, has a secret and in some instances violent history, tell people when and when they cannot take communion(Jesus didn't give you that authority) The bible says let everyman examine himself when taking communion. As often as you do it, do it in rememberence of him(not the pope) , and last but not least; thinks GWB was somehow this holy and God fearing president just because he used you to get votes by giving you lip service about abortion...side note: the reps controlled all 3 branches of gov for the last 8 yrs and roe v wade hasn't been overturned...GET IT. So in summary some of these self righteous catholics can't tell me jack..
My father in-law made a joke that the baby better be a boy or not to bother telling him. I was so hurt! How do you even respond to comments like this?