The “political junkie” and founder of iQ Venture Partners, Inc., makes a lot of valid points that ruffle peoples’ feathers — political peoples’ feathers. He’s darn good at it and I have to admit I’m a big fan of his writing and most of his views. This week, however, he took a shot (in the dark, seemingly) at Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly, whose team just lost a season-opening heartbreaker to USF.
Pollowitz wants Kelly fired. Assuming he isn’t joking when thinking that “the trustees of the university should fire him [Sunday] morning,” I have to call out Pollowitz on this one.
His reason is “because of the way he treated his players” and goes on to say that it was “really uncalled for.”
You be the judge:
That’s right, Pollowitz wants a Division I college football coach canned because of a verbal tirade in which he screamed and apparently swore at his players. In fact, Pollowitz also wanted Kelly fired last year after the death of the team’s student videographer, but now’s not the time for that debate.
Does the National Review Online writer and Columbia University alum have something personal against the former Assumption College linebacker, or does he make a valid point that Kelly should lose his job for dropping what I imagine to be a few loud F-bombs to a group of athletes during an emotional sports event?
My opinion on this features a few F-bombs of my own.
As a former collegiate athlete currently getting his competitive fix on the treacherous fields of South Boston’s M. Street (fast pitch!) Softball League and (sporadically) in the weight room as I engage in a late-20s battle against Father Time and gravity, I admit I’m not the superstar athlete I thought I once was. I do, however, still vividly recall what it’s like to be fully entrenched into an emotional and intense athletic battle — anyone that’s competed in anything does, too.
I don’t know much about Pollowitz’s past but am curious to know if he has ever competed in an athletic contest. Or even a really, really intense chess match? An emotional fourth quarter of Madden? An unfinished assigned vacuuming errand with seconds to go before said assigner returns home? Anyone out there that has picked up a glove, stick, racket, bat, helmet, hurley, club, ball or puck knows that most verbal etiquette goes out the window when stepping onto the field of play. As for where etiquette goes when players fail a head coach, whose job it is to produce winning? Good luck tracking that down.
For those who have laced up a pair of cleats, skates or sneakers: think about your last five coaches. Of them, I’m guessing that at least three got their points across with a few select four-letter words. From mere inches away from your face, with spit flying, blood boiling and vocal chords cringing. And most importantly: points being made, loud and clear.
Kelly’s treatment of players was “uncalled” for? How about the way they were playing — now that’s uncalled for. For those of you that missed this one, the Irish: turned the ball over five times, had a holding penalty that nullified a touchdown run, were intercepted by USF’s Devekeyan Lattimore in the end zone, had a pass interference call in the end zone on Irish defensive back Gary Gray, fumbled a punt return and had many, many more reasons for a coach at any level to let out some steam.
I’m not entirely sure why Pollowitz feels that such language is grounds for firing, but maybe he should pop in a mix tape (assuming he uses a Walkman, based on his dated beliefs of player-coach etiquette) of what the players themselves are listening to before each game. Look out Lil Wayne, Drake, Kanye West and others — Pollowitz will be calling for your mics shortly.
