Academics should be a cause of pride
Katie McFarland
senior
Vinnie Zuccaro's contention that Bob Davie should be fired is on target, but his suggestion that Notre Dame football suffers because of stringent academic requirements is absurd. It is exactly because of these academic requirements that there is still reason to support Notre Dame football, at some level, even during lean seasons like this one. I agree that Davie's flailing attempts to justify his Notre Dame existence are embarrassing both to him and those who hired him. But what I cannot handle is the allegation that Notre Dame should follow the path they started down when they hired Bob Davie and continue to compromise the pride of Notre Dame football by lowering admissions standards.
There is no reason to think that Notre Dame's admissions standards prohibit the Irish from being a top team every year. The roster is teeming with prep All-Americans and state players of the year. Tony Fisher was the USA Today Player of the Year in Ohio. Carlos Pierre-Antoine, a reserve linebacker and special teams player, was a Parade Prep All-American. When the accolades for Notre Dame's recruits go beyond the first names on the depth chart, it's hard to make the academic rigor argument hold water. Nebraska and Miami are recruiting the same players, so at least those two national powerhouses think our players have the potential to play for a top program.
The real issue is that even with this glut of talented athletes and access to the best equipment and facilities, Bob Davie doesn't get the job done. It is not Notre Dame's admissions standards or schedule, just his failure to prepare the team to play up to their potential. Our players did the school work expected of them in high school and achieved at a level that earned them admission to our University; it is a disservice to them to give them a leader that is not also committed to achieving at a high level. I envision a post-Bob Davie era in which "80 Notre Dame players" who do "know their calculus" continue to play hard every Saturday under a competent coach.
Katie McFarland
senior
Breen-Phillips Hall
Nov. 30, 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Monday, December 3, 2001
