The Chicago Blackhawks celebrated “Black Friday” 2009 by debuting their brand new alternate jerseys. They are a slight variation of the 2009 Winter Classic jerseys. You can see the schedule of games where the hawks will be wearing these jerseys this season.

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I’ve been a Notre Dame fan my entire life. I’ve seen and heard all the storied fables of Rockne, Leahy, Parseghian and the Gipp. I’ve watched every epic comeback and victory in the programs history on DVD. I’m the guy who goes back and re-watches the recording of a game after a loss – in hopes that it will somehow change the outcome. I sat in section 22, row 23, for both the ‘88 Miami game and the ‘93 Florida State game. I also sat on my couch and watched as Notre Dame has lost to Navy, Stanford, Purdue, Pittsburgh, Air Force, and USC………year after year after year after year…. There are a few schools that the Irish should NEVER lose to – and yet – they have.

I have no hatred or even dislike for Coach Weis. I was head-over-heels on the Charlie Weis Bandwagon back in ‘05. I thought it was easily the best possible hire at the time – as did much of ND Nation. Seriously: an ND grad with 4 Super Bowl rings – the highest accolade at the highest level of the sport of football. That feels like an easy fit. Unfortunately we learned that 4 Super Bowl don’t necessarily translate into wins at the collegiate level. 0 BCS bowl wins, 0 National Championships. This would be an unfair bar to measure success everywhere else in the country – except at Notre Dame. A dynasty/franchise/university is only as good as its rings. (This coming from a die-hard Cubs fan.)

The experiences that come with a home game at Notre Dame stadium are unlike any other. I am so fortunate to have grown up in a family where going to ND games on Saturdays is just “what you did”. I do not want my sons to grow up in a world where the Notre Dame vs Navy game is a nail-biter. That game is a blow-out. Every year. No excuses. Don’t get me wrong – I have tremendous respect for our men of the armed services, but they are just that. They are not meant to be the best college football players in the nation. That is the expectation on Notre Dame football players. You win Championships, win Heisman trophies and have successful careers in the NFL. With that bar as the standard – Charlie Weis must be replaced as head coach.

Any of us could go down the list of all the positive things that Coach Weis is and stands for. He is a great person and arguably a very good coach. Neither of these matter after 3-9 and 7-6 seasons. Charlie became the middle-man for what has become more than a ten year re-building process. It breaks your heart to see a team that is so loyal to their head coach walk out of the tunnel against UConn on senior day. Coach Weis earned that moment with his team. None of us know what has gone on behind the closed doors of the Gug during Charlie’s watch. And we don’t need to. The comments from the current players says it all. Coach Weis has been a loyal, honest father figure to every athlete in his program. The fans and alumni of the University are simply asking for more than that from their head coach. They are asking for a consistent top 10 team in the BCS and the occasional National Championship; seasoned with a Heisman trophy here or there. I understand that may be a lot to ask for. But that is why we are ND.

To Coach Weis: thank you for all you’ve done. You have left Notre Dame better than you found it.

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