Knew it was coming but it still sucks. Part of me was hoping it was all some big bait and switch to humiliate Notre Dame. The ND fans would be all excited, the press conference would be held, Brian would walk up on the podium wearing a ND hat, and then:
He pulls of his ND hat to reveal...
A yarmulke! Reform Judaism bitches!
And it turns out all along that Kelly was actually Jewish and he had inked a new contract with Cincy, the city where that branch of Judaism was born. And it was all an elaborate ruse to trick those smug bastards from South Bend and drive the final nail in the coffin of their once proud program.
All very plausible in my mind. But alas...
ANYWAY, at least I can increase my sports hatred of ND, I suppose, as they inevitably turn into a perennial top 10 program for the next decade. Sigh.
Not pro-related, but interesting graphic from the FO guys via ESPN Insider:
It's a projection that attempts to figure out how the Bearcats would have done this year if they hadn't played in the "easy" Big East.
Quick Summary: they would have pretty much kicked ass just about anywhere else.
Brian Kelly was a damn good college football coach. Bad day for Cincy. He's just a coach, you say? We'll see. Regardless, I'll be down in New Orleans supporting the players in the Sugar Bowl. Hope to see a lot of Cincy folk down there.
And we will more than likely get to go through all of this at the end of the season with Mike Zimmer.
Posted by: Sean | December 12, 2009 at 07:53 AM
How sadly true Sean, you know mikey isn't gonna pony up to what Zimm deserves to stick around. No Zimm, no bubble, no salary floor, no chance. Better make it count this year.
As far as Kelly goes, I like ND, always have, and you would think i would like them even more now, but honestly, I hope this blows up in his face as soon as possible. I hope the hype about not being able to recruit the way a top ten program does due to academic standards is true, I hope he gets caught banging a syphillis infected cheerleader (guys knows as a womanizer), and I hope he doesn't last the contract he signed. LOVE Gilyard's and Guidugli's reactions, no love loss there baby, go beat the cry baby, please please please beat the cry baby. And I hope we are in a position to draft Gilyard in April, late first rounder, we draft between 22-32 I suspect, and barring a ridiculous showing at Sugar bowl, I would guess that's where he falls.
Posted by: CurseofBoJackson | December 12, 2009 at 10:32 AM
"I hope he gets caught banging a syphillis infected cheerleader (guy's known as a womanizer)"
They probably did entice him with women...the ND boosters probably bought him a buncha whores
I'm sick of hearing on the am radio, how ever since he was a kid, he wanted to coach at Notre Dame...bullshit
Posted by: Hofbraunow | December 12, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Why would Notre Dame use women to entice him? Its a Catholic school, so they probably used 6-12 year old boys!!
Posted by: Jason | December 12, 2009 at 11:52 AM
LOL@
Posted by: Hofbraunow | December 12, 2009 at 12:31 PM
Am I the only one who'd rather have Dez Bryant than Gilyard?? Don't get me wrong, I like his motor and all, but we need a taller, more physical receiver to stretch the field. Gilyard is like Caldwell but with cooler hair and slightly better hands.
Posted by: skylinechilicheesesteak | December 12, 2009 at 01:37 PM
Brian Kelly is the Tom T. Hall of Benedict Arnolds
Posted by: Hofbraunow | December 12, 2009 at 01:58 PM
do any of you know if there is a Bengals bar in Pittsburgh? I'll be stuck there next weekend and NEED to find a safe-place to avoid all the Steeler tears. Thanks in advance.
Posted by: skylinechilicheesesteak | December 12, 2009 at 02:17 PM
I'm more upset that they just release Shaun Smith and activated Rico Murray to play safety instead of Crocker. Murray and Nelson are going to be back there against Shiancoe and the slot receivers?
Posted by: FeedMikeBrownToAquaBengal | December 12, 2009 at 02:38 PM
Yeah, Everything sucks but you know what's cool?
Big Joe from DC Jungle posting that Greg Gall Vid.
VIVA Big Joe from DC Jungle!
Posted by: Hofbraunow | December 12, 2009 at 05:22 PM
I can't imagine Gilyard being drafted by the Bengals, at least not in the first couple rounds. Chad is still here and won't be let go, Coles isn't about to get cut (whether he's replaceable or not), Caldwell is coming on well this year and will only improve, and Chris Henry should return healthy next year. I don't see why there's a need to pick up a first day receiver. Gilyard would mainly serve as a returner anyway, in a sort of 2007 Josh Cribbs role. Sure it'd help, but I have to think we'll have bigger needs on day one.
I can easily see him becoming a Bill, Titan, Jaguar, Raider (if his combine stats are to Al's lusting), Redskin, or Buccaneer, based on draft position (late first to mid-second) and team need.
Posted by: Mockenrue | December 12, 2009 at 11:29 PM
If the Bengals take a receiver in the first round, it'll likely be Gilyard, because both the Dez Bryants, Jordan Shipleys, and Golden Tates will likely be gone by the time they pick. Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing them take Gilyard because he gives them a legitimate return threat (that said, I'm pulling for Quan Cosby to come up big this week like he did against Green Bay), and, because of his history (so excellently documented by P-Doc on SI.com and elsewhere), he's not going to have the same sense of entitlement the Bengals' first round pick this year had, and will likely be in camp early enough to contribute IN HIS FIRST SEASON (shocking, I know!). While we're on the subject of draft/draft needs, where do you guys foresee the Bengals having the greatest need in the offseason? Do we start looking for Palmer's replacement in a year where there's a rich crop of quarterbacks (NO HOMO, I mean, No Tebow!)? I think they're pretty solid at running back, wide receiver is a possibility (although somewhat unlikely, unless it's for a returner), you can't ever go wrong with building depth at either line (something the Bengals have seemingly got shockingly right this season), linebackers look pretty good (BJ, Rivers, Rey-Rey starting next year? Hell yeah), we need depth at both corner and safety, but are there really any guys worth taking in the first round, seeing how well J-Joe and Hall have played this year? I'll confess to not following a lot of college football (I don't watch much outside of my Nittany Lions and the Bearcats), so are there any CBs or Safeties that really jump out?
Posted by: Wyatt | December 13, 2009 at 09:53 AM
Oh, and as an aside, how nice is it to be talking about the draft this time of year as something of an aside, instead of the only thing to really focus on? I mean, generally by this time of year, the Bengals' season is functionally over and the draft is all we have to think about. This year, we've still got three or four games that could be really good, and assuming Cincy wins today or Baltimore loses, the playoffs are a lock. PBS (Perpetually Blind Squirrel, my new nickname for Mikey Boy) certainly found an acorn this year, didn't he?
Posted by: Wyatt | December 13, 2009 at 09:56 AM