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Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly abruptly backpedaled Tuesday from feedback he made Sunday relating to the rivalry sport between Michigan and the Irish.
Kelly initially instructed media he thought the contest between the 2 groups – which might be played in Ann Arbor this weekend – was a superb regional recreation, however that it didn’t have the historic power of some of Notre Dame’s different rivalries.
“I actually haven’t seen it as a type of historic, conventional Notre Dame rivalries,” Kelly said on a convention call. “I’ve seen it as simply a type of nice football games that Notre Dame has performed.
“For me, I have been in Michigan a very long time, I’ve at all times felt the Notre Dame-Michigan sport was a giant regional game. However within the Notre Dame historical past books, this recreation has (been) performed, but clearly there have been some years the place it hasn’t been performed for quite a few years.”
Of course after two days of criticism from followers, media and even Michigan coach Brady Hoke, Kelly did a 180 and declared the contest to be one of many all-time greats in the lore of Irish football.
“It’s an awesome and historic rivalry that we’ll be playing this Saturday,” Kelly stated Tuesday. “So let’s get that out of the way instantly so we do not have to answer any more questions about this rivalry.
“We’re excited in regards to the sport, enthusiastic about taking part in it. This will likely be determined by the players on the sphere and the preparation that goes along with it. So we will stick to that and dispense the nonsense.”
Um, it’s only nonsense because you made it nonsense, Brian Kelly. This wouldn’t have even been a thing had Kelly not disrespected one of the great games in college soccer within the first place; one that has dated back to 1887. Maybe he was just trying to distance himself from it as a result of the 2 groups will stop playing after 2014 – a move Hoke called “chickening out” as a way to play weaker opponents.
There’s no doubt Kelly realized his phrases created a distraction for his workforce and his about-face was an try to nip it in the bud, but there’s little doubt he and the Irish will nonetheless hear about it of their closing journey to Ann Arbor this weekend.
Brian Kelly declares Notre Dame-Michigan a ‘great and historic rivalry’ two days after he said it wasn’t
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