By Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Are there still Notre Dame football fans who miss Brian Kelly? When he left South Bend for LSU, many worried that the Irish would enter a challenging phase. As Marcus Freeman struggled early in his tenure, skeptics became more vocal. After losses to Clemson and Louisville last season, some even began to wonder if there was any chance of bringing Brian Kelly back. Now, with Kelly’s team seemingly out of the College Football Playoff race and Notre Dame appearing strong, it seems fans are reconsidering the impact of Kelly’s exit.
Moreover, Freeman and the Notre Dame football program have never faced such poor losses that prompted a callout from the state’s governor—a scenario Brian Kelly cannot claim.
In addition, there’s another reason for Notre Dame fans to appreciate having Marcus Freeman as head coach. Recently, Kelly’s Tigers faced the Alabama Crimson Tide, and Louisiana governor Jeff Landry was so eager to showcase a live tiger on the sidelines—despite the university prohibiting it in 2015—that he brought in a questionable big cat trainer to present “Omar Bradley” in a cramped cage for seven minutes.
All of this for a 42-13 defeat for Kelly’s team. One would think Landry might have recognized how absurd that was. Instead, he doubled down and criticized the football team.
“Our tiger, our live tiger, unfortunately, disappointingly, was the only tiger who showed up Saturday. I’m sorry,” Landry said during a “Politics with a Punch” event.
The governor went out of his way to bring in a real tiger to help Brian Kelly’s team, which then lost by 29 points. Notre Dame football fans have plenty of reasons to be pleased that Marcus Freeman is at the helm.
