Clausen ND's rock star
Officially, this was just a press conference. But that sounds so stuffy. In spirit, it was more of a meet-and-greet, a friendly getting-to-know-you.
''Some people like me, and some people hate me ... ,'' Notre Dame freshman quarterback Jimmy Clausen said. ''But a lot of people don't really know who I am. That's why I'm here today. I want you to get a chance to know who I am as a person. I'm just a laid-back kid from California.''
Well, this is nice. We're finally going to get to know whether the rumors were true about him having elbow surgery in the summer (they were). Also, we'll know more about the incident in which Jimmy Clausen, the laid-back California minor, was cited on an alcohol charge.
Before, Jimmy Clausen had gotten off on the wrong foot, as they say. It started when he announced that he would play for the Irish, doing it at the College Football Hall of Fame, of all places. He arrived in a stretch Hummer, bigger than the usual symbol of ostentation, with an entourage. A police escort led the way. And then 300 grown-ups gave this spiky-haired kid, dressed up and hailed like a rock star, a standing ovation.
Why would anyone hate him? Certainly, that's too strong of a word. It was too small a sample to really get to know him, after all.
But that entrance did lead to some negative first impressions. Jimmy, any regrets about that?
''You know,'' he said, ''I'm not really going to comment about that.''
Somehow, I just don't think Jimmy Clausen is connecting well. It doesn't matter much now because his play will decide what people think of him.
But he and Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis are tied together. They both arrived with a little too much bravado, and while they might win national championships together, neither has done much yet.
Weis already has a 10-year contract extension, even though he keeps getting clobbered in big games. And that isn't acceptable at Notre Dame. In his third year, this is Weis' team, and it's still not a national championship contender.
For now, though, all shortcomings are blamed on previous coach Ty Willingham. The small senior class was his.
Weis is still the guy known for his organization. He arrived as the guy with the Super Bowl hardware, the mind of an offensive genius and the reputation for grooming great quarterbacks. He made Tom Brady at New England, right?
For Weis, Jimmy Clausen is going to have to be The One. But so far, he hasn't been more than a pain.
The Irish open the season Saturday against Georgia Tech. And Jimmy Clausen might be the starting quarterback. Or he might not.
It's still a three-man derby
Weis isn't saying. He said he has chosen a starter but hasn't even told the three quarterback candidates which one will be it. If Weis told, he said, then the starter would ''have to lie to you if you asked him the question.''
Well, no. If someone asked Jimmy Clausen if he's the starter, he could say, ''Coach Weis wants to keep it a secret, so I'm not allowed to say.''
And that wouldn't be lying at all.
Weis said he wants to keep it a secret so that Georgia Tech won't know which quarterback to plan for. He's letting all three candidates -- Demetrius Jones, who's my prediction to start, and Evan Sharpley are the others -- take snaps with the first offense.
So I have this straight: Weis isn't having one quarterback lead the offense in practice? He isn't having the offense get used to one guy? And that's so that Georgia Tech will be confused?
I suspect that Weis isn't doing this at all but just wants to play games. He likes to be king.
What does Jimmy Clausen like? Let's see. First, he drew the world's attention to himself, something that surely would have required Weis' approval. After that, he went into hiding. Rumors leaked about the surgery, and he and Notre Dame were quiet.
On the one day that practices were open to the media, Jimmy Clausen didn't throw one long pass. Surgery? Weis said quarterbacks don't throw long every day.
In June, Jimmy Clausen was cited for transporting alcohol after he drove a 23-year-old to a liquor store, where the man bought two bottles of vodka, a bottle of whiskey and 30 beers. And Weis, a few months later, did say this:
''Did he have bad judgment, being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Absolutely. You can't sit there and say when something happens that nothing happened.''
But we never heard from Jimmy Clausen. Until the little gathering Friday.
He started it by reading a statement.
''I know a lot of you guys have questions about my health and other issues,'' he said. ''So I just want to start, and let me address these issues so we can talk about football.
Saying a little says a lot
''Following spring practice, I had a procedure on my elbow to arthroscopically remove a bone spur. It was a minor setback, and I've been rehabbing ever since. I've been throwing and practicing every day during camp, and my status right now is day-to-day.
''In regards to my recent legal issue, I used bad judgment in being at the wrong place at the wrong time, and I've learned from my mistake. I'm obviously now more informed about the Indiana state law.
''I will have no further comment about these issues.''
Written statements and no-comments. He's going to be awfully important to Weis and to Notre Dame. And this is learning more about Jimmy Clausen as a person?
[More
at www.suntimes.com]
