We could be Notre Dame and (on field results aside) our new coach hire could be looking at being criminally negligent:
One of the saddest weeks in Notre Dame history may just be the beginning of a fateful period of death, admissions, lawsuits and, possibly, firings.
Notre Dame's 28-27 home loss to Tulsa on Saturday was one of its most embarrassing setbacks in modern memory, but it pales in comparison with coach Brian Kelly's comments after the game.
In the wake of student videographer Declan Sullivan's death Wednesday, Kelly pretty much admitted it was his fault.
"Whether it's a tornado warning the day before or it's a lightning storm that's in the area or the heat index is at a certain number and certainly wind," Kelly said after the game in which the loss seemed secondary, "all of those elements have to be evaluated in making the decision, which I made the decision that I felt it was productive and safe."
Sullivan died when 51-mph winds blew down the scissor-type video crane from where he was shooting practice. Minutes before his death, he expressed his nervousness on his Facebook page and Twitter account.
"We have systems in place that deal with issues of safety," Kelly said. "Clearly, in this instance, they failed."
Clearly, Notre Dame is liable for a multitude of lawsuits. And Kelly's comment about what happened after the crane fell won't help: "I gathered the coaches quickly, two of them, and said, 'Keep practicing.' "
At the time, he didn't know Sullivan's condition, but that likely won't matter much in court. Nor will it matter to Notre Dame's administration when it evaluates Kelly when this mess finally ends.