Matt Zemek, blogger for Scout.com, and moral authority to us all, took Notre Dame to task, again, because taking Notre Dame to task is one of the 2 standard ways to ensure a lot of traffic to your “work,” and thus a happy editor/employer. This time, he claims that not only has Notre Dame lost track of its Catholic identity, but Notre Dame is also hurting America. To quote the ignoramus, “The ultimate problem with Notre Dame football has less to do with the institution itself, and much more to do with its violation of fundamental moral principles.” And if I were dumb enough to link to his column, and if you were dumb enough to go read it, this is what you’d see:
So while Zemek is busy blasting ND for hurting America and losing its Catholic Identity, he’s also busy marketing a credit card in the midst of one of the worst credit crisis this nation has ever seen, and a website called “NaughtyOrNice.com,” a matchmaking service that, apparently, is for those who want their sex without all those nasty entanglements like marriage, or, at the very least, commitment, and a video game system that’s helping our already obese society get even sicker while we, as a nation, are in the middle of a health care crisis. I’m surprised there isn’t an advertisement for lawyers who can get dads out of paying child support somewhere on the site. Maybe if I refreshed, there would be a new set of marketing promotions designed to help Zemek with his own Catholic identity or Americans with their morality.
Zemek continues his must-be-drunken rant with doozies like this:
I thought Notre Dame football’s biggest problem all these years was its lack of fidelity to Catholicism. Turns out that the program’s biggest problem was really its use of business methods that have hurt, are hurting, and–if unchecked–will continue to hurt America.
Right. Because “America,” which ND is apparently hurting, is bigger than, “Catholicism,” don’t ya know? This must be true, as Zemek, moral arbiter of Scout.com, spent the first part of his rant establishing that he’s a Catholic, so it must be true.
There’s a bunch of other stuff I could pick apart, like his complete lack of understanding of how a “free market,” actually works, or how investments, like, say, the purchasing of exclusive television rights to ND home games, are made based on forecasting of future performance rather than as a reward for the past. Zemek probably poured all of his money into Wang computers and still thinks it was a great buy. Never mind that after this entire diatribe, Zemek never once points out what team that isn’t already contractually obligated to a television deal via conference affiliation would be more “deserving” of NBC’s investment. I dunno, maybe he had Army in mind.
Anyway, let’s all hope Zemek sleeps well at night, making “money in a sound manner, with integrity and honor.” You know, with those internet banner ads to credit companies and find-sex-now websites that display while he baits people to read his “work.”
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DeepTeaKup
Domer, a few things.
One, how can you pick apart other “journalists” like you do all the time and still fall int to teh trap of buying MSM memes such as the nation’s “helath care crisis”, but this is not really my point.
Two, yes Zemek totally missed the point(and maybe you did too, not too sure) TV contracts have pretty much nothing to do with how ND (or any team) performs on the field. If this were the case WVU and USC would have much better deals than they do rigth now. There is a reason that the SEC, Big Ten, and ND get the big money, they get the ratings. It is that simple. I highly doubt NBC cares as much about how ND is doing on the field compared to how many people are watching. They bought the ND name and obviously they are making money on the arrangement or else they would not do it. Zemek does not want a free market, he (like many others in this country) wants to reward teams in a manner that he feels is “fair”, somehow suggesting that he knows better how NBC should spend their money.
domer.mq
DTK,
I get that. I just went and assumed a lot and then didn’t spell it out because I don’t have the time. I assume he’s correlating success on the field with ratings. Along with ND’s poor performance on the field last year, NBC suffered very poor ratings for their broadcasts of the ND home games. NBC bought the rights in anticipation that the ratings would either do much better in the future (and so too would the team, probably), or would at least give a better ROI than whatever alternative program they could come up with in the next 5 years, like, say, bowling.
I could have spent 2 hours ripping Zemek. I spent 10 minutes. He’s not worth more investment.
Irish50
Where to begin? It’s amazing that, in spite of the fact he clearly has no concept of how economics work, Zemek has managed to get people to pay him for his weak attempts to tackle elements of the “dreary science”. First, he publishes a book (“Liberalism the Right Way”) which I can only imagine is a laughable, holier-than-thou font of crypto-Marxism. Then, Scout allows him to embarrass himself (and, by extension, them) with this worthless article. By his tone, you would think Fr. Jenkins held a gun to Dick Ebersol’s head and demanded this deal. It was consensual and voluntary on the behalf of both parties and; ultimately, if NBC is wrong, it will pay for its decision with low ratings. Zemek needs to grow up and maybe spend some time reading “Capitalism and Freedom” or “Free to Choose”.
trey
What I find totally ignorant and foolish is to play the “it’s not fair card.” Let me guess, this hack probably went to Northern Illinois or some other insignificant pest of a school who’s football program wouldnt push a .5 rating if it had naked chicks on a field coated in KY. It’s just sour grapes, and a pitiful hack journalist trying to craft his resume for EsPN.
BigE
To hell with that guy. On to better topics, Mark Schlabach at espn.com has revised his top 25 to include ND at #25. He must have read Phil Steele.
Face Mask
People like to read CRAP like ole Z-man puts out. It sells for the same reason NBC wanted ND. Big fan base = big money. I like the press myself. Keep ND out there & we’ll pick up fans as they tune in to see what all the ruckus is about. GO IRISH!!
Sir John
I don’t pay Scout or MF $99.95 a year (Patting self on the back.)
domer.mq
Sir John,
To be fair, I know for a fact that Mike Frank thinks that Zemek’s article is utter BS.
Matt Zemek
There’s this nagging little problem with Notre Dame football that this NBC deal resurrected (and the word choice is intentional, given that Easter is the most important day on my calendar as a Catholic):
Namely, that Notre Dame sees fit to play by its own rules, the rules that enabled the Irish to gain a place in the 1995 Fiesta Bowl with a 6-4-1 record.
Now, also consider that NBC Sports kingpin Dick Ebersol has family members attending Notre Dame.
Favoritism, anyone?
Catholic social teachings are often referred to as “Catholicism’s best-kept secret” for a reason: Church leaders and institutions–and Notre Dame is mighty prominent in the larger realm of American Catholicism–don’t live them out, much less teach them.
Catholicism is not exactly enjoying one of its better, healthier periods, with immigrants being the only group preventing Catholic membership from hemorrhaging. Maybe Catholic parishes and diocesan communities are seeing the larger Church for the hollow shell it’s become. As an activist at my Catholic parish in Seattle, I see these things; as a Catholic who continues to go to Mass regularly and participate in the life of my Catholic community, I’ve earned the right to say these things, being that I’m on the inside.
Notre Dame is a marvelous university that is doing and will continue to do many great things for humankind.
This does not mean that Notre Dame football–this separate entity–ought to enjoy different moral or ethical standards, or not face due scrutiny when it insults everyone’s sense of fair play, and thereby offends Catholic social teachings and documents such as RERUM NOVARUM, which talk about the dignity and value of labor.
Notre Dame’s football labors currently don’t merit a sweetheart deal from a network whose boss is sending members of his family to that very same university.
Need I say more?
Actually, yes.
Unfettered capitalism and the Gospel of Jesus Christ are oppositional forces.
Now, at last, you can stick a fork in me, because I’m truly done.
Matt Zemek
CFN
domer.mq
Matt,
And I truly hope this really is you, Matt, promote a “sense of fair play” that reminds me a lot of socialism. I wonder what church leaders would say about socialism and how it plays with Catholicism. Hmmm…
And really, aren’t you supposed to go around worrying more about your own faults, like, say, working for a company that advertises NaughtyOrNice.com than how Notre Dame Football operates in the United States’ market system?
Anyhow, my mind boggles that you harp on the idea that “Notre Dame’s football labors currently don’t merit a sweetheart deal from a network whose boss is sending members of his family to that very same university.” Matt, your current labors don’t merit the sweetheart deal that enables you to get paid covering college football. I see better analysis and commentary from the raving lunatic on the corner of Clark and Foster every morning on my way to work. Going by your system of determining “merit,” I’d say you should be getting a deal working inventory at the local A&P.
Anyway, I really do hope this was you, Matt, and I hope you really are done. You’re hurting America with your “work.”
The Biscuit
Matt, I know your heart is in the right place. I know it. But your limited understanding of college football, capitalism, and how it [capitalism] plays in society and in relation to Catholicism, severely limits your ability to make a cogent argument here.
Best of luck, but really, stick to local social causes. You’re way out of your IQ/EQ limitations here.
That’s not me being smug – that’s just me letting you in on the truth. I appreciate your desire to keep Catholicism/Catholic doctrine whole/pure/true. But this isn’t the issue, the venue, or the subject for that battle – that battle is fought across decades, across countries and across cultures. And sir, ND is not hurting Catholicism or “America”. Take a deep breath, look in the mirror, and figure out what you want to do. Now compare that to what you’re doing.
Now, go start over. Best – The Biscuit
unsornofe
Good article! Will visit soon.