Michael Floyd Will NOT Be Suspended By Res Life. What Does This All Mean???

There was some unexpected and positively awesome news that broke today about the Michael Floyd situation.

It started like this: 

After the initial headbutting and celebratory shows of emotion on all levels (family, texts, Twitter, etc.) I patiently waited for more confirmation to roll in, and once it did, the reality of it all started to sink into my skull… Just what in the hell does this all mean?

To say that this decision from the office of Residence Life is a bit shocking to Notre Dame fans would be an understatement. For many, many years, actions of Floyd’s nature would be dealt with in the most Draconian manner available- outside of an actual burning at the stake. The list of players in all of Notre Dame’s athletic programs that have felt the brutal edge of a very sharp sword unsheathed by Res Life is far too long and embarrassingly depressing to name off. Let’s just say, things were bad- very bad.

So again, I ask, what does this all mean?

1. Res Life has changed the color of its feathers. There is new leadership in place, and a bigger emphasis of communication with the athletic department has been addressed. It’s not “ATHLETES vs. RES LIFE” anymore. This is welcome news to a program whose last head coach named Res Life as one of the biggest problems holding Notre Dame football back from the top of the mountain, mountain.

Notre Dame will still not ever allow itself to fall down the sewer that some other programs across the country have been dwelling for the past 20 years, but there is hope of a more forgiving atmosphere for those that show remorse and provide penance for the wrong doings. It’s more Catholic now, as it should be since a priest is running the show.

2. The outlook for Notre Dame’s season just got a whole lot better. There were a lot of expectations for the Irish in 2011 that were helped put in place by a four game winning streak at the end of the season that included wins over USC and Miami in the Sun Bowl. Then, Floyd announced his return of his senior year, as well as the fantastic finish to the 2011 recruiting class. 

All of that momentum was halted the night Floyd was pulled over for a DUI and blew a .19 B.A.C. All of a sudden, Notre Dame’s depth at WR and at RB was in question, as well as a loss of a future Captain of the 2011 team.

Fast-forward to today…

Brian Kelly can still impose whatever punishment, if any, upon Floyd. Floyd is still suspended for the spring from the football- as far as I can tell. My guess is that Kelly will still do something, but Michael Floyd will start at WR when the Irish face off against South Florida. Just a hunch. So, once again, the 2011 season is looking very much like it did a month ago; on its way up and ready to prove itself to the nation.

3. There will be scrutiny and cries of “Tarnished Dome” from the haters, and well, just about anyone who isn’t a Notre Dame fan. Notre Dame has held itself in such a high manner for so many years, that everyone expects them to follow some sort of unmatched code of honor as opposed to the rest of college football.

Sometimes the bar is set too high, and Notre Dame has been guilty of that for a number of years. If the Olympic champion high-jumper would raise the heigth of his jump 6 more inches than the one that got him the gold medal, he wouldn’t be able to cleanly jump over the bar. Does that make him any less of a champion? No. He still won with the highest bar in the competition. No one would think he was a chump- or a lesser competitor.

Irish fans have created a lot of this messy bed themselves with self-righteous shouts of outrage at any program that has had a few athletes get in trouble. I’m not talking about the major stuff like AK-47’s, and drug rings, and booster dealings, but fans would condemn programs for doing exatly what we have done with Michael Floyd. Sometimes when the shit hits the fan, your fave gets covered in the shit you just threw.
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With all that said, I am extremely happy about today’s decision and welcome Michael Floyd back with open arms.

GO IRISH!!!