Hating Clausen

Jimmy Clausen signed his NFL contract with the Carolina Panthers Wednesday morning, just in time for training camp. Signing at the last minute is common for NFL draft picks - particularly a quarterback with a high profile like Clausen. No doubt that the Panthers are a great situation for Clausen - a team with no proven quarterback, a solid running game, a conservative approach, and a coach friendly with the Weis system (John Fox). The contract is standard in guaranteed money ($2.4M), but with plenty of incentives should Clausen earn the starting job early in his career. Sounds like a pretty fair deal for both parties. 


Clausen is a polarizing figure in recent Notre Dame history among Irish fans. While its normal for non-Irish fans to hate the Notre Dame quarterback, Clausen was different because many inside the family did not care for him much. Certainly some of the resentment among ND fans towards Clausen is due to the record his team's had while he was the Quarterback (16-18 as the starter). I understand that quarterbacks are ultimately judged by wins and losses than any other athlete. Even though a baseball pitcher's ERA always seems to validate his performance despite a bad win/loss record, this is not the case for a quarterback - who is expected to lead and win no matter what the circumstances. 


Those Notre Dame fans that resent Jimmy because of his lack of wins I believe are too stubborn to look at the details. Whether you like Clausen or not, we all know that the 2007-2009 teams were some of the worst defensive teams ever at Notre Dame - giving up 29, 22, and 26pts per game, respectively. The 2009 team was finally talented enough, but was unable to close out games, losing 6 games by a total of 28 points. Certainly the offense could have done more in those games - but not much more. In those 6 losses of 2009, the offense averaged 29pts/game, while Clausen threw 15 TDs against only 2 INTs - completing over 65% of his passes. Its easy to see that Clausen performed well, and its even easy to acknowledge that the win loss record isn't the only way to evaluate a QB's performance. Why do many Notre Dame fans still resent Jimmy Clausen then?


The resentment of Jimmy Clausen within the Notre Dame family, as well as outside of it, was created by the circumstances of his arrival more than anything else.  When Clausen announced his intentions to attend Notre Dame at a press conference in May of 2006, the event was nothing short of a disaster. A limousine with an entourage, spiked hair, and a show & tell of championship rings were all involved - each of which is towards the top of any PR person's list of don'ts. Clausen's announcement created the same overblown expectations and resentment as Lebron's recent "The Decision" - meaning only a national championship or 3 would restore him to the graces of many. Later, as the Charlie Weis era fell apart, Clausen became a symbol of the departing regime, embodying the player version of Charlie Weis - no doubt talented, but unable to win at the college level. 


Obviously, I am a Clausen supporter. He made some initial mistakes as an 18 year old, creating a bad first impression he could never undo - just like Charlie Weis. No matter what you think about Clausen, you have to admit he is starting out on much better footing in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers than at Notre Dame. Clausen has had a quiet summer by all accounts, working hard in Charlotte and building a rapport with his new coaches and teammates. His expectations are helped by the fact that he's a 2nd round draft pick instead of a first, and since he plays in a mid-market city on a team that is expected to be average. I don't know whether Clausen will be a good NFL quarterback - but he isn't doomed for failure from the start like it seems he was at Notre Dame. I like to think he has taken his medicine and learned something from his Notre Dame experience as he starts a new chapter in his career. We'll see.