Lisa Hendey
The Fighting Irish faithful are again licking our wounds as headlines of a potential cheating scandal make news in advance of the season opener on August 30 at home against Rice.
I know that blogging about Notre Dame on a Catholic website is tantamount to opening the floodgates. But because of something I read today, I can’t help myself.
Around the same time as I watched a press conference with Coach Kelly outlining the ongoing academic cheating scandal and investigation of four Notre Dame players and read a scathing piece in the Chicago Tribune taking him personally to task, I read this headline:
Cameron Tringale Confesses to PGA Championship Error, Loses More Than $50K
I understand just enough about golf to realize that the situation with Cameron Tringale underscores his sense of ethics:
Tringale, 26, claims to have missed a stroke when attempting to tap in on the 11th hole Sunday, per a Eurosport report (h/t Yahoo Sports). Despite uncertainty about the stroke—Tringale himself claims to be unsure about whether he actually addressed the ball, which would decide if it warranted the penalty—the Mission Viejo, California, native claims to have been guilt-ridden over the past week. “Realising that there could be the slightest doubt that the swing over the ball should have been recorded as a stroke, I spoke with the PGA of America and shared with them my conclusion that the stroke should have been recorded,” Tringale said in a statement. Under PGA rules, a player is disqualified if he signs an incorrect scorecard. The mishit would have added an extra stroke to his round, taking him from a tie for 33rd place (four under par) to a tie for 36th. By virtue of his disqualification, Tringale will forfeit his $53,000 in prize money.
The article goes on to share that Tringale’s forfeiture will erase his best professional showing to date.
But in this situation, I believe he comes out looking like a winner. In a few weeks, months or years, none of us would likely remember (or know in the first place) that he didn’t take 33rd or 36th. If we remember him, it will be as the guy whose conscience nagged him enough to stand up and do the right thing.
As an Irish football fan, I am likely one of the few who could care less if we don’t win a single football game all season. My husband and I were students during the Jerry Faust era at Notre Dame, when wins were slim but there was no doubt that the coach was playing by the rules. We lost a lot of games, but somehow life went on and we managed to have a great time every week.
I’m not by any means accusing Brian Kelly of wrongdoing here – but he definitely sets the standards for our football team. And as such he has the vast potential to lead the team to a heightened level of ethics.
I know I’m being sort of Pollyanna here and that college sports now equate to big business. But as for this alumna, I’d prefer a full investigation, confessions if they are warranted, and the serving of penalties rather than having our team tainted by dishonesty and cheating.
C’mon Irish. Let’s get this one right.
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