It's Going To Be A Fun Year In South Bend

This mysterious billboard was erected in South Bend this week, just across the street from the Notre Dame campus. Oh, that's sweet of Irish fans to throw their support behind beleaguered head coach Charlie Weis like....heyyyyyy, wait a second!

The billboard—which reads "Best wishes to Charlie Weis in the fifth year of his college coaching internship"—sits directly above the Linebacker Inn, a charming little watering hole just spitting distance from Notre Dame Stadium. Since the message was signed, "Linebacker Alumni," most assumed that the bar was the one responsible. According to BlueandGold.com, however, there's only one linebacker responsible—Tom Reynolds, a "seldom-used" backup from the Ara Parseghian days who has no apparent affiliation with the bar. Money well spent ... butt-head!

Weis, for his part, was philosophical about the whole thing.

"I'm the head coach at Notre Dame - I mean, welcome to my world," he told WSBT News at his pre-game press conference Tuesday. "Tell ‘em thanks a lot for wishing me best wishes. I heard about it, I haven't seen it and we'll just leave it at that."

Ahh, the "jerk is a tug, a tug is a boat" defense. Well played.

Controversial billboard blasts Weis [South Bend Tribune] Ready To Roll [Blue and Gold, fourth item] BEST WISHES TO TOM REYNOLDS IN THE 65TH YEAR OF HIS HUMAN INTERNSHIP [Her Loyal Sons] Charlie Weis billboard suggests Notre Dame coach has room for improvement [Chicago Sun Times]