Allen Pinkett taken off broadcast for Notre Dame game in Dublin

The Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Former Notre Dame running back and Fighting Irish radio analyst Allen Pinkett has been pulled off the broadcast of Saturday's season opener against Navy in Dublin, Ireland, following his comments that teams need bad guys to give them an edge.

Andrew Giangola, a spokesperson for the IMG Notre Dame Radio Network, said Thursday that the game deserves to be distraction free and Pinkett's comments made to Chicago's WSCR-AM were unacceptable. He said further decisions on Pinkett are pending.

Pinkett, who led Notre Dame in rushing from 1983-85, said: "I've always felt like, to have a successful team, you have to have a few bad citizens on the team." He pointed to the past success of Ohio State as an example.

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick called Pinkett's comments "nonsense."