When The Sporting News hits newsstands and book stores this week, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen and head coach Charlie Weis are on the cover, standing together with Clausen holding a football and Weis looking on, smiling, in the background.

Considering the word "fired" is involved, don't know if it'll make the posterized covers that hang in the Notre Dame press box, but it may end up being more interesting.

Sporting News writer Matt Hayes spent one-on-one time with the junior quarterback during spring practice and in the midst of the conversation, appeared to open up, based on an e-mail received by Insights promoting the story.

In the story, Clausen says this: "I'm taking it personally. Coach Weis will not get fired because of me."

Clausen and Weis are invariably linked because of the high-profile nature of his recruitment and Weis sticking with the kid as a freshman. After two seasons of inconsistent play by the quarterback, the head coach's job has been debated.

And now, there's the quarterback making a pretty strong guarantee. Insights is hoping to have more on this later today.