Bad Trade

Are You Ready For Some Sun Bowl?

2010-12-29T10:31:00.000-05:00

Getting ready here! Sadly, I won't be attending (thanks to a failure of friends who can afford to go), but I will be off to Chicago to watch the game with friends. Should be fun!

Motivation

2010-11-28T12:10:00.000-05:00

The last time I posted was on July 27, 2010 (which is obvious if you just look at the next post down, but I am a captain of stating the obvious, so I'm doing it).

It's not like I have some great excuse for not posting. While I did change jobs in that time period, I have had the time to post. I've had the good fortune to attend several games this season. I might have even had some stellar insight (though that's probably unlikely). What I haven't had is the motivation to post. Really, it has been like this for a couple years. I was just tired of losing, of not having hope that things were going to get any better. And the beginning of the season didn't help matters. It was easy for me to just ignore my blog, to find an excuse not to post. I couldn't build up the enthusiasm to even post links, as easy as that is.

But, after last night's win over USC (exactly four months after the day I last posted), that motivation is back. Thank you, Irish. See you in Orlando (or wherever) - and I can't wait to be there with you!

39 Days...And the Grotto Goes Up in Flames

2010-07-27T08:56:00.004-04:00

Well, maybe not so dramatic as that. But evidently the grotto caught on fire Monday night, 40 days before the first game. That has to be a sign of something...

43 Days And Counting...

2010-07-23T12:42:00.003-04:00

Where will you be in 43 days? I'll be somewhere on the Notre Dame campus, having a beer (take that, Excise Police!) and a brat.

So close...

Edit: If you're looking for something to enjoy today, check out this video of Michael Floyd playing some softball against the ND Ladies - suffice to say, I'm pretty sure Golden Tate would have done better.

Look Who Is At The Ballgame

2010-05-14T20:42:00.001-04:00

Turned on the television to watch the White Sox game, and look who's sitting behind the batter:

Coach Weis! It's quite distracting.

Welcome to Blue Gold Week!

2010-04-19T09:43:00.000-04:00

Headed to ND at the end of the week for the festivities, but, barring work intruding (a real possibility), I will have multiple posts over the course of the week - all involving tailgating and tailgating recipes, as I attempt to come up with some new tastes for parking lot cuisine.

Is It Friday Yet? - And Getting Amped Up for Utah

2010-03-25T10:25:00.004-04:00

I woke up this morning super excited about it being Friday and the start of spring football...yeah, needless to say (but I will anyway), when I realized it was Thursday, I was quite disappointed. On the plus side, less than a month until Blue Gold!

A quick link this morning, via The Wiz of Odds - it appears that people in Utah find northern Indiana to be an enticing November vacation destination, as Utah has way more requests for tickets to the ND-Utah game than they have actual tickets. But my fave part is when the school hits up their donors for more money:

"This is turning into the biggest road game in the history of the program," Knuth said. "There are a lot of good things going on with the program and people are excited."
Fans who are worried about getting tickets to the game can still better their chances by donating more money before the May 15 deadline, Knuth said.

Always nice to see fans of other teams being the ones hit up for the bigger donation.

Swarbrick's Conference Comments Posted Without Comment

2010-03-09T14:34:00.001-05:00

Swarbrick's comments on ND joining a conference for football, as reported by ESPN.

Soldier Field, Here Come the Irish!

2010-03-09T10:10:00.001-05:00

It appears that the Irish will be playing at Soldier Field in a couple of seasons.

Why is my first thought upon hearing this to wonder whether they will be serving beer at the concessions?

Twittering

2010-02-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

So, I am on Twitter (@bluegoldheels), but I rarely use it. I live in the cell phone dark ages, with a phone that barely text messages, let alone allows me to update Twitter, so I can only update when I am online. I may, however, start paying more attention to Twitter.

You see, to go along with my last post, Ozzie Guillen is now on Twitter. You just know that there will be tweets from Ozzie that would get any other manager fired as the season progresses. Plus, it is easier to understand him when he is writing, not speaking.

Already, Ozzie is saying things that are not exactly what one would like to hear from a manager. For example, yesterday he tweeted: "3 day of Spring Training and im already boreddddddd."

Nice attitude there, Skip. And yet, this just makes me all the more happy to be a White Sox fan.

Things to Do in the Long Off Season - Even More Things

2010-02-19T16:05:00.003-05:00

Now, I love my Irish, but there are other teams in my life. Most notably, I love my White Sox. Now, even if you don't like baseball, if you have ever heard Ozzie Guillen's wonderful insanity, you know that the idea of a reality show in which he stars is either the most brilliant or most horrifying idea ever. Either way, it's a train wreck waiting to happen, and Major League Baseball seems to have realized this, and on July 4, the MLB Network is going to premiere a show called The Club that will follow Ozzie, among others.

My off season just got a lot more amusing.

Another Way to Get Through The Long Off Season

2010-02-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

Watch any and all video of the new coach you can find. Over at Irish Sports Daily, a video of Coach Kelly at the Baseball Dinner.

I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, so I have no insight for you (like I would have insight even after watching it). Still, it is one more thing to get me through the off season.

The Long Off Season

2010-02-15T18:00:00.001-05:00

If you have ventured to this website, I am sure you are one of those individuals who marks the overly long college football off-season in smaller, more palatable increments. There's Signing Day (oh, glorious day when my obsession with boys in high school could probably border on the arrestable), Start of Spring Practice Day (when I start obsessively watching 15 minute videos of men stretching and doing other assorted exercises that teach me nothing, though it would be helpful if they would teach me that I need a better, more productive hobby), Blue Gold Game (or, as some have come to mark it, "Sit in the parking lot, drink, and accidentally miss the game. Again." Day), etc.

Next weekend marks an event that, thanks to a new subscription to DirecTV and the presence of the NFL Network on said dish, I can now add to my off-season list of events: The Combine. Yes, I will be spending significant portions of next weekend watching fat men do things like take their shirts off and get weighed. And I will enjoy it far more than anyone should enjoy something like that.

Alumni Sports Weekend Sights

2010-01-11T19:27:00.003-05:00

I headed off to Notre Dame for the weekend. Guess who was there?

That's right - the Amazing Christopher!

Oh yeah, I was on a Stadium tour and saw this other guy:

He offered no insight into next season. Must have known I would post it on the internet...

The Things Women Go Through...

2010-01-05T17:00:00.001-05:00

Sad news for those of you not of the female persuasion.

Don't Ever Leave Us, Coach Pearl

2010-01-05T16:00:00.001-05:00

If you did, we wouldn't have gems like this one.

Why Didn't I Know About These at Christmas?

2010-01-05T14:00:00.002-05:00

Link.

Just Made Someone's College Career Relevant.

2010-01-05T13:00:00.002-05:00

Link. And yes, I corrected the tweet's grammar.

Bring me some salsa, please

2010-01-05T12:00:00.002-05:00

You WILL bow to your tasty new Tostito overlords.

Next Up, USC Football

2010-01-03T15:31:00.001-05:00

A gal can hope, right?

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T15:01:00.002-05:00

OK, so I am a day early with that sentiment.

I have lots of things to say about all of the recent/not-so-recent news on ND, but not today. Today, a video:

Maybe I should resolve to post more this year...

Irish Blogger Gathering: Better Late Than Never Edition

2009-11-20T09:20:00.003-05:00

So, I am hosting this week's Irish Blogger Gathering, and yet I still can't get my act together to post until Friday. I just can't seem to get myself motivated about this team any longer - and I think that will be reflected in my answers.

So, without further ado, the questions:

1. The Pitt loss: give me something good about it, something bad about it, and something ugly about it.

Something good: I had fun in Pittsburgh. Other than the game, I mean. That part sucked.

Something bad: The game.

Something ugly: The game. (Hey, I didn’t say that these had to be different things)

2. UConn this week. Does the sellout streak end? Do you care if it does end? And if it does, does this have any meaning beyond it being the end of yet another ND streak during the Charlie Weis era?

I think the streak ends. And I kind of do care, even though it is something that should be meaningless. This is a team that people wait their whole lives to see just once at Notre Dame Stadium. There should never be any doubt about the stadium selling out legitimately, and there should never be a game that someone attending Notre Dame Stadium for that one time in their life should think is sub-par. Yet, with the asinine scheduling of opponents and the lack of quality on the part of Notre Dame recently, that is exactly what has happened.

3. UConn is coming off of a bye week, with three losses just before that, including close losses to West Virginia and Cincinnati. The last time they won was just before cornerback Jaspar Howard was killed. These factors - along with ND's sorry performances recently - suggest to me that UConn is a dangerous team for a Notre Dame team that could really use a win going into Stanford. Should I be worried about this game? And what should I be worried about?

I am worried. Frankly, if we were playing Washington State this weekend, I would be worried. It is not so much about Uconn for me, but about Notre Dame. They just don’t seem to show up until it is almost too late, or too late, in the game. Put that together with a team that is desperate for a win, and it’s a recipe for disaster.

4. Notre Dame will be seeing a familiar face in UConn quarterback Zach Frazer. Is there anyone who transferred out of Notre Dame, or who the Irish nearly got in the recruiting process, that you think would have made a significant difference on this year's team?

I don’t think that there is one particular player that would have put Notre Dame over the top. However, I do find myself regularly wondering whether a few more guys on the defensive side of the ball in those early classes would be the difference between us still referring to Charlie as a genius, and us referring to him as a former coach.

5. I, for one, was very optimistic at the beginning of the season. Now, at 6-4, I am nearly disgusted with this team, and I admit to some actions regarding Notre Dame football that I never thought I would engage in. I can't imagine I am alone. Have you done anything this season - turn off games at halftime, leave early, not watch at all, etc. - that smack of desperation and disgust with this team?

This weekend, I am doing something unthinkable - I am not only not going to the game at home, but I am choosing to go to another football game entirely (Wisconsin vs. Northwestern). And, this is the part that makes it even worse - the games are at the same time, so I won’t even watch the Notre Dame game until I get home on Sunday and watch it on TiVo. And you know what? I am perfectly fine with this decision. I never thought I would get here, but here I am.

And I never want to be here again.

The Other IBG Posts:

One Foot Down

Domer Law Blog

Irish Blogger Gathering: The Feels Like 2005 All Over Again Edition

2009-10-14T17:57:00.002-04:00

After taking a hiatus for a few weeks (as always, work life intrudes), I am back with this week’s IBG, hosted by OC Domer, a poor man stuck in USC territory. Somehow, in between obsessive weather checks, constant perusing of the internet, and prayers for Michael Floyd’s immediate health and return to the field (I love USC week), I managed to get this thing knocked out. So, without further ado, the questions:

1. The weather forecast for Saturday's game (as of this writing) has the high temperature in the mid 40's with some chance of rain (or snow?). What weather would give Notre Dame the best chance to beat USC? Why?

I was originally tempted to ask for rain, but thanks to my crack detective skills (read: watching Conan O’Brien), I have discovered that it has been raining in Los Angeles. So, even with rain this week in South Bend, a rainy day on Saturday would be a wash in terms of preparation for the weather (haha, get it? A wash? Wow, I really need to stop working so much).

The other obvious answer is snow. But no one is prepared for snow this early in the year (except for maybe North Dakota), so any advantage ND might have on that front at the end of November is not there right now.

So, what I really want is what the weather forecast for Saturday actually is: sunny and very cold (well, very cold for mid-October). Anyone who has lived in a cold climate knows how deceiving a sunny - but cold - day can be if you are not prepared for it. One aspect of this is under-dressing. Sure, it seems like a good idea not to wear something with sleeves under the uniform when you are in the locker room, or even while you make the quick trips between hotel and bus, and bus and locker room, but once you get on the sidelines, waiting while Jimmy makes a long drive down the field, it could be a regretted decision.

2. Irresistable Force or Immovable Object? Notre Dame's offense is ranked #10 in yards (470 per game) and #27 in points (32.6 per game). USC's defense is ranked #6 in yards allowed (238.6 per game) and #4 in scoring allowed (just 8.6 points per game). In 2008 Notre Dame had just 91 total yards against USC. Will the Notre Dame offense be able to move the ball on Saturday? If so, how?

The one thing I don’t worry about with ND is moving the ball. Rudolph and Tate provide two constant and legitimate threats, and I have been steadily gaining confidence in the run game to provide at least some alternative to the passing game. Of course, I would feel about ten times more confident in these statements if Michael Floyd were involved. As was posted by “Brad” in the comments over at Blue-Gray Sky:

I say Floyd miraculously heals overnight, takes the field against Southern Cal, scores on passing plays of 72,65,83,42, and 24, and after the game we find out the whole 'broken collarbone' thing was really just a separated shoulder and was done in anticipation of screwing Southern Cal over! Parties erupt, craziness ensues, insanity reigns, dogs and cats living together.

That’s kind of my inner hope.

Back to reality, though, my one big worry is that the turf toe will be bothering Jimmy, and he won’t be able to make the passes he needs to make, or scramble when USC comes after him. Hopefully, the bye week and the adrenaline of USC week will erase most of the problems here, but it’s still my number one worry.

I still hate the wildcat, though. If you don’t think USC is salivating to take Jimmy out if he lines up at receiver - penalties be damned - then you think much more highly of the Poodle and company than I do.

3. USC's offense is #22 in yards (430.6 per game) and #53 in scoring (28.8 points per game). Notre Dame's defense is #100 in total defense (403.2 yards per game) and #59 in scoring defense (allowing 23.8 points per game). Will the Notre Dame defense be able to slow down the USC offense? If so, how?

Answer two weeks ago: Yes. With magic.

Answer today: Bring some of that energy and skill brought to the Washington goal line stands to the game. Get the crowd fired up while USC is still in the huddle so they can’t hear themselves think, let alone what others are saying. Figure out how to fully execute the blitz. Force turnovers.

And a little magic wouldn’t hurt, either.

4. In 2008, with Michael Floyd unable to play due to injury, Golden Tate had 2 catches against USC for a team-high 15 receiving yards. How do you expect Golden Tate to play against USC this year?

I have many, many hopes for this game. Among these is the hope that Golden Tate plays out of his mind on Saturday. And, it being USC week, I have managed to convince myself that he WILL play out of his mind on Saturday. Do I have any good reason? Not really.

Also, please, Golden? No random dropped passes.

5. Jimmy Clausen has started to get some Heisman buzz. In your opinion, which Notre Dame player is the most deserving of Heisman attention, Jimmy or Golden Tate? Why?

No question in my mind. Jimmy. While I appreciate Golden stepping up big time in the absence of Michael Floyd, he’s still not the person I want to trust when the game is on the line. At the Purdue game, as Jimmy began the last ND drive of the game, I texted a friend, “Brady would do this.” Turns out, Jimmy did it. Repeat at Washington (including the text). On Saturday, if it comes down to that last drive, the person I want to get the ball is not Golden Tate, but whoever Jimmy Clausen decides is the right person to have the ball. (And, even though the person who I was texting will be sitting with me on Saturday, I WILL be texting him the same thing if it comes down to one last drive. Don’t mess with success, even on the level of superstition).

6. Overrated or Underrated. Notre Dame cracked into the AP Poll at #25 this week. Are they overrated or underrated at #25? Where would you put them in your poll?

Underrated. I would have them in the mid- to high-teens, mostly for playing all D-I teams of generally decent abilities.

7. USC Song Girls: Ambassadors of Collegiate Goodwill or Anachronism from a bygone era of oppressive sexist stereotypes?

If you’re looking for the female participant to call the Song Girls an Anachronism from a bygone era of oppressive sexist stereotypes, you’re dealing with the wrong woman. I wish I had the ND version of the song girl outfit. Speaking of, that might not be a bad thing to look into...

8. Green Jerseys? There's a lot of "green" talk coming from campus this week, and it raises the question of whether the team will be wearing green on Saturday. Do you want to see the green jerseys or not? Why?

I love the green jerseys, and if I see them at the beginning of the game, I will not be upset. However, the way I really want them employed is like this: All week long, the coaches drill it into the heads of the players that they have the skills to win this game, they don’t need any help from higher powers, they don’t need to resort to any gimmick-y jerseys. Then, the team comes out, and, if the game is close or the Irish are winning at half, break them out. Even with it drilled into their heads that they don’t need them, a little boost can’t hurt.

Plus, I can imagine that the stadium - especially the students - would go nuts if they came out at half. And keeping the crowd into the game for the second half on a cold day can only boost the Irish.

9. Name the next number in this sequence: -3, -20, -38, -35, _______. Explain.

+5. I’m not sure my heart can handle another close game - especially against USC - but I don’t see the Irish beating the Trojans by a large number. I fear that my heart will have to deal with the Cardiac Catholics for at least another week.

Cheeseburgers Have Been Eaten...

2009-10-12T14:55:00.003-04:00

Bring on USC!

(Because lolcats are definitely the way to start out USC week).

Go Irish!

2009-09-26T13:32:00.003-04:00

Go Irish!

And yes, I have enlisted the dog to help me drink.

Irish Blogger Gathering: Sparty Edition - The Posts

2009-09-18T06:00:00.003-04:00

Gents and Ladies, the posts that are up for this week's IBG:

Over at Subway Domer, the founder of this gathering discusses drinking. And other things that are less prominent in my life in a post-meltdown weekend.

Her Loyal Sons relive the Ty days (but not in a bad way).

At Charlie's Nasties, our childhood friend Grimace encourages bad behavior. I approve.

Another individual making a living practicing this whole law thing over at Domer Law Blog remembers that, win or lose, no one goes wrong with an excellent tailgate.

One Foot Down spices our pre-game prep up this week, and breaks out the John L. Smith rant. You know I approve.

Brawling Hibernian reminds me of something I forgot - the on-air radio meltdown after the 2006 come-from-behind win.

Let me know if you have posted and are not up - I'm doing this on a Thursday night post-tailgate prep/mid-liver warm-up, so perfection is not exactly something I am going to even hope to claim at this point.

Irish Blogger Gathering: Sparty Love

2009-09-18T03:00:00.003-04:00

It's late, I am waiting for food to be ready for tailgating this weekend...in other words, time to answer my own questions for this week's IBG. Before I even start, I need to admit to two things.

First, my high school didn't even bother to hide its ripping off of MSU - we were the green and white Spartans, right down to the team logo of MSU. I still have to train my mind to root against the first amateur team that I had an active role in loving.

Second, the part of me that traces its roots to Greece traces those roots to what, in this day and age, we would consider suburban Sparta.

In other words, it can sometimes be hard for me to root against Sparty. Yet, I overcome this hardship, and strenuously root for the utter destruction year after year. And so, without further ado, I get to some discussion of that sentiment.

1. Still trying to get the taste of last weekend's game out of my mouth, so let's start with something fun. With Sparty on its way into South Bend, give me your favorite memory of the ND-MSU series. I don't care what it is: John L. Smith losing it, the image of MSU guarding against nothing, an actual game memory, whatever.

Not so much a game memory as a pre-game memory that has previously been brought up on this blog. My sister, her friend, and I, in a parking garage in East Lansing because we couldn't find a normal parking spot, grilling, drinking, and otherwise enjoying ourselves to the utmost. We *may* have missed the entire first half, but, as ND had pulled out to the early lead, was not really missing anything important.

2. Since 1997, Michigan State has won 9 of 12 games against the Irish. I view this as a classic case of Sparty having ND's number. What worries you most about Michigan State this weekend?

Personally, I am worried that the hangover from losing a game that should have been won will carry over to this game. MSU is not a bad team, any hangover from last week's debacle will spell absolute disaster for the Irish.

3. Between my lingering bad feelings from last weekend and the history of this series in the last decade plus, give me a good reason or two or three to feel optimistic about a change in fortune for the Irish, because right now, I could use some optimism.

I wouldn't have asked the question if I had an answer.

4. As it is my week, I get to address my current ND obsession. Have the last two games changed your opinion/reinforced your opinion re: Charlie in the box versus Charlie on the field?

I have been extremely in favor of Charlie in the box since the Hawaii game. I remarked to those unfortunate enough to have to deal with me during last week's game that I was convinced that the numerous issues with getting plays off had to deal with the communications problems that result from having someone who is not calling the plays down to someone who is on the field. We have Charlie on the sidelines, and in a matter of seconds, he needs to communicate with those individuals who can see the field from above, interpret their communications, deal with players, decide on the play, relay that play in to the game, and deal with whatever other issues are currently being presented to him from those coaches and players who are not in his immediate circle of responsibility as the effective OC (among other things that I, never having played football don't immediately recognize). I don't the Charlie is effective enough as a motivator or influencer of on-field situations to warrant his presence on the field. I view him as a distraction at this point, and think he should be in the box.

5. If nothing else, I can count on one thing to look forward to on Saturday - tailgating. Anyone have a good recipe for me to try? I make no limitations on what it can be - a drink recipe, dessert, appetizer. So long as it can be made on a grill, camp stove, or ahead of time, I am happy to listen. The better the suggestion, the more likely you are to get invited to my own tailgate.

My easiest, most fail-proof recipe:

Make-Ahead Post-Game Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

1 can beef broth
3-4 pounds pork shoulder or pork butt
1 package BBQ sauce
1 package hamburger buns

Combine the beef broth and pork in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 10 hours and drain. Add BBQ sauce. Transfer pork to a disposable aluminum pan. Store in fridge/cooler until ready to eat. Re-heat on the grill, add more BBQ sauce to taste, and enjoy. So, so easy, yet so, so tasty.

6. Finally, any predictions for the game? I encourage your predictions to involve something other than a final score, but otherwise, I make no suggestions.

A beautiful day in north central Indiana. MSU arrives at the storied stadium of the Fighting Irish, over-confident in their own abilities and their perception of a lack of abilities in their opponent. After staking out an early lead on several questionable calls by the refs (really? MSU only needs to be within two feet of in-bounds for their catches to be considered? Good to know!), ND overcomes the obvious refereeing bias and destroys the Spartans to the tune of 30 points. [ed. - I originally had something about a goat up here. I have no idea what the point of that was, other than it probably seemed to make sense at 3:00 in the morning after several glasses of wine.]

Irish Blogger Gathering: Sparty Edition

2009-09-14T17:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome to this week's edition of the Irish Blogger Gathering. Here are the questions for Michigan State week; I should have answers up in a bit (as well as listing the posts as they come in). Now, without further ado, the questions:

1. Still trying to get the taste of last weekend's game out of my mouth, so let's start with something fun. With Sparty on its way into South Bend, give me your favorite memory of the ND-MSU series. I don't care what it is: John L. Smith losing it, the image of MSU guarding against nothing, an actual game memory, whatever.

2. Since 1997, Michigan State has won 9 of 12 games against the Irish. I view this as a classic case of Sparty having ND's number. What worries you most about Michigan State this weekend?

3. Between my lingering bad feelings from last weekend and the history of this series in the last decade plus, give me a good reason or two or three to feel optimistic about a change in fortune for the Irish, because right now, I could use some optimism.

4. As it is my week, I get to address my current ND obsession. Have the last two games changed your opinion/reinforced your opinion re: Charlie in the box versus Charlie on the field?

5. If nothing else, I can count on one thing to look forward to on Saturday - tailgating. Anyone have a good recipe for me to try? I make no limitations on what it can be - a drink recipe, dessert, appetizer. So long as it can be made on a grill, camp stove, or ahead of time, I am happy to listen. The better the suggestion, the more likely you are to get invited to my own tailgate.

6. Finally, any predictions for the game? I encourage your predictions to involve something other than a final score, but otherwise, I make no suggestions.

One Down...

2009-09-06T23:54:00.000-04:00

Starting off the week right. With a baby:

Go Irish! Beat Wolverines!

Irish Blogger Gathering: Let the Kool-Aid Flow

2009-09-03T22:11:00.005-04:00

I know you've all been waiting anxiously for my answers to this week's first IBG of the season, hosted over at Domer Law Blog. Well, wait no longer. Another lawyer, checking in.

1. My season preview included music video footage for each position group. What song or video do you feel typifies this year's Notre Dame team heading into the season? Embed a youtube or other similar video if possible.

I had real trouble with this. Then, I thought, something fun, something upbeat. A little something that opens with a line like, "On your mark, ready set, let's go":

2. Post a picture that to you portrays the attitude of this year's team and discuss.

Awww, a little deer. Here's the deal. Look at this dude. He's feeling OK. You know, figured out the whole standing up thing at this point. But, there's a lot left to prove. It only takes one mountain lion (or car) to derail this whole growing up thing. But, if you can avoid the mountain lions (and cars), you're pretty well set. Like ND - things have been going OK. They're looking like they're going to get better, but it won't take much to screw that up. So, you know, avoid the lions. And the cars. And the people with guns.

3. What do you perceive as the team's biggest weakness heading into the season?

I was going to go with swagger/confidence/similar term, but that seems to be popular. Instead, I am wondering if I can get away with saying having Charlie on the field. I saw the Hawaii game. Put him back up there until ND loses again.

4. With the exception of the 1990s, Notre Dame has won a National Championship in every decade since the 1920s. What are the chances (a) that Notre Dame wins a championship this year, and (b) if not this year, when do you predict the next championship for the Irish?

(a)I'm going with a 25% chance ND wins a National Championship this year. The talent is there to win every game on the schedule, or drop one and still make it there. I'm optimistic, what can I say?

(b) Next year.

5. Nevada runs the Pistol offense, Navy the Triple Option, and Michigan the Spread Option. Which offensive scheme do you think is the most difficult to prepare for, and why?

Pistol. Was going to go with the others, but we see those on occasion. The pistol? Not so much. Anything that you don't see regularly is going to give you fits. I don't like fits. Plus, you know, at this point in the week, I am pretty convinced that Nevada is the best team ND will face all season (don't worry, I'll feel the same about Michigan this time next week).

6. Is Colin Capaernick the best quarterback we'll see this year? If not, who is?

I'll go with yes. And yes, most of this is the fact that I have spent the last month scaring the crap out of myself thinking about this game, rather than actual reasons. Colin Capaernick is, in my mind, with less than 48 hours until game time, perhaps the greatest quarterback of all time.

7. Prediction time. We have to get on the record before the season kicks off. Give me:

A video to go with my predictions:

(1) Overall prediction for wins/losses: 12-1
(2) Projected bowl game and result: National Championship and WIN.
(3) Predicted final ranking: #1
(4) Best player on the team: Michael Floyd
(5) Heisman trophy winner: Jimmy Clausen
(6) National Champion: Notre Dame
(7) Prediction for Nevada game, including score: ND wins, 37-24

You Know How I Know It's Almost Football Season? - Part II -

2009-08-24T12:30:00.002-04:00

Ran home at lunch today, and actually squealed with delight to see that TiVo had recorded this morning's showing of the Hawaii Bowl. Then, of course, felt obligated to post it to Facebook.

So much for any evening plans...

Lou Holtz, Fellow Kool-Aid Drinker

2009-08-23T12:06:00.002-04:00

Lou has most definitely been hitting the Kool-Aid pretty hard:

You Know How I Know It's Almost Football Season?

2009-08-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Conversation at the doctor's office this morning:

Receptionist: We have an appointment for 8:30 on November 10th. Would that work for you?

Sarah: That's the week between the Navy game and the Pitt game...yeah, that would work.

Receptionist: [Looks at me like I'm crazy]

26 Days...

Devil's Advocate on TCU and Tulsa

2009-07-21T14:26:00.003-04:00

Popular complaint of the week around the ND world? The rumored scheduling of Tulsa and TCU to fill out the 2010 schedule. There are plenty of comments to be found on this topic, and I am going to say right out front that I would rather see the schedule filled with opponents typically considered to be of a higher caliber, for reasons that don’t need to be explained to someone who is checking out a random ND blog (so long as ND beats them. If not, I am on the record as pro-cupcake. I like wins, what can I say?). The idea of putting Alabama or Miami on the schedule - and then beating them - sends happy tingles up my spine that the scheduling of two rather unremarkable teams does not.

However, let me play devil’s advocate and give some reasons why putting Tulsa and TCU on the 2010 schedule could work out in Notre Dame’s favor. Come 2010, ND is going to be in one of two situations. Either:

(A) ND will have had a record ensuring a BCS bowl game (or close to) in 2009, and Charlie Weis will be coaching a team that will be considered a top team - if not the top team - going into the 2010 season*; or

(B) ND will have had a less-than-stellar 2009 season, meaning that we have a new coach in place, and all the attendant problems that come with this.

In that first situation, so long as ND is not playing a schedule consisting entirely of cupcakes (which, with USC and Michigan three years into the Rich Rod regime, is not going to be the case), ND will be better off playing a schedule that will put the team in the mix to play in the National Championship game. Even with some of the other weak teams on the 2010 schedule, putting Tulsa and TCU on the schedule gives ND a legitimate chance to win out, and thus put ND in the National Championship.** Frankly, I don’t care who ND beats if it means a National Championship.

Moreover, if it’s late in the season and ND has a chance to win out, getting a ticket to those game would be darn near impossible - and I, for one, would be attempting to get one of those tickets no matter what the cost, nor who the opponent.

As to the second situation, having a few easier games on the schedule for a new head coach is not necessarily a bad thing. It would make the adjustment for both coach and the team easier, and provide a chance for a couple wins for a team that might desperately need them for morale (but hopefully not). Do you run the risk of failing to sell out those games? Maybe. But you will also have the residual excitement of the new coach, which could very well make up for this. And if those games have a bunch of empty seats, it will be a very clear message that ND needs to get teams like Alabama and Miami back on the schedule.

Of course, these could all be rumors, and we could all be working ourselves up over nothing. And I sure hope so. Because I would really like to get back to posting crap about tailgating prep for Nevada. Being serious is just not much fun.

* Assuming Jimmy Clausen comes back for his senior season - which even someone playing devil’s advocate would probably have to say screws ND over royally.

** I’m not going to argue the point of whether ND makes it if there are 3 undefeated or one-loss teams. If ND can legitimately be put in the National Championship game, ND will be in that game. Higher ratings + More money = ND in the game, no matter who else those other two teams are.

Back, Boys & Girls!

2009-07-17T22:55:00.002-04:00

Well, it has been a long time, but I am back!

Important item of note: fewer than 50 days until Notre Dame takes the field again - and, rest assured, I am already considering the tailgating menu for Nevada (because, really, what else can you do for a game like that?).

Anyway, here's an article completely unrelated to college football, but interesting nonetheless - how sports keep you going in Antarctica. For anyone who appreciates the smell of fresh cut grass from a few rows up and a cool beer in hand on a summer evening, it's a great read.

More to come soon, and Go Irish!!!

Tailgate Report

2009-04-21T16:04:00.000-04:00

As usual, I saw very little of the Blue Gold game. If by "very little" you mean "none."

Seriously, people, it was 70 and sunny, and there were beers. I was not leaving that parking lot. Other people can be responsible and do recaps. I will take brats and beer.

Blue Gold Game, Here I Come!

2009-04-17T15:01:00.002-04:00

The car is packed, the beers are in the cooler and ready to be iced down, and I will be off to South Bend sometime in the next hour or so for the Blue Gold game, as soon as I feel that my presence at work will no longer be missed (I know it's getting close because I'm already getting mad about the portion of the trip where I have to drive through Kokomo).

Don't expect much recap, because I can't remember the last time I made it to an entire Blue Gold game (and I believe there has only been one time that this has happened). I think the best that can be expected is a tailgate report - which I can guarantee I will see all of.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a good time this weekend, and Go Irish!

Welcome to Baseball Season

2009-04-07T14:11:00.003-04:00

Well, major league baseball, at least. The Irish baseball team has been playing now for awhile (racking up a 19-10 record on the season so far, 5-4 in the Big East).

I bring this up for two reasons. One, if you're in Chicago next week, Notre Dame and Northwestern will be playing at Sox Park a week from tomorrow (April 15). Ten bucks and free parking? If I lived less than three and a half hours away, I would be there.

Two, for anyone heading to the Blue Gold game, the Irish baseball team plays West Virginia the evening before. Grab your stuff and do a Friday, warm-up, pre-Blue Gold tailgate (though you have to hide your alcoholic beverages, just a warning - yes, that's experience talking on that one), then head to the baseball game. If I could possibly get off of work next Friday afternoon, I would be right there with you and/or hosting my own tailgate. Sadly, I'll be waiting until Saturday for food and good times.

Mmm...Kool-Aid

2009-04-02T08:58:00.002-04:00

I love the taste of Kool-Aid in the morning (even if the Kool-Aid is a day old)...

Non-Football ND Update

2009-03-23T14:07:00.002-04:00

So, thanks to a quick trip home this weekend, I have not been able to fully digest the vast amount of material from the start of spring football. Once I have, I'll be answering the IBG questions, but until then, a quick update on some non-football ND sports.

Hockey - The hockey team won the CCHA tournament, and they are going into the Grand Rapids regional as the Number 1 seed. The game will be on ESPNU, and if you haven't watched any ND Hockey this year, I highly recommend it.

Men's Basketball - ND beats New Mexico, in a game that was, if not good, at least thrilling. Next up for ND is the winner of the Kentucky-Creighton game this evening.

Women's Basketball - A first round exit, with a loss to Minnesota.

Elsewhere in ND Sports...

2009-03-19T13:54:00.002-04:00

With one day until spring football, this gives me a good chance to see what else is going on in the world of ND sports (as, really, after tomorrow, I get to start my true obsession). It turns out, there is a lost of post-season play going on for ND right now!

Men's Basketball - Yes, it's the NIT. Yes, it was a disappointing season. But there are a lot of teams that are already at home, or are going home soon, and ND still plays on. Tonight's game is against New Mexico, better known in my Bears fan world as Brian Urlacher's alma mater.

Women's Basketball - The ladies start NCAA tournament play on Sunday against Minnesota. This is the 14th straight trip to the tournament for the ND women, but only the second time in history that the ND women's team has played Minnesota (a game ND lost, in case you are wondering).

Men's Hockey - The hockey team is up in Detroit for the CCHA championship, where the Irish Irish take on Northern Michigan. Last weekend, Coach Jackson got his 100th victory as ND's coach.

Fencing - How much do I know about fencing? Not much beyond ND has been pretty darn good at it recently. And it involves things I would classify as swords, but which probably have another name of which I am not aware. The men's and women's fencing teams are at the NCAA championship this weekend.

Women's Swimming & Diving - ND has also sent three members of the women's swimming and diving team to the NCAA championships this weekend.

Go Irish!

Renewing Old Rivalries - Convicts Edition

2009-03-18T10:28:00.003-04:00

[Edit - Haha, I just went over to Subway Domer and realized he had already posted almost exactly the same thing, right down to linking to UHND (but seriously, those videos are awesome)! Smooth move on my part - anyway, I'm keeping it up, but I do realize what happened. And I fully admit that I appear to be a plagiarizer.]

Oh, please, please let this happen:

After a nearly two-decade break, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said the Fighting Irish is ''very interested'' in playing Miami again in football, and the interest is mutual.

If you are like me, and weren't a fan of the Irish yet, here's something to get you fired up about this.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T08:30:00.000-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Bad Trade! Here's my new puppy, Choppy, with a St. Patrick's Day message for everyone:

That's right, Sniff my Butt, I'm Irish.

For some of Choppy's swear-filled rants about my inability to properly give her the attention she deserves, visit her website, Choppy's Dog House.

Tomorrow, St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-16T17:33:00.002-04:00

I hope that everyone enjoyed the deleted post. No idea how that got put up.

So, while I am currently spending most of my time looking forward to Friday (hockey AND the start of spring football practice? Life is VERY GOOD), I realize that I have neglected my countdown to St. Patrick's Day. So, without further ado, a link to an article on odd St. Patrick's Day celebrations around the world.

Party Like You're at College [Park]

2009-03-11T11:56:00.003-04:00

Ah, the College Park apartment complex. As I was not an undergrad at ND, I never got to experience a party there. The only knowledge I had of College Park was the string of incidents at St. Patrick's Day involving people falling off of balconies while I was there. The first year I was at Notre Dame, someone fell off of a balcony at College Park. As the article also shows, it appears that College Park was the place to be on St. Patrick's Day at Notre Dame (at least for the undergrads. Us Lame-O law students were at actual bars).

The next year, there was the infamous fruit throwing incident:

[T]he student was playing catch with fruit on the upper balcony and fell off while trying to catch a piece of fruit.

The lesson? On St. Patrick's Day, avoid balconies at College Park.

St. Patrick's Day - Countdown

2009-03-10T11:39:00.003-04:00

A week until St. Patrick's Day - here is something for all of you fans of the Irish, with more to come as we get closer to the day of.

(This post may also be filed in the "why won't spring football just hurry up and get here already" category).

25 Random Facts About Notre Dame Football and Me

2009-02-18T00:15:00.001-05:00

So, for those of you who are not obsessed with Facebook, all the cool/bored kids are posting 25 random facts about themselves. As it is the off-season, I don't feel the current need to comment on the numerous changes from the last presser, and I haven't posted in a few days, I figured I would present 25 Random Facts About Notre Dame Football and Me.

1. I have not been a Notre Dame football fan my entire life. I used to live in a world where college football was the horrible television show that came on after my Saturday morning cartoons in the fall, thus disturbing my Shirt Tales and Muppet Babies. After those childhood days, the next time I paid much attention to college football was when Northwestern beat Notre Dame en route to the Rose Bowl. This is what happens when you grow up in a house where your dad went to Northwestern - you end up a pro football fan, solely because the other option is horrible.

2. When I went to college, the two schools I ended up deciding between were Northwestern and Notre Dame. I sometimes wonder whether a different result in that aforementioned game would have resulted in me attending Notre Dame instead of Northwestern as an undergraduate.

3. I managed to get my football priorities straight by law school, and only applied to Notre Dame. I was an early commit to the ND Law Class of 2006.

4. My first year of law school, my football seats were two rows up from the field. The juniors who sat in the row ahead of us were some of the most obnoxious fans ever. Turns out, they were friends of my little sister (also a junior Domer), who was on study abroad that semester and could not inform me of this fact. This obnoxiousness was made up for a couple years ago at Mardi Gras, when one of the obnoxious guys took us to a crawfish boil (we ran into him completely randomly). But I did call the guy out on his obnoxious behavior at the games while at this crawfish boil (which, at this point, were several years in the past). I'm such a great guest!

5. Once it was finished, I used to drive by the Gug every morning on my way to law school in the hopes of running into Charlie. I never did.

6. I did, however, nearly get run over by Ty one morning on my walk into the law school. If I had, at least someone who loves Notre Dame would have been getting some of that salary ND had to keep paying him.

7. I used to make fun of those ND alumni who would wander campus on the Thursdays and Fridays before football games, with goofy, happy smiles on their faces. I am so one of them now.

8. I am psyched about getting to spend Halloween in San Antonio for the Washington State game, because it is going to be great fun. And I don't care what you think about the whole situation, as I'll be enjoying my margarita on the Riverwalk while you bitch and moan on the interwebs from somewhere cold. Guess who will be having a better time?

9. Still haven't watched the end of the 2005 USC game since I saw it in person. At this point, I may never watch it. Of course, if you read this blog with any regularity, you already know that. I'm kind of obsessed with this.

10. I was close enough to the sprinklers at the Pitt game this last year to have to back up to stay dry.

11. The sprinklers were still overshadowed in my mind by Bon Jovi. I have had a crush on him since I was seven years old.

12. I took a guy to the Pitt game. I don't think he appreciated the joy I showed for the appearance of Bon Jovi.

13. I love the Blue Gold game.

14. OK, what I really love about the Blue Gold game is tailgating for it. It's the one time during the year that I get a spot right outside the stadium.

15. I have never actually seen an entire Blue Gold game. See #14 for the reason behind this.

16. I wish I knew more about the history of Notre Dame football.

17. I calendar Charlie's press conferences, because I don't want to miss them.

18. One of my favorite moments at a football game was at the 2006 UCLA game. My seats were on the goal line where Samardzija scored, but that wasn't the best part. The best part was the two UCLA guys behind me, who were gloating about the win prior to the game actually ending. They were much quieter post-Samardzija score.

19. At the Blue Gold game a couple years ago, I changed the ringtone for one of my guy friends to "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias (there was alcohol involved). This friend is not Brady Quinn, nor does he resemble Brady Quinn. Actually, I have no idea why we did this, but it probably has something to do with the aforementioned alcohol consumption.

20. Sometimes I wonder how many times I have seen the movie Rudy. Then I realize that if I knew the number, I would probably be horrified. So I stop wondering.

21. Every time I watch them, I cry at Rudy and Knute Rockne: All American. But I'm a chick, so it's OK.

22. I judge guys on their favorite college football teams. Obviously, fans of Notre Dame football are the gold standard against which all others are judged.

23. Phrase I utter most during professional football games? "Did you know that [insert name of player here] went to Notre Dame?"

24. Sometimes I miss sitting in the student section. Then I remember how little "sitting" was involved in the student section, and appreciate my wooden bench.

25. I love Notre Dame football.

ND License Plates

2009-01-29T13:46:00.003-05:00

Rarely do I get excited about a trip to the BMV, but today, I did - I finally got around to getting new license plates, only five months after moving to Indiana.

The best part about the new license plates? This:

Yes, I will soon have Notre Dame plates for my car. This would be exciting if it happened during the season, but it is even better in the off season (OK, maybe not so much during the season. But I'm grasping for anything here, people).

And, in case anyone is wondering, you don't have to move to Indiana to get a Notre Dame license plate, as these other states also have them:

* Indiana
* Illinois
* Pennsylvania
* Delaware
* Maryland
* New Jersey
* Virginia

Also, if you live in Georgia, go here to read about how you can sign up to get on the list of people who are interested in ND plates for Georgia!

Things To Keep Me Occupied in the Long Off Season

2009-01-07T15:39:00.002-05:00

Boys and girls, some dates of interest to ND fans for the calendar as we approach the long national nightmare of the college football off-season:

Signing Day: February 4, 2009
Blue-Gold Game: April 18, 2009
NFL Draft: April 25-26, 2009

Plus, a few other bits of excitement before the much-anticipated September 5, 2009 opening game against that football powerhouse, Nevada:

Hiring of a new OC - Unknown
Spring practice - April
Football ticket lottery results - July
Preseason practice - August

They Are the Biters We Thought They Were

2009-01-05T12:16:00.003-05:00

After a couple hours at work yesterday, I turned on the radio to the Westwood One coverage of the NFL Playoffs. I can't say that I expected to hear the two very recognizable voices that I heard, but I can say that it was an amusing moment when I heard them: Marv Alberts and Dennis Green.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T20:14:00.002-05:00

Ah, a Christmas gift that made me very happy - a Notre Dame bowl win! I hope that everyone is having a wonderful day. Merry Christmas!

Hawaii, the Ninth Day

2008-12-23T12:48:00.001-05:00

I've never seen the show, but I know the theme from Hawaii 5-0:

Hawaii, the Eighth Day

2008-12-22T13:01:00.002-05:00

If you're going to Hawaii, you had best learn to hula (or so my extensive research of Hawaiian culture (read: things I have seen on tv) tells me). So, here's some help with the hula, courtesy of some Japanese woman.

Hawaii, the Seventh Day (OKLAHOMA!)

2008-12-21T22:48:00.001-05:00

This is just so...well, so something. I am glad to post it on a weekend. Sorry for the lack of embedding, but it is a video. Of what, I decline to say, lest you fail to click through.

Hawaii, the Sixth Day

2008-12-20T17:07:00.004-05:00

How about some South Park? Because, frankly, I don't think the odds of you marrying a nice, rich man in the future are very, well, good.

Hawaii, the Fifth Day

2008-12-19T13:15:00.003-05:00

On the fifth day, we get some classic Beach Boys:

P.S. - Songs should still be this short.

Hawaii, the Fourth Day

2008-12-18T13:18:00.003-05:00

Today, I have a clip that is both Hawaii AND Notre Dame related! I had hoped to find a shorter clip with the Sean Astin portion that starts around 1:55 into the clip, but I couldn't (or, I am too lazy to search any more). So, I suggest you just skip to there, and enjoy the conversation Rudy on 'roids has with Dan Aykroyd.

Irish Blogger Gathering: Mele Kalikimaka Edition

2008-12-18T00:10:00.002-05:00

So, this edition of the Irish Blogger Gathering is hosted by Domer Law Blog, and involves lots of words that I assume are Hawaiian which I don't know the meaning of. Enjoy!

Hele mei hoohiwahiwa. There has been some controversy about the Irish accepting a Christmas Eve bowl bid, as we are a Catholic institution, and many feel that the bowl game will get in the way of celebrating Christmas. Give me your thoughts.

Hypothetical for you. Notre Dame is in the National Championship. That year, the National Championship is played on January 6, also known as Epiphany, one of the Holy Days of Obligation (as opposed to Christmas Eve, which is not one of those days). Please start the line for people who will object to that right over there.

Is it the ideal day for a bowl game? No. But it does mean that everyone can watch the game? More people than on a Saturday during the season, that's for sure. And for those of use who work, probably more than can watch on most other days during the bowl season. It's pretty ideal for me, actually. And it means that I can watch the game with my family, post-Christmas Eve Mass, which makes it even more special for me.

`Onipa`a. The Notre Dame administration has decided to stand by their man and bring Coach Weis back as head coach next year. What specific changes (a) do you think ought to be made in the offseason? (b) do you think will be made in the offseason?

(a) (1) New quarterback, (2) New O-Line coach, and (3) new strength and conditioning coach.

(b) I'm guessing we'll get all but that new quarterback. But a girl has to have her dreams, right?

Pupukahi i holomua. What are your expectations for next season?

We must be in a BCS game. Moreover, we need to be in the hunt for the National Championship sometime during the month of November. Anything less is unacceptable.

O ka makapo wale no ka mea hapapa i ka pouli. Also, if we start looking for a new coach next year, who do you think we (a) can get, and (b) would be the best possible hire? (i.e., is all of this Urban Meyer talk hot air or substance?)

(a) I think at the end of next year, we will be able to get more people that we could get in any other year in the post-Ty era. Charlie will have had a full chance to succeed, the always meritless racism charges are gone with the Washington-Ty debacle, and the recruits are top-notch for whatever coach would come into the situation. Really, I think the only coaches who would not want the job are the pansies who lack the confidence to succeed in the most prominent position in all of football.

(b) Best possible? Someone who is not even on the radar at this point. I don't know who that would be, but I have faith in Swarbrick to be the kind of guy to bring in someone we didn't even know was available (i.e., a Pete Carroll type, just to show up Charlie. I'm not saying I want him, but that it would not be surprising).

`A`ohe lokomaika`i i nele i ke pâna`i. 'Tis the season, so tell me: What is the best gift you are giving someone this holiday season?

I could tell you, but then I would ruin the surprise for the person who is getting it (although I am thinking of invoking the 5th Amendment here).

Mahalo nui loa na ho'olaule'a me la kaua. What are your predictions for the game? Will the Irish be celebrating on the long plane ride home, or will this be another long offseason of listening to the chatter about our decades-long bowl losing streak?

An Irish celebration on the plane ride home. Finally.

Hawaii, the Third Day

2008-12-17T13:01:00.003-05:00

Today, we venture to Hawaii with the Brady Bunch - the original time around. And if you watch it until the end, you get to see a use of the word ding-a-ling, unrelated to any song.

Hawaii, the Second Day

2008-12-16T12:07:00.002-05:00

Perhaps my favorite clip ever from Conan - which is saying a lot:

On the First Day Before the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl...

2008-12-15T22:04:00.006-05:00

My true love gave to me . . . a Wayne's World trip to Hawaii (and Delaware):

Landsharks

2008-12-13T21:11:00.004-05:00

This blog is quickly turning into "Sarah Rants." I will attempt to find something non-ranting to talk about soon.

So, now that college football season is in its pre-Bowl doldrums, I find myself in the position of falling back on professional football for amusement (and no, watching the Heisman ceremony is not going to keep me entertained today). My pro team of choice is the Chicago Bears, who happened to play this week's game on Thursday (leaving me with a weekend of NOTHING TO WATCH, but that's a different complaint than this post is meant to address). The problem with a Thursday night professional football game? It's on the NFL Network, which I definitely do not get on my cable package.

What is a girl to do when she is in desparate need of football, and the only team she has any desire to watch is on a channel she doesn't get? She heads out to a nearby sports bar to watch the game. Which is a less-than-ideal situation for me.

From my ultra scientific study of sports bars (read: spending lots of time in them), it seems that there are lots of men who go to sports bars on their own. They grab a spot at the bar, in front of the television showing whatever game strikes their interest, and spend a few hours blissfully sipping beer and eating wings, undisturbed except for the bartender bringing a new brew when the last is done. I wish this was my life. You see, when I go out to a sports bar alone, there is no blissful watching of the game, sipping beer and eating wings. Instead, it is a constant struggle to see any of the game.

After dealing with the shocked look of the bartender, who will inevitably be surprised that a woman is willing to go to a sports bar alone - particularly to watch a game - the real "fun" of my evening begins.

It starts innocently enough. For the beginning of the game - say, the first quarter of a football game, or the first two to three innings of a baseball game - I do get to have a blissful game watch. The beers come, I eat my wings, and I watch the game.

Then, the problems start.

Sometime in the second quarter or 4th inning, some guy will start talking to me. I assume that it takes this long to start talking to me because (a) it takes some balls to start talking to a random girl at a bar, so the guy has to build up some courage, and, more importantly, (b) he has to figure out if I am, indeed, alone, and not waiting for my friends and/or boyfriend to show up. But, once he hits that point, the end of my blissful evening has arrived.

The guy will grab a seat near me - always with the obligatory bar seat in between. He will sit there for a bit, watching the game, waiting for an opportune time to make some comment about the game to me. After the comment, I - being the sports fan that I am - feel obligated to respond to the comment (usually something snobby that shows I probably know more about what is going on than he does - my hopeful point being, until you can hold your own here, go find someone else to hassle).

Responding at all only encourages the guy, no matter how mean I am to him about the comment (this leads me to believe that I should not respond at all, but I am both a lawyer and someone who really doesn't want to be seen as the b****y girl, so I can't help but respond). What follows are a series of questions, always including the following, or some variation thereon: Are you here alone? (Tempting response: No. I chose to sit here by myself because it was more fun than sitting with my friends) Are you watching the game? Are you a big fan of [fill in the team I am cheering for]?

This is about the point where I stop trying to be pleasant and nice, and inform the guy that I am really trying to watch the game. So, for the next series of plays or half inning, I get my blissful peace, all the while knowing that it will be short-lived. At the next commercial break, the guy will attempt to make more small talk, soon forgetting that I am trying to watch the game, and continuing to talk while I attempt to watch the game after the commercial break ends.

This is always the point where I want to ask if the guy came to the sports bar to pick up chicks or watch a game.

Even if I manage to get rid of the first guy (often by resorting to being a jerk, because, seriously, I am there to watch a game, not meet some guy), this doesn't stop the next one from coming over shortly after I have gotten rid of the first one. No matter how many I get rid of, there always seems to be one more waiting to talk to me while I am trying to watch.

And so it continues, until the game is over and I have spent most of the game fending off some guy or guys instead of doing what I came to do, which is watch the game.

Now, I know there are probably people who are thinking, Sarah, you are a first class b****. Do you know how hard it is go up to a woman at a bar? And make small talk? Yes, I do know. But really? Do you want me to come up to you in the middle of the game and start talking to you? No. Save that crap for halftime and after the game, and leave me in peace so that I can watch the game. And then, please, feel free to buy me a beer. At least you will have shown me that you're a sports fan, and can appreciate a girl who is one, too.

Thoughts On Two Weeks

2008-12-05T23:21:00.002-05:00

The following is a self-indulgent post. The last two weeks have been hellish for me, and I am finally able to rejoin the ND world. This serves as your warning should you choose to go on.

I am generally a happy, optimistic person. I have tried to be something else, but, in my heart, I hope for the best. I am, in the F. Scott Fitzgerald sense, a sentimentalist, not a romantic, try as I might to be a romantic (in other words, I hope against hope that things will work out in the end, as opposed to the romantic, who hopes against hope that things will not work out). I like happy endings, and Walt Disney, and I don't feel the need to apologize for it. Give me the choice between a romantic comedy and a drama, and the former wins every single time. Life can suck; no need to make it worse by being a pessimist about things.

That said, the last two weeks have been horrible for me.

I was at the Syracuse game. Having lived through the Ty era, I know I should never expect victory, but I really did expect to win that game. It was as close to a gimme a game as ND has ever played since I have rooted for ND. Certainly more so than the armed forces games, where a disciplined team comes out playing their best, or even a San Diego State game, where an inferior opponent can overwhelm a young team that is a bit overconfident. The only game that comes close is Washington this year, and ND won that game without trouble.

To lose the Syracuse game was a feeling that I have never felt for ND football. Sure, there have been unexpected losses in my short time as a Notre Dame fan (see: Navy 2007). And there have been gut-wrenching losses that strike emotions I have never felt before (see: USC 2005). But something about the Syracuse loss sent me into a tailspin that has taken me two weeks to recover from.

I wish I could say why this loss struck me so much as it did, but I am speechless on that point. All I know is, I have wanted nothing to do with college football for two weeks. I haven't submitted picks to Subway Domer's contest (even though I was in the Top Ten prior to this funk), and I haven't spent my normal time perusing the various ND websites that I frequent. I just wish that this season would end, baseball season would arrive, and I could move on with my life.

Frankly, I didn't even care whether ND hired or fired Charlie. I haven't read a single article, or watched a television segment on the subject. It just does not interest me.

For a few days, I wondered whether this was a normal reaction. But then, I remembered what someone once told me: the opposite of love is not hate, but apathy.

The problem for me is, I fear that I am moving from love, to apathy. I have had hate for this team before, but I recognize that it is a momentary feeling, akin to love. It will pass, and I will go back to love, with a passion that I didn't realize I had for ND football before I saw what I would be missing without ND football my life.

I can see me moving toward apathy, and I don't want to go there. I LOVE watching college football. I LOVE that for several months of the year, my life is consumed with football all day Saturday. I LOVE that I am willing to drive 500 miles in one day, just to watch my Irish lose a game that they could have won, because the team means that much to me.

Perhaps the problem is that I am not looking at enough self-help books. Maybe, the Irish are just not that into me. Or maybe we are from different planets. Or maybe we just have trouble communicating.

I know this is the point at which I am supposed to provide my big solution to the problems of the team, but I can only offer random opinions. For example, Jimmy Clausen appears to have the same major problem as his older brothers - a perfectly adequate quarterback, but not the kind of quarterback who will lead you to glory and fame. All of the best training in the world cannot give you the instinctive desire to win of a Tiger Woods, and when you are on the big stage, it is going to show.

But really, at the end of the day (where I am now), the only solution I have is simple. This team needs to start winning games. There was a point in the season where I thought the team was about to turn a corner, and start winning games handily, like they should. Unfortunately, the team seems to have gone the wrong way, subjecting us fans to losses like Syracuse. For one of hte IGB posts, I mentioned that the most important figure to me was wins. And we definitely did not have enough of those this year, bowl eligible or not.

At this point, my expectations are lower. I just want this team to start winning games. More importantly, I want them to make me feel something besides apathy toward them. I don't want ND to be just another school, just another item on my resume that I don't think about after I leave. I want the school to give me a reason for people to talk about it in a good light, not to force me to turn off my television to avoid the worst of Sportscenter.

So really, in the end, this email is just a plea to ND football, to make me feel something toward the program besides apathy. I wish I could hate the team; hatred is better than not caring. So, please, ND, I plead, be excellent or awful, just do not subject me to another season that makes me fail to care.

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent.

Update

2008-11-29T10:56:00.002-05:00

So, with Thanksgiving and work this week, I have not had time to do anything ND related (although I am sure that part of this has to deal with last weekend's game). If I get a chance, I will do IBG later, but I am thinking that is not going to happen.

Irish Blogger Gathering: We Don't Need No Stinkin' Theme!

2008-11-20T13:50:00.014-05:00

Welcome to this week's Irish Blogger Gathering! This week, we are hosted by Three Guys in a Basement. With pictures this week!

1. If you had the choice, which professional athlete would you rather be: A golfer on the PGA tour that hovers around 125-150 on the money list, a solid middle reliever in the MLB, a # 4 starter on an MLB team, a tenth man on an NBA roster, or a punter in the NFL?

No question here – a golfer that hovers around 125-150 on the money list. Some reasons:

You get to spend significant portions of the year in warm climates.
Not only are you spending most of the year in warm climates, but you are spending that time in some of the most stunning places on earth.

Option A: Pebble Beach

Option B: Buffalo

I would get to play a “sport” where drinking is encouraged while you play (OK, so, strictly speaking, this does not include time on the course during tournament play. However, given the amount of time one would spend on the course outside of tournament play, it’s fair to say that there would be plenty of drinking time). Same goes for smoking, which I might have to take up if I were to join the PGA.

2. If they made a movie about the history of Notre Dame football from 1997-2008, what actors would you cast as Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham, George O'Leary and Charlie Weis? Picture comparisons will be helpful.

So many to choose from. Here goes, with some explanation. Or not.

Al Pacino and Bob Davie. Fellow tanorexics, unite!

Ty Willingham and LeVar Burton. One played a blind guy, one just coached like he was blind.

Chelcie Ross and George O'Leary. He's the dude who played Dan Devine in Rudy. He probably spent more time acting as a Notre Dame coach than George O'Leary spent as actual coach.

Ethan Suplee as Charlie Weis. THERE IS NO EASTER BUNNY!

3. We at tgiab.com (see JoeG) love the drink Sparks, which comes in Orange cans. While I can't truly relate that to any type of question, I figured I'd mention that because we are playing the Orange this weekend. I guess if I had to tie it in, I would say that I associate Sparks with football tailgates (and my subsequent lack of recollection of the game). Do you have a favorite product that comes in the color Orange? And if so, do you relate it to football in any way shape or form?

Clementines. Those things are like crack. I eat entire boxes of the things without even realizing what I have done (between admitting to this eating habit and my love of beer, people are going to assume that I am horribly obese).

One of these women may be Sarah.

4. This last weekend, one of the more die-hard Notre Dame fans I know told me that he has twice rooted against Notre Dame. Is there any scenario where you would root against Notre Dame? Or should we make this friend (and guest columnist) be the next Ice-T in Surviving the Game?

I can think of several situations where I would definitely root against Notre Dame, but all involve terrorists/kidnappers threatening close family members with torture or death if I don’t root against Notre Dame. So, those situations are pretty unlikely to occur, unless I start hanging out with a very different crew.

Let the terrorists win, or cheer against Notre Dame...decisions, decisions.

4. tgiab.com will host (in allegiance with jupmode.com and thesubwayalumnishow.com) a tailgate for the USC game. First off, you are all cordially invited. Secondly, and more importantly, we are looking for necessities to have at a tailgate. The following is what we will have:

Kegs and Cases of beer
Liquor
Mixers (including bloody mary mix)
Grill
Meat
Watermelons
Condiments
A banner
A beer pong table
The Greatest Playlist of all Time

What else do we need? What else would you bring? How can we make this tailgate any better?

A football. However, watch for any errant throws, as this has led to multiple problems at tailgates I have hosted.

If you see this man at a nearby tailgate, perhaps you should hide the football (I keed, I keed. Sort of).

Navy Live Blog!

2008-11-14T23:34:00.002-05:00

I'll be over at Subway Domer tomorrow for a live blog of the game. Drop by, and see what inane things I have to say when I don't have a chance to go back and edit my words (and by this, I mean things that are more inane than when I do have a chance to go back and edit my words).

Go Irish!

Dr. Lou Shares His Wisdom

2008-11-14T13:40:00.002-05:00

Another Dr. Lou post. I can't get enough.

But before I get to the video, I have to note that Rece Davis is a brave man for using the 1993 ND season against Lou in an argument during halftime of the Virginia Tech-Miami game last night. There was a moment there that I thought things were going to take a bad turn (even Mark May seemed taken aback by the comment, which is quite amazing).

Irish Blogger Gathering: Through the Past Darkly Edition

2008-11-12T09:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to another edition of the Irish Blogger Gathering! This week, it is brought to you by the Brawling Hibernian. And here are my answers - be forewarned, there is a lot of Brady Quinn love in here today.

1. In the parlance of DJs, a "deep cut" is a song that wasn't released as a single and, generally, is not well-known. Oftentimes, these end up being the best songs on the album. What Notre Dame victory is your favorite "deep-cut" from the Irish catalog? In other words, what is your favorite victory that is not widely celebrated (i.e., not the "Snow Bowl" or the 1988 Miami game, etc.). Explain in much detail.

Maybe because it was the last game I watched from the student section (even though I was no longer a student), or because it was Brady Quinn's last home game, or because it just seemed like things were on track for the Irish, but my favorite "deep cut" game is the Army game from 2006. The game itself was an easy victory, and a ton of fun to be at, but it was more memorable for me because of the hope it gave me that ND would beat USC the next week, and maybe, just maybe, get a shot at the National Championship. Sitting (or rather, standing) a few feet from Brady Quinn when he started the "Beat SC" chant only added to the hope that the game gave me, only to have that hope crushed the next weekend.

2. As much fun as it is rooting for our heroes, it can be just as enjoyable to trash those we consider villains. A few years ago, the great Irish blog, Blue-Gray Sky, wrote a post discussing the biggest villains in Irish history. That post focused on external villains. Today's question is, of those associated with the program, who is the biggest villain? This individual must have been a player, coach or administrator at ND who, through reckless acts of cowardice, stupidity or malice, damaged the football program. (Note: Ty Willingham is off the board)

I am jumping on the Kevin White bandwagon. The reasons are myriad (the extremely strange barnstorming choices for ND games, the football coach hiring and firing debacles, the selling off of the ND brand/jumbotron fear, the crap BCS deal, etc.), and not always entirely his fault.

However, in the end, these things were his responsibility. The state of ND football is not as good as it should be, and the blame for that falls squarely at his feet, because he was the man ultimately responsible for the state of athletics at ND. Kevin White was not a Notre Dame man, and I think it showed, in the way he failed to understand and act in the best interest of the football team.

3. Falling in love is a wonderful thing. As Lt. Frank Drebin once noted, "you begin to notice things you never knew were there before; birds singing, dew glistening on a newly formed leaf, stoplights." Descibe the moment you knew that there would be no other; you were in love with Notre Dame.

My initial thought was to answer the 2003 game against Florida State at Notre Dame during my first year of law school. I stayed in the stands until the end of that horrible, horrible showing by the Irish, enduring a typical late fall day in South Bend (complete with sun, rain, sleet, and snow!). Even as the stands around me emptied, I stood there with a friend, knowing that the Irish had no chance to come back and win the game, but dedicated to getting through the game at all costs.

However, after further thought, I realized that, although I knew I loved Notre Dame at this moment, I wasn't in love with Notre Dame yet (how's that for a girly statement?). To get to that stage, I had to live through more bad times, more good times, and a coaching change.

The moment I knew I was in love with Notre Dame came a year and a few months later, at the first Blue-Gold game of the Charlie Weis era. It was a day similar to the day of the Florida State game, except it seemed colder and there wasn't really any nice part of the day, unlike at the Florida State game. The game meant absolutely nothing, and one of my friends and I shivered under a blanket in the stands, watching a glorified scrimmage and loving every minute of it. It was at that moment - when I was willing, a week or two before finals, to sit outside in the freezing late spring cold to watch this new coach in the awful weather, at a meaningless game - that I knew I was in love with the Irish. I would not have suffered through this for any other team, and I certainly wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did.

4. Regrets, we've had a few but, then again, too few to ever let go of any of them. What game or specific play in Irish history turns your dreams into nightmares and haunts your every waking moment? Describe this torment and why you wish ND could have another crack at it?

Bush Push. I have never watched it since I saw it that day in the stadium (this involves a lot of eye shutting and plugging of the ears like a little child when it comes on television), yet it still haunts me. It is seared in my memory, never to be let go. I have already relived it for one of these posts, so I won't do it again (it's just awful for me to think about). The joy of ND getting another crack at this one would be that we all know the rule that governs this now, so I am sure the result would be different (and yes, I would take a better result, even if it came because of a penalty).

5. With 79 consensus All-Americans and 48 inductees in the College Football Hall of Fame, it is clear that there have been many great players in the history of Notre Dame football. What was the greatest single season from a player that you ever witnessed during your Irish fandom? Be specific. Use adjectives.

My ND fandom is not very long, and I am going with an obvious one here - Brady Quinn, 2005. The young man who showed up for the Pitt game to open that season was a changed young man from the year before. This new Brady Quinn looked like he owned Heinz Field, and the season just confirmed that he was for real, especially as he went on to own many more places. That it coincided with my last year at Notre Dame only helped make it an even more special year in my mind.

The Doctor Is In

2008-11-08T15:54:00.001-05:00

I am slightly obsessed with Dr. Lou. But who doesn't love Lou?

"You're bad luck!"

Irish Blogger Gathering: The “Saying A Lot By Asking Obtuse Questions” Edition

2008-11-05T15:05:00.002-05:00

It's yet another edition of the Irish Blogger Gathering - and the last one before my new computer (finally) arrives, and I can get back to the level of obsession that I should be displaying toward ND football. The answers this week are short, because I am getting this done between tasks at work (not exactly conducive to quality product, but I will hopefully make up for it next week). So, with apologies for complete lack of quality, my responses for the week!

1. What photo of some member of the 2008 Irish squad doing something, anything at all, really, says all 1,000 words that need to be said about this team? OR, which photo of some member of the 2008 Irish squad doing something would tell 1,000 lies about this team if you only saw the photo and didn't know better? (Double-secret word score bonus for answering both mutations of the same question)

I couldn't come up with an actual picture that showed it, but how about Chris Stewart injuring himself coming on to the field. The truth? This team can be extremely frustrating at times. Getting hurt running on to the field = inability to finish and win games. I'm pretty sure it doesn't lie about this team, though. So no double secret word score bonus for me.

2. Some of you may know that I (domer.mq) am a football stat geek. Which statistic do you think geeks like myself should really be paying attention to this season and why? (Can pertain to ND or CFB in general.)

How about wins? Seriously. One more and ND is bowl eligible. At this point, that's the one that's immediately on my mind.

(I may have taken the Pitt loss badly).

3. Seeing as how Boston College is nothing but an up-jumped program enjoying the luxury and soft Corinthian leather of an ACC schedule, which team from the current top 25 would you love to see this year's Irish play this weekend in Fredo's stead? Why? Do you think the Irish would win? Describe the game. Paint us a picture! I'll get the popcorn!

Can I pick a rematch against Pitt? Seriously, I want a second go at that one. This time, we stick with the run. Jimmy manages not to overthrow open people. The defense stops Shady all game long. ND is up by 3 TDs at the half (1 run by Allen, 1 long one to Floyd, and 1 sneak in by Jimmy), and ND wins by at least 30.

4. Let's dispose of the gradient colors and subtle vagaries of college football for a moment and answer this question with one of the supplied, absolute answers and a blurb defending your pick. No waffling! The Question: Why is Notre Dame unable to put away games when leading going into half time? The possible answers: 1) ND Players all have a soft, nougat center 2) The Coaches don't want to tick off potential future employers 3) God doesn't think it's classy to blow a team out 4) The ND Fanbase can't really stomach blowouts any more than they could stomach a protracted land war in Asia. Remember, you must pick one and you must defend it with great vigor!

Answer: 1 - ND Players all have a soft, nougat center.

It's pretty easy to come to this conclusion - a bunch of kids raised in schools where success often takes a backseat to making everyone feel good about themselves, where they got used to winning without having to work for anything, and now they find themselves in a situation that whatever they do, it looks better than what they did last year, and they get credit for that improvement, as if five wins is great (and I'm guilty of helping promote that latter thought). Until they have a reason to toughen up, they will fall back on being soft on the inside, because it is easier and everyone loves it.

Ah, but there is hope - leave that candy out for a few weeks, and that sucker will be hard as a rock. Here's to hoping that the ND players can go from that soft, nougat center to hard and solid at their core. Preferably as soon as possible.

5) Tennessee just began celebrating the career of Phil Fulmer today as he announced that he'd been given the opportunity to make it look like resigning was his idea. Certainly, this is a clarion call to ADs across the country to begin worrying over their tea that, should their current HC not work out, they wont get a shot at #s 1-5 on their candidate list. Tell us about an AD who may be looking at this move by Tennessee and acting a bit more aggressively towards a reduction in force of his current football staff now rather than later. And who might that AD be trying to seduce before Tennessee already has a "hand shake agreement" with the guy?

I'm going out on a crazy limb here, and saying that Barry Alvarez sees the writing on the wall with Bret Bielema and kicks his butt to the curb before any significant damage is done to Wisconsin football. I have no idea who Barry would want to go after, but perhaps Lane Kiffin? He grew up in the region, after all.

Gosh, I harbor a lot of hate toward Wisconsin.

Scary Thoughts on Halloween

2008-10-31T13:34:00.003-04:00

OK, so I read this, and it scared me about Pitt:

A multitalented athlete, Cross was recruited by Wannstedt from Fort Scott C.C. as the nation’s second best junior-college quarterback. Fort Scott lost 24 straight games before Cross arrived, then won 16 of 24 games in his two seasons there.

Seriously, I don't want to see this guy tomorrow. Wild card players do not make me happy.

I am off to the Bend - if you see a drunk girl wandering campus and attempting to talk her way out of Excise Police tickets/arrests, it could well be me. Happy Halloween!

Irish Blogger Gathering: Spooky Vision Edition

2008-10-29T17:31:00.002-04:00

1. A loss to Washington would have been spooky, but we were able to pull it out. What was your favorite part of the victory?

My favorite part of the victory wasn’t one particular play - rather, it was the almost immediate sense that the game was going to be decidedly one-sided in favor of Notre Dame. Since I started watching ND games with any regularity about six years ago, this feeling has been sorely lacking.

Indeed, this game gave me the hope that sometime in the foreseeable future, there will come a time when I expect all of Notre Dame’s games to be decidedly one-sided in favor of the Irish. I don’t expect to see that this year, but I have hope that this day will come sooner rather than later.

2. Charlie's Nasties does a Duds and Studs segment to reflect on every game. Name one player/coach that could have done better against the Huskies and one player/coach that stepped it up.

Dud: Jimmy Clausen

It’s been said before, but I’m giving my “player that could have done better” award to Jimmy Clausen. Even without looking at the stats, Jimmy seemed to have a bit of over-confidence in his ability. While Jimmy’s increased confidence is a big plus for me (nice not to have the deer in headlights look of last year), there were multiple times during the game when Jimmy seemed to move from a proper level of confidence in his ability to pick the correct receiver and get the ball where he is supposed to territory into “Hi, my name is Jimmy Clausen, and I have figured out everything I need to know about being a college quarterback” territory. It’s a fine distinction, but one that will get Jimmy into trouble against a team that actually shows up to play against Notre Dame.

I will say, though, that it’s nice to give this dubious honor to someone who, had he had this game at this time last year, would have been my Stud.

Stud: Brandon Walker

OK, so he didn’t get asked to do much. And other people had better games than he did. But with new competition breathing down his neck, Brandon went out there and did his job effectively. Sure, he gets the award more because of his improvement from “bad” to “effective,” but I will take that sort of effective play any day over previous form.

My pick was cemented when I saw a highlight of him post-game, telling the press that he is on the team to help the team win. He went on to say that, if he is not the kicker who gives the team the best chance to win, he should not be kicking, and he would be the first person to congratulate whoever could give ND a better chance to win over him.

3. Halloween involves people abandoning reality for awhile to dress up and imitate something that they are not. Pick one Halloween costume with traits you would like to see from the Notre Dame football team the rest of the season.

I’m going with Knute Rockne - the team already has the uniforms, all they need is the attitude and ability to win pretty much all the time. They will have to come up with some of those old-timey helmets, though.

4. When trick-or-treating as a kid, there always seemed to be at least one house that handed out apples. What aspect of the football team this year is the biggest apple in your candy bag (aka biggest disappointment)?

There are people who hand out apples? Man, I appreciate the neighborhood I grew up in even more, where our complaints were saved for people who only gave out one piece of candy if they gave out snack size candies. And the parents could get beers from the neighbors when theirs ran out (seriously, that’s a good reason to snag a friend’s kid and go trick-or-treating back in the old neighborhood. And people wonder why I have such a lax attitude toward drinking...).

Despite just handing out my stud pick to Brandon Walker, I am most disappointed by the kicking game of this team. After the kicking ineptitude of last year, I expected that Coach Weis’s new position with special teams, the open competition for a kicker, and the potential of finding a kicker among the student population would result in an effective, if not above average, kicking game. Obviously, I have been disappointed here.

Hopefully, I will be able to look back on my answer to this question in a few weeks and see that this was the last time that this concern was of concern.

5. This year, October 31st is coincidentally also the opener for ND's Mens Basketball team (preseason against Briar Cliff). Say a few words about one player that will make have the biggest impact on the success of the team this season (apologies to non-bball fans, but I couldn't resist).

This is sort of like my knowledge of recruiting a couple weeks ago - sure, I pay attention to the basketball team, but it’s more in the “I cheer for the team, and can name a couple players, but, um, don’t ask me much else until it gets closer to tournament time, at which point I will start paying attention.” So, like the recruiting questions, I plead lack of knowledge and defer to people who actually know something.

Irish Blogger Gathering: Tailgate Edition

2008-10-20T15:36:00.004-04:00

Welcome to Bad Trade, home to this week's Irish Blogger Gathering!

Tempting though it was to devote this week's IBG to a certain Molder of Men, I figured I would give the guy an undeserved break, and go for a topic near and dear to my heart - the tailgate party.

As Homer Simpson once said: "We're not here for the game - the game is nothing, the game is crap, the game makes me sick! The real reason we Americans put up with sports is for this: Behold! The tailgate party! The pinnacle of human achievement! Since the dawn of parking lots, man has sought to stuff his gut with food and alcohol, in anticipation of watching others exercise."

While I may disagree with Homer's opinion on the game (sometimes), I have no quarrels with loving a good tailgate party. Plus, the Notre Dame tailgate experience is on everyone's mind these days. And so, without further ado, this week's questions.

1. You're having some beers and brats outside Notre Dame Stadium, just chilling with friends. If you could have one Notre Dame player or coach drop by to share a drink, a brat and some stories with you, who would it be?

I considered going with someone long dead, but then I realized I wanted to have a chat with someone of a more recent vintage - Lou. You know he would have some great stories from his days as coach that he doesn't normally tell to alumni groups or the like, and he just seems like he would be able to kick back, chill, and fit right in with whoever showed up that day to tailgate. Plus, how cool would it be to say that Lou stopped by your tailgate?

2. What was your best experience ever with a tailgate party?

I forget who said it, but I remember hearing a quotation from someone talking about the perfect sorts of evenings that you can only have at a bar - where everything, for a short moment, is absolutely perfect, and you are keen enough (after a couple drinks) to realize how perfect things are for you. I had one of those moments at the 2005 Notre Dame game at Purdue, during my last year in law school. Having discovered how much the Purdue tailgate scene sucks two years earlier, a few friends and I headed down to West Lafayette early in the morning to snag a spot on someone's front yard, overlooking Ross-Ade. By midday, most of my close law school friends were lounging around the tailgate, drinking, eating, and just enjoying a beautiful day. We watched other games on a neighboring tailgater's television and sold exorbitantly priced cases to some Purdue fans who ran out of beer. There wasn't anything overly special about the tailgate, but it was exactly how I picture a good tailgate in my mind, and that made it perfect.

3. There are lots of great tailgate experiences around the country - what school's tailgate tradition do you most want to experience?

The list of places I want to go and tailgate is about as long as the list of places one can go and tailgate. However, there is one place that I have wanted to experience since a South Carolina fan told me about it a few years ago - the Cockaboose! Sure, it's not the most traditional experience ever. And it's not tailgating in the sense of eating out the back of your car before a traditional rivalry game. But I love the idea of sitting around in a caboose before a game, watching television and sipping a cocktail.

4. Indiana decides that their drinking laws are far too un-draconian (I'm from Wisconsin. I don't understand these things like "kids aren't allowed in bars," "your parents can't give you liquor if they are supervising" and "no alcohol purchases on Sunday"), and drinking is now forbidden on Saturdays. The Excise Police stop by your tailgate, and proceed to dump out the liquor you were attempting to hide from them. What do they pour out?

Well, the Guinness went long before the Excise police showed up. There's at least one bottle of scotch still about half full, my pre-mixed margaritas, that bottle of hurricanes that I have been carrying around for two years that no one has ever drunk, and SoCo punch. And a lot of Miller Lite and High Life, for use in various drinking games.

5. OK, I couldn't leave it alone completely. How do you feel about the impending end of the Coach Willingham era at Washington?

Fine. Just fine.

Irish Blogger Gathering: Bye Week Edition

2008-10-15T15:32:00.004-04:00

Welcome to my latest entry in the Irish Blogger Gathering, hosted this week over at UHND.com! As you will see, I copped out on two answers, but I know virtually nothing about recruiting, so I figured my answers to those questions would add absolutely nothing to the conversation.

1. With our beloved Irish on the bye this weekend, how much college football will you be watching Saturday and what games are you most looking forward to
watching?

I really don't know how much football I will be watching on Saturday. My sister (a fellow Domer) is coming to visit me. And yes, she's only coming because neither of us has Notre Dame football to watch, as we do on a typical fall weekend. That said, the chances of us eventually ending up at a bar watching football are probably somewhere in the 90-100% range.

As for other games, I'm looking forward to Purdue at Northwestern, the original alma mater. Northwestern is getting close to bowl eligibility, and the more places I have to go this December and January when it gets cold, the happier I will be, and this one looks winnable for the 'Cats. Other games I will at least check in on while sipping a beer are Pitt-Navy (to keep up a weekly trash talking fest with a Pitt fan) and Michigan-Penn State (mostly to see exactly how many points Penn State can ring up on Michigan). Yes, those are all crappy games to want to watch, but I don't care.

2. Not to look too far ahead… but in looking at the 2009 schedule, do you think the Irish will be set up for a title run if they continue to improve each week as they are doing now?

Definitely. I haven't spent much time looking at it, but the schedule next year alone sets up well for the Irish in terms of wins. The Irish drop games to San Diego State, North Carolina, and Syracuse for games against Nevada, Washington State, and Connecticut - I think the Irish would beat all of the latter teams this year, and that would be the same for an improved 2009 team. The only team that would scare me with regard to an improved Irish team in 2009 is USC. Even that part of the schedule is better next year than this - Notre Dame gets USC after the bye week, which I hope means the Irish will be rested and very ready for USC, much like the 2005 season.

If the Irish keep improving, I personally don't think that there will be any trouble in making a run for the title in terms of players. Sure, the defense might not be to the level I would like, but an even more improved offense would allow the defense to operate at something less than perfect, which would still translate into wins.

3. If you could take 1 recruit we missed on from each of the last 4 years (1 from each year), who would they be and how differently would this team look like right now if we had gotten that 1 player each year? (Note, the players should be players the Irish either led for at one time or were at least a finalist for).

I'm not a recruitnik, so I am not even going to take a stab at answering this question. Sure, I pay a little attention to it (what else am I supposed to do during the offseason?), but it's not something I even pretend to know. And yes, I realize that this is the internet, where lack of knowledge is a great qualification for commenting on anything and everything, so I should answer. But I'm not going to.

4. If Notre Dame could only land 1 more recruit on each side the ball in this recruiting class, who would you like it to be? (Again, it should be someone we have a reasonable chance with).

See my answer to No. 3.

5. If you could take one of Notre Dame’s bowl losses since the 1994 Cotton Bowl win over Texas A&M and turn it into a win, which one would it be? Why? And What if any impact do you think that win would have had on the Irish.

Fiesta Bowl, 2005/2006. On a personal level, I was there, and it would have been GREAT to win, if only to run around Tempe that night in a better mood than the mood I had running around Tempe that evening. But it also would have capped a great year for the Irish, and I think that the Irish were a better team than Ohio State that year, and should have won the game.

Moreover, I think a Fiesta Bowl win would have given the 2006 version of the Irish a boost of confidence that the team seemed to lack much of the time during the 2006 season (if nothing else, I think that Michigan score would have ended up much less lopsided).

Unrelated to College Football

2008-10-13T17:01:00.003-04:00

This is absolutely unrelated to college football, but I still feel it is necessary to post it. Seriously, painted over roadkill is important for your Monday viewing (dis)pleasure:

So what was the artist's inspiration, one might ask? It probably centered along this profound thought upon finding the roadside remains: "Ewwww . . . I'm not touching that."

Then again, perhaps if you view it as a metaphor for the season of Notre Dame's upcoming opponent, it is related to college football. Oh yes, the Washington insults start here and now.

Irish Blogger Gathering: Heart of Darkness Edition

2008-10-08T17:41:00.002-04:00

The second edition of the Irish Blogger Gathering, this week featuring questions from OC Domer. And here are my responses - enjoy!

1. Who was your first Notre Dame hero?

I didn't grow up with ND football. In my childhood world, the Chicago Bears were the team to watch. In an era of bad/horrible Bears teams, one player stood out - Chris Zorich. He always showed up, played hard, and made Sunday a little more enjoyable. Long before I paid any attention to Notre Dame, I had a favorite player who happened to have gone there.

2. When was the first time the Fighting Irish broke your heart?

I still don't like to think about this one. October 15, 2005. The week before, the mood on campus was incredible - everyone knew ND could beat USC, and it was all anyone could talk about. The pep rally was held at the stadium, Corso couldn't speak from the in-stadium set because his words were drowned out with chants of 0-6 whenever he started, and my friends and I had gone out every night that week (I'm not sure how this made it different than any other week in law school, but it sure felt different). There was no possible way that the game could live up to the hype - and then it did.

I was near the field in the student section, so I didn't have a great view of what happened at the end of the game. All I knew was, the ball came loose at the other end, I looked up at a scoreboard that read 00:00 with ND up 31-28, and I headed for the field. A few seconds and one Bush Push later, I had gone from the greatest elation I have ever felt regarding ND football, to heartbreak.

And I still haven't re-watched the end of that game.

3. Let's suppose for just a moment that for whatever reasons the Notre Dame football program begins to slide into what looks like long term mediocrity, or even long term suckitude:

A. NBC doesn't renew the television deal, and the package offered by the Versus network makes it clear that remaining independent will mean a lot less $$$ than joining a conference and sharing in their TV deal. Should the Irish join a conference? If so, which? Why that one?

I'm going with keep the Irish out of a conference if the only concern is monetary. I just envision lots of backlash from the alumni and fans, not to mention years of bad press ("ND can no longer claim they ever acted out of anything other than greed").

If you change up the equation - for instance, if a college playoff system was implemented, and the only way for Notre Dame to participate would be to join a conference, I would be all in for joining up. In that situation, I would obviously go with whatever conference offered the best possibility for entry into the playoff system on a regular basis. Most likely, that would be the Big Ten (although the Big East or ACC would probably not field as strong a field, I assume that any college playoff system would take polls and strength of schedule into account, and this means the Big Ten is probably a better place to be).

B. Over time, Notre Dame becomes the football peer of Duke and Syracuse, lucky to win four games a year, rarely posting a winning season. What should the University do? Drop football? Join a conference (or a lesser conference)? Drop down to Div-IA (the FCS Division)? Schedule 12 cupcakes each season?

I like the idea of joining the Ivy League, but in my own selfishness, I am going with scheduling 12 cupcakes a season. What can I say? I like wins, and I don't really care who they come against.

C. The Indiana legislature has been taken over by a coalition of tee totalling, non-violent religious groups that outlaw both beer and football, and the University is forced to end the football program. To which college football team do you switch your allegiance, and why?

Easy - Northwestern, because I went there for undergrad. As an undergrad, I went to the games, but football was not a priority in my life at that time (unlike now). In reality, I probably pay more attention to Northwestern football now than I did when I went there, even though my allegiance has been to Notre Dame from pretty much the moment I stepped on campus for law school. Plus, Northwestern can use all the fans it can get, and a tailgate pass for the season is approximately the same cost as a tailgate pass at Notre Dame for one game.

4. While on campus on a football Saturday you stop by the Knights of Columbus building to get your traditional steak and gristle sandwich. You also take the opportunity to pop inside the building to use the restroom before following the band over to the stadium. While waiting in line for the bathroom and watching the endlessly running Rudy on the K of C television you make the acquaintance of an older gentleman with a beard. He's rather short, but very energetic for his obviously advanced age. You allow him to cut in line in front of you. When he comes out of the restroom, obviously relieved, he thanks you and and then steps in really close to you and whispers in your ear. "I'll grant you two wishes. The first - Notre Dame will beat any team you choose for the next ten seasons. The second, the Irish will also lose for ten straight years to any team you name. Quick now, what two teams will they be?!" You blurt out your two answers, and he disappears into the crowd. What two teams did you pick, and why?

First wish? Beat USC for ten years. Second wish? Lose to USC for ten years. Note that the second time, the older gentleman did not qualify my wish with "the next ten seasons." All us lawyers and our loopholes.

5. I'm a terrible predictor. I'm pretty good at analysis, but I'm no good picking games because I almost always pick the Irish. But we need to get on the record here. Notre Dame has games left against North Carolina, Washington, Pitt, Boston College, Navy, Syracuse, and USC. Pick the winner of each of those seven games. Assign each pick points based upon your level of confidence in the pick. Most confident pick gets a 7, least confident pick gets a 1. Each value 1 through 7 must be used once. A perfect score of all picks correct would be worth a total of 28 points. The member of the Irish Blogger Gathering with the highest point total wins a prize of my choosing at the end of the regular season. In case of a tie, the tiebreaker is the member who has the best overall season based on quantity and quality of posts to their blog from now through the end of the season, as voted by the members of the Gathering.

Here they are:

1 - Least Confident - Notre Dame over USC.
2 - Notre Dame over North Carolina.
3 - Notre Dame over Pitt (and if anyone has two tickets they want to sell me, I will love you forever!).
4 - Notre Dame over Boston College.
5 - Notre Dame over Navy.
6 - Notre Dame over Washington.
7 - Most Confident - Notre Dame over Syracuse.

Oh yes, that's right, I just picked Notre Dame to win out the season. Consider that Kool-Aid drunk.

Football Saturday!

2008-10-04T08:50:00.003-04:00

Two burning questions this morning, prior to the Stanford game.

1. It's 9:00. Is that too early for a beer?

2. Supposing it is not too early, how does Miller Lite taste with Fruity Pebbles?

The answers?

1. Of course not. If I was at the game, I would have started drinking at least an hour ago. Probably two.

2. Bad. Just bad.

Irish Blogger Gathering: Rivalry Edition

2008-09-30T13:51:00.003-04:00

Here's my first entry into the Irish Blogger Gathering - Subway Domer has more details. Today, as you will note, appears to be a day devoted to using as many parentheses as possible. (Edit - I don't know why the formatting is screwed up. It won't be fixed until LATE, as I am going to the Sox game tonight).

1. This is Notre Dame. Notre Dame is the game circled on just about every opposing teams schedule. They hate us and want to destroy us. So, it is safe to say that if ND plays a team every year, that game will become a big game for ND and an even bigger game for the opponent. So, pick any team that ND does not currently play and make that team a rival and create a rivalry trophy to go along with your rival of choice.

My initial thought was to go with my first alma mater - Northwestern. There were a few things going for this beyond the personal - Notre Dame has traditionally played Northwestern (with Notre Dame on top of the series 36-8-1), the schools are both among the best academic colleges in the country (especially among the teams that play D-I football - and yes, I am still referring to it that way and I don't care), and it is short distance between the two schools. Plus, even when they are in a down year (or decade...or several decades), Northwestern is still a Big Ten school.

But then, I realized that a better choice involves a few more miles, a few points lopped off the SAT scores, and a less traditional rival to the north - Wisconsin. First, since the early 1990s, the Badgers can be counted on to be a good to almost great team (although I suspect that Bielema's lax attitude to recruiting may hurt Wisconsin in the not-too-distant future, especially once Alvarez is out of the picture completely, but that's a different topic for a different day). Second, there are lots of small, but important reasons the rivalry would be good - Big Ten, only a few hours from ND in the car, current connections between the schools (Alvarez), recent nasty comments by their coach about Notre Dame and the BCS. Third, and perhaps best of all, is the fun to be had in Madison on road trips. I grew up in Madison, and I meet more people who hear I am from Madison and then start a story with a phrase like, "I went to Madison once. I sort of remember it." Trust me, that's a good thing. If you can make it from one end of State Street (or Regent Street, for that matter) to the other without serious inebriation resulting, you are a better (wo)man than I.

As for a trophy, I think a bratwurst statue is in order - both places love them. Dorky? Yes. Do I care? No.

2. What current rival of ND (Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Boston College, Stanford, Southern California- all trophy games) would you take off of the schedule and never play again?

You know that High Life commercial where the guys are cooking ostrich burgers at their tailgate? And then the Miller High Life guy comes up and shows them how to tailgate like normal people? When I went to visit Stanford while looking at colleges, they weren't cooking anything. Because, you know, sushi doesn't require cooking. And they were drinking wine.

I'm sorry, any team with fans who think sushi is an appropriate item to eat at a tailgate is not a team we should be playing on a regular basis.

3. What entertainment rival (whether it be TV, movies, or celebrity) would you compare to ND and one of its current rivals?

Anytime I get to compare something to Deadwood, life is good - Boston College vs. ND / Cy Tolliver vs. Al Swearingen. Both Boston College and Cy Tolliver think they are more important to college football/Deadwood than they actually are. Sure, they have had some moments, but at the end of the day, both college football and Deadwood exist without BC and Cy. And because BC and Cy think they are such hot stuff, they end up screwing themselves and everyone around them. Bastards.

Plus, as much as you want to hate ND and Al, at the end of the day, you have to admit to a grudging respect for them, even if you still wish only evil things to befall them from here on foward.

(The worst thing about this comparison? Having to give Boston College the satisfaction of being compared to someone as cool as Powers Booth).

(The best thing about this comparison? I could keep making connections here for hours. I heart Deadwood).

4. List your top 5 historical college football rivalries. After that, list your top 5 college football rivalries as of 2008.

Historical - In no particular order:

Army/Navy
Texas/Oklahoma
Notre Dame/USC
Ohio State/Michigan
South Carolina/Clemson

2008 - Again, in no particular order:

Army/Navy
Alabama/Auburn
Texas/Oklahoma
Florida/Georgia
Missouri/Kansas

5. There are a lot of rivalry games out there. What is a great rivalry game that may not be as well known as the ones in your top 5 and explain why it so fantastic.

Because I'm familiar with it, I'm going to go with a rivalry that has lost some of its luster in recent years - Wisconsin/Iowa. When I was a kid, this game was huge in Madison. The streets would be full of Iowa fans driving erratically (not drunk, it's just a fact that people in Iowa don't know how to drive. This also applies to people from Indiana (really, people, it's not the Indy 500 every day on the roads, and turn signals are not just because we like blinky lights) and me. I could really use a chauffeur). The fans hated each other with a passion Wisconsin fans now seem able to muster for anyone and everyone (but which they traditionally reserved for Iowa and, sometimes, Minnesota). When Wisconsin sucked (it wasn't that long ago, trust me), the stadium only sold out once per year, and it was Iowa. Plus, it's a game ripe for making fun of for people from other states - Corn v. Cows, etc.

Even now, the rivalry is still there, though not as passionately as it once existed. I would love to bring that back (and I have no interest in either team, except to hate on the Badgers).

Apologies

2008-09-23T22:25:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the recent lack of posting - work has been taking up many more hours of my days than I expected for the last two weeks. Then again, does anyone really want to rehash the Michigan State game? Yeah, didn't think so.

Back!!!

2008-09-15T20:14:00.003-04:00

Back from a wedding this weekend, and work went nuts at about 4:00 - which means this is all I have time to post for the day. Should be better in the next few days, though!

Daily ND Five - September 10, 2008

2008-09-10T20:45:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow's adventure: Mowing the lawn with my new electric mower. Bets on whether I mow over the cord? Anyone? Anyone?

At least the neighbors will be happy that the jungle that is currently my yard will be shorter.

One: How about some video from Saturday? And a quick analysis of why we didn't see more sacks, despite Tenuta and 59 pass attempts. (The Blue-Gray Sky)

Two: Speaking of sacks, how about some more on the subject? (Rakes of Mallow)

Three: I'm a believer (it's more fun than being a pessimist, right?). And yes, I only did that because I saw that headline and got The Monkees in my head. (The Rock Report)

Four: This would have been even easier than just watching the 4th quarter on TiVo. (Subway Domer)

Five: Supposedly, Notre Dame and Michigan have only faced off twice when they are unranked. Once, this year. The other time? Last year. (The Observer)

Daily ND Five - September 9, 2008

2008-09-09T20:26:00.003-04:00

Surprised that I actually got to this today - I have been running around, spending more money on my car to get it fixed than it might actually be worth...anyway, an abbreviated version now, as it will be until next week. But I tell myself that it's better than nothing...

One: Does anyone ever get enough Lou? Not me. I wish I could be there this weekend! (und.com)

Two: I was not one of these people. Happily. (The Observer)

Three: One more set of thoughts on the San Diego State game. (Section 29, Row 48, Seat 10)

Four: Jimmy Clausen's hair. 'Nuf said. (The House Rock Built)

Five: Checking out what is going on with our upcoming opponents. (Irish Band of Brothers)

Daily ND Five - September 8, 2008

2008-09-08T19:34:00.002-04:00

Back! A great weekend in South Bend, followed by amusement on the ride home (if cars now in need of $1000+ of work can be defined as something amusing).

One: I re-watched the game last night. And by "re-watch," I mean that I TiVo'd through everything to get straight to the 4th quarter. If you do that, it was pretty awesome. Or, you know, you could have paid attention to the whole thing, like some people, and have actual thoughts on the game. (The Blue-Gray Sky)

Two: Some more thoughts, mostly to do with specific players during the game. (Subway Domer)

Three: Still more thoughts. (Irish Band of Brothers)

Four: And some more! (OC Domer)

Five: Looking ahead: To hell with Michigan! (Irish Insights)

Glad to be back!

No Daily ND Five Today

2008-09-04T22:35:00.002-04:00

Thanks to work and a slight obsession with someone who shares my name from Alaska, I am not going to do the Daily ND Five today (plus, I have some television to watch right now, followed by packing for the trip to Notre Dame tomorrow). Instead, here's my non-preview preview of San Diego State. It involves Rockapella, in case you needed any incentive to read it.

Back!!!

2008-09-03T19:26:00.002-04:00

After a week spent in the wilderness that is life without the internet, I am back! I will have a Daily ND Five up tomorrow, and probably an invite to my Saturday tailgate for anyone who wants to come by and take me up on a game of beer pong!

Eeek!

2008-08-26T20:22:00.002-04:00

So, due to unforeseen circumstances (as in, I have not closed on my new house, even though I was supposed to yesterday), along with foreseen circumstances (starting new job tomorrow), the blog is probably going to be out of the loop all of this week, until I can get my life back in something resembling order.

On the plus side, as of this weekend, there will be lots of football to talk about!

Daily ND Five - August 22, 2008

2008-08-22T08:57:00.002-04:00

Heads up, I will probably not have a Daily ND Five early next week, thanks to the big move to Indiana and a lack of internet until an unknown point in the future.

One: "Around Twenty Questions" with Pat Kuntz, including more than a few hilarious tidbits:

II: What's the weirdest haircut you've gotten? Was it last week?

PK: "I had a rat tail when I was younger, too. I don't know what my parents were thinking, but I liked it."

Oh, it gets better. Much better. Burping, mispronounced last name - it's the kind of interview that I love. (Irish Insights)

Two: Part four of the "Why the Hell Not?" predictions from Subway Domer - this time, Navy, Syracuse and USC:

The Trojans are coming off of a bye week and boy did they need it. The team has had 14 different outbreaks of jock itch this season. The players spent the off week sitting in tubs of ice.

Will jokes about the jock itch outbreak ever get old? I hope not. (Subway Domer)

Three: Notes on some opponents, including notes on a canceled practice out at Washington:

"Rest is always important. We felt like it's the right time to put a little rest in there," Willingham said. "We had some time built into the schedule because we anticipated that we might need it."

Is anyone else's first thought to check the weather to see whether it was conducive to golfing yesterday? (Irish Band of Brothers)

Four: Some lessons in leadership for the incoming leadership committee:

Leader: Admiral Ackbar.
Leadership Attributes: Let his entire team know “It’s a trap!”
Translated to the football field: Always yell out “trap!” if you see a trap.

Yes, that's right. I chose the one related to Star Wars. I am a dork. (Her Loyal Sons)

Five: Notes from Thursday's media session with Coach Weis:

Weis talked about starting the season with the bye week and said it didn’t bother him. Weis did say that he offered one school a chance to move a game to the last weekend in August, but they didn’t bite.

Now I want to know who the team was. (uhnd.com)

Daily ND Five - August 21, 2008

2008-08-21T10:41:00.006-04:00

A late Daily ND Five, as I have been trying to get all of my insurance straightened out for next week. And really, having a plan in case the house burns to the ground is probably a good idea.

One: It has been said before, but it bears repeating - the schedule last year did the team no favors:

Last year’s schedule was brutal not just for the quality of the opponents the Irish faced, but the order in which they faced them. The young and inexperienced 2007 Notre Dame squad played road games at two of the biggest and loudest stadiums in all of college football just within their first three games. In fact, four of the first six games of the year were on the road last year for the Irish.

This year, things are much rosier on the schedule front. (uhnd.com)

Two: This just defies explanation. (Irish Band of Brothers)

Three: Lots of updates on the team, including a pretty sunny injury report:

However, Weis said at this point, his team has not had any major injuries. That includes freshman linebacker Anthony McDonald, who hasn't been at practice for the better part of a week.

Never a bad thing when the team is mostly intact. Also, while you're there, check out the piece on Abdel Banda - another great example of the value of a Notre Dame education. (Irish Insights)

Four: More updates on the team:

Polian said the Irish's new punter, Eric Maust, has made strides just this past week in achieving consistency at the position. Maust said it's merely a case of finally getting enough reps -- he backed up Geoff Price last season -- to be comfortable.

Ah, punting. Remind me, how long until the season starts? (Around the Bend - Chicago Sports)

Five: Thoughts on left tackle being key to the Irish season:

To say the least, sophomore signal caller Jimmy Clausen does not want to go through another beat down at the hands of the opposition, both figuratively and literally.

I guess we will know a lot more in a few weeks. (cfb360.com)

Daily ND Five - August 20, 2008

2008-08-20T11:16:00.002-04:00

The very late in the morning edition of the Daily ND Five, as sleeping in and getting my apartment ready for a showing got in the way of getting this taken care of.

One: Skywriting over at The Blue-Gray Sky, including this bit on the short-lived, but big, rumor of Darrin Walls transferring to Pitt:

The whole need to clarify the situation arose when the sight of Darrin's father at a Pitt practice -- he's friends with the coaching staff -- turned into an internet wildfire rumor of Darrin being at practice and considering a transfer. The good news is that he's not planning on any transfer and the even better news is that the family expects Darrin to return for the spring 2009 semester.

Ah, the internet, where the barest hint of anything will be a big deal within moments. (The Blue-Gray Sky)

Two: Thoughts on practice from yesterday:

Still impressed, too, with Armando Allen's footwork. Going through the high steps after the gauntlet, he hardly ever seems to hit a rope, which usually means he has good skill at placing his feet.

No word on whether there was any hugging and love yesterday, as there was on Monday. (Irish Insights)

Three: More thoughts on practice yesterday:

And here's something I've never seen during my years covering this team: The trainer calling out one of the players. Freshman defensive end Sean Cwynar wasn't participating fully in the swivel drill, but head athletic trainer Jim Russ shouted across the field: "You can do that! Quit feeling sorry for yourself! Quit being a baby!" That'll get your attention.

I'm not sure if the trainer calling out a player is a good thing or a bad thing. (eTruth)

Four: They aren't our first opponent, but they come up quickly. A bit on the bad luck up at Michigan:

And perhaps seeing the writing on the wall in regards to the season, running back Kevin Grady had a bit too much to drunk earlier in the summer, and has plead guilty to drunk driving. MGo linked to a report about the arrest, and Grady was apparently not just casually drinking and out for a spin, but drunk to the tune of "Thompson said he asked for a number between 12 and 14, and Grady answered '15.'" Of course, you could just potentially say that a sober Wolverine couldn't correctly answer that question. (Again, zing! On fire!)

Some people would feel bad about these bad things happening at Michigan. I am not one of those people. Also, some info on a couple other opponents there. (Rakes of Mallow)

Five: Looking at some of the other opponents, including USC:

With less than two weeks before the Aug. 30 opener against Virginia, the quarterback derby is moving into a pivotal stretch. Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain are competing to possibly replace injured starter Mark Sanchez, while Sanchez is working to return in time to play against the Cavaliers.

Let me just come out and say it: it's great not to have quarterback issues this year. (Irish Band of Brothers)

Daily ND Five - August 19, 2008

2008-08-19T08:20:00.002-04:00

For someone who is moving later this week, my apartment is in surprisingly good order. In other words, I really need to get more packed and watch less television. On the plus side, I managed to wake up at a regular hour (probably because I fell asleep on the couch watching television).

One: Observations on yesterday's practice:

When the team met at midfield for stretching, James Aldridge and Kyle McCarthy met at midfield and hugged. Don't know what that was about.

It's about the love. Or something like that. (Irish Insights)

Two: Less than three weeks to go until the game! A preview of San Diego State that will make you feel good for the first game of the year:

The defense has a slew of starters remaining, but it's debatable whether that is a good thing considering the Swiss cheese-like performance they turned in last season. If trends continue from last season, it'll be a blessing for the much beleaguered Irish offensive line, since the Aztecs ranked 107^th in the country last year in sacks, registering only 1.25 per game.

It's getting me excited - I think I need to start thinking about getting a parking permit for tailgating. (Rakes of Mallow)

Three: Some love for Golden Tate:

The problem for the converted running back was he really only knew one route – the go route. He could use his tremendous speed to run down the field and get behind a defense but that was about it.

Perhaps Tate and Devin Hester can exchange notes on this topic. (UHND.com)

Four: TAH-NOO-TAH BLITZ:

Soon after Tenuta arrived on the Notre Dame campus, he installed the blitzing scheme he used at Georgia Tech. The defense puts pressure on every snap to force chaos and errors.

This whole Daily ND Five is firing me up majorly. (ESPN.com)

Five: Weekend news from Notre Dame's opponents. This on USC's Joe McKnight:

McKnight suffered a hyperextended elbow in the Trojans' scrimmage at the Coliseum the night before Coach Pete Carroll said. McKnight's latest mishap came only a few days after he injured two fingers, including a slight fracture at the tip of one, when a teammate accidentally closed a dormitory door on McKnight's right hand.

Don't forget the "jock itch" that McKnight suffered from prior to both of these other injuries (Irish Band of Brothers)

Daily ND Five - August 18, 2008

2008-08-18T09:48:00.002-04:00

A little late this morning, as it is my week off before I start working again. And when I can sleep in, I will sleep in. In other words? Don't expect to see the Daily ND Five early this week.

One: Playing a lot of underclassmen may not be the worst thing that has ever happened to Notre Dame:

And Notre Dame is actually getting younger, because the sophomores now have to look over their shoulders. Gary Gray has a great shot of playing, but here comes Blanton, a cocky and talented frosh. Ragone's in the driver's seat at tight tend, but Rudy is impressing the hell out of everyone.

More there, plus a lot of comment thread worth reading. (The Rock Report)

Two: Some highlights from Coach Weis's media session. My favorite is this:

Speaking of quarterbacks, Weis said Nate Montana "could come in and finish a game for us if he needed to, which he just might do."

I assume that was meant for a laugh, but I do love the thought of a Montana coming in to finish a game. (eTruth)

Three: Another preview of the Notre Dame season. Here's the take on Boston College:

There was a huge controversy this week that dominated talk radio. The argument was whether it was poor sportsmanship for Coach Weis to keep his first string in the entire game, and to go for two in the final play of the game, thus ensuring the Irish would have sole possession of the most lopsided game ever in college football history.

Prediction: 223-0 Notre Dame

Color me highly amused. (Domer Law Blog)

Four: Satire works when it has a ring of truth:

Former American women's gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi will be joining Tom Hammond and Pat Haden in the booth, providing the unrelenting enthusiasm and unfiltered partisanship that Notre Dame fans appreciate, all bundled in a loveable old man with a great mustache and accent.

Oh, and Michael Phelps will be in the booth, too. (Rakes of Mallow)

Five: Leprechaun hunting in the South Bend area:

Whitton described spotting the bizarre, tiny magical humanoid creature in the very early hours of Saturday morning staggering out of a local drinking establishment, and the brief but harrowing firefight that ensued. In the end, magic or no magic, the pixie was no match for Whitton and Dyer's arsenal of modified assault rifles and body armor.

And here I thought leprechauns were more prevalent around Mobile. P.S. - I never get tired of that video. (The House Rock Built)

Daily ND Five - August 15, 2008

2008-08-15T08:53:00.003-04:00

Today is my last day at my current job - if this seems at all distracted, that's the reason.

One: Just a reminder, Notre Dame has daily video of practice up on the official website. At this point, practice videos and the upcoming move are the only two things keeping me sane prior to real, actual college football games. (und.com)

Two: Another set of "Around Twenty Questions," this time with Golden Tate. Besides learning that Tate likes to fish, there is this:

II: What's the most crab legs you've eaten in a sitting?
GT: "Six or seven plates. Liked stacked up."

That's a lot of crab legs. I couldn't even make it through one plate of crab legs earlier this week. Then again, I am not a football player. (Irish Insights)

Three: Another loss from the junior class. This time, it's wide receiver Richard Jackson:

Jackson a native of Clermont, FL (East Ridge High School) was a highly sought after prospect in the 2006 recruiting class, when he ranked as the 87th best player on the USA today top 100 list. Jackson was also a first-team all-state selection in the talent-laden Florida class 6A division.

Jackson missed all of last season after breaking his wrist in the Blue-Gold game. (BlueandGold.com)

Four: A quick look at yesterday's practice:

One final absence to report: No. 60 was not at practice. That's right, Duval Kamara has his old No. 18 back, though not without some controversy, apparently.

Controversy involving a significant overnight weight loss. (eTruth)

Five: As this has to do with a Notre Dame opponent, I figure that it is worth posting:

That's right, folks, you read that correctly. Fully 25% of the Trojan football team has contracted a particularly ornery strain of jock itch, whose virulent epidemiology has left even Pete Carroll speechless, and I'm sure he's seen damned near every groin-related malady in his long tenure as a football coach.

The jokes right themselves. Which is probably why I can't come up with one. (NCAA Football Fanhouse)

Daily ND Five - August 14, 2008

2008-08-14T08:24:00.003-04:00

For someone moving in a few days, I have packed surprisingly little. But I will definitely take care of the Daily ND Five. Much better idea than packing!

One: Bringing back some emotion to Notre Dame - both by the players and by the fans:

It has been a beautiful thing to watch as this team has pulled itself up from the dark abyss of 2007 and actually worked on being more physical and emotional out on the field.

The post is like a highlight reel of the off-season, in a good sense. (Subway Domer)

Two: Looking at some of our opponents during their respective fall camps. A tiny bit of these extensive previews, this is about the Michigan quarterback situation:

The team's quarterbacks continue to improve daily. An emphasis has been put on fundamentals due to each quarterback's limited collegiate experience, but the coaching staff is pleased with the breadth of the playbook that they have been able to handle.

Lots and lots more at Irish Band of Brothers to get you excited about the upcoming season (or scared about the upcoming season). (Irish Band of Brothers)

Three: Looking at the 2008 Notre Dame quarterbacks:

Last season was a long one for the young Clausen, who had been used to winning all of his athletic career, winning 4 state championships in high school. In his frosh campaign, Jimmy was sacked a whopping 27 times, more than twice as much as Brady Quinn was sacked in his freshman year.

Good stuff on all three quarterbacks. (Domer Law Blog)

Four: Notre Dame will be inviting back coaches and/or their families who won National Championships this season:

Holtz and Parseghian will be present, while approximately 20 Devine family members, 15 members of the Leahy family and six Rockne family members are expected to return for the weekend.

September 13th (also known as the date of the Michigan game) is the game celebrating the 20th anniversary of 1988 National Championship. (und.com)

Five: Around Twenty questions with Darrell "Flash" Gordon:

I still go on Notre Dame's campus and people still call me by Flash. When I hear people call me that name, I know it's a Notre Dame contact. I still get it today. But as time progressed, more folks called me by Darrell because they didn't understand my background. But when I'm around Notre Dame, I hear Flash.

My only problem here? Eight questions doesn't really qualify as "around twenty questions." I would have liked more - that's a good problem to have. (Irish Insights)

Daily ND Five - August 13, 2008

2008-08-13T08:29:00.002-04:00

Already way behind this morning (so what else is new?). I'm hoping no one at work notices that I am gone, but, as my last day is Friday, there really isn't much they can do at this point. Now, on to the Five.

One: Wow, people were quite optimistic about last year's team. OC Domer takes a look at some rosy predictions from prior to the 2007 season from across the blog world:

Ah, memories! Times were simpler then. There certain things you could count on in this world. Like blocking, tackling, and beating Navy. But life is more complicated today.

Gosh, the good old days seem so far away. (OC Domer)

Two: A quick look back at the weekend of open practices:

Naturally, you have to avoid trying to go too far between the lines when consuming practice reports and massive amounts of coach-speak and spoon-fed cliches that come from the players in these settings. Everybody looks fine in practice, everybody's "just a little bit of confidence" away from having a big year. Even with that fully justified caveat, the "Dive Right In" philosophy is exactly where the Irish should be heading right now. No looking back, just charging straight forward. If nothing else, it beats the "throw it on the wall and see what sticks" style from a year ago.

I will definitely take the "Dive Right In" philosophy! (Section 29, Row48, Seat 10)

Three: Some thoughts on yesterday's open practice:

Ryan Burkhart has a strong, strong leg. He booted the ball into the end zone consistently both Sunday in the fan practice and again Tuesday during the media open practice. He'll be the kickoffs guy, no doubt.

I like the sounds of that. (Irish Insights)

Four: Then again, how much can we learn from a practice?

The Irish have 20 returning lettermen on offense and 16 on defense, but even that stat is deceiving. How valuable is experienced gained during lopsided losses in a 3-9 season? That answer, and others, will not be known until the Sept. 6 season opener against San Diego State -- and perhaps not even then.

Lots more questions marks follow and precede that one. (Post-Tribune)

Five: Lastly, not leastly, the final part in Classic Ground's look at the 1988 National Championship season:

Irish running back Mark Green remembers, “We had a ton of talent. It was a matter of putting yourself second. It was more important to me to help win a national championship with these guys at Notre Dame.” Frank Stams recalled, “That season was the most fun I ever had playing football.”

Part One is here, Part Two here. A highly recommended read. (Classic Ground)

Daily ND Five - August 12, 2008

2008-08-12T08:43:00.005-04:00

The "Back To Drinking The Kool-Aid" Edition.

One: Some thoughts on why Notre Dame will be better this year:

Weis admitted that players were often scared to make mistakes which made the team uptight and drained all the emotion from their play. The payoff of Weis's decision to step back and encourage his team to show emotion was evident in the Blue Gold Game, where it actually looked like the kids were having fun and playing harder because of it. Notre Dame now looks like a team that wants to kick your ass and is going to talk it up and have fun doing it.

Gosh, Kool-Aid tastes great. (The Rock Report)

Two: Yet another preview that isn't so scary:

The first thing I noticed is that Notre Dame isn't facing a single receiver who cracked the thousand yard receiving mark last season. Even more striking, of the 27 starters listed here, only 9 had more receiving yards than John Carlson did on last year's NCAA-worst Irish offense.

More specifics on the wide receivers that Notre Dame will be facing this season here. (The Blue-Gray Sky)

Three: A look at yesterday's practice, which was open to the Notre Dame professors:

Briefly looking at the quarterbacks, it appears Dayne Crist has a higher release point than the rest of the quarterbacks, although it could be more deception since he's 6-4 while Jimmy Clausen is 6-3 and Evan Sharpley is 6-2. Neither Clausen nor Sharpley appear that tall, though.

Ah, the ol' height exaggeration. Nice. (Irish Insights)

Four: Part Three of Subway Domer's pre-season predictions, including some pre-game antics, including this bit about the Washington game:

The start of the game was delayed by over an hour as a chaotic set of events was set off when the newly unemployed Ty Willingham was found driving on the field with a pimped out Rolls Royce golf cart. As security chased him down Ty hit his NOS switch and gunned it towards Irish head coach Charlie Weis.

It just gets better from there. (Subway Domer)

Five: Some ND history - Part II of a look at the 1988 season contains this tidbit about life after the memorable Miami game:

For Pat Terrell, people still stop him on the street to congratulate him on the swatted-down 2-point conversion attempt: “There were fifty-nine thousand at that game that day…and I think every single one of them has told me over the…years…what they did or how they felt when I got that deflection. It gets kind of funny, but it still does mean a lot to me.”

More great thoughts here. (Classic Ground)

Daily ND Five - August 11, 2008

2008-08-11T10:52:00.002-04:00

The "Making an Offer on a House Prevented Me From Posting Promised Updates" Edition. With an updated format to make up for the lack of promised posting, though!

One: Having drunk the post-press conference Kool-Aid, some sobering thoughts over at ND Nation:

The left side, particularly at tackle, is downright scary. Neither Paul Duncan nor backup Mike Turkovich is ideally suited for the position, but there is no one else available. Duncan does not have the requisite agility and footwork to neutralize opposing pass rushers, so he had better be able to yell, “Look out, Jimmy” at the appropriate times.

More things to help convince you that a loss against San Diego State is imminent here. (ND Nation - News and Views from the Board Ops)

Two: Some Sunday practice observations, including this tidbit on the grass:

Seeing the Notre Dame field up close, the new sod project seems to have taken well. The grass, unlike in previous years, is actually green now.

No word on the actual length (probably has something to do with USC being an away game this year). (Irish Insights)

Three: Some more thoughts on the open practice:

Weis got all over Golden Tate for not immediately running faster out of his stance on a deep ball thrown down the sideline. George West, David Grimes and Robbie Parris caught whatever was thrown to them. West had a chance to make a spectacular grab and Weis kidded him that catching it or not was the difference between him being on the front page of the sports page.

Lots more thoughts over there, some good, some not so good. (uhnd.com)

Four: An in-depth look at the scary special teams performance last year:

Notre Dame opponents averaged 10.25 touchbacks though the season last year. Notre Dame didn’t record a single touchback. That’s 10 times during the season that ND’s opponents didn’t have to worry about their opposition getting great field position. 10 times that ND opponents didn’t give their defenses craptastic circumstances. And 10 times ND didn’t do their own defense any favors.

Don't worry, it gets worse. (Her Loyal Sons)

Five: Lastly, not leastly, here is the link to all of the pre-season practice goodness, courtesy of Notre Dame. Only 26 days to go... (und.com)

Daily ND Five - August 8, 2008

2008-08-08T13:49:00.002-04:00

The "Thanks To This Morning's Presser, I Am Drunk On The Kool-Aid (and P.S. - When Do the Weekly Press Conferences Start?)" Edition.

One: Even Coach Weis couldn't lay off of the Brett Favre issue at today's press conference. And who asked the question that involved Lee Corso? I could have done without that. (und.com)

Two: De-Fense Re-Cruit! De-Fense Re-Cruit! (The Rock Report)

Three: Predictions, part II, courtesy Subway Domer. (Subway Domer)

Four: More predictions, over at Her Loyal Sons. (Her Loyal Sons)

Five: Not predictions, but things to watch, from Domer Law Blog. (Domer Law Blog)

I have about half of an article done, that might see the light of day later today. If not today, over the weekend.

Daily ND Five - August 7, 2008

2008-08-07T09:05:00.002-04:00

The "Please Tell Me I Don't Have to Hear Anything Else About Brett Favre EVER AGAIN" Edition.

One: A little Skywriting for you. (The Blue-Gray Sky)

Two: And also a little Classic 'Round the World. (Classic Ground)

Three: I try not to drink the Kool-Aid, but it's so darn tasty! (The Rock Report)

Four: Looking at Georgia's ranking in light of recent college football history - including some recent ND history. (College Football 360)

Five: Intriguing non-conference games - not surprisingly, Notre Dame makes a few appearances. (The Bleacher Report)

Daily ND Five - August 6, 2008

2008-08-06T10:27:00.002-04:00

The "I'm Back From House Hunting In Another State" Edition.

One: Previewing the running backs. (The Blue-Gray Sky)

Two: If, like me, you didn't have the cash money to apply for football tickets, here's your chance to pick up some to various games. (und.com)

Three: Am I considering driving five hours to watch practice at Fan Appreciation Day? The answer to that is a definite yes. (und.com)

Four: The speculation about the Irish season does not end. (Chicago Sun-Times)

Five: The NCAA football schedule, helmet-ized for your pleasure. (Irish Round Table)

Daily ND Five - August 1, 2008

2008-08-01T10:40:00.002-04:00

The "My Internet Is Working Again (Sort Of)" Edition.

One: Previewing this season's opposing quarterbacks. (The Blue-Gray Sky)

Two: Previewing the Notre Dame quarterbacks. (Rakes of Mallow)

Three: How about a preview of opposing running backs. (Irish Eyes)

Four: Continuing the timeless plays - Numbers six to three. (BlueandGold.com)

Five: Some of ND's annual rankings in The Princeton Review. (Irish Insights)