Nice job, Jay
Chris | Email | Homepage | 04.29.06 - 1:24 pm | #

Amen, brother.
lyle | Email | Homepage | 04.29.06 - 1:31 pm | #

Football players really don't respect showboaters. Never did; never will. Mr. Clausen would be most wise to cool it at least until he has proven himself.
R. Lawrence | Email | Homepage | 04.29.06 - 1:39 pm | #

As much of a fan of ND as I am, I wouldn't be honest with myself calling the OSU game "a roadbump in the rearview mirror". OSU exposed our defense, completely. When they needed a big play, they got it. I'm not sure that we have much in the way of "upgrades" among the key front 7, and are frankly an injury away from disaster, there.

I believe we'll have a solid year, but talk of a championship and Heisman, are overblown.
Dan | Email | Homepage | 04.29.06 - 2:00 pm | #

Dan, you're absolutely dead right -- from a football-only perspective. There's a lot of progress to be made on the field.

But off the field, the enthusiasm is through the roof, and if you were around for the Blue & Gold weekend you'd think Tempe was but a distant memory. That's sort of the thing I was going for with this.
Jay | Email | Homepage | 04.29.06 - 2:02 pm | #

Lawrence - I'm sure Clausen didn't mind the spectacle of his big day with the media but I also think that it was a calculated move to generate a lot of press and get recruits excited about ND. Clausen and his family are pretty savvy about the recruiting game. They know the best way to make your own kid look good is to surround him with top talent. The showy HOF press conference comes off as a bit tacky ot us, but to high school kids it might come off a bit different, and dare I say, cool.

I'm not too worried about Clausen coming into school with a big head. If he does, I'm sure Coach Mendoza has a workout to fix that.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 04.29.06 - 2:18 pm | #

The cost of the alumni ticket application should be more accurately referred to as a "mandatory donation" not a "fee." After all, a fee isn't tax deductible!! Great article, though!
JR | Email | Homepage | 04.29.06 - 2:37 pm | #

Here's a story.

Its Thursday night at like 9pm. I get on the BART train and start heading to SFO (San Francisco airport).

We're still in the middle of downtown and 40 minutes away from the airport on Thursday night.

Me, I'm catching the redeye to Chicago. I'll grab the South Shore and get to SBN by noon Friday.

I notice an individual across from me wearing an ND t-shirt and I think, "Come on, its the Blue Gold game, there's no way this kid is heading back to ND for the weekend . . ."

Well, I had to ask, and yes, he was flying through Cinci.

ND's definitely back . . . . at least the die hard fans are leaning that way . . .
atepesm | Email | Homepage | 04.29.06 - 7:04 pm | #

Little Clausen is a douche bag just like his older failures er brothers. Can't wait to see him get plowed or lose at least one big game for ND for 4 straight years.
Joe | Email | Homepage | 05.02.06 - 9:17 am | #