I haven't been able to stop dreaming big and I only rarely quit now that I'm consuming Rudy Nutritional Products morning, noon and night.
Fighting Binny | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 9:56 am | #

Is it ironic or intentional that the music chosen for the Rudy Beverage TV spot is the same song as a beer commercial (Heineken)? http://www.rudynutrition.com/ vid...995106558377954
Erik '04 | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 10:58 am | #

I like Steve Orsini. A great fit for the Irish.
Beano Cook: In a recent interview said that Coach Weis wields more power than any Football Coach in ND History, with the exception of KK Rockne. More so than the combined powers of Coaches Frank Leahy & Ara.
Do you remember the students chanting: "Stop the Rain Ara!"
jim masterson | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 11:04 am | #

Beano is just trolling for attention with that statement.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 11:07 am | #

Way to mangle June Jone's quote.

I guess news must be slow this time of year so all the ND bloggers trying to draw more traffic to their blog have to make shit up.
Jack | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 11:36 am | #

What was the quote then Jack?

A$$hole.
Chris | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 11:41 am | #

As far as their financial futures are concerned, coaches at major football schools are more powerful.

Charlie's predecessors are doing just fine.

Conversely, as far as job retention is concerned, they are less so ,due to their large compensation packages.


The severance packages can't be beat.
Dana Payne | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 11:46 am | #

I should say Bob and Ty are doing quite well .
Dana Payne | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 11:49 am | #

jim,

CW more "power" (read: influence) than Ara & Frank?

In absolute terms, CW has more (TV deal). In relative terms to other (current era) coaches, NO WAY!

Other coaches / confs have TV deals and get away with anything [Panurge, baby!]: (pay-4-play, steroids, no drug tests, no show classes, tutor test takers, recruiting violations, sex parties).

The real test is CW v. other current HC's relative to Ara / Frank and their peers of yester year. Ara / Frank by a mile.

Agree with Pat re: Beano.
ThE LoSt BoY | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 12:01 pm | #

Per the BGS newswire. take a look on the Chicago Trib article on the ND AD position.
Dana Payne | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 12:02 pm | #

Pat,

Not to be rude, but did you sleep with Jack's girlfriend or something? Or shit in his cereal? Its gotta be something...
Brad | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 12:34 pm | #

I have been doing Rudy Nutrition for 3 weeks now and after a steady regimen of Hostess cupcakes and coffee out of my red plastic thermos, I have put on 28 pounds!
GO IRISH!!! | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 12:50 pm | #

I kinda hope that Steve Orsini becomes the AD. He would be a good fit.
Oshten The Mexican Leprechaun | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 12:54 pm | #

Jack's back and bitter than ever.
Jim '72 | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 1:58 pm | #

Jack

June Jones'
Burbank Steve | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 4:14 pm | #

Anyone hear anything about Walls lately? I heard from a friend something was going on.
KWH | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 5:43 pm | #

Here's the link to the article Jack. The "mangled" quote looks pretty word for word.

http:// www.honoluluadvertiser.co...D=2008806220369
Mike | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 7:50 pm | #

As I mentioned previously, when I was a student at ND, Steve Orsini and I lived in adjacent rooms in Pangborn Hall. Steve is a first class person in every respect. He loves ND and with his track record, he would be a great AD.
lush | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 8:02 pm | #

I've always liked Beano. He was the SID at U of Pitt., and has always had an affection for Notre Dame.
KWK; Some A$$wipe on BlueandGold, a paying member started that & it has been floating for about (5) five days.
There ha been nothing, nada, zilch, from the South Bend Trib and the other two Premium Sites, IE & II.
Nothing also from other blogs.
The rumor is it's about an ethical situation (plagarism(sp)).
But if false, then as Sec. of Labor Donovan went said, "Where Do I Go To Get My Reputation Back."
And if false, I would give to B&G the coldest shoulder that is possible.
jim masterson | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 8:12 pm | #

I remember chanting Ara stop the rain. It stopped raining.

Yes, he was that good.
dbldomer7375 | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 9:01 pm | #

And if false, I would give to B&G the coldest shoulder that is possible.

Sounds like that (false) rumor that broke in the summer of '88 that alleged (falsely) that Tony Rice would be academically ineligible in the fall. I don't recall if the source was ever discovered; it was known that whoever was discovered to be the source would be fired from the University.
DJ | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 10:02 pm | #

Thanks, Jim.
KWH | Email | Homepage | 06.24.08 - 10:26 pm | #

A really great read is NOTRE DAME AND THE GAME THAT CHANGED FOOTBALL, by Frank Maggio.

It focuses on Jesse Harper and his influence on ND football. While the famous 1913 Army game is discussed , it provides an outstanding and riveting history early college football, in general.

Sports books often appeal only to a narrow fan base. All too often they are not that well written.


. As a Bears fan I enjoyed David Maraniss' book on Vince Lombardi because it evoked an era as well as great anecdotal history ...even about a team I have less than great affection for.

Like Maraniss, Maggio writes wonderful anecdotal history not only of pre Rockne ND but chronicles vividly the atmosphere of early 20th Century college football.

ND fans will realize how lucky we were to have Jesse Harper and I daresay ND [ahem] haters will have a great interesting read on the history of early college football on their bookshelves.
Dana Payne | Email | Homepage | 06.25.08 - 12:53 pm | #

Sorry for the lack of editing, but that is why I leave blogging to the professionals at BGS.
Dana Payne | Email | Homepage | 06.25.08 - 12:56 pm | #

I was just listening to Ivan Maisel and Beano Cook's bi-weekly radio show on ESPN.com and they were commenting on Mark Schablach's updated top 25 where the Irish have just recently debuted at #25. Beano then went on to say that the Irish will be 10-2 or 9-3 this year... is it surprising to people that the Irish are actually getting pretty good praise heading into this year? Personally I can only see 7-5 or 8-4 at best, but maybe we can live up to 9-3 or 10-2. Beano even said that if the Irish beat Michigan and MSU we would be heading into LA with an undefeated record. Is Notre Dame worth all the unexpected praise?
Kyle M | Email | Homepage | 06.25.08 - 2:23 pm | #

Reverse uniform game....

In '77 we smoke USC with wearing green...this year we smoke Michigan when they wear their away WVU jerseys.

Here's hoping/dreaming anyway.
Dana Payne | Email | Homepage | 06.25.08 - 2:33 pm | #

Kyle,

I can't imagine anything that would make a 3-9 team legitimately turn into a preseason-ranked team overnight. There were still too many problems and question marks coming out of the Spring to say we're going to compete for a BCS bowl this year.

Now, do I think the Irish COULD go 10-2 this year? They certainly are brimming over with "potential." Top talent at key positions, depth at many positions. The problem with potential is that it could go either way. We've made serious upgrades in terms of coaching this year, we've got loads of talented young guys, the older guys from the "past" are thinning out. Lots of reasons to be positive, but I think it's more realistic to have tempered hopes when coming off of any 3-9 season no matter who returns or who's coaching.
Erik '04 | Email | Homepage | 06.25.08 - 3:15 pm | #

You people must all be kidding yourselves into thinking this just isn't a big joke.

I mean seriously...think about Beano Cook and the Ron Pawlus connection. How many Michigan and USC fans out there somehow blame the Notre Dame hype machine for Beano's stupid comments back in the 90's? He is just doing the same thing now - feeding trolls that hate Notre Dame so that they have something to mock us about at the end of the season.

"Oh, look, those guys at ESPN that love ND and the ND Hype Machine said they would win 10 games, and they only won 7! See how ND gets all the hype even though they are totally irrelevent?" That is the exact kind of tripe that guys like Brian at Mgoblog and the USC fans are going to start saying and parading around that Beano predicted 10 wins.

Look, essentially ignore anything he or anyone else associated with ESPN (other than Mike Golic and Lou Holtz) ever says. They are doing nothing more than creating fodder for the ND haters to latch onto as though we ND fans and alum made him say it.

ESPN talking heads, as well as just about any other hack out there who says we fired [NAME REDACTED] because he is black just don't have a clue, and don't deserve our commentary. 10 wins? Sure, I'll take it. But I don't see it happening. Take a 7-5 record into a bowl game, win the damn bowl, and be satisfied that a complete rebuilding year of abolute suckiness was turned around into a bowl win the following year. THAT is something to be proud of.

By the way, just out of curriousity, I checked out Mark Schlabach's bowl match-up predictions for the 2008 campaign. Apparently he too thinks that ND will do quite well this year, and has them slated to play in the Gator Bowl. Heck, I'll take any bowl game, but that is a January 1 game if I am not mistaken.
chrisnd | Email | Homepage | 06.25.08 - 3:32 pm | #

haha well the only thing really to do is to pray to "our father who art in Heaven... please not another 2007" (im dying to get that shirt haha). There's also a good article posted here http://notredame.scout.com/2/764831.html which pretty much talks exactly about what I was just talking about with the Ivan, Mark and Beano talks. Should be an interesting year for the irish
Kyle M | Email | Homepage | 06.25.08 - 3:35 pm | #

Hearing Beano and seeing some of these early polls putting ND in the top 25 doesn't surprise me. First of all, Beano - as we all know - is a little prone to hyperbole. I like to hear what he has to say, but still...

Plus, I think these people see how the recruiting's been going and when they look at the last 3 years at ND, they see last year as an aberration. They see that a lot of things conspired to cause last year's situation and they see a lot of things in place to correct that - good talent, a favorable schedule, some good staff/coaching moves. The big question mark, though, is Charlie and has he made/will he make the best decisions to fix things. Their optimism is betting that he will.

And, of course, for those people who truly enjoy seeing ND fail, the best thing for them is to have ND fail to live up to expectations. If ND isn't talked about and hyped in the preseason, any failures on the field won't really matter. You know - build them up so you can knock them down.
belden | Email | Homepage | 06.25.08 - 3:52 pm | #

It will be a very intriguing season. I have no idea what to expect. I think it's an opportunity for the seniors to step up and show they can play. Everybody is talking about next year when the freshmen through seniors will all truly be "Charlie's Guys". This year's seniors have a lot to prove. They were the transition class between Coach Willingham and Coach Weis. Rivals had them at #40 in the country when they came in. The only four stars from the group have been injured (D.J. Hord) or left the team (Joey Hiben). This is the final opportunity for guys like Paul Duncan and Mike Turkovich to really make their mark on the program. I'm very much looking forward to seeing how 2008 plays out for the "old guys". Go Irish!
Fighting Binny | Email | Homepage | 06.25.08 - 3:53 pm | #

speaking of the upcoming season...
a great way to get psyched up (perhaps a bit early, but what the hell) and relive the glories of the past is to go to B&G's website. click on top right under "celebrating the 88 champs" and you'll get pdf's of the entire 1988 collection of Blue and Gold Illustared magazines. free.
haven't read them yet but am looking forward to digging in on the train home.
Anonymous | Email | Homepage | 06.25.08 - 5:25 pm | #

Just so we're clear here, it's June Jones's quote. He doesn't have Jesus' status yet.
John | Email | Homepage | 06.25.08 - 6:30 pm | #

Nor does he have Jesus Jones's status yet.
Don E. Brook | Email | Homepage | 06.25.08 - 7:04 pm | #

I have to agree with Chrisnd. Most likely go 7-5. But its not impossible to go 9-3. But it will be amazing to go 10-2.

Would any one want Notre Dame to schdule a Night game? I saw the poll on B&G.
Oshten The Mexican Leprechaun | Email | Homepage | 06.25.08 - 10:58 pm | #

Oshten,

There were one or two night games on campus in the 1980s, under those temporary stadium lights that made it feel like there were overnight road crews waiting to do construction when the field cleared.

In my experience, night games sounded good in theory: "More time for tailgating!" But in practice, it was a pretty long haul to kickoff, and the crowd, particularly the student section, was not in good shape come gametime.

Don't mean to sound like a fuddy duddy. I'm not staunchly against them. But given a choice, I'd take a 2:30 or 3:30 start any day.

Plus, day games feel like college football to me.
Hal | Email | Homepage | 06.26.08 - 9:53 am | #

Well-said, Erik '04. Hal, that reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask. How has the average kickoff time changed over the years? My frosh/soph years (02-03) I seem to remember plenty of games kicking off at 12:30 (or even 11:30?), or 1:30 depending on Daylight Savings. In the past few seasons it seems like the earliest that they start is 2:30. Any ideas why this is? Just NBC preferring a later start for marketing reasons? Just curious - somewhat preferred those earlier games.
baIrish | Email | Homepage | 06.26.08 - 10:40 am | #

baIrish - living on the West Coast, I too remember much earlier start times in years past. Having the Irish come on first thing in the morning, grabbing a bloody mary for a little hair of the dog, and then taking a mid-day nap after the game was over. A perfect Saturday in my book!
GO IRISH!!! | Email | Homepage | 06.26.08 - 12:45 pm | #

I don't like Notre Dame night games. I remember one many years ago in Miami. Ugh.
Joe Subway | Email | Homepage | 06.26.08 - 5:42 pm | #

With apologies to Dr. Seuss:

I do not like them played at night,
I do not like them under lights,
I do not think them half as nice,
I don't like night games, Charlie Weiss.
Joe Subway | Email | Homepage | 06.26.08 - 5:47 pm | #

We can play
In a park
Broad daylight
Or in the dark.

In L.A.
Labrea Tar
Or just north
Of Senior Bar.

On broken glass
Or parking lot
In Boston Mass
Cold or hot.

N.D. will play
Most anywhere
If they pay with cash
And full air fare.
Voice in the Wilderness | Email | Homepage | 06.26.08 - 8:26 pm | #

In the past few seasons it seems like the earliest that they start is 2:30. Any ideas why this is?

To go head-to-head with ABC's late afternoon game, and CBS's SEC game of the week. Also, it gives NBC a bit of flexibility for Ryder/President's Cup golf in the fall, and Olympic activity if the Games are in September (such as when they were in Sydney). Back when NBC had the Breeders' Cup, the later start enabled them to show all eight races, then go to ND for the game.
DJ | Email | Homepage | 06.26.08 - 10:51 pm | #

My thoughts....

While I don't think the Irish will win more than 7-8 games this year, I do think its possible to go 10-2. Here's why...

1) Schedule winds up weaker than usual. Let's say Michigan is unprepared when they play us. We lose to MSU, but manage to clean up everyone else right at the beginning. Purdue has a bad year, North Carolina doesn't live up to expectations, and our boys play a helluva game and beat Boston College who is reloading after losing a lot of seniors.

2) Charlie Weis has a running game to work with for the first time. The Oline continues to struggle here and there, but overall improves. However, with a 240 lb. RB following a 260 lb. FB up through the right side, which has a 310 lb. center, a 340 lb. RG, and a 330 lb. RT, ND manages to gain 4-5 yards per carry. Also, with a new play caller who coaches the RBs, we see more carries. This allows the play action game to soar to new heights and helps out the young receivers, making Clausen far more efficient this year than he has business being.

3) The impact of Jon Tenuta. A man who has never coached a defense that didn't wind up in the Top 20 in run defense turns what was a suprising good defense last year into a strength for the team, bringing pressure that ND fans haven't seen on the defense in years (decades?). Young, athletic linebackers made incredible strides to become pressure machines.

4) Our WRs begin to grow up. Tate becomes more than a one-route pony, and becomes a legitimate playmaker. Kamara becomes our go-to guy and displays the sure-handedness that made him valuable on a more consistent basis. Floyd comes in a makes a 40 catch year. And Grimes continues to make improbable plays when we need em. Tie all this in with effective play from a possibly game-breaking young TE and a highly experienced older TE and our passing game can jump leaps and bounds.


Do I think all this will happen? No. But if all these things combine, and it isn't unrealistic to think that they COULD, then I think 10-2 is easily within reach....but only if everything falls together nicely. Otherwise, a realistic goal is 7-8 wins.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 06.27.08 - 9:35 am | #

Brad,

I like your fire, and I'm with you. I'm trying so hard to protect myself against a letdown. But in my heart I believe last year was a perfect shitstorm, if you'll pardon the salty language. I'm expecting us to be much better.

baIrish,

Yeah, it's very uncommon to see an early game these days. I don't have any huge insight as to why, though my brother-in-law who works for Nielsen says a late-afternoon kickoff is better from an ad perspective. maybe that's all there is to it.

JoeSubway & Voice:
Those were awesome.
Hal | Email | Homepage | 06.27.08 - 9:55 am | #

Brad, great analysis on getting to 10 wins under nearly perfect situtations.

Do you honestly think that Beano Cook and Mark Schalbach have taken the same analytical approach? I highly doubt it.

Again, ESPN's behavior is nothing more than feeding fodder to the haters. You want a more realistic impression of where ND will be this year? (I will answer my own question once again). As much as I hate to admit this, but I say go ask Mark May what his thoughts about ND 2008 are. Last year, he was the only one in August/September not drinking the cool-aid and we all mocked him as an idiot. Well, he is an idiot in his own right, but when everything was said and done, he was right.

Of course, he was right for the wrong reasons, but he got it right, and we have to admit that (with grinding and great nashing of teeth).

So, for an analysis of potential Notre Dame sucesses and failures for 2008, I say we get an interesting opinion from Mark May. You could probably add 2 more wins that what he predicts, which means ND will most likely hit that 7 win year. 8 would be nice. 9 would be amazing. 10 would need divine intervention, and I just don't think that God cares about college football THAT MUCH to do what we pray for.

Give me 7 wins, a bowl appearance with a decent payout, and a bowl win. That will get a large number of haters to shut up, and it will give ND something to continue to build upon. Sure, 8-5 is acceptable at many schools, and nearly blasphemy at Notre Dame, but considering what happened in 2007, it is an improvement.
chrisnd | Email | Homepage | 06.27.08 - 10:05 am | #

chrisnd,

I'm with in you most regards, except with Mark May. He may have been right last year, but he predicted the EXACT same thing each of the previous two years, didn't he? Didn't he say we wouldn't win 2 of our first 7 games three years ago? He likes to predict crappy seasons for ND, and last year we just happened to give him his ultimate birthday wish.
Erik '04 | Email | Homepage | 06.27.08 - 10:16 am | #

*with you in
Erik '04 | Email | Homepage | 06.27.08 - 10:16 am | #

Mark May will ALWAYS predict that we lose 5-6 of our first 7 games.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 06.27.08 - 10:41 am | #

Mark May is a broken clock. Exactly right twice, but wrong every other time. 2007 was one of those times.

Or, as my Grandpa would say, a blind squirrel finds an acorn every once in a while.
Anon | Email | Homepage | 06.27.08 - 11:20 am | #

Ugh...night games would be terrible for the marching band. I guess we would start later in the day with all of our activities, but after a full Saturday of marching band, I'm always ready to fall asleep right after dinner. That would be the 2nd quarter if we played night games!

As for the time change, I thought the fact that St. Joe county recently switched to Daylight Saving Time had something to do with it...
Matt '09 | Email | Homepage | 06.27.08 - 11:41 am | #

For everyone that is saying 10-2 would require Divine Intervention, I am wondering where you see our "definite" losses coming from? I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid and I'm certainly not trying to stir things up, but when I look at the schedule no one else really jumps out at me other than USC...
NavyJoe | Email | Homepage | 06.27.08 - 12:27 pm | #

Nothing jumps out at me as a loss either, but then again, neither did Navy last year.

Mich St is always tough, Purdue could go either way, and though it pains me to say it, Washington may be able to pull off a shocker like Willingham did when he was at ND. Pitt could be good, as well as BC. I just think there are too many unknowns with this team to make a legitimate prediction at wins and losses. I may just take the "one game at a time" approach and hope to God our o-line blocks this year. I honestly don't think a 5-7 season is impossible. It will all come down to the o-line and how well they play and can control the tempo of the games and keep the ND defense off the field.
WyoMike | Email | Homepage | 06.27.08 - 2:44 pm | #

i agree there are too many variables to feel confident about anything beyond a 5-7 win season prediction.
i'm the same anonymous who posted about the free Blue and Gold's from the 1988 season. i got through most of them. one of the things that struck me was the pre-season apprehension from the B&G editorial staff. "only two seniors on offence, only 16 minutes of combined playing time returning on the o-line, untested q'back, huge questions on d line, too many freshman and sophomores..."
we all know how the season worked out.
i'm not saying we have the makings of a nat'l championshiop squad here. far from it. but looking back to '88, it does illustrate the concept of you just never know.
let's hope and pray all or most of the questions go right this year (vs. wrong like in 07).
Anonymous | Email | Homepage | 06.27.08 - 3:43 pm | #

Anon,

I was at ND for that championship season in '88, and you're right about the pre-season apprehension being similar to what we've got this year. There was a lot of confidence in Holtz, and a lot of optimism coming from all these awesome recruits coming in. But '88 wasn't supposed to be the year it all came together. The phrase that kept coming up was that T. Rice, Zorich & Co. were "a year away" from rejoining the elite.

I cannot believe this was 20 years ago.

I watched the Miami-ND game the other night with my seven year-old son and he was struck by how ferocious the Irish looked. "It's like they're angry for the whole game," he said. "They're NASTY."

I kid you not. Nasty.
Hal | Email | Homepage | 06.27.08 - 9:01 pm | #

None of us Irish fans should ever I mean ever get all hyped up about some thing ol beano said.
I really think that ND is going to start of 4-0 and if that goes down then we really do have a great shot at going to L.A. 11-0. Now if we are ranked any wear near the top 30 then thats a joke. The only reason I could say for giving us a rank of 35 and not 95 is we had a great off season.
No matter if we are 8-4 0r 12-0 just win the bowl game please please please win a bowl game!!!
In Weis We Trust!!!!!
Lou Holtz for A.D.
Stadiumdudenamedchip | Email | Homepage | 06.28.08 - 11:43 am | #

I have only one goal for this year: win a bowl game. I don't care what our win loss record is. Going 10-2 and then getting blown out in another bowl game would be just another huge disappointment.
Jack Burton . . . Me! | Email | Homepage | 06.28.08 - 3:47 pm | #

Jack Burton,

Awesome name reference. Just tell 'em what ol' Jack Burton tells em' on a dark and stormy night ... the check is in the mail. What was the name of his rig? The Porker Express?

Maybe a better way to try to predict the 2008 record is to consider how each squad will rank compared to last year. Offense can't go anywhere but up from the 115-ish ranking of '07, and defense looks also like it can move up from 40-50-ish into the top 30 perhaps? Better even? With those rankings predicted and a look at the rankings of the opponents, what *should* our record be come December?

Who knows. I'm just a schmo with a non-football related day job. Unless you count scouring BGS every hour or so.
IndyEsq | Email | Homepage | 06.28.08 - 4:13 pm | #

Hal;

Your son must be the best football analyst in his class.

They seemed angry for the whole game.

That describes the '88 D, and for that matter, the January '78 Cotton Bowl D. Just ask Earl Campbell. They nearly twisted the Tyler Rose's flower from its gall darned stem. Or so it seems to me from the highlights.

I get a little lost with exes and ohs (sounds like a country song about a football coach), but the big question that keeps running through my mind for the 2008 is the oversimplified:

"How hungry are they? Hungry enough to get angry enough to play like demented grizzly bears from whistle to whistle?"
Joe Subway | Email | Homepage | 06.28.08 - 6:27 pm | #

I'll take a 10-2 season with a bowl loss over 6-6 with a bowl win.

We're just wrapped around the axle regarding the bowls because we've lost so many in a row.

If the only thing we care about is winning a bowl game in this day and age where every team that's .500 or better makes a bowl, then we are setting our sights entirely too low.
NavyJoe | Email | Homepage | 06.29.08 - 3:19 am | #

If this was discussed previously on the boards, I apologize, but I just noticed it:

"Both Crist and McDonald said their fathers read the Notre Dame message boards."

http://www.journalgazette.net/ap...LOGS02/ 51953115

Something to keep in mind before posting.
DCDomer | Email | Homepage | 06.29.08 - 1:56 pm | #

I'm sure they're smart enough to know that these comments are worth roughly what you pay for them. Except for mine, which are usually worth less.
Joe Subway | Email | Homepage | 06.29.08 - 9:44 pm | #

Historians of ND footbal may remember 1973 and the question marks surrounding that team. What happened? Ross Browner, Al Hunter, Luther Bradley and Willie Fry, all freshmen, helped take the team to the NC. Sometines you just never know.
lush | Email | Homepage | 06.29.08 - 10:59 pm | #

This team will go as far as the OL takes it. They will improve this year - but how much?
indy | Email | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 12:01 am | #

Lush, Subway,

You just never know. That's the ticket. You THINK you know. Like I THOUGHT we'd have a decent season last year. Now everyone's THINKING mediocre year in '08.

I've got $2,400 for a new TV purchase at the end of August. I'd initially planned on getting a 52 incher last year, but I held off because the season got so ugly so quick. This year, I buy it no matter what. This is my way of showing confidence in the team, while also stimulating the economy.

If Judge60 is out there, I think he understands how this sort of karma works.
Hal | Email | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 12:17 am | #

Hal,

Hopefully we see some angry members on our Defense this year. Football is all about attitude, and especially so on defense. I had the pleasure of going to a clinic taught by Tony Dungy once on his Cover 2 defense, and it was suprisingly easy. Three basic fronts, three basic coverage schemes, and only solid hard and fast rules...1) get to the ball as fast as possible, and 2) get there in a bad mood and with cruel intentions. If that phrase doesn't sum up how defense should be played in football, I don't know what does. Hopefully we see Tenuta instill some of that in our LBs, which I think has been lacking a tad in the past few years.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 8:44 am | #

Brad,

I have a neighbor who coaches HS football, and he says, "Defensive football is like basic math. If it feels like calculus, you've got a bad teacher."

In the run-up to the Ga. Tech game in 2006, I remember reading some quotes from Yellowjacket defenders. They had been posed a loaded question about the Minter defense versus Tenuta's, and the Tech players had basically said that the Tenuta D looks complex, but it's really quite simple. They attributed their success in part to never having to second guess whether they were doing the right thing.

Granted, the ND "scheme" will be Brown's not Tenuta's. But I think it's likely that Tenuta can help Brown free the players to act rather than think.

Did you get to meet Dungy?
Hal | Email | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 10:02 am | #

Yeah, I did get to meet Tony Dungy, and I must say he is quite an impressive individual. I got to sit at a table with him and some others for about an hour and 'talk shop', and I loved every minute of it.

The thing I liked about the additition of Brown last year is that our Defense was much, much simpler than it used to be under Minter. Throughout much of the early part of the year, we were in very basic coverage schemes.

The thing I think Tenuta will bring is attitude. Especially for LBs. There was a great quote from Toryan Smith awhile back about how much he appreciated having a coach who will yell at him now. I think thats a good thing. Attitude is something you can coach, and its something you can practice. You can't just turn it on and off, and I think Tenuta is going to have our LBs bustin' heads by the second week of the season with a veangance.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 11:33 am | #

Minter's scheme did seem overly complex. I remember very vividly the Snow Bowl play in which Penn State scored on a third-down run because Demetrius DuBose got confused by his wristband. It was a crazy moment -- you could actually sense DuBose's confusion right before the snap, and you could tell he just guessed at where he was supposed to attack the line.

I mean no disrespect to DuBose or Minter. Both are good men who did our lady proud. Just agreeing that simpler can often be better.
Hal | Email | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 12:11 pm | #

can anybody provide a word of advice?
i'm not an alum but have been a fan of the irish since the mid-80's.
for my 40th bday, heading down for a game in october (stanford); first time ever.
should i book a room now? or can i wait? will i find one in town? recco for a place to stay?
or where should i go to find out answers to these q's?
Anonymous | Email | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 1:53 pm | #

Anon,

You should book as soon as you can. Since the stadium expanded to 80k seats, there are more hotels around S. Bend, but it can still get pretty hairy come game day.

One place I've always been able to get a room is the Red Roof out by the mall (link below). It's nothing fancy, and you're gonna pay $250 or $300 a night for the room. But it's within reasonable shooting distance of the campus -- 6 miles or so.

Have a great birthday!

http://www.redroof.com/reservati...ils.asp? num=629
Hal | Email | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 2:17 pm | #

Anon,

Hal's right. You need to book a room ASAP. Unless you have friends to stay with, the crazy amount you will have to pay for a hotel is a necessity. I know some people who commonly come into games and will stay in hotels as far out west as Valparaiso (45 minutes west of South Bend down the Toll Road) or as far out east as Elkhart (about 30 minutes east down the Toll Road). You can get better rates out there, but then you have to deal with the pain in the ass of driving into/out of South Bend with 80k other people. And with gas how it is, you are probably just better off getting the $300 hotel room.

Enjoy your trip, I really hope you have a blast!
Brad | Email | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 3:45 pm | #

I check this 8 times a day hoping for a new post.

Mark may is idiot. He always predicts the same every year. 4-7 or whatever.

Is anyone waiting for NCAA09?
Oshten The Mexican Leprechaun | Email | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 6:38 pm | #

OOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhyeah...
Brad | Email | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 7:28 pm | #

Thanks for the post. Very interesting.
Tony G. | Email | Homepage | 07.18.08 - 4:28 am | #

Good variety on the blog.
Kirat Singh | Email | Homepage | 07.19.08 - 1:06 pm | #