our defensive lineman need to go back to the half-shirts.

congrats to zorich!
true2nd | Email | Homepage | 07.21.08 - 9:36 am | #

When ESPN was doing that "face of the program" the first thing I thought of was Chris Zorich. Not only because of the half jersey (both badass and intimidating, like women's hairstyles in the 80's.) But also, I always remember the story of Lou Holtz talking about before the '88 season after the last lost, there was only one man in the locker room crying. That man was Chris Zorich, and Holtz was sure he would help lead them to a national championship. Forever my favorite ND player bully to Zorro.
Mark | Email | Homepage | 07.21.08 - 12:12 pm | #

our defensive lineman need to go back to the half-shirts.

Half-shirts are illegal. Jersey must be full-length and tucked into the pants (Rule 1-4(e))
DJ | Email | Homepage | 07.21.08 - 12:51 pm | #

Great player! He deserves it
Chris Bowie | Email | Homepage | 07.21.08 - 2:35 pm | #

Didn't James Aldridge wear half-shirt in couple games last year?
I22 | Email | Homepage | 07.21.08 - 2:47 pm | #

14 hour flight? Where was Lou going?
WyoMike | Email | Homepage | 07.21.08 - 3:35 pm | #

South Bend to anywhere practically takes 14 hours these days, since you usually have to fly through Atlanta, dealing with the inevitable 4-hour layover when you get there.
Matt '09 | Email | Homepage | 07.21.08 - 4:16 pm | #

My all-time favorite player.

I wish we could bottle his on-the-field nastiness and inject it into all ND linemen.
Hoss | Email | Homepage | 07.21.08 - 4:44 pm | #

Who will wear the mantle of Zorich this year? I'm looking for the guys who are truly passionate about playing for Notre Dame and all that it represents. I've seen too many guys go through the motions the past couple of years or transfer at the first sign of trouble. Getting back to the top will require talent, hard work and especially a deep belief in the spirit of Notre Dame. Zorich "got it". I wonder sometimes if these kids do.
Fighting Binny | Email | Homepage | 07.21.08 - 4:55 pm | #

Zach Martin is Irish.
indy | Email | Homepage | 07.21.08 - 7:08 pm | #

FUN BLOG!!!!!! Congratulations on being named as a blogger of note this week!!
Stephanie | Email | Homepage | 07.21.08 - 9:03 pm | #

Zorich rules.

That video drools.

I've never seen a highlight video that cuts out the actual highlights in favor of between-play meandering.
fd | Email | Homepage | 07.21.08 - 10:08 pm | #

Side note - I'm getting to be a big fan of Cierre Wood (as if you would have to become a fan of the country's best HS RB). On an article from Rivals he said,

"We are going to be good and Notre Dame football will be back. And I guarantee that we will beat USC the next three years."

Take any guarantee with a grain of salt(esp. with USC), but I like his passion.
Dylan Murphy | Email | Homepage | 07.21.08 - 10:49 pm | #

Here is another link for Cierre Wood videos. I am impressed. Good hands too.
http://www.uhnd.com/blog/2008/no...at-usc-3-years/
GB | Email | Homepage | 07.22.08 - 2:03 am | #

Is it just me, or do the helmets back in the early 90s seem more, well, golden than our current ones?
Kris | Email | Homepage | 07.22.08 - 11:24 am | #

Kris

I think the helmets will look more golden when they win more games like in 1993.
GB | Email | Homepage | 07.22.08 - 3:07 pm | #

"We are going to be good and Notre Dame football will be back. And I guarantee that we will beat USC the next three years."- Cierre Wood

is anyone excited about this kid as i am?
Kyle | Email | Homepage | 07.22.08 - 3:58 pm | #

Does anyone know when summer practice starts?
Mexican Irish | Email | Homepage | 07.22.08 - 5:25 pm | #

ESPN is already getting me hyped up for the season....
Mark May is already pissing me off.
Mexican Irish | Email | Homepage | 07.22.08 - 6:13 pm | #

Kris,

You are right about the helmets, they do look different now than they did then. I think the cause is a combination of many things, such as the type of thinner solution that is used as a carrier for the paint flecks, a reduced amount of paint flecks the student managers actually put into the thinner (understandable considering the price of gold is a bit up there of late), and probably also how the helmets are prepped before paint is applied. You never see the boys wearing helmets with the painted-over scratch marks anymore, the ones that made them look tough. Not sure if looking tough will be much help of they don't start playing the part as well. Here's hoping.
IndyEsq | Email | Homepage | 07.22.08 - 11:28 pm | #

one tip: don't do that here.
flannercock | Email | Homepage | 07.23.08 - 7:33 am | #

Yeah, the helmets definitely used to be shinier (is that a word?). I used to love when the helmet would get all banged and dented up. It was the best. Lets get back to that.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 07.23.08 - 8:16 am | #

What's with all the thread hijacking of late? Did BGS win an award or something. This doesn't seem like the type of blog you just stumble across...
NavyJoe | Email | Homepage | 07.23.08 - 10:57 am | #

Blogger named BGS a "Blog of Note" a few days ago. It led to a big jump in the number of spammers finding and spamming the blog.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 07.23.08 - 12:01 pm | #

Pat,

My department head likes to say that in the Navy "the competent get punished." I guess it applies across other areas as well..

and by punished, I mean that the competent get more work thrown at them, in case that wasn't clear...
NavyJoe | Email | Homepage | 07.23.08 - 3:37 pm | #

NavyJoe,

When I was in the Army, it was called the bordello principle. The better you performed, the more you were screwed.
Kris | Email | Homepage | 07.23.08 - 5:53 pm | #

IndyEsq,

Thanks for the detailed explanation. Were you a student manager?
Kris | Email | Homepage | 07.23.08 - 5:54 pm | #

Zorich = STUD
Voice in the Wilderness | Email | Homepage | 07.23.08 - 8:19 pm | #

Kris,
I wasn't a student manager but I lived with two of them who became junior football managers and senior head managers for different sports (swim team and men's tennis). I never mooched on their schwag, but I did, on occasion, mooch on their inside-access to the football stadium locker room on game prep nights, mostly to show family and close friends who came in for games how it all was done. Those insider views are still among my best memories. That brief scene in Rudy doesn't do the prep night process justice.
IndyEsq | Email | Homepage | 07.24.08 - 11:15 am | #

Zorich played when he was hurt and in an awful lot of pain. He was so banged up he should have taken a year to heal, but he wouldn't have it.
Judge60 | Email | Homepage | 07.25.08 - 9:05 pm | #

I doubt anyone is still reading this thread, but I'm pretty sure the lack of shine on the helmets is also in part due to the new safer design. The helmets have a different shape, as well as holes and subtle grooves in them supposedly to increase protection of some kind. Once the new designs came out (2002 or 2003 I think) the helmets lost a bit of their luster. I seem to recall a write-up in the Observer or Scholastic while I was a student.
Erik '04 | Email | Homepage | 07.29.08 - 4:11 pm | #

It is an absolute disgrace that Notre Dame won't play a night game.
Anonymous | Email | Homepage | 08.03.08 - 7:34 pm | #