Irish Look to Extend Streak at the JACC

Tonight's matchup with the Providence Friars is very intriguing. Although the Friars are 12-7 overall and 3-4 in league play, including losing two straight, Providence has a well balanced offensive attack this season. Five different players are averaging more than 10 points per game and six players have recorded 20 or more points in a game this season for the Friars. But tonight will not be the night for Providence.

Away from the friendly confines of the Dukin Donuts Arena, Providence is 1-4. The last contest was a 71-64 loss at the Carrier Dome to a Syracuse squad that has only six healthy scholarship players! Yes, SIX scholarship players. To their credit, Providence did beat UConn in Hartford 77-65 on January 17. So which Friar squad will show up tonight, the one that beat Connecticut, or the one that has lost at Syracuse and DePaul? My money is on the latter!

Providence reminds me a lot like Cincinnati. They've got some quickness and some size, but nothing too overbearing. The Friars' leading scorer is Manhattan transfer Jeff Xavier. Xavier is averaging 13.1 points per contest, while Geoffrey McDermott is their all-around guy (ala Rob Kurz) with 10.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. PC's big man, 6-11 Randall Hanke, should not give Irish stud Luke Harangody too much trouble. Hanke is only averaging 3.2 rebounds per contest, YIKES!

The Friars lead the Big East in 3 pt. field goals made per game at 8, but that is very misleading. Providence is chucking up around 25 to 30 shots behind the arc a night. And only hitting at 38% is not that great too! The Friars live and die by the three point shot. Good thing the Irish have excelled in holding their opponents to 32.7% from 3 pt. territory.

Notre Dame, once again, needs to get it going from the get-go. Look for Kyle McAlarney and Ryan Ayers to pick up where they left off on Saturday against Villanova. Ayers, who came off the bench with 10 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes, looked great hitting the trey and driving the lane to create scoring opportunities. McAlarney is becoming deadly from long range and in the lane with his driving one handed floaters. Good things definitely happen when he has the ball in his hands.

Rob Kurz, Luke Harangody, and Zach Hillesland will control the boards and will dominant down low, as Providence doesn't have the height or man power to stop the Irish. Look for Kurz to have a breakout performance, while Harangody will put up another double-double game. Hillesland is good for his usual six to seven boards, and four assists. Maybe he'll get some more poster dunk opportunities.

Overall, I don't see the Irish letting this one slip through their fingers. The streak is intact for another game, as they will take over sole possession of second place in the Big East standings.

Prediction: Notre Dame 86 Providence 71

Baseline Bits:

~ Notre Dame leads the all-time series 11-9 and has won four straight against the Friars, including last season’s 81-78 victory at the Joyce Center. Providence is 4-6 all-time at the Joyce Center. Its last win in the series came at the Joyce Center when the Friars defeated Notre Dame 73-58. Since the Irish joined the BIG EAST in 1995-96, there have been 15 meetings between the two schools during the regular season and in tournament competition. In BIG EAST play, Notre Dame holds a 9-6 edge.

~ Notre Dame ranks in the top five of the NCAA statistics in two categories: assists (6th-18.9) and rebounding margin (7th-9.1).

~ Tonight’s game against Providence is the first of consecutive home matchups in less than 48 hours as the Irish will play host to the DePaul Blue Demons on Saturday night at 6:00 pm.

Tenuta Finds Home With Irish

The Irish defense is going to be stacked, that's for sure! Not only will Notre Dame have some of the top high school recruits signing with the Irish come next week, but it was just announced that former Georgia Tech Defensive Coordinator, John Tenuta, will be joining the coaching staff. Tenuta will be replacing Bill Lewis' vacated, who has decided to call it quits. In fact, he will be taking over the linebackers and will be an assistant Defensive Coordinator.

No word yet of whether Brian Polian has been dismissed from the coaching staff. Defensive Coordinator, Corwin Brown will be coaching the defensive backs. A former defensive back himself, Brown will only help which was a much improved unit last season. No more will you see defensive backs not look back for the ball!

Don't panic about the coaching change being so close to National Signing Day because the Irish coaching staff let all the recruits know of the change. So far it is a positive because none of the current 22 have wavered their decisions. In fact this will be a good thing for recruiting, because of Tenuta's tenacious defense.

Tenuta had some of the most explosive and blitz-happy defenses in the country while at Georgia Tech. Irish fans had first hand knowledge of what his style and defense was capable of. Tenuta will bring a lot of knowledge and added wealth to what has been a progressing defense under Corwin Brown.

The Yellow Jacket defense ranked 20th overall in Total Defense (330 yards per game), 21st in Scoring Defense (20.8 pts. per game), and 1st in the land in sacks (3.69 per game).

Notre Dame will get better with the recruits they are bringing in, and now they have the coaches on the defensive side to get them at the top of their game.

As always, GO IRISH!

22 + 2 = # 1

The late push for recruits is down to its final days, as many schools, including the Irish, anticipate 11th hour visits this weekend. Two in particular, Keith Wells, the 6-5, 211 pound defensive end from Gainesville, Georgia, and speedster, Milton Knox of Lake Balboa, California, have made arrangements to visit South Bend this weekend. Wells' visit is still pending because a decision might be made as early as tomorrow; but I still feel that he will be in South Bend on Saturday.

According to Rivals, getting Wells to visit the Irish is a huge step.

Notre Dame has a long way to go with Keith Wells, but getting the three-star defender to schedule an official visit is a start. The Irish got that done. Now it's a matter of overtaking Tennessee and Ohio State.[

Coaching visits by all three staffs has already taken place this week, as Wells' makes one of his biggest decisions of his life so far. The Irish will definitely be in the mix to the end, but I have a gut feeling that he will end up staying close to home and being a Volunteer. Hopefully my gut is wrong and Charlie and Co. lure Wells to South Bend. Even though he is a three-star recruit, Wells has five-star potential. He has only played organized football for only a few years, but has wreaked havoc on opposing offenses. Wells reminds me of a Justin Tuck. Let's keep our fingers crossed we can secure him to the Irish.

Out of the two recruits, Milton Knox is the most likely to be Irish. According to ESPN's recruiting briefs:

Running back Milton Knox to visit the Fighting Irish

UCLA recruit Milton Knox is slated to travel to South Bend, Ind. this week for an official visit with Notre Dame, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. Irish quarterback pledge Dayne Crist (Canoga Park, Calif./Notre Dame Sherman Oaks) is one of Knox's childhood friends. He said, "Am I recruiting Milton Knox? You'd be crazy to think I'm not. But this really goes past recruiting because he is one of my best friends."

Knox currently is a silent verbal to the Bruins, but word on the street is that he is did not get a good first impression of new UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel. With the recent articles coming out about Neuheisel's past at Colorado and Washington, I sure wouldn't want my kid playing under him.

Hopefully friendship will trump proximity! So whatever happens these next few days, the Irish still will have a solid recruiting class. With these additions, it could solidify a #1 recruiting class. Even one of the two might push it over the edge. If not, it will be a wait and see come Wednesday.

Here's to our 22 future Irish, with hopes of two more. The bag is not full yet Keith and Milton, so jump on board to what will be a reawakening of a national power!

Irish Duo Make the Super Bowl (Sort Of)

Tom Zbikowski and Jeff Samardzija will be teaming up one more time, and this time it's during the Super Bowl. While Justin Tuck and Jerome Collins will be actually playing for a Super Bowl ring for the New York Giants, Zibby and the Shark will be making their television debut during a 60 second Under Armour commerical.

The Notre Dame duo are two of 27 athletes featured in an ad for Under Armour's The New Prototype performance footwear. The one-minute spot will run during the first quarter of the Super Bowl. Zbikowski will be easily recognized as he will be sporting a Mohawk hairdo.

"Zbikowski, with that Mohawk, definitely jumps out at you," said Steve Battista, vice president of marketing for Under Armour. "It's hard to believe he came to the set with a full head of hair.

Zbikowski, after a strong performance at the Senior Bowl, is gearing up for next month's NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis, while Samardzija is in Arizona getting ready for the upcoming baseball season. Here's a little blurb from Jeff's blog today (1/29/08):

Well I am finally out here in AZ doing my thing and getting ready. Can't beat this beautiful weather. One of these days I'm going to hit up the links and see how the game has held up over the winter. It'll probably be a little ugly...

This will definitely be a Super Sunday for Irish fans! CLICK-CLACK

Note:
Besides Collins and Tuck, Marcus Freeman (practice squad) is on the Giants roster, and Mike Richardson (injured reserve) is on New England's.

Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside Get The Irish Ready For the Long Haul

Everyone can now put it to rest, the Fighting Irish won a game on the road. In fact they won a league game on the road against a nationally ranked opponent. Notre Dame's 90-80 win over Villanova showed the Big East and the national media that the Irish can play some ball on both ends of the court.

Saturday, Mr. Outside, Kyle McAlarney light the Wildcats up for 30 points. By channeling in the power of "5", McAlarney made five 3-pt. baskets, five 2-pt. field goals, and five free throws, for his second 30 point effort of the season. Mr. Inside, Luke Harangody produced his ninth double-double of the season with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Despite being out rebounded by Villanova, the Irish never relinquished the lead after trailing 4-0 at the start of the contest.

Brey was masterful on Saturday as he not only tweaked the starting lineup by inserting Zach Hillesland for Ryan Ayers, but he installed the 1-2-2 defense to stifle Scottie Reynolds and the Wildcat offense. Ayers finally showed some glimpses of what type of player he can be by netting 10 points on 19 minutes of action. Hillesland helped the Irish on both ends with ball control and key defensive stops.

Senior Captain Rob Kurz got it going early with five quick points, en route to 12 points and four rebounds. Tory Jackson was masterful controlling the game from the get-go as he assisted on seven buckets and scored nine points.

Even though the Irish are on the outside looking in both the AP (30th) and ESPN/USAToday (T-27th) polls, Notre Dame is getting the right numbers needed for their NCAA resume. Gary Parrish of CBSSportsline.com has Mike Brey's squad 16th in his weekly poll. At 14-4, and 4-2, in league play, the Irish are currently in sole possession of third place in the Big East. Also their current RPI rating has jumped up to 41.

Below are the current Big East standings with RPI rankings, records, and national poll rankings for all the conference teams:

Georgetown: 9 (RPI), 16-2, 6-1 (BE), 6 (AP) and 6 (ESPN/USAToday)
Louisville: 36 (RPI), 15-5, 5-2 (BE), NR (AP) and NR (ESPN/USAToday)
Notre Dame: 41 (RPI), 14-4, 4-2 (BE), 30 (AP) and T-27 (ESPN/USAToday)
Pittsburgh: 18 (RPI), 15-4, 4-3 (BE), 18 (AP) and 21 (ESPN/USAToday)
Marquette: 20 (RPI), 13-4, 4-3 (BE), 17 (AP) and 16 (ESPN/USAToday)
UConn: 23 (RPI), 14-5, 4-3 (BE), 27 (AP) and T-27 (ESPN/USAToday)
WVU: 32 (RPI), 14-5, 4-3 (BE), NR and NR
Seton Hall: 51 (RPI), 14-6, 4-3 (BE), NR and NR
DePaul: 118 (RPI), 9-10, 4-3 (BE), NR and NR
Syracuse: 40 (RPI), 14-7, 4-4 (BE), NR and NR
Cincinnati: 112 (RPI), 9-11, 4-4 (BE), NR and NR
Providence: 50 (RPI), 12-7, 3-4 (BE), NR and NR
Villanova: 61 (RPI), 13-5, 3-4 (BE), NR and NR
Rutgers: 162 (RPI), 10-11, 2-6 (BE), NR and NR
S. Florida: 122 (RPI), 10-10, 1-6 (BE), NR and NR
St. John's: 150 (RPI), 7-11, 1-6 (BE), NR and NR

Personal accolades are also in store for Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside as well. Luke Harangody was one of 30 players named to the John Wooden Award Midseason list. In fact, Harangody is one of three Big East players (Georgetown's Roy Hibbert and Pittsburgh's Sam Young) to be mentioned on the list. Meanwhile, Kyle McAlarney was named the Big East's Player of the Week for the first time in his career. It's a shame that this is first POW honor, because he deserved it after his 32 point explosion against UConn. Anyway, both players are definitely setting themselves up for post season league honors!

The Big East and media pundits take notice, Notre Dame is for real.

Can't Get Enough of the Good Ole' Pigskin?

In case anyone has missed it, a new football league has been established. To get the old college feel in the professional ranks, the All American Football League has positioned itself in familiar areas like Florida, Michigan, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas. Some of the League‘s teams will be hosted by universities with Division I-A football programs and other teams will play in independent venues.

Here's the best part for us Irish fans, any university with a Division IA football program will be eligible to apply to host a League team. I know that it is highly unlikely for South Bend to get a team, but wouldn't it be great to see more Irish players extending their playing careers on the Notre Dame Stadium turf? I guess one can dream, can't he?

League teams will employ only those players who have both completed their college football eligibility and earned a four-year degree. This policy is expected to have a very positive impact on universities' NCAA Graduation Success Rate and their Academic Progress Rate. To the extent practical, graduates of host universities will play for the team hosted by their alma mater.

Team colors for each team will be represented by the familiar colors of Orange and Blue (Team Florida), Maize and Blue (Team Michigan), Crimson and White (Alabama), Red and White (Arkansas), Orange and White (Tennessee), and Burnt Orange and White (Texas).

During its inaugural draft on Saturday, several former Irish were drafted. The Michigan Team, excuse me for a second while I puke, selected defensive players Quentin Burrell, Ron Isreal, and Travis Leitko. Both Team Florida and Team Texas have Dwight Ellick on their roster. Once that gets cleared up, Mr. Ellick will be playing in a warm state, that's for sure.

Since NFL Europe kicked the bucket last year, the All American Football League looks to incorporate what seems to be a good idea. Whether it lasts a year or two, is anyone's guess. But here's to extending the football season a little bit longer!

Stock Rising For Irish At Senior Bowl

Despite the outcome of a thrilling 17-16 South Victory, Notre Dame's Trevor Laws and Tommy Zbikowski made a name for themselves on the North squad this past week at the Senior Bowl. Center John Sullivan also participated for the Irish, but was not as nearly successful as both Laws and Zbikowski. With their performances, both have greatly increased thier stock in the upcoming NFL draft this spring.

What more can I say about Trevor Laws? His actions spoke for himself as he dominated the whole week in Mobile, Alabama. On Saturday, Laws was the third leading tackler on the North Squad, registering 6 tackles, including one sack, and one fumble recovery that he snared out of the air from Kentucky QB Andre Woodson. For that, he was named the game's Most Outstanding Lineman! Not to many Irish fan's surprise, NFL coaches and scouts came away thoroughly impressed by his performance.

Like Laws, Tommy Zbikowski let all his action on the field do the talking this week. Zbikowski was the fourth leading tackler on the North team with five tackles and a fumble recovery. He also got to display his return skills by returning a kickoff 38 yards. His stock definitely rose a lot with his quickness and knack for finding the football. Zbikowski, who rigorously trained with fellow Irish mate Jeff Samardzija the past month or so, looked a lot leaner and faster.

With solid performances, I predict Trevor Laws could go as high as the second round. He will not go undrafted after the first day of selections. As for Tommy Zbikowski, a high estimate of the fourth round could be a possibility since he is very versatile in anyone's return game. I don't see Zbikowski slipping down any farther than the sixth round.

Whatever the case may be, the Irish will be well represented come NFL Draft time!

First Road Win of the Season In Store for the Irish

If there was ever a good time to get a win on the road for Mike Brey and his Fighting Irish, tomorrow would be that day. Both with identical 13-4 records and undefeated at home, the Irish and Wildcats will do battle in Philadelphia at high noon. Even though the Irish haven't faired well against Villanova since joining the Big East (3-11), Notre Dame is ready to unleash the beast from within.

Villanova, which is coming off a horrible loss at last place Rutgers (80-68), is a smaller, but quick team. This game could have the same feel as the Cincinnati or West Virginia games, where the Irish dominated down low. Speaking of Cincinnati, one of the Wildcats' conference losses came at the hands of the Bearcats (69-66).

Sophomore guard Scottie Reynolds is one of the two Wildcat players averaging double figures (17.4 ppg). Forward Dante Cunningham is the other at 10.6. Cunningham also leads Villanova in rebounds at 7.6 per contest. And rebounds is where this contest will either make or break the Irish.

Rutgers collected one more rebound than the Wildcats on Wednesday night (37-36) and that’s typically a bad omen for Villanova. Jay Wright's team is 10-1(.909) this season when it wins the battle of the boards, including 2-0 in BIG EAST action. On the flip side, the ‘Cats are 0-3 in 2007-08 when they are outrebounded (they are 2-1 in games where the rebounds were even). Currently the Irish are SIXTH in the Nation rebounding margin (9.8). ND is 13-2 on the year when they outrebound their opponents and 0-2 when they have lost the battle of the boards. So look for Luke Harangody and Rob Kurz to have a big game on the boards.

The achilles heel for both teams is getting off to a quick start. In the Irish's two road losses in conference play, Notre Dame has started off cold and were hardly in the contest in the second half. On the flip side, slow starts have hampered Villanova of late, as well. On Jan. 12, Cincinnati tallied seven of the game’s first nine points in what became a 69-66 loss. In its next contest, Villanova watched DePaul score nine of the contest’s first 11 points before rallying in the second half for a 76-69 win. Then on Wednesday, Rutgers jumped out to a 16-2 advantage at the 15:07 mark and the Wildcats never held the lead in an 80-68 loss. If ND can add some pressure, dictate the tempo with some good looks to Harangody and some sharp shooting by Kyle McAlarney, the Irish will be in great shape.

The X-factor in this contest will be the play of Ryan Ayers and Zach Hillesland. Both will be counted on for some quality play and meaningful minutes. If Ayers can somehow create some shots, that will take a huge burden off of Harangody, Kurz, and McAlarney. Hillesland once again will be the spark that the Irish will infuse to get it going on both ends of the court.

This is one that could go either way, but the Irish are due a win on the road. Tomorrow will be the day, as Notre Dame will finally play a complete game on both ends of the court as they start a four game winning streak.

Prediction:

Notre Dame 72 Villanova 66

Baseline Bits

~ These two squads each defeated the other on their home court last season: Notre Dame 66, Villanova 63 (Jan. 27, 2007) and Villanova 102, Notre Dame 87 (Jan. 17, 2007).

~ Scottie Reynolds scored 46 points (23.0 ppg) in the two meetings
last season with the Irish, including a 27-point effort in the ‘Cats win
over Notre Dame at the Pavilion.

~ Jay Wright is 3-3 vs. the Irish.

~ Saturday’s contest marks the third ranked opponent the Irish have faced this
season.

~ Notre Dame’s last win against a ranked opponent on the home floor of that opponent
was against Alabama (78-71) when the Crimson Tide were ranked 22nd in the
Associated Press ranking and 19th in the ESPN/USA Today poll.

Bad Hand Dealt Along Irish Defensive Front

It's been a rough two weeks defensively for the Fighting Irish football team. First, Pat Kuntz was not enrolled at the University anymore and was taking classes at Ivy Tech in Indianapolis. Citing "personal reasons", Kuntz has been known to have had academic difficulty in the past. Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibit Notre Dame in disclosing any information regarding Kuntz's situation. So if you can put two and two together, Kuntz was dismissed for academic difficulty and can hopefully return in the summer on probationary status. Basically what this means is if Patrick can shore up his academic deficiencies, he should be back with his Irish mates in the summer before two-a-days.

This week, Derrell Hand's career reportedly could be sidelined for good with a spinal cord injury. With a thin line on defense already, losing both Kuntz and Hand was a major blow to the Irish's 2008 season. That now leaves six players (Justin Brown, Paddy Mullen, Andrew Nuss, Emeka Nwankwo, Kallen Wade, and Ian Williams) with EIGHT combined starts! It doesn't look good when you face the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue, in weeks 2, 3, and 4 of the early season.

Out of the six, only three have actually played in games. Justin Brown has played in 26 games, while starting in six throughout his career with the Irish. Paddy Mullen has had some spot duty, alongside some special teams play in three games last season, while Ian Williams played in all 12 games last season, starting two of them, as he earned Freshman All-America honors.

If all of the current verbals solidify their commitments, the Irish will add four top notch players to the defensive line. Sean Cwynar, who's currently enrolled, Ethan Johnson, Hafis Williams, and Brandon Newman, could definitely push for immediate playing time. Look for Chris Stewart to possibly make the switch over again to add some depth. Newman and Cwynar should definitely see action right away, while Johnson will compete soon once his knee heals properly.

With such a young and barely tested group, the Irish should have their hands full early on, or do they? Looking ahead at next year's schedule, the majority of the teams the Irish face in the first quarter of the season, will have about two returning starters along the offensive line. Overall, there are 27 returning starters on Notre Dame's opponents roster. That's an average of 3 returning starters. Below is the breakdown:

San Diego State (4-8) 1 returning starter (Trask Iosefa)
Michigan (9-4) 2 returning starters (Justin Boren and Stephen Schilling)
Michigan State (7-6) 2 returning starters (Roland Martin and Jesse Miller)
Purdue (8-5) 2 returning starters (Zach Reckman and Zach Jones)
Stanford (4-8) 3 returning starters (Ben Muth, Alex Fletcher, and Chris Morielli)
North Carolina (4-8) 4 returning starters (Kyle Jolly, Aaron Stahl, Calvin Darity, and Garrett Reynolds)
Washington (4-9) 2 returning starters (Ben Ossani and Ryan Tolar)
Pittsburgh (5-7) 2 returning starters (CJ Davis and Joe Thomas)
Boston College (11-3) 3 returning starters (Matt Tennant, Cliff Ramsey, and Anthony Costanzo)
Navy (8-5) 1 returning starter (Anthony Gaskins)
Syracuse (2-10) 3 returning starters (Ryan Durand, Corey Chavers, and Jim McKenzie)
USC (11-2) 2 returning starters (Butch Lewis and Jeff Byers)

With the exception of Boston College (11-3), the teams with three or more returning starters across the offensive line had a combined record of 10-26! So with a youthful defensive line, the Irish might not have that much of a disadvantage. Obviously there are a few "IFs" that could help make or break the defensive line for Notre Dame.

1) "If" Pat Kuntz can come back, the Irish won't have to speed up the learning curve for the incoming Freshmen;

2) "If" all the verbal commits stay on track, Notre Dame will have 10 players to compete for playing time;

and

3) "If" the NCAA adopts the NFL clock rules, offenses will have to work on minor adjustments. Next month, Dave Perry will head up a 12-person panel that will "look long and hard" at implementing the NFL's timing system when it convenes in Indianapolis. The NFL clock rules that the NCAA could implement would be: 1) The clock doesn't stop on first down; 2) Penalties stop the clock in the final two minutes of each half; and 3) The Play clock begins at 40 seconds.

Not that the those are significant changes, but it will give offenses some extra work in camps if it does pass.

Notre Dame is resilient. They are called the Fighting Irish for a reason, correct?

"Sometime, when the team is up against it -- and the breaks are beating the boys -- tell them to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Gipper...

Here's To The Weekend!

Cheers everybody! Have a fun and relaxing weekend.

Jacobson Apologist Replies

Dana Jacobson apologist and non-Jesus follower, Paddyman, has been very busy justifying Mr. Ed's comments. Basically Paddy insists that this has been way overblown and that Ms. Jacobson should get a pass. He doesn't feel that anything bad was said because it was a roast, a PRIVATE FUNCTION. Paddy also goes on to state that if this was about Allah, nothing would have been said. Okay, hold up!

First off, when you spout off about religion, yet alone, Jesus Christ, you are crossing the line.

Secondly, a roast is suppose to be funny with humorous jabs. This was a roast that was for Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic. I don't recall that Jesus or Allah or any other religious figure was the object of the roast.

When there were points expressed about how Don Imus and Rush Limbaugh were fired for their comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team and Donovan McNabb, Paddy questioned the validity of Limbaugh's employment with ESPN.

The poor soul, needs to check his facts. Limbaugh was a regular for ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown show: http://espn.go.com/gen/news/2003/1001/1628537.html. I find it funny how ESPN fires Limbaugh for his comments about McNabb getting preferential treatment because he's an African-American quarterback, but only gives Jacobson a week off of work for saying F#$% Jesus. Something is not right there.

Oh well, I guess some folks still don't get it. It's like beating a dead Dana Jacobson, err, I mean horse! I guess we already have one nomination for next week's Jackass of the Week. Here's a heartfelt HEE-HAW, HEE-HAW, to you Paddyman! The short bus is calling ya.

Blogger Awards

It is that time again for the College Football Blogger Awards. Since I'm still fairly new to the blogging scene, I don't expect to get much mention. However if you feel the need to nominate Irish Band of Brothers, click on the title. From there, there's a nomination form where you can submit your favorite blog for the certain category.

There are a lot of great blogs out there, so nominate for your favorites!

As always, GO IRISH!

The Worldwide Leader in BS

Poor, poor, Dana. I really feel sorry for you. Not only are you Mr. Ed's and John Kerry's love child, but a week long vacation from your hosting gig on ESPN's First Take, must be rough. So once again, ESPN dropped the ball on this one.

It took ESPN a little over a week to finally address this issue, since the parent company got flooded with a bunch of emails. These emails were not only from Notre Dame alums and fans, but from Christians! That's the whole issue here. Yes, she mentioned F#$% Notre Dame, but she said F@!* Jesus. She opened up a can of worms there.

This is not a Notre Dame or Catholic thing. Rather it's a Christianity thing. A follower of Jesus thing! ESPN and Jacobson failed to mention that in their sorry attempt at an apology:

Dana Jacobson, co-host of ESPN2's "First Take," is currently being disciplined for remarks made at a Jan. 11 celebrity roast for ESPN Radio personalities Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic.

Her characterizations of the Notre Dame football program, which have been criticized by a Catholic organization, were deemed "inappropriate" by the network, which issued the following statement from Jacobson:

"I am sorry. My remarks about Notre Dame were foolish and insensitive. I respect all religions and did not mean anything derogatory by my poorly chosen words. I also deeply regret the embarrassment I've caused ESPN and Mike and Mike.

"My actions at the roast were inappropriate and in no way represent who I am. I won't make excuses for my behavior, but I do hope I can be forgiven for such a poor lack of judgment."

ESPN is not the only one that missed the point on this too. South Bend Tribune columnist and Charlie Weis hater, Jeff Carroll talked about this Jacobson debacle and Catholicism. Yes, the Catholic Church didn't look at Jacobson's remarks lightly, but folks of Catholic faith are not the only ones that had an issue with this. Click on the title to get Carroll's article.

I don't think a slap on the wrist or sweeping it under the rug, like ESPN tried to do, is justifiable. Her comments were just as bad as Don Imus' when he called the Rutgers women's basketball team nappy headed ho's! It really didn't matter to me that she said F$%& Notre Dame, however, I have a real big problem when she said F#@& Jesus. That's totally uncalled for.

Just watch the video. http://www.phazeddl.com/search.php?q=Mike%20and%20Mike%20roast

You'll have to download it, but you can see that Ms. Jacobson meant what she said. I don't buy her or ESPN apology one bit!

Also, if you had a Christian call out a Jewish person like that, or a specifically a Notre Dame person say something like that, LORD Help us! It would be plastered all over the television 24/7! Bigotry, especially Catholic bigotry has been tolerated for so long. It's about time someone stood up for it.

People need to take responsibility for their actions. Ms. Jacobson needs to do more than bury her head in the sand and give a bogus apology. Plus I don't think a one week absence does this any justice. If Imus was fired, then so should Jacobson!

Talk About Loyalty?

Ever since my family and I moved to South Bend, one of the main staples has been Mike Collins as the public address announcer for Fighting Irish football games. As a loyal alum, Collins has been a huge supporter of Irish athletics and has been a great role model for the community. He has been a familiar face in South Bend TV news for 40 years. From 1967 to 1994, Collins was a reporter, then anchor and news director at WNDU-TV. He has been with WSBT since 1995 and its news anchor since 1996.

He just recently did his last broadcast on WSBT on Nov. 30th of 2007. What WSBT and Schurz Communications wants you to believe is that Mike was retiring and calling it quits on his television career. Well that is absolutely far from the truth!

Right from the horses mouth, Collins was asked by WSBT and Schurz that he either resign gracefully or be fired. Obviously Collins took the high road and is now going on to bigger and better things. What makes this even more ridiculous is the fact, that the day after Collins did his last broadcast, his subscription to the South Bend Tribune (another Schurz Communications owned subsiderary) was cancelled!

Schurz communications is almost as bad as ESPN. What's next, Dana Jacobson is the new host of Irish Sports Report?

Oye Vei

The hand is hovering around the button, but no, it is not the time to push the panic button just yet on the Irish hoops team. After crapping out on the road again the way they did, makes you wonder if Notre Dame is still going to go dancing. I'm still holding out hope that Brey will help turn this ship around and get ready for a little run to give the Irish some breathing room. At least other media types are giving me that sense.

Here's what we know so far. Currently the Irish stand at 13-4 overall and 3-2 in league play, which is good for sixth place. Even though ND lost to Georgetown, the Irish picked up some quality RPI ratings due to the fact that Cincinnati beat a depleted Pittsburgh squad, and Kansas State beat Texas A&M. Notre Dame's overall RPI rating moved up ever so slightly to 52. On the positive spin of things, the Irish's losses have come to three, RPI Top 50 opponents: Georgetown (#12), Marquette (#23), and Baylor (#31); and one RPI Top 100: Georgia Tech (#84). Notre Dame also has three quality wins over Top 50 teams: West Virginia (#27), Connecticut (#46), and Kansas State (#50). These are the type of credentials us Irish fans need to see if you are crapping your pants right now.

Also if you didn't notice, Baylor just sneaked into the Top 25 AP poll this week, while Kansas State and West Virginia are barely on the outside at 28th and 29th, respectively. When the Irish go on a four-game winning streak against Villanova, Providence, DePaul, and Seton Hall, then we should see Brey's boys crack both polls. A 17-4 Irish squad awaiting a rematch with the Golden Eagles doesn't sound bad at all, does it?

Did you know that there are 28 projected NCAA Tournament Bracket sites? Yeah, there are more people, besides myself, that have plenty of time on their hands. When you calculate all of these 28 brackets, the Irish averaged out to be a 9 seed. ND was ranked in all, but two brackets (The Hoops Report and Bracket Wag), and were ranked as high as a 5 seed (Bracket Watch) and low as 13th (PHSports). Last week, the Irish were a constant 8 seed.

The other #9 seeds are Massachusetts (13-4, 2-1, Atlantic 10), Ohio State (12-6, 3-2, Big Ten), and Kansas State (12-4, 2-0, Big 12). Possible first round opponents could be Rhode Island (15-3, 1-2, Atlantic 10), Arizona State (14-3, 4-1, Pac 10). Louisville was the other 8th seed. Below is the current seedings for the Big East.

Georgetown (3 seed)
Pittsburgh (4 seed)
Marquette (5 seed)
W. Virginia (7 seed)
Villanova (7 seed)
Louisville (8 seed)
Notre Dame (9 seed)
Connecticut (11 seed)
Providence (11 seed)

The Irish are still on course of winning 22 games this season. Games coming up with the likes of DePaul (twice), Providence, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Syracuse, St. John's, and South Florida, should get Notre Dame primed and ready for a possible 6-9 seed. If they can get one or more against a quality opponent like Louisville, Marquette, or Villanova, their seed could possibly be better.

If Tory Jackson can find his touch from last season, instead of his Big East leading turnover snafu, and Ryan Ayers can get a clue, the Irish should get on track. Look for Brey to shuffle his lineup a bit by inserting Zach Hillesland into Ayers' starting role. The time is now for Notre Dame. It's either put up or go back to the NIT!

We shall see in the next coming weeks. Oh yeah, one more thing, before I leave you for now, but the record for Big East road teams got much worse this past weekend. The winning percentage is now at 22.2% with road teams winning only 10 games and losing 35! WHOA! So getting one win or two would do it, but getting more would be asking way too much. Don't you think?

Jackass of the Week? More Like Jackass of the Year!

Unless you have been living under a rock these past couple of days, you already know about ESPN's drunken sorority girl Dana Jacobson's verbal spat at the Mike & Mike roast in Atlantic City. If you haven't heard what she said, here's a snippet of her drunken drivel:

"f... Notre dame"
"f....touchdown Jesus"
and - the step-aside-because-lightning-is-about-to-strike... "f.... Jesus."

Jacobson made an absolute fool of herself, swilling vodka from a Belvedere bottle, mumbling along and cursing like a sailor as Mike & Mike rested their heads in their hands in embarrassment. [Comedian Eddie] Griffin came to the podium to defend her after she was booed by the crowd. Ross eventually had to pull her off stage, too

Deadspin goes on to note that supposedly a long letter of apology to Coach 3-9 has been dispatched.

I'm not sure what religious affiliation Jacobson belongs to, and quite frankly, I don't care either. What chaps my ass is the fact that ESPN once again is sweeping this garbage under the rug. I understand her hatred towards Notre Dame, since she is a Meechigan grad, but come one, hating on JC? That's totally uncalled for. If ESPN had any class whatsoever, they would address this and make Jacobson appologize on national television. But we are dealing with classless, anti-Notre Dame folks.

An elder statesmen approached me on this issue and said that the University should boycott ESPN. He went on to say F...ESPN! If they want to report on any games, tough, the University should deny them their credentials. If they want to cover basketball games, F...Len Elmore too! His goofy urkel-ass is awful covering college hoops anyway.

I, for one, suggest Irish fans alike to email the fine folks at ESPN and let them know your feelings on this issue. Better yet, why not email Jacobson's show First Take. I bet they would love to know about your feels towards her demeanor outside the studio. For you folks that are wanting to email, here's the address: espnfirsttake@espn.com

F... Notre Dame? No, Dana, F... You! Also F... your crazy ass horse smile too! Hello, WILBUR!!!!! Well not only for the company that she works for, but for those stupid comments, Dana Jacobson, you are the JACKASS of the WEEK! HEE-HAW, HEE-HAW!

On This Date in Fighting Irish History

January 20, 1925: Three of Notre Dame's legendary "Four Horsemen" - HB Jim Crowley, FB Elmer Layden and QB Harry Stuhldreher - earn consensus All-America status after the 1924 season. HB Don Miller is named to three All-America teams, but falls short of consensus status. The players' legendary game against Army earlier in the season inspired Grantland Rice to pen the nickname.

Cheer, Cheer for Old Notre Dame!

Mama Says, Road Games are the Devil

Yes Bobby, you're mama is right, Big East road games are the devil! They're so much of a pain that the combined overall record of conference away teams is 8-29. That's a 21.6 winning percentage. So Irish fans, I wouldn't get too upset about last week's loss to Marquette. The Big East Conference is for real, and other coaches, the media, and, more importantly, the NCAA selection committee is noticing.

Currently, the Big East is the third-best conference in the RPI ratings, behind the ACC and the Pac-10. When comparing each conference's road success, it is not close. The success rate of winning on the road is 37.5% and 44%, respectively for the ACC and Pac-10. So it's very difficult to win on the road in the Big East. What makes this even more mind boggling is that the Big East expanded the league schedule from 16 games to 18, YIKES!

The two most impressive road victories so far goes to Cincinnati, who beat Louisville, and Providence, which won at Connecticut. Below is a breakdown of Big East Conference Road Records:

Louisville 1-0 (Rutgers)
Georgetown 2-1 (Rutgers and DePaul)
Pittsburgh 1-1 (South Florida)
DePaul 1-1 (St. John's)
Providence 1-2 (Connecticut)
Cincinnati 1-2 (Louisville)
Connecticut 1-2 (Seton Hall)
Notre Dame 0-1
Marquette 0-2
W. Virginia 0-2
Syracuse 0-2
Villanova 0-2
Seton Hall 0-2
S. Florida 0-3
St. John's 0-3
Rutgers 0-3

Bracket Banter
The Irish are holding still at the number 8 seed in both the ESPN.com Bracketology and CBSSportsline.com's mock NCAA Bracket's. According to Joe Lunardi, the Irish would face 9 seed Arkansas, and a possible matchup with # 1 seed Kansas. On CBSSportsline.com, Garry Parrish has Drake, Miami, and Ohio State as possible first round opponents for Brey's boys.

If the season ended today, the Big East would send eight teams to the Dance, which is more than any conference. Below is the rest of the conference's projected seedings:

Marquette 3 (East), 3 (CBSSportsline.com)
Georgetown 2 (South), 5 (CBSSportsline.com)
Pittsburgh 5 (West), 4 (CBSSportsline.com)
Notre Dame 8 (Midwest), 8 (CBSSportsline.com)
Louisville 10 (Midwest), 8 (CBSSportsline.com)
W. Virginia 9 (East), 9 (CBSSportsline.com)
Connecticut 10 (West), 10 (CBSSportsline.com)
Villanova 12 (South), 10 (CBSSportsline.com)

Georgetown Preview
Notre Dame will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak to the Hoyas when it travels to Washington, D.C. The Hoyas lead the all-time series 13-10. The last Irish victory (70-64) in the series was at the Joyce Center on February 16, 2005. The last win for the Irish at the Verizon Center was on March 8, 2003, 86-80.

Notre Dame is 8-3 all-time in games played at the Verizon Center (formerly the MCI Center) and 6-2 all-time under head coach Mike Brey (3-2 versus the Hoyas). With a good contingent of loyal alumni in the DC area, it is imperative that the Irish don't fall behind early like last season's game. Minimizing turnovers and establishing the low post with Luke Harangody will be a good start in helping Notre Dame get their first road victory of the season.

Guards Kyle McAlarney and Tory Jackson have to be on their "A" game by nailing open shots and penetrating the lane. Rob Kurz will have to put up his workman like numbers, while Ryan Ayers needs to step up and create some offense for the Irish. Defensively, Notre Dame will have a heck of a time defending center Roy Hibbert. Even though he has not put up impressive numbers, Hibbert has given the Irish fits in the past. Look for Notre Dame to mix it up with some zone, to go along with their man-to-man defense.

The key component for Notre Dame will be their offensive execution and bench play. If the Irish can start off where they left off against Cincinnati, they will be in good shape. Also the play of Jonathan Peoples, Luke Zellar, and Zach Hillesland will be vital for what is the most important game of the season so far. There are a plenty of big "ifs" tomorrow, and I'm not sure if they can string together a complete 40 minutes on the road yet. But DC has been good to the Irish in the past, especially under Brey:

1-27-01 vs. Georgetown W 78-71
2-9-02 vs. Georgetown W-4ot 116-111
12-7-02 vs. Maryland W 79-67 (BB&T Classic)
12-8-02 vs. Texas W 98-92 (BB&T Classic)
3-8-03 vs. Georgetown W 86-80
1-23-05 vs. Georgetown L 54-55
12-3-06 vs. Maryland W 81-74
1-6-07 vs. Georgetown L 48-66

With first place in league standings on the line, I don't see the Irish prevailing. Tomorrow will not be their first road win of the season, however, a struggling Villanova squad a week later in Philadelphia will be prime picking for Notre Dame.

Prediction: Georgetown 77 Notre Dame 71

Take Back the JACC

I'm not sure if many folks remember this basketball tradition or not, but I think the Leprechaun Legion needs to bring back the Toilet Paper Toss after ND's first basket of each game. After seeing this video of the 1987 ND-UNC contest, which brings back wonderful memories, I thought to myself, why did it ever stop? If any current student is reading this, please pass it along and re-start the tradition!

Just like the marshmallow fight at every last home football game, the Toilet Paper Toss is a classic. It's your time to make it happen Leprechaun Legion!

Jackasses of the Week

I know I usually don't write anything about professional sports on here, but I felt compelled to vent about what took place last weekend in Indianapolis and what has transpired this week out of Green Bay. For these actions, I have dubbed the following my Jackasses of the Week:

1.) Philip Rivers. Not only did I not like you when you beat the Irish in the Gator Bowl with North Carolina State, but I really loathe you for your "Tough Guy" antics this season. Why does he pick fights with opposing fans? Last Sunday watching the Colts-Chargers game, I really didn't care who won. Well actually I didn't mind seeing San Diego win, because my best friend is a Colts fan and they beat my beloved Bears last year. Anyway, after Peyton Manning and the Colts turned the ball over on downs at the end of the game, I saw where Philip was jawing with several Colts fans. Dude, act like you've been there before. No reason to be a little bitch!

Winners walk the walk, and you sir, are not a winner. HEE-HAW, HEE-HAW!

2.) Fox 11, WLUK-TV (Green Bay). It has come to my attention that Green Bay's local Fox affiliate, WLUK, Channel 11, will not be airing the popular Seinfeld episodes on Saturday. You might be asking yourself, why is that jackass worthy? Well, Weisgipp, is going to tell you why. I guess it has become popular knowledge that New York Giants QB, Eli Manning's favorite show is indeed Seinfeld. Since the Giants and Packers don't play till Sunday, and New York will be having some down time in their hotel, Channel 11 felt it would be an advantage to not air the regularly schedule Seinfeld episodes on Saturday.

Ok, I understand the psychological warfare they are imposing on young Eli, but do you really think that is going to stop him from seeing Seinfeld? Hello, TBS, cable television? Wow, Fox 11, you really got Eli, didn't you? YADA, YADA, YADA! HEE-HAW, HEE-HAW!

3.) Colts Fans. Karma's a bitch, isn't it? If we rewind the Colts-Chargers game at the half, you'll notice the winners of the annual Punt, Pass, Kick competition were announced on CBS. Each winner is represented by a certain NFL team. Well when it came down to announce the 14-15 year old winners, I was shocked. Anna Grant of New Hampshire was booed in front of a national television audience. Why was she booed? Well it was because she was wearing a New England Patriots jersey. Yes, I know that you hate the Patriots, but DAMN, show some class. You fans are giving the rest of the Hoosier state a bad name.

Maybe Philip Rivers was shouting to the Colt's fans to pick on somebody their own size. I guess what comes around goes around! HEE-HAW, HEE, HAW!

Patience is a Virtue

Axl Rose and Guns N Roses were very wise men. All we need is a little patience, ooh, oh, yeah! Patience! After the Irish lost last Saturday to Marquette, fans on the message boards and on sports talk radio were saying that Notre Dame is not good and blah, blah, blah. People questioning the heart of the Irish, as well as, Coach Brey was ridiculous. It was one game. Yes, one BAD game. That's all.

Then we come to last night's contest. Home court is very nice indeed to the Irish, as they extended their winning streak to 31 contests. In the first half, however, it didn't look like very good. Luke Harangody only had one point and was in foul trouble with two personals. The shots weren't falling and Cincinnati, winners of two straight coming into last night's contest, was on a roll. But back to the Guns N Roses theme; a little patience.

During intermission, Brey let his boys talk it out and work out what was not going right in the first half. It must have worked because they came out smoking. In a tale of two halves, the Irish let it rain, as they shot 69% from the floor, including 6-of-9 from 3 pt. range, to improve to 13-3 overall and 3-1 in Big East action. Harangody got on track, as well as, Kyle McAlarney, as they both finished with 25 and 22 points, respectively.

So the morale of the story is this. Have some patience with this team and they'll surprise ya. An Irish squad that is fourth and seventh in the nation in assists and rebound margin is not a fluke. The Irish have team chemistry and the desire to beat anybody in the country. I'm not saying that what happened in Milwaukee can happen again. It's a possibility, but highly doubt it will happen again, at least this season.

Georgetown is next at the Irish friendly MCI Arena in Washington. Luke Harangody is large enough to tussle with Roy Hibbert and that alone is worth watching. But the Irish hustle and knock down shots, watch out! But all we need is a little patience, because good things will happen.

Gray Matter

It looks like the recruitment of running back Cyrus Gray continues. Here's the latest on Gray. There are plenty of Internet reports saying that he has contacted the Texas A&M coaches and verbally committed to the Aggies, while others are saying he is still not committed. Here are some blurbs from each side:

The word on the street is that DeSoto running back Cyrus Gray has already made his college decision.

His coach, Dave Meadows, pretty much insinuated to Rivals.com that Gray didn't have all that great of a visit to Florida this past weekend. That would narrow it down to Texas A&M and Notre Dame.

Down to those two, the Aggies make the most sense, considering how much contact A&M has had with Gray in the last few days, and with new coach Mike Sherman's emphasis on recruiting the Dallas area.

A commitment from Gray would be good for Sherman. Can you say Darren Lewis and Greg Hill?

I did trade text messages this morning with Gray, who when asked if he was about to commit replied, "I haven't yet."

We expect to talk to Cyrus later today.

And this is a quote from TAMU's Scout site:

Aggie Websider's Dallas Shipp has confirmed the latest rumors surrounding the DeSoto running back, and it's good news for Aggies.

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of football recruiting!

Recruiting Rant

The time is almost here. 21 Days, 10 hours, 44 minutes, and 33 seconds to be exact, for National Signing Day. The latest player rankings, star status, and team rankings have just come out again, and one thing is pretty much constant. Notre Dame is # 1 without a doubt, unless you are ESPN (surprise, surprise!).

According to Rivals.com and Scout.com, Notre Dame has the top recruiting class assesembled. SEC foes, Georgia and Alabama, are both two and three in both rankings. Below is a more detailed description of the rankings:

Rivals Rankings
1.) Notre Dame 3 (5*), 15 (4*), 3.86 (star avg.)
2.) Georgia 3 (5*), 13 (4*), 3.72
3.) Alabama 2 (5*), 15 (4*), 3.65
4.) Florida St. 2 (5*), 11 (4*), 3.75
5.) Miami 2 (5*), 11 (4*), 3.26
6.) Texas 0 (5*), 14 (4*), 3.59
7.) Florida 3 (5*), 9 (4*), 3.72
8.) UCLA 0 (5*), 13 (4*), 3.62
9.) LSU 1 (5*), 11 (4*), 3.57
10.) Ohio St. 2 (5*), 10 (4*), 3.67

Scout Rankings
1.) Notre Dame 7 (Top 100), 4 (5*), 14 (4*), 4.00 (star avg.)
2.) Alabama 3 (Top 100), 2 (5*), 14 (4*), 3.62
3.) Georgia 4 (Top 100), 3 (5*), 11 (4*), 3.71
4.) LSU 2 (Top 100), 1 (5*), 10 (4*), 3.52
5.) Texas A&M 0 (Top 100), 0 (5*), 9 (4*), 3.27
6.) Miami 5 (Top 100), 3 (5*), 4 (4*), 3.15
7.) Texas 5 (Top 100), 2 (5*), 11 (4*), 3.70
8.) Washington 2 (Top 100), 1 (5*), 7 (4*), 3.16
9.) Ohio St. 8 (Top 100), 5 (5*), 6 (4*), 3.83
10.) UCLA 3 (Top 100), 1 (5*), 9 (4*), 3.55

ESPN has the Irish in the Top 5 of their recruiting rankings, but it is with a twist. Teams that have the most ESPN 150 players and the most student-athletes that participated in the ESPNU Under Armor All-Star Game are ranked by that criteria. Don't get me wrong, the Irish are well represented in the ESPN 150. BUT, the player rankings are very interesting to say the least. I'll list the Rivals and Scout player rankings first, then compare that to the ESPN 150. I'll let you see for yourself, that Todd Lugenbill and ESPNU is once again a full of shit.

Rivals 100 Player Rankings
20. Kyle Rudolph
25. Dayne Crist
27. Michael Floyd
32. Ethan Johnson
37. Trevor Robinson
72. Jonas Gray
89. Darius Fleming

Scout Player Rankings
16. Michael Floyd
21. Kyle Rudolph
45. Dayne Crist
49. Ethan Johnson
56. Darius Fleming
58. Deion Walker
72. Steven Filer

ESPN 150
22. Dayne Crist
29. Michael Floyd
82. Ethan Johnson
86. Jamoris Slaughter
89. Jonas Gray
94. Darius Fleming
103. Deion Walker
105. Kyle Rudolph
115. Steven Filer
125. Braxston Cave

Crist's and Floyd's player rankings are pretty much the same across the board, but 5 star recruits Ethan Johnson and Kyle Rudolph at number 82 and 105? You have to be kidding me. Yes, we all know that Johnson was injured this year, but Rudolph did not hinder his ranking, whatsoever at the US Army All-American Game. I find it rather amusing that Rudolph, who is the # 1 Tight End recruit throughout all the recruiting services, except for ESPN. ESPN has someone who played in the Under Armor All-Star game as their #1 Tight End prospect.

Since Cyrus Gray verbally committed to Texas A&M yesterday, look for the Irish to get either linebacker Will Compton or offensive lineman Kenneth Page to come on board in the next few days. I wouldn't be surpised if Notre Dame lands both, as well as, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Mike Martin, or Datone Jones to the impressive list.

As the countdown gets closer and closer to NSD, rumblings of recruits bolting will become more and more prevelant. One thing that is for sure is the commitment each and every one of those 22 recruits have made bleeds Blue and Gold.

Latest on the Poodle

USC Coach Pete Carroll refused to answer reporters' questions about a possible return to the NFL while all signs continued to indicate that offensive lineman Chilo Rachal was on his way to turning pro. Carroll's name had been linked to at least two NFL openings last week while he was on vacation in Hawaii. He reportedly spoke with Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank at least once about the team's search for a head coach. He also has been mentioned in media reports as a possible candidate to succeed Joe Gibbs with the Washington Redskins. "I'm not talking about anything," Carroll said Monday upon his arrival at Heritage Hall. "I'm not commenting about anything."

Click on the title to get the LA Times article.

In fear of being thrown up against Vick's dogs in the fighting ring, the Poodle has pretty much written off the ATL. With Joe Gibbs retiring last week, Carroll is very interested in hearing what the Redskins have to offer.

Ding, dong, the Poodle will be gone! You can take that to the bank.

Big Ben a Closet Irish Fan?

From the archives, I found this picture of Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger partying it up like it was 1999! Notice his shirt? Yeah, he's an Irish fan at heart.

Pic of the Week

This picture speaks for itself.

MIA in Milwaukee

WOW! Last Saturday's 26 point blowout at Marquette was very painful to watch to say the least. 24 turnovers, 39.7% FG shooting, including a season low 21.1% 3pt. FG shooting, left a sour taste in many Irish fan's mouths. The only bright spot in this contest was the dominant play of Luke Harangody. Luke recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 29 points and 14 rebounds.

One of the more disturbing trends playing out this season is the play of Junior swingman Ryan Ayers. I hate throwing players under the bus, but Ayers' play has to be addressed. For two seasons now, we've heard how Ryan just lights it up in practice and is one of the best shooters on the team, period! I'm not denying that he isn't a good shooter. When he actually does shoot the rock, he generally makes it. On Saturday, he was non existent; not that it would have made a huge difference in the game because of the Irish's poor shooting, but, MAN, can't he penetrate or shoot the damn ball? 0-for-3 shooting, one assist, one steal, and two rebounds, is not going to cut it in the Big East. Ayers is supposed to be a leader on this team, so he better start playing like one soon. Good news for him is that Cincinnati comes to town tomorrow night. If you recall, Ayers had a career day hitting on four treys in a key conference road win for the Irish last season. Maybe this will be his breakout game to ignite his season.

Now for all the Brey, nay-sayers. Yes this was an awful loss. In fact it was Brey's worst loss as head coach for the Irish. The previous worst for Brey's boys was last season's 66-48 loss at Georgetown. Overall during his tenure here in South Bend, Brey has lost a total of 81 games, which roughly averages about 10 losses per season. Out of his 81 losses, 21 (25.9%) of them have been by 10 points or more,
6 (7%)of those losses were by 15 points or more, while 15 (18.5%) of those losses were between 14 and 10 points. 39 (48%) of Brey's losses have been by five points or less, and 21 (25.9%) losses were between nine points and six points. 25 (30.8%) of his losses have been at the JACC, 16 (19.7%) are at a neutral site, and 40 (49.3%) have been at visiting arenas. To sum it up, Brey's squad has been very competitive during losses and rarely lose at home, which could not be said during the John MacLeod years.

74 percent of Mike Brey's squad's losses were by 10 points or less. 74 PERCENT, people! I know that he doesn't have a lot to show for it, but in one of the best leagues, year-in and year-out, I do believe he deserves a little bit of slack too! He's the first coach in ND history to lead the Irish to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments, which includes a Sweet 16 appearance, and a Big East West Division Title. On a football first campus, men's hoops has basically been the red-headed stepchild of the athletic department. Playing in one of the worst facilities in the conference and amongst BCS confence schools, it would be very difficult to field a Top 25 program every single year.

What makes it even worse is the fact, that the athletic department and upper administration don't care about some of the Olympic sports, such as, men's and women's hoops, and the perennial Top 10 ice hockey program. So you mean to tell me, ND cannot build a new basketball arena, like Pittsburgh, and also build a separate ice hockey arena for a much deserving program? Don't tell me there isn't space on campus, because that's hogwash. I'll leave that debate for another day. But to get back to my original point, is that Mike Brey is a good coach and is the right man for this job.

I do post a question for all of Brey's critics,namely, Georgia Irish, you putz!. Name me someone (other than Bobby Knight, Coach K., Bill Self, Roy Williams, etc.) who can do better with what we have? I bet the list will be very short, to say the least.

Mike Brey and his squad are still on track to have a phenomenal year. I don't see anymore losses like the one that took place Saturday happening again anytime soon; and that's a fact!

Onward To Victory On The Road For Brey's Boys

Mike Brey and his 12-2 Irish take to the road for their first true away game against the 15th Ranked Marquette Eagles tomorrow at the Bradley Center. Even though the Irish haven't fair so well the past several meetings with Marquette, Notre Dame is not ready to be knocked off the top spot in the Big East standings. Here are some keys to tomorrow's 2:00 pm contest:

1.) Injury Bug Hits the Big East. Marquette senior guard, Dominic James (pictured above), is the latest conference victim to go down with an injury. During the Eagles win over Seton Hall this week, James went down hard with a wrist injury in the first half, but came back in the second half. Even though James came back, you could tell his wrist was bothering him. X-Rays didn't show any fractures, but his wrist may not be at 100%. We shall see how bad his wrist really is tomorrow.

2.) The First 5 Minutes is Crucial. I know this is overly used, but in Notre Dame's case, it is very true. This is the Irish's first time facing a hostile environment, and the first few minutes will be key to whether they will have success or not. As long as the Irish play their game and minimize turnovers, they will dictate the flow of this contest.

3.) Feed the Belly of the Beast. Tomorrow's contest definitely has the same feel as the West Virginia game. Will anybody on Marquette be able to handle Luke Harangody? It was last year's contest against Marquette, that Harangody had his previous career high in points and rebounds. The Eagles will try and stop Luke with the likes of Dwight Burke (6-8, 250) and Lazar Hayward (6-6, 225). Hayward is ranked among the league leaders in field goal and free throw percentages, while Burke is only averaging 3.7 rebounds per contest.

Luke will once again have a stellar performance against the Eagles. Look for Rob Kurz and Ryan Ayers also to be key performers as well.

4.) D...D...D...Defense! One of the main reasons why the Irish have been so successful this season has been their tenacious D. Notre Dame is currently ranked 18th in the country in field goal percentage defense (.379). The Irish are also holding their opponents under 63 points per contest and stopping them behind the 3 pt. arc at .333 percentage.

Contested shots and rebounds will be crucial for the Irish's first 3-0 start in Big East play.

Prediction: Notre Dame 77 Marquette 69

Brey's boys keep the momentum going for their 11th straight win this season, as the big men have their way against a smaller Marquette squad. The Irish will have continued success from beyond the arc with K-Mac, while Notre Dame's defense comes up big once again.

Baseline Tidbits:

~ Notre Dame ranks in the top 20 of the NCAA statistics in four categories: assists (4th-19.8); rebounding margin (7th-10.2) and field goal percentage defense (18th-.379).

~ Notre Dame has played Marquette more than any other team and leads the all-time series 76-32.

~ Notre Dame is 32-21 all-time when playing Marquette in Milwaukee, but have only played at the Bradley Center on four occasions. The Irish are 1-3 in those outings
with its only victory coming in its first-ever visit, a 68-58 win on February 17, 1994. In its last visit, the Golden Eagles handed Notre Dame a 67-65 setback on January 20, 2006.

~ Notre Dame is off to a 2-0 start in conference play for the fourth time since becoming a league member in 1995-96, while no Irish team has ever started league play with a 3-0 record. The other three times that Notre Dame has started off 2-0 in the BIG EAST was 1999-2000, 2003-04 and 2004-05.

~ Since joining the BIG EAST in 2005-06, the Golden Eagles are 15-3 at the Bradley
Center in league action, including the conference-opening victory over Providence and
Tuesday night’s come-from-behind win against Seton Hall. Dating back to last season, Marquette has claimed 11-straight overall victories at home.

For the Tarnished Heisman Doubters

Don Yeager is definitely not a liked man amongst the Irish faithful. I, for one, used his book as a leveler to even out my desk at home. That's how much I thought of his Under The Tarnished Dome. Now, Don is trying to re-invent himself with his soon-to-be released Tarnished Heisman.

I know there are skeptics out there that think, what is so different about this book, this time around? Well for starters, Don is not the only person who wrote and investigated for this book. Several people had a hand in it, and there is well documented PROOF. Yes, PROOF, that Don Yeager actually has a book that is not speculation or fabrication of the truth.

If you click on the title of this piece, you'll find documents that Yahoo! Sports attained during its investigation of Reggie Bush and his family for alleged improper benefits from New Era Sports & Entertainment, which was used as evidence for Yeager's book.

Way to go, DON! You might not be that big of a jackass, after all. Wait a minute, you're still half a jackass!

Go IRISH!

Typical Trojan Jock Sniffer

USC nut, tomytrojan, takes jock sniffing to a whole new level! Feel free to put your comments down below.

As for you tomy, FO. And I don't mean Fight On!

Day of Reckoning! NCAA to Lay the Smack Down on USC.

Although the NCAA has been treading lightly about Bushgate, the soon-to-be released book, "Tarnished Heisman", has been sent out to the media and the NCAA Infractions Committee.

Below is from an LA Sports Columnist's Blog who covers USC:

"The jacket of Don Yaeger’s “Tarnished Heisman”: “With the explosive information revealed in Tarnished Heisman, Bush stands to be ruled ineligible — a decision that could cost his alma mater the 2004 national championship title, force the forfeit of every game Bush played in after losing his eligibility, and potentially strip Reggie Bush of the shining prize of his college career: the Heisman Trophy.”

The first reax of Adam Rose of the LOS ANGELES TIMES, who covers USC for the outlet: “It doesn’t look good.”

Rose has yet to sift through every last word, but notes that Yaeger, a former investigative reporter for SI, claims in the book that “$47,000 went directly to Bush out of the overall $291,000 that went to his family. That makes it hard to deny he knew what was going on. While the photo section lacks any photocopied receipts, bank statements, or otherwise, the Author’s Note says that a website will publish much of it.”

That website, tarnishedheisman.com, has yet to go live.

Rose also notes that the book introduces a couple new ominous elements who were apparently present during Bush’s USC days: “memorabilia dealers and Suge Knight.”

It appears the advance galleys of Yaeger’s work give the media just enough to report on, and set the stage for what Rose calls the “hard evidence” rollout once promotion of the book begins.

As the evidence continues to mount against Bush, all we can really think of is where was Pete Carroll? Considering the myriad of entanglements (legal and otherwise) that allegedly ensnared Bush during his time at USC, it’s hard to believe that the coach knew absolutely nothing about what was going on. If he didn’t, he wasn’t doing his job, and should be held accountable.

While we despise most of what the NCAA stands for, this is one case that the normally overreaching organization can do some good, if there is indeed a mess to be cleaned up. It’s all but certain now that USC is going to do nothing."

I'm not an investigator, but with this book being released and possible NCAA sanctions to be coming down on the Trojans, I find it very interesting that Pete Carroll is interested in the Atlanta Falcons job. He has the keys to the castle at SC, so why leave?

The Poodle has been linked to NFL jobs before, but this time it seems more serious, and he's looking to bolt. Maybe he knows the writing on the wall and that his Trojans could be hit hard. Even though he is building a new house in sunny CALI-FOUR-NIGH-A, he is VERY INTERESTED in Atlanta and what Falcons owner Arthur Blank has to offer.

Time will tell on both the Poodle and Bushgate. If there is any justice in the world USC will go down like a crack whore in Compton!

GayTurds

Pictures speak louder than words, but if you must, please post your comments below on what you think these two are saying to each other.

As always, GO IRISH!

ESPN Conspiracy?

If anyone missed viewing ESPN.com's college football chat with columnist Bruce Feldman today, you better sit down. Like all ESPN.com chats, fans can ask questions to the ESPN assclown who is hosting that particular chat. Well today, Bruce got several questions regarding the Urban Meyer, Omar Hunter decommitment. Here's the direct script:

jim (santa cruz): any truth to the stories that urben myer told omar hunter to lie to ND about his picking them?

Bruce Feldman: (12:52 PM ET ) I seriously doubt that. If he did, I think Hunter would probably have not wanted to play for a guy so preoccupied to do something like that.
________________________________________

Brian (Newmarket, NH): Bruce, I have a good friend who is a ND fan. This is not the first time Myer has acted inappropriately while competing against ND. From all accounts he sounds like a scumbag in recruiting wars. Am I offbase with this?

Bruce Feldman: (12:59 PM ET ) I think almost all coaches will do some negative recruiting, regardless of what they say they do or dont do. ND fans hate Meyer because he took the UF job over ND and because he beat them on Justin Trattou and now on Omar Hunter. He's an aggressive recruiter no doubt, but he's got a big-time program he can sell.
________________________________________

Brian (Atlanta): Isn't ND always whining about someone recruiting unfairly against them? I seem to remember alot of moaning about Zook last year too.

Bruce Feldman: (12:59 PM ET ) Interesting point.

I'm not sure what type of man crush Bruce has on Urban, but the facts are facts. Urban is a liar and a cheat. Once ESPN can acknowledge it, the better college football will be.

After the chat, I wanted to get some more insight on Urban's recruiting prowess and how he lies, err, I mean, lures recruits to come to florida. For instance, I referred to Justin Trattou on how he was told that he would be a stand up, rush end. But instead was turned into a defensive tackle. So I emailed Mr. Feldman, and this is the response I got:

Mr. Weisgipper,

I don't know what Coach Meyer told Trattou, and I don't want to speculate either. What I do know is that Urban is one of the sexiest coaches in the SEC, if not all of college football. His master of persuasion is of jedi proportions. To get top notch recruits to play for him, and to get the media to turn its head on his lying and cheating, is truly magical.

As for the Hunter situation, they (Urban and Omar) are made for each other.

Thanks for the email.

Bruce Feldman, ESPN

I guess they were right that you can't teach a dog new tricks. In the form of ESPN, it's more of the same: Hate on Notre Dame!

Third Time Is A Charm For Bucknuts!

To ensure their third straight BCS Title game appearance, the Ohio State University has tweaked their schedule for the 2008 season. Below is the news release their Sports Information Office put out to the media:

COLUMBUS, OHIO - Today, after the Buckeye's second national championship loss in as many years, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith released a schedule the likes of which the Buckeye faithful have never before seen.

Below is the newly released schedule for the 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes football season. God help us.

8/30 vs. Ohio School for the Deaf (Columbus, OH)
9/6 vs. Ohio Northern University (Ada,OH)
9/13 @ Cuyahoga Community College (Cleveland, OH)
9/20 vs. Columbus, Ohio Chamber of Commerce Co-recreational Softball Team (Columbus, OH)
9/27 vs. Ohio State School for the Blind (Columbus, OH)
10/4 @ Cincinnati Reds (Cincinnati, OH)
10/11 vs. Boonville, Indiana High School (Boonville, IN)
10/18 @ Autism Academy of Learning (Maumee, OH)
10/25 vs. Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (Cincinnati, OH)
11/1 - Bye Week (Scrimmage against Women's Volleyball team)
11/8 @ Columbus State Community College (Columbus, OH)
11/15 @ Cleveland School of the Arts High School Chess Team (Cleveland, OH)
11/22 vs. Michigan (Columbus, OH)

Irish Office Rumblings

It's official, the College Football season is over as the LSU Tigers put the beat down on THE Ohio State Buckeyes. Excuse me for a second, I threw up in a my mouth. To be quite blunt, I don't give a shit! I don't care if the SEC folks think that the Big Ten is slow and can't compete with their teams; even though Beanie Wells ran past the entire LSU defense for a 65 yard touchdown. I also don't care that tOSU is O-fer against the SEC in bowls. Too bad, so sad!

Anyway, a few interesting tidbits have surfaced in the Irish Football Offices in the Gug:

1.) Transfers. Munir Prince has finally ended the speculation and will transfer to Missouri. Running back Luke Schmidt has had a change of heart and will remain at Notre Dame for now. Sources say that he wants to give it the good old college try and stick it out with the Irish. Who knows what will happen once spring practices begin! Raeshon McNeil was another name floating out there as a possible transfer. Like Schmidt, McNeil is still Irish.

2.) Injuries. Offensive linemen, Bartley Webb's career is pretty much over. Rumors on the Internet have surfaced about Webb's shoulder. Over the break, Webb got second opinions from several doctors and is still waiting word to see if he can ever play football again. The future does not bode well for Bartley. Webb's intentions are to still to remain at Notre Dame, and possibly become an undergraduate assistant.

3.) Recruiting Trail. Notre Dame is still rounding out their recruiting class for this year with an official visits from defensive standouts, Mike Martin, Kapron Lewis-Moore, and Datone Jones.

Running back Cyrus Gray has not ruled out the Irish either. According to ESPN.com,

Running back Cyrus Gray names five finalists
ESPN 150 prospect Cyrus Gray is now only considering California, Florida, Kansas, Louisville, and Notre Dame, the Courier-Journal reports.

Depending on what lies Urban Meyer tells Gray, I put my money on Florida. And speaking of Florida and lil' Urbie Cryer, it looks like Omar "Pancaked" Hunter is leaning towards the Gators. Hmmmmm. How convenient that it is coming out now, after Omar was called out for being a silent commit to Florida since early November. Here's the little blurb from ESPN.com,

Gators out in front for defensive tackle Omar Hunter
Under Armour All-American Omar Hunter said, "I would definitely say Florida is in the lead right now," the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The former Notre Dame pledge has set a Jan. 18th visit date with the Gators.

4.) Future Schedules. There have been some rumors going on that Notre Dame will play LSU as early as the 2009 season. There have been talks with LSU about getting something going, but that's just it, TALKS. Maybe Kevin White is getting ballsy in his old age. Who knows, as long as he doesn't do anymore stupid shit.

Close, But Still No Love For The Irish

What a week the Fighting Irish had on the hardwood. First it was a hard fought, 13 point win over West Virginia on Thursday. Then Brey’s Boys did it again on Saturday, as they held on to defeat Connecticut 73-67, in front of a near sellout crowd. For those efforts, the Irish are still not in the Top 25 of either the AP or ESPN/USAToday Polls. So why no love for the Irish?

During today’s ESPN Sports Nation chat with Bracketology guru Joe Lunardi, one Irish fan posed a simple question. In typical ESPN anti-Notre Dame fashion, Lunardi retorts with a crappy answer:

Mike B. (Notre Dame, IN): Joe, Why no love for the Irish? They have the 3rd longest home court winning streak in the nation, a current 10 game winning streak, and quite possibly one of the best big men in the country in Luke Harangody. So why are they not in the Top 25 polls, or better yet, only an 8 seed?

Joe Lunardi: (1:31 PM ET ) It couldn't possibly be that Notre Dame will be the last team in America to play a true road game, could it??

Here’s another Sports Nation chat from today with ESPN columnist Andy Glockner. At least I can live with this ass clown’s response:

Frank (Boston): Notre Dame may be the best team in the Big East this year, T or F? They are right up there as the best passing and shooting team in the league, and their defense/athleticism is up a tick from prior years with McAlarney, Jackson, Hillesland and Harangody. Watch out for my IRISH!!!

Andy Glockner: (2:31 PM ET ) False, but ND was another one of my preseason sleeper teams, so I have liked them from the get-go. McAlarney is a little up and down at times (with Saturday being one of the ups), but he's been good, which has helped because Tory Jackson has been down a bit this season. The fact that they have two guards that can handle and create helps, and they have come to realize that Harangody inside is their meal ticket. Plus, they apparently can’t lose at home. I had no idea they had the third-longest home winning streak in the nation until I watched them beat WVU. If they can get a couple quality road wins in league play, I'll feel better about their overall upside, but this is a good team.

How in the world did this moron end up writing for ESPN? A good journalist, especially a college basketball junkie, would know that the Irish are sporting the third best home court winning streak at 30, behind Memphis (40) and BYU (39). I'm not sure if this is typical anti-Notre Dame, or just plain stupid. I guess anyone could be an ESPN columnist these days. Wow!

At least Luke Harangody is getting the proper attention he rightly so deserves. Harangody was named BIG EAST Player of the Week as he averaged 21.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in a 3-0 week for Notre Dame, which extended its overall winning streak to 10 games and its home-court streak to 30 games. Harangody had 29 points and 16 rebounds in a 69-56 win against West Virginia and delivered 14 points and 10 boards in a 73-67 decision against Connecticut. He began the week with a 22-point effort in a 77-58 win against North Florida.

For the season, Luke is averaging 18.1 ppg (71st in the nation) and pulling down 9.5 rebounds per contest (27th in the nation). He has also recorded 10 double-doubles in the Irish’s 14 contests.

Baseline Bits:

* As for the actual rankings that came out today, the Irish are currently 27th in the AP and 29th in the ESPN/USAToday Polls, respectively. As for the other Big East Conference members, Georgetown is 7th (AP) and 8 (ESPN), Marquette is 15th (AP) and 16th (ESPN), Villanova is 19th (AP) and 17th (ESPN), Pittsburgh is 20th (AP) and 18th (ESPN), while West Virginia is 30th and Syracuse is 36th in the ESPN/USAToday poll.

* The Irish start the season 2-0 for only the second time in Big East play. Besides the Irish, Syracuse and DePaul are 2-0, while Georgetown is 1-0 in the conference.

* So far, the home teams in the Big East Conference have been holding their own. Only three teams have one a conference game on the road, Georgetown (@ Rutgers), Connecticut (@ Seton Hall), and Cincinnati (@ Louisville).

* The current ESPN Bracketology Bracket is out and the Irish currently stand pat as the 8th seed in the East Region. Notre Dame would face 9th seed Kent State in the first round, and a possible matchup with the Top Ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in the second round. If the season ended today, the Big East would have a total of nine teams playing in March Madness:

Georgetown # 2 (East)
Marquette # 4 (South)
Pittsburgh # 6 (Midwest)
Notre Dame # 8 (East)
West Virginia # 8 (Midwest)
Villanova #9 (West)
Providence #10 (East)
Syracuse #10 (South)
Connecticut #11 (West)

* CBSSportsline’s Bracket has the Irish as a 9th Seed, with possible opponents being Ohio State, St. Mary’s (CA), or Gonzaga. The Irish’s latest victim, UConn was the other 8th seed.

Would You Like Syrup With That Pancake?

This was definitely a good weekend to be an Irish fan, that's for sure. Flipping back and forth watching both the US Army and Under Armor High School All-American games became quite a treat as the Irish verbal commitments stood out. All of them had some shining moments, but here are a few that made the Weisgipp's weekend highlight reel:

1.) John Goodman became a main weapon in the East's arsenal in the US Army Game with his arm and legs. During the week, the East's coaches implemented trick plays to surprise the West. Trying to find out who had a decent arm, besides their Quarterbacks, Goodman let it be known that he too played QB this season for Ft. Wayne Bishop Dwenger. In the first quarter, Terrelle Pryor threw to Goodman on a quick out, then Goodman looked back and tossed a perfect throw to a wide open Pryor, who then let the ball slip through his hands.

Pryor redeemed himself by tossing a 25 yard touchdown pass to a wide open Goodman.

2.) The West team was full of playmakers, but the one that made the biggest plays in the game was St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall receiver Michael Floyd. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder had four receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Throughout the week in San Antonio, everyone knew who the best receiver was, and on gameday, Floyd didn't disappoint. He made it look easy out there by getting separation from the East defenders, including one touchdown catch against an impressive Robert Blanton.

3.) Hello Newman! All week long Brandon Newman proved to everyone his inclusion to the US Army High School All-American game. His dominance over others in practice was evident as several commentators mentioned his efforts during Saturday's telecast.

4.) Although there were only two players (three if you count decommit Omar Hunter) of significance at the Under Armor All-American game; both made huge impressions on both the Irish faithful and the national media. The first being receiver Deion Walker's verbal commitment. Walker chose the Irish over Penn State, USC, and Texas Tech. Good thing that happened, because earlier in the day Gerelle Robinson decided to stay home at Arizona State.

5.) Last but not least, Penn's Braxston Cave showed why he is the best center in the country. Cave had good practices all week leading up to Saturday's contest, but what happened during the game, no one saw coming! Cave not only pancaked Irish decommit Omar Hunter once, but he did it again a second time for good measure. All week long everyone touted Hunter's performance as a man amongst boys. Hunter did play well on Saturday, however, his flops against Cave made what is a bittersweet ending to this whole decommitment saga. Ahhhhh, justice is served!

What Grinds My Gears

Even though this is Friday, I had some time to stew over a few things that really got under my skin lately. If any of my loyal readers are from the South Bend area and listen to sports talk radio, you should be familiar with WSBT Radio 960 AM's Weekday Sportsbeat with hosts Rick Carter and Darin Prichett that runs daily from 5:30-7:00. Wednesday's episode really got me fired up after the whole Omar Hunter decommitment. Both Rick and Darin were piping their two cents in about how Notre Dame shouldn't complain about this Hunter decommitment because the Irish did the same with verbal commits Jonas Gray and Trevor Robinson from Nebraska. If you are interested in hearing this past Wednesday's Weekday Sportsbeat, click on the title.

All of WSBT (radio and television), as well as, the South Bend Tribune are owned by the same company. I'm not sure about you, but everything they have been putting out about Notre Dame football since this summer has been garbage. Yes, I know our beloved Irish had a shitty year, and want to put the blame on someone, but WSBT definitely has put a vendetta on Weis and Co. For instance, columnist Jeff Carroll gets a major chubby anytime he gets a chance to poke a jab at Charlie, even it if is a somewhat positive article. And then both Darin and Rick can't make up their minds about the football team or Coach Weis. One day, he's the best recruiter, the next he should be fired. I understand fully about making money and trying to lure listeners to your show, but after a while it gets old. Especially Darin's grasp, or lackthereof, the English language. Anyone that has listened to him on radio will agree, that he does not use proper grammar. But that's beside the point.

Anyway, I felt I would pay homage to Peter Griffin of Fox's Family Guy, and give my take on What Grinds My Gears.

You know what grinds my gears..............

1.) People chastisizing Notre Dame for so-called poaching other school's verbal commitments. First off, Notre Dame did not steal Jonas Gray and Trevor Robinson from the Cornhuskers. Once word was out that Bill Callahan was not going to be Nebraska's head coach, Notre Dame pursued them hard. Heck even in the summer, Robinson wasn't sure about what school he wanted to join.

2.) Sneaky Verbal Commits that are not truthful and get caught in the act. Omar Hunter's explanation about decommiting from the Irish was complete and utter bullshit. Saying that he likes the coaches, but is not sure about them is fine, I guess. But saying that his style of play does not mesh with Notre Dame's, is ridiculous. He knew from day one that ND was playing a 3-4. If he's a little slow on the uptake, fine, but the boy is not retarded. Secondly, he says he wants to play closer to home, so his family can go and see. I totally understand that. But having USC in the mix does not make sense whatsoever! And last, but not least, Omar got caught about being a silent verbal to Florida. Once Charlie heard that, he took away Hunter's offer, and the marriage between the two was null and void. I say good for Charlie to sticking to his guns. He made it clear to all of these young men that if you're looking, we're looking. Weis gave Omar every opportunity to make it right, but in the end, Hunter is not or will never will be a Notre Dame man, period.

Omar I hope you enjoy being in the company with Urban Liar. Just ask Justin Trattou what he promised him. Trattou dumped us because of the 3-4, and was told that he would be playing as a stand up end, not on the line as a tackle. Well surprise, surprise, guess what Justin is playing?? Have fun with that Omar, you and Urban are made for each other.

3.) Coaches who get outcoached in a bowl game, where they're heavily favored and lose, and then throw his team under the bus! Urban Meyer's postgame comments after his Gator's loss to Michigan were priceless. If he feels this way about his players, what are future recruits and players going to feel about him? If I was a parent of a prospective recruit, I would be leery of sending him to Gainsville and having Meyer take care of my kid.

4.) Former AAU coaches that think they can do a better job than Mike Brey. I'm not going to officially call this person out (Georgia Irish), but this dumbass thinks he knows everything about Notre Dame basketball. All he does is bitch and complain and his only backup to anything, when you rebuttal is ND's out of conference wins that he has recorded. Well I hate to break it to him, but the vast majority of Division I basketball plays pasties. So for every Long Island and North Florida victory, Brey has recorded a win over such opponents like Maryland, Texas, Illinois, to name a few. Mark, get off your high horse. Brey is the only coach in ND history to have taken his squad to the NCAA tournament in his first three seasons, which included a trip to the Sweet 16, a Big East West Division Championship, and some Big East Tournament wins. Yes, they might not be significant, but being a student in the MacLeod days, will make this look huge. Anyway, brighter days are definitely ahead for Brey's boys!

5.) That old fart in section 10 that said Notre Dame was lucky last night in beating West Virginia. If it wasn't for the company that was sitting with me at the game, Old Man River was going to get it. I'm not sure what game he was watching, but ND only trailed once in the game (at the early part of the first half, 12-11), and lead throughout the rest of the way. In the second half, Notre Dame led under double digits, roughly around 4 minutes and 32 seconds. The Irish also held the Mountaineers to a season low in points (56), which was well under their average.

6.) So-called Hoops fans that complain, but yet, don't show up to the games. Hey folks, this isn't Burger King. You can't have it your way. Either you put up or shut up. Support the team and put your fanny in the seats. This groups is very exciting to watch, and will do very well come March!

PHEW!!!!!!! Enough of my ranting and raving. Have a wonderful TGIF!

Florida's Recruiting Tatics

For those of you who are curious about what turned Omar to the dark side was this visit from UF's recruiting coordinator Chuck Heater. You can see lil' Urban Meyer in the background. Enjoy!

Hunter the Hunted (A Gator,err, I mean Wolf in Sheep's Clothing)

So I'm back from my Holiday excursion, Good Times, Good Times. Now back to business, which is Fighting Irish athletics, and more importantly, Notre Dame football. During this holiday season of cheerful bliss, the Irish verbal commitments held still at 22 until yesterday. Omar Hunter, quite possibly, the best defensive recruit of the bunch, decommitted and opened up his search to three schools: Florida, USC, and Auburn.

Here's the skinny from ESPN.com:

Under Armour All-American Omar Hunter has dropped his pledge to the Fighting Irish and is now only considering Florida, USC, and Auburn.

He told Bob Redmond of ESPN affiliate GatorCountry.com Tuesday, "Just watching Notre Dame, their style, and how they played [were reasons for Hunter's decision]. It doesn't really fit the way I play. I am not sure about the coach staff there, I know they are good guys and I love them, but I am not comfortable with the decision I made. I am officially decommitting from Notre Dame."
Additionally, Hunter's high school coach, Jess Simpson, stated that his former defensive stud wished to play closer to home so that his parents can attend his games.

I understand the whole, I'm a 18 year old kid and can change my mind everytime the wind blows. Omar has to be comfortable with his decision, and I don't disagree with that aspect. HOWEVER, I do not like his response about ND's style of play and how it fits with his style. You mean to tell me he didn't know the Irish's defensive style of play in the 3-4? Wasn't it just two weeks ago, that Jess Simpson said Omar's indecisiveness didn't have to do with ND's record or style of play. He's been an Irish verbal commit since this past summer and he finally is realizing ND's style of play? Come on, Hunter is playing us for the fool. I'm not sure about the coaches? Once again, how long has Omar been a verbal commitment? HMMMMMMMM. Makes you wonder if the new swirling rumor of Hunter being a silent verbal to the Gators and that Urban Meyer told him to not let the cat out of the bag until later is true. If it is true, shame on Omar for not being truthful and fully grasping the concept of commitment. I guess only true Notre Dame men and women know that! Also it shows how much of a dirt bag Meyer and his minion, Greg Mattison, really are.

When Charlie went down last month to visit Omar on a whim, that should have been the telling sign that he wasn't going to be Irish. Fact is, that Hunter was being sneaky, got caught, and Charlie called him out on it. Weis pulled his offer last week, according to several sources from the Notre Dame football office. Even though he made several attempts to sway him to stick to his original verbal commitment, Weis made the right move. One guy isn't going to break, what is still considered the #1 recruiting class. Heck Brandon Newman is turning heads this week with his play at the All-Star practices. Hafis Williams and the play of Ian Williams this season, has made Omar's decommitment, not as devastating as some Irish fans make this out to be. Yes, it sucks, but do you really want someone that doesn't have morals and values of a Notre Dame man? I sure as heck don't!

Omar definitely isn't the only one to blame on this whole situation. Florida is just as bad by trying to be as sneaky. Urban must laugh when everyone does all the hard work of finding diamonds in the rough, like Hunter when only two schools at first (ND and Michigan) were on his radar. Meyer just sits back with his ears pinned and then cherry picks verbal commitments. More power to him that he can con kids into backing out of their original commitments. It builds a lot of character. YEAH!

Speaking of Florida. Isn't Karma a bitch? Before the opening kickoff of the Capital One Bowl, ABC showed footage of several Gator players stomping on the Michigan logo. Not that Michigan needed anymore M O for this game already since this was Lloyd Carr's last game as the Wolverine head coach, but damn, are Florida players that stupid? Or does Urban Meyer not care what his players do, except win football games? If it wasn't for Mike Hart bumbling and fumbling twice on the 1 yard line, Michigan could have won by several touchdowns.

Before watching this contest, I didn't want to see Michigan win, 'cause, quite frankly, I don't like the Maize and Blue. But after seeing that display of poor sportsmanship, I rooted for UM. I guess I sold myself to the devil for three and a half hours yesterday, and actually liked it.

So in the end, being true to your word is what is really key here. If Omar was truthful the whole time, I wouldn't of cared less if he decommitted. But being sneaky, getting caught in the act, and giving out bogus remarks about playing style and coaches, is complete and utter bullshit!

Paging Mike Martin, Mike Martin, the Irish are awaiting!