tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10564586423978849812024-02-19T08:48:29.874-08:00Irish band of brothersAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-15994020221300937472013-01-10T07:52:00.001-08:002013-01-10T07:52:00.346-08:00The Whack Stack Stats<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDVsWnhSU1rWWORz5iYMNK1GSMXapnkAN2hPOYC8R4nhjYqFjrIDwZ8HqvU6DlX9Y2rOcP9V26O49X6vQ60h2Z0vfoSXZO8Un9buDuBgm6ZkG3EQLDnplS2prQrZiwxmt_k1oS3SY79M/s1600-h/logo.gif"><img style="float:right;margin:0 0 10px 10px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDVsWnhSU1rWWORz5iYMNK1GSMXapnkAN2hPOYC8R4nhjYqFjrIDwZ8HqvU6DlX9Y2rOcP9V26O49X6vQ60h2Z0vfoSXZO8Un9buDuBgm6ZkG3EQLDnplS2prQrZiwxmt_k1oS3SY79M/s320/logo.gif" border="0" alt=""></a><br>A rather new magazine called <em>STACK</em>, is the first magazine dedicated to helping high school athletes improve their performance safely and effectively. One of the things that this thorough, fact-checking magazine has done is compile a list of the Elite 50. The Elite 50 is a ranking of the best schools for academically minded athletes. After months of crunching numbers [wins, losses, championship titles, school rankings and academic progress], Stack listed a compilation of information that gives High School Student-Athletes a guide to choose a school that provides the right balance of academics and athletics.<br><br>Overall, Notre Dame cracked the Top 15 of the list at 13. I guess this is Stack's attempt of emulating the NCAA Overall Sports Trophy (NACDA Director's Cup, formerly the Sear's Director's Cup). Here's the breakdown of rankings in each sport: Women's Soccer(1), Women's Tennis(4), Men's Cross Country(4), Men's Soccer(4), Women's Cross Country(6), Lacrosse(6), Hockey(8), Men's Tennis(8), Football(12). <br><br>Being ranked 12th in football, I don't have a problem with, especially after this season's debacle. This is what the magazine had to say about it: <br><br><blockquote>Notre Dame’s strong academics won’t be enough to keep football ranked 12th next year, after this season’s dismal performance. But the strength of women’s soccer (1), men’s soccer (4), men’s XC (4), women’s tennis (4), women’s XC (6), and men’s tennis (8) may keep them near the top-15 overall</blockquote><br><br>Now here is my concern I have about this whole football ranking system. Stack used four academic and athletic performance categories (2008 U.S. News & World Report on America’s Best Colleges, Academic Progress Rate [APR], Athletic Performance, and STACK Factor) to determine the top 15 teams. The main area I really had a beef about was the APR. According to Stack, the APR: <br><blockquote>Established by the NCAA in 2005, APRs gauge how well collegiate athletic programs move their student athletes toward graduation. Every team receives a rating based on the academic eligibility and retention of its players. Two points are awarded each season to every student-athlete who meets academic eligibility standards and who remains with the institution. A team’s APR is the total points earned by its members in a given period, divided by the total points possible. The highest rating is 1000. Teams that fail to reach minimum standards, which depend on the sport and its number of participants, risk NCAA sanctions.</blockquote><br><br>Now here is where it gets interesting. Notre Dame's APR was at 964, while such great football factories like Auburn, Georgia, and Florida, are 967, 963, and 961, respectively. How in the world does Auburn have a higher APR rate than Notre Dame? I can live with the fact that little brother, Boston College (976), and California (965) have higher APR's than the Irish, but definitely not WAR EAGLE, err, I mean the Tigers. <br><br>With the players we do have that don't transfer, Notre Dame does do a wonderful job of keeping their players eligible and eventually graduating within five years. In fact, Notre Dame has had a 98.69% of football players that have graduated from the institution since 1962. Also, Notre Dame was tops in the country this season with Northwestern for having the highest graduation rate (95%) in Division I football. So how come Auburn was ranked higher in APR than Notre Dame? Your guess is as good as mine. <br><br>According to the NCAA, Notre Dame is the best at retaining their student-athletes from year-to-year, and graduating them in a timely manner. In their latest Federal Graduation Data, Notre Dame was again at the top. In football, the NCAA looks at three things for a particular cohort: 99-00 graduation rate, four-class average, and student-athlete graduation success rate. Below is the breakdown of numbers:<br><br><strong>Notre Dame</strong>: 81 (99-00 GR), 84 (four-class avg.), 95 (GSR)<br><strong>Auburn</strong>: 61 (99-00 GR), 56 (four-class avg.), 63 (GSR)<br><strong>Georgia</strong>: 33 (99-00 GR), 39 (four-class avg.), 41 (GSR)<br><strong>Florida</strong>: 32 (99-00 GR), 42 (four-class avg.), 80 (GSR)<br><br>Here are the facts. Yes, Notre Dame has had players leave the squad to transfer under the Charlie Weis regime, but so has the other three schools. You mean to tell me that Auburn hasn't lost players leaving early to the NFL or lost them to transferring in the last three seasons? Auburn has actually lost 5 to the NFL early, 7 to transferring or leaving the program, and 11 to being declared academically ineligible the last three years. <br><br>This just shows that people can spin numbers anyway they want to, to make a buck. But when they try and compare the 19th best institution in the country, according to US News and World Report, to the 96th is ridiculous. Once again the anti-Notre Dame bias shows.<br><br><strong>NOTE</strong>: Click on the title to view the Top 15 schools in football according to <strong><em>Stack Magazine</em></strong> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-71031294279860562732013-01-10T07:52:00.000-08:002013-01-10T07:52:00.514-08:00Battle for the Big East Bye<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtNTXbDHmtjbsv5CrCZ31VI18w0m1M78KYocwzBY5nV3SNF5N1JG-OV6N0aoijuUOACgivqxzOOjruzkov3rM3wxzsVikyz_WIyTD1dOFa9q7CZxzl1lGe-Cqgt9ldVYt3TLM7QY6ttU/s1600-h/Italian+Brey.jpg"><img style="float:left;margin:0 10px 10px 0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtNTXbDHmtjbsv5CrCZ31VI18w0m1M78KYocwzBY5nV3SNF5N1JG-OV6N0aoijuUOACgivqxzOOjruzkov3rM3wxzsVikyz_WIyTD1dOFa9q7CZxzl1lGe-Cqgt9ldVYt3TLM7QY6ttU/s400/Italian+Brey.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a><br>Down the stretch they come! As the last couple of weeks remain during the regular season, six teams vie for one of the four 1st round byes in next month's Big East Tournament. Georgetown is sitting pretty at 10-2 in the league, while Louisville, Connecticut, and Notre Dame, is a step behind with three conference losses. Pittsburgh is creeping ever so slowly at 7-4 and Marquette is in the distant with a 6-5 ledger.<br><br>Here are the six candidates remaining schedules:<br><br><strong>Georgetown</strong> (13-0) overall home, (6-3) road; (6-0) conference home, (4-2) road<br><br>@ Syracuse<br>@ Providence<br> Cincinnati<br> St. John's <br>@ Marquette<br> Louisville<br><br><strong>Louisville</strong> (12-2) overall home, (6-2) road; (5-1) conference home, (4-2) road<br><br>@ Providence<br> Syracuse<br>@ Pittsburgh<br> Notre Dame<br> Villanova<br>@ Georgetown<br><br><strong>Connecticut</strong> (13-1) overall home, (5-2) road; (5-1) conference home, (3-2) road<br><br>@ South Florida<br> DePaul<br>@ Villanova<br>@ Rutgers<br> West Virginia<br>@ Providence<br> Cincinnati<br><br><strong>Notre Dame</strong> (14-0) overall home, (2-3) road; (6-0) conference home, (2-3) road<br><br>@ Rutgers<br> Pittsburgh<br> Syracuse<br>@ Louisville<br>@ DePaul<br> St. John's<br>@ South Florida<br><br><strong>Pittsburgh</strong> (14-1) overall home, (4-4) road; (5-1) conference home, (2-3) road<br><br>@ Marquette<br>@ Notre Dame<br> Louisville<br> Cincinnati<br>@ Syracuse<br>@ West Virginia<br> DePaul<br><br><strong>Marquette</strong> (12-1) overall home, (3-4) road; (5-1) conference home, (2-4) road<br><br> Pittsburgh<br>@ St. John's<br> Rutgers<br>@ Villanova<br> Georgetown<br>@ Syracuse <br><br>As you compare each team's schedule, both Georgetown and Connecticut are in the driver's seat to earn a first round bye at the Garden. The next two in line, Louisville and Notre Dame, both play each other, but the Cardinals end the regular season at Georgetown. For Irish fans alike, I'd concentrate on how well Pittsburgh plays. What's good for Notre Dame is the home matchup next week in the Joyce that will give the Irish a two game separation. Also, the Panthers have to face Louisville and at Marquette.<br><br>In the end, I see Georgetown, Connecticut, Louisville, and Notre Dame, all earning their 1st round exemption. But first things, first, as the Irish need to take care of business at an always tough Rutgers. Some good Notre Dame teams have come into the RAC, but have left in the loss column. Sunday cannot be the day to let the rowdy Scarlet Knight's fans to get into the players heads. These next four games are critical for Notre Dame's postseason success. It's now time to throw down the gauntlet and prove to the nation that Notre Dame Basketball is on the rise! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-91725808123530142292013-01-09T07:52:00.000-08:002013-01-09T07:52:00.168-08:00MSG Magic<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxdF8kaUVgU4VN-TzdvqzhG_uv0NM03FIinaXio3FKmahajC8b05_pATZnVGj25j_a0uhC4i70R5TJfsT14x6Pc17egLSF4ljpZhobuEc6Fqh_Q0Trv40eFELoSRcORXbs3Gryrpw2NI/s1600-h/Luke+Harangody.jpg"><img style="display:block;margin:0px auto 10px;text-align:center" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxdF8kaUVgU4VN-TzdvqzhG_uv0NM03FIinaXio3FKmahajC8b05_pATZnVGj25j_a0uhC4i70R5TJfsT14x6Pc17egLSF4ljpZhobuEc6Fqh_Q0Trv40eFELoSRcORXbs3Gryrpw2NI/s320/Luke+Harangody.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a><br><br>Notre Dame enters tonight's contest against Kansas State with a 5-2 record after posting a 76-65 win over Eastern Michigan at home on Saturday. It was the Irish’s third-straight win -- all at home -- since dropping back-to-back one-point heartbreakers to Baylor and Georgia Tech in the Paradise Jam on Nov. 18 and 19. <br><br>Junior guard Kyle McAlarney paced three players in double figures with 21 points on 8-of-10 field goals, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, against EMU, while sophomore forward Luke Harangody and junior guard Ryan Ayers added 18 points and 12 points, respectively. The team shot 56.3 percent from the field in the victory, including 61.5 percent in the first half, and had just nine turnovers.<br><br>One of the top defensive teams in the country, Notre Dame is holding opponents to just 60.6 points per game this season on 39.1 percent shooting from the field, which will come in handy tonight since KSU converting on 50.6 percent (160-of-316) of its 2-point field goals. That is good news since the Irish have struggled at time to hold the opposition from beyond the 3 point arc (Georgia Tech and the late surge by Eastern Michigan).<br><br>The big assignment tonight is to contain heralded freshman Michael Beasley. Beasley averages 26.7 points and 15 rebounds a contest. He also is shooting 60.8 percent from the field, including 47.1 percent from 3-point range to go with 1.6 assists, 1.6blocks and 1.1 steals in 31.9 minutes per game. So yeah, wow! There will be a rotation of players guarding Beasley, starting with Junior swingman Ryan Ayers. Depending on the success, look for Zach Hillesland to disrupt Beasley's flow of the game.<br><br>The Irish are just as formidable on the offensive end, averaging 78.3 points on 47.7 percent shooting, including 43.4 percent from 3-point range. It is also averaging 39.7 rebounds, 19.7 assists, 7.0 steals and 4.3 blocks per game.<br><br>This is a contest I predicted the Irish would lose. After watching their contest against Oregon, I honestly believe Notre Dame, can steal this one because of a few factors: 1) Familiarity at the Garden. Notre Dame has played in the historic Madison Square Garden now for years. The glitz and glamour and being awed will not be a factor for the Irish. It will be the Wildcats’ first regular-season visit to the Garden in school history and the first since playing two games in the 1994 <br>Postseason NIT. The program has never won a game in four overall contests in the building. 2) The youth movement. One of the nation’s top recruiting classes has been a big success so far for Kansas State, as the newcomers have posted over 60 percent of the Wildcats’ total points (380), rebounds (187), steals (32) and blocks (18) and over 50 percent of the total assists (62). In all, four of the top-5 scorers and each of the top-3 rebounders are either freshmen or first-year players in the program. Once again how much of the bright lights of New York will get into the Wildcat players' minds, especially Beasley? <br><br><strong>Prediction</strong><br>This matchup is like one of those bruising Big East Conference games for the Irish, especially since it is playing in MSG. The emergence of the long ball from McAlarney, Ayers, and Luke Zellar will create opportunities for Rob Kurz and Luke Harangody down low. As long as Beasley is held under 20 points, this one should go to the Irish in a close, hard fought Jimmy V Classic!<br><br><strong>Notre Dame 79<br>Kansas State 73</strong><br><br><em><strong>Notes and Stuff</strong></em><br>~ This will mark the fifth all-time meeting between Kansas State and Notre Dame on the hardwood and the first since the two played in the second round of the Postseason NIT in 1992. Notre Dame owns a 3-1 advantage all-time in the series.<br><br>~ Since coming back from the Virgin Island's, Notre Dame has been hitting their shots with relative ease. The Irish have shot 91-175 (.520) from the field and 30-61 (.492) from threepoint range. Against Eastern Michigan on Saturday night, the Irish connected on 56.3 percent (25-52) from the field and 62.5 percent (10-16) from three-point range — both season bests. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-70630759717490151392013-01-08T07:52:00.000-08:002013-01-08T07:52:00.081-08:00<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_tY5bCalqRcc/SAPK7Q0cVqI/AAAAAAAAAiI/76MGFXtYdmE/s1600-h/fark3.jpg"><img style="float:right;margin:0 0 10px 10px" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_tY5bCalqRcc/SAPK7Q0cVqI/AAAAAAAAAiI/76MGFXtYdmE/s400/fark3.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-12546995449755910052013-01-07T07:52:00.000-08:002013-01-07T07:52:00.599-08:00Wait or Not to Wait: The Last 48 Hours behind Notre Dame Football<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9wmZp7HBxQw89CJTTdg1A9ZfajCWCghpK_13BMnPir9uF3Hiz1n4PYsUxMGdrAFHuQddJas4JEqnLl1rlzxVNVm1Gyh3DwMW_sIF0Bk3l5g27nDwuz6KjdsjTohPjbI7vc5DRABkCe-X/s1600-h/One+more+year.JPG"><img style="display:block;margin:0px auto 10px;text-align:center;width:400px;height:251px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9wmZp7HBxQw89CJTTdg1A9ZfajCWCghpK_13BMnPir9uF3Hiz1n4PYsUxMGdrAFHuQddJas4JEqnLl1rlzxVNVm1Gyh3DwMW_sIF0Bk3l5g27nDwuz6KjdsjTohPjbI7vc5DRABkCe-X/s400/One+more+year.JPG" border="0" alt=""></a><br>Now that Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick has publicly announced that Head Coach Charlie Weis will be back for a fifth season, many fans and alumni alike, wondered why wait till next Monday? <br><br>Personally, I didn't have a problem with the university and Swarbrick waiting till December 8 to announce Weis' fate. You have to assume a decision was made or partially made after the Southern Cal game. But with the back-and-forth comments and hearsay of his staying and the athletic department not commenting until today, makes one wonder. Why was Swarbrick still on the West Coast? And what business does he have over there? Better yet, is Boise, Idaho, considered West Coast? We'll get to that in a little bit.<br><br>I will say this, I think it was very important that the university needed to keep this week as normal as possible. And I say this for a couple of reasons. Number one, this Friday is the annual Football Banquet. I think it's a little disrespectful to the senior class if something had happened to Coach Weis' future in South Bend. Remember a couple of years ago during the last coaching change, and they cancelled the football banquet? That would really be unfair to the seniors who put four or five years of service here. They gave up a lot of sweat and blood for the Lady on the Dome. The least they could do is be honored by the university at this banquet. Luckily, the show will go on.<br><br>Another importance of this week deals with the recruiting of high school juniors. According to former Notre Dame recruiting coordinator Bob Chimel, you want to make sure the junior recruiting gets off to a solid start or continue to progress well. So that's very, very important for the Irish right now. <br><br>Waiting till this coming Monday also allowed Swarbrick and Fr. Jenkins to go out and look around a little bit. You can make some secondary connections with people if they felt the need to look and see who the next head coach might be. Then they could have talked to a friend of a friend and work around bothering a coach who is still very active. <br><br>I will say this; I didn't have a problem waiting till this Monday because there was still some good coaches if Notre Dame did want to make a change that were still very busy in conference championships or finishing up their regular season. Heck, many criticized Washington for taking Mike Haywood out of his element during a practice week to interview for the Husky vacancy. So if Swarbrick and Jenkins waited a few more days when all the games were played and the bowl bids were handed out, then they could have had a few days to do some serious talking over the weekend. They could have talked to one or two coaches on a Saturday night or Sunday morning because their regular season or conference championship game was done, and they wouldn't have to worry about affecting some other team's preparation for a big contest.<br><br>You know Charlie gets paid very well, and if something had changed and didn't come back, he would have been taken care of financially. So the week's worth of effort he did on the road recruiting would have been made up nicely in a financial settlement to the tune of $20 million dollars. <br><br>Lastly, there's nothing wrong with looking around the landscape of college football and seeing who the top coaches are, and if there is any mutual interest in the Notre Dame program. If there was a coach out there that Swarbrick and Jenkins wanted to talk to, this would have been the prime time to do so because they could have contacted those individuals one-on-one than through secondary people. <br><br>Swarbrick has had a Plan A, Plan B, and a Plan C for quite some time now after it was evident when Weis' team was regressing. After the Boston College game, Swarbrick asked Fr. Jenkins permission to get some feelers on replacements for Coach Weis. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Jon Gruden and his agent did place a call to Swarbrick's office, but that talk was brief and didn't have much substance.<br><br>Most of the behind the scenes work was done the last two weeks and, most recently, the last 48 hours.<br><br><strong>Timeline:</strong><br><em>November 22</em><br>Notre Dame loses to Syracuse 24-23. Swarbrick dodges media questions.<br><br><em>November 24</em><br>Swarbrick makes call to the University of Oklahoma. Sooners Coach Bob Stoops tells Swarbrick he's comfortable in Norman.<br><br><em>November 25</em><br>Swarbrick places calls to the University Florida and the University of Cincinnati to speak with coaches Urban Meyer and Brian Kelly.<br><br><em>November 28</em><br>Meyer and agent would only speak with Swarbrick and Jenkins' after the SEC Championship game. <br><br><em>November 29</em> <br>Notre Dame loses to Southern Cal 38-3. Swarbrick tells media that he'll talk with Weis about his future on Monday, December 8th. <br><br><em>November 30</em><br>Weis asks Swarbrick if he should go out recruiting, and Swarbrick tells him yes. Meyer and agent tell Swarbrick he's staying put in Gainesville.<br><br>Brian Kelly and agent talk with Swarbrick and Jenkins' via phone conference and discuss possibilities.<br><br><em>December 1</em><br>Swarbrick calls Boise State to speak with Head Coach Chris Petersen. Petersen's agent calls Swarbrick that there's no interest.<br><br><em>December 2</em><br>Kelly leverages with UC administration and trustees for more incentives for their football program and scoffs at Swarbrick's and Jenkins initial figure.<br><br>Media reports hit wire of Kelly's statement of not interested in any jobs and is staying as Bearcats head coach.<br><br>Swarbrick and Jenkins meet with Weis in California to let him know that he's being retained for another year and that they will discuss changes within in the program early next week.<br><br>Swarbrick calls Associate AD John Heisler to let him and the Sports Information Department that Weis will be back next season.<br><br>WNDU-TV Sports Director Jeff Jeffers and IrishEyes.com's Mike Frank get calls from the ND SID Office of Weis' return.<br><br><em>December 3</em><br>Notre Dame's Jack Swarbrick releases official statement of Weis' return as head coach next season.<br><br>As you can see this has been a whirlwind of events for the Notre Dame Football program. I, personally, don't mind seeing the aggressiveness of new Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick getting information and testing the waters with several top notch coaches. If it panned out, the incoming coach would have had some nice foundation to work with because of Weis' recruiting efforts.<br><br>On the flip side, what can you say about stability? It's good to see that Weis will get at least one more year to right this ship. Changes will indeed be made as the Irish will be shopping for a new Offensive Coordinator, Offensive line coach, Quarterbacks coach, Strength/Conditioning Coach, and most likely a Special Teams coach, after this holiday bowl season.<br><br>Parameters will be established next week for Weis or this will definitely be his last hur-rah in South Bend. So fans of Weis, I leave you with this little diddy by one of my favorite 80's groups Crowded House.<br><br><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aNFWCQ9RseEMhFURZufkNa5UgzO_PMxZAvPngVIXIM2iD3voNvWYQQNpc63Ji1FMJUSYwtnzalDx1aqn6NTZx23e7g_mNoG7roztFi1UgXVOVOxnQzuIieAHiK1lcJU3r_9QoQZLBn0M/s1600-h/jack+swarbrick.jpg"><img style="display:block;margin:0px auto 10px;text-align:center;width:400px;height:300px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aNFWCQ9RseEMhFURZufkNa5UgzO_PMxZAvPngVIXIM2iD3voNvWYQQNpc63Ji1FMJUSYwtnzalDx1aqn6NTZx23e7g_mNoG7roztFi1UgXVOVOxnQzuIieAHiK1lcJU3r_9QoQZLBn0M/s400/jack+swarbrick.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a><br><br><iframe src="http://reader.googleusercontent.com/reader/embediframe?src=http://www.youtube.com/v/dZZfuCJ970w%26hl%3Den%26fs%3D1&width=425&height=344" width="425" height="344"></iframe><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1352089828927900610-7808871005414894648?l=irishbandofbrothers.blogspot.com" alt=""></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-13677053911412282712013-01-05T07:52:00.000-08:002013-01-05T07:52:00.495-08:00Coaching Rumor Bug Hits Home<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRZs6AV7Bg6FaLskdVlZPsmZvwK7zP2w3GxIN2sSd1f41474SOhybAgPv7ycqE6O0GNdIZbzOu2l5URDKMzyyKpUgCvtEReIghTJjV_zS1UYl2zqO7Ye_9bwDA6gmEYrkLobD1W7pr2M/s1600-h/Latina+action.jpg"><img style="float:left;margin:0 10px 10px 0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRZs6AV7Bg6FaLskdVlZPsmZvwK7zP2w3GxIN2sSd1f41474SOhybAgPv7ycqE6O0GNdIZbzOu2l5URDKMzyyKpUgCvtEReIghTJjV_zS1UYl2zqO7Ye_9bwDA6gmEYrkLobD1W7pr2M/s320/Latina+action.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a><br>This college football season should have been a soap opera with all the ups and downs it had, especially for my beloved Fighting Irish. Now with every coaching fire and hire, and speculation of who is going where, the reverberations are now hitting South Bend. Another Notre Dame assistant coached is being rumored to be going elsewhere.<br><br>First, Mike Haywood was in consideration for both the Northern Illinois and Houston head coaching positions. Now it is being <em><strong>RUMORED</strong></em> that offensive line coach, John Latina, will be reunited with longtime friend David Cutcliffe at Duke. Latina was Cutcliffe's offensive line coach at Ole Miss at first before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2000. Once Cutcliffe was let go as the Rebels Head Coach, both Latina and him were hired on to Charlie Weis' staff; and we all know what has happened since. <br><br>Currently, ex-Notre Dame quarterbacks coach Peter Vaas is the Duke offensive coordinator. If Latina were to leave Notre Dame, it would definitely be for that OC position. Cutcliffe is in the process of assembling his staff, and will try and finialze it by the New Year. Last week, he sat down with the current Duke assistants to see if he will keep any or certain ones on staff. <br><br>Notre Dame fans first response would be, will this effect any of their current verbal commitments? I would say with this solid group, no. Besides Latina, there have been a handful of assistant coaches and Weis, himself, being in regular contact with all their 22 commitments.<br><br>Latina's offensive line gave up a Notre Dame record of 58 sacks, while averaging an NCAA worst 75.2 rushing yards per game. <br><br>Only time will tell if there is any truth to this rumor. I will keep you posted when I hear more about this situation. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-42779839805902802472012-12-10T07:52:00.000-08:002012-12-10T07:52:00.436-08:00Weis' Future Being More Clear: The Wheels are in MotionThe Charlie Weis clock is now ticking to its preverbial ending. It all started on Saturday night after the Irish lost to Pittsburgh 27-22 and it's long flight back to South Bend. Sunday morning Weis was called in to Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick's office at 9:30 am, where he was told something. Whether he is staying or going, has not been made publicly, but the final nail seems to have been nailed shut.<br><br>Here are a few tidbits which should uncloud the Irish Nation's mind about the future of Coach Weis:<br><br>~ Weis calls off his Sunday media press conference. This is the first time in five years he has called off a press conference.<br><br>~ The media try to contact both Swarbrick and ND President Fr. Jenkins for comment on Weis future, but are not able to be reached, due to both being away from campus.<br><br>~ 12:00 p.m. South Bend Private Flight carrying Swarbrick and Jenkins is headed South to Florida.<br><br>~ The same plane also has scheduled flights this week to Cincinnati and Oklahoma.<br><br>~ Bob Stoops of Oklahoma has been reported as being intersted in the Notre Dame job if it becomes available, according to Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune.<br><br>According to one of the Board of Trustees and a source inside the Athletic Department has both confirmed that both Swarbrick and Jenkins have put a package together to lure Urban Meyer back to South Bend. Here are the main details that are on the table as of yesterday:<br><br>1.) A 10-year $50,000,000 base salary, which doesn't include endoresment and university incentivies.<br><br>2.) 3 "special" projects a year, which may include JUCO transfers. <br><br>3.) A contract with Nike (football only)<br><br>4.) Additional incentives:<br><br>(a) $550,000 for Top 10 Finish<br>(b) $750,000 for BCS Bowl appearence<br>(c) $1.2 million for BCS National Championship<br>(d) $400,000 for 90% or better graduation rate<br><br>The carpet is ready to roll out for Meyer for the taking, whether Swarbrick and Jenkins can get it done, will be the trick. If not, Brian Kelly, seems to be the next logical choice.<br><br>These next two weeks will be a roller coaster for media and Irish fans alike. But one thing is for sure, the Weis era clock is about to hit midnight!<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1352089828927900610-6314177844350229716?l=irishbandofbrothers.blogspot.com" alt=""></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-46659172527241243792012-12-08T07:52:00.000-08:002012-12-08T07:52:00.656-08:00NCAA 09 Coming Soon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxe1qIsbnk72e2BfyV2o8IzdW4NNxyqS5xc8R2DE_qO-K9nbQS8rXcDZ8kb9qKxn1bsCSQ2f_6D5qlU-D-ksEgi_YkZNf8TiO93SZiOGMrBTtgHTsxza4xdBQBDFoiZ8XR4u3bMX-eI0/s1600-h/JClausen_360.jpg"><img style="display:block;margin:0px auto 10px;text-align:center" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxe1qIsbnk72e2BfyV2o8IzdW4NNxyqS5xc8R2DE_qO-K9nbQS8rXcDZ8kb9qKxn1bsCSQ2f_6D5qlU-D-ksEgi_YkZNf8TiO93SZiOGMrBTtgHTsxza4xdBQBDFoiZ8XR4u3bMX-eI0/s400/JClausen_360.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a><br>It's about that time again for the new NCAA 09 game to be released. Depending on which gaming unit you have, EA Sports has a different person on each game cover. For instance, if you have the PSP, West Virginia's Owen Schmidt is on the cover. Below is the rest of who is on which game cover:<br><br>PlayStation 3: Matt Ryan (Boston College)<br>Wii: Sparty (Michigan State mascot)<br>XBox 360: Darren McFadden (Arkansas)<br>PlayStation 2: DeSean Jackson (California)<br><br>Well with the creativity of photoshop, anyone can create their own custom cover like the Jimmy Clausen one above. Since I own an XBox 360, I did one for myself. If anyone is interested in getting their own custom cover made for NCAA 09, leave me a message.<br><br>Here's a photo of the game:<br><br><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eVnOV_vKeCfyG72IlaZ6-_b7QMdNF6UmKHdn1teeUlbre1abw8i4O-17SVaewen7a5VFiRWSWt5Nk9Srs9cutG73IF5Lk79oUP7c280FhogEFg9p9TMySaYLTWmXfejWXli0ITSWUow/s1600-h/Notre_Dame_Green_Top_04.jpg"><img style="display:block;margin:0px auto 10px;text-align:center" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eVnOV_vKeCfyG72IlaZ6-_b7QMdNF6UmKHdn1teeUlbre1abw8i4O-17SVaewen7a5VFiRWSWt5Nk9Srs9cutG73IF5Lk79oUP7c280FhogEFg9p9TMySaYLTWmXfejWXli0ITSWUow/s400/Notre_Dame_Green_Top_04.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-31076608225444150702012-12-03T07:52:00.001-08:002012-12-03T07:52:00.404-08:00ESPN Conspiracy?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_IrUOA91p_wKse3oZNU3TduQCYIShLi-tXNx7X-hZFRHP4smR67HsSkxlcUBaetYjyg9rem3hZqLqKp-aY9CsjeI3wnz3XNYC_-CyK4W0RG3b8xkhgQdYYX-Pe_Uptt2bCD-1tNl9Z4/s1600-h/70.jpg"><img style="float:right;margin:0 0 10px 10px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_IrUOA91p_wKse3oZNU3TduQCYIShLi-tXNx7X-hZFRHP4smR67HsSkxlcUBaetYjyg9rem3hZqLqKp-aY9CsjeI3wnz3XNYC_-CyK4W0RG3b8xkhgQdYYX-Pe_Uptt2bCD-1tNl9Z4/s320/70.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a><br>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:<br><br><blockquote>jim (santa cruz): any truth to the stories that urben myer told omar hunter to lie to ND about his picking them? <br><br>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.<br>________________________________________<br><br>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? <br><br>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. <br>________________________________________<br><br>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. <br><br>Bruce Feldman: (12:59 PM ET ) Interesting point.</blockquote><br><br>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. <br><br>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:<br><br><blockquote>Mr. Weisgipper,<br><br>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. <br><br>As for the Hunter situation, they (Urban and Omar) are made for each other. <br><br>Thanks for the email.<br><br>Bruce Feldman, ESPN</blockquote><br><br>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! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-18762336446942204072012-12-03T07:52:00.000-08:002012-12-03T07:52:00.849-08:00Jackass of the Month<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmDWLVkF1DpGQ51WugK-cfHl40DfdXWk1yQWafcSziKzDxDOoFJ5rHgf4OdCcC2DXsRHj1E0TERAsBCXcX4zf4jw3VL39tJvj3d3OyQx-PffD-I4tNIp45nn3Dt7kBQXpxZQwEZHoegw/s1600-h/Jabba_the_Hut.jpg"><img style="float:left;margin:0 10px 10px 0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmDWLVkF1DpGQ51WugK-cfHl40DfdXWk1yQWafcSziKzDxDOoFJ5rHgf4OdCcC2DXsRHj1E0TERAsBCXcX4zf4jw3VL39tJvj3d3OyQx-PffD-I4tNIp45nn3Dt7kBQXpxZQwEZHoegw/s320/Jabba_the_Hut.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a><br>Once again it is time to reveal the Irish Band of Brothers' Jackass of the Month. After careful consideration, the IBB and fellow posters Face Mask and Sir John, dub Mark Allen as our Jackass of the Month. <br><br>Many can see Mark's dubious work trolling on several ND message boards as either MKAllen3, GrangerIrish, or many other bogus and pathetic names. Mr. Allen is trying to beat the world record of being banned from every single Fighting Irish message board. Some might ask, how can he do this at work? Good question, Mark was a so called "counselor" that went off the deep end when he stalked current head basketball coach Mike Brey. It got so out of hand that Allen was caught at the JACC sniffing the men's team’s jocks. Talk about a literal jock sniffer!<br><br>So with plenty of time on his hands and behind the keyboard, Mark is hard at work doing what he does best, being the fat piece of shit that he is! Mark Allen is such a fat ass; he couldn't laid with a fist full of fifties! Way to go Marky Mark, you're well on your way of making the record books. HEE-HAW, HEE-HAW! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-54918381853768139182012-12-01T07:52:00.000-08:002012-12-01T07:52:00.584-08:00CONFIRMED: It Will be StoopsAccording to multiple sources from within the Athletic Department and several football players, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops will be the next football coach at the University of Notre Dame. It could be released as soon as tomorrow that Stoops will be the next head coach. As for a press conference, that could be later due to the fact that his Grandmother just passed away.<br><br>Coach Weis is letting the team know at 3:00 pm Monday that he will not be their coach for next season. The Assistant Coaches found out about Charlie's fate earlier at 1:00. The team's vote on whether or not to play in a postseason bowl game has yet to be announced. <br><br>If they do decide to play in a bowl game (most likely the GMAC against a MAC school)the Irish will be coached by Associate Head Coach Corwin Brown.<br><br>More details on Stoops and anything football related will be posted once I hear something.<br><br>Here's more about the Weis firing:<br><br>http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2009/11/30/2009-11-30_source_notre_dame_fires_head_coach_charlie_weis_.html<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1352089828927900610-7694271488515255222?l=irishbandofbrothers.blogspot.com" alt=""></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-65843006900858527952012-11-12T07:52:00.000-08:002012-11-12T07:52:00.220-08:00IBB Weekly Motivator: Week 12<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57Yr2clnJX8m1rQBYKxzC3KpSB0O8g1CiAtnUFd_il_rjSUD4Ni3BepLdbaITzf6bT86mYizLLptErsyivDlQlnROIw5WuCPG4QkJMP3P0dfbS17EM2tlXsGIKGhiM5qXpm3S2S2wJcU/s1600-h/Latina+Motivator.JPG"><img style="display:block;margin:0px auto 10px;text-align:center" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57Yr2clnJX8m1rQBYKxzC3KpSB0O8g1CiAtnUFd_il_rjSUD4Ni3BepLdbaITzf6bT86mYizLLptErsyivDlQlnROIw5WuCPG4QkJMP3P0dfbS17EM2tlXsGIKGhiM5qXpm3S2S2wJcU/s400/Latina+Motivator.JPG" border="0" alt=""></a><br>Hopefully Coach Weis made the right move in keeping this guy! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-17643771708080004032012-11-11T07:52:00.000-08:002012-11-11T07:52:00.455-08:00IBB Weekly Motivator: Week 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpjrQfI8kXcP9lMy1FkYnlzLW8f4hCDgOkCD15BgP8BB9BY3Q4KqRu-1zMpGCyQ62t2uFz9fU6XQztWJgfWXonHc1ClTd4pUUa5FVil6if-e238WoF_tGCVrPdadUyyaucZ2WXSlsNnM/s1600-h/Mark+May+Motivator.JPG"><img style="float:right;margin:0 0 10px 10px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpjrQfI8kXcP9lMy1FkYnlzLW8f4hCDgOkCD15BgP8BB9BY3Q4KqRu-1zMpGCyQ62t2uFz9fU6XQztWJgfWXonHc1ClTd4pUUa5FVil6if-e238WoF_tGCVrPdadUyyaucZ2WXSlsNnM/s400/Mark+May+Motivator.JPG" border="0" alt=""></a><br>Just in time for the anticipated build up of Saturday's Blue and Gold Game, I felt it was my duty and obligation to post this motivator! Here's to you Steve Urkel, err, I mean Mark May, to your bold and brash predictions of the Irish. What will it be this year Mark, -1 and 12? <br><br>He went so far to predict that we will lose on Saturday. I just can't wait for September to roll and around for the Irish to start their Shock and Awe campaign on College Football! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-44796479348539886182012-11-09T07:52:00.000-08:002012-11-09T07:52:00.859-08:00All in the Family: Reggie Bush Developments Could Spell Trouble for USC<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lcb0yXHm6znP2m0WG0_H97FoEqx14nRb4JPKLzCfsIFeMOX80UYuBI9nvXOL7D5vZ4j5y3KVLQsGgBk34ESnSIdAKEumbPJVNYOtwJu3DKPxVr1eKFVxKCZ7-hWasb9DlMrCJKF0Z74/s1600-h/reggie-bush-family-house.jpg"><img style="float:left;margin:0 10px 10px 0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lcb0yXHm6znP2m0WG0_H97FoEqx14nRb4JPKLzCfsIFeMOX80UYuBI9nvXOL7D5vZ4j5y3KVLQsGgBk34ESnSIdAKEumbPJVNYOtwJu3DKPxVr1eKFVxKCZ7-hWasb9DlMrCJKF0Z74/s400/reggie-bush-family-house.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a><br>Poor, poor Southern Cal. With all the attention of Reggie Bush and now O.J. Mayo is receiving, it's like kicking a poodle, err, I mean dog when it is down. Whatever the outcomes may be, it definitely does not bode well for the Men of Troy.<br><br>Bush might actually go to trial in March 2009 and possibly drag Pete Carroll's program through the mud. It's about time, because no way in hell is a program that good, squeaking clean! <br><br>The farther the Bush case is distanced from 2004 and 2005, the better for the Trojans, but the damage assessment scenarios remain unchanged.<br><br>If it's determined USC had nothing to do with an alleged off-campus money grab from a dubious hanger-on, the NCAA won't hit USC with major sanctions. If USC is involved, well, that would be a good day for Notre Dame and UCLA fans!<br><br>The secret in Trojan football is to win first and ask questions later. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-5336145917090607472012-11-04T07:52:00.001-08:002012-11-04T07:52:00.834-08:00Trap Game Awaits Irish in New Jersey<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRjdzaoIFAu8pO5dQ_HJgVWRZba0JP4107o_2bCF_uq6znZVGVmhpFV_XyMbWhzqej88n1OC-8PxmzwbTLLHrrVy01kDK74tZK1oylD2LLhC-0sTw3YYfCU6fQWSUwlx-TvgsSqIuUmk/s1600-h/Ryan+Ayers%27+action.jpg"><img style="display:block;margin:0px auto 10px;text-align:center" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRjdzaoIFAu8pO5dQ_HJgVWRZba0JP4107o_2bCF_uq6znZVGVmhpFV_XyMbWhzqej88n1OC-8PxmzwbTLLHrrVy01kDK74tZK1oylD2LLhC-0sTw3YYfCU6fQWSUwlx-TvgsSqIuUmk/s400/Ryan+Ayers%27+action.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a><br>Even though Seton Hall is 15-7 overall and 5-4 in league play, the Pirates pose a great challenge for the Irish tonight. Mike Brey has stressed to his team after the DePaul game not to overlook Seton Hall before Saturday's rematch with Marquette. The Pirates had won five straight prior to their loss last Saturday at Georgetown. <br><br>This will be the fifth time that the Pirates have faced a ranked opponent. So far Seton Hall is 1-3 in those games. They defeated #23 Virginia, 74-60, on Nov. 24 and lost to #15 Marquette, 61-56, on Jan. 8 and #20 Pittsburgh, 84-70, on Jan. 12. Then lost their contest with the Hoyas. Virginia, by the way, is currently the last place team in the ACC with an overall record of 11-9, while Pittsburgh has lost three of their last five games; which includes losses at Cincinnati and home to Rutgers!<br><br>Tonight's game features a matchup of the top two scorers in the BIG EAST Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody and Seton Hall’s Brian Laing. Cool hand Luke is averaging 28.3 points and 12.7 rebounds in last three games. Laing is leading the Pirates with 19.3 points per contest. Shutting the senior captain down might not be as big as a concern as shutting down the rest of the Pirates. Seton Hall is one of the top scoring teams in the country with an 80.9 average. They're also good with the ball and making good decisions, with a 10.2 turnover average, which is fifth in the nation. <br><br>Seton Hall can be a streaky team from the floor, but the Irish will try and force the Pirates to shoot from the outside, as they are one of the worst 3 point shooting teams at 33.6%. Look for Coach Brey to confuse Seton Hall with different defensive looks.<br><br>The key to tonight's contest, like all the Irish away games, is to get off to a good start. Just like their win over Villanova, the Irish have to establish the inside with Harangody and Rob Kurz. Kurz will be very instrumental on the offensive boards for second chance opportunities, as he has grabbed 10-plus rebounds in nine games this season. Kyle McAlarney and Tory Jackson have to keep their composure getting the ball in the right hands, as the Pirates are very pesky on defense. Look for Zach Hillesland to get plenty of tries taking the ball up the court. <br><br>Ryan Ayers has played with a lot more confidence as of late since Brey has made him the first off the bench. The fourth-leading scorer has netted double figures in seven contests, including two straight against Villanova and Providence. If Ayers can get it going from the outside, the Irish should be in good shape. <br><br>Notre Dame will come out swinging and not look back in this one. The Irish have won four straight, including last season’s 88-76 win at the Joyce Center.<br><br><strong>Prediction:</strong> <em><strong>Notre Dame 79</strong></em> Seton Hall 66<br><br><strong>Baseline Bits</strong><br><br>~ Notre Dame’s current three-game BIG EAST regular-season win streak is its longest of the season.<br><br>~ The Irish are off to their best start in BIG EAST play since 2002-03 when that squad was 7-2 through its first nine games.<br><br>~ Notre Dame leads the all-time series 13-7. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-19594656686508455002012-11-04T07:52:00.000-08:002012-11-04T07:52:00.426-08:00Blue & Gold Game Halftime Entertainment<img style="width:0px;height:0px" border="0" width="0" height="0" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTIzODUyNDc2NzQ2OCZwdD*xMjM4NTI*ODQxMTQwJnA9NzQ4ODEmZD*mbj1ibG9nZ2VyJmc9MSZ*PSZvPWE5MjdhMGE1MmJlODRhOTBiY2JlODJjNzI4YjE5Yzhm.gif"><div style="background-color:#e9e9e9;width:425px"><div style="text-align:center;width:435px;margin-top:6px">Try JibJab Sendables® <a href="http://irishbandofbrothers.blogspot.com/sendables.jibjab.com/ecards">eCards</a> today!</div></div><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1352089828927900610-3912851747807722752?l=irishbandofbrothers.blogspot.com" alt=""></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-31344325408988779682012-11-03T08:52:00.000-07:002012-11-03T08:52:00.164-07:00Yeatman's Journey Still Has Plenty of Forks in the Road<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnM5UajvmUDqQelycU2cpCuwVlHmuibWMuyiq5YOJsK5s43M0ajWCIu6kufm0rGX94tVIHFCRcUaqmyNK1evhqUxvwRAQIikkKvSG3ZZC5j3-Q6z9mO4M1AI4c9X9P3G05xhKOwTluVYi3/s1600-h/Will+Yeatman.JPG"><img style="display:block;margin:0px auto 10px;text-align:center;width:400px;height:199px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnM5UajvmUDqQelycU2cpCuwVlHmuibWMuyiq5YOJsK5s43M0ajWCIu6kufm0rGX94tVIHFCRcUaqmyNK1evhqUxvwRAQIikkKvSG3ZZC5j3-Q6z9mO4M1AI4c9X9P3G05xhKOwTluVYi3/s400/Will+Yeatman.JPG" border="0" alt=""></a><br><br>He was going back and forth for quite some time with his decision, but Will Yeatman is officially transferring from the University of Notre Dame. While he has made up his mind of leaving, there are still a few other entanglements involved here. <br><br>As we all know Yeatman is a good football player and an exceptional Lacrosse player, where he earned All-America honors as a Freshman. He requested permission to talk to some schools on this past Monday, Dec. 15, and was granted that permission to do so. <br><br>Will's indecisiveness has been going on since December 5th and has been in talks with both coaches and administrators about possibilities. There were a lot of NCAA rules he had to navigate, as well as, some Notre Dame policies which will make any one's head spin. <br><br>He definitely will be playing both football and lacrosse at some institution in the near future. The question now will be how soon? <br><br>Many will be wondering if whether his decision was based on the coaches or his teammates. Rest a assure that Yeatman's decision was 100% based on the non-athletic related issues. Basically what happened is that Will feels that both sets of coaches and teammates were extremely supportive. What he can't get past and what tried to do was serve his suspension and move forward. Yeatman is not a kid that is trying to duck any punishment. <br><br>He just felt like that he couldn't start over. He did take it upon himself and said numerous times to everyone that he wanted to start over and show everyone that he's of good character and can make significant contributions to the university on and off the fields. But there were other folks on campus that wouldn't let Will do that (Student Affairs and Residence Life Offices). <br><br>So Will thought maybe a fresh start is what everybody needs so that's when he decided to talk to his respective coaches. Coach Weis was very understanding and knew that North Carolina was a school that he always wanted to go to. In fact, when Yeatman was on his recruiting trip to Chapel Hill, Charlie called him and convinced him to come to Notre Dame. So UNC is the top school of where he wants to be.<br><br>The stickiness is that North Carolina is also a powerhouse in lacrosse, which happens to be on the Fighting Irish's schedule this spring. There are not a lot of schools, in fact there's 11 of them that play high level football and lacrosse. So once you take Notre Dame out of the mix, then the list narrows down to 10, and then you look at both the Irish's lacrosse and football schedules. After that, then you're pinpointing to 4 schools, which I'm not sure is real fair.<br><br><strong>Banned List for Football</strong><br>Navy: Definitely out because ND and the Middies play every year<br>Army: Play the Irish at Solider Field in 2010<br>Syracuse: Details are in the works, but definitely out as well<br><br><strong>Banned List for Lacrosse</strong><br>Air Force<br>Penn State<br>Ohio State<br>North Carolina<br>All of these schools play the Irish this season<br><br><strong>Schools Left</strong><br>Duke<br>Maryland<br>Rutgers<br>Virginia<br><br>This decision was something that came to Yeatman fairly recently. When everything came down originally after his latest arrest, which those charges were never filed for mind you, his first instincts were he should have left South Bend on the next plane. Instead he decided he's not going to run away from this and serve his punishment and try to start all over again here at Notre Dame. Basically he was taking his medicine and seeing how this thing wold play out. <br><br>But once October turned to November and November turned into December, the same kind of negative attitudes were coming at him. He felt that he could never start over again here, so then he decided why not go someplace where he can be happy at. <br><br>Again it had nothing to do with the football coaches or his teammates. They couldn't have been more supportive throughout this entire ordeal. Yeatman felt that another place of scenery would be the best for his well being. That's when he got the ball rolling on December 5th and met with both coaches. Coach Weis told him that he wouldn't stand in his way whatsoever.<br><br>But again there might be some entanglements that won't allow him to play lacrosse this spring and sit out another year. This will be the second year that Yeatman will be away from his best sport.<br><br>When he did speak with Coach Corrigan, there was a lot of tension because Corrigan stated a number of reasons why he should continue and stay in South Bend. Coming into this meeting, Yeatman was still undecided on whether or not he was leaving for another school. But after his meeting with Corrigan, he made up his mind and decided on another program.<br><br>When reached for comment yesterday, Coach Corrigan did not release anything about Will's status and North Carolina, except that he said this issue is still not over. So you can decide for yourself how he feels about Yeatman's decision.<br><br>Make no mistake about it, Will Yeatman loves Notre Dame, but he felt that this is not a good fit for him anymore. This was finally one of the better decisions he has made since he arrived to South Bend.<br><br>Best of luck Will on your future endeavors.<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1352089828927900610-1557601633594516412?l=irishbandofbrothers.blogspot.com" alt=""></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-49390165594234698982012-11-02T08:52:00.001-07:002012-11-02T08:52:00.016-07:00Beasts in the East: Irish Land #5 Seed<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wm_uXQ-pI1t5x_gWyZxc67_Xtm4TIjUAt0xjXzsWjPrKbPZf2BLCXANg_1NFJOrhukS61wK3lzks-d3r7zTO8ssffRCDXA2wasTqtL3hL-cbdO360VLRqkcUPwNYGNF51-ScZtlrpZA/s1600-h/Harangody+(SJU).jpg"><img style="display:block;margin:0px auto 10px;text-align:center" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wm_uXQ-pI1t5x_gWyZxc67_Xtm4TIjUAt0xjXzsWjPrKbPZf2BLCXANg_1NFJOrhukS61wK3lzks-d3r7zTO8ssffRCDXA2wasTqtL3hL-cbdO360VLRqkcUPwNYGNF51-ScZtlrpZA/s320/Harangody+(SJU).jpg" border="0" alt=""></a><br>All the speculation is finally over and now let the debating begin. From who was the biggest snub to some interesting seeds, one thing is quite certain. The East Region is stacked! And for Notre Dame Fans, the Irish have a tough road to hoe.<br><br>After a wild weekend that saw the Georgia Bulldogs win the SEC, including winning two games in one day, and Pittsburgh making Madison Square Garden their second home court, the NCAA committee dished their seedings with force. In the East, you have the 10th ranked team in the country, Butler, as a #7 seed. Or Indiana, who's tied for 24th in the nation, land as the 8th seed, with a possible second round matchup with the overall # 1 seed, North Carolina looming.<br><br>To put it in perspective the East Region has six regular season champions (eight if you include both Mt. St. Mary's and Coppin State), six conference tournament champions (eight again with both play-in game participants), seven Top 25 ranked teams, which include three in the Top Ten, and an average RPI rating of 49. <br><br>Below is how the other regions stack up:<br><br><strong>Midwest</strong><br>4 - Top 25 teams<br>2 - Top 10 teams<br>8 - Regular Season Champions<br>9 - Conference Tournament Champions<br>38.6 - RPI average <br><br><strong>West</strong><br>5 - Top 25 teams<br>2 - Top 10 teams<br>5 - Regular Season Champions<br>7 - Conference Tournament Champions<br>50.1 - RPI average<br><br><strong>South</strong><br>6 - Top 25 teams<br>2 - Top 10 teams<br>4 - Regular Season Champions<br>6 - Conference Tournament Champions<br>43.5 - RPI average<br><br>As for the Irish, they get the dreaded 5/12 game. One thing in their favor is that this George Mason squad is only a shell of their 2006 Final Four squad; but I'll get more in-depth about the Patriots later this week. Now the other 5/12 games are more daunting: Michigan St. v. Temple; Clemson v. Villanova; and Drake v. Western Kentucky. Usually a general rule of thumb when picking an upset of this magnitude, you look for veteran squads and injuries. With that in mind, I'm looking at both the Villanova and Western Kentucky to pull off the upsets.<br><br>George Mason is actually the lowest RPI 12 seed at 61. Western Kentucky (39), Temple (47), and Villanova (51), have a higher average than the CAA Tournament Champs. So when the ball tips off slightly before 10 pm on Thursday night, the Irish will start their second season at silencing their critics. If they do so, it will be against a murders' row of who's who in college hoops.<br><br>Tar Heels, Vols, Cardinals, Cougars, Sooners, Bulldogs, Hoosiers, Razorbacks, OH MY! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-19980734573535309612012-11-02T08:52:00.000-07:002012-11-02T08:52:00.164-07:00Poodle Paradise<img style="width:0px;height:0px" border="0" width="0" height="0" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTIzODcwNDg3ODc2NSZwdD*xMjM4NzA*OTIwMjM*JnA9NzQ4ODEmZD*mbj1ibG9nZ2VyJmc9MSZ*PSZvPWE5MjdhMGE1MmJlODRhOTBiY2JlODJjNzI4YjE5Yzhm.gif"><div style="background-color:#e9e9e9;width:425px"><div style="text-align:center;width:435px;margin-top:6px">Try JibJab Sendables® <a href="http://irishbandofbrothers.blogspot.com/sendables.jibjab.com/ecards">eCards</a> today!</div></div><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1352089828927900610-8746230071617504775?l=irishbandofbrothers.blogspot.com" alt=""></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-58774438894865909672012-10-10T08:52:00.000-07:002012-10-10T08:52:00.570-07:00Projecting the NCAA Tournament Field<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxQOaEJQ0qmrXO-rAuCOz0L9FkVluFT7dBZ7nABq3WME6ehIlkfmzhs7FTkRHQ5bVmeq06mloqh7no5LDQnqxYXQ9Z_usTiH1QTkbWhmHrrNd8K_569MMKnturMJ2Nz9MB7hBSdcTT_c/s1600-h/08basketball_m1_100.gif"><img style="display:block;margin:0px auto 10px;text-align:center" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxQOaEJQ0qmrXO-rAuCOz0L9FkVluFT7dBZ7nABq3WME6ehIlkfmzhs7FTkRHQ5bVmeq06mloqh7no5LDQnqxYXQ9Z_usTiH1QTkbWhmHrrNd8K_569MMKnturMJ2Nz9MB7hBSdcTT_c/s320/08basketball_m1_100.gif" border="0" alt=""></a><br>I know it is the middle of December, but it's never to early to discuss March Madness. With the Irish in the midst of final exams, Notre Dame's current five game winning streak has taken notice of several coaches and media alike. If the selection committee chose today, the Irish would be in at a #12 seed. With last week's impressive wins over Kansas State and Northern Illinois, the Irish were one of the last four in, while Big East rival Syracuse didn't make the cut. The Orange suffered another loss at the Carrier Dome to Atlantic 10 Conference member Rhode Island. Two weeks ago, SU lost a stunner to UMass.<br><br>According to CBSSports.com's Garry Parrish, the Big East leads the way with 8 teams: Georgetown, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Villanova, West Virginia, Connecticut, Louisville, and Notre Dame. Syracuse and Providence are currently sitting on the fence with identical 6-3 records. Notre Dame opponents and Big 12 counterparts, Baylor (11th seed) and Kansas State (9th seed) both made the field of 65.<br><br>With the way the Irish have been playing as of late, my prediction of 22 wins is definitely achieveable and hopefully surpassed! Parrish's field is strong with the usual suspects: #1 seeds Memphis (south), North Carolina (east), Kansas (midwest), and Texas (west). Georgetown (2 seed), Marquette (3 seed), and Pittsburgh (4 seed) are the tops in the Big East. In fact, the Big 12, ACC, and the Big East each have three teams seeded in the top four. <br><br>What's more interesting is what possible #5 seeds the Irish could face in the NCAA Tournament if it ended today. Currently, Parrish has Indiana, Vanderbilt, Villanova, and Oregon as his potential candidates. Wouldn't it be something if the Irish faced the Hoosiers in the first round. <br><br>Here's Parrish's Projected Field by Seeds:<br><br><strong>1.</strong> Memphis, North Carolina, Kansas, Texas<br><strong>2.</strong> <em>Georgetown</em>, Washington St., UCLA, Duke<br><strong>3.</strong> Michigan St., Texas A&M, <em>Marquette</em>, BYU<br><strong>4.</strong> Xavier, <em>Pittsburgh</em>, Clemson, Tennessee<br><strong>5.</strong> Indiana, Vanderbilt, <em>Villanova</em>, Oregon<br><strong>6.</strong> Gonzaga, Butler, Arizona, Southern California<br><strong>7.</strong> Dayton, Rhode Island, Arkansas, Miami<br><strong>8.</strong> <em>West Virginia</em>, Stanford, UConn, St. Mary's (CA)<br><strong>9.</strong> <em>Louisville</em>, Wisconsin, <em>Kansas St</em>., Southern Illinois<br><strong>10.</strong> Boston College, California, Missouri, Virginia<br><strong>11.</strong> Ohio St., George Mason, <em>Baylor</em>, Florida St.<br><strong>12.</strong> Florida, Creighton, <strong>Notre Dame</strong>, Western Kentucky<br><strong>13.</strong> Davidson, Miami (OH), Nevada, Sam Houston St.<br><strong>14.</strong> Winthrop, Belmont, Holy Cross, Hampton<br><strong>15.</strong> Siena, Austin Peay, UC-Santa Barbara, Oral Roberts<br><strong>16.</strong> Maryland-Baltimore County, Montana State, Robert Morris<br><br>Opening Round Game: Cornell vs. Alabama St.<br><br>Once the New Year comes around, the Irish will be going full-throttle on their way towards a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. This time it will not be a one and done performance. You can count on that!<br><br><strong>Note:</strong> Notre Dame opponents are in <em>Italics</em> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-25371617432102950882012-10-09T08:52:00.000-07:002012-10-09T08:52:00.285-07:00History of the 5 vs. 12 Matchup<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiGRUqyM2d4TIZlfP4JqhctbqStF9ZMUHAU6j27y_jR2r_ealQeTeUOUrfEV15mXaryKordT-ScdBRPXiOnwnGKODTR5iWPOoCV5xX4Q_CzznxnSno75Ho15nC-aOCCR9qwXtAU_rEXo/s1600-h/basketballLogo125.gif"><img style="float:right;margin:0 0 10px 10px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiGRUqyM2d4TIZlfP4JqhctbqStF9ZMUHAU6j27y_jR2r_ealQeTeUOUrfEV15mXaryKordT-ScdBRPXiOnwnGKODTR5iWPOoCV5xX4Q_CzznxnSno75Ho15nC-aOCCR9qwXtAU_rEXo/s400/basketballLogo125.gif" border="0" alt=""></a><br>When the NCAA Tournament selection show was announced, Notre Dame didn't have much time to fill in their brackets. Within the first few pairings, the Irish were handed a #5 seed against the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Champs, #12 seed George Mason. Yes, the dreaded 5 vs. 12 matchup that everyone and their mother wants to avoid come March. But for the Irish, is it really that bad?<br><br>The media pundits are convinced that George Mason will beat the Irish. In fact the Patriots are the "sexy" pick of the tournament. I guess going 14-4 in one of the toughest conferences in the country doesn't prepare you for the Big Dance. How about having one of the best big men in the country? Or two 3pt. shooters that can drain their shot over 40% of the time? Notre Dame is definitely going to need the Luck of the Irish to win, right?<br><br>Well luck has it, Notre Dame has reached the Sweet 16 both times the Irish were a #5 seed. The last time, 2003, Notre Dame escaped the first round beating Bruce Pearl's Wisconsin-Milwaukee squad on a last second tip in goal by Torin Francis at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. The Irish then went on to beat the 4th seed Illinois en route to their Sweet 16 appearance against top seeded Arizona. Overall the Irish are 4-2 in the #5 slot, winning both the first and second round games. <br><br>History is still on the Irish's side. Since the field expanded to 64 teams, the #12 seed team has won 29 times out of the 92 games vs. #5's. That's the same percentage as the 6 vs. 11 during that same stretch of time, while the 4 vs. 13 matchup is not too far behind (18 wins). <br><br>As for the CAA's history of the NCAA Tournament, George Mason has made the biggest splash when they squeezed into Cinderella's slipper all the way to the 2006 Final Four. Here is a breakdown of the CAA's tournament history:<br><br>9-18 (33%) First Round<br>3-6 (33%) Second Round<br>2-1 (66%) Sweet 16<br>1-1 (50%) Elite 8<br>0-1 (0%) Final Four<br><br>Maybe you should look elsewhere for that 5 vs. 12 upset this year! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-40078361590699650782012-10-08T08:52:00.000-07:002012-10-08T08:52:00.113-07:00Here's More Fuel for the Fire<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-tvq4H28BwHq1Cfn45hnVjK6oBy6CQwZbrReaOpIRALVtzDbNLQHwVH3P6osXFrNM6tVY1btUr_owG5kFsDb9kkeMoPLqvt0j5jfBl9Y8eEkXa4skmpAwfszDKJU_uzbffo1VVhS2zc/s1600-h/genesmith.jpg"><img style="float:left;margin:0 10px 10px 0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-tvq4H28BwHq1Cfn45hnVjK6oBy6CQwZbrReaOpIRALVtzDbNLQHwVH3P6osXFrNM6tVY1btUr_owG5kFsDb9kkeMoPLqvt0j5jfBl9Y8eEkXa4skmpAwfszDKJU_uzbffo1VVhS2zc/s320/genesmith.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a><br>A day after Gene Smith declared his allegience to the dark side, or should I say Scarlet and Grey side, he was named the top collegiate AD by the National Football Foundation (NFF). <br><br>Here's the exerpt from the NFF:<br><br><blockquote>GENE SMITH<br>Director of Athletics, Ohio State University<br><br><br>In only three years at Ohio State University, Gene Smith has successfully continued the legacy of Buckeye sports, quickly establishing himself as one of the country's most respected athletics directors in college sports.<br><br>Smith oversees the nation's largest Division I-A athletics program, featuring 36 varsity sports, more than 900 student-athletes and an operating budget of $97 million. OSU's athletics department is completely self sufficient, receiving no tax dollars, university money or student fees. In the fiscal year 2007-08, Buckeye athletics will contribute nearly $22 million in assessments to the university, including more than $12 million in grant-in-aid reimbursements. Equally impressive, the OSU athletics department has recently been selected to receive one of the NCAA's Diversity in Athletics Awards in the category of Overall Excellence in Diversity, which is based on achievement in the areas of diversity strategy, gender and racial diversity of departmental employees, minority graduation rates and more.<br><br>Under Smith's watch, Ohio State has garnered three straight Big Ten titles and has been invited to three BCS bowl games, including the last two national championship games. The Buckeyes have finished in the Top 5 nationally since 2005 and boast the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, Troy Smith. OSU players have been named First Team All-America picks seven times and First Team All-Big Ten selections 23 times.<br><br>Named one of Black Enterprise Magazine's "50 Most Powerful African Americans in College Sports," Smith was named the first African American president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in 2007. He serves on numerous NCAA committees, including the Football Rules Committee, the Committee on Infractions and the Management Council. The Cleveland, Ohio, native attended Notre Dame on a football scholarship and joined the Irish coaching staff following graduation. He has also served as the athletics director at Eastern Michigan, Iowa State and Arizona State. </blockquote> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-59753868774209263452012-10-05T08:52:00.002-07:002012-10-05T08:52:00.513-07:00Voter's Response to Trevor Laws AP Snub<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcVxpyqPhVKQ9wQfPf1zm00opluKn8K-pox4jxp60jRvPWfSBcqSCcI1ntmGj6vYO8yeg2aHMICwp5GBwEM4oRHmo3Mkbx1O7Juh1JMFmk4YUQV6vDV9u36uIwLA2jI-t7AJEo7MFrSE/s1600-h/Eric+Hansen.jpg"><img style="float:right;margin:0 0 10px 10px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcVxpyqPhVKQ9wQfPf1zm00opluKn8K-pox4jxp60jRvPWfSBcqSCcI1ntmGj6vYO8yeg2aHMICwp5GBwEM4oRHmo3Mkbx1O7Juh1JMFmk4YUQV6vDV9u36uIwLA2jI-t7AJEo7MFrSE/s320/Eric+Hansen.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a><br>I guess we can finally get some closure to the whole AP All-America Team fiasco. Like I promised, here's South Bend Tribune and AP voter, Eric Hansen's response as to why Trevor Laws was not on any of the AP All-American Teams:<br><br><blockquote>"I think Trevor had an amazing year and his numbers were better than most defensive tackles. But in ND's system, they labeled him as an end. And in that light, his numbers didn't compare. We could not just simply vote for defensive linemen. We had to vote for two tackles and two ends on the first and second teams. (We did not vote for the third team or honorable mention -- those selections came from the points system associated with the voting). I think Trevor was hurt by playing on a 3-9 team and not on a dominant (although improved) defense. <br> <br>Hope that helps. <br> <br>Eric"</blockquote><br><br>There are a few things that just don't sit well with me on this issue. First, every All-America Team can decide whether they can just choose any defensive linemen like AFCA Coaches All-America, FWAA Football Writers Association of America All-American, CBSSportsline.com All-America, Rivals.com All-America, and the Walter Camp All-America; or be more specific like the AP squad. Also where is the Honorable Mention team? It is nowhere to be found! <br><br>Secondly, I thought in the 3-4 scheme, there was a Nose Guard and two defensive tackles. Maybe I'm wrong in that terminology, but that's what we called it during my playing days. Why did ND label Trevor an end? It's not right, and every Irish fan will agree. This just frustrates the heck out of me. Oh well, that's it about this whole BS we call the All-America Teams!<br><br>In the end, Trevor will get his time to shine on Sundays. Here's to the Bears making a great first day draft selection! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-21073721867030812902012-10-05T08:52:00.001-07:002012-10-05T08:52:00.317-07:0077 Years Ago Today<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2YMxmsji8LEz2j6WgIv7ytXyYGG8yS19KKFJP_IxW1chnmReM5istOp3GuQRQRB70h4Xf0NKhsGYrm5_g2glRiCMh2X7BRlUo56cnIdJdKSPELnqQD4LZq_TFtrhJ6zqo9R45Y3en6s/s1600-h/Rockne.jpg"><img style="float:left;margin:0 10px 10px 0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2YMxmsji8LEz2j6WgIv7ytXyYGG8yS19KKFJP_IxW1chnmReM5istOp3GuQRQRB70h4Xf0NKhsGYrm5_g2glRiCMh2X7BRlUo56cnIdJdKSPELnqQD4LZq_TFtrhJ6zqo9R45Y3en6s/s400/Rockne.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a><br>The great Knute Rockne was killed in a plane crash in Bazaar, Kansas. Rockne, a convert to Catholicism due to the witness of his players and Holy Cross priests, was the head football coach at Notre Dame in the 1920s and early 1930s. His record of 105-12-5 is unsurpassed in college football history. He lived a couple blocks from where I am typing this. Though flawed in some ways, he was known for his great love for people. I got the following list from a blog named Fighting Irish Thomas. He has an very interesting post on Rockne. It is linked by the headline above.<br><br>Top Ten Telegrams/Eulogies Mourning Knute Rockne's Death<br><br>10 "Mr. Rockne so contributed to a cleanness and high purpose in athletics that his passing is a national loss."—President Herbert Hoover<br><br>9 "One man like Rockne means more to our country than a million reformers, and if football produces one Rockne in each generation, the nation can ill afford to curtail football."—James L. Knox (President of Harvard)<br><br>8 "He was a king among men. We have never met a man with greater personal magnetism, not even William Jennings Bryan."—North Carolina Christian Advocate (Methodist)<br><br>7 "I read that youth has no idols nowadays. But they had one at Notre Dame."—Sportswriter Westbrook Pegler<br><br>6 "Knute Rockne was a strong moral force and an inspiration to the youth of our land. Fourteen hundred orphan children of Mooseheart Illinois will always remember his timely and inspiring talks to them."—James J. David, President of Mooseheart<br><br>5 "When I heard of Rockne's death, something unusual happened; tears came into my eyes that I thought long ago had shed all they could hold. Now I know I was only one of a multitude who never spoke a word to Rockne but loved him. Rockne was Sorin without a cassock or breviary."—Rev. Francis Clement Kelley, Bishop of Oklahoma<br><br>4 "In the past generation, it was Buffalo Bill. For this generation, it was Knute Rockne. The boy had a profound respect for Knute Rockne, and Rockne for the boy. Each read each other's minds, and they were heroes to each other. Millions of boys (and men, girls and women) bow in grief at the news that Rockne is dead, because for millions he was greater than the president."—Cleveland Press<br><br>3 "No other death could have brought more universal sorrow than this. Knute Rockne's name was a household word. Boys who could not yet read could tell you about Rockne ... there have been big figures in sports but none who have attained the size of Rockne ... the game has ended, but in every department of play, Knute Rockne has won."—The Denver News<br><br>2 "We thought it would take a president's death to make a whole nation, regardless of age, race or creed, shake their heads in real sincere sorrow ... Well, that's what this country did today Knute for you. You died a national hero ... Notre Dame was your address, but every gridiron in America was your home."—Will Rogers<br><br>1 (tie) "Knute Rockne has had a wider influence in developing the ideals of fair play than any other man in his generation, and he did it under the banner of the Mother of God."—Rev. John F. O'Hara, University of Notre Dame<br><br>1. (tie) "What was the secret of his irresistible appeal to all sorts and conditions of men? I do not know the answer. But in this hour of piteous loss and pained bewilderment, I find myself recalling the words of Christ, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart ... and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' Knute loved God and neighbor with a genuine deep love, and his case verifies the Christian paradox—he has cast away to keep, he has lost his life to find it."—ND President Charles O'Donnell, from his eulogy at Knute Rockne's funeral Mass Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056458642397884981.post-8678546471645014272012-10-05T08:52:00.000-07:002012-10-05T08:52:00.706-07:00Spring Game Blues<iframe src="http://reader.googleusercontent.com/reader/embediframe?src=http://www.youtube.com/v/Bzcdb0bti90%26hl%3Den&width=425&height=355" width="425" height="355"></iframe><br>The 79th Blue and Gold game came and went and left somewhat of a bad taste in a few fan's mouths. Even though the contest itself was intense as the Blue (offense) defeated the Gold (defense), 47-46 on a last second touchdown, my overall impression of the team was not too optimistic. A lot of factors played into that sentiment, but it leaves one wondering, did the Irish show or reveal much? To sum it up briefly, not really.<br><br>Here is the IBB report card for the Irish after the game:<br><br><em><strong>Quarterback</strong></em><br>Jimmy Clausen definitely is 100% healthy and it showed with some zip! Clausen's numbers weren't stellar, 10-of-27 for 183 yards and 1 Touchdown and 1 interception. He definitely would have better numbers if it weren't for a few drops here and there. One trend that will have to be straightened out before the start of the season will be Clausen's ability to not "Lock" on a receiver too soon. He didn't look off any receivers and it showed on several throws, including the 22-yard interception return by Harrison Smith.<br><br>Overall Jimmy is improving and will only get better!<br><br><strong>Grade: B</strong><br><br><em><strong>Running Back</strong></em><br>The Blue rushing attack started and ended with offensive MVP Robert Hughes. Hughes picked up where he left off last season by gaining 100 yards on 22 carries, including the first touchdown of the game. He put in a workmanlike effort and was rewarded for his output.<br><br>Armando Allen gave a good change up for the bruising Hughes with 11 rushes for 53 yards. Just like last season, Allen was a tackle or two away from breaking a big one!<br><br>James Aldridge saw limited amount of carries, which makes me wonder if A) he's not fully 100% healthy, or B) he's slipping down the depth chart. Either case, Aldridge didn't provide much spark when he did carry (3.0 average per carry). <br><br>The Barry Gallup Jr. experiment at running back turned into just that, an experiment. Even though he got almost as many carries as Aldridge, Gallup Jr. is probably not going to get much time on the field next season unless the injury bug hits either the backs or receivers.<br><br><strong>Grade: B</strong><br><br><em><strong>Full Back </strong></em><br>Asaph Schwapp didn't touch the ball at all, which might not be a bad thing. He did a so-so job of lead blocking or protecting Clausen on a few pass plays. Not too much to go off of for Schwapp's evaluation.<br><br><strong>Grade: Incomplete</strong><br><br><em><strong>Receivers</strong></em><br>This was a unit I felt showed a bit of everything on Saturday. It had its ups of great catches (Ragone's spectacular 23-yard reception; Tate's 57 yarder to set up the game winner, and Kamara's jump ball TD) and its downs with several dropped passes. <br><br>When it did matter, the receivers stepped up against the best unit on the Irish squad (secondary). New captain David Grimes will spearhead this group in the right direction, as incoming freshman Michael Floyd will add more depth and star power to the Irish's arsenal.<br><br><strong>Grade: B+</strong><br><br><em><strong>Offensive Line</strong></em><br>I think I was more dumbfounded than anything with the o-line's performance on Saturday. First off, all that you hear and read about Sam Young's poor play was pretty much on the mark. Mental mistakes of false starts, holding calls, and allowing a few missed assignments, didn't bode well for a player that wants to be a leader of this team. <br><br>With that said, there were signs of life from the offensive line, especially when the little skirmish broke out. Eric Olsen has a little, Jeff Faine, mean streak about him that is much needed. Chris Stewart looked fairly decent, but still the offensive line gave up four sacks to a defense that is missing some valuable parts.<br><br>Help is on the way, but will it be enough? Time will tell.<br><br><strong>Grade: C-</strong><br><br><em><strong>Defensive Line</strong></em><br>The defensive front was the hardest hit from graduation (Trevor Laws), suspension (Patrick Kuntz), and injury (Darrell Hand); however they had a pretty good outing. End Morrice Richardson and tackle Justin Brown led the charge with 12 tackles, including one and a half sacks, respectively. Incoming freshman Sean Cwynar and Freshman All-American, Ian Williams, had three and two stops as well.<br><br>They clogged up the middle and put some pressure on Clausen, which means the arrow is definitely pointing up on this unit, especially with the return of Kuntz in the fall.<br><br><strong>Grade: B+</strong><br><br><strong>Linebackers</strong><br>It was all Smith, all the time for the linebacking corps, as Harrison Smith shored up the game's defensive MVP honors after returning an interception for a touchdown. Jon Tenuta's placement of Harrison Smith as a linebacker proved to be genius as he was everywhere on the field for five tackles.<br><br>Scott Smith led the group with six tackles, while Brian Smith (3 tackles) headed the charge with two sacks and Toryan Smith added three stops. <br><br>The non-Smiths, Kevin Washington had four tackles, and both Kerry Neal and Maurice Crum each had two stops apiece.<br><br><strong>Grade: A-</strong><em></em><br><br><em><strong>Secondary</strong></em><br>This was Notre Dame's strength last season and should be the pillar once again. Kyle McCarthy will fill in nicely for Tom Zbikowski at safety, while David Bruton should be on a few preseason honor lists. Depth will also be a valuable weapon for this unit, as Ray Herring, Raeshon McNeil, Jashaad Gaines, Sergio Brown, and Gary Gray, will be battling more this fall for playing minutes. <br><br>The hit of the day went to senior Terrail Lambert. Armando Allen ran into the brick wall of Lambert to stop the Blue from scoring. That hit definitely woke up the crowd from its early slumber! The only knock of this group was that it let up at the end for the Blue to escape with the win and the Steak dinner.<br><br>Overall this unit is going to be solid and will improve on last year's numbers!<br><br><strong>Grade: B</strong><br><br><em><strong>Special Teams</strong></em><br>Brandon Walker looked a lot better than last season, which isn't saying much, and Eric Maust had some good punts and some not so good punts. If Walker didn't hit the upright of his 46 yard field goal, this unit would have had a better day.<br><br><strong>Grade: C+</strong><br><br>Overall I'm not sure if the Irish showed a lot because of adjusting to new personnel assignments (Mike Haywood calling the plays) and lack of depth problems. There were signs of improvement at several positions, but was it enough? We shall see in 136 days! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668988290592120053noreply@blogger.com0