Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Yanks get Damon-ized...

News today that Johnny Damon has signed with the 'hated' Yankees...
and the Red Sox 'Nation' (which stretches as far as 495, last I heard) weeps with the 'defection.'
As though Damon were born a Red Sox...

Friday, December 16, 2005

God Bless Joe Paterno...

Gotta love this note from the Dayton Daily News coverage of ESPN's College Football Awards show:

The zinger of the night came from Penn State's Joe Paterno, the Home Depot coach of the year. After he gabbed on the air with Herbstreit, a former Buckeye and Centerville High School quarterback, Paterno cracked, "It sure is great to be interviewed by a guy from Ohio State who can speak English."

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Sleepy SleepyDad!

Well, it may be bowl season-- odd that that means that there are actually NO college football games for weeks and week...

But this morning, I am, as my pseudonym implies, very very sleepy.
The younger of our two boys, 19 months old now, is still battling the last of this latest round of winter-time sniffles.. and last night seemed to be the worst of it-- he just could not get himself to sleep.

Add to that the stress of settling into a new job-- not to mention getting up at 4:30 this morning so I could be in the office by 5:30 (don't ask).. and it just was not a good night all the way around..

Coffee, coffee, coffee...

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Sickboys

The boys have both come down sick this weekend-- stuffy, runny noses, little coughing, sneezing, and not a lot of sleeping... and I've started having to go into work at 5am.. why do these coincidences always happen to me like this?

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Video iPod

Conan O'Brien's got a pretty funny little parody of a video iPod commercial... it's worth a look.... (courtesty of MacTV)

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Congress gets into the BCS-bashing act...

Okay... now I KNOW that Congress, and politicians in general, are an easy target for this kind of thing.. but I just couldn't believe my eyes when I read this headline on ESPN.com:

"Congress to look into 'deeply flawed' BCS system"

HOUSTON -- Calling the Bowl Championship Series "deeply flawed," the chairman of a congressional committee has called a hearing on the controversial system used to determine college football's national champion.

A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, charged with regulating America's sports industry, announced Friday it will conduct a hearing on the BCS next week, after this season's bowl matchups are determined.

[soapbox]Not that anyone asked, but the real problem with college football isn't the BCS.. the BCS is just the symptom. The real disease here is the Conference system. If the BCS just took the 8 top-ranked teams, who would be complaining? (Oh, well, I guess #9 would.)

But instead, the major conferences only agreed to the BCS because they each get an automatic bid.. meaning a Florida State team with 4 losses could go to a BCS bowl this year...

So while ESPN will have you believe that Notre Dame is really the best example of why the BCS is flawed, I'd argue the Conference system is really at the heart of the problem.

Playoff system? Maybe... but I think a playoff system would become unnecessary if Top 25 teams would play MORE Top 25 opponents...

Get rid of the BCS, get rid of the Conference system (in College football, at least).. and create a super-conference of the top football programs.. and require teams to play a certain percentage of each year's schedule against opponents from that pool of teams. Don't play at least 7 games against top-tier programs? No BCS consideration for you.

Oh.. and no more games against I-AA teams.. not that count, anyway...

[/soapbox]

Apologies and thanks for indulging me in that rant.
Have a happy rest of your Saturday.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

BCS-bound

Had to listen to the ND game last night via WLS radio, over the internet... local ABC affiliate here decided to show us Georgia-GA Tech.. can't say as I blame them, given the pre-game no-hype over ND-Stanford...

But man, did they miss out on a nail-biter!
And so did I... almost.
With a couple of minutes left in the 4th quarter and ND leading by only 6 points (30-24), the WLS internet radio broadcast was interrupted by a message indicating that they had to end their copyrighted broadcast over the internet or something like that... it was Heidi-like timing...

So I watched the herky-jerky play-by-play scroll on the ESPN gamecast for a few minutes-- long enough to 'see' ND miss a 29 yard field goal and then Stanford scores after a 79 yard completion and goes up by 1.

What's that sucking sound you're hearing?

Geez-Louise I HATE games like this (no kidding).

And just as I was cursing the gods of Internet radio (okay, well, that's a bit melodramatic)... over my shoulder, I hear ESPN News switching over for 'bonus coverage' of the closing minutes of the ND game... and man, am I glad they did!

I have to say-- in that closing two minutes, once again, the Irish showed the kind of poise I can't recall seeing for many years before this season. Starting from their own 20, ND moved swiftly down the field (with two long pass plays to Samardzija) and scored on a powerful run from Darius Walker, reaching out and holding the ball over the goal line for the win... so tough! (capped by a two-point conversion made on a direct-snap to Walker who went in untouched)

So today, both the AP and Coaches Polls have dropped the Irish from #6 to 7... not that I can say I'm crazy with the way the Irish won.. but how may times before, in reference to USC's many close calls this season, have we heard "Just win"...

Ah well.. I'll still be munching some tortilla chips for the New Year... and for the first time in a decade, I feel like the Irish have a legitimate shot at winning the thing!

Saturday, November 26, 2005

$399

Outrage of the week from the NY Times
For just $399, you too can get yourself a high school diploma...
Just another reason I'm glad I'm an ND fan.. (feel free to flame me for being an obnoxious ND fan on that one; I remain unrepentant after reading crap like this)...

Friday, November 18, 2005

Out of Pocket...

Heading out with the family tomorrow for a bit of an excursion.. So I'll be out of pocket for the next week or so. Not sure if there'll be internet access or not-- and there's no laptop coming on this trip.. so the blog will go silent for the duration.

But I'll take notes and come back with lots to say, I'm sure.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Happy for Apathy

Got home a little while ago from my friend Manundso's house, doing a little stint on his Podcast.
He's the proprietor of Happy for Apathy.com. He's a former co-worker, a stand-up comic, virtuoso composer.. and all around good guy.

Check out the website..
Check out the podcast..
Try not to be too disappointed in me..

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Doctor Who!

Excuse me while I geek out on the new Doctor Who for the next few weeks...
watching the first episode right now. But as little time as I get to spend watching shows like this, it could be weeks before I'm through.

Christopher Eccleston is the new Doctor.. well, he's the first season doctor.. the 9th Doctor, whatever.

David Tennant is the newest Doctor. In the UK, they're preparing for the unveiling of the second season... but me? I'm just trying to make my way through this first new season..

Eccleston looks great. Too bad he decided to leave after just a single season.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Silence is Golden...

This was a news item a week or two back-- there was some rumor about Charlie Weis possibly scoring 1600 on the SAT and turning down a scholarship to Harvard in order to go to ND...
When questioned about that in one of his press conferences, he responded this way:

“That’s a misnomer,” Weis said. “Let’s look at it this way. If I said yes, I’m either smart or a liar, OK? If I said no, what do I gain from saying that? Let’s leave it ambiguous.”
[from the Fort Wayne News Sentinel]


Respect...

The Rock notes a detail today from the end of the Navy game that should not be overlooked: the moment of respect paid by ND Players, standing together with the Midshipmen, for the Navy Alma Mater.

This note from gomidshipmen.com:

From greyknight:

My heart is just too, too full.

It's been a long, long road since my son played youth football, to watching him play in the state 4A finals to a heartbreaking loss, to being at his side throughout the whole recruiting process, to supporting him in his decision to playing for Navy after being offered by "bigtime" programs...to seeing him run out on the field this afternoon at ND Stadium to such a warm, warm reception from the ND fans, both before, during and after the game. The class showed by both ND staff and players alike all contributed to an experience that he'll remember for the rest of his life. I spoke to him by phone immediately after the game, and again just a few minutes ago after the team arrived back at the Yard, and he said that it was truly an experience that he'll always remember. The sincere good wishes from the ND fans, their standing Os for Navy, the support shown for them after the game as they left...so, so very overwhelming. It was the largest crowd he has ever played for. 80,000 fans cheering for something much. much bigger than just a football game...cheering for and giving support to players, some of who will, in just a short few months, be putting their very lives on the line for all that our nation stands for.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Beeeeeaaaat Middies!

Irish 42
Navy 21

Okay, I don't really have a lot to say about this game.
In case you're concerned.. no, you're not really reading a Notre Dame sports blog.. but for my own purposes, owing to my really terrible memory, I've decided to keep a little personal log here about each Notre Dame game and my impressions of it-- key players, moments, thoughts, that kind of thing.

Not exactly the best kind of breathtaking Blog-reading, I realize.
So if you don't care about Notre Dame football.. or you just don't care about what I think about it.. feel free to ignore these posts.. I do actually intend to write about other things.. but at this time of year, there's little else of note on my mind.. so please oblige me.

So I really don't have much to say about this game... we were attending a little party for my sister's birthday, and my Dad and I got to catch a few minutes of the game here and there, kept track of the score, that kind of thing...

The Midshipmen had their usual, old-fashioned (and uniquely frustrating) option offense on display.. and it seemed to trip up the Notre Dame defense for a good while (most of the first half).. but the D did seem to adjust.. and their size and skill eventually just overwhelmed the Navy O-line.. so by the fourth quarter, the game was out of reach...

Quinn continues to impress.. and both Travis Thomas and Darius Walker had good games at Running back... and Stovall stole the show with three Touchdown grabs that, I'm sure by now, are making NFL scouts' mouths water.. just a little bit maybe.

And I think Samardzija was held without a TD for the first time all year... oweing in part to the double and triple-coverage the Middies had on him most of the game..

So what do you think? Next year, for the Heismann: Quinn, Walker, and Samardzija??
I know, I know. I'm a nut.

Friday, November 11, 2005

Sorry I missed you...

My good friend, Manundso, proprietor of the ever popular Happy for Apathy website, forum, podcast, and-- let's face it-- lifestyle, called last night to have me do a segment on his podcast... and it surely would have been a treat to do if I'd been able to catch the phone.

Can't remember exactly what we were doing or where we were. Short term memory again... but hopefully, there wouldn't have been any screaming Cloonan boys in the background.. that's a big hopefully. In all likelihood, it would have been pandelirium...

I am going to have to make it over there some Thursday night for a Podcast, though.
Check out his site here, take a listen to the Podcast.
He's the original good peoples.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Denny Crane

Denny Crane to Alan Shore on last night's Boston Legal:

It's fun being me. Is it fun being you?

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Drink your beer!

The boys and I ate some pizza earlier this evening.
After taking his first bite, Aidan noted that the sauce was spicey.
"Spicey" has been a big thing with him lately. He says tomato sauce is spicey.
Green peppers are spicey. Grapes... well, no.. okay, he's never tried to say that grapes are spicey.

So after noticing that the pizza was spicey, Aidan looked at me and said, "Daddy, you should drink your beer. This pizza's spicey!"

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Horizontal


..truly.

Rocky Topped....

.. but still rocky.
We had our friends John and Christie and their kids over for dinner and to watch the game. The kids frolic'd downstairs as we cheered through the first half... and as we shouted Zibby to the end-zone in the second half...

Irish 41
Vols 21


So what are we to make of this victory over Tennessee?
The Irish looked great in the first quarter, uncharacteristically slow in the second quarter, and after half-time, the Tennessee defense was positively slicing through the Offensive line to get to Quinn.

Now, as I've said before, I'm no kind of football expert. All I'm putting here are my simple reflections of my experience of the game... my experience from the couch...

But it was clear that the Tennessee defense had worn down the Irish by the second-half.

So by the time the Vols tied it up at 21, I can safely say I was biting my fingernails and worrying a bit about what I'd have to say at work on Monday...

But God Bless Jeff Samardzija. He's the reason I don't have to worry about that tonight.

And my goodness, did anyone else see the way he gripped the baseball and football that Lewis Johnson handed him during his post-game interview.. gripped them in ONE HAND. I mean, he held that baseball in his hand.. and then, while Johnson was making some kidding remark about how Jeff was going to have to make a decision in his future about holding one of these [the baseball] or one of these [the football]-- and he went to put the football in Jeff's other hand.. but instead, Jeff just extended three fingers and gripped the ball so he was holding both in the same hand. No wonder he makes such amazing catches.

A couple of notes:

  • Great catch, Maurice. Too bad, I don't think you caught a ball all game after that. But you did put on some outstanding blocks (like the one that sprung Samardzija for 73).
  • Pat Haden said of Samardzija: "You know, it's surprising when he doesn't catch them."
  • It was wonderful to see Fasano rumble toward the end-zone and then get horizontal.. and with just enough momentum to tag the pylon with the ball... beautiful.

Friday, November 04, 2005

Dear Tennessee...


Dear Tennessee.. Brandon Hoyte and the Irish welcome you...


A Knoxville TV station reported Thursday night that three busloads of fans totaling ''close to 130 people'' had left the UT campus headed for South Bend. That will leave only 80,665 in attendance presumably cheering for the Irish.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Visit the Tiki Bar!

You know, every now and then you run across something that's just totally brilliant...

Great comedy.
And Lala? She ain't no Teletubbie, friend.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

God, I hope so!

“I don’t come here to leave and take a job in the NFL in three years. This is
not a stepping stone. This is an end-all for our family,” he said. “When we come
to Notre Dame, we come here with the intent of retiring here.” - Charlie Weis

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Yes indeed!

Ah, the good old days. The cover of Sports Illustrated from October 24, 1988.

Bandwagon

Just watched the tape of the Purdue game (finally!) last night and Bob Davie (who was doing the color commentary for ESPN) said at least twice "I'm on the Charlie Weis Bandwagon"... just thought that was interesting coming from a guy who took a talented Irish team 7 years ago and helped them to underachieve so badly....

Also.. and maybe more interestingly, Davie made the remark (something like) "Charlie Weis is giving a clinic here tonight. And he'll be giving a clinic again next year... and I'd like to attend that clinic..." I don't doubt it that you would, Bob. Don't doubt it for a second.

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Heisman voters: please take note of the Mighty Quinn...


The Irish beat BYU 49-23.. and Weis puts on another clinic.

Well, Kirk Herbstreit said it-- what we've kinda hoped might possible be true (but never really believed anyone outside the NotreDameNation would notice)-- that next year, Brady Quinn will be the man to beat for the Heisman...

But this year, Quinn is staking his claim.
Today's numbers-- 32 of 41, for 467 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Stovall caught 4 TDs-- a school record.
Samardzija picked up 2-- his seventh straight game with a TD catch (also a school record, I think)... so although he didn't catch the three I'd hoped for him, you won't hear me complaining.

You know, watching ND games now-- someone said Weis' post-game press conferences are like coaching clinics-- well, I think watching his games are like watching football experiments. Today, it was as though Weis said to himself, "Let's see what happens if we don't try to run at all." The book on BYU was that they were all about the passing game.. so Weis decided to fight fire with fire and just let Quinn get pass-happy today... and it worked beautifully.

Half-time note

One quick note from half-time...
Irish lead 21-10 at the half.
During the half-time show, they did a little segment on the USC-ND game and they quoted an officiating source (unnamed) with the NCAA who said that although the 'assisting the runner' rule is on the books, "it will never be called."

Well then.. sounds like the rule books needs some revising, doesn't it?
I move for an amendment!

Go Irish! Beat Cougars!

I don't really have a lot to say about this game. Haven't had a lot of time this week to read much about BYU. The Irish come into the game ranked #9 by the AP (who didn't drop them an inch after the hard-fought loss to USC) and #16 by the newly released BCS... and while I have defended the BCS in the past, I am truly perplexed by this year's first poll... I think the whole thing lost a balancing force (and the credibility to go with it) when the AP subtracted itself from the equation. This Harris Poll or whatever is just not a good or reasonable substitute, from what we've seen so far.

So BYU has this 'Air Raid' offense, from what little I've read. The only problem with that for the Irish... our one weakness on Defense is our secondary... so unless the D-line can really break through and create havoc for the BYU Quarterback before he can throw the ball, this could be another shocker for the Irish... but this time, not in the positive way it was last week. And that's the last thing we need is a 'let-down' week after teh strong showing against USC. We've finally got people believing the Irish are for real-- they're finally playing like they're for real. We don't need to let that slide away with a poor performance this afternoon.

So please, Defense. Be swift and merciless. Get to the Quarterback and don't let him 'air it out' as they're fond of doing.
And on offense, I'd love to see Jeff Samardzija have a 3-TD day... maybe another couple of TDs for Darius Walker.. and let's have the two of them join Brady Quinn in the Heisman balloting...
Wishful thinking? Why not!

Friday, October 21, 2005

So glad I'm not an SEC fan...

Thank God I'm not a UT or Alabama fan. For that matter, I'm glad I'm not an SEC fan.
How bad must it feel to be a fan of either school with these images splashed across the front page at ESPN?

Images aside, the story is pretty good-- if you like sordid stories about highschool coaches 'selling' players for $150,000 payoffs.. and then the kind of sleazy sting operation orchestrated by Tennessee boosters (and one former US. Attorney General-turned-liquor-store-owner-- no kidding) to bring the whole ring down.

So where does that leave us now? With UT's coach Fulmer being escorted by THP into Tuscaloosa... and an ESPN story that revels in the ramblings of every drunken booster it can find...

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Not Top 5 for me...

Okay.. all I'm going to say about the ND-USC game is this:

1) Green Jerseys: Nice move, Charlie. Even with the outcome, I like the choice.

2) why should a team benefit by fumbling the football? (how you can fumble backward to the 1/2 yard line is beyond me as well, but we won't go there). Why should the clock stop for this if the player remains in bounds?




3) Reggie Push. The guy doesn't even know it's illegal to push the runner over the goal-line...
Picture two guys from Southern California, lisping behind mouthpieces:
"Hey dude, I just scored."
"Yeah dude. I like totally just SHOVED you."
"Thanks, Dude."
"Dude."

Dan Patrick says guys get pushed across the line all the time without it being called. That's the group-think now-- it happens all the time. Gotta call BS on that one, Dan. If it happens every Saturday, then give me the name of a Div I player who assisted a runner across the goal line last week? or the week before?
And in a game-deciding touchdown?

That said-- Charlie Weis says he'd have done it if it were him.
Speaking of Charlie Weis.. the guy is just class, out and out.
Went to the SC lockerroom to congratulate the Trojans and then used what he said to them as a lesson for his 12 year old son-- that it's easy to be nice when you win; it's a whole lot harder to be nice when you lose.

Gotta say, it was a fabulous game, from what I hear.
Yeah, I didnt' actually get to see it because I was out of town for my college Homecoming and the current members of my fraternity preferred to watch the Louisville game. Dickheads. And they bought crappy cheap beer and only had one bottle of Maker's Mark. Who teaches these kids these days? I guess they won't be getting my usual check for the 'house fund' this year.

Positive notes from the game:
1) Oh my God, for all practical purposes, we just beat USC!
2) ND is back! No question. And the media is jumping all over themselves to announce it.
3) It just gets more and more clear every week: Jeff Samardzija is the man!
4) Were it not for SC's game-saving drive in the final minute, we'd all (well, okay, maybe just me around here) be talking about Brady Quinn's final drive.. and his drive for the Heisman. See this from the Sporting News story on the game:

Weis had a short chat with Brady Quinn before Notre Dame's
last possession, when the Irish were behind 28-24 with 5:09.
"I said, 'Hey,
buddy, this is the type of drive that legends are made,"' Weis said. "He looked
at me and he knew exactly what I was saying to him."
Weis told Quinn he was
going to call a bunch of three-step drops and quick slants.
"We're going to
get them reeling, we're going to get some yards and runs after catch," Weis told
Quinn. "We're going to go down there and score. I go: 'Be patient, we have
plenty of time."'
Quinn was 4-of-4 passing during that drive for 53 yards,
while Darius Walker ran the ball three times for 29 yards. Quinn capped the
drive with a 5-yard run, scoring a touchdown when he stretched his right arm
into the end zone as he was being tackled.

The other thing the national media is jumping up and down to do is call this game 'the greatest college football game of all time.' Well, I must say, I'm with Coach Weis on this one: this won't be one of my Top 5 games.. because we lost. It was a great game, no question about it. But ask a Kentucky fan how they feel about the '92 Christian Laettner game-- think they call that one of the greatest games in college basketball? Not likely. I'll take ND's victories over Miami (31-30 in 1988) or Florida State in 1993 any day...

That said, Gene Wojciechowski did write a really nice story about the game.. and from what I saw, he was the first to dub the game the 'Greatest of All Time'.

Oh.. and let's raise a toast to Tommy Zbikowski for knocking a cocksur Reggie Bush on his ass as he tried, literally, to waltz into the end-zone:
[this from the
Wojciechowski article]

It takes arrogance to do what Bush did during that same drive: bolting through the line, sprinting into the open field, grandly gesturing with one hand as he neared the end zone, and then slowing down just as he crossed the goal line. That's when Notre Dame safety Tom Zbikowski, who never gave up on the play, popped Bush with a hit the USC tailback so richly deserved.
Future opponents take note: Zbikowski never gave up on the play.

This much is certain: I'll be in LA for the game next year.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Sick week...

Have had no time for blogging this week.. too much work, sick family, then sick me...

But I did want to login just long enough to say two things:
1) no I didn't get to see the SC game last Saturday (that's a story I will have to tell).
and
2) Holy Cow, the "Shark" is the MAN!

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

California Dreaming...

Who can resist it? What would it be like if the Irish could pull of the upset this weekend and beat Southern Cal? Impossible. Too crazy to even be imagined. I won't allow myself.

But...

Southern Cal is, of course, ranked #1. The Irish come into the week at #9, benefiting from a couple of losses by Top Ten teams over the bye week.
And the national media seems split. Papers out west like the LA Times seem to be talking up some of the (virtually invisible) weaknesses of the Trojans-- pointing to the weak first-half performances USC has put up in its last three games. Then again, in each of those games, the weak first-half was followed by a dominant second-half performance. So who knows what Trojans team will show up. First half or second?

Likewise for the Irish, who've had some games (especially early on against Pitt and Michigan) in which strong first-half performances were followed-up with underwhelming (at best) second-halves. And how will the Irish Defense really stack up against that vaunted USC O-line. We know the defensive secondary will have to play way over their heads. And finally-- if USC has a weakness, it would appear, similar to the Irish, to be the defense. So the intrigue, as all the pundits are saying now, will be to see how Weis's Offense matches up against Carroll's defense.

Again, I say: Remember the Pats of the mid-90's. Those were the Pete Carroll Pats... can he really be such a genius?

I'll be out of town on Saturday at my college homecoming.. no idea what the internet connectivity situation will be over the weekend, so the blog may go silent.. but I'll have my eye on the game as much as possible. May have to have a pledge come bring me scoring updates every 10 minutes or so.. hehe!

Saturday, October 08, 2005

Musings for the week

1. Bryce really is a good sleeper. I don't really have anything to complain about, given what a light sleeper Aidan was. Bryce has spent much of his baby-hood sleeping on my shoulder.. but I'm doing what I can to gradually change that, moving him to the bed earlier and earlier. He's taking to it pretty well. And I find that we don't have to worry about him waking nearly as much as we did with Aidan-- who could be woken by the sound of the cat padding down the hall outside his door. In fairness, Sylvie is not all that quiet a cat, though.

2. The best show on television is, without a doubt, Battlestar Galactica-- but it's on hiatus until January (!)-- so my guilty television pleasure of the moment is Boston Legal. The stories aren't all that great... but Allen Shore and Denny Crane are just too much fun to watch.

3. Looks like this may be the end of the road for the Yankees. In their 5-game Divisional series with the Angels, they took the first game (with a great performance from Mussina) and looked like they were in pretty good shape. But then the Angels took game 2. And last night, as Chicago was completing their sweep of the Red Sox in their series, the Yanks gave up 11 runs (after rallying from 5 runs down to take the lead 6-5)-- and Randy Johnson got chased in the 3rd-- to lose again 11-7. So now they're on the ropes.. and the only way to win is in 5 games.. which, even if they wind up winning, spells certain doom in the ALCS...
(photo: nydailynews.com)

Monday, October 03, 2005

Missed another one..

Irish win! over #14 Purdue, 49-28... but most of those 28 points came in the last part of the game, when it was already well out of reach for the Boilers...

So the Irish are 4-1 going into the bye week before the biggest game of the year against Southern Cal.

That said, again this week, I missed the game.. not because of regional coverage (or lack of it), but because I was out of town at a friend's wedding.

Another ND grad at the wedding and I kept going back to the bar in the back room at th reception hall to catch glimpses of the game and get the updated score.
I was stunned each time I saw the score in the first half-- 14.. 21... 28.. to nothing? Can it be true?

And Samardzija made yet another SportsCenter- worthy one-handed grab at the one-yard line to setup a touchdown...
The national media is really starting to pick up on him.

So I've got the game on tape and will try to watch it this week...

Monday, September 26, 2005

Montana

This has me almost in tears this morning...
From Ivan Maisel's "3-Point Stance" this morning...

1. On the day before 10-year-old Montana Mazurkiewicz, named for Joe, died of brain cancer Friday, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis visited him and let him call the first play vs. Washington. Even from the Irish 1, Weis sent in Montana's pass. Brady Quinn completed it. Yesterday, Montana's family got a game ball. God bless Charlie Weis.

Saturday, September 24, 2005

It's Over.


Irish win 36-17...
and finally, all the Ty Willingham talk can end... hopefully.

Half-time

A few half-time stats:

Irish lead 12-3.

First downs: ND leads 17-9
Turnovers: Wash leads 2-0
Total Offense: ND leads 246-231
Time of Possession: Irish 17:39, Wash 12:21

Quinn: 15-21, 146 yards.
Walker: 11 rushes, for 73 yards.

Samardzija: 5 catches for 62 yards
Fasano: 3 catches for 33 yards

Touchdown Walker!

2nd and 2 on the 17 - WALKER rush for 17 yards to the WASH0, TOUCHDOWN, clock 04:47.

Miss the extra point (was it blocked?).
Irish lead 9-3.

Thank you WLS!

Well, it only took me until about the end of the 1st quarter to find WLS-AM radio out of Chicago for a live stream of the game broadcast. Listening to it now through iTunes.

About 10 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. ND and Washington are tied, 3-3.
Quinn is 10-14 with 87 yards.
Walker has 44 yards on 7 attempts.

ND at Washington

Bummer... looks like the game isn't on TV locally.. so we'll be treated instead to VA Tech vs. GA Tech. Lovely. According the ABC's coverage map, it looks like everyone from San Diego to the northern tip of Maine will be watching the ND game.. while we in the southeast corner of the country will get our regional game.

In past years, I think the local ABC affiliate has been so overrun with phone calls that they've decided to change the feed. Maybe that'll happen again. But I won't hold my breath.

So instead, I guess I'll be listening to the streaming radio broadcast, if I can find it.

Pretty mellow this morning. Was up late last night watching BattleStar Galactica (Oh my! "Pegasus" might be the best episode so far!).. and Bryce was pretty restless during the night. So forgive me if I'm not my exuberant self for gameday today.

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Still reeling..

Still reeling from yesterday's loss... I couldn't believe my eyes when Teague when scampering into the end-zone in Overtime...
Then again, I couldn't believe that the Irish came back from a 3-touchdown deficit to tie the game in the 4th quarter.
Makes the loss all the more heartbreaking.

Quinn threw for close to 500 yards and five touchdowns...

And Samardzija caught three touchdowns..

But, as Weis said after the game,

"I'm not a stat guy. I play the game to win. We didn't win and that's the bottom line."



But about Samardzija, it does my heart good to see him making those catches this year. After seeing a guy like Samardzija be so under-utilized last year-- then see him catch three touchdowns yesterday, five on the year...

He's got great hands-- can catch just about anything thrown near him. And Quinn was not real consistent with his accuracy-- throwing behind open receivers a number of times. Samardzija seemed to be the only one among them able to reach back and make the grab under pressure. Impressive.

As the 'Rock' says in his report on ndnation.com, by USC week, this team will be a much improved squad. They're learning and building chemistry each week. They don't have that bewildered expression the way they did last year.

All is not lost.
And it's not like we were honestly expecting to go undefeated this year. It just would have been nice to end this ridiculous streak of MSU wins at ND Stadium...

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Rock-n-Roll lifestyle...

I don't know how Bryce does it.
Up all night. Up all day.
Up until 1:00am last night.. then up at 7:17am this morning, and still going.
As I write this, he's furiously climbing all over the Kangaroo climber we've setup (after a 2-year hiatus) again downstairs.

Amazing.
I'll have what he's having...

A beautiful morning...

It looks like a beautiful morning in South Bend!













And South Quad is, as always, the place to be. I'm sure they've been grilling outside the KofC hall since early this morning...

And O'Shaughnessy Hall, my old haunt, is awash in people.. I'm sure they're not there to get Seamus Deane's autograph.

Home Opener! Go Irish!







Go00000000 Irish! Beeeeaaaat Spartans!

#10 Notre Dame welcomes unranked Michigan State to Notre Dame Stadium...

Like many Irish fans, I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to go into the Michigan State game without a sense of dread. For a seeming eternity now, the Irish have appeared to be completely unraveled by Michigan State in the closing quarter. No matter the score at half-time, you can trust the Spartans will be within a touchdown of the Irish by the 4th quarter...

...and that's about the time the Irish Defense forgets how to defend against the pass over the middle... and Smoker slings the ball to a slanting receiver cutting across the middle and goes for 50..60..70 yards and a game-winning touchdown...

oh, sorry.. having a flashback there...

So here we are. with the Spartans coming to South Bend.. and that sense of dread comes with them.

Then again.. Weis seems to have changed the whole equation. The defense, a big weakness in many minds this year, has been a pleasant surprise. Linebackers Brandon Hoyte and Corey Mays -- we might have expected good things from them.. But Ambrose Wooden, and Tommy Zbikowski are off to great starts, as well ("Crazy" Zbikowski has been all over the papers this week) and it's clear that this defense is just better coached than any Irish squad in recent memory.

What a difference a coach can make?
What a difference 5 coaches can make!
Hiring Weis got the buzz going...
but when people saw the assistants he brought on board in the months that followed... that's when everyone really started to believe, I think.

And who could have guessed that that great collection of coaches could have such an impact so quickly? So where are they now? The pundits who insisted that Notre Dame's talent was inferior? That the University would, as Paul Hornung infamously (and wrongly) asserted on camera last year, have to reduce admission requirements to bring in 'difference makers.'

And let's be honest-- when you hear people talking about 'difference makers' in college football.. you know they're not talking about kids that look like Jeff Samardzija.

This assumption-- and it's an assumption made by college athletics top to bottom, from the NCAA on down-- that a kid can't be smart, athletic, and black is most troubling. It gets more troubling when you consider how much MONEY the NCAA and these universities make on the backs of kids brought in on athletic scholarship-- kids with little or no preparation for post-secondary academics who will almost certainly fail out of school (as soon as the football coach allows them to fail out, that is)...

NCAA makes its money.
College makes its money.
But where's the kid left? Without a pro football contract. And without an education.

A lot of pundits make hay, talking about how athletes in revenue sports should be given a portion of that revenue the University takes in.

What's wrong with making sure those athletes receive that education first?

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

#11 hangs 'em up..

You know, you can't exactly call yourself surprised when a pro athlete who's been in the league for 25 years retires...

But, all the same, it took the wind out of my sails a little bit yesterday when I heard that Mark Messier-- the Mess-iah; the Jaw; the toughest man in hockey; most importantly (to me at least) the man who brought a Stanley Cup to the New York Rangers-- has retired.

I grew up a casual hockey fan-- but even I knew, watching those Edmonton teams in the 80's, when everyone was talking about Gretzky (and why wouldn't they?), Messier stood out as the tough, gritty skater who just always seemed to be in the right place at the right time-- whether it was to deliver the puck, or to deliver a hit.

When he came to the Rangers in 1991-- he'd already won 5 Stanley Cups in Edmonton-- his hometown, no less-- so you'd think winning one more would be an anti-climax. But Messier seemed to flourish in New York. When he came to town, he guaranteed a Cup. And New York became his adopted hometown. But he never seemed to relish the limelight-- even when he fulfilled that guarantee in 1994. He led by example. He gave gracious interviews. And he always attributed the success of the team to his teammates. And then he hung up his skates and went home.

Rangers fans everywhere wept the day he signed with Vancouver-- and, strangely, even he never seemed happy to go. It was like a short, bad dream. And then he was back in uniform with the Rangers. And we could hope that all would be well with hockey again.

But Mess was slowly starting to give into injuries and his time on the ice was more and more limited... you knew in the back of your mind that this day would come

But what a leader. Toughness through and through. Hardly seems possible he's Canadian!

Sunday, September 11, 2005

It's a Starbucks morning..

Two straight light-sleeping nights from Bryce... So when we all got up at 7:00 this morning (a scant 5 1/2 hours after I got to bed), I brewed up some good stiff Gold Coast for breakfast..

Then again, I was up too late reading college football websites last night...

What's Bryce's deal? I don't know. He's got some allergies maybe.. been having trouble with some snottiness (sorry.. there's just no better way to say that).. so he just hasn't been sleeping very deeply.

And with the pterodactyl scream he's developed over the last few weeks, when he doesn't sleep well, none of the rest of us sleep well. That's for sure.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Play of the game


Zbikowski's interception in the 3rd Quarter has to be the play of the game.
Michigan was driving for its first touchdown.. with plenty of time left to tie it up..
And Zbikowski makes a key interception at the goal-line...

Key play at a key moment..

Party in 'The Big House'

Trevor Laws and the Irish celebrate their first victory in 'The Big House' since 1993.

Lloyd Carr...

Just watched Lloyd Carr's press conference on ESPNNews... and all I can say is.. wuh.. huh..

Oh, sorry, I dozed off there..
The guy just puts you to sleep.
No wonder he can't get his players fired up.
And then there came the double-talk:

"…we have no excuses here. We've never made excuses and we never will, but have been a very unlucky football team from an injury standpoint right from beginning of this fall training camp."

Team stats

Team Stat Comparison
1st Downs1915
3rd down efficiency
4-155-18
4th down efficiency
0-02-4
Total Yards247335
Passing140224
Comp-Att
19-3019-44
Yards per pass
4.75.1
Rushing107111
Rushing Attempts
4428
Yards per rush
2.44.0
Penalties4-204-27
Turnovers12
Fumbles lost
11
Interceptions thrown
01

2-0

Irish win it!
They're 2-0...
but only 47 total yards in the 2nd half. They got very very conservative.. plus the Michigan Defense really stood up..
But Quinn just didn't look as sharp this week...

Weis, in his post game remarks to Lyn Swann said:
"Defense played great; Special Teams played great; Offense played well enough."

The DUKE!


Ndukwe makes such a heads-up play grabbing a fumbled ball on the goal-line!
Of course, the officials on the ground make the wrong call.. and the Review box has to call down with the proper call and give the Irish the ball on the touchback!

And the Michigan fans start throwing junk on the field... classy!

Go Irish!

Zibby gets away with one..

Irish go three and out..
Then Zbikowski gets away with touching Manningham, the Michigan receiver, when he gets beat on a deep route...
These officials really are bad.