Bleacher Report - Articles by Brian

2009 Notre Dame Football Predictions

Brian — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:09:00 -0400

When I first looked at Notre Dame's 2009 football schedule, I honestly felt pretty good about it. Not great, but I thought we would be a lock for eight wins.

Then I took a closer look...and my thoughts scared me.

Seemingly every team on the schedule is breaking in a quarterback with inexperience.

By the time the Irish play most of those teams, each QB will have had a few games under his belt, but the first year for new college QBs is always tumultuous.

Notre Dame returns Jr. Jimmy Clausen in his third year of meaningful snaps. Last season, he showed signs of brilliance at times and signs of incompetence at others.

The stage is set for a breakout season, a la Brady Quinn's junior campaign in 2005.

Wide receivers Golden Tate and Michael Floyd are also back to add to their already impressive collegiate resumes. They comprise arguably the best one-two WR punch in college football.

Sophomore Kyle Rudolph is the next pro-bound TE, following in the footsteps of predecessors Anthony Fasano and John Carlson.

The offseason addition of running backs coach Tony Alford and offensive line coach Frank Verducci will hopefully provide fill the void in the Irish offense: QB protection and a strong running game to set up play action bombs to Tate and Floyd.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that Weis is back to calling offensive plays without the distraction of also coaching special teams and helping out on defense. That burden falls on newly appointed defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta.

Corwin Brown, previously the defensive coordinator, moves into a new role as associate head coach, co-defensive coordinator, and defensive backs coach.

So what do all of these moves mean for the Irish in 2009? Let's have a look into Brian's crystal ball...

1. Nevada at Notre Dame—2:30p CST on NBC, September 5

The first game of the season will set the tone for what to expect moving forward.

If the Irish give a strong performance, expectations will be even higher. Conversely, a weak performance could be the prelude to a disappointing year.

The Wolfpack, with its Pistol offense, is an interesting matchup for any team.

While it's one of the few teams the Irish will face all year with experience at the QB position (Colin Kaepernick), the Irish aerial attack will be much more potent.

Irish linebacker Brian Smith records the first of many sacks for the Irish defense as Kaepernick is pressured all afternoon into making poor decisions.

Jimmy Clausen throws for 320 yards and three TDs with zero INTs and Armando Allen tacks on a rushing TD. Nick Tausch attempts his first collegiate FG and shows confidence by nailing a 38-yd FG straight through the uprights.

Final Score: Notre Dame 31, Nevada 17

2. Notre Dame at Michigan—2:30p CST on ABC, September 12

Rich Rodriguez's Wolverines squad experienced a 2008 season that almost mirrored that of the 2007 Irish.

A disappointing 3-9 season left a sour taste in Ann Arbor. Does the spread really have a chance to succeed in the Big Ten?

Round one for the Irish defense against a freshman QB (Tate Forcier) has the makings of an ugly afternoon for the winged-helmets.

Forcier will have a roller coaster game with several highlights, most of which to the delight of Notre Dame fans and to the dismay of the home crowd.

Whoever plays return man for ND (Armando Allen, Golden Tate or true Fr. Cierre Wood) will shimmy through the Wolverines' special teams for the first Irish kickoff return for a TD since Armando Allen's in the Hawaii Bowl last year.

Michigan manages to score two TDs with an additional FG tacked on for good measure.

Notre Dame proves to be too much to handle, though, as Clausen throws for 268 yards and three TDs while James Aldridge and Armando Allen each add one rushing TD.

Final Score: Notre Dame 42, Michigan 17

3. Michigan State at Notre Dame—2:30p CST on NBC, September 19

Notre Dame has not beaten MSU at home in over a decade.

Despite this fact, I feel fairly confident in ND's ability to end that streak this year.

MSU has a bit of a QB circus going on as a decision has not yet been made on who will take the first snap of the season: RS So. Kirk Cousins or RS So. Keith Nichol.

There's no saying the starter of the Spartans' first game will still be the starter by the time MSU rolls into Notre Dame Stadium, either.

Even with the questions on offense, the Spartan defense will keep things interesting throughout the game.

The Irish will pound the ball early and often, eclipsing the 100-yard mark by the first series of the second half.

Allen gets into it not only on the ground, but through the air as well, catching a ball out of the backfield for a 30-yard Irish score in the second quarter.

Cousins and Nichol are rotated throughout the game, causing inconsistencies in the Spartan offense and numerous mis-communicated routes.

Nick Tausch connects on 2-of-3 FGs for the Irish on top of four passing TDs from Clausen to Tate (two), Floyd (one), and Kamara (one).

Final Score: Notre Dame 34, Michigan State 28

4. Notre Dame at Purdue—7p CST on ABC/ESPN, September 26

The opposing QB carousel continues with another new starter in Joey Elliot for the Boilermakers.

Elliot was supposed to engage in a battle last spring, but expected starter Justin Siller was dismissed from the team, earning Elliot a default victory.

A career backup to the departed Curtis Painter, Elliot is a RS Sr. who has played several games over the past three seasons.

Even his limited game experience, though, will not be enough to overcome the hurdle of learning a new system under first-year head coach Danny Hope.

Want to know how this turns out? Take a look at this video...

ND pounces all over the Boilermakers in this contest. It's not even close.

Clausen throws for five TDs in a breakout game of more than 400 yards passing. Aldridge adds one rushing TD and Brian Smith recovers a fumble for another score.

Final Score: Notre Dame 49, Purdue 14

5. Washington at Notre Dame—2:30p CST on NBC, October 3

Former USC Offensive Coordinator Steve Sarkisian is in his first year on the job as head coach of the Huskies.

There should be no doubt that Sarkisian can improve upon his predecessor's shortcomings. A winless 2008 campaign will hopefully represent rock bottom for a tradition-rich program.

QB Jake Locker is probably better than advertised and with the help of Sarkisian, could have a standout year.

His development will be marked this season as the Huskies put a more competitive product on the field than the previous few years under Tyrone Willingham.

Will Sarkisian provide enough spark to defeat the Irish? No. But it should be a slightly more competitive game than last year's.

Allen will rush for 140 yards, supplementing another solid performance from Clausen, who throws for 280 yards, three TDs and one INT.

Robert Blanton picks off an errant Jake Locker pass for a TD, too, though Locker throws for two TDs and rushes for another.

Final Score: Notre Dame 31, Washington 21

6. Southern California at Notre Dame—2:30p CST on NBC, October 17

Quick: Who was the last Notre Dame coach to beat USC? If you guessed Bob Davie, you are correct.

His 2001 Irish squad beat Pete Carroll's Trojans, 27-16, in South Bend.

The stage will be set for a matchup of two top 10 teams when the Irish and Trojans resume one of college football's most exciting rivalries.

Notre Dame will pull out all the stops for this game—green jerseys, stadium pep rally, Joe Montana, Jerome Bettis, and a host of other Irish greats.

Believe it or not, the Irish have a tremendous opportunity to take down the Trojans. Yes, I know this is essentially the same Notre Dame squad that last year failed to get a first down against the Trojans until last play of the third quarter, finished with nine yards in the first half, and managed only three points.

But ND's defense will face a green Trojan offense, led by RS So. Aaron Corp, who will have only five games under his belt at this point in the season.

Brian Smith, Robert Blanton, Ethan Johnson, and the rest of the Irish defense are eager to avenge last year's defeat at the Coliseum.

Couple that with the confidence from five straight wins and the advantage of 80,000 Irish faithful willing their team on to defeat the evil empire...smells like a recipe for success to me.

Can the Irish pull off the upset? Yes. Do I honestly believe that? Yes. Will they?

Yes. No Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush means a repeat of 2005's classic, except without the soul-crushing defeat.

Notre Dame asserts itself as a legitimate national title contender by squeaking out a victory and ending the eight-year drought.

Final Score: Notre Dame 21, Southern Cal 17

7. Notre Dame vs. Boston College—2:30p CST on NBC, October 24

With the Irish fresh off of a defeat over the Trojans, this is the very definition of a trap game.

Given the Eagles' recent success against the Irish, I am tempted to pick the upset here, but there are few key factors at stake that will enable the Irish to walk away with this one.

BC will be breaking in a new quarterback this season after the expected front-runner, Dominique Davis, was dismissed from the team for academic reasons and has since transferred.

Justin Tuggle, a RS Fr., or Codi Beck, a transfer from American River Junior College, will earn the starting nod in this one. Both have yet to log actual game time for the Eagles.

On top of the QB position, the Eagles will be without star LB Mark Herzlich, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer earlier this year.

Moreover, the Eagles will be breaking in their third coach in four years.

The potent Irish offense will not repeat last season's embarrassing shutout in Chestnut Hill, en route to a comfortable victory.

Final Score: Notre Dame 34, Boston College 10

8. Notre Dame vs. Washington State @ San Antonio, TX—6:30p CST on NBC, October 31

This game will mark the first of several off site home games for the Irish, playing in hot recruiting beds around the country to add more exposure to the university.

Let's keep this one simple, though—Wazzou won two games last year and not much has changed to suggest they can eclipse that mark.

Armando Allen has a monster game with 150 yards on the ground, two rushing TDs, and one receiving TD. Clausen has a great game as well, throwing for 325 yards and three TDs.

Final Score: Notre Dame 38, Washington State 6

9. Notre Dame vs. Navy—1:30p CST on NBC, November 7

All is back to normal in the world as the Irish started another winning streak against the Midshipmen last season.

Gone is former QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, among a host of other key cogs (namely FB Eric Kettani) to the well-oiled Midshipmen option attack.

While its team is not chock full of blue chip future NFL stars, the Midshipmen are always a tough out due to their gimmicky offense and overall discipline.

Any man offering up his life for his country is certainly disciplined enough to run like a banshee on the football field for 60 minutes at full speed.

Navy did manage to snap Notre Dame's 43-game winning streak in 2007 in a rousing three-OT thriller. Will they do it again? No.

The Midshipmen secondary is too porous to combat ND's aerial attack. Clausen and co. will have a field day.

Final Score: Notre Dame 38, Navy 13

10. Notre Dame at Pittsburgh—time TBA, likely ESPN, ABC, or ESPN2, November 14

As unlikely as it may seem, the Irish will come into this game with the opportunity to tack on 10 wins in the regular season for the first time since 2006.

You better believe it can happen.

In Weis' first game as ND head coach, the Irish throttled Dave Wannstedt's Pittsburgh team in his first game as the Panthers' head coach by a final score of 41-21.

I don't expect as wide of a spread in this year's game, especially given the epic collapse last year in South Bend, but I do expect the Irish to finish strong and not blow an early lead in this one.

If Pitt still had "Shady" McCoy, I would be inclined to pick them in this bash. But Shady bolted Pitt after just two years in collegiate action (he was drafted in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles.)

This won't be a high scoring game, but it will certainly be close.

Without a legitimate threat in the backfield, the Panthers will face an afternoon of white uniforms on their side of the ball.

Tenuta will unleash his blitz-happy defense upon the Panthers all afternoon, evening, or whatever time of day it is.

Darrin Walls, the hometown boy, will return an INT for a touchdown in this one as the Irish defense sets the pace early.

Final Score: Notre Dame 28, Pittsburgh 14

11. Notre Dame vs. Connecticut—1:30p CST on NBC, November 21

Senior day for the fighting Irish should have a much different ring to it in 2009 than it did last year.

If you recall, the Irish blew a lead against the lowly Syracuse Orange (3-9) in 2008.

This time around, though, ND will have learned to close out the games it could not shut the door on one year ago.

Led by seasoned veterans on both sides of the ball, the Irish will take command early in this one.

Former Irish QB Zach Frazer will be the likely starter for the Huskies in this clash. Last time he was in ND stadium, he was in a competition to earn the starting nod for the 2007 Irish squad.

After losing the battle to Demetrius Jones (now a converted LB at Cincinnati), Evan Sharpley, and Jimmy Clausen, he was granted permission to transfer to UCONN in July of '07.

Frazer has improved since his days in South Bend, but I don't expect him to be a miracle-worker.

The Irish win this one and to move to 11-0 on the year before heading to Stanford and an inevitable BCS bowl game.

Final Score: Notre Dame 34, UCONN 17

12. Notre Dame at Stanford—7p CST on ABC, November 28

By now you're probably thinking I'm crazy. What are the odds ND comes into the final regular season game of the season undefeated (let alone a win against USC)?

Total it up throughout the year and you're looking at a .049 percent chance of winning all 11 games to this point.

Here's where things get wild.

By this point, the bandwagon will be full of the usual array of lovers and haters.

One more win, and ND can possibly enter the national title game (depending on how other teams fare throughout the season and how much the Irish are penalized by their weak strength of schedule).

Will it happen? No. I find it rather discomforting that I feel this way, but I don't have a good feeling about this matchup.

Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh has silently been working miracles out west in Palo Alto, CA. The Cardinal have pulled recruits away from USC and even beat the Trojans two years ago at the Coliseum.

RS Fr. Andrew Luck beat out RS Sr. Tavita Pritchard in spring ball to win the starting QB position and is poised to follow in the lines of Stanford's rich tradition of talented signal-callers.

He clearly has the brain (he was valedictorian of his high school) and talent (rated as high as the No. 4 QB in his recruiting class) to lead the Cardinal offense.

Even if he doesn't pan out in his first year at the helm, Pritchard is capable of running the show.

It is with great regret I provide my final prediction for the 2009 Irish—an upset loss to the Cardinal over Thanksgiving weekend.

With so much riding on this game, the Irish will definitely be focused, but I fear they will be too stiff.

Harbaughs will take advantage of that tension, ending any talk of putting the Irish in the national championship game.

Final Score: Stanford 20, Notre Dame 14

Disagree? Feel free to leave a comment with your set of predictions. We encourage debate here at Stars and Slights.

Stay tuned for my outlook on the 2009 Virginia Tech Hokies as well as Justin's predictions for VT and ND.

Penguins Slide Into 3-1 Series Lead Against Flyers

Brian — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:52:00 -0400

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Following up on the pseudo hockey-centric post from yesterday, below are highlights of Game Four from the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

While I've been thoroughly disappointed not to have seen the one and only Don Cherry yet during these playoffs I have been equally ecstatic about the play of the Penguins.

Some might consider the goals the Penguins have scored to come from lucky bounces, but I contend it has clearly been the work of a swarming offense that has found itself in the right place at the right times.

Don't believe me? Just watch Sidney Crosby's goal 1:29 into the video. As the goal was being reviewed the play was shown about at about five different angles for roughly seven minutes.

Based on my rudimentary knowledge of the game, the shot was deemed a goal because it was tipped off of Crosby's stick and then deflected (albeit off Crosby's arm) by himself into the net before the post became ungrounded from its bearings.

With the series at 3-1 in favor of the Penguins, the two teams will head back to Pittsburgh for Game Five tomorrow night at 7 PM EST on Versus.

The front office is calling for a "Whiteout" and the timing feels right for the Penguins to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, especially since 91% of teams leading 3-1 in Stanley Cup Playoff history have gone on to win the series.

The Penguins will most likely face the Boston Bruins, who hold a 3-0 series lead and are up 4-1 in the 3rd period of game 4 against the Montreal Canadiens.

Let's go Pens!

Welcome Home Stanley Cup

Brian — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:21:00 -0400

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Besides from Lord Stanley, the cup itself, Wayne Gretzky, Barry Melrose, and perhaps Don Cherry, it's probably the Versus Network

Ever since the 2004-2005 NHL Lockout NHL games lost their mainstream contracts (including a bid from ESPN reportedly worth $130MM) and instead settled for an agreement with the Versus Network.

Formerly known as OLN, Versus has positioned itself as the man's network, featuring programming like hunting shows, hockey games, and extreme cage fighting.

In keeping in line with their manly programming they have also associated themselves with hard, heavy metal intros when moving in and out of commercials.

Below is an example of one of their ads:

The song playing in the background of the commercial is entitled "Welcome Home" by Coheed and Cambria.

Originally featured as the third track of the album "Good Apollo, I'm burning Star IV, Vol.1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness", this melodic progressive rock song has been used by various sports teams/players and radio stations as intros, by video games for commercials and in-game experience (Rock Band), and movie trailers.

Below is an acoustic version of Welcome Home performed for the Fuse Network. I would have embedded the actual music video for this song, but YouTube tells me embedding has been "disabled by request."

Oh well—hopefully you find the acoustic version as scintillating as the original.

NCAA Athletics: Taking the Student out of Student Athletes Since 1906

Brian — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:38:00 -0500

Gotta hand it to the NCAA. They are incredibly tough on their criteria for student athlete eligibility:

According to Beamer, Marshman has already graduated but was taking six credit hours as required by the NCAA and failed to pass.

Way to really challenge student athletes, NCAA officials! Six credits? Hmm...what to choose: underwater basket weaving or ballroom dancing?

Yes, the aforementioned Beamer is Frank, head football coach for Virginia Tech.

That excerpt was from this article, which reported that the Hokies may be without three players for their bout against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the FedEx Orange Bowl on New Year's Day. Left guard Nick Marshmam (academically ineligible), defensive end Jason Worlids (shoulder injury), and linebacker Brett Warren (torn ACL) will all likely miss the game against Cincy.

Coming from a school that requires all student athletes—football players included—to take at least 12 credits to be eligible, this is truly appalling news. It's like they want to set students to stay longer than four years. But why would they want to keep athletes on scholarship for an extra year given the economic implications?

I know many student athletes take summer courses as well, but I cannot understand how they don't finish in four years.

For the record, I don't think there is anything wrong with not finishing in 4 years. However, when given the opportunity to take summer courses to offset the course load during season one would expect these so-called student athletes to finish on schedule.

At Notre Dame, football players who apply for a fifth year must first apply and gain admission to one of Notre Dame's graduate programs. All players must finish their undergraduate schooling in four years. Moreover, they must also take at least 12 credits while in season.

If the NCAA were really serious about emphasizing the former portion of "student athlete" rather than the latter they might want to take a look at the requirements and standards ND, the Ivies, and many other schools hold their student athletes accountable to.

You have probably seen those commercials promoted by the NCAA with the tag line, "There are over 380,000 NCAA student athletes, and most of us will go pro in something other than sports." I couldn't agree more with that statement, but it's an absolute joke considering the minimal requirements "enforced" by the NCAA.

Requiring a meager six credits is a disgrace and seems like quite the contradiction based on the above commercial series and NCAA student athletes tag line, doesn't it? The really sad part: some athletes have gotten away with taking less than that minimum...

If you recall, former USC quarterback Matt Leinart apparently took just one course, Ballroom Dancing, during his fifth year at the University of Southern California. Leinart clearly was not concerned about school at all.

A sociology major, Leinart needs two credits to graduate as he begins his fifth year at USC.

"School's done for me—I'm here to concentrate on football," he said.

Leinart will complete his schooling by taking a class in ballroom dancing with Cameron, a sophomore from Thousand Oaks who plays on USC's women's basketball team.

"We both kind of figured, 'Let's take that.' We'll practice our tango or whatever the heck they do—the 1-2 step," Leinart said, smiling.

Something is not right in paradise. I highly doubt that Ballroom Dancing at USC is worth six credits, let alone three. A quick academic search on their website revealed that Ballroom Dancing is listed as a club sport.

I wonder what Leinart filled out on his USC admissions application?

The moral of the story? Any attempt by the NCAA purporting its emphasis on student athletes is comical at worst and depressing at best.

The NCAA should increase its academic requirements for its athletes, else those "going pro in something other than sports" commercials are nothing more than a facade.

Notre Dame Bowl Trip Is No Strike, But a Spare Will Suffice

Brian — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:50:00 -0500

If you are a member of Notre Dame Nation (alums and subway alums alike) you probably have a distinct opinion on Notre Dame’s acceptance to play in a bowl game with a 6-6 overall record.

Moreover, aside from the mere acceptance of the bowl bid it is probably safe to say you have an even more distinct opinion on the actual bowl game itself.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, Notre Dame accepted a bid this past Sunday to play in the Sheraton Hotels Hawaii bowl on Christmas Eve at 8 p.m. EST.

This marks the third bowl game that Charlie Weis has lead the Irish to after Tyrone Willingham led the Irish to two such games prior to Weis’ tenure (though he only coached one of them, as Kent Baer served as interim Head Coach in the 2004 Insight Bowl).

Bowl games are generally exciting attractions for universities, as they provide additional practice time/experience for the upcoming season and instant cash flow for the sake of merely showing up to play.

Moreover, they provide adoring fans yet another opportunity to see their teams play whether it be live and in person or on TV.

So, I beg the question, what is all the fuss about? If you read any fan forum or message board, you would think the sky is falling and the program had lost all of its games this year.

Aside from even accepting the bid, people are complaining about ND choosing to play on Christmas Eve (what some ignorant people are calling the holiest day of the year, even though Easter Sunday actually holds that title).

They claim that more viable options existed, such as the Texas Bowl on Dec. 30. They say ND should only accept more lucrative bids, such as BCS Bowls, Cotton Bowls, or Gator Bowls.

Perhaps the most shocking thing to me is that people are complaining about IMPROVEMENT. Sure, ND blew a number of games late in the year and lost to a hapless Syracuse team.

But facts are facts: ND was 3-9 in 2007 without a bowl bid and are now 6-6 with a bowl game in the near future.

Consider where the program was last year and ask yourself this question: Can I honestly say that I expected ND to be in the national title game this year?

If you truthfully answered “yes” then I suggest you submit yourself to a psychiatric evaluation.

It simply is not logical (nor probable) to believe that ND would have transformed from 3-9 to 12-0, 11-1, or even 10-2. Heck, even 9-3 would have been a stretch, although it might have happened had the Irish closed out games against UNC, Pitt, and Syracuse.

ND has played with at least 12 underclassmen starters this season. At least 26 underclassmen have received playing time this season.

(For an more in depth look at ND's youth, check out Part 1 and Part 2 of "The Youth Manifesto" by the fine gents over at Her Loyal Sons).

This young and talented team simply has not learned how to finish games yet. Say all you want about coaches motivating players, but the onus also falls on the players to execute and want to close out games in strong fashion rather than to let their opponents creep back in.

Save for Ohio State’s heralded 1968 sophomore-led National Champions (10-0) there has not been as young as a team as the Irish that produced such amazing results (and OSU was 6-3 the year before).

I just finished reading a great book by Dr. Kenneth Blanchard and Dr. Spencer Johnson called “The One Minute Manager” that is incredibly reflective of my outlook on this situation.

One of the sections in the book uses an analogy about teaching whales to jump over high ropes at aquatic shows. Trainers don’t go out to the ocean, hold a rope high over the water and wait for a whales to jump over it for show selection.

Whales aren’t born trained to jump over ropes held out of the water, let alone to swim over ones in the ocean. They must be trained to do so. Any expectation otherwise is wishful delusional thinking.

The same line of thinking can be applied to the state of Notre Dame football. The 2008 team has not yet been fully trained to jump over the proverbial rope, yet so many people illogically expect it and demand it.

I admire the passion, devotion and faith to one’s loyalties. I too want to see ND win national titles every year, let alone be in title contention. But I know that with the parity in sports today that that kind of thinking is improbable.

I love Notre Dame unconditionally, but that does not mean I simply sit back and blindly follow administration moves, faculty hiring/firing practices, development plans, or gameday operations.

However, that unconditional love does mean I can see the larger picture that ND is more than just football. If you think otherwise then you are sadly mistaken.

Notre Dame graduates (undergrad and graduate students alike) have gone on to become some of the world’s finest doctors, lawyers, mathematicians, businessmen and businesswomen, teachers, and priests.

Yet they haven't done so because of the success of the football team. They have done so because of their hard work, commitment, and determination to best the best. They embody what it means to "Play Like A Champion Today."

Family. Strength. Courage. Discipline. Sacrifice. Respect. Humility. Faith. Ethics. Service. Love.

Those are all values that were either learned or reinforced during my time at Notre Dame. Our Lady's University provided the foundation for individuals who are fighting to make a positive impact on the lives of many.

I am proud to be a graduate of the University of Notre Dame because of the values it represents and holds itself accountable to, not because of its football team.

National championships and Heisman trophies are great achievements by the University, but they should not be overlooked by the greater good facilitated by its graduates, faculty, and representatives.

As Lou Holtz once said, “People don’t come to Notre Dame to learn how to do something. They come to Notre Dame to learn how to be somebody.”

If you don’t believe so, you are nobody.

Irish Capsize Sinking Washington Ship

Brian — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:59:00 -0400

Notre Dame took care of business on Saturday by dominating the Washington Huskies in all facets of the game, winning by a 33-7 margin for its first win away from home this season.

Irish gunslinger Jimmy Clausen connected with standout true freshman wide receiver Michael Floyd less than three minutes into the ball game for a 51-yard touchdown reception. Floyd, who recorded his third 100+ yard performance, showed off his speed and athletic ability as he evaded the Washington secondary en route to the end zone.

Golden Tate scored a few minutes later on an end-around to extend the ND lead to 14-0 in the first quarter.

"I think we let up once we had them 14-0," quipped Tate after the game.

Two quick scores were more than enough support for a swarming Irish defense that created headaches for Washington quarterback Ronnie Fouch all game long. The Irish "D" finished with four sacks, four pass breakups, and prevented the Husky offense from crossing the 50-yard line until late in the fourth quarter.

Harrison Smith finished with two sacks, totaling 21 yards, but provided even more of a spark on special teams. Late in the third quarter on a 4th-and-13 from ND's 37-yard line, Smith took a direct snap and scampered 35 yards. The Associated Press had the following to say about the play:

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, who exchanged a handshake and appeared cordial with Willingham on the field after the game, said he wanted to run that play late in the first half but the clock ran out on him. His team had practiced against a certain look he planned to exploit on Washington's punt-return unit. It was heavy on defenders outside, setting up for a return. That left Smith free and "excited," the linebacker said, in the middle.

Asked if he thought about what the perception of such a play would be coming with a 24-point lead on an obviously overmatched opponent, Weis said: "No. It's the third quarter. ... It's not 50-0. I'm not that type of guy. ... We yanked guys at the start of the fourth quarter. Their only touchdown at the end was against guys who never play. No, that's not our deal."

Given the current landscape of the game, with teams racking up inordinate amounts of points in hopes of earning "style" points with voters, it is refreshing to hear Coach Weis openly admit his opposition to such tactics.

The Husky offense never got off the ground, amassing a measly 124 yards and earning only nine first downs. Moreover, the only Husky points were scored when the game had already been decided and Notre Dame had removed its first-teamers.

On the other side of the ball, the Husky defense was trampled over by Notre Dame's running attack all night long. James Aldridge scored a career-high two touchdowns on 13 carries with 84 yards rushing, Armando Allen added 62 yards on 15 carries, and Robert Hughes added 19 yards on four carries.

True freshman running back Jonas Gray received his first game action on the offensive side of the ball (he's appeared on special teams in several games) and gained 61 yards on nine carries.

Irish kicker Brandon Walker booted two field goals, a welcome surprise from his performance leading up to the game. Walker's improvement, however, didn't stop Weis from testing out walk-on David Ruffer, the newest addition to the Irish roster. Ruffer misfired on an extra point attempt in his only game action.

Overall, this was the perfect game for Notre Dame to have scheduled coming off of a bye week. Washington head coach Tyrone Willingham looked stoic throughout the game as he watched what was likely one of his last few games as a Husky employee. For a very thorough take on Willingham's coaching abilities, take a look at this gem from the fine folks at NDNation.

Next up for the Irish: Pittsburgh, Nov. 1 at 2:30 p.m. EST on NBC.

Timber: Notre Dame Downs Stanford 28-21

Brian — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:03:30 -0400

Despite the pathetic attempt of Stanford OL Chris Marinelli to pump up his team, the Irish managed to defeat the Cardinal 28-21 this past Saturday on a weekend that celebrated the 100th Birthday of the greatest fight song ever written: The Notre Dame Victory March.

Notre Dame was led by Jimmy Clausen, who set a career high in passing yards for the second straight game. In all, he finished with 347 yards on 29-of-40 passes and three touchdowns.

His play throughout was impressive, especially his increasing ability to check down his receivers to find the open man instead of trying to force a play to happen. He has shown marked improvement since the start of the season, let alone last year.

True freshman Michael Floyd turned in his second straight 100-yard receiving game, hauling in five catches for 115 yards and a beautiful 48-yard TD pass courtesy of a second quarter connection with Clausen.

Kyle Rudolph snagged his second TD pass in as many games, but the biggest takeaway from his play was his increased blocking ability. With Will Yeatman's fate still up in the air after a run-in with the law several weeks ago (he met with the University officials earlier today to plead his case) it is refreshing that the drop off in skills is not as great as many perceived it to be.

ND would obviously prefer to have both available, but it is refreshing to know that Rudolph is a suitable backup option (keep in mind that both Rudolph and Yeatman were behind the injured Mike Ragone at the beginning of fall camp).

The Irish D played well against the pass but performed miserably against the scampering trees. Three first half interceptions of Stanford QB Tavita Pritchard helped set the stage for a commanding 21-7 lead at the half.

A recurring theme throughout the weekend was the sheer lack of class exhibited by Jim Harbaugh and his band of fighting trees. A report from a sophomore band member revealed the overzealousness exuded by the Cardinal prior to kickoff.

DT James McGillicuddy and WR Doug Baldwin were among the several Cardinal players to taunt the Notre Dame Band as the team entered into the locker room. I bet they also enjoy taking lunch money from little children and clubbing baby seals. Spineless.

As childish as the Cardinal players were, they were undoubtedly inspired by their fearless leader, Harbaugh. Late in the second quarter the Cardinal punted away to Armando Allen, who signaled for a fair catch.

Nate Wilcox-Fogel of the Cardinal got in the way of Allen and the ball caromed off Wilcox-Fogel's shoulder, onto Allen, and was scooped up by a Cardinal player who ran in for what Harbaugh thought was a TD.

The officials, however, ruled that Allen was interfered with (and rightfully so), setting off a tirade from Harbaugh. As any four-year old denied of what he wanted would behave, Harbaugh put up quite the stink.

He stormed almost to the middle of the field, screamed at the referees, and threw his hat in the direction of the fans sitting behind the Cardinal bench. Potty trained? I think not.

For the first time in awhile, ND put up a fight and did not back down all weekend. Pat Kuntz put forth one of the best defensive efforts I've seen in the last few years.

During the Friday pep rally, Kuntz addressed the idiotic remarks from Marinelli. In typical Kuntzian fashion, he ripped off his suit during his speech, stating "something doesn't feel right...I just don't feel like I'm myself."

Kyle McCarthy came up to the podium during Kuntz's speech and asked how Kuntz would react to Marinelli's comments during the game. After a long list of hypothetical ways McCarthy proposed to handle the situation, Kuntz concluded his speech with "I'm gonna rip his head off, Go Irish!"

Kuntz owned up to his pep rally declaration, finishing with one tipped ball, one interception, two sacks, and one fumble recovery. The fumble recovery occurred on the last play of the game, after which Kuntz spiked the ball. Stanford did not take kindly to Kuntz's enthusiasm and tempers flared. Here's a good look at what transpired as a result: end of game fight.

Quotes:

"Pac-10 officials have reviewed video of the play and it is apparent the Stanford player covering the punt impeded the Notre Dame player attempting to catch it. The call was correct. NCAA playing rule 6-4-1 states in part 'A player of the receiving team within the boundary lines must be given an unimpeded opportunity to catch the kick.' Even though the player attempting to catch the kick was bumped by his teammate, he still attempted to catch the kick and was impeded by the Stanford player. The rule places the onus on the kicking team member to avoid impeding the opportunity to catch the ball." ~ Jim Hansen, Pac-10 Commissioner

"I got pushed out of bounds, and Kyle McCarthy was mad at me because I didn't pitch it back to him. I figured we might as well just let me spike it out of bounds." ~ Pat Kuntz, Notre Dame DL

"There was a lot of talking going on between all of us. It was just a battle. I have to give them credit. They are a good team and they are a very improved team from last year, just like us. Good luck to them in the rest of their season." ~ Pat Kuntz, Notre Dame DL

Notre Dame Faithful: Are You a Fan or a Fanatic?

Brian — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:56:00 -0400

I've had some time to think things over after ND's 23-7 loss to MSU and have come to a very important decision: if any of you honestly believed ND would go 11-0 heading into the season finale vs. USC you were sadly mistaken, if not delusional.

Apparently, and also unfortunately, there are many more of you than I thought. The link for "thought" is by far the most appalling of all (including the entire thread) but you can see what I am getting at.

The main difference between fans and fanatics is that a fanatic's behavior violates prevailing social norms, even though fans can occasionally exhibit such behavior.

Fanatical views stretch beyond normal human tendencies and reflect a great deal of immaturity. ND has way too many people that fall into the latter category and far too few in the former.

Don't get me wrong. I love Notre Dame. I love Notre Dame football. I also love the direction the program is heading in. Take a step back and consider the shambles we were in four or five years ago, courtesy of a coach on one of the hottest seats in college football right now, save for Greg Robinson at Syracuse.

I don't want to get into the entire story, so please click here for perspective on the issue, but the gist of it is that Tyrone failed to recruit. Namely, the O-line was ignored during his tenure roaming the sidelines at ND (two recruits in three years!)

Weis has continued to show his humility, whether it be relinquishing play-calling duties, to traveling the country to various alumni gatherings, to implementing physical practices. Couple those changes with three straight top 10 recruiting classes (the most recent of which was touted as No. 1 by both Rivals and Scouts).

Are recruiting rankings the end-all be-all to the success of a program? No. But it certainly helps to have players held in high regard than those dismissed by all of the top programs.

Coaching develops the talent, so if our players fail to show improvement, the onus is on Weis and his fellow coaches. You cannot honestly tell me, though, that there has been no improvement from last season to this season.

Consider this: Michigan played the same defensive front four that devoured Jimmy Clausen in 2007 (eight sacks). That same front four recorded exactly ZERO sacks this time around in South Bend, en route to an Irish victory last weekend.

Last year the Irish went 3-9, and no one in Leprechaun Land was pleased. At the start of this season, ND won its first two games: not so impressively over SDSU but convincingly against bitter nemesis Michigan.

The ND team of 2007 would have certainly lost the SDSU game. This year's team played with heart, emotion, and determination and did not become discouraged when things weren't going their way. The Irish remained focused and won the game. In the end, aren't we just concerned about wins and losses anyhow?

Yesterday's loss to MSU, as it should be, was disappointing. I am not happy we lost. No Irish fan is happy we lost. There were several mistakes that cost us the game, but it was not a blowout. We remained competitive throughout the entire game despite our numerous mistakes.

After a 3-9 campaign last year, that should be enough. Last year's squad would have crippled and let their mistakes get the best of them and play even more to the advantage of the opposition.

Yet, ND remained competitive and was within one score of taking the lead late in the fourth quarter. Despite these facts, however, and perhaps in spite of the obvious improvement from last year, there are countless ND fans screaming for Weis' head and searching for possible replacements; fanatics.

What a joke. I was actually embarrassed to read the comments after the game. I hope, for the sake of the University, that the majority of the negative comments re: Weis, The Players, and The State of the Program were made by blackout-drunk buffoons.

One would think that most people are smart enough to take things into perspective and not cry wolf when they see a tiny Chihuahua, although that doesn't appear to be the case.

The big picture is that anyone with a brain could have pointed out (and did) before the season (and even three games in) that the Irish were not going to be 11-0 going into the USC game. Many people predicted win totals anywhere from five to eight (excluding a potential bowl game). These people understood perspective.

I hope that none of them are the ones responsible for the radical comments as linked earlier in this post. If so, all hope is lost.

Would I rather see ND win all of their games? Yes. Would I rather see every offensive play result in a touchdown? Yes. Every defensive play a turnover? Yes. Every season a national championship? Yes. Human nature answers those questions with ease.

People don't do things merely to be competitive. People do things to win. This is true in sports, business, and life. I don't walk into meetings with clients and tell them that I want to help them make money 90 percent of the time, let alone 50 percent. It's 100 percent all of the time.

Will things always pan out that way? No, but at least I've tried to do the very best job I could and if that wasn't good enough then I have the opportunity to go back and see where I can improve so that the next time, in a similar situation, I can capitalize.

Thankfully, there are several others who share my views. We don't want to see the running game struggle as it has in the first few games. We would rather blowout opponents than squeak by. We would rather win than lose.

Above everything else, however, we would rather be fans than fanatics.

Where do you fall on the spectrum?

Man Vs. Skunk Bears

Brian — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:52:00 -0400

License to kill skunk bears by the government of the United Nations. Man, free to kill skunk bears at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit—ever. They're like the Viet Cong—Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior firepower and superior intelligence. And that's all she wrote.

Aftermath of Notre Dame vs San Diego State

Brian — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:20:00 -0400

This post probably could have come much earlier in the week, especially since I watched the recording immediately after getting back from South Bend. At any rate, here are my thoughts on the game:

No matter how sloppy the final score made the game appear, a win is a win is a win, whether it be 21-13, 100-0, or 2-0.
Jimmy played very well, remarkably improved from last year in fact. His accuracy was reflected by his 62 percent completion percentage (21/34), and it is important to keep in mind that he wasn't merely dumping the ball on screens the whole game. Clausen was given the ability to toss the ball downfield, a trend I hope to see carried into this week's matchup vs. Michigan.
We did not, as Charlie referenced the Irish running game this season, "pound it." This is a big concern amongst many Irish faithful wishing to see a power game a la the Lou Holtz years. I, however, am not too concerned, as long as there is enough of a balance between passing and running plays to keep opposing defenses on their toes.
Duval Kamara did not play up to his potential. The first interception was almost entirely his fault, as he tried to trap the ball against his pads rather than using his hands. I'm not sure how I feel about the second INT, but it looked like there was some miscommunication between Clausen and Kamara. Chalk it up to being the first game of the year.
Our defense performed well as a whole, and I was impressed by the pressure they put on the SDSU offense. They only had one sack to show for it, but there were a multitude of tipped balls, hurries, and other forced errors.
Staying on the defensive side, we need to learn to cover draw plays better. I know that the purpose of a draw is catch the defense off guard when they're thinking pass, but we let SDSU off the hook several times on draw plays that went for first downs.
The o-line played ok. Not great, not bad. The best thing about their play was that they kept the white jerseys away from Jimmy. No sacks? Awesome.
Mike Anello deserved his scholarship. The kid is a force on special teams and will put the Irish in good situations all season long if he continues his stellar play.
The game could have been 40-0. SDSU's second play from scrimmage was clearly a backwards lateral, which Brian Smith alertly picked up and returned into the end zone. Too bad it was blown dead and therefore non-reviewable. Also, the Hughes fumble was not a fumble. I was appalled after watching the replay that this call did not get overturned. His knee was clearly down.
Michael Floyd is going to be a name you hear very often in the near future.
Kyle Rudolph will be good but he needs to learn how to block at the collegiate level.
I should have worn sunscreen.
Overall, I couldn't be happier with the outcome.

Next up: Skunkbears

"Here Come the Irish": Part Two on Notre Dame Songs

Brian — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:44:00 -0400

Following along the same path of today's earlier post, the song of the day is brought to you in part by the University of Notre Dame.

In 2003, former Notre Dame All-American center John Scully set out to create a song that captured the Notre Dame spirit, and he did just that.

Teamed with producer Jim Tullio, Scully managed to add to the illustrious history of great Notre Dame songs like The Victory March, Hike Notre Dame, The Rakes of Mallow, and Damsha Bua.

Here is an excerpt from a 2004 article about Scully:

He gained perhaps his greatest notoriety for writing and recording "Here Come the Irish," a song about the University of Notre Dame that—wouldn't you know it—doesn't contain a single explicit reference to football. The song illustrates Scully's willingness to take on a daunting challenge. It wasn't as if Scully and co-producer Jim Tullio had never heard "The Notre Dame Victory March."

"We wanted a distinctive effort," Scully says. "But we wanted something perpendicular, not opposite."

The universal acclaim which greeted the release of "Here Come the Irish" left no doubt that Scully and Tullio had hit their target.

"The lyrics are from an observer's point of view," Scully explains.

"It doesn't matter if you're an All-American, the president of the University, or a freshman in his first semester, everyone ends up being a brick in the wall."

Scully is proud of what he and his teammates accomplished at Notre Dame. The 1980 team he captained as a senior surprised nearly everybody by climbing to the top of the polls by November. But Scully doesn't spend much time reliving those days.

"We get to go out every day and write our own biographies," he says. "What I did at Notre Dame is ancient history."

Two labels which Scully does gladly embrace are that of husband and father. Living in Joliet, Ill., with his wife and two teenage daughters, Scully has changed labels once again, entering the commercial insurance field.

The early indications are that Scully will be labeled a success once again.

Without any further adieu, HERE COME THE IRISH.*

* - My esteemed colleague, Justin Coates, actually penned one of the better ND articles I have read in a long time. Have a look.

Here Come The Irish: Part I

Brian — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:30:00 -0400

Disclaimer: I got chills up my spine as I wrote the title of this post.

To set the record straight, I am not your typical Notre Dame fan. My heritage did not raise me blue and gold through and through from birth like so many of my Domer friends.

Much the contrary, it was not until my sophomore year of high school that I became enamored with Our Lady's University. One of my sisters matriculated at Saint Mary's College (which is directly across the street from ND in case you are not familiar with the school) that year and I made a trip out with my parents to see her for the October 6, 2001 game featuring the Fighting Irish vs the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Long story short, I fell in love with campus before I even stepped foot on it. As we drove in from the Indiana Toll Road I could see the Golden Dome glistening in the sun and it was truly the most beautiful sight I had ever seen up until that point.

I won't bore you with the rest of the details but Notre Dame won both the game (24-7) and my heart. From that day forth I was determined to go to college at the University of Notre Dame. Lo and behold, I was rewarded with my efforts during spring of my senior year of high school and was granted admission.

Over the past four years my love for the University grew deeper and deeper, and if it hadn't already done so beforehand, secured a permanent spot in my heart.

So as I sat down at my computer to write this article I literally felt chills crawling up my spine. If you aren't a fan of the University you are probably thinking to yourself that I am a little weird (although you might be thinking that regardless of the circumstances). True.

Notre Dame is one of those places that you either love or hate. There is no middle ground, and I am perfectly okay with that thought. I enjoy hearing from random strangers that I "suck" or "Notre Dame is terrible."

Why, you ask? Simple: They wouldn't say those things if they understood what the University is truly about, and I don't sink to their level. People often times "hate" what they don't understand, and this case is certainly no different.

This weekend the Irish kickoff against their 2008 campaign this Saturday, September 6 against San Diego State Aztecs, a product of the Kevin White scheduling philosophy. If you don't remember, Notre Dame's former Athletic Director Dr. Kevin White rescheduled ND's game vs BYU in 2004 so that it would be the opener, allowing the Irish to "warm-up" before taking on Michigan.

As fate would have it, the Irish lost the supposed tune-up game and beat Michigan. For making the switch, White agreed to have the Irish play two future games against other Mountain West opponents. Welcome San Diego State this year and Nevada next year!

In all honesty, as long as the Irish remain one of the five schools never to have played a 1-AA opponent (Michigan State, Southern Cal, UCLA, and Washington are the others) I could care less who they are playing this weekend.

I cannot wait to hear the band play the greatest of all University fight songs, The Notre Dame Victory March! I cannot wait to hear the drumline and see my friends still on the line. I cannot wait to see the Golden Dome, and Touchdown Jesus, and the Grotto. I cannot wait to see more than 100,000 people on campus for a game where the stadium holds only 80,795. I cannot wait to be a part of the 400th game ever played at Notre Dame Stadium and the 200th consecutive sellout. I cannot wait to cheer along to Talking Hands, Rock, Five or Metallica. I cannot wait to see the team run out of the tunnel.

Most importantly, I cannot wait to be back at my favorite place in the world: Notre Dame.

Here Come The Irish!

Is the NFL Hurting from the Current State of Rookie Contracts?

Brian — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:49:49 -0400

In case you haven’t heard, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is not pleased with the current state of rookie contracts.

“Money is not going to players that are performing. It's going to a player that never makes it in the NFL. And I think that's ridiculous."

Imagine this scenario:

You’re a 10-year veteran in the NFL. You’re a free agent. While not a superstar, you’re still very gifted. All of those years on the gridiron have begun to take their toll on your body, but you’re still rock solid and an attractive athlete to many NFL franchises.

During the free-agent signing period, you’ve spoken to numerous teams, all of which have told you the same thing: “We would love to have you on the team, but if you can’t take a significant pay cut, we can’t sign you.”

Unfortunately, this scenario is very realistic given the current structure of the NFL rookie salary cap (or lack thereof).

While there is no cap on rookies, the NFL has a “hard cap” for teams, meaning that no team can exceed the cap for any reason. The cap is determined by the Defined Gross Revenues set by the league each year as a reflection of the previous season’s total revenues (the inclusion of all revenue streams was renegotiated in 2006 to add things like naming rights and advertising).

The cap itself is a product of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the most recent of which was negotiated in 2006.

In case you are confused, here is the actual mathematical equation:

Projected revenue x CBA Percentage = Players Share Total Revenue

Players Share minus Projected League-wide Benefits = Amount Available for Player Salaries

Amount Available for Player Salaries / Number of Teams = Unadjusted Salary Cap per Team

So while there is an overall cap that teams must abide by, there is no such cap for rookie contracts, which, by the way, are indeed accounted for in the overall cap. Under this system, unproven rookies can earn more money than seasoned veterans!

All other things being equal, that’s like placing a higher value on a high-school diploma than a college degree.

Sure, high rookie contracts can help veterans by inflating their worth. But is that really necessary? With a rookie cap, teams would be able to invest their money in many different avenues, such as veteran players, advertising, or even stadium improvements. Rookie players wouldn’t be working for free, mind you; there is a league-minimum salary.

As of 2007, the minimum structure salary was as follows:

Rookies and first-year players: $285,000

Second-year players: $360,000

Third-year: $435,000

Fourth-year: $510,000

Fifth through seventh-year: $595,000

Eighth through 10th-year: $720,000

11th-year and longer: $820,000

Once rookies that prove that they belong in the league they can renegotiate their contracts. Plus, these figures exclude endorsements.

"Ridiculous" Rookie Contracts

Matt Ryan, the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL draft, signed a six-year deal worth $72 million ($34.75 of which is guaranteed money) with the Atlanta Falcons.
The No. 1 overall pick, Jake Long, signed a five-year deal worth $57.75 million ($30 million guaranteed) with the Miami Dolphins.
Last years' No. 1 pick, JaMarcus Russell, signed a six-year $61 million contract.

Welcome to your teams, gentlemen. You are officially the highest-paid players on your teams, and you have yet to take a snap as a professional (JaMarcus played in four lackluster games last season throwing for 373 yards, 2 TDs and a 55.9 QB rating).

Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian (father of Notre Dame Special-Teams Coach Brian Polian) has been one of the most ardent supporters of a rookie cap.

"The union has to give us a firm, definitive, rookie salary cap. We're perfectly willing to have the money that does not go to the rookies go to the veterans. Nobody is looking to save money. But we're sick and tired of giving exorbitant, incredible sums of money to players who haven't proven they can do anything but play against Eastern Michigan."

Caps in Other Leagues

Maybe the NFL should take notes from other leagues. The NBA has a system that is very intuitive: Rookies are paid in ascending monetary value, judged by their placement in the draft. Everything is scaled to a set maximum value. The NHL recently created a rookie salary cap, too. The MLB has no salary cap, but rather a luxury tax.

So, if you were an NFL owner, why would you pay someone who has never played a down as a professional an exorbitant amount? The simple answer is that you don’t want to. You would much rather use that cash to sign veteran players to build the pieces of your puzzle.

Is There an End in Sight?

It should be a no-brainer. Once you’ve shown that you won’t be a "flop," you can negotiate a new contract worth millions. Until then, however, it does not seem “fair” for the older players in the league, who have already proven themselves, to earn less than the best players coming out of college.

I know what some of you are thinking. NFL players are at risk of injury every time they step on the field. They’re walking occupational hazards. What if they are hurt? What will they do with their lives post-football, especially with so many years ahead of them?

Here’s a thought: They could fall back on the education they received in college. After all, they are STUDENT-athletes.

Last month, team owners unanimously decided to opt out of the CBA, which makes the likelihood of a strike more plausible. So all that needs to happen is for team owners and the NFL Players Association to negotiate a new CBA.

Easier said than done.

*For an incredibly thorough analysis of the NFL salary cap visit Ask The Commish

Rich Rodriguez Is Never Wrong

Brian — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:03:00 -0400

He's always wrong.

Well, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but it has become apparent that he has trouble admitting that he is capable of wrongdoing.

Thursday, July 24 at the Big Ten preseason media conference in Chicago, IL Rich Rodriguez took to the podium to make his first public statement since the fiasco in which his new employer (the University of Michigan) agreed to pay his former employer (West Virginia University).

If you need your memory refreshed, check out this article from the Stars And Slights archives.

As you may recall, Rodriguez claimed that he didn't have to pay West Virginia University even though he had signed a document stating he would do just that if he left the school without their blessing. He eventually admitted that he did, in fact, owe monetary compensation to his former employer, but his current employer stepped up to pay the majority of the buyout clause.

On Thursday Rodriguez claimed that he wanted to say more on the issue but that everyone wanted to move on and that is why the settlement was reached.

"There's a lot of things that I would like to talk about, but I want to move on. That's one of the biggest reasons that everything got settled because I think everybody wanted to move on."

By everybody, he means the University of Michigan. The school was embarrassed by the issue and realized that it needed to take care of the matter before Rodriguez became tied up in the courts. Michigan administrators probably wanted to avoid appearing in court, too, making their decision to reach a settlement increasingly important.

Rodriguez could have left it at that, but he decided to keep running his mouth despite his plea to move on from the issue.

"Am I disappointed with certain things? Sure I am, disappointed in that maybe not all of the things that I thought were truthful had an opportunity to come out to set the record straight on certain situations."

Let me clarify: Rodriguez is a stubborn child. Not all of the things that he thought were truthful had an opportunity to come out? Either he didn't disclose all relevant information to his lawyers or...well, that would be the only possible scenario allowing information to be absent here.

Failing to provide all relevant information in a manner that in some way prevents justice from being served, if my interpretation of the law is correct, would constitute an obstruction of justice.

The record was set straight, Dick. You signed a contract, breached it, and then were forced BY LAW to pay the consequences for your actions.

Behind closed doors Rodriguez has to be thrilled with how everything turned out. Instead of forking over the total $4M bill he has to pay less than half ($1.5M) over a period of several years.

So, if you're reading this, Dick, stop being such a stubborn fool and just do what you were hired to do: coach football.

ESPN + College Football Live = Garbage

Brian — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:49:00 -0400

Over the years I have become less and less of an ESPN fan. They have shelled out numerous stories with many factual inaccuracies and biases, and it's disappointing and contradictory that they claim to be the worldwide leader in sports.

Their latest transgression occurred recently on the show College Football Live. They showed various teams and their upcoming schedules for the season on the ticker on the left-hand side of the screen. At the bottom of the visual, they included pieces of information about the team and/or coach and then list key returners and key losses. For Notre Dame, they listed Tom Zbikowski and Maurice Crum as key losses.

Apparently Charlie Weis and Co. were so upset over the loss of Crum that they decided to insert him at the starting inside linebacker position. Or maybe, just maybe, ESPN is incapable of typing Maurice Crum into Google.

Maurice was a senior last year, so maybe that confused them. However, he applied for and was granted a fifth year with the Fighting Irish. This information is readily available on the Internet at the official athletic website. It can be found in the section entitled "roster." It can also be found here about halfway down the page.

It's amazing how the self-proclaimed worldwide leader in sports can't fact check or do any research to corroborate their statements. Scratch that. It's sad. Very sad.

Does Kevin Durant Deserve to Have His Jersey Retired by Texas?

Brian — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:00:00 -0400

Earl Campbell. Roger Clemens. Ricky Williams. T.J. Ford.

These are the names of the only athletes in Longhorns history to have their jerseys retired.

Next year the Longhorns will add an accomplished group of athletes to the bunch—but I'm not sure all of them truly belong.

According to the Associated Press, Vince Young and Kevin Durant will have their jerseys retired, along with seven other former Longhorns athletes.

The biggest shock among the two headliners is Durant, who played just one season for the Longhorns. True, his accolades during that one season in college were surely impressive.

Started all 35 games

25.8 points per game

11.1 rebounds per game

Led Texas to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament

National Association of Basketball Coaches Division I Player of the Year

Oscar Robertson Trophy recipient (first ever freshman to win)

Adolph F. Rupp Trophy recipient (first ever freshman to win)

Naismith Award recipient (first ever freshman to win)

John R. Wooden Award (first ever freshman to win)

On top of this impressive list of accomplishments, Durant was chosen with the second pick in the NBA draft by the Seattle Supersonics, who recently relocated to Oklahoma City.

But why would any school feel inclined to honor someone who graced its halls for one year? Even if he goes back to finish his degree, which he is apparently doing, he only played for one season. It's not like he led them to an NCAA title like Carmelo Anthony (another one and done college player) did for Syracuse in 2003.

My main contention with this whole thing is that Durant didn't really do anything for Texas. OK, so he helped guide them to the Sweet Sixteen. All of his other accolades were personal.

Even though he helped bring more notoriety to the school, he failed to do what Carmelo did (to date, Syracuse has not retired his jersey). I just don't see how one year of service warrants the equivalent to a lifetime achievement award.

Durant deserves to be honored for his outstanding performance in college—just maybe not in the way that Texas and other universities and teams choose to celebrate their tradition.

Notes

Campbell won the Heisman Trophy in 1977 and is enshrined in both the college and pro football Halls of Fame.

Clemens pitched two All-American seasons with the Longhorns baseball team and helped lead them to a national championship in 1983.

Ricky Williams won the 1998 Heisman Trophy and set many NCAA Division I-A records (some of which were later broken), including most yards in a career (broken one year later by Ron Dayne from the University of Wisconsin) and career rushing touchdowns and career scoring (both of which were broken one year later by Travis Prentice from Miami (OH) University).

T.J. Ford only stayed for two seasons with Texas' hoops team, but he led them to their first Final Four appearance since 1947 (and also the Sweet Sixteen) and won the Naismith and Wooden awards, along with being named player of the year by every major sports outlet. When he left Texas, Ford was the only basketball player to have his jersey retired.

NCAA Football '09: PS3 Review

Brian — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:00:00 -0400

Today, somewhat on a whim, I went out and purchased the NCAA Football ‘09 for PS3.

We don't actually own one of the systems, but someone is at our house making it fair game for use.

After playing two games already against a human opponent, I think it's safe to say that the game experience is truly impressive.

The game play is pretty good, so far, but we're just getting the hang of it.

I'll be sure to pout more as things progress on the video game frontier, but the only thing that is a little less impressive about this game is the fact that Matt Ryan is on the cover.

I'll be sure to remedy that soon.

UPDATE

It's late night, now, and after contesting several virtual gridiron battles our early verdict is that this game is awesome.

The game play is very smooth; almost too smooth at first as it takes some getting used to.

You really have to tailor your game plan to the team your using.

I tried some long passing when I was West Virginia playing against Clemson in Morgantown and failed to have much success.

It was only when I started using screen passes and the absurdly fast Noel Devine that I began to make some noise offensively.

Signing off.