Bleacher Report - Articles by Steve Gormley

Manti Te'o Picks Notre Dame over USC

Steve Gormley — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:46:58 -0500

The Golden Domers got their first win of the 2009 football season on Signing Day when Hawaiian linebacker recruit Manti Te'o committed to Notre Dame over Southern Cal and UCLA.

Te'o said his decision was not final until 5:00 am. ESPN blogger Graham Watson said even Te'o's father believed he was going to pick USC, until he donned the shamrock cap.

This is one of the top two signings for the Irish in the Charlie Weis era—QB Jimmy Clausen being the other.

According to Rivals.com, the Irish currently have the 20th ranked recruiting class. ESPN.com has the Irish in the 13th spot.

These numbers are likely to change as recruits become ineligible due to grades and other off field issues. Expect Notre Dame's rankings to move higher as this attrition occurs.

This writer has only on thing to say to Trojan fans across the country: FACE!!!

New Year's Resolutions For The Fighting Irish

Steve Gormley — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 09:12:05 -0500

As the calendar turns to 2009, here are a few resolutions for the Irish and their faithful heading into the New Year.

1. Patience For All Notre Dame Fans With Charlie Weis

After his first two seasons there were about zero Irish fans calling for CW to be fired. Now, just two seasons later, practically the entire fan base is wanting a new head coach. Just be patient.

When Weis first came in, the roster was riddled with upperclassmen. My feeling is it takes a little while to grasp Weis' offense, and for those younger players, the learning curve is fairly slow. Granted, I would have liked to see more growth from Jimmy Clausen this season, but the Hawaii Bowl was very encouraging. Then, as the young roster improves and moves on, the recruits that have gotten valuable practice time in the offense will be ready to step in and play well.

We were lucky to have Brady Quinn and company for Weis' first two seasons, let's give the new class, and Weis, some time to grow before we get into a tred of firing coaches every 3-5 years.

2. Run Between The Tackles!

The reason the Notre Dame running game has been so abysmal is due to one thing, Weis' love for the stretch play. Let's face it, when your entire offensive line is 300 pounds plus, they tend to be a little slower. However, they are strong. If Weis would use more of a pounding running game, or use the pass to set up the run, the offense would be much more successful. As defenses continue to get faster, it is Notre Dame's strength up front that they must utilize. Not the speed of the running back.

3. Let Jon Tenuta Take Over The Defense

I think Corwin Brown is a very good coach and recruiter. I believe he would be a great linebacker coach or defensive backs coach. However, Tenuta is much more established as a defensive coordinator and could take the defense to another level. Again, the Irish are very young on the defensive side of the ball, but I just feel if the Irish make the change now instead of trying to incorporate two different defensive philosophies it will help the defense develop into a much more dominant force.

4. Beat USC

Please. Please just beat them. Everyone hates them so much. I know they get paid and all, but just beat them for me.

Deconstructing the Greatest Soliloquy in Human History

Steve Gormley — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:44:44 -0500

Growing up, we all have those moments. You know, when you're in the backyard, alone, maybe we have a baseball bat in our hands..."bases loaded, bottom of the ninth, two outs, down by three."

Maybe for you it was a basketball and the clock was winding down. Buzzer beater...BRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Well, for one man, it was a garden hoe and a row of flowers. That one man, was Carl Spackler.

Ladies and gentlemen, picture in your mind if you will: the man, the myth, the legend, Carl Spackler. Assistant greenskeeper at Bushwood Country Club, garden hoe in hand, "about to become Masters champion."

"What an incredible Cinderella story, this unknown comes outta nowhere to lead the pack, at Augusta. He's on his final hole, he's about 455 yards away; he's gonna hit about a two-iron I think.

Oh he got all of that one! The crowd is standing on its feet here, the normally reserved Augusta crowd...going wild...for this young Cinderella, he's come outta nowhere, he's got about 350 yards left, he's gonna hit about a five-iron, don't you think?

He's got a beautiful backswing...that's...oh, he got all of that one! He's gotta be pleased with that, the crowd is just on its feet here, uh...He's the Cinderella boy, uh...tears in his eyes I guess as he lines up this last shot, he's got about 195 yards left, he's got about a...it looks like he's got about an eight-iron.

This crowd has gone deathly silent, the Cinderella story, outta nowhere, a former greenskeeper now...about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac...It's in the Hole!"

First off, Carl comes up to the 18th tee box, on Sunday, crowd cheering, and its a 455-yard par four. Carl takes out his trusty 2-iron, which suggests to me that either his driver hasn't been kind to him today, or he's just so far out in front that he's showboating a little bit. Perfectly in the realm of possibility.

He wants to make sure he makes his par so he can go crack open a beer and get the Green Jacket. So, Carl hits his 2-iron a whole...205 yards!!! That's it?

Just for a comparison, I golf about three times a year and I can hit my 2-iron 240 yards. This guy is about to become Masters champ and he's been hitting his 2-iron 105 yards all weekend?

This suggests to me that either Carl took the laziest swing in Masters history, or he chunked it. At least he's in the fairway...maybe.

For his next shot, Carl pulls out his 5-iron and hauls off and whacks it another 155 yards down the fairway. So he just hit his 5-iron farther than his 2-iron. I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and say that while he was trying to hit his first shot, Rosie O'Donnell was on the tee box eating a taco.

Right at the top of his backswing, she felt her gut rumble and let out a juicy one that only a man of Rosie's magnitude could, causing Carl to cringe. Hence, the weak effort on his first shot.

Quick side note: In the U.S. Open last year, Tiger was hitting 5-irons 220 yards.

Final shot. Carl takes out his 8-iron from 195. So, he just hit his 5-iron 155, but he's trying to make the green from 195 with an 8-iron. I'm speechless, Carl.

I can't fathom this. I feel like Carl would be the kind of guy who thinks he has a shot with Erin Andrews on the sideline after a college football game.

I could just see Peter Flaherty on the course trying to commentate on this club selection..."I could have predicted a prairie dog coming out of my arse before I could have predicted this club selection, Jim."

Jim Nantz (from the tower): "Thanks, Peter. I have no personality, so I can't really comment further."

Of course, Carl nails it dead from 195 and the rest is history. Oh, and...when he dies...on his deathbed...he will receive total consciousness. So he's got that going for him...which is nice.

Notre Dame Loses Receiver Michael Floyd for Final Two Games

Steve Gormley — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:57:55 -0500

While the Fighting Irish took down Navy to become bowl eligible for the first time in two years, they lost a key component of the offense that got them there.

Three plays into the 27-21 victory over the Midshipmen, Michael Floyd went down with a sprained knee that will keep him from playing in the final two games of the season.

This shouldn't affect Notre Dame versus the lowly Syracuse Orangemen this upcoming Saturday; however, it does seriously affect the Irish's chances of making a competitive game of the Thanksgiving weekend showdown with USC.

Without Floyd, the Trojans will be able to bracket Golden Tate without much worry about the wide receiver on the other side of the field, whether it is David Grimes, Duval Kamara, or someone else.

Quarterback Jimmy Clausen has only developed a real chemistry with his two main wideout weapons, Floyd and Tate.

Although Kamara has shown faint glimmers of the wide receiver that was Clausen's "go-to" in his freshman season, he has yet to become the threat the Notre Dame faithful were hoping he'd become.

Unless one or perhaps two other wideouts step up in the next two weeks, expect USC to commit seven or eight defenders to the box. That would effectively crush any hopes the Irish have of getting a running attack going. USC should then double-team Tate on most plays, leaving Clausen to throw to his less-than-reliable third and fourth receivers.

Floyd should be able to return for whichever bowl game the Irish are invited to, so expect to see a much better effort from the Irish when they try to stop their eight-game bowl losing streak sometime in December or January.

Impatience Breeds Contempt Among Notre Dame Faithful

Steve Gormley — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:31:14 -0500

With the Irish coming off a historically terrible season, the Notre Dame faithful were looking for any glimmer of hope to start the season. A shaky win against San Diego St. followed by a good effort against Michigan must have been enough of a glimmer.

Soon after, the most prolific Notre Dame pontificators were predicting a BCS bowl in the future, perhaps even a 10-win season. Now, just two months later, fans and non-fans alike are screaming for Charlie's head at the end of the season.

How did this happen?

Notre Dame supporters have come to expect a certain level of play out of the Irish, and they should. The only school with an individual television contract and its own seat on the BCS committee should be excellent year after year. The talent of the players coming in should be some of the best in the country, and it is...now.

I know that I sound like any other Notre Dame apologist when I say that Ty Willingham set us back a few years, but he did. There is no way around it. The talent level of his recruiting classes was subpar by Irish standards.

Willingham left the Irish some outstanding talents (Quinn, Walker, Samardjiza, etc.), but he wasn't putting them together on the field and winning. I mean, look at the shambles the University of Washington is in right now.

Did Notre Dame handle the Willingham situation badly? Absolutely. He should have at least been given a chance to see a full recruiting class graduate from school, but what's done is done. Now, we have Weis, and we should have him until his contract runs out six-plus years from now.

If Notre Dame were to fire Weis, it would mean that the last three coaches at Notre Dame lasted, on average, four years with the program: barely enough to start and end a recruiting cycle.

We've all seen what Weis can do when he has talent on the offensive side of the ball. We saw it in New England, and we saw it his first two seasons at the helm of the Irish. Give him some time to rebuild that talent.

Look at the starting offense and their classes. QB - Clausen - Sophomore, RB - Allen - Sophomore, WR - Tate - Sophomore, WR - Floyd - Freshman, WR - Kamara - Sophomore, TE - Rudolph - Freshman. Are you kidding me? There are still two years of development and understanding that these kids can get under Weis.

If Notre Dame were to bring in a new coach now, all that talent would be wasted. A new coach brings a new system that takes another year to learn, another year to perfect, and by then all the talent that is being stockpiled has gone to waste.

It is hard to preach patience to a group of fans that is used to excellence. Not only are they used to that excellence, but they also love a school that SHOULD be excellent year in and year out.

However, if the impatience leads to contempt, which then leads to hurting the program and the kids that were recruited to that program, I cannot in good conscience stand by and say nothing.

Sit back and take the 7-5 or 6-6 record that we will finish with this season. Watch the Gator Bowl and hope we win. Then, next season, root your hearts out for a team that is one year older, one year wiser, one year better, and led by Charlie Weis.

Go Irish!

Notre Dame Limited by Second-Half Play Calling

Steve Gormley — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:07:35 -0500

Another game, another first-half lead, another disappointing defeat. On Saturday, Notre Dame took a 17-3 lead into the locker room only to see it disappear in the second half and eventually watch victory slip from their grasp in a battle of field goals in overtime.

This is the second such loss in three weeks for the Irish, who are beginning to make a habit out of "playing not to lose" instead of "playing to win" in big games. The first and second halves were almost unrecognizably different.

The first half consisted of Notre Dame attacking through the air, Jimmy Clausen hitting Michael Floyd on 10-to-15-yard out routes, the occasional deep ball, and the occasional run play to draw defenders to the middle of the field.

In the second half, the Irish consistently called running plays on first and second down trying to run the clock to protect the lead instead of going for the jugular and throwing Pitt into submission.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: Notre Dame needs to pass to set up the run...not the other way around.

When Charlie Weis was winning Super Bowl rings with Tom Brady at the helm, were the Patriots concerned with keeping a 50/50 run-to-pass ratio? No. This offense is crafted in a way that makes it a pass-first offense. Quick strikes to the sidelines and to the tight ends in the middle of the field, then three or four deep balls a game.

This is what I remember of Weis' offenses in New England, and the Brady Quinn days, but it has morphed in the last two seasons.

Last season, it was a bit more understandable. Clausen was sacked 58 times. Weis ran the ball so that we would be able to see Clausen on the field for three more years as opposed to in a full body cast.

However, this season, the offense is coming into form. Floyd and Golden Tate are tremendous weapons on the outside. Duval Kamara and David Grimes are strong third options, not to mention young tight end Kyle Rudolph.

The best example of how the offense should be run was the Stanford game. The Irish came out and passed all over the stadium. Once Stanford was back in a coverage, Allen ran wild. It was a terrific game plan executed perfectly.

But now, twice in a month, the team has gotten out to comfortable leads only to watch them slip away as play calling has gotten more conservative as the game progresses.

Is it a lack of faith in the offense? Is it a lack of faith in play calling? I can't answer these questions. But until Weis and Mike Haywood figure out how to put games away like the Pete Carrolls and Urban Meyers of college football, Notre Dame fans might be in for more games that should be victories turning into demoralizing defeats.

Top 5 Worst Things About ESPN's College Football Coverage

Steve Gormley — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 07:16:04 -0400

I love ESPN. I can't believe that 25 years ago, the majority of sports news was received via the morning paper. I love the fact that 25 years ago, men got together and said, "You know what I want someday? Coverage of the WNBA draft."

Now, of course, the WNBA wasn't in existence back then, but I'm sure the visionaries who came up with ESPN knew that by creating an all sports network that eventually it would lead to a professional women's basketball league. And if they did know it, then why didn't they send a cyborg back in time, Terminator-style, to stop them from creating this monster?

I'll tell you something else I love, strippers...I mean, college football. Oh, and Erin Andrews. But mainly college football. However, there are a few things that I wish ESPN would tweak so that I didn't have to complain about them here. So, without further ado, the list.

1. Mark May

I understand that at one point he was a great football player. And I'm sure he has one, maybe even two, people that genuinely like him. But there is not one person I know that thinks Mark May is insightful. Mainly, they think he's a pompous d-bag. No offense to people who like Mark May, all one of you.

2. Lou Holtz's Lisp

I love Lou Holtz. Last year, a group of friends and I went to the Notre Dame-Stanford game in Palo Alto. On Friday night, Holtz gave one of his pep talks to Notre Dame and we were ready to run through walls for Lou. But come on, who on earth can listen to him without thinking, "My lord, is he 7 years old?"

3. Female Play-By-Play Announcers

Don't get me wrong here, I'm all for female announcers. But you need to find ones that work. Erin Andrews works. She is as knowledgeable a sports fan as you'll ever meet. But she isn't trying to break down an offensive blocking scheme like the girls upstairs. And when a big play happens, there is nothing worse than having a women scream about it. I'm sorry, but Gus Johnson should call every sporting event. Period.

4. Lee Corso's Makeup Situation

Let's just say I'm frightened to see what Corso really looks like. My guess is that it's somewhere between the Crypt Keeper and the bad guy in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade when he drinks from the wrong grail. I think Corso is a great analyst, but he wears more makeup than Krusty the Clown.

5. Jesse Palmer's Upper Body

Listen Jesse. It's perfectly okay to go to a tailor to get your shirts made so they fit right. You don't have to shop at Target anymore. Your collars are too tight, your sleeves are too short, and what is the deal with your ties? A tie should go down to your belt, it should not stop above your belly button. Did you accidentally go to the "How Little Boys Dress" meeting instead of the grown-ups meeting?

Oh, and if we could get an "Erin Andrews Cam" on ESPN360.com that would also be greatly appreciated.

Yanks Offseason Should Be Filled With Roster Moves

Steve Gormley — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:21:36 -0400

When the team with the highest payroll in sports fails to make the playoffs, it's a sign that there are some dramatic moves that need to be made. This is one humble fan's opinion on what needs to be done to restore Yankee pride.

1. Good Bye Dead Weight, Hello Free Agents

With all of the obscene contracts coming off the payroll this offseason, it's time to bring in some new blood. Why not start with the best new blood that money can buy? The great thing about how the Yankees operate is that they can afford to sign free agents to big long-term contracts. In the final few years of those contracts, when the players start to decline, the Yanks still have enough money to pay those players and, hopefully, bring in more new blood to pick up the slack.

Main priority this offseason—sign C.C. Sabathia. This isn't even a question. Yankee Stadium + power lefty = wins. With Sabathia on the team, the Yankees would have the best righty-lefty ace combo in the league with Chien-Ming Wang.

Here's what I know. If a team has three great starters, it's almost a guaranteed 90-win season. With the Yankees offense, that number would be closer to 100. If the Yanks sign Sabathia, say hello to the playoffs. Now, it may not be a great long-term signing because Sabathia isn't the leanest cow on the farm, but for the next 2-4 years, it will guarantee the Yankees the playoffs.

Next, sign Mark Teixeira. I know that there are question marks surrounding Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter and how they may eventually need to move to first, but who cares right now? Jeter will be fine at short. Jeter is like Cal Ripken. He will play as hard as he can for as long as he can. So what if he can't reach a ball in the hole every once in a while. Keep hitting .300 and scoring runs, that's what Jeter does.

If they sign Teixeira, it will be another one of those offenses that has the potential to score 1,000 runs. And I'm fine with that. Plus you add a Gold Glove first baseman to the defense.

2. Sign Andy Pettitte, Let Go of Mike Mussina

I know Moose won 20 games last year, but it's time to let him go. He could be a great NL pitcher for a few years, a la Jaime Moyer. Let him move leagues and reach 300 wins. The Yankees need to get younger.

As for Pettitte, he is still a big game pitcher. He is exactly what the Yanks need come postseason time. Wang, Sabathia, Pettitte...I'm pretty sure no one would look forward to facing those three.

3. Get Hughes and Kennedy on Track

If these two can just turn into reliable fourth and fifth starters, the Yanks could win 100 games easily next season.

As you can see, all of the Yankees problems boil down to pitching. When Wang went down running the bases last season, the year was, for all intents and purposes, over. Throwing out Sidney Ponson and Carl Pavano once a week will not get it done in the AL East, especially now that there are the Rays to worry about along with the Red Sox.

If the Yanks shore up the rotation, get a reliable lefty in the bullpen, and maybe add one bat to an already potent lineup, we could see the beginning of another Yankee dynasty.

Notre Dame-Pittsburgh Creates Tension on ESPN Set

Steve Gormley — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:54:35 -0400

Is it just me, or are you more excited to watch Lou Holtz and Mark May duke it out this weekend on ESPN than to actually see the Notre Dame-Pitt football game?

Let me just get this off my chest: I hate Mark May. For the past four years (since the Ty Willingham firing) he's come out in the preseason and said how horrible Notre Dame will be.

"Notre Dame will be 1-10 this season." "Notre Dame will lose its first five games." "Notre Dame couldn't make a fart smell." You get the picture. But I digress.

Finally, after two years of getting his idiot face handed to him, last year his dream came true. He finally got to go to sleep at night with his giant "I Hate Notre Dame" T-shirt on and his smug "I Was Finally Right About the Irish" erection.

Then came 2008. Another d-bag prediction of a terrible Notre Dame team. So, here the Irish stand at 5-2 while May's alma mater was just blown out through the air last week against Rutgers.

Obviously, the Irish need to come out and do exactly what Rutgers did to Pitt last week. Establish the pass, get out to a lead, stop LeSean McCoy, and then, when the dust settles, rub it in May's smug face.

And who better to rub said face in the dirt than the biggest Notre Dame fan alive, Lou Holtz?

If ND gets out to a big lead, I will stop watching the game and flip over to ESPN to hopefully see Lou karate-chopping May in the neck and then standing over his comatose body, laughing that insane "WE ARE...ND" laugh.

Prediction: Notre Dame 31, Pitt 17.

Bonus Prediction: Lou Holtz's Put Downs Toward Mark May 310, Mark May Still Sitting There Like a Smug D-Bag 310.

Michael Floyd Will Be Notre Dame's Greatest Wide Receiver Ever

Steve Gormley — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:19:17 -0400

You read that right. By the end of his college career, Michael Floyd will be the most prolific wide receiver in Notre Dame history.

Will he be the best wideout in the NFL to come out of Notre Dame? Probably not. Tim Brown will probably still hold that distinction.

But as far as every major statistical category will go, you will see Floyd's name at the top of every Notre Dame list for a very long time.

Now obviously, there is a reason I say this. He's a freshman. He will probably finish this season with over 1,000 yards receiving. He has Jimmy Clausen for the next year and a half at least and then Dayne Crist after that.

Mix that with the fact that Notre Dame has historically been a running team, and it makes it pretty easy to predict Floyd's eventual statistical greatness. The fact that we are seeing this now, under a Charlie Weis-led offense, is not surprising.

Why do I even bring this up? To me, this shows the direction in which the program is heading. Weis is bringing in some of the best players to ever play in front of Touchdown Jesus. All those out there who are talking about the demise of the Irish and the sustained mediocrity that we should expect aren't seeing what's happening right in front of them.

Each week, this young team gets better and better. Clausen, Tate, Rudolph, Allen, Aldridge...all improve with each game. This is all due to Weis, who because of last season's terrible record, gets thrown under the bus a little too much.

Ultimately, this all comes down to Weis. If he continues to recruit like he has in his first three seasons, Notre Dame will eventually return to national prominence.

The fact that we hit a wall last season and are currently rebuilding is sad for a team that should be in the Top 25 polls every year, but it's a fact, and now it's time to look toward the future—and all I can see are victories and historically great players.