Instead of recognizing the inferior quality of its officiating, the Southeastern Conference adopts a bunker mentality.
Earlier this week, SEC commissioner Mike Slive played the role of bully, warning that any coach who criticizes the referees will now be subject to a fine and/or suspension. He must have been so proud of himself.
We're constantly amazed how sports leagues can get away with squashing the first amendment rights of its employees, how they can exist in a vacuum above the law.
We wonder what would happen if a coach were to challenge a fine or suspension in court. Maybe they figure it wouldn't be worth the bother.
Of course, this is just one example of the controlling, micro-managing SEC playing the role of big brother.
It already has legislated fun out of its contests by preventing fans from running on to the field to celebate dramatic victories.
This, of course, is part of the college experience, but no longer in the SEC. The SEC says it is protecting fans, players and coaches from potential injury, but we find that to be utter nonsense. Rarely, if ever, does anyone get hurt in these celebrations. And, if someone does get hurt, it's their own fault.
Therefore, we wonder what the SEC's reaction was when the fans at Washington stormed the field to celebrate the Huskies' win over USC earlier this season.
We didn't hear anybody complaining about how unsafe the environment was at Huskies Stadium. The wild scene at the end of the game is what college football is all about. Too bad the SEC has forgotten that.
Anyway, the SEC's heavy-handed approach is why we always root against the league, and will continue to do so.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Notre Dame now chasing Michigan for top winning percentage
Here's something for Notre Dame fans to sink their teeth into:
On Wednesday, the NCAA officially began its investigation of the (sc)UM football team regarding allegations that coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff surpassed the allotted mandatory workout hours (Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis never will be accused of over-working his troops because that would mean pushing back his dinner reservation, which is why his getting fired would be the worst thing for the South Bend economy).
Let's suppose the violations are so egregious that Michigan has to forfeit all its win under Rodriguez, who is in his second season in Ann Arbor (three last season and five so far this year).
That means that Michigan would lose at least eight victories, and Notre Dame would jump back over the Wolverines into its rightful place as the winningest program in NCAA history, at least in terms of winning percentage.
The NCAA, of course, will not hand down such a harsh penalty even if Michigan is found to be guilty of the charges, as it likely would determine the violations to be secondary in nature. But we can all fantasize.
Anyway, we do keep track of such things as winning percentage. A few years ago Michigan overtook Notre Dame in winning percentage due to the Fighting Irish's extended run of mediocrity.
Here's how the schools stacked up at the start of the season:
1. Michigan -- .73982 872-295-36
2. Notre Dame- .73639 831-289-42
Here's how the schools stack up now:
1. Michigan -- .73905 877-298-36
2. Notre Dame- .73625 836-286-42
The winning percentages of the Wolverines (5-3 this season) and Fighting Irish (5-2) have dropped slightly.
Michigan finishes at Illinois, home for Purdue and at Wisconsin and Ohio State. We could certainly see the Wolverines losing their final two games and a bowl contest, which would leave them at 7-6 for the season. Their winning percentage would be:
1. Michigan -- .73766 879-301-32
If the Fighting Irish were to run the table (Washington State, Navy, at Pittsburgh, UConn, at Stanford) and win a bowl game to finish 11-2, they would virtually catch Michigan if the Wolverines finished 7-6:
2. Notre Dame -- .73761 842-286-42. (However, ND would have to win at Pittsburgh and likely beat a higher ranked bowl opponent).
A 10-3 finish (lose at Pittsburgh and win a bowl game, or win at Pittsburgh and lose a bowl game, would leave this:
2. Notre Dane -- .7367 841-287-42
A 9-4 finish (lose at Pittsburgh and lose a bowl game - we're assuming ND will win its other four games); would leave this:
2. Notre Dame -- .73588 840-288-42
Here's a sobering stat for Irish fans, since Lou Holtz went 11-1 in 1993, Notre Dams is just 113-75, a winning percentage barely over 60.
Doing some quick math reveals that ND had an all-time mark of 723-211-42 following the 1993 season for a winning percentage of .762. In just 16 seasons, the Irish have fallen from .762 to .736
On Wednesday, the NCAA officially began its investigation of the (sc)UM football team regarding allegations that coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff surpassed the allotted mandatory workout hours (Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis never will be accused of over-working his troops because that would mean pushing back his dinner reservation, which is why his getting fired would be the worst thing for the South Bend economy).
Let's suppose the violations are so egregious that Michigan has to forfeit all its win under Rodriguez, who is in his second season in Ann Arbor (three last season and five so far this year).
That means that Michigan would lose at least eight victories, and Notre Dame would jump back over the Wolverines into its rightful place as the winningest program in NCAA history, at least in terms of winning percentage.
The NCAA, of course, will not hand down such a harsh penalty even if Michigan is found to be guilty of the charges, as it likely would determine the violations to be secondary in nature. But we can all fantasize.
Anyway, we do keep track of such things as winning percentage. A few years ago Michigan overtook Notre Dame in winning percentage due to the Fighting Irish's extended run of mediocrity.
Here's how the schools stacked up at the start of the season:
1. Michigan -- .73982 872-295-36
2. Notre Dame- .73639 831-289-42
Here's how the schools stack up now:
1. Michigan -- .73905 877-298-36
2. Notre Dame- .73625 836-286-42
The winning percentages of the Wolverines (5-3 this season) and Fighting Irish (5-2) have dropped slightly.
Michigan finishes at Illinois, home for Purdue and at Wisconsin and Ohio State. We could certainly see the Wolverines losing their final two games and a bowl contest, which would leave them at 7-6 for the season. Their winning percentage would be:
1. Michigan -- .73766 879-301-32
If the Fighting Irish were to run the table (Washington State, Navy, at Pittsburgh, UConn, at Stanford) and win a bowl game to finish 11-2, they would virtually catch Michigan if the Wolverines finished 7-6:
2. Notre Dame -- .73761 842-286-42. (However, ND would have to win at Pittsburgh and likely beat a higher ranked bowl opponent).
A 10-3 finish (lose at Pittsburgh and win a bowl game, or win at Pittsburgh and lose a bowl game, would leave this:
2. Notre Dane -- .7367 841-287-42
A 9-4 finish (lose at Pittsburgh and lose a bowl game - we're assuming ND will win its other four games); would leave this:
2. Notre Dame -- .73588 840-288-42
Here's a sobering stat for Irish fans, since Lou Holtz went 11-1 in 1993, Notre Dams is just 113-75, a winning percentage barely over 60.
Doing some quick math reveals that ND had an all-time mark of 723-211-42 following the 1993 season for a winning percentage of .762. In just 16 seasons, the Irish have fallen from .762 to .736
Monday, October 26, 2009
Missing the Scooter as Yanks prepare for first World Series without him
The Yankees will play in a World Series for the first time since his passing. He has been gone a little more than two years now, but I can still hear his voice calling from the past, from some time in the late 1960s.
I hear the sound of so many of my baseball summers over the crackling static coming through a transistor radio in the back yard on a lazy July or August afternoon that seemed to last forever. No cares; just a boy, a radio and a baseball game.
I began listening to Phil Rizzuto when I was eight years old and he became a huge part of my life for the next 30 years. But even Scooter couldn’t live forever, though I actually thought he might.
The voice finally was silenced on August 13, 2007, a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday and 11 years after he retired. His 40th and final season as a Yankees’ broadcaster in 1996 coincided with the rookie season of a fellow shortstop named Derek Jeter.
It is a funny thing perhaps. Born in Brooklyn, New York on September 25, 1917, Phillip Francis Rizzuto had no tangible affect on my life. I never even met the man, and yet I feel as though I knew him personally. I think there are tens of thousands of Yankees’ fans who feel exactly as I do. When Scooter finally headed off to that big baseball diamond in the sky, I think he took with him the final link to my youth.
Through all those summers, all those seasons, he was my baseball companion. On the beach. In the car. Under the pillows. Along with my dad, Scooter taught me a sport I love more than any other. After helping get me through some of the darkest days in Yankees’ history in the late 1960s, he thrilled me during the return to glory in the 1970s.
Scooter called Chris Chambliss’ pennant-winning home run in 1976 on WPIX channel 11, the Yankees’ long-time television home before the days of cable.
As Scooter screamed, “THE YANKEES WIN THE PENNANT!” I screamed right along with him, waking up my parents. I remember the exact time of Chambliss’ home run – 11:13 p.m. on October 14. I was a senior in high school about to see the Yankees play in a World Series for the first time since 1964.
In the 1970s, New York baseball fans were blessed with two of the best broadcasting teams in the major leagues. For the Mets, there was the trio of Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner. For the Yankees, there was the threesome of Rizzuto, Bill White and Frank Messer, who worked together for 15 years from 1971-1985. The Yankees’ broadcasts were priceless. As former players, Rizzuto and White played off each other, with Messer seemingly serving as the straight man.
There is little doubt that Rizzuto stayed a few too many years and his on-again, off-again talk of retirement did become a little tiresome. He called it quits after missing Mickey Mantle’s funeral in August of 1995 to do a broadcast in Boston.
Rizzuto walked away at the end of the 1995 season but was coaxed back into the broadcast booth for the 1996 campaign. At the end of that season, he retired for good.
Technically, Rizzuto probably couldn’t be called a great broadcaster and he was not without his critics who accused him of being too much of a homer. He didn’t have the golden voice of an Ernie Harwell in Detroit or a Chuck Thompson in Baltimore, nor could he tell a story or wax poetic the way Vin Scully did in Los Angeles, and he certainly wasn’t as bombastic as Harry Caray in St. Louis and Chicago.
Caray claimed that he was the first to use the signature phrase “holy cow” on the air and that Rizzuto stole it from him. Rizzuto says he used the expression when he was a kid growing up in Brooklyn as a way to avoid cursing.
But Rizzuto brought a talent to the booth that few broadcasters have mastered or understood. While he may not have been proficient at providing all the details -
when he missed a play, he wrote “WW” in his scorebook,which stands for “wasn’t
watching” – his greatest gift as an announcer is that he personalized his broadcasts.
Rizzuto brought you into his life. He wasn’t speaking to his entire audience but to each and every listener or viewer,like he was having a cup of coffee with you at a late-night diner.
You learned about his beloved bride, Cora, whom Scooter seemed to talk to on the air. (“I’m coming home soon, Cora”). You learned of his love of Italian pastries and his fear of lightning and anything that crawled.He sprinkled his play-by-play with birthday greetings and get-well wishes and reviews of his favorite Italian restaurants.
Then, of course, there was his quirky habit in later years of leaving in the seventh inning to beat the traffic across the George Washington Bridge back to his home in New Jersey.
In his book “Voices of the Game,” which is an anthology of baseball broadcasting, author and baseball historian Curt Smith quoted an Associated Press story written by Will Grimsley about Rizzuto:
“Housewives love him. The kids all think he’s terrific. And the only man of the house, who normally likes his baseball straight and spiked more with statistics than levity, wouldn’t swap the one hundred and fifty-pound pundit for a ton of those data-sprouting encyclopedias often found behind the mike. Too bad Scooter’s act is confined to the upper East Coast. He is a refreshing departure from the norm. He ought to be a national commodity.”
Rizzuto seemingly complained about everything on the air.It was too hot,too cold; there were too many bugs in the booth. He was everybody’s favorite hypochondriac. You couldn’t do anything but laugh. He was like your eccentric old uncle. If someone did something to annoy Rizzuto, that person would be called a “huckleberry” but in a good-natured way:
“Hey, White, do you know what that huckleberry did to me? Holy Cow!”
Rizzuto’s banter with his broadcast partner was beyond hilarious.There was one
time during an intro when Rizzuto, reading from a teleprompter, appeared to forget his name: “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, this is Bill White.” White, standing right next to Rizzuto, began laughing hysterically – and all this was going live over the air.
Rizzuto had the rather odd habit of referring to his broadcast partners by their last names.
It wasn’t “Bill” or “Frank” but “White” and “Messer”. White once joked, “How would
you like to work with a guy for 15 years and he still doesn’t know your first name?”
Rizzuto was the master of the non sequitur. It was almost as though his brain didn’t have an edit button. He’d think of something to say, then say it before
realizing he said it. Does that sentence sound like something Yogi Berra would say? But part of Rizzuto’s charm, of course, was that you were never quite sure what was going to come out of his mouth when he fell into that stream of consciousness.
There was this comment to Bobby Murcer, one of his broadcasting partners in the
later years:
“Oh, those Yankees can get the clutch hits, Murcer. I might have to go home early. I just got a cramp in my leg.”
On August 5, 1985, the Yankees honored Rizzuto during a ceremony at Yankee Stadium when they retired his uniform No. 10. As part of the celebration, the Yankees brought on to the field a bovine with a halo around it’s head – a real live holy cow.
What happened next was a classic Rizzuto moment as the cow knocked him over, sending a 67-year man sprawling to the ground, head over heels. It seemed part of the script, something that could only happen to Rizzuto. He was not injured, just embarrassed – and 50,000 people laughed at his expense.
I decided that if Rizzuto ever got inducted into the Hall of Fame, I would have to be there, so when the day finally came on July 31, 1994, I drove five hours to Cooperstown.
It was a great day, sitting in a field amid the rolling hills of upstate New York, listening to the speeches and baseball songs.
Most younger fans, myself included, remember Rizzuto only for his broadcasting career which began in 1957, the year after he retired as a player. Rizzuto enjoyed a 13-year playing career with the Yankees that was interrupted for three seasons by World War II, winning seven World Series titles.
Rizzuto was overshadowed by bigger names like Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra, and his career numbers weren’t great: a 273 lifetime batting average with 38 home runs and 563 RBI. But Rizzuto was a durable shortstop known more for his bunting skills and base running ability. He did win the MVP award in 1950, when he batted a career-high .324 and recorded 200 hits.
Not everyone shares the opinion that Rizzuto is worthy of the Hall of Fame. However, Boston Red Sox great Ted Williams claimed Rizzuto was the glue that held those great Yankee teams together. Nearly 40 years after his played career ended, Rizzuto was voted into the Hall of Fame by the veterans committee. His legion of fans said an injustice finally had been righted.
Most Hall of Fame inductees take their speeches seriously as they want to say
something poignant and memorable. They often hire people to help them write their
speeches. Not Scooter. I don’t think he had anything prepared. He just started talking off the cuff, like he did for 40 years on the air. He was all over the map, veering from one subject to the next.
It was classic Rizzuto. No one really had any idea what he was talking about, yet he had people eating out of his hands for 20 minutes. I have his speech, if one
could call it a speech, on tape. Occasionally, when I’m in a bad mood, I pop it into the VCR. Works like a charm every time.
Thank you, Scooter. You were - and still are - my all-time favorite broadcaster.
I fear Rizzuto was the last of a dying breed. The industry seems so bereft of true
characters. Announcers today all seem to sound alike, as if they are all cut from the same mold and following the same script. Many of them seem to think the game is about them.
Fox’s Joe Buck is a fine announcer – when he isn’t doing a stand-up comedy routine, when he doesn’t think he is a junior version of Don Rickles. The younger Buck is so unlike his father, the late Jack Buck, the legendary broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals. And Yankees fans have to suffer the arrogance of John Sterling, who may be the most pompous broadcaster in the business. His home run call – “it is high, it is far, it is gone” – - is so lame and contrived.
I feel bad for today’s kids. They never got listen to Phil Rizzuto. They have no idea what they missed.
I hear the sound of so many of my baseball summers over the crackling static coming through a transistor radio in the back yard on a lazy July or August afternoon that seemed to last forever. No cares; just a boy, a radio and a baseball game.
I began listening to Phil Rizzuto when I was eight years old and he became a huge part of my life for the next 30 years. But even Scooter couldn’t live forever, though I actually thought he might.
The voice finally was silenced on August 13, 2007, a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday and 11 years after he retired. His 40th and final season as a Yankees’ broadcaster in 1996 coincided with the rookie season of a fellow shortstop named Derek Jeter.
It is a funny thing perhaps. Born in Brooklyn, New York on September 25, 1917, Phillip Francis Rizzuto had no tangible affect on my life. I never even met the man, and yet I feel as though I knew him personally. I think there are tens of thousands of Yankees’ fans who feel exactly as I do. When Scooter finally headed off to that big baseball diamond in the sky, I think he took with him the final link to my youth.
Through all those summers, all those seasons, he was my baseball companion. On the beach. In the car. Under the pillows. Along with my dad, Scooter taught me a sport I love more than any other. After helping get me through some of the darkest days in Yankees’ history in the late 1960s, he thrilled me during the return to glory in the 1970s.
Scooter called Chris Chambliss’ pennant-winning home run in 1976 on WPIX channel 11, the Yankees’ long-time television home before the days of cable.
As Scooter screamed, “THE YANKEES WIN THE PENNANT!” I screamed right along with him, waking up my parents. I remember the exact time of Chambliss’ home run – 11:13 p.m. on October 14. I was a senior in high school about to see the Yankees play in a World Series for the first time since 1964.
In the 1970s, New York baseball fans were blessed with two of the best broadcasting teams in the major leagues. For the Mets, there was the trio of Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner. For the Yankees, there was the threesome of Rizzuto, Bill White and Frank Messer, who worked together for 15 years from 1971-1985. The Yankees’ broadcasts were priceless. As former players, Rizzuto and White played off each other, with Messer seemingly serving as the straight man.
There is little doubt that Rizzuto stayed a few too many years and his on-again, off-again talk of retirement did become a little tiresome. He called it quits after missing Mickey Mantle’s funeral in August of 1995 to do a broadcast in Boston.
Rizzuto walked away at the end of the 1995 season but was coaxed back into the broadcast booth for the 1996 campaign. At the end of that season, he retired for good.
Technically, Rizzuto probably couldn’t be called a great broadcaster and he was not without his critics who accused him of being too much of a homer. He didn’t have the golden voice of an Ernie Harwell in Detroit or a Chuck Thompson in Baltimore, nor could he tell a story or wax poetic the way Vin Scully did in Los Angeles, and he certainly wasn’t as bombastic as Harry Caray in St. Louis and Chicago.
Caray claimed that he was the first to use the signature phrase “holy cow” on the air and that Rizzuto stole it from him. Rizzuto says he used the expression when he was a kid growing up in Brooklyn as a way to avoid cursing.
But Rizzuto brought a talent to the booth that few broadcasters have mastered or understood. While he may not have been proficient at providing all the details -
when he missed a play, he wrote “WW” in his scorebook,which stands for “wasn’t
watching” – his greatest gift as an announcer is that he personalized his broadcasts.
Rizzuto brought you into his life. He wasn’t speaking to his entire audience but to each and every listener or viewer,like he was having a cup of coffee with you at a late-night diner.
You learned about his beloved bride, Cora, whom Scooter seemed to talk to on the air. (“I’m coming home soon, Cora”). You learned of his love of Italian pastries and his fear of lightning and anything that crawled.He sprinkled his play-by-play with birthday greetings and get-well wishes and reviews of his favorite Italian restaurants.
Then, of course, there was his quirky habit in later years of leaving in the seventh inning to beat the traffic across the George Washington Bridge back to his home in New Jersey.
In his book “Voices of the Game,” which is an anthology of baseball broadcasting, author and baseball historian Curt Smith quoted an Associated Press story written by Will Grimsley about Rizzuto:
“Housewives love him. The kids all think he’s terrific. And the only man of the house, who normally likes his baseball straight and spiked more with statistics than levity, wouldn’t swap the one hundred and fifty-pound pundit for a ton of those data-sprouting encyclopedias often found behind the mike. Too bad Scooter’s act is confined to the upper East Coast. He is a refreshing departure from the norm. He ought to be a national commodity.”
Rizzuto seemingly complained about everything on the air.It was too hot,too cold; there were too many bugs in the booth. He was everybody’s favorite hypochondriac. You couldn’t do anything but laugh. He was like your eccentric old uncle. If someone did something to annoy Rizzuto, that person would be called a “huckleberry” but in a good-natured way:
“Hey, White, do you know what that huckleberry did to me? Holy Cow!”
Rizzuto’s banter with his broadcast partner was beyond hilarious.There was one
time during an intro when Rizzuto, reading from a teleprompter, appeared to forget his name: “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, this is Bill White.” White, standing right next to Rizzuto, began laughing hysterically – and all this was going live over the air.
Rizzuto had the rather odd habit of referring to his broadcast partners by their last names.
It wasn’t “Bill” or “Frank” but “White” and “Messer”. White once joked, “How would
you like to work with a guy for 15 years and he still doesn’t know your first name?”
Rizzuto was the master of the non sequitur. It was almost as though his brain didn’t have an edit button. He’d think of something to say, then say it before
realizing he said it. Does that sentence sound like something Yogi Berra would say? But part of Rizzuto’s charm, of course, was that you were never quite sure what was going to come out of his mouth when he fell into that stream of consciousness.
There was this comment to Bobby Murcer, one of his broadcasting partners in the
later years:
“Oh, those Yankees can get the clutch hits, Murcer. I might have to go home early. I just got a cramp in my leg.”
On August 5, 1985, the Yankees honored Rizzuto during a ceremony at Yankee Stadium when they retired his uniform No. 10. As part of the celebration, the Yankees brought on to the field a bovine with a halo around it’s head – a real live holy cow.
What happened next was a classic Rizzuto moment as the cow knocked him over, sending a 67-year man sprawling to the ground, head over heels. It seemed part of the script, something that could only happen to Rizzuto. He was not injured, just embarrassed – and 50,000 people laughed at his expense.
I decided that if Rizzuto ever got inducted into the Hall of Fame, I would have to be there, so when the day finally came on July 31, 1994, I drove five hours to Cooperstown.
It was a great day, sitting in a field amid the rolling hills of upstate New York, listening to the speeches and baseball songs.
Most younger fans, myself included, remember Rizzuto only for his broadcasting career which began in 1957, the year after he retired as a player. Rizzuto enjoyed a 13-year playing career with the Yankees that was interrupted for three seasons by World War II, winning seven World Series titles.
Rizzuto was overshadowed by bigger names like Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra, and his career numbers weren’t great: a 273 lifetime batting average with 38 home runs and 563 RBI. But Rizzuto was a durable shortstop known more for his bunting skills and base running ability. He did win the MVP award in 1950, when he batted a career-high .324 and recorded 200 hits.
Not everyone shares the opinion that Rizzuto is worthy of the Hall of Fame. However, Boston Red Sox great Ted Williams claimed Rizzuto was the glue that held those great Yankee teams together. Nearly 40 years after his played career ended, Rizzuto was voted into the Hall of Fame by the veterans committee. His legion of fans said an injustice finally had been righted.
Most Hall of Fame inductees take their speeches seriously as they want to say
something poignant and memorable. They often hire people to help them write their
speeches. Not Scooter. I don’t think he had anything prepared. He just started talking off the cuff, like he did for 40 years on the air. He was all over the map, veering from one subject to the next.
It was classic Rizzuto. No one really had any idea what he was talking about, yet he had people eating out of his hands for 20 minutes. I have his speech, if one
could call it a speech, on tape. Occasionally, when I’m in a bad mood, I pop it into the VCR. Works like a charm every time.
Thank you, Scooter. You were - and still are - my all-time favorite broadcaster.
I fear Rizzuto was the last of a dying breed. The industry seems so bereft of true
characters. Announcers today all seem to sound alike, as if they are all cut from the same mold and following the same script. Many of them seem to think the game is about them.
Fox’s Joe Buck is a fine announcer – when he isn’t doing a stand-up comedy routine, when he doesn’t think he is a junior version of Don Rickles. The younger Buck is so unlike his father, the late Jack Buck, the legendary broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals. And Yankees fans have to suffer the arrogance of John Sterling, who may be the most pompous broadcaster in the business. His home run call – “it is high, it is far, it is gone” – - is so lame and contrived.
I feel bad for today’s kids. They never got listen to Phil Rizzuto. They have no idea what they missed.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Shaky defense overshadowing Clausen's superb season
We've been reading this week how Jimmy Clausen would have jumped up the list of Heisman Trophy contenders had he pulled off that comeback against Southern California.
It's funny, but we never thought of Clausen as a Heisman candidate, and that's probably because were so annoyed with a defense that still can't stop anybody.
Yes, the Irish made a spirited rally against the Trojans last week, but here's the bottom line - they allowed a freshman quarterback to put up 34 points. They gave up two many easy drives, as USC - at times - sliced through Notre Dame's defense like it was butter.
As far as Clausen goes, he is indeed having a spectacular season. This is the quarterback Notre Dame thought it recruited out of California three years ago. He has definitely come into his own while providing leadership and toughness (remember, he has been playing with a bad ankle).
Alas, Clausen can't win the games by himself, just as his predecessor, Brady Quinn, couldn't. Notre Dame is still in a position where it has to out-score its opponents to win, and that is a losing proposition.
NEVER BET THE IRISH! -- Notre Dame is an 8 1/2-point favorite this week against Boston College. However, we think you'd have to have your head examined to bet the Irish while giving 8 1/2 points.
Heck, we would not be the list bit surprised if they lost outright again. Of course, you only need to watch the last two minutes because every ND game is decided in the last two minutes (five in a row).
It's funny, but we never thought of Clausen as a Heisman candidate, and that's probably because were so annoyed with a defense that still can't stop anybody.
Yes, the Irish made a spirited rally against the Trojans last week, but here's the bottom line - they allowed a freshman quarterback to put up 34 points. They gave up two many easy drives, as USC - at times - sliced through Notre Dame's defense like it was butter.
As far as Clausen goes, he is indeed having a spectacular season. This is the quarterback Notre Dame thought it recruited out of California three years ago. He has definitely come into his own while providing leadership and toughness (remember, he has been playing with a bad ankle).
Alas, Clausen can't win the games by himself, just as his predecessor, Brady Quinn, couldn't. Notre Dame is still in a position where it has to out-score its opponents to win, and that is a losing proposition.
NEVER BET THE IRISH! -- Notre Dame is an 8 1/2-point favorite this week against Boston College. However, we think you'd have to have your head examined to bet the Irish while giving 8 1/2 points.
Heck, we would not be the list bit surprised if they lost outright again. Of course, you only need to watch the last two minutes because every ND game is decided in the last two minutes (five in a row).
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
It pains me to say it, but it's time for Brady Quinn to get out of Cleveland
I've always hoped that Brady Quinn could make it in Cleveland, just like I root for all Notre Dame players to do well in the NFL.
But it was more than that. I thought that it would be a story-book scenario if the Ohio native/matinee idol could star for the team he rooted for as a child. That's why I was thrilled when the Browns drafted him, even though it was painful watching the kid get hung out to dry as he dropped through the draft.
Now, however, I'm thinking it might be best for Brady to get out Cleveland, which is still a mess and will have trouble winning two more games (Last week's 6-3 victory over Buffalo has to be one of the ugliest games in NFL history.) Let him go some place more stable, which would be about 25 other teams in the league.
On Monday, a friend suggested the Browns react better to Derek Anderson. Is this the same Derek Anderson who completed the grand total of two passes against the Bills?
Last year, this same friend wanted Anderson benched (if favor of Quinn) because, in his opinion, the former was too prone to throwing interceptions. Such is the fickle nature of fandom.
This friend also says that Quinn never will be an NFL quarterback, which seems like a ridiculous assessment about a guy who has started six games in the NFL (of course, maybe the friend make that comment just to push my buttons, something he does quite well).
But Browns coach Eric Mangini pushed the gun by benching Quinn halfway through the third game of the season, a panic move if there ever was one. Of course, this is the same Mangini who fines players who don't pay for $3 bottles of water.
Apparently, the "Mangenious" hasn't learned his lesson after getting run out of New York. He is treating his players like junior high school students, and this is over-the-top behavior even for an NFL coach, all of whom are control freaks to some extent.
Mangini is going to lose his players, which is why the Browns will go 3-13 and Quinn needs to find a new address.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Quinn has put his house up for sale, an indication he could be dealt by next week's trade deadline.
The newspaper reported that Quinn has been at odds with Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll since his demotion.
If Quinn, whose contract expires after the 2011 season, is not on the field for 70 percent of the snaps this season, he will lose $11 million in salary escalators. The Browns also have reduced his practice reps.
I can understand why the Browns would want to keep him off the field because that's a business decision.
Reducing his practice reps, however, seems petty. Then again, Mangini takes pettiness to a new level.
Look, it could be that my personal feeling about Quinn is preventing me from making an objective opinion about his ability.
I still think Quinn has the qualities (leadership, intelligence, certain amount of charisma) to be an effective NFL quarterback, if not a superstar. He may not have the strongest arm, but that didn't prevent Chad Pennington from directing the greatest turnaround in NFL history last season with the Dolphins.
Then again, I could be entirely wrong. Quinn may indeed be a failure as an NFL quarterback. You just can't make that conclusion after six games.
But it was more than that. I thought that it would be a story-book scenario if the Ohio native/matinee idol could star for the team he rooted for as a child. That's why I was thrilled when the Browns drafted him, even though it was painful watching the kid get hung out to dry as he dropped through the draft.
Now, however, I'm thinking it might be best for Brady to get out Cleveland, which is still a mess and will have trouble winning two more games (Last week's 6-3 victory over Buffalo has to be one of the ugliest games in NFL history.) Let him go some place more stable, which would be about 25 other teams in the league.
On Monday, a friend suggested the Browns react better to Derek Anderson. Is this the same Derek Anderson who completed the grand total of two passes against the Bills?
Last year, this same friend wanted Anderson benched (if favor of Quinn) because, in his opinion, the former was too prone to throwing interceptions. Such is the fickle nature of fandom.
This friend also says that Quinn never will be an NFL quarterback, which seems like a ridiculous assessment about a guy who has started six games in the NFL (of course, maybe the friend make that comment just to push my buttons, something he does quite well).
But Browns coach Eric Mangini pushed the gun by benching Quinn halfway through the third game of the season, a panic move if there ever was one. Of course, this is the same Mangini who fines players who don't pay for $3 bottles of water.
Apparently, the "Mangenious" hasn't learned his lesson after getting run out of New York. He is treating his players like junior high school students, and this is over-the-top behavior even for an NFL coach, all of whom are control freaks to some extent.
Mangini is going to lose his players, which is why the Browns will go 3-13 and Quinn needs to find a new address.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Quinn has put his house up for sale, an indication he could be dealt by next week's trade deadline.
The newspaper reported that Quinn has been at odds with Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll since his demotion.
If Quinn, whose contract expires after the 2011 season, is not on the field for 70 percent of the snaps this season, he will lose $11 million in salary escalators. The Browns also have reduced his practice reps.
I can understand why the Browns would want to keep him off the field because that's a business decision.
Reducing his practice reps, however, seems petty. Then again, Mangini takes pettiness to a new level.
Look, it could be that my personal feeling about Quinn is preventing me from making an objective opinion about his ability.
I still think Quinn has the qualities (leadership, intelligence, certain amount of charisma) to be an effective NFL quarterback, if not a superstar. He may not have the strongest arm, but that didn't prevent Chad Pennington from directing the greatest turnaround in NFL history last season with the Dolphins.
Then again, I could be entirely wrong. Quinn may indeed be a failure as an NFL quarterback. You just can't make that conclusion after six games.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Notre Dame's defense remains hugely overrated
Can't we all just see it -- Notre Dame goes 9-3, qualifies for a BCS game - because it's Notre Dame and 9-3 is good enough - and once again gets waxed by an SEC team (Auburn or LSU)?
Maybe the Irish are better off going 7-5. That way, they will get invited to a lesser bowl and actually have a chance to win (see Hawaii in last year's Hawaii Bowl).
With a 4-1 record and three straight dramatic victories, Notre Dame no doubt is feeling good about itself heading into the bye week.
However, we simply cannot take this team seriously when it continues to have one of the worst defenses in the country (despite the goal line stands last week against Washington).
We find it amazing how often the Irish miss tackles and allow receivers to get open - even in the overtime last week.
On 3rd-and-19, the defense allowed a Washington receiver to get open inside the 5-yard line - the ball just went through his hands.
And, on fourth down, D'Andre Goodwin had position on a pass over the middle - though, in fairness, safeties Harrison Smith and Kyle McCarthy delivered a bar-jarring hit to cause the ball to come loose, which is what safeties are supposed to do.
We knew the Irish celebrated too prematurely when Jimmy Clausen's 12-yard TD pass to Kyle Rudolph put Notre Dame ahead, 30-27, with 1:20 remaining.
With Notre Dame's porous defense, that is much, too much left to start celebrating a victory. Sure enough, the Irish allowed Jake Locker to drive the Huskies for a game-tying field goal.
So, is Notre Dame's defense vastly overrated, or is it poorly coached? This is the classic chicken-or-the-egg questioned that has vexed Notre Dame fans for years.
Anyway, the week off is needed - not for the team, but for the fans.
Following this team is not good for the central nervous system. At least, they'll be no aggravation this week.
Of course, the aggravation returns next week, when USC walks into Notre Dame Stadium and gives the Irish their annual beating.
Maybe the Irish are better off going 7-5. That way, they will get invited to a lesser bowl and actually have a chance to win (see Hawaii in last year's Hawaii Bowl).
With a 4-1 record and three straight dramatic victories, Notre Dame no doubt is feeling good about itself heading into the bye week.
However, we simply cannot take this team seriously when it continues to have one of the worst defenses in the country (despite the goal line stands last week against Washington).
We find it amazing how often the Irish miss tackles and allow receivers to get open - even in the overtime last week.
On 3rd-and-19, the defense allowed a Washington receiver to get open inside the 5-yard line - the ball just went through his hands.
And, on fourth down, D'Andre Goodwin had position on a pass over the middle - though, in fairness, safeties Harrison Smith and Kyle McCarthy delivered a bar-jarring hit to cause the ball to come loose, which is what safeties are supposed to do.
We knew the Irish celebrated too prematurely when Jimmy Clausen's 12-yard TD pass to Kyle Rudolph put Notre Dame ahead, 30-27, with 1:20 remaining.
With Notre Dame's porous defense, that is much, too much left to start celebrating a victory. Sure enough, the Irish allowed Jake Locker to drive the Huskies for a game-tying field goal.
So, is Notre Dame's defense vastly overrated, or is it poorly coached? This is the classic chicken-or-the-egg questioned that has vexed Notre Dame fans for years.
Anyway, the week off is needed - not for the team, but for the fans.
Following this team is not good for the central nervous system. At least, they'll be no aggravation this week.
Of course, the aggravation returns next week, when USC walks into Notre Dame Stadium and gives the Irish their annual beating.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Notre Dame ... Missing Tiller
As Notre Dame prepares for Saturday's contest at Purdue, Irish fans should reflect on how much they miss former Boilermakers coach Joe Tiller.
Ole Joe always seemed like one heck of a nice guy, but he might have been the only mentor in the Big Ten that Charlie Weis could out-coach. Tiller actually might have stressed defense less than Weis.
Of the three Big Ten teams that Notre Dame plays regularly, Weis has a winning record only against Purdue. He is 2-3 against Michigan and Michigan State - counting this season's results - and 3-1 against the Boilers.
Still, Notre Dame was only 7-5 overall against Tiller, as the Boilers have enjoyed more success against the Irish in West Lafayette, where they have won two of the last three meetings. Notre Dame has won 15 of the last 16 in South Bend.
Purdue may have hope, as in new coach Danny Hope, but the Boilers still aren't playing much defense. They allowed 31 points in a season-opening win over Toledo (52-31), 38 in a two-point loss to Oregon and almost 30 in last week's 28-21 defeat to Northern Illinois.
Still, Notre Dame is ripe to be beaten because we don't trust the Irish - and Weis - in any situation on the road.
Since Notre Dame has played two straight games in the 30s - 38-34 loss at Michigan and 33-30 win over Michigan - we see another high-scoring affair that will have Irish fans once again yelling at their televisions: Notre Dame 35, Purdue 31.
These hair-raising finishes don't seem to be causing our man Charlie to lose any weight. Actually, they might be having an opposite affect.
Ole Joe always seemed like one heck of a nice guy, but he might have been the only mentor in the Big Ten that Charlie Weis could out-coach. Tiller actually might have stressed defense less than Weis.
Of the three Big Ten teams that Notre Dame plays regularly, Weis has a winning record only against Purdue. He is 2-3 against Michigan and Michigan State - counting this season's results - and 3-1 against the Boilers.
Still, Notre Dame was only 7-5 overall against Tiller, as the Boilers have enjoyed more success against the Irish in West Lafayette, where they have won two of the last three meetings. Notre Dame has won 15 of the last 16 in South Bend.
Purdue may have hope, as in new coach Danny Hope, but the Boilers still aren't playing much defense. They allowed 31 points in a season-opening win over Toledo (52-31), 38 in a two-point loss to Oregon and almost 30 in last week's 28-21 defeat to Northern Illinois.
Still, Notre Dame is ripe to be beaten because we don't trust the Irish - and Weis - in any situation on the road.
Since Notre Dame has played two straight games in the 30s - 38-34 loss at Michigan and 33-30 win over Michigan - we see another high-scoring affair that will have Irish fans once again yelling at their televisions: Notre Dame 35, Purdue 31.
These hair-raising finishes don't seem to be causing our man Charlie to lose any weight. Actually, they might be having an opposite affect.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Still down in the dumps over the loss to Michigan
Not really in the mood to watch the game today, feeling the year already has been lost, thanks to Charlie Weis' late playing calling last week.
It is, of course, a foolish way of looking at the season, because there is still a lot of good things the Irish can accomplish in 2009.
A 10-win campaign is still possible, but then means running the table, and I'm not sure Notre Dame can do that.
Wait, you say. The Irish can still get to 10 wins by going 9-1. Sure, they can, but that one defeat will be to Southern California.
So, that means running the table in the other nine games, and we're just not sure the Irish can avoid another slip-up somwhere down the road.
That's how damaging last week's game was, both from an emotional and practical point of view.
We'll see how the Irish bounce back. Let's see if they come out with a better attitude than this fan, and finally beat Michigan State at home.
It is, of course, a foolish way of looking at the season, because there is still a lot of good things the Irish can accomplish in 2009.
A 10-win campaign is still possible, but then means running the table, and I'm not sure Notre Dame can do that.
Wait, you say. The Irish can still get to 10 wins by going 9-1. Sure, they can, but that one defeat will be to Southern California.
So, that means running the table in the other nine games, and we're just not sure the Irish can avoid another slip-up somwhere down the road.
That's how damaging last week's game was, both from an emotional and practical point of view.
We'll see how the Irish bounce back. Let's see if they come out with a better attitude than this fan, and finally beat Michigan State at home.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Weis' foolish play-calling costs Irish at Michigan
How much more of this must Notre Dame fans endure?
Notre Dame's supposed improved defense proved to be anything but in Saturday's 38-34 loss at Michigan. It's unfathomable the Irish could give up 38 points to a freshman quarterback making his second career start.
Also unfathomable was the reckless play calling in the final minutes by the most over-hyped coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision. That of course would be our man Charlie.
Instead of milking the clock and forcing Michigan to use all its timeouts, he has Jimmy Clausen attempt a home run pass. Once that second-down pass was incomplete, the Irish were almost forced to pass on third down, which played right into the hands of the Wolverines, who got the ball back with two timeouts and more than two minutes remaining for their winning drive.
We swear, this was about Weis' inflated ego. He couldn't merely try win the game - he wanted to be flamboyant, reminding everybody he's Charlie Weis, the offensive genius. He lived by the pass and then he died by the pass.
It's akin to the gambler who foolishly goes for broke on one hand of Black Jack. Sure, there is a reward, but the risk is too great.
Then Notre Dame got beat by a freshman signal-caller with one game under his belt. Amazing, just amazing.
Notre Dame's supposed improved defense proved to be anything but in Saturday's 38-34 loss at Michigan. It's unfathomable the Irish could give up 38 points to a freshman quarterback making his second career start.
Also unfathomable was the reckless play calling in the final minutes by the most over-hyped coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision. That of course would be our man Charlie.
Instead of milking the clock and forcing Michigan to use all its timeouts, he has Jimmy Clausen attempt a home run pass. Once that second-down pass was incomplete, the Irish were almost forced to pass on third down, which played right into the hands of the Wolverines, who got the ball back with two timeouts and more than two minutes remaining for their winning drive.
We swear, this was about Weis' inflated ego. He couldn't merely try win the game - he wanted to be flamboyant, reminding everybody he's Charlie Weis, the offensive genius. He lived by the pass and then he died by the pass.
It's akin to the gambler who foolishly goes for broke on one hand of Black Jack. Sure, there is a reward, but the risk is too great.
Then Notre Dame got beat by a freshman signal-caller with one game under his belt. Amazing, just amazing.
Trip to Michigan a big test for maturing Clausen
Much has been made about how Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen seems to have a different demeanor, about how he is having more fun on the field and playing with more confidence.
Those things will come with winning and experience. Clausen, of course, is now a junior, having put together back-to-back spectacular efforts against Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl and last week against Nevada in this year's season opener.
With talented receivers Golden Tate and Michael Floyd in his arsenal, Clausen could threaten Notre Dame's single-season passing record of 3,919 yards set by Brady Quinn in 2005.
Now, however, we want to see how Clausen handles a hostile environment (a.k.a, the Big House), to see how much he really has matured and grown.
You know Michigan will be out to make amends for last season's 35-17 loss at Notre Dame that was worse than the final score indicated.
Clausen's first visit to Michigan two years ago was not pretty. He was replaced by Evan Sharpley after passing for just 74 yards, as Notre Dame slipped to 0-3 for only the second time in school history.
As a side note, we have to comment again on the allegations made by anonymous - and former - Michigan players that Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez exceeded the 20-hour practice week mandated by the NCAA.
That could never happen at Notre Dame because it would mean Charlie Weis would have to delay his dinner reservations.
Those things will come with winning and experience. Clausen, of course, is now a junior, having put together back-to-back spectacular efforts against Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl and last week against Nevada in this year's season opener.
With talented receivers Golden Tate and Michael Floyd in his arsenal, Clausen could threaten Notre Dame's single-season passing record of 3,919 yards set by Brady Quinn in 2005.
Now, however, we want to see how Clausen handles a hostile environment (a.k.a, the Big House), to see how much he really has matured and grown.
You know Michigan will be out to make amends for last season's 35-17 loss at Notre Dame that was worse than the final score indicated.
Clausen's first visit to Michigan two years ago was not pretty. He was replaced by Evan Sharpley after passing for just 74 yards, as Notre Dame slipped to 0-3 for only the second time in school history.
As a side note, we have to comment again on the allegations made by anonymous - and former - Michigan players that Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez exceeded the 20-hour practice week mandated by the NCAA.
That could never happen at Notre Dame because it would mean Charlie Weis would have to delay his dinner reservations.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Eric Mangini, name a starter -- please!
Exactly what is the big deal?
Eric Mangini is the only NFL coach who has not officially named a starting quarterback for this week's season-opening games.
All NFL coaches are paranoid control freaks to some degree, but the first-year Browns coach is taking the paranoia to a new level.
He thinks that officially announcing his quarterback would put his team at a disadvantage Sunday against the Vikings. He acts as if he is guarding a classified trade secret.
However, this is perhaps the NFL's worst-kept secret, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Wednesday that Brady Quinn has been tabbed as the Browns' starter.
Everyone around the NFL seems to know that Quinn will start Sunday, yet Mangini acts as if no one knows -- how absurd!
Anyway, we may be biased, but we think Mangini made the right choice. Derek Anderson enjoyed a storybook season two years ago, nearly leading the Browns to the playoffs, but he flopped last season, suggesting that he is no more than a one-year wonder.
The feeling here is that the Mighty Quinn has a better upside. He provides the intangible elements that Anderson lacked (leadership, intelligence, charisma, an ability to rally his teammates).
Eric Mangini is the only NFL coach who has not officially named a starting quarterback for this week's season-opening games.
All NFL coaches are paranoid control freaks to some degree, but the first-year Browns coach is taking the paranoia to a new level.
He thinks that officially announcing his quarterback would put his team at a disadvantage Sunday against the Vikings. He acts as if he is guarding a classified trade secret.
However, this is perhaps the NFL's worst-kept secret, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Wednesday that Brady Quinn has been tabbed as the Browns' starter.
Everyone around the NFL seems to know that Quinn will start Sunday, yet Mangini acts as if no one knows -- how absurd!
Anyway, we may be biased, but we think Mangini made the right choice. Derek Anderson enjoyed a storybook season two years ago, nearly leading the Browns to the playoffs, but he flopped last season, suggesting that he is no more than a one-year wonder.
The feeling here is that the Mighty Quinn has a better upside. He provides the intangible elements that Anderson lacked (leadership, intelligence, charisma, an ability to rally his teammates).
Monday, September 7, 2009
Saying a prayer for the great Ernie Harwell
"For, lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
Each year, before the Detroit Tigers' first spring training broadcast, Ernie Harwell would quote that passage from the Song of Solomon.
Although this isn't really related to Notre Dame or college football, we have to take a moment here to say a prayer for the great Harwell, the legendary Tigers' announcer who is dying.
Well, maybe we can relate this to football, because Bo Schembechler had the audacity to fire Harwell when the former Michigan coach was the general manager of the Tigers.
The harsh reality is that Harwell is indeed dying after the Tigers reported last week that he has inoperable bile duct cancer. In some respects, the news really shouldn't be considered surprising or a cause to feel down.
Harwell, after all, is 91, and no man lives forever. He has enjoyed a full, wonderful life, spending 55 years in baseball as a broadcaster and consummate gentleman.
Still, it is sad to know that someone who has been called the nicest man in baseball won't be around too much longer.
Growing up in Connecticut, I didn't get to listen to Harwell very often, but next to Phil Rizzuto, he was my favorite baseball announcer.
On those rare occasions when I did get to listen to him, I enjoyed his soothing voice and catch phrases ("Loooong gone", "He stood there like the house by the side of the road", "He's out for excessive window shopping; looked at one too many.")
He was the voice of summer on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull for four decades, and his call of the Tigers clinching the pennant against the Yankees in 1968, when racial strife was tearing apart Detroit, may have been his best:
"And the wind-up, and the pitch - he swings, a line shot, base hit, right field. The Tigers win it. Kaline scores, and it's all over. Don Wert singles. The Tigers mob Don. Kaline has scored, the fans are streaming on the field. And the Tigers have won their first pennant since Nineteen Hundred and Forty-Five. Let's listen to the bedlam here at Tiger Stadium."
A humble man in a business often lacking humility, Harwell handled the news of his cancer with the grace everyone knew he would.
If anyone could rival Vin Scully as the best baseball announcer who ever lived it would be Earnest William Harwell, born January 25, 1918 in Washington, Georgia.
Wouldn't it be special if the Tigers could give Harwell another World Series title in his final days? They came close in 2006, reaching the World Series.
Recalling how Schembechler once treated Michigan's most beloved adopted son makes me want Notre Dame to pound the Wolverines on Saturday even worse than last season.
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
Each year, before the Detroit Tigers' first spring training broadcast, Ernie Harwell would quote that passage from the Song of Solomon.
Although this isn't really related to Notre Dame or college football, we have to take a moment here to say a prayer for the great Harwell, the legendary Tigers' announcer who is dying.
Well, maybe we can relate this to football, because Bo Schembechler had the audacity to fire Harwell when the former Michigan coach was the general manager of the Tigers.
The harsh reality is that Harwell is indeed dying after the Tigers reported last week that he has inoperable bile duct cancer. In some respects, the news really shouldn't be considered surprising or a cause to feel down.
Harwell, after all, is 91, and no man lives forever. He has enjoyed a full, wonderful life, spending 55 years in baseball as a broadcaster and consummate gentleman.
Still, it is sad to know that someone who has been called the nicest man in baseball won't be around too much longer.
Growing up in Connecticut, I didn't get to listen to Harwell very often, but next to Phil Rizzuto, he was my favorite baseball announcer.
On those rare occasions when I did get to listen to him, I enjoyed his soothing voice and catch phrases ("Loooong gone", "He stood there like the house by the side of the road", "He's out for excessive window shopping; looked at one too many.")
He was the voice of summer on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull for four decades, and his call of the Tigers clinching the pennant against the Yankees in 1968, when racial strife was tearing apart Detroit, may have been his best:
"And the wind-up, and the pitch - he swings, a line shot, base hit, right field. The Tigers win it. Kaline scores, and it's all over. Don Wert singles. The Tigers mob Don. Kaline has scored, the fans are streaming on the field. And the Tigers have won their first pennant since Nineteen Hundred and Forty-Five. Let's listen to the bedlam here at Tiger Stadium."
A humble man in a business often lacking humility, Harwell handled the news of his cancer with the grace everyone knew he would.
If anyone could rival Vin Scully as the best baseball announcer who ever lived it would be Earnest William Harwell, born January 25, 1918 in Washington, Georgia.
Wouldn't it be special if the Tigers could give Harwell another World Series title in his final days? They came close in 2006, reaching the World Series.
Recalling how Schembechler once treated Michigan's most beloved adopted son makes me want Notre Dame to pound the Wolverines on Saturday even worse than last season.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Irish impressive in season-opening win over Nevada
Watched the game today with a fellow Notre Dame fan who wanted another touchdown in the fourth quarter.
"Don't want to be greedy," he said, "but 42-0 would have looked a lot better than 35-0."
Oh, well. Some guys are never satisfied.
Maybe Notre Dame's 35-0 win over Nevada doesn't qualify as a true blowout, but it certainly was a decisive, workman-like victory for the Irish.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Notre Dame's triumph is that the game took barely three hours. That's because there weren't an abundance of possession changes due to the Irish's ball-control attack.
Really, it would be difficult to find much wrong with ND's performance Saturday. If you want to pick some nits, you could say that the Irish weren't quite as effective in the second half after building a 28-0 lead at the intermission.
But that's only for guys who need to complain about something. Notre Dame scored touchdowns on five of its first six possessions and gained more than 500 yards. Jimmy Clausen threw four TDs. What's not to like?
It quite apparent that Notre Dame has a pair of speedy receivers in Michael Floyd and Golden Tate. The Irish also got a semblance of a running game going against the Wolf Pack after ranking near the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing the last two seasons and recorded their first shutout of the Charlie Weis' era.
Still, somebody needs to tell NBC commentator Pat Haden to tone down the shilling. Haden suggested Weis, already well-compensated, "deserved a raise."
Even if said in jest, it is a ridiculous over-the-top comment after one game. The Irish beat Nevada, not the 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers. Haden should stop drinking the Kool-Aid, at least until the Irish beat USC.
The Irish now need to show they can win in a hostile environment (at Michigan next week).
"Don't want to be greedy," he said, "but 42-0 would have looked a lot better than 35-0."
Oh, well. Some guys are never satisfied.
Maybe Notre Dame's 35-0 win over Nevada doesn't qualify as a true blowout, but it certainly was a decisive, workman-like victory for the Irish.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Notre Dame's triumph is that the game took barely three hours. That's because there weren't an abundance of possession changes due to the Irish's ball-control attack.
Really, it would be difficult to find much wrong with ND's performance Saturday. If you want to pick some nits, you could say that the Irish weren't quite as effective in the second half after building a 28-0 lead at the intermission.
But that's only for guys who need to complain about something. Notre Dame scored touchdowns on five of its first six possessions and gained more than 500 yards. Jimmy Clausen threw four TDs. What's not to like?
It quite apparent that Notre Dame has a pair of speedy receivers in Michael Floyd and Golden Tate. The Irish also got a semblance of a running game going against the Wolf Pack after ranking near the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing the last two seasons and recorded their first shutout of the Charlie Weis' era.
Still, somebody needs to tell NBC commentator Pat Haden to tone down the shilling. Haden suggested Weis, already well-compensated, "deserved a raise."
Even if said in jest, it is a ridiculous over-the-top comment after one game. The Irish beat Nevada, not the 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers. Haden should stop drinking the Kool-Aid, at least until the Irish beat USC.
The Irish now need to show they can win in a hostile environment (at Michigan next week).
Friday, September 4, 2009
Weis facing heat entering fifth season at Notre Dame
Do not count former Notre Dame linebacker Tom Reynolds among Charlie Weis' biggest fans.
According to the "Daily Domer", Reynolds is the man responsible for the following words that appeared on a huge billboard erected earlier this week just outside the Notre Dame campus: "Best wishes to Charlie Weis in the fifth year of his college coaching internship. Linebacker Alumni."
Ouch! Coach Weis could not be reached to comment on the billboard.
The sign was erected almost directly above the Linebacker Inn (hence the name), which is located on the corner of Edison Road and South Bend Ave, near the southeast entrance of the campus - and less than a half mile from Weis' office.
If this sign appeared inside the campus, we imagine the perpetrator would have been seized by Notre Dame's overzealous police force and publicly flogged.
On to Saturday's game itself ...
Nevada finished last a year ago in defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision and Jimmy Clausen is coming off a 401-yard passing performance - and five touchdowns - in Notre Dame's rout of Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl.
That would seem to suggest Clausen is in for another huge game Saturday. We're not so sure. Even with an excellent receiving corps (at least on paper) that includes
Golden Tate and Michael Floyd, we see the Irish struggling with a case of opening-game jitters, as they did a year ago with San Diego State.
If Notre Dame is greatly improved, it will roll Saturday to the tune of a 42-14 victory. We don't see it. We think the Irish will win but the 14-point spread is too high ... Notre Dame 31, Nevada 21.
According to the "Daily Domer", Reynolds is the man responsible for the following words that appeared on a huge billboard erected earlier this week just outside the Notre Dame campus: "Best wishes to Charlie Weis in the fifth year of his college coaching internship. Linebacker Alumni."
Ouch! Coach Weis could not be reached to comment on the billboard.
The sign was erected almost directly above the Linebacker Inn (hence the name), which is located on the corner of Edison Road and South Bend Ave, near the southeast entrance of the campus - and less than a half mile from Weis' office.
If this sign appeared inside the campus, we imagine the perpetrator would have been seized by Notre Dame's overzealous police force and publicly flogged.
On to Saturday's game itself ...
Nevada finished last a year ago in defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision and Jimmy Clausen is coming off a 401-yard passing performance - and five touchdowns - in Notre Dame's rout of Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl.
That would seem to suggest Clausen is in for another huge game Saturday. We're not so sure. Even with an excellent receiving corps (at least on paper) that includes
Golden Tate and Michael Floyd, we see the Irish struggling with a case of opening-game jitters, as they did a year ago with San Diego State.
If Notre Dame is greatly improved, it will roll Saturday to the tune of a 42-14 victory. We don't see it. We think the Irish will win but the 14-point spread is too high ... Notre Dame 31, Nevada 21.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Getting Ready For Another Notre Dame Football Season
The heart beats a little faster. The palms start sweating. The butterflies appear in the stomach.
The beginning of another Notre Dame football season, the 121st in school history, is less than 72 hours away. For a Fighting Irish fan or any college football fan, this is Christmas, New Year's Eve and the Fourth of July all rolled into one.
We much prefer the college game over the NFL for reasons that will appear in another blog item.
Again, I think of my dad, the biggest Notre Dame fan I have ever known. He would always get excited the week before the Irish's first game, act like a little kid waiting to open presents on Christmas morning.
On Thursday, I will perform my traditional season-opening ritual by visiting his grave and softly singing the fight song that he loved so dearly. We actually thought of playing the Notre Dame Victory March at his funeral in 1987(not really!).
The start of another Notre Dame football season is like a rebirth, a renewal of faith. It is timeless and forever. Really, it's the same on any college campus, except that no school mixes religion and football the way Our Lady's school does.
Indeed, these are traditions that help define the fabric of American life and culture. Saturday's America, as the great author Dan Jenkins so eloquently put it.
And, on a beautiful late summer day inside the House That Rockne Built, Here Come The Irish, Here Come The Irish, Here Come The Irish, charging out of the tunnel.
The Notre Dame band, the band of the Fighting Irish, strikes up the Victory March. Eighty thousand members of the flock begin the rhythmic clapping. If this does not get the juices flowing, then, sir, I would say you have a heart of stone. You also can't be Irish.
Unfortunately, out of the tunnel also comes Charlie Weis, beginning his fifth season - one too many, as far as we're concerned - as Notre Dame coach.
Saddled with a mediocre 29-21 record, Weis is out of excuses and officially has been put on notice by Irish Eyes are Smiling.
Win at least nine games this season, or get out of South Bend. With a favorable schedule and a veteran team returning, anything less than nine wins would be unacceptable. He really needs to win 10 games.
Our prediction for the Irish: 10-2, because we're foolishly optimistic when we should know better.
The beginning of another Notre Dame football season, the 121st in school history, is less than 72 hours away. For a Fighting Irish fan or any college football fan, this is Christmas, New Year's Eve and the Fourth of July all rolled into one.
We much prefer the college game over the NFL for reasons that will appear in another blog item.
Again, I think of my dad, the biggest Notre Dame fan I have ever known. He would always get excited the week before the Irish's first game, act like a little kid waiting to open presents on Christmas morning.
On Thursday, I will perform my traditional season-opening ritual by visiting his grave and softly singing the fight song that he loved so dearly. We actually thought of playing the Notre Dame Victory March at his funeral in 1987(not really!).
The start of another Notre Dame football season is like a rebirth, a renewal of faith. It is timeless and forever. Really, it's the same on any college campus, except that no school mixes religion and football the way Our Lady's school does.
Indeed, these are traditions that help define the fabric of American life and culture. Saturday's America, as the great author Dan Jenkins so eloquently put it.
And, on a beautiful late summer day inside the House That Rockne Built, Here Come The Irish, Here Come The Irish, Here Come The Irish, charging out of the tunnel.
The Notre Dame band, the band of the Fighting Irish, strikes up the Victory March. Eighty thousand members of the flock begin the rhythmic clapping. If this does not get the juices flowing, then, sir, I would say you have a heart of stone. You also can't be Irish.
Unfortunately, out of the tunnel also comes Charlie Weis, beginning his fifth season - one too many, as far as we're concerned - as Notre Dame coach.
Saddled with a mediocre 29-21 record, Weis is out of excuses and officially has been put on notice by Irish Eyes are Smiling.
Win at least nine games this season, or get out of South Bend. With a favorable schedule and a veteran team returning, anything less than nine wins would be unacceptable. He really needs to win 10 games.
Our prediction for the Irish: 10-2, because we're foolishly optimistic when we should know better.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Michigan situation points to exploitave nature of big-time NCAA sports
If you're a Notre Dame fan, you've got to be laughing about what's going on at Michigan.
Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez has come under fire amid allegations by anonymous players and former players that the team has practiced way beyond the 20-hour weekly limit mandated by the NCAA.
Remember, you can't spell scum without UM.
Seriously, we can't comment on the specifics of the Michigan situation. Still, you'd really have to have your head buried in the sand to think teams don't routinely violate the 20-hour rule. Some are probably worse than others.
It has been said that playing big-time Division I sports is akin to having a full-time job. There is nothing more absurd than a pompous, self-important NCAA official introducing players in press conferences as "student-athletes."
This controversy once again drives home the plantation mentality that exists in the NCAA, as players are routinely exploited. They bring in millions to their universities and get nothing in return except a free scholarship. It isn't enough.
More than ever, we're convinced Division I football and basketball players should receive a monthly stipend. It surely would end the pretense. It doesn't happen, of course, because there are too many media members who apologize for the NCAA.
We're still waiting for players to band together and just refuse to play. It would be their version of a wildcat strike.
Let's just suppose that the Michigan players refused to suit up for their season opener as a protest. Would could the university really do other than yank the players' scholarships?
Admittedly, that is a huge carrot dangling over the heads of players who can't afford to pay their own way to a school like Michigan, which is why coaches can always play the fear card.
So, you might say that a so-called players' strike never could happen in Division I sports. Ah, but it has happened. Remember the situation at St. Bonaventure a few years ago?
A group of players were so upset at sanctions levied against the program that they refused to play the last two games of the season. In that case, those players felt they were being unfairly punished for violations committed by the previous coach.
The university was red-faced, yet it could do nothing except forfeit the last two games, and the players made their point.
In many circles, the actions of the boycotting players were seen as antithetical to what athletics are supposed to be about. You can disagree with a decision, but you can't just quit.
Many saw those St. Bonaventure players as cowards. We saw them as heroes. They had the courage to take an unpopular stand even though they knew they were going to be vilified in the media.
We'd love to see such courage displayed on a higher level, if only to see the reaction from the self-righteous NCAA.
Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez has come under fire amid allegations by anonymous players and former players that the team has practiced way beyond the 20-hour weekly limit mandated by the NCAA.
Remember, you can't spell scum without UM.
Seriously, we can't comment on the specifics of the Michigan situation. Still, you'd really have to have your head buried in the sand to think teams don't routinely violate the 20-hour rule. Some are probably worse than others.
It has been said that playing big-time Division I sports is akin to having a full-time job. There is nothing more absurd than a pompous, self-important NCAA official introducing players in press conferences as "student-athletes."
This controversy once again drives home the plantation mentality that exists in the NCAA, as players are routinely exploited. They bring in millions to their universities and get nothing in return except a free scholarship. It isn't enough.
More than ever, we're convinced Division I football and basketball players should receive a monthly stipend. It surely would end the pretense. It doesn't happen, of course, because there are too many media members who apologize for the NCAA.
We're still waiting for players to band together and just refuse to play. It would be their version of a wildcat strike.
Let's just suppose that the Michigan players refused to suit up for their season opener as a protest. Would could the university really do other than yank the players' scholarships?
Admittedly, that is a huge carrot dangling over the heads of players who can't afford to pay their own way to a school like Michigan, which is why coaches can always play the fear card.
So, you might say that a so-called players' strike never could happen in Division I sports. Ah, but it has happened. Remember the situation at St. Bonaventure a few years ago?
A group of players were so upset at sanctions levied against the program that they refused to play the last two games of the season. In that case, those players felt they were being unfairly punished for violations committed by the previous coach.
The university was red-faced, yet it could do nothing except forfeit the last two games, and the players made their point.
In many circles, the actions of the boycotting players were seen as antithetical to what athletics are supposed to be about. You can disagree with a decision, but you can't just quit.
Many saw those St. Bonaventure players as cowards. We saw them as heroes. They had the courage to take an unpopular stand even though they knew they were going to be vilified in the media.
We'd love to see such courage displayed on a higher level, if only to see the reaction from the self-righteous NCAA.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Favorable schedule no guarantee of success for Irish
Notre Dame's new 7-4-1 scheduling format - seven home games, four road affairs and one neutral site contest - is not going over too well with its detractors.
There has been much talk about how this is a trend toward watering down the schedule, something Notre Dame vehemently disputes. Still, the critics may have a point, as Notre Dame's 2009 schedule looks pretty easy on paper.
Of course, a so-called favorable schedule is no guarantee of anything. The Irish are not to the point where they can count any game on their slate as an automatic 'W' (although there are couple games this year that would appear to be close to automatic wins).
Notre Dame fans would love to forget - but they can't - the disgraceful defeat to 2-8 Syracuse in South Bend last season. The Irish had never - that's never, as in not ever - lost to a team with eight losses.
Here, then, is a quick analysis of the 2009 schedule:
September 5, Nevada - A 14-point favorite, Notre Dame should win its opener, but the spread may be too much. Rembember how the Irish struggled for three quarters against San Diego State of the Football Championship Subdivision in last year's opener (21-13 win) ? Also, Nevada's dual threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick could give ND fits. We should find out right away if the Irish's defense really has improved.
September 12, a Michigan - In year two of the Rich Rodriguez regime, the Wolverines should be improved - they can't be much worse - and will be eager to make amends for last year's debacle (six turnovers) in South Bend.
September 19, Michigan State - Will the Irish ever again beat Sparty at home?
September 26, at Purdue - Joe Tiller, the one coach that Charlie Weis could out-coach, is gone. With Tiller gone, perhaps the Boilers will decide that defense isn't optional.
October 3, Washington - Too bad Tyrone Willingham won't be around to get booed by the Notre Dame faithful.
October 17, USC - With any luck, the Irish will be 5-0. They won't be 6-0 when the Trojans leave beautiful South Bend.
October 24, Boston College - Are the Irish's still being haunted by David Gordon, whose winning kick in 1993 cost Lou Holtz a second national title at ND?
October 31, Washington State - (at San Antonio). A "home" game for the Irish deep in the heart of Texas. Wonderful that ND gets to play both Washington and Washington State, the two worst teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision last year.
November 7, Navy - Maybe the Irish will spend the week before this game practicing how to recover onside kicks. Last year, the Irish allowed Navy to recover two onside kicks and nearly squandered a 20-point lead in the final two minutes.
November 14 at Pittsburgh - At least the Irish won't have to worry about LeSean McCoy, who is in the NFL.
November 21, Connecticut - Was UConn bullied into this series with the Irish, which includes no games in New England, or what?
November 28, at Stanford - Could a BCS bowl berth be on the line for the Irish, who
have won seven straight against the Cardinal?
not when they lost to 2-8 Syracuse last seas
There has been much talk about how this is a trend toward watering down the schedule, something Notre Dame vehemently disputes. Still, the critics may have a point, as Notre Dame's 2009 schedule looks pretty easy on paper.
Of course, a so-called favorable schedule is no guarantee of anything. The Irish are not to the point where they can count any game on their slate as an automatic 'W' (although there are couple games this year that would appear to be close to automatic wins).
Notre Dame fans would love to forget - but they can't - the disgraceful defeat to 2-8 Syracuse in South Bend last season. The Irish had never - that's never, as in not ever - lost to a team with eight losses.
Here, then, is a quick analysis of the 2009 schedule:
September 5, Nevada - A 14-point favorite, Notre Dame should win its opener, but the spread may be too much. Rembember how the Irish struggled for three quarters against San Diego State of the Football Championship Subdivision in last year's opener (21-13 win) ? Also, Nevada's dual threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick could give ND fits. We should find out right away if the Irish's defense really has improved.
September 12, a Michigan - In year two of the Rich Rodriguez regime, the Wolverines should be improved - they can't be much worse - and will be eager to make amends for last year's debacle (six turnovers) in South Bend.
September 19, Michigan State - Will the Irish ever again beat Sparty at home?
September 26, at Purdue - Joe Tiller, the one coach that Charlie Weis could out-coach, is gone. With Tiller gone, perhaps the Boilers will decide that defense isn't optional.
October 3, Washington - Too bad Tyrone Willingham won't be around to get booed by the Notre Dame faithful.
October 17, USC - With any luck, the Irish will be 5-0. They won't be 6-0 when the Trojans leave beautiful South Bend.
October 24, Boston College - Are the Irish's still being haunted by David Gordon, whose winning kick in 1993 cost Lou Holtz a second national title at ND?
October 31, Washington State - (at San Antonio). A "home" game for the Irish deep in the heart of Texas. Wonderful that ND gets to play both Washington and Washington State, the two worst teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision last year.
November 7, Navy - Maybe the Irish will spend the week before this game practicing how to recover onside kicks. Last year, the Irish allowed Navy to recover two onside kicks and nearly squandered a 20-point lead in the final two minutes.
November 14 at Pittsburgh - At least the Irish won't have to worry about LeSean McCoy, who is in the NFL.
November 21, Connecticut - Was UConn bullied into this series with the Irish, which includes no games in New England, or what?
November 28, at Stanford - Could a BCS bowl berth be on the line for the Irish, who
have won seven straight against the Cardinal?
not when they lost to 2-8 Syracuse last seas
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Laugh, Laugh: Holtz Picks Irish For National Championship Game
Lou Holtz has gone off the deep end again with his prediction last week that Notre Dame would play in the BCS national championship game, presumably against Florida.
You have to appreciate Holtz's love for Notre Dame, and someone needs to defend the Irish, especially when they get attacked every week on ESPN by Mark May, who remains bitter because Notre Dame had the audacity to fire Tyrone Willingham (How did the "molder of men" fare at Washington?)
The last coach to lead the Irish to a national title in 1988, Holtz remains a beloved figure in the Notre Dame community, even if he has become something of a cartoonish character. Actually, he is starting to look like a leprechaun.
Notre Dame does return all 11 starters on offense and plays only one team in the preseason top 37 (Southern California).
While the schedule - at least on paper - does appear easy, it's hard to take Captain Lou too seriously. He's like your eccentric uncle. You love him, and you put up with him, but you don't listen to much of what he says.
Even assuming a loss to USC, it's hard to imagine the Irish running the table in their other 11 games. They're going to get tripped up at least once. At best, we see Notre Dame at 10-2, possibly 9-3.
You have to appreciate Holtz's love for Notre Dame, and someone needs to defend the Irish, especially when they get attacked every week on ESPN by Mark May, who remains bitter because Notre Dame had the audacity to fire Tyrone Willingham (How did the "molder of men" fare at Washington?)
The last coach to lead the Irish to a national title in 1988, Holtz remains a beloved figure in the Notre Dame community, even if he has become something of a cartoonish character. Actually, he is starting to look like a leprechaun.
Notre Dame does return all 11 starters on offense and plays only one team in the preseason top 37 (Southern California).
While the schedule - at least on paper - does appear easy, it's hard to take Captain Lou too seriously. He's like your eccentric uncle. You love him, and you put up with him, but you don't listen to much of what he says.
Even assuming a loss to USC, it's hard to imagine the Irish running the table in their other 11 games. They're going to get tripped up at least once. At best, we see Notre Dame at 10-2, possibly 9-3.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
1964: The season that saved Notre Dame
For Fighting Irish fans old enough to remember, 1964 remains a special season in the program's storied history (No, I am not quite that old).
Ara Parseghian didn't come riding in on a white horse, but his arrival in South Bend that fall ushered in the "Era of Ara." He proved to be Notre Dame's savior and that 1964 season is regarded as a turning point for the Irish.
Jim Dent, the author of Junction Boys, has written another book about college football. This one chronicles the story of the 1964 Fighting Irish, who produced one of the greatest comeback seasons in the history of the sport.
"Resurrection: the season that saved Notre Dame" is a must read for all Notre Dame fans. I haven't bought it yet, but I will and I won't wait for the paperback edition. I might even read it in church because I suspect this history lesson is going to be akin to a religious experience.
The Fighting Irish floundered in the late 1950s and early 1960s, enduring six straight losing seasons from 1958-63. Notre Dame football had reached an all-time low, and surely Knute Rocke was turning over in his grave.
The program was hampered by poor coaching hires and equally inept management. Even worse, interest in the program started to wain, and many believed that Notre Dame's days as a national power were long past, that Notre Dame could no longer compete on the national stage in the modern era.
The hiring of Parseghian, who came to Notre Dame from Northwestern, was not universally supported. He was the first Fighting Irish football coach brought in from outside the Notre Dame family.
While not an especially religious man, Parseghian seemingly worked a miracle his rookie season. Notre Dame won its first nine games in 1964 before a shot at an unlikely national championship was squashed with a loss at Southern California in the season finale. Notre Dame finished third in the final Associated Press poll.
Now 86 years young, Parseghian remains a beloved member of Notre Dame's "Holy Trinity" of coaches along with Rockne and Leahy. Lou Holtz, who won Notre Dame's last national championship in 1988, doesn't quite make the list.
Parseghian only lasted 11 years at Notre Dame, citing burnout. But they were 11 memorable years. He won two national championships and posted a record of 95-17-4, a winning percentage of 95-17-4.
Charlie Weis loses 17 games in two seasons, or so it seems.
Ara Parseghian didn't come riding in on a white horse, but his arrival in South Bend that fall ushered in the "Era of Ara." He proved to be Notre Dame's savior and that 1964 season is regarded as a turning point for the Irish.
Jim Dent, the author of Junction Boys, has written another book about college football. This one chronicles the story of the 1964 Fighting Irish, who produced one of the greatest comeback seasons in the history of the sport.
"Resurrection: the season that saved Notre Dame" is a must read for all Notre Dame fans. I haven't bought it yet, but I will and I won't wait for the paperback edition. I might even read it in church because I suspect this history lesson is going to be akin to a religious experience.
The Fighting Irish floundered in the late 1950s and early 1960s, enduring six straight losing seasons from 1958-63. Notre Dame football had reached an all-time low, and surely Knute Rocke was turning over in his grave.
The program was hampered by poor coaching hires and equally inept management. Even worse, interest in the program started to wain, and many believed that Notre Dame's days as a national power were long past, that Notre Dame could no longer compete on the national stage in the modern era.
The hiring of Parseghian, who came to Notre Dame from Northwestern, was not universally supported. He was the first Fighting Irish football coach brought in from outside the Notre Dame family.
While not an especially religious man, Parseghian seemingly worked a miracle his rookie season. Notre Dame won its first nine games in 1964 before a shot at an unlikely national championship was squashed with a loss at Southern California in the season finale. Notre Dame finished third in the final Associated Press poll.
Now 86 years young, Parseghian remains a beloved member of Notre Dame's "Holy Trinity" of coaches along with Rockne and Leahy. Lou Holtz, who won Notre Dame's last national championship in 1988, doesn't quite make the list.
Parseghian only lasted 11 years at Notre Dame, citing burnout. But they were 11 memorable years. He won two national championships and posted a record of 95-17-4, a winning percentage of 95-17-4.
Charlie Weis loses 17 games in two seasons, or so it seems.
Monday, August 24, 2009
A son recalls his father's love of Notre Dame
Like many fans of the Fighting Irish, I cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame because of my father. My dad, the biggest Notre Dame fan I have ever known, was Irish and Catholic, so I probably didn’t have much choice in the matter.
My dad never yelled at the television – something that cannot be said about his oldest son – and I strongly doubt he would have wasted his time calling a 24-hour sports radio station even if there was such a medium before he passed away in 1987.
But my dad expected Notre Dame to win every game – not most games, every game - and merely winning wasn’t good enough. The Irish could be beating up some hapless opponent, 35-3, early in the third quarter and he’d mutter: “They gotta put some more points on the board!”
My dad also could convince himself that Notre Dame was worthy of a bowl game even if it finished with a losing record (“They’d still get great ratings,” he’d rationalize). Of course, in those halcyon days of the 1970s, the Irish never finished with a losing record.
My dad thought Ara Parseghian was the greatest coach who ever strode across a football field. He believed that Ara could discover the cure for cancer and walk across Lake Michigan.
There were two coaches my dad despised. One was John McKay, the face of the Southern California program when the rivalry between USC and Notre Dame was the best in the country from 1964-76.
The other was Alabama legend Paul “Bear” Bryant. Whenever anyone brought up Bryant’s name, my dad would get that mischievous glint in his eyes, reminding anyone who would listen that the Bear never beat Notre Dame (Bryant was 0-3 against the Irish, including the epochal a 24-23 loss in the 1973 Sugar Bowl that my dad always said was his favorite Notre Dame game).
On New Year’s Eve at Tulane Stadium, Parseghian risked everything. With the Irish facing 3rd-and-long from their 2-yard line and just over two minutes remaining, they could have played it safe. But quarterback Tom Clements dropped back into the end zone. He completed a 36-yard pass to Robin Weber down the left sidelines - one of the most famous plays in Notre Dame history.
The Irish ran out of the clock and won their second national championship under Parseghian, who was vindicated after being heavily criticized for playing for a 10-10 tie against Michigan State in the “Game of the Century” seven years earlier.
I don’t think my dad ever was prouder to be a Notre Dame fan. Not only did the Irish win, but they prevailed in the swashbuckling style he had come to expect.
You see, my dad believed in the Notre Dame mythology, believed that Notre Dame Stadium was hallowed ground and believed in all those Irish ghosts. Like a lot of Notre Dame’s “Subway Alumni”, he never actually stepped foot on Notre Dame’s campus, but was there every week in spirit.
Born in 1924, the same year that Grantland Rice penned the greatest lead in the history of sports writing about the Four Horsemen (“Outlined against a blue-gray October sky”), my dad died nine days after the New York Giants won their first Super Bowl. He was just 62 and missed Notre Dame’s return to glory under Lou Holtz.
Every year at this time, I got melancholy, thinking of my dad and thinking how excited he would be with the start of another college football season on the horizon.
Each year, I mark the start of Notre Dame’s season by performing a silly ritual. During the week before Notre Dane’s first game, I visit my dad’s gravesite and quietly sing “The Victory March”, which he loved so dearly. I stay for only a few minutes.
I began this ritual on the morning of one of the biggest wins in Notre Dame history – the 31-30 triumph over Miami in 1988 that propelled the Irish to their last national championship.
Since it worked for the Miami game, I made the trip back to my dad’s grave on January 2, 1989, hours before the Irish defeated West Virginia, 34-21, in the Fiesta Bowl, and have been doing it ever since to start the season
The ritual, of course, hasn’t brought Notre Dame much luck in recent years, but it is my way of keeping my dad’s memory alive.
Of course, if my dad was still alive, I’m sure he would be leading the chorus to get rid of Charlie Weis.
“We need another Ara, a man’s man,” he’d said.
My dad never yelled at the television – something that cannot be said about his oldest son – and I strongly doubt he would have wasted his time calling a 24-hour sports radio station even if there was such a medium before he passed away in 1987.
But my dad expected Notre Dame to win every game – not most games, every game - and merely winning wasn’t good enough. The Irish could be beating up some hapless opponent, 35-3, early in the third quarter and he’d mutter: “They gotta put some more points on the board!”
My dad also could convince himself that Notre Dame was worthy of a bowl game even if it finished with a losing record (“They’d still get great ratings,” he’d rationalize). Of course, in those halcyon days of the 1970s, the Irish never finished with a losing record.
My dad thought Ara Parseghian was the greatest coach who ever strode across a football field. He believed that Ara could discover the cure for cancer and walk across Lake Michigan.
There were two coaches my dad despised. One was John McKay, the face of the Southern California program when the rivalry between USC and Notre Dame was the best in the country from 1964-76.
The other was Alabama legend Paul “Bear” Bryant. Whenever anyone brought up Bryant’s name, my dad would get that mischievous glint in his eyes, reminding anyone who would listen that the Bear never beat Notre Dame (Bryant was 0-3 against the Irish, including the epochal a 24-23 loss in the 1973 Sugar Bowl that my dad always said was his favorite Notre Dame game).
On New Year’s Eve at Tulane Stadium, Parseghian risked everything. With the Irish facing 3rd-and-long from their 2-yard line and just over two minutes remaining, they could have played it safe. But quarterback Tom Clements dropped back into the end zone. He completed a 36-yard pass to Robin Weber down the left sidelines - one of the most famous plays in Notre Dame history.
The Irish ran out of the clock and won their second national championship under Parseghian, who was vindicated after being heavily criticized for playing for a 10-10 tie against Michigan State in the “Game of the Century” seven years earlier.
I don’t think my dad ever was prouder to be a Notre Dame fan. Not only did the Irish win, but they prevailed in the swashbuckling style he had come to expect.
You see, my dad believed in the Notre Dame mythology, believed that Notre Dame Stadium was hallowed ground and believed in all those Irish ghosts. Like a lot of Notre Dame’s “Subway Alumni”, he never actually stepped foot on Notre Dame’s campus, but was there every week in spirit.
Born in 1924, the same year that Grantland Rice penned the greatest lead in the history of sports writing about the Four Horsemen (“Outlined against a blue-gray October sky”), my dad died nine days after the New York Giants won their first Super Bowl. He was just 62 and missed Notre Dame’s return to glory under Lou Holtz.
Every year at this time, I got melancholy, thinking of my dad and thinking how excited he would be with the start of another college football season on the horizon.
Each year, I mark the start of Notre Dame’s season by performing a silly ritual. During the week before Notre Dane’s first game, I visit my dad’s gravesite and quietly sing “The Victory March”, which he loved so dearly. I stay for only a few minutes.
I began this ritual on the morning of one of the biggest wins in Notre Dame history – the 31-30 triumph over Miami in 1988 that propelled the Irish to their last national championship.
Since it worked for the Miami game, I made the trip back to my dad’s grave on January 2, 1989, hours before the Irish defeated West Virginia, 34-21, in the Fiesta Bowl, and have been doing it ever since to start the season
The ritual, of course, hasn’t brought Notre Dame much luck in recent years, but it is my way of keeping my dad’s memory alive.
Of course, if my dad was still alive, I’m sure he would be leading the chorus to get rid of Charlie Weis.
“We need another Ara, a man’s man,” he’d said.
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