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.
Monday, August 31, 2009
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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