The Awesome

Versus = WTF!!!

2009-05-08T21:35:00.002-04:00

Someone PLEASE help me out with this one... Okay for the second time in as many games, the NHL has scheduled two playoff games on the same night one half hour apart. I can understand that, of course, as all teams involved are east coast teams. Sure no one wants a game to start at 9:30... I do get that. For cyrin’ out loud, show the frickin’ games though.

I live in the DC metro area, so naturally, I’m going to see the Caps regardless. Versus has the NHL contract, so I understand they have the rights to the NHL playoff games. For the local games here in DC though, the local sports channel shows the game...okay, fully understandable, they want in on the cash cow that is NHL broadcasting. What I absolutely do not get is that when the local sports channel shows the Capitals game, Versus blocks out the channel; completely blocks it out!

I know for an absolute fact, with today’s television technology, they have the ability to show one game in one area and another in a different viewing area. In fact, now that the Caps game has just ended, VS will now show the remaining half hour of the Boston v Carolina game...WTF is that!?

Please tell me why they cannot give up the right to the local game to the local sports station and show the remaining game. You can explain to me about money and rights, bla bla bla. You cannot, however, convince me it’s better for the league to one, schedule two out of two playoff games at the same time, and two, not show both of those games.

Someone gets an F for that one!

NHL Logos – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2009-05-06T10:18:00.037-04:00

In honor of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, I’ve compiled my top five seeds of NHL logos. And what would a top five list be without a bottom five to hit if off? For the sake of argument, I’ve added five mediocre logos as well.

The Good – Maybe the history, maybe the color, maybe just bad-ass!

5. The Original Six – although I’m not a fan of any of these six teams, I cannot argue the fact that these logos are time tested and still impress.

4. Montreal Wanderers – while most of the defunct teams of the early teens, Montreal at least had the wherewithal to roll with a W o

n a shield. Right on!

3. Colorado Rockies – thought by many to be ugly...I, on the other hand, see

70s classic! It’s got a blue mountain, a red C, and a little orange circle in the mix...how can you go wrong?

2. Kansas City Scouts – Not really PC, but this isn’t a politeness list, it’s a list of cool! A Sioux warrior scouting out the ice, planning for his next attack...yeah buddy!

1. Buffalo Sabres (Old School) – Not a surprise here, the Sabres logo is and

will always be the best logo of any sports team, of all time! Yes I said it... ALL TIME!

The Bad – Not necessarily ugly, but head scratchers nonetheless.

5. Dallas Stars – I’ve added the ole Stars because, well, I don’t like them first of all, s

ome should know why... and two because it just doesn’t make sense. You take a team from “hockey country”, Minnesota, rightly named the NorthStars, move them to Dallas, and drop the North. Senseless move, senseless name.

4. Quebec Nordiques – Intriguing at first,then again, not really sure what its supposed to be. Is it an elephant with a stick...a red hump with a stick? It’s just something else from the French we don’t understand?

3. California/Oakland Golden/Seals – Yeah... much like Al Davis’ Raiders, for cryin’ out loud, pick a name already! And, kind of cool, kind of weird, cute littl

e seal face on a bird-like shaped body thing going on... enough said.

2. Minnesota Wild –

This one would be on the Ugliest

but its creative if nothing else. A picture in a picture...ugly, yet cool, I guess.

1. Buffalo Sabres (2nd generation) – For reasons unknown, the Sabres

took the greatest jerseys/logos of all time, changed the colors to red and black, and decided to roll out with a big buffalo head... potential yes, execution no. Fail.

The Ugly – Not only ugly, but f-ugly!!!

5. Tampa Bay Lightening – I get it, Tampa, storms, lightening...but the logo sucks, plain and simple.

4. San Jose Sharks – triangle + stick-eating shark + horrible colors = recipe for a sucky logo.

3. Vancouver Canucks – Maybe one of the just plain ugliest of all

time...on par with the 70s/early 80s Houston Astros. They get the ultimate WTF!

2. Buffalo Sabres (current) – The most painful on the list...the Buffa-slug, snot-rocket,

Donald Trump’s hair. It has many names indeed, none of which are called awesome.

1. Anaheim Mighty Ducks – Worst franchise in history, meet worst logo in history! A team that never should have been. Yes they’ve had success, but they’ve got to go!

The Caps UNLEASH THE FUUUURY in game 7!

2009-04-29T07:18:00.002-04:00

Seriously, I am at best a second rate Caps fan. Only be default of course as the Sabres missed out this postseason. That said, there are few things better than a game 7 after a 3-1 comeback. This is the point of rankings; this is the point of wins, losses, and the point system; to get to this point where your home ice advantage is reality.

It was a shaky start for the Caps, who didn’t have a quality shot until near the end of the first period. After that, the D buckled down and only allowed 15 shots for the entire game. The Caps had 24 shots in about two and one third periods. Not a bombardment in the least, but enough to get two by.

The biggest stat of the game for the Caps is the 46 hits they laid down on the Rangers to their 30. With Brashear out for six games, one of the worries was the uncertainty of who would fill that enforcer roll. It turns out everyone did. 90% of the 46 hits were quality checks.

There were a few good hits on the Rangers’ circus clown Sean Avery too, who not shockingly, came up with losers limp in the last minute.

After watching this game, I’ve come to one conclusion: as an NHL team, you are much better off the more Russians you have. The Caps are stacked! Simeon Varlomov is the real deal folks…at least for this series he was.

An Early Look to the Future...Irish Basketball 2009/10

2009-04-17T09:27:00.002-04:00

At first glance, if you’re a casual observer, you may be concerned about the 2009-2010 basketball season for the Fighting Irish. You also may not believe that I’m pretty excited about next season, even with the sure losses and the potential huge loss to the team.

It has been recently reported that Luke Harangody has declared for the draft one year early, although he will not hire an agent. This leaves the door open to return in case he doesn’t get a warm fuzzy about his pull in the draft. Let me say this: I hope for Luke to have a long successful career in the NBA. I’ve seen enough to make the call that there’s no reason he shouldn’t. Here’s the catch…as a fan, I just hope it’s after next year.

First thing’s first… what do they lose. The Irish will also lose one of the best outside shooters I’ve ever seen. While I could run a laundry list of shooters the NCAA has seen in recent years, Kyle McAlarney is one of the best, and his range is maybe unparalleled in the college game. While that threat will surely be missed, Notre Dame has lost 3 point killers before, namely Colin Falls a couple years ago, and just filled the gap with McAlarney. Who’s next up remains to be seen. With the departure of Kurz a year ago, Zeller stepped up to fill the big man’s spot this past season. Now Zeller is gone and that gap probably concerns me more than any other so far. Ryan Ayers emerged this year as a serious offensive threat and Hillesland has been a solid starter and defender the entire season.

That said, I’m counting on watching an Irish team sans Harangody next season as well. But like I said, there’s still room for much optimism. Even though they have been to the dance 29 times, tied for ninth amongst all others, Notre Dame has never truly been seen as that powerhouse basketball school. I’m not talking about putting together successful seasons, but more about bringing in talent with little or no effort for the basketball pedigree, ala Kentucky, UNC, Duke, Kansas, UCLA. So one could argue that Mike Brey is asked to do more with less than say, John Calipari at Kentucky who has 5 star recruits waiting at the doorstep year in year out. That’s not a complaint, or a knock on the players in any way, it’s just a fact that Notre Dame, with all the factors, does not rake in 5 stars too often, if ever.

The four recruits coming in next season are as follows:
Center Thomas Knight from Maine – 6’8” 260 – He was Mr. Basketball in Maine, one of the best players to come out the state, who knew… He’s left-handed shooter, which can pose problems for defenses if they’re unprepared for it. With his size he should Harangody-esque type player. He’s a big boy and should be able to help fill that slot immediately.

SF Joey Brooks from Texas– 6’5” 205 – He’s a good defender, solid range shooter, smart player with good size and strength. From what I’ve read, he’s an intense player who should help with the boards and getting to the basket.

PF Mike Broghammer from Minnesota – 6’8” 215 – He is another tough inside player, should be like Harangody yet again with a little less size, solid outside shooting. If he puts on a few lbs, think Harangody meets Brockman = sickness!

PF Jack Cooley from Illinios – 6’8” 210 – He looks to be a very solid defender and great post player, which should also assist with the defensive losses this season. He has shown some areas needing work but should improve in most other aspects and has potential to be a long-term great asset.

With the four rooks, the much anticipated transfers will play as well next year. Ben Hansbrough and Scott Martin. Hansbrough of course, the little brother trade off with Tyler Zeller at UNC has tons of natural talent and should fill some of the leadership roles as well. I’m really excited to see Scott Martin play next season. He’s a transfer from Purdue after his freshman season in West Lafayette. I can remember watching a few games he played for Purdue noted his skills even then. He had a very solid freshman season and should be a pillar of the Irish team next season as a junior. He has good size and a good basketball IQ.

I won’t go into depth about the returning players, but look out for Tyrone Nash to continue his development, Peoples and Jackson to take the lead, and should see some quality time from Carlton Scott and other solid role players such as Tim Andree and Tim Abromaitis.

My last nugget is that I believe the Big East will not be as brutal as it was this season; how could it possibly be? Syracuse should be gutted from their departures; UConn will take a hit with Thabeet, Adrien, Austrie, and Price leaving, thank god; and Louisville loses Williams and McGee. Sure when all these guys leave, another 5-star falls in place, but we can only hope, they all won’t be as good as their predecessors.

While I will never jinx the Irish into predicting where they’ll go in the Tourney, I do expect another solid winning season out of the boys next year, hopefully with Harangody, and without a seven game skid… Cannot wait for October!

Don't Disrespect the NIT... Irish Updates

2009-03-26T08:54:00.001-04:00

Even if they didn’t make the big dance this year, accepting a bid as a 2 seed in the lowly NIT, I’ll call this a successful season yet again for Mike Brey and the boys. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say getting down to the NIT semis is their most successful post season since making it to the Sweet Sixteen in 02-03 where they were then bounced by 3 loss Arizona. Two years ago, the upset by Winthrop in the first round was a huge disappointment, and even last year where they did beat George Mason in Rd 1, they got their ass handed to them by Washington State in Rd 2. With the seasons they had in those two years, I call those finales disappointing.

This year however, where they’ve had a few tough breaks in the toughest Big East in a long time, they’re one of the last four teams alive in a NIT filled with some damned good basketball programs.

The NIT truly gets a bad wrap. With teams like Georgetown, Kansas St., Tennessee, Kentucky, Nebraska, and Florida, who, hello, is two years removed from their NC! These are no scrubbini programs here. Whomever comes out on top will have accomplished no small feat.

So back to the Irish… They bounced UAB, squeaked by New Mexico on the last second drive by Tory Jackson, then pretty much handed Kentucky a beatdown in the Joyce Center last night, with the exception of a late UK run. Harangody has been his normal self scoring 78 points in those three games. But last night, I think proved to be the better win of the three. While I don’t believe Kentucky is that good, they do have talent; they are still Kentucky after all.

The biggest story of the night though I think is this was the last home game for four seniors. Kyle McAlarney, Ryan Ayers, Zach Hillesland, and Luke Zeller. With Harangody testing the NBA waters this off-season, this could shape up to be a huge blow to next years squad. As a fan, I can only hope Luke decides to stick it out one more year. I think with additions of the transfers and some developing talent, they could actually have a better than solid group next year. More on that later…

But for now, Pennsylvania State University awaits in the Big Apple.
Good luck to the boys… GO IRISH!

Buffalo's 2-0 Baby....This Week at Least

2009-03-06T23:37:00.003-05:00

I guess it’s true what they say; 4.5 M per for a couple years provides a little kick in the ass. In the case of Tim Connolly, amidst rumors of a possible trade, and many fans calling for the trade, a new contract has proved just that.

While only two games after the trade deadline, and dangerously close to must win territory, they’re 2-0. In those two games, the Sabres have notched 10 goals giving up only 2. Lalime as not only started and won both games, due to Miller’s injury, but has stopped 67 shots. That doesn’t bode well for Buffalo’s D, but I’ll take 2 goals on 67 shots any day!

Connolly meanwhile has two goals and three assists in the same time. Not too shabby for a guy who was unsure of his future only a few days ago.

With seven teams within five points of each other in the playoff race, every win is crucial as it seems the competition not letting off.

NHL Network, NHL Not-work?

2009-03-03T18:49:00.002-05:00

There are some things I don’t understand when it comes to the folks running the NHL...well, a lot of things. We’ve seen a lot of fans talking of contraction, shifting teams, bringing back old teams, etc. All good ideas if you ask me.

One of the major issues I have is their selling the game. Better yet, how they’re not selling the game. I actually like the NHL games on VS. I think they do a fine job; I’ve become accustomed to the corny-ness of the set, etc. It’s better than a few years ago on FOX with the dumbass robots, which everyone knows and loves.

The reason for my post today is that the NHL has its own channel yet only shows games every few days. Why is it that on a night that 12 games are going to be played, zero of them will be shown on the NHL network? There’s NHL Live and about four hours of NHL on the fly. While I like NHL on the fly, where they’ll hit on every game, I believe it would benefit more to show actual games. There’s no excuse to not show a live game every single night one is played.

I’m a huge college basketball fan, so I don’t mind that any given night Jan-Mar, I have the choice of anywhere from two to four games on various channels. In a dream world, I would have a hockey game on every night too! I won’t go so far as to wish for a choice...yet.

NHL Network...get with the program!

NCAA Superstar Treatment...Does it Exist?

2009-03-02T08:16:00.001-05:00

A recent post by a faithful Duke fan has prompted me to give my unsolicited two cents on the subject of preferential treatment to a handful of NCAA teams, the “basketball” schools if you will.

I always find it funny when people refuse to recognize the real truth usually only when you’re team is one of discussion.

In my previous article, I point out the NCAAs fault in allowing a so called "hurt" player who happens to be a superstar player, who happens to be a 60% free throw shooter get subbed out for an 80% shooter at the time of a critical foul in the last minute of a two point game. Preferential treatment? I don’t know, maybe just a loophole in the system. But would they have allowed Kyle McAlarney to shoot for Tory Jackson in the same situation AGAINST UConn? YES, since there’s no rule against it, but the difference is, it would have been pasted all over the front pages, ESPN and other outlets would have publicized the outrage on how the lowly Irish scammed the system to sure up a win against the poor #2 Huskies. In this case, I think my crappy blog is the only written word of the incident.

I digress…

If you think preferential treatment does not exist whether consciously or not, you are living in a dream world folks. There are a handful special teams in the league, one of which IS Duke, that get these calls. I don't go so far to say "all the calls" that's ridiculous. I do however believe that when it comes down to a call being made in the split second to make it, the call will always go to those teams. "Tyler Hansbrough under the rim could never put up a poop shot, he must have been fouled there...whistle..." (These are the thoughts going through the mind of a ref in a fraction of a second"

It's not a conscious decision, it's a reaction to the outcome of a moment on the court, not actually processing whether or not a foul or NO foul has taken place. For the sake of explanation I call this a tie, to use the baseball analogy, and the tie always goes to the aforementioned special teams. Just to name a few: Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, Connecticut, Georgetown, and Syracuse, Louisville... (not to mention any team playing Notre Dame ;-)

On top of those teams is the "superstar" treatment some receive. Names such as Hansbrough, Griffin, Thabeet, Meeks, Texas players in Big 12 play, etc, (even my boy Harangody sometimes...not really). Those guys and like players will always get the benefit of the doubt. It's just natural... but very unfortunate. But to say it doesn't exist is just a little naive.

To Flop, or Not to Flop...Irish Lose Close One

2009-03-01T12:03:00.002-05:00

In my previous post, I thought there is nothing worse for an Irish fan than considering their road ahead. I was wrong. There is something much worse. That is watching a University of Connecticut home game. There is not much more detestable a place in the league. I’m not talking about the facilities; I’ve never been. Nor have I been to Storrs, CT. I’m talking about the all out ridiculousness UConn gets away with.

I know what the thoughts will be, “Of course, Irish lose and you scream ‘bad officiating’.” That’s probably a valid point in most cases. For the sake of argument though, I’ll try to pry the homer goggles off for a second and break down a couple of points.

First, are the calls and non-calls. When viewing a game, it’s natural to believe your team is getting the shaft, I know I always do. But I’ll just look at the statistics first. UConn had 13 blocked shots...13! Okay, I get it, they have a 7 footer, who’s a blocker. But my problem is 13 blocked shots with 7 personal fouls. Seven personal fouls, in 40 minutes, that’s unheard of in most games. The commentators stated they don’t have to commit fouls because they know they can block shots. What a bunch of bollocks! The fact is, I’d say 50% of those, were legit blocked shots, heck, I’ll give them 60%, which would put them right around their average. But I will not accept the fact they have they have the second best blocks per game average and near, if not at, the top of the list for least penalized. I throw the BS flag on that.

My second beef is with Thabeet. His antics in the last minute were the most revolting thing I’ve seen all season. While it may be legal, it’s dirty. The NCAA should take a hard look at the rule, or lack there of. To flop, sit out, and let an 80% free throw shooter take the shots... Calhoun and your 800 wins, shove it! I have zero respect for you and that call. In a moment where those free throws basically locked up your victory. To call it unsportsmanlike is an insult to unsportsmanlike! Calhoun and Thabeet, shame on you both.

And that’s all I have to say about that.
GO IRISH!

Irish Basketball...the Remaining Few

2009-02-27T21:50:00.003-05:00

I don’t know that there’s anything worse, as an Irish fan, to look at the remaining schedule and see @ (2) UConn, (10) Villanova and St. Johns at home. St. Johns of course dealt Notre Dame a blow near the start of Big East play. I also don’t know that there’s anything the Irish need less than three must wins at the ass end of the season. Unfortunately for all of us, that’s what they’ve got. The ugly fact is every single team in the Big East was dealt a turd sandwich this season, so Notre Dame’s final three is truly not much worse than any given Big East team.

Another unfortunate fact is that the few teams with more favorable remaining schedules are the few teams ahead of the Irish. Cincy finishes up with Syracuse, USF, and Seton Hall. West Virginia has USF, DePaul, and Louisville. Syracuse’s remaining three possibly favors that slim chance of assisting the Irish with Cincy, Rutgers, and Marquette, but it is ‘Cuse, and we all know how that goes. Providence ends up with Rutgers and Villanova. Yet another problem is that Cincy, West Virginia, and Syracuse all beat Notre Dame earlier so that renders a tie worthless.

The good news, though, is that those conference records are 9-7, (3x) 8-7, and Notre Dame at 7-8. There’s not much room for error, but that proves to be the similar fate of all the aforementioned teams.

The formula is rather easy. WIN. There’s not much else they can do. I will never make a prediction, but I will say a W tomorrow would rank among the NCAA’s upsets of the year. There’s no better time to stroke a little ‘Irish Luck’ than tomorrow afternoon!

Layin' A Buck O' Three - The Hard Way...

2009-02-22T00:08:00.001-05:00

Just a few hours before I watched Michael Finley and Roger Mason drain 10 of the Spurs’ 13 three pointers from 6 rows up, Ryan Ayers and Kyle McAlarney drained 11 of the Irish’s 13 tres in Providence today. The two combined for 53 as the Irish put up a bill for only the second time this season, the other being back in early December against powerhouse South Dakota. I think its safe to say if the boys play as they did today and even more so how they did against Louisville a few games ago, they should have a good chance at a low bid in March. The schedule is favorable playing Rutgers at home, at UConn, then finish up with Villanova and rematch with St. Johns at home. Of course anything is possible in the Big East.

Just What the Digger Ordered...

2009-02-13T22:26:00.002-05:00

Of course any chance at a lame play on words including the great Digger Phelps, I’ve got to take it. Last night the Irish had the chance to loose eight straight for the first time since Digger was boss. They failed to capitalize. With the exception of beating up Texas earlier, this was by far the most satisfying beat-down this season. There are two points of emphasis, which I believe warrant improvement. One, they were unable to lay a bill on the Cards, and two, beating Pitino by 40 would be much sweeter than by 33. Mike Brey and the fellas should remember this for next season, or better yet, the Big East Tournament shall they meet again.

Major football announcment today, Chucklebuck Weis will also consume the role of Offensive Coordinator in 2009. This is an interesting move...not at all! This seems to be consistent with the long list of gimmicky moves Weis seems to invent. In the past, I wouldn’t have hesitated for a second believing the genius-ness was far too complicated for my feeble mind to understand, because of course, as everyone knows, we’re talking about the offensive guru Coach Weis. Over the mind numbing attempts to contemplate these decisions over the past couple seasons, it’s become evident I’m either just too dumb to understand them, or these war plans are maybe more like connect the dots with missing numbers rather than detailed schematics of brilliance in the form of offensive innovation. Me thinks they just no worky. Please prove me wrong for once, but I gotta believe we may be at the last ditch effort for changing up the titles and coaching lineups here. I also read there may be another inbound NFL-er to fill the defensive line coach position. My opinion on that another time... but hey... Te’o is still Irish right? Hell yes he is!

When Name Alone is Not Enough...

2009-02-02T13:06:00.002-05:00

Then what? What happens in a world where the words Notre Dame football flirt with irrelevancy? Are we living in that unfortunate reality now? How long does a National Championship coach retain his job? 5 years... 10 years... lifetime membership in the ‘Jolly of the Month’ club? Ask Lloyd Carr, or Phillip Fulmer rather. The pattern shows that Bob Stoops is next! What about for a program? How long without a championship can a college football program consider itself among the elite? Assuming of course championships are not only desired, but expected. The real question is, when a coach has neither a recently minted ring and a case displaying trophies etched with dates older than the recruit, what then does he sell to the kid? What can the coach hang is hat on? The Willingham school of ‘Notre Dame 5 stars will come to me’ was a proven failure and certainly would not work now. That idea may very well have worked in the days of Devine and Parseghian. They had the checks that Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy wrote in the decades before. The parents of those recruits lived the glory years, so yeah, Notre Dame football sold itself. What does Weis have to sell? What makes a Manti Te’o, or Jelani Jenkins, or Byron Moore choose Notre Dame over Southern California, Texas, Oklahoma, or Florida? While I love the snow and sub freezing temperatures, I can understand it’s not much of a selling point compared to the hotspots of the south. While I like attractive, smart, and maybe little nerdy type of a woman, I can appreciate the differences between the women of South Bend, Indiana and coastal California. And while given the choice now between being pushed passed my comfort level to achieve my maximum potential, and maybe getting to half that point with little or no effort, at 18, I certainly would have chosen the path of least resistance. (Not to mention maybe my pops get a new house close to my school...unofficially of course) So is the promise of a supreme education, strict enforcement of rules, and crummy weather enough to sway the decision of young Te’o; time has yet to tell? Or is the lure of Rockne’s ghost yet significant enough to still sign top recruits year after year with a championship-less coach and no NC in the past 20 years?

February 4th could not come fast enough...

Irish Updates

2008-12-02T08:30:00.003-05:00

Once again Friday night the Irish women dominated anyone who steps onto Alumni Field, beating Florida State 2-0. Schuveiller and Knaack both scored with Kerri Hanks assisting both. They’ll face Stanford in the Final Four Friday at 330 CST. The game should be aired on ESPN2. Stanford is 22-1-1 and of course the Irish are 25-0. Watch the game!!!

Irish basketball improving their home winning streak beat up on Furman without the big man Sunday afternoon. The streak is now 39 wins, which is a new record! McAlarney drained 9 threes, enough said! He’s got 32 threes in six games this season. South Dakota tomorrow night. How about the women’s basketball, now 6-0, rolled up on ranked Michigan State as well this weekend. Men’s hockey is now number one for only the third time in history!!! Right now the Irish have 6 teams in top 25 rankings and 4 breaking top ten!

Watch the Brey and the boys play South Dakota today online 630 CST! Women play Eastern Michigan at 6 as well... GO IRISH!!!

Weekly Steamers

2008-12-02T08:07:00.004-05:00

This weekend, my Steamers go out to Mizzou, Oregon State, and of course, Notre Dame. I didn’t watch the entire Border War, or as our pussified society now must call it, the Border Showdown, but I did watch most of it. The lack of defense was evident but consistent with Big 12 play this season. Mizzou wins because they rolled down the field to score after letting Kansas score within 5 minutes but left a buck fifty on the clock. Not only that, they let Reesing march down and toss an egg to a wide open Meier to score once again leaving UM only a few seconds of desperation play. A great game, but Missouri should have pulled that one out. Oregon State had the chance to lock up the Pac-10 and secure a BCS Rose Bowl bid to play Penn State. All they had to do was win the Civil War at home this year and failed miserably. 800+ yards of offense they allowed! They controlled their own destiny and flushed it right down the pooper! I never expected Notre Dame to win, even if Weis was pleading for believers all week. I’ve been a homer all year, but I know a sure loss when I see one. What I did expect is that Charlie would not be out coached once again as he was the week before at home, at senior day, against Syracuse! I did expect to see a first down in the first half. I did expect for them to at least cover the spread, which was a record 30 points. Guess what they did.... laid a big fat turd where they used to play football. Pathetic is the only word I can use. How about the second worse loss in history, only second to last year’s drumming. They scored three points and gained less than a hundred yards. Jimmy threw for...wait for it...41 yards! They did not get a first down until almost the forth quarter. To top it all off this weekend, Cincinnati, who had locked up the Big East already, beat up Syracuse 30-10 this week when they had virtually nothing to play for bud pride. At least someone cares to beat teams they’re supposed to beat. Just for that, Notre Dame gets an extra steamer!

Is There Anything Left to Defend – The Charlie Weis Era?

2008-11-30T20:43:00.000-05:00

I don’t know that there are any redeeming qualities about the play of our beloved Irish anymore. I’ve read for the past 5 years about how Tyrone Willingham destroyed the program and how Bob Davie started an era of losing and how Charlie Weis was to turn it all around. At what cost, more importantly, at what time is this transition going to occur? If I were a betting man, well, I’d put my wallet away...’cause it just ain’t happening. The argument was made for the off field improvements Willingham made which no one can discredit. I believe he had the highest graduation rates ever. And through it all, as conservative as he was, he was a stand up guy, even after a winless U Dub season. Guess what, that and 50 cents will get you a coke when it comes to saving your job as head football coach at the University of Notre Dame. It’s about winning football games. It’s about beating our rivals. It’s about upholding tradition. It’s about bringing National Championships to South Bend! He was cut loose. So lets talk about winning. Bob Davie’s Notre Dame coaching career ended with a .583 winning percentage. Tyrone Willingham’s was cut short with a .583 winning percentage. Before Saturday Charlie Weis’ winning percentage was, you guessed it, .583. Now he holds the sole third turd position at .571 behind Joe Kuharich and Gerry Faust at 1 and 2 respectively.

So how can anyone in an official capacity support Weis’ continuance with a worse record than his past two predecessors? Davie had a 30-19 record at this point in his career. Weis is 28-21. Willingham didn’t even get a forth year to worsen his record. Records aside, from what I can remember, Davie’s and Willingham’s losses were not as bad as the ones we’ve witnessed over the past two years.

I look at virtually every other major college football program and changes they’ve made in the past which led to their recent success. While there are a few more recruiting restrictions and maybe a few more challenges that come with the job, there’s no conceivable reason Notre Dame should not be able to have a coaching staff which breeds success and produces championship caliber teams year in and year out. It’s an unfortunate decision Swarbrick has to make, but a necessary one nevertheless. I’m not talking about the decision as to whether to keep Weis, but to choose the next boss. I’ve never heard of forth time’s a charm, but let’s hope that is indeed the case.

New Winning Traditions

2008-11-26T15:26:00.002-05:00

It’s time to get out of your box and support your Notre Dame winning programs right now! If you call yourself a Notre Dame fan, you should know that the 24-0 ladies soccer team is now playing in the elite eight in their tourney against Florida State. If they pull out another win at home they’ll play either Stanford or Portland which is no joke either way.

Mike Brey and crew proved last night they are legit but have little time to relish in a close win against Texas as they face #1 North Carolina tonight. They pretty much handled Texas with no problems with the exception of the last 30 seconds where they let Abrams shoot easy threes to make it close. The game was really not a one point game though.

So watch the friggin game tonight! Support the other teams who are actually winning right now.

The Lone Steamer, Notre Dame v. Syracuse

2008-11-26T15:03:00.002-05:00

There are just no words in the English dictionary to explain the loss to Syracuse at home. If there ever was a sure thing, even more so than USC’s 29-½ point favor this weekend, it was Notre Dame to beat a 2-8 Syracuse at home. Everything pointed to a Notre Dame win; Gregg Robinson’s departure at season’s end, dome team playing outside in 20 degree weather, Notre Dame coming off of a squeaker to Navy where they should’ve won big, oh yeah, and how about Syracuse’s 2-8 record! Does it seem every week there’s some sort of reprehensible event which unfolds? Once again play calling and Jimmy Clausen’s play prove to be counterproductive at best. This loss more than any this season is unacceptable and now I cannot help but to sit my ass on the back bumper of the Fire Charlie Bandwagon.

Lou Holtz anybody? More on that later!!!

So this week, Notre Dame football gets the only weekly steamer award, albeit a few days late, it’s theirs alone. The one game I get to at South Bend was the one game I was sure to see a win...thanks for letting me down!

Returning to Glory, Episode II: The Fans

2008-11-20T08:29:00.002-05:00

It is my nature to not only bitch and complain about more things than not, but I’ll also suggest alternatives and solutions. In this and subsequent episodes, I’ll offer some of my keen observations and what should be done if the program will ever truly return to glory.

There’s something to be said for fan attitude. My Saturday’s pretty much revolve around college football, which revolves around the weekly Notre Dame installment. We sit here and watch at least a few minutes of every game aired as well. Every week I realize that Notre Dame fans, while probably superior in sheer numbers across the country, are far inferior in attitude. I watched the Penn State v. Michigan white out game in envy. It seems every single fan in attendance is committed to making that place a friggin’ nuthouse. I was at Kyle Field to see the Aggies beat Army and let me tell you, even in a down year against a mediocre opponent, those fans bring it, week in and week out. Every home game is a maroon-out and is pretty damned impressive!

Why is it I always feel like I’m the youngest Notre Dame fan around? I know that’s not the case, but what do we get to see on TV…Regis Philbin and those two fossils calling the home games on the Notre Dame channel. Regis pumps me up! When I want to get fired up, I think about the toughness of Regis and want to smash somebody’s skull in! There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of asshole to show every once in a while. I’m afraid of what type of signs I’ll see if College Gameday ever makes it to South Bend. I’m not saying Notre Dame fans don’t get fired up. But when I read about intimidating joints to play in, we always here about the same stadiums and never one in South Bend. To change, it starts with us! Leave grandma at home and bring your ballzack instead!

Clausen Critique

2008-11-18T12:24:00.003-05:00

I’m going to take a moment and dive into minutiae-ville for a few and discuss some things about young Jimmy Clausen that has bothered me this season. While these points are all small by themselves, taken as a whole, they damage the offense’s productivity.

First is the play action compared to the hand-off. What is the point of play action? In most cases, its to make the defensive backfield commit to the run play, to dupe them into making that step forward where once they realize it’s not a run, they’re out of sync and hopefully out of the coverage pattern. In a pro-style offense the play action pass is a pivotal piece and selling the fake-me-out hand off is paramount. When a run is dialed up, look at how Clausen does it. He sticks his arm way out with one hand holding the ball to hand it off to whomever, whether it be run up the gut or off tackle, whatever. Okay fine, what’s wrong with that? Nothing other than you can tell it’s all the way and it always is. Now a proper play action would be to utilize the same mechanics but instead of handing it off, he pulls it back in last second to his gut, holds for a split second and hits an open Tate or Floyd down the sidelines. This is not how it happens though. Clausen’s play action move is to double hand the ball and barely stick it out for a fraction of a second, while the back barely sells the handoff either. It doesn’t fool anyone anytime.

The next point is obvious…he’s staring down his receivers all too often. In the beginning of the season, he did very well moving the ball around to everyone. For some reason now he’s looking at Floyd or looking down Tate and that’s it. Once he realizes defenses are hip to that game (those two for the long ball), he’s almost at a loss and lately either throws it away because he spent too long staring at them, or he tries to force it which ends up as a pickle. Kumara has had some hiccups, but he’s still 6-5 and he’s got the talent. Tate and Floyd are obvious playmakers, and Grimes and Paris are great 3rd receivers complimenting Kumara. Rudolph, even if a rook, has shown he’ll have Fasano/Carlson hands down field as well. Basically…mix it up and don’t stare them down.

Third point, for God’s sake man running out of bounds for a two yard gain is better than chucking the ball to the cheap seats. We all know you’re not a running QB; we saw your frustration this week and some Navy clown almost ripped your head off. I’m not saying, although I’d love it, you have to put your pads down and rip off a few extra after contact. But sweet Jesus, you don’t have to toss the ball up to the cheerleaders because your there’s 8 in coverage. Even every once in a while, the 6.4/40 will get you a couple yards!

My final point, clock/timeout management, it’s some of the worst I’ve ever seen. There is no conceivable reason why you should have to burn a timeout in the first few minutes. If you see an odd coverage, call an audible to counter and roll with it. If it’s busted play, so be it, but you’ve got to manage those timeouts a little better.

Now I understand Clausen is still young, I get that. The real problem I have is that these are all very coachable offenses and doing so is supposed to be Charlie’s wheelhouse. I’m no expert by any stretch of any imagination, but I can see these flaws that I believe hurt the offense over the course of a game, and when the team plays a bunch of squeakers, a few botched plays makes a difference.

Just Another Couple Days at the Office...

2008-11-17T18:39:00.001-05:00

The Irish women advanced to the third round after a squeaker past Michigan State 1-0! Once again, Rose Augustin scoring first, and last, in the 73rd minute. They will play Minnesota, probably on Friday.

So something must be in the South Bend water lately…at least this past weekend. Irish hockey remains unbeaten for the 6th straight game. The women’s hoops start off their season beating ranked LSU and the men lay the wood to South Carolina Upstate.

I was a little worried about a number nine start to the season, but that soon disappeared as Harangody and crew were back at their normal business. It’s hard not to have high expectations this season. The past two years, although no one expected that much, were still huge disappointments. They were better than Winthrop and better than Wazzu if you ask me. This year they’ve got the target on their back so we’ll see how they handle it. Regardless, they looked damned good today. I really didn’t see anything that concerned me, even if Upstate kept it close in the 1st half. The Luke’s were unstoppable as Harangody laid out 30 and 14, and Zeller was 4-6 from behind the arc with 18 pts. and 5 boards. 50% shooting, 25 assists and 42 rebounds, good start to the season.

A couple of hoops notes, I’m not a fan of the three-point line change. The problem is my 3 pt. shot percentage, which up until now was a respectable 11.3%, may take a hit this season. I expect my shot will be off a bit during this adjustment period. Now if they could just go with the 9 ½ foot basket, I could slam on some fools!

Weekly Steamers

2008-11-15T22:26:00.008-05:00

Every week I’ll give you my take on the week’s biggest turds.

1. Michigan Wolverines – Rich Rod and his wonderful spread offense now owns the record for most losses in a season for our storied rivals. 129 seasons! Ironic…I see a 3-9 record in your very near future.

2. Notre Dame special teams – After scoring the first touchdown off of a blocked punt you never cease to amaze as you allow not one, but TWO onsides kicks in the last minute and a half of the game. I’ve actually never seen anything like it. But buck up…you will be exemplified for years to come when teams feel they have no chance in hell to come back two scores in the last minute…”but remember when Navy got two in a row!”

3. The referees in every USC game – No surprise here. Every week they’re always good for a few missed calls, drive extending calls, and always a couple of game-changing non-calls.

4. Billy Gillespie and the UK basketball team – Good job preparing all off season there Billy. You left the Aggies high and dry only to coach better talent to a worse record. Nothing like starting off the season right, just like last season…with a defensive epic FAIL! Oh Billy Billy Billy, Ashley and Adolph disapprove…

5. Troy State Trojans - You make me re-type this entry as I had LSU zingers ready to roll. You go up 31-3 only to quit and allow a 29 pt. 4th. Seriously. In your defense, the game wasn't televised here in the Republic, so I wasn't able to witness the usual Les Miles shadyness always present in Baton Rouge.

6. I think every single week the Bowl Championship Series will cap my list. As my five month anticipation of the greatest tournament in all sports rises, I can only dream of the day when the big shots will chuck it up as a loss and move on. Playoffs are inevitable. How many more Debacle Years do we have to endure for you to realize it just doesn’t work?

Congrats to you all. Instead of success, you laid a giant growler in it’s place.

Notre Dame v. Navy thoughts

2008-11-15T14:04:00.003-05:00

First Half
I sit here baffled, awed at what I’m forced to witness. It’s like some sort of bizarro world. It is unbelievable to me that a team which snapped your 40+ year winning streak would not be punished to submission. Some observations...

First and foremost Clausen’s confidence is in the toilet right now. Ever since the North Carolina pickle to start the second half he has not been the same. I don’t have the answer, but I do know, whatever the staff is doing with him right now is not working. If this continues, how long before we see a change? At what point of liability is enough to sit him down?

The play calling once again is atrocious. I saw three third down conversion possibilities squashed from poor play calls. Robert Hughes is not an outside runner. He’s not going to turn the corner on anyone; he just doesn’t have the speed. 3rd and 4, and they run Jimmy Clausen keeper? I’m speechless. And for God’s sake, out of a timeout, they line up in a goofy direct snap play? WTF is that about?

Any other team and this would be blowout already. There’s not much else to say.

Second Half and My Conclusion...

Well, the second half started off a little better. But it’s what they should have done. I’m not all that impressed when you do what you’re supposed to which is beat a cream puff Navy team. Okay, some observations…

They ran the ball well, but again, I expected them too. It was obvious CW chose to deal with Clausen by taking him off the front burner and have them run the ball all game. I’m not sure that’s what he needs, and like I said above, I don’t know what the right answer is now, but I do know it ain’t whatever they’re doing. And I also know, there's a 6-4 230 lb. freshman waiting for his chance too!

I’m a Golden Tate fan all the way. This guy has all of the intangibles and obviously what it takes to be a superstar…but not on the return team. I don’t know what spurred that decision, but it sucks. Reverse it immediately.

I’m all for good sportsmanship. I hate to see teams like Oklahoma and USC consistently lay up 70 spots on mediocre opponents; it’s a joke. But as a coach, I would like to have more than a three-possession cushion. Especially with dodgy special teams play and 10 friggin’ minutes left. If you think any team in the nation cannot score three TD’s in 10 minutes…well, you’ve got shit for brains. And that move to play second team players with 10 minutes left and in the red zone is a shit-for-brains move. Pound the score in, go up four scores, then play to run the clock out. It almost cost two games now!!!

There are just no words that can explain losing two onsides kicks in the last minute-30. For the sake of saving my four letter expressions for the USC game, I have nothing to say about it right now.

Either way, they get a win. But I will say this. I hope they get their shit together before going to Cali. While I certainly don’t expect a win, I hope as always, to not see a massacre. F.U.S.C. – GO IRISH!

Let's talk about chicks man...

2008-11-15T00:36:00.004-05:00

After winning another Big East Championship, the undefeated Irish women’s soccer team is now making their run at their third national title. The home-unbeaten streak is now at 2 million games after beating the University of Toledo Rockets 5-2. Carrie Dew was first on the board in the 7th minute. Rose Augustin followed with a pair of goals in three minutes in the 13th and 16th. Melissa Henderson and Erica Iantorno capped off the Irish scoring in the 36th and 77th respectively. They’ll face Michigan State this Sunday at home once again. A little HD coverage here in Texas would be nice!

Other business...
The men’s team lost a close game to USF unfortunately, 2-1, who will play St. Johns for the Big East title.

Mike Brey and the fellas will tip off the season at home defending their, now 37 game, home win streak against USC Upstate Spartans. While most D-1 programs schedule their first few games against tomato cans, you can never underestimate anyone. Ask Billy Gillespie what he thinks about Gardener-Webb last year and…wait for it…wait for it…Virginia Military Institute about creampuffs! Preseason preparation is paramount…how does it go, Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Muy importante senor! Nevertheless, Coach Brey will have his guys ready to roll.

A Little Home Cookin'

2008-11-14T21:56:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to the University of Buffalo Bulls, who are now bowl eligible for the first time since 1958. Their 4 OT win over the ole Akron Zips put them over the 6 win mark. Whether or not they get a bid is yet to be determined, regardless if they win out or not, they are certainly worthy if you ask me. Coach Turner Gill has turned that program up-side down and unfortunately (for UB) will most likely move on in the very near future, as his name has been tossed around for a few of the coaching vacancies this season. According to Wiki, the Bulls were invited to the Tangerine Bowl in 1958, but refused the bid due to the fact their black players would not have been eligible to play. Right now, they are holding down first place in the MAC’s Eastern Division with two games remaining. Watch out for the new D-1 powerhouse folks!

Returning to Glory, Episode I: What does this really mean?

2008-11-14T08:36:00.002-05:00

The fact is Notre Dame fans were spoiled during a majority of the Lou Holtz era. I believe if you take any of his squads from ’88-’93 and time warp them to recent past seasons, they win 6 consecutive National Championships! Yeah, that’s a homer call; blasphemous to Satan himself, Pete Carroll and all of his evil minions, ala Les Miles, Mack Brown, and Bob Stoops, but those Notre Dame teams trump all we’ve seen through the BCS Debacle Years. But I’ll take off my blue and gold goggles for once and look at the more recent history sans ’88-’93.

Save 1977 of course, you would have to go back to the early 70’s, during Coach Parseghian’s, time to really appreciate the successful storied program we always hear about. And being only 29 years old, that was a little bit before my time. Again with my dodgy math, I’ve added up the wins from ’78-end of Willingham era again leaving out ’88-’93. 133-87-3, or reality to Notre Dame fans, 133-90 is the outcome. That would be an ass-whuppin’ 59% winning percentage over the course of 19 seasons. So, I ask again, what the hell are we talking about when we say “Returning to Glory”? It sounds nice; it sounds a lot better than “attempting to develop a winning season after a string of mediocrity”, but really, the Rock ain’t comin’ back. Last time I looked Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley, and Layden aren’t on the commitment list for 2009. It’s time to stop reveling in the past. It’s time for change, for the future, and for a “New Glory”!

And so it begins...

2008-11-13T18:17:00.007-05:00

The maiden voyage into the mind-numbing nonsense that is this blog.

I think it’s safe to say now that we were all a bit spoiled by a 4-1 start. But rather than point out the obvious flaws right now as well as the many disappointments we’ve had thus far, I figured my first post should remain positive. For some reason my optimism is unwavering even if every week the wind from the Fire Charlie/Bench Jimmy bandwagon passing by is strong enough to blow my hat off. While every Saturday after a tough loss, I may grab the hand of the last fan hanging on to that wagon as it passes by, I release last minute to realize, even after dropping 3 of the last 4, it still ain't that bad. I’ll yet again hope for victory, even if only to keep the Mark Mays of the world quiet for one more week.

While I read the message boards regularly, there are some who refuse to acknowledge, or maybe just don’t realize, or better yet blocked it from memory, where this team was only last year. Assuming they win 2 of 3, which most should agree they should, that would result in a 7-5 season, average I’d say. But a four win improvement over last year. On a team of mostly sophomores and juniors, is it safe to say they could show the same improvement next year? That remains to be seen of course, but that would put them at 11-1 if my dodgy math proves right. The one loss being to BC of course! I quickly dove into some quick stats, just to pull some numbers and decided the results warranted recognition.

2007 2008 +/-
Scoring offense 117 69 -48
Yards per game 120 50 -70
Pass ypg 110 21 -89
Rush ypg 116 95 -21
1st downs 115 43 -28
3rd down conv. 112 66 -46
4th down conv. 45 100 +55
Penalties 67 77 -10 (higher # better)

In all offensive categories with the exception of 4th down conversions the team has significantly improved. Yards per game; they were dead last in ’07, now 50th. Scoring, tied for second to last; now 69th. While there’s no doubting room for improvement, no one can deny the numbers. This is pretty much the same nucleus as 2007, most of who will be here in 2009. At this rate of improvement, they are on track to be a top 20 team in most categories if not better. Ironically, perhaps the best turnaround season was Coach Holtz’s ’99-’00 transition from 0-11 to 8-4, but even if the ’08 season ends up average, wouldn't it be a top five seed for turnaround seasons?