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Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Week 4: Even Better Than The Real Thing


And I'm looking to the sky to save me
Looking for a sign of life...

Make my way back home
When I learn to fly.


The future?  Crypto-currency, Andy. 
What did you want to be, occupationally, when you were a wee lad or lass?  


   * Fireman?  
   * Astronaut?  
   * Massage therapist?  
   * Prison librarian?



Probably something very different than what you ultimately ended up being.  The world was different back then.  Not necessarily better, just different.  Except for ND football, THAT was definitely better and different.

But I digress.

In a similarly 'waxing nostalgic' state last week, I found myself watching... as one does... a 2-hour History Channel documentary on David Berkowitz aka The Son of Sam, the .44 Killer... 

And beyond wondering what my Long Island pals were doing / thinking during those summers of '76 and '77,  fundamental to that story is the question of "what's real and what's not" - a topic that seems applicable as well to Notre Dame football today. Both especially provocative and timely in their own ways.  

Reality v. The Alternative.  I mean, really - who among us hasn't had the occasional conversation with a charismatic dog? (How do you think I first got interested in Russian novelists? B-u-d-d-y.)   

Perhaps your canine chats didn't involve satanic kill orders like which the unfortunate Mr. Berkowitz responded, but still... insight and inspiration comes in many forms, sometimes when one least expects it. 

Like Saturday night.

But you say, "Jerrence it's only September, so who's to say whether any team (other than 'Bama) is genuinely good or just fake good?" Fair point.  Hardly anybody consistently plays strong teams yet - and even then, one is unsure whether the opposition is actual 'quality' (see UCLA).  

Still, for the Irish, the clues so far are looking fairly optimistic as the weekly data points begin to accumulate (see UGA).


That said, this weekend wasn't about forcing one to confront the question of what's real or what isn't (in the Corrigan household, we call that 'Tuesday').



No... this being the Michigan State game, this was about something much bigger, something The Grinch famously suggested to Cindy Lou Who the meaning of Christmas, 

"VENGEANCE."



Game Day/Night Observations


Through rock and through stone...
The black wind still moans.
Sweet revenge, sweet revenge
Without fail.



I have trouble letting go.  So Michigan State and coach Dantonio maintain a special place in my heart for bitterness-inspired pettiness. Why?

1.  Let's start with the horrific effort we turned in last year.  Embarrassing.

2.  Then there's that stupid Little Giants trick play, which I'm sure he still loves to regale his friends with how he pulled the wool over ND's eyes... 

3.  And the fact he might still be the better of the Michigan small school coaches available when we hired Kelly.
"Poor people are crazy, Jack.  I'm eccentric."

4.  Finally, his weird semi-sorta similarity to Dennis Hopper's deranged character in "Speed" -  a wonderful movie with its own revenge sub-plot that gave the world breakout performances from an enchanting Sandra Bullock as well as the always hypnotic Keanu Reeves.  

Still, the look is creepy and revealing.

So yes, I loved seeing them get thumped.



At any rate, what I saw from the game:

Okay, I didn't actually see all that much - I was at a fundraiser where the game was on only intermittently - so feel free to chime in with greater insights:

That's more like it.
*  THOSE are the running lanes I've been expecting to see. Long may they last.

*  We go 4-deep at RB?  Good to know!


 Perhaps last week's Brandon's passing fundamental routines led by the Monty Python troupe actually worked.


*  Did you know that ND's offense is 19-for-19 in the red zone so far this?  With 17 TD's!  Yikes.


*  Did anyone notice how well the Irish WR's blocked down field? 

* Was Shaun Crawford's strip / fumble recovery a season changer?


*  The Okwara kid (#42) looks like a player. 

Two new statistics to keep an eye on:  turnovers (duh) and tackles for loss.  After four games, the D already has 9 of the former and 26 of the latter.   Who doesn't think that side of the ball is demonstrably better?

*  If anyone was wondering whether Sparty still lived in the 'aggressive-to-dirty-play' zone, we got our answer: they never left.

*  It would appear that my nascent 'next ND coach' short list - still looking Houston Texans way - is going to have to wait for another couple weeks.



Word of the Week


Used in a sentence:  As Young Jerrence gamboled across the floor of the Northwestern Medicine fundraiser, executing a perfect pirouette after Notre Dame's latest score, his wife whispered, "Let's go, Nureyev, I think it's time for us to leave."






Quote of The Month


"We played the same guys last year.  They played a lot tougher tonight..."
Brian Allen
Center, MSU

True dat. But here's the thing:  if one is going to bitch about the coaching when the team comes out unprepared or rolls over in the 2nd half, you have to give the coaches their props when they do step up.  Starting with, increasingly obviously, Strength & Conditioning.


Cocktail of the Month
Maybe we aren't yet at a seasonal weather pivot point.  More like 'turn back the clock and experience the uncomfortable August we never got.'  

Whatever.

This week's drink continues the Revenge theme:  one man's vigilante is another man's psychopathic retribution-driven hero cop.

Enjoy.

Dirty Harry Martini
Dirty Harry (1971)
Directed by Don Siegel

I've got to ask you one question:  "Do you feel lucky?"  Well, do ya - drunk?!

Though pretty much every star from Frank Sinatra to Paul Newman to John Wayne was offered a chance to do Harry's dirty deeds, Clint Eastwood eventually landed the role as the Bay Area, .44 Magnum-wielding vigilante copper.  Inspired by the real-life Zodiac serial killer case (turned into its own nail-biter of a film in 2007), Harry proved popular enough to launch four additional movies.

Our extra-dirty martini will likely inspire your own repeat visits - at least to the bar.
  • 3 oz. gin
  • 3/4 oz. pickle juice
  • 1/4 oz. dry vermouth
If Eastwood could do all his own stunts, you can make your own martini.  Combine all the ingredients with ice in a shaker and shake well.  Double strain into a cocktail glass.  

Schedule

September
2      Temple                     W        
9     Georgia                      L - inipalooza VII
16    @Boston College    W 
23    @Michigan State   W
30    Miami (OH)        

October
7      @UNC         
14                       
21    USC                
28   NC State                    

November
4      Wake Forest                   
11     @Miami                     
18     Navy              
25    @Stanford




The Wager

Order restored?!  How about Order re-written!

Wins
Trumpian Rating
Contestant
12

Yuge.
Greatest Achievement,
In The History of The World.

Bryan G, Brian M, Joe S
11
Dave MRaz The Elder,
10



Failure.
Losers and Nut Jobs,
All Of ‘Em.
Terry, Jay, Lini, JP, John P, Phillip, Ted, Peter B, Daryl
9
Matt L, Graham C, Mark UShea CDennis R, Bob J, Jerry C
8
Dave G, Kevin C, Jim S, Jerry P, Tim S, Alex S, Jim B, Brian W,  Spittler the Elder, Blair
7
Bill B, Jim T, Tim C, Mike C, Mike G, Jerry W, Kevin M, Tom F,  Ryan CGarrett R
6
Ray V, Alvin B, John L, Randy Ri, Ward H
5
Jim R, Randy Ra,
4

3 or less


Buddy's Buddy

To be honest, I gave POTUS some serious consideration for this week's honor - who would've thought ANYONE could unify the NFL players and owners?!

That's a special person. 

And Shea Corrigan deserves some props this week too - for both having one of her articles referenced in a Sports Illustrated.com column (check out the 'other questions for Tony Romo link in the 1st paragraph) and simultaneously reminding the world that Nicolas Cage should not be forgotten.  


So proud. 

And let's give it up for the Philadelphia Eagles kicker!  Jake Elliott, 61 yards. Boom.   The dude was on the Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad two weeks ago!  

How often does the Philadelphia fanbase ever cheer anyone, much less a place kicker, like they did Sunday?  Um, never. 

Finally, let's not forget Addison Russell - who says civility is dead amongst the heat of your most hated rival?  Check this out - very cool:



It's about time, BW...
But the actual game was too good, too rife with potential long term portent to not identify an actual player... 

Buddy's bud has got to come from the team.  And though the likelihood is that he'll earn this honor more than once, nobody had more pressure to turn around his game than Brandon Wimbush.  Was this his coming out party? One can only hope so.  But from the very first drive, he was looked locked in and made plays.

And boy, did we need it. 





Schadenfreude of the Montb 
"Celebrating The Misfortune of Other Teams Since 1956"


Why I love college football.

Because it's played by 18-22 years olds who just cannot seem to hold it on the road.

Unless they play for Nick Saban.  

This week's all-stars:

1.  FSU.  Truly, who doesn't love to see the Seminoles lose?  Even if it means that, uh oh, NC State might be pretty good
.  

2.  Oklahoma State.  Stop me if you've heard this before - a Big 12 high powered, video game-like offense with the sure fire 1st round draft choice QB might be... um, flawed.  And by flawed I mean, over-rated.  Again.


3.  Mississippi State.  Well, easy come easy go.  And this loss may represent the rare double bo-nii:  one where we can both celebrate a high ranking team's loss (just on principle) and revel in the fact it makes ND's one frustrating loss look infinitely more respectable.   Huzzah!



Terry's Trolls


"Against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain..."
Friedrich Schiller
Poet, Philosopher & Playwright

If one were honest with the reader - and why wouldn't I, outside of the significant amount of content I simply make up - one must confess that this column has been tempted to nominate POTUS for this list every single week.  Comfortably.  But I refrain, after all, where's the fun in picking on a child?  


But with all of the to-do over Trump's cravenly political proclamation* on the NFL's view to its players' protest - the actual object of which has been completely lost on nearly everyone - one couldn't help but recall the most recent Notre Dame Magazine article summarizing notable moments in the school's 175 year history.  

The 12-page article recounted over a dozen incidents of non-violent ND protests, ranging from genuinely societally critical causes (civil rights, apartheid) to the only-in-college ridiculous (Cap'n Crunch) - almost all of which under the watchful but ultimately supportive eye of a university administration recognizing (and at times encouraging) their right to peacefully do so.

So whether you empathize with the players' actions or are outraged, I don't really care. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and there appears to be nothing close to unanimity on this particular topic. But I'd hope most will understand that theirs is a foundational, American bedrock right - and one that good ole du Lac has defended virtually since its doors opened.  I find that interesting. And gratifying.

* hello, he did it while stumping for his J. Sessions replacement candidate in Alabama. 

But I digress. Again.


1.  Odell Beckham.   For the record, no one disputes your talent.  

But at this point, you are either certifiably dumber than a box of rocks.

 Or just so supremely self-absorbed arrogant.





2.  Marcus Cooper, Sr.  If one thought that Philadelphia fans were hellish (and they are), consider if the Bears hadn't won Sunday - and wonder what their fans would've done to the unfortunate Mr. Cooper?  Tear. Him. To. Pieces.   Somewhere Leon Lett is surely smiling.


3. Officiating screw up, college division.   It's Texas A&M's turn this week.  Player seems to run a great distance, rumblin' bumblin' stumblin' into the end zone, TOUCHDOWN!  Until the line judge, who is, oh, ONE YARD AWAY from the play declares the player out of bounds at the 13 (or so) yard line.

Um, except he wasn't.  Actually not even close.

4.  Officiating screw up, professional.  Did this penalty cost Denver the game?  
     Quite possibly.  Unbelievable.



Final Thought


 As ugly as this is - file this under 'things you can't unsee' - this may also be visible evidence of a guy who's finally getting it, finally understanding the necessary emotional connection ND's players require of their coach.





Give me one more chance 
And you'll be satisfied...


Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Week 3: One Wink At A Time

And I could purge my soul perhaps
For the imminent collapse...
I'll tell you what we could do:
You be me for awhile - and I'll be you.


Truth be told, that switch probably wouldn't end terribly well for anyone. 

So strike that thought and let's back up.
Are you not entertained?!

You've heard me say, on occasion, that I've had a readers tell me, "Love your blog! Really don't understand it. Fun pictures!"  

The inference being that this column is a bit like something from the Hostess product line: easily consumable, doesn't stay in the system all that long and probably not something one freely admits to being a part of one's diet.  

In other words, the intellectual equivalent of a Twinkie, a Ho-Ho, a Sno-Ball.


Crying on the inside...
Not that there's anything wrong with that - everyone needs a guilty pleasure.  But honestly, it is a tad hurtful - I'm far more the sensitive artist than my affable, insouciant demeanor may otherwise suggest.  

That is, until I re-read what I've posted and recall one of the things my older brothers used to tell my parents when I was a wee lad:  mom, he's not right in the head "Mother, it's time you come to grips with Terry being in this world but not of it.  You should be prepared that the other children are going to have trouble... connecting... with him."

So, you readers may have a point.  Accordingly, this week's value-added involves an intellectual roadmap for you to follow along the blogger's thought process in a decision tree fashion. Don't say you weren't warned. 

Ready. Set. Go!  This week's connect-the-dots train of thought:






































A couple things to further point out:
  1. Please appreciate the different voices being captured above - that's not just an internal monologue or an internal dialogue you're witnessing. It's a freakin' town hall meeting of voices.
  2.  And much like REM sleep, it all occurs in nano-seconds.
  3. This may not, in fact, be any more helpful in understanding the blog.
C'est la vie!

Game Day/Night Observations


Just around the corner, there they are again...
Legends in their minds of those around.
If they try to slap us with their ego size
Gather of the clowns to cut 'em down.




Yea verily, throughout much of the 1st three quarters, I did despair.  And not the Romantic despair that one reads about with the saints when they had their moments of doubt.  Where Faith is ultimately rewarded with, well, sainthood.

This was more of an imperious Vince Lombardi 'what the hell is going on here' incredulity.  The kind of disbelief that might cause one to resign a membership in the Brian Kelly Fan Club. If one had one.

But all's well that ends well, right?  Even if one remains a little baffled about what any of it yet means.

What I saw:

So in a somewhat stream-of-conscious fashion, the thoughts that flew through my mind:

Brandon Wimbush Practices His Fundamentals...
*  Who, exactly, is calling the plays?
*  Is there such a thing as a letdown after a tough loss?
*  Run. The. Ball. Not that complicated.
*  I really, really, REALLY dislike BC.

*  As "pro-Irish white guy" as I am, in principle, getting beat by that genus of opponent WR is particularly torturous.
*  This offense is painful to watch.  If they don't gain meaningful yardage on 1st down, they have no chance.
*  The worst tackling of the year so far.  Still better than last year.

* The Houston Texans aren't off to a stellar start, Bill O'Brien might be available next year.
*  Wimbush is shockingly bad as a passer.  And for someone who doesn't know dookie, it's obvious his mechanics - footwork - is really poor.  Kinda amazing.  
*  Pass rush is pretty much non-existent.  And a team with a reasonable passer will give this D trouble
But ON THE POSITIVE... 

*  Half-time adjustments.  What a concept.
*  The team finished strong!  How often did you see that last year?  ("What is the empty set.")
*  The D got off the field on 3rd down.  Again.  Opponents 3rd down conversion to-date:
                  * Temple  5-17
                  *  UGA     4-17
                  *  BC         4-17
*  When the D needed a stop, they got it.
*  And maybe they discovered a bit of an offensive identity.
*  But they're going to need even a mediocre passing attack real soon.  Like this week.

Quote of The Month


RIP (1926-2017)
"I only eat so I can smoke 
and stay alive..."
Harry Dean Stanton


Given he that lived to 91, I'd say mission accomplished.  A man who, for better or worse, had his priorities down.   

Something I hope the ND offensive brain trust is quickly figuring out. 

As an aside, if you haven't, watch Paris, Texas.


Cocktail of the Month
And so it would appear we are at something of a pivot point in the year - Summer turning to Autumn, ND football turning up? down?  Who can tell.

This week requires a libation that has the flexibility to go both ways - summer sweetness, autumnal savory - and one that you can pound in celebratory bliss or the downward spiral of "I can't believe I'm re-living 2016's hellscape."  

Enjoy.
Close Encounters of The Slurred Kind
Close Encounters of The Third Kind (1977)
Directed by Steven Spielberg

Released in the wake of Spielberg's massive hit Jaws and catching the sci-fi tailwinds of a little thing called Star Wars, Close Encounters found success of the mountainous kind - despite blowing its budget and landing as quite a gamble.  (The concept of friendly space creatures was revolutionary at the time.)

The film stars Richard Dreyfuss in an obsessive performance for which he famously (read: shamelessly) campaigned to get cast, with Melinda Dillon in an Oscar-nominated turn as the mother of a kidnapped-to-the-cosmos kid.

Jealous? Get out of town with this other-worldly beer cocktail that'll have you feeling abducted - by awesomeness.





  • 2 oz. tequila
  • 1 oz. grapefruit juice
  • 4 oz. UFO Hefeweizen beer
  • club soda, to fill
Combine the tequila and grapefruit juice in a shaker and dry shake for a few seconds or until you hit a strange spot in the sky - whichever comes first.  

Pour into a pint glass, add the beer, and fill to the top with club soda.


Schedule

September
2      Temple                     W        
9     Georgia                      L - inipalooza VII
16    @Boston College    W 
23    @Michigan State
30    Miami (OH)        

October
7      @UNC         
14                       
21    USC                
28   NC State                    

November
4      Wake Forest                   
11     @Miami                     
18     Navy              
25    @Stanford




The Wager

And Order In The Universe has been restored.  For one more week.  

But I wouldn't be running to Vegas and betting the farm...


Wins
Trumpian Rating
Contestant
12

Yuge.
Greatest Achievement,
In The History of The World.

Bryan G, Brian M, Joe S
11
Dave MRaz The Elder,
10



Failure.
Losers and Nut Jobs,
All Of ‘Em.
Terry, Jay, Lini, JP, John P, Phillip, Ted, Peter B, Daryl
9
Matt L, Graham C, Mark UShea CDennis R, Bob J
8
Dave G, Kevin C, Jim S, Jerry P, Tim S, Alex S, Jim B, Brian W,  Spittler the Elder, Blair
7
Bill B, Jim T, Tim C, Mike C, Mike G, Jerry W, Kevin M, Tom F,  Ryan CGarrett R
6
Ray V, Alvin B, John L, Randy Ri, Ward H
5
Jim R, Randy Ra,
4

3 or less


Buddy's Buddy

Like for much of the game, there was a 1st half 'candidate' and 2nd half winner:

Jason Day, candidate.  Not for his Friday ace at 17th hole of the BMW.  Not directly, at least.

Jason wins a $130k car with the shot - and immediately donates the prize to the Evans Scholar Foundation.  The ace already triggered an $100k donation to the fund, which provides scholarships to kids going to college.  The car donation just extends the number of beneficiaries that much more.  Pretty cool.

Run, Forrest, Run!


Josh Adams, winner.  For this week, Buddy's best bud.  Pure and simple, an ND win over BC is in considerably greater doubt if Adams doesn't basically carry that offense for three quarters. He may not be the shiftiest of RB's and if he had even 1/2 of an additional gear, he'd have 2 more TD's and about 50 more running yds.  

But the guy is a stud. 




Schadenfreude of the Montb 
"Celebrating The Misfortune of Other Teams Since 1956"


What the Lord hath taken away in terms of tools - I mean, where's all the bad behavior, people? - He's giveth back, for at least one week, in teams to celebrate their demise.

Some more surprising than others.


1.  LSU.  Coach O, We Hardly Knew Ye...   m
aybe Mississippi State is really good. Probably not.  

2.  Stanford.  Wow, losing to USC is one thing.  San Diego State is an entirely different kettle of fish.  A wonderful bouillabaisse of karmic payback.  Would you like seconds, coach Shaw?

Rut roh...

3.  Tennessee.  Never been a big Butch Jones fan.  Always struck me like a guy a little too arrogant for his resume.  Come to think of it, kinda like our guy!  And don't ya just love to watch the SEC eat their own?

4.  UCLA.  Jim Mora, Jr. - the west coach Butch Jones.  With a QB perhaps similarly over-rated.  Of course the 3 time zone travel to Memphis didn't help much.  It seemed like a good idea at the time we scheduled the game...


Terry's Trolls


"Against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain..."
Friedrich Schiller
Poet, Philosopher & Playwright


Turns out natural disasters do tend to bring the good out in people so with hurricanes a-ragin' all over down south, there's been precious few notable bad boys (or girls). I guess that's a good thing.  That said:


1.  BYU Parachuter.   You had ONE job.




2.  Iowa game refs.  Hawkeye scores 74 yd. TD, high stepping the final yards, as one does.  And gets flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for doing so.  TD negated.  I weep for the state of rules and refereeing these days.



Final Thought.






10 days to the Alumni Hall / Union Pier reunion weekend.
Come as you are. 
I'm looking at you, Ms. Mr. Ward...