Happy Labor Day to all. Although with the increasing number of our brethren joining the ranks of the retired, one wonders what this holiday even means for many of you - a long weekend? What's that?! Aren't they all? And what is this 'labor' thing of which you refer?
Well, I mock because I love. And am more than a little envious. Just a couple more years...
And for those retirees who perceived Sunday nights as a newfound oasis of stress-free existence, allow Notre Dame football to disabuse you of that notion.
Word of the Week
Used in a sentence paragraph: As Young Jerrence's ire subsided over the recent to-do involving the offensive nature of the Fighting Irish leprechaun mascot, he began to see his opinion evolving on the subject.
Perhaps the diminutive torches 'n pitchfork crowd had a point. Like their native American brethren, the indigenous sprite population of the world had been mocked, marginalized with pejorative monikers, long enough and it was time for a change.
The Notre Dame Fighting Korrigans had a nice ring to it, oui?
Quote of the Week
"I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying."
Oscar Wilde
Meet the new blogger. Same as the old blogger.
Game 1 Thoughts
Get started, start a fire...
It certainly looked like we were starting on fire Sunday night, didn't it?
To be upfront about this - I'm taking a decidedly pollyanna, 'glass half full' approach to what we saw that evening... it was the first game of the year, for chrissakes, and for every team in the country not named Alabama or Georgia, 'uneven' performances were pretty much SOP.
So here's some thoughts, in non particular order...
1) 2nd play of the game and Zeke Correll jumps. If we are Tight End U and/or O-Line U, we also have to be in the conversation for False Start U.
2) Jack Coan. That soul sucking sound you hear is the state of Wisconsin watching the Badgers and Irish QB play this past weekend and asking themselves, "Dear God, what did we do?"
3. Grading (on a curve*) the Coordinators:
Rees: B. At times, especially early, seemed like he was trying too hard to be overly clever but otherwise pretty solid. You should win any game you put up 38 pts. in regulation time.
Freeman. C-. What was with the 3-man fronts?!
Fun fact: ND's D was on the field for 9:40 of the 4th quarter.
One blogger's opinion: I loved the pressure, attacking attitude. And FSU's QB was (is) more elusive than most. And I can live with giving up the occasional big play. Kelly made an interesting comment after the game, that Freeman is now finding out just who he really has. Or maybe, hasn't.
And for anyone pining for Clark Lea, recall that he had a full year as an assistant with the team - to know who/what he had - before becoming the DC.
*versus the other coordinators I saw over the weekend.
4. Michael Mayer. You're a stud so you get a one game 'hall pass.' But those drops cannot keep happening.
5. To quote Brian Kelly, "What do you have to do to get a roughing the kicker call?"
6. Kyle Hamilton. Could he actually be better than we thought?
7. Maybe this is more of a commentary on FSU's team speed but I don't think Kyren is a fast as the ND coaching staff thinks he is.
8. Carrot Top! Dead solid perfect.
9. Finally, can someone explain to me how FSU can still get away with the Indian chief -in-war paint- on-horseback mascot, and the tomahawk chop? If something as generic* as a Cleveland Indian is problematic, how the hell do they get away with that?! Just when you think you can't be surprised by Florida any more...
*Or as imaginary as a leprechaun.
Buddy's Buddy
"He went to Paris
Looking for answers
To questions
That bothered him so..."
So for the past nine months, as a few (many?) of you might know, we've been playing foster parents to our daughter Shea's dog, Jack.
And for those of you familiar with Brian Doyle's novel, "Chicago", just know that Jack is the essence of Edward, a dog - and one of the book's central characters - of some significant erudition and insight. Like Edward, Jack has been equal parts pet and confidant but perhaps more importantly the beta test in the marriage as to whether Jerrence was up to being able to, ultimately, take care of a dog of his own.
Well, good news and bad news: Jerrence passed that test - huzzah! - but the pilot program has now been terminated.
Last week, Jack (call me Jacques) has joined Shea back in Paris, ostensibly to sample the full spectrum of French wines and cheeses, ride the metro, people watch at sidewalk cafes and occasionally seduce unsuspecting jeune fille.
And, likely, never to return to these parts again.
But we'll always have Flint Lake, Jack.
(And see you at Christmas.)
RE-PETE (a shameless, illegal lift of Pete Sampson's weekly mailbag).
One of the more over-used (and increasingly irritating) expressions that's crept into journalistic vernacular is the "there's a lot to unpack" observation.
Unpack? What are we, valets?
In any event, Sunday night did give ND Nation several things to re-hash (and there was much rejoicing for that in the blogger universe).
On the top of that list had to be the universally dismissive critique of the Freeman defense. So let's hear from someone with greater acumen on the topic than any of us:
I feel everyone is overreacting to Marcus Freeman’s defense. The first three quarters were suffocating, and more sacks would have occurred if Jordan Travis wasn’t so mobile. Clearly the three down linemen is not a tactic he is going to use unless up big. Is it just me or is this total overreaction?
Andy C.
It’s difficult to look back at Sunday night, compare it to the “reaction” from fans and figure out whether people are overreacting to a an incredibly uneven defensive performance or not. What makes Freeman’s three-man fronts unique is that he plays them with 4-3 personnel, basically taking Isaiah Foskey and sticking him at inside linebacker. This is something Freeman did at Cincinnati, although he didn’t have any Foskey types on the roster. The concept of spacing defenders all over the field is supposed to be an RPO killer, but Florida State was not having a ton of success in that scheme.
For example, in the first half Notre Dame used the 3-4 front on four snaps. Florida State had two carries for seven yards, plus two completions on two attempts for 16 yards. That’s fine. In the second half, Notre Dame used three-man fronts on 21 snaps. Florida State has 12 carries for 87 yards (7.25 yards per carry). The Seminoles also completed 5 of 9 passes for 38 yards and took a sack.
It’s worth remembering Brian Kelly hired Marcus Freeman after watching these exotic 3-4 schemes at Cincinnati and presumably endorsing them. Was Notre Dame in three-man fronts too much in the fourth quarter on Sunday night? Yes. But it’s not like Freeman should just scrap the concept that helped him get hired at Notre Dame in the first place.
So again, what’s the reaction? That Freeman doesn’t know what he’s doing defensively? That would be an overreaction, yes. Just like naming him coach-in-waiting before he had coached a single game here was an overreaction. Personally, I want to see where Freeman goes next with his package. Changeup? Base? Trash can? The hunch is the 3-4 becomes more of a changeup (not to be confused with the 3-3-5 nickel package) the rest of the season.
Look, Freeman got an education at Florida State. This isn’t Cincinnati anymore, where performances (good and bad) go under the radar. Everything at Notre Dame matters all the time. That’s what Freeman signed up for coming to South Bend (the same would have applied to Baton Rouge). Honestly, I’m more interested in how he adapts personnel usage than scheme. Does D.J. Brown continue to get work at the back? How does the linebacker rotation work? Is there a third corner outside of nickel? In re-watching the game, you’ll notice a lot of reserves on the field for Florida State’s biggest moments. Perhaps the Irish aren’t as deep as they thought.
By the way, it’s OK to give Freeman some space to learn on the job. This is all new for him. Expecting perfection on opening night on the road is a bit much.
Cocktail of the Week
What's the appropriate libation for a perfect Labor Day weekend and yet thematically justifiable for the game we witnessed?
It should be seasonally relevant and represent perhaps, slyly, a geographical tie-in. It'd be great if it could also be epic - after all, we had a packed stadium and a 7M person viewing audience.
There needs to be, of course, a dollop of drama, albeit perhaps more so than is necessary. But we're creatures of excess, no? Ultimately, wildly enjoyable, at least to those without any personal connections... hmmm.
Gone With The Wine
Gone With The Win (1936)
By Margaret Mitchell
When Margaret Mitchell proclaimed that Wind was a story of survival, she was likely referring to her heroine, Scarlett O'Hara, who starts off a southern belle and ends up losing the hoop skirt to scavenge for food. You'll call yourself a survivor, too, when you get through the 1000'ish pages. A Pulitzer winner for the plucky Mitchell - her second marriage was to the best man at her first marriage - Wind is an enduring money-maker.
Gather a group, skip the movie, scour the book and cool off a boiling discussion with this sangria: red as the earth of Tara and packed with proper Georgia peaches.
MAKES ABOUT 6 DRINKS
* 1 bottle red wine (~ 3 cups) * 2 oz. peach brandy
* 2 tblsp. sugar
* 1 peach, chopped into cute little squares
* 1 orange, cut into bite-sized wedges
* 2 1/2 cups ginger ale, chilled
Pour the wine, brandy, sugar and fruits into a large pitcher and stir. Place the pitcher in the fridge and allow to infuse for at least an hour. When guess need a break - you'll know, because someone will refer to Ashley as a girl; this person did not read the book - top the pitcher off with ginger ale and serve over ample ice.
It's cool down time.
Source: Tequila Mockingbird
Cocktails With A Literary Twist
by Tim Federle
Schedule.
September
5 @Florida St. W
11 Toledo - 1st Stayer Tailgate in 2 years!
18 Purdue
24 Linipalooza X - FRIDAY NIGHT!
25 @Wisconsin (Soldier Field)
October
2 Cincinnati
9 @Va. Tech
16 BYE
23 USC
30 UNC
November
6 Navy
13 @UVA
20 Ga. Tech
27 @Stanford
The Wager.
For those following such things, there are five (5) future opponents presently ranked in the Top 25:
#7, 14, 18, 19 and 24th
"8-win Al" has got to be feeling pretty comfortable right about now.
Wins
Archetype (Embodies)
Domer
12
Miracle On Ice
To be clear, ND running the table wouldn't come remotely close to approximating the USA ice hockey victory over Russia in '80.
Nothing in my lifetime will beat this. Nor will anything exceed the guilt I still have for ruining this for Castellini.
Still ND going 12-0 seems similarly tough to envision with the little we know right now.
Brian M.
JP McG.
John P.
Bryan G.
Gary H.
Pat B.
Dave M.
11
Kerry Strug
One final vault. Hit it, basically perfectly, and your country wins the gold medal.
No pressure. Oh and you just tore two ligaments in your ankle on your prior attempt - you can barely walk.
But apparently, you still have one more sprint in you. Boom! Done.
ND winning 11 games is not really analogous to this but right now, it's looking just as iffy.
Jay F.
Bill B.
Bob J.
Dave G.
Peter B.
Jim S.
Jim B.
Daryl M.
Dennis R.
Mike C.
10
Super Bowl III
In hindsight this probably wasn't nearly the shocker it was at the time - but it sure made the NFL sit up and take notice.
At this point in the Kelly regime, ND winning 10 games is no longer unexpected.
And yet, they have a similar imperative (as the AFL did) to do this in order to get the football world to really buy in that ND is elite again.
Jerrence Sloane B. Raz Phillip S. Jerry P. Kevin M. Jim T. Tim S. The Dim One Ungie Lini Bob S. Blair R. Alex S. Ted C. Tom F. Ted C. Randy R. Mike G.
9
NC St over Phi Slamma Jamma
The 'improbable' relevance to ND success gets shakier as the win total gets lower...
A great game but unless you had money on it (I didn't), it was a fleeting feel good.
Relevance to 9 wins? None. But on this continuum this is where this sits.
Brian W.
Garrett R.
Mike B.
John L.
Ward H.
8
Villanova over Georgetown
In terms of improbability, you could probably flip this game w NC State's victory - they were both pretty awesome in a vicarious way.
These rankings all being relative vs. the others, it's feeling 8'ish even if it probably deserves better.
Albert B.
7
ND over Miami, 1988
Was this improbable at the time? Depends on who you ask - and if they're honest.
Miami owned ND in the '80s.
And yet, Holtz & Co. made everyone believe.
Impressive, definitely. But on a scale of 1-10 as unlikely, maybe a 7.
6
ND over Clemson, 2020
This victory - as necessary as it was for the program - gets somewhat devalued in terms of improbability:
1) ND was genuinely really good last year. And playing at home.
2) Candidly, no Trevor Lawrence.
5
ND over Florida St., 1993
After the '88 Miami win, with Holtz still in charge... while never a 'lock', beating FSU was certainly no great surprise.
And ultimately tempered by spitting the bit the next week against BC.
4
If anyone wishes to play down here...
3
...be my guest.
Schadenfreude.
Readers of this space may recall that, this time of year I am typically whinging about the month of September being 'schedule the cupcakes' season. Nary an opportunity to revel in a spirit-lifting loss of a team you loathe.
Well, apparently, no longer. Big games to kick off the season seem to now have become de rigueur. Unless you're Michigan. (Enjoy it while it lasts, coach Harbaugh.)
And why anyone schedules Alabama as their first game - unless you really, really need that money - is beyond me.
1) UNC. You could argue that we should want our opponents winning right up until they play us but schadenfreude doesn't work that way. The heart wants what it wants. And Jerrence's heart wants the world reminded just how mediocre of a coach Mack Brown really is.
2) Wisconsin. Call this the Jack Coan 'How Ya Like Me Now?' Bowl.
3) LSU. There are a lot of very nice people from Louisiana - many of whom, presently, have far more to worry about than a football game. But for a program that seems to get mentioned, at least recruiting-wise, in the same breath as Bama/Georgia/Clemson, boy have they been bad. And since we seem to be more actively recruiting there, we could use for that program to lose some of its gravitational pull on their local athletes.
Terry's Tools.
Okay, this week, let us start by offering a blinding glimpse of the obvious:
Coach Kelly, perhaps stand up comedy is not as much in your wheelhouse as you may seem to believe.
Nonetheless, hardly a hanging offense. And for those outraged by his butchering of an old John McKay witticism ("What did you think of your team's execution? I'm in favor of it."), I'd quote Sergeant Hulka, "Lighten up, Francis."
I think there are better, far more deserving, candidates this week:
1) Mike Norvell. I could be arguably accused of kicking a man when he's down but as the expression goes, "If you get the chance to ice your own kicker in OT, you just gotta do it."
2). ND Nation. You'd think that after all these years, I'd be able to control my emotions about my whiny, know it all, mommy-still-does-my-laundry ND fan brethren (present audience, of course, excluded). They're so freaking predictable.
And yet.
You knew the 'Fire Freeman' tweets were gonna come but I was still surprised by the vitriol aimed at the announcers. I know, predictable Jerrence!
Except that, the announcing team was consistently complimentary about ND... McElroy was SPOT ON in his "why are they using a 3-man rush" observation and the McKenzie Milton gushing - yes, over the top - was totally WARRANTED!
The kid almost lost his leg (!), hadn't played in two years and in his first snaps under center, he's leading a comeback on national TV against an iconic program?! If that had been an ND QB, the fanbase would've bitched about them under-selling the moment.
The point is, announcers make sacrifices to pagan gods for that once-in-a-career scenario. I swear, we could have Knute Rockne broadcasting our games and there'd be ND fans bitching about his Norwegian accent.
3) Bishop Sycamore. Or ESPN? Perhaps you read about this: IMG, the Florida-based top ranked high school football program waxes a team 56-0 on national TV. Nothing especially unusual about that. Except there was something very unusual about their opponent. Like they'd already played two days before, the credentials of their players weren't nearly as lofty as indicated and perhaps the school itself wasn't even, um, real.
4) PGA. What to do about the fans that cross the line during sporting events - be it the spewing of racial, sexual or cultural epithets? I think we can all agree there's no place for that and in such cases, should be dealt with swiftly and powerfully.
Not sure, however, where the incessant shouts of "Brooksie!" should fall (if at all) on that continuum.
And yet, the PGA Tour, seemingly acquiescing to one of its marquee players with the delicate sensitivities of a 12 yr. old school girl, has deemed such utterances as an act of the highest impropriety, to be banished from the kingdom. Good grief.
While you're at it, PGA governing body, maybe you could get said snowflake it hurry the f*** up when he plays. I like watching many of the tournaments but Bryson, we've got other things to do than wait for you to calibrate God knows what...
Oh, and this song's for you, Patrick Cantley...
5) Unknown UNC guy.'File this under 'Dad, what were ya thinking?" One of Life's great truisms: you can't fix stupid.
Final Thought
Want a family 'feel good' film to watch after seeing your favorite team struggle on the national stage for four quarters, in turn making you wonder about your life choices especially, but not limited to, those involving the last weekend's TV viewing and/or what region of Scotland to visit next weekend because your brain's ability to quickly minimize painful experiences is nearly inexhaustible?
Having not been blessed with the alpha gene, in most of the bands I've liked, I've always found myself gravitating, not to the showy lead guitarists or the strutting vocalists, but to the drummers. The guys who lead from behind.
In The Stones, that must've been an especially nuanced trick, what with the preening 'look at me' charisma of Mick and the insouciant, irrepressible bad boy (and headline grabbing) schtick of Keith. And yet, to those in the band, Charlie Watts was that guy. And a fellow who, apparently, was able to maintain both a strong sense of self while likely keeping the band from imploding for 60+ years.
RIP. Another cultural touchstone bites the dust.
For those who've ever seen Jason Isbell in concert, you'll know his encores always include at least one kick ass cover - this week, as a Watts tribute, he's been doing Stones songs, including Gimme Shelter - check it out here if you're interested. Nice.
Word of the Week
Used in a sentence paragraph: As Young Jerrence transitioned from blog author to editor, he marveled at the plethora of corrigenda he had to address.
He began to consider the thought that he spends significantly more time on corrections than the actual writing of his weekly missives.
Was it possible to fire oneself?
Quote of the Week
"Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well."
Jack London
Notre Dame Rorschach test time: how are y'all viewing the hand that ND is playing this year?
Pre-SeasonRandom Thoughts
All seven and we'll watch them fall
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and savoir faire...
1. Pre-season polls:
Point: #7 in the Coaches, #9 in the AP
Counter-point: four ND opponents ranked in the top 15
Wisconsin, Cincinnati, USC, UNC
2. Three guys make 1st team pre-season All-America
Kyle Hamilton, S - no surprise
Cain Madden, OL - mild surprise
Kyren Williams, All-Purpose - pretty big surprise
3. Speaking of All-Americans, we truly live in a Golden Age of athlete's names.
4. Apropos of nothing to do with ND football, only a very recent shared nostalgia with my brothers about missing our father, I thought the Field of Dreams game was so freaking cool.
5. Did you know: ND's schedule this year has opponents with SEVEN open dates before they play us.
Hmmm. Of course, last year I think they had five and that didn't seem to bother them. Until December, at least.
I will be re-thinking my grandpa gifting strategy
6. If anyone can explain - or predict - the future of Power Conference alignment... or if I should even care at this point, please do.
7. Normally this might be a Sign of the Apocalypse... instead, kudos to LSU for requiring proof of vaccine or a negative test to attend home games.
one writer opined that if Nick Saban did that, the state of Alabama would be at 70% compliance by the weekend.
Buddy's Buddy
As alluded in the prior blog, this past weekend we had a little birthday celebration for Kay, the family matriarch.
We've been throwing these shindigs for her on the high profile decade occasions, #80 and #90... and while not recognizing the strength of her family's gene pool (where, if you don't make it to your mid-90's you're something oof an under achiever), we didn't want to tempt Fate and wait for her to make it to 100. Plus we like the parties as much as she does.
So much wine, so little time...
So, celebrating #95 was the original call. Then came COVID last year and that became a non-starter. So while #96 isn't exactly a landmark year - who am I kidding, anything over 90 is a landmark achievement - KayFest was on this year with lots of people to recognize, starting with the immediate family* (sons, wives, grandchildren and great grandchild) who all came a very long way for a relatively short period and yet, absolutely made her day.
* Special shout out to our brother Kevin, who depleted some serious stock from his Napa vineyard memberships to supply the family dinner.
Yet at the center of it was that tequila drinkin', crazy knittin' wife of mine, Madame Defarge, who ran point on virtually all of the party logistics, from invitations to party platters and ultimately, clean up.
Her naval son-in-law would've been proud of her commitment to military chain-of-command operating procedures.
Which was to say, she was The Command and the rest of us, mere 'do as you're ordered' foot soldiers: follow instructions, do NOT deviate, and like it.
Nonetheless, on behalf of mom and her sons, thank you Lisa, for making the weekend so very memorable for her (and all of us).
Birthday gal... make a wish.
Keep on truckin', mom.
RE-PETE (a shameless, illegal lift of Pete Sampson's weekly mailbag).
Because I am JUST THAT KIND OF GUY... other-directed to a fault... the following represents my contribution to y'all making an educated prognostication for this year's wager.
No need to thank me. I rest easy knowing that, whether it be due to your Hammes Bookstore-issued rose-colored glasses or the voices in your head that inform so many of your poor decisions, the overwhelming majority of you will get it wrong, some sensationally so.
At any rate, use the following insight as you see fit:
After your practice viewings, which position groups are you more bullish about than you were a few weeks ago? And which groups do you think are still question marks or are going to be the tested areas as the season starts?
James R.
I’m more bullish on the front seven because of what I’ve seen at linebacker and defensive tackle during the open practices. The Irish look like they have at least six linebackers who can play at a high level. The defensive tackle depth might be even better than what was expected at the start of the month, and it was already perceived to be a strength. Match those strengths with the safety positions of Kyle Hamilton and Houston Griffith, and that’s a nice spine of any defense, one defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman can put to work.
The biggest jump from summer perception to preseason reality, though, is at receiver. When camp opened, the hope was Kevin Austin could have a slow build to fitness, Braden Lenzy could deliver on the edge and Notre Dame’s other veteran receivers would produce in practice in a way they have not during their careers. Not only has all that happened, but Austin appears ahead of schedule in his return from an almost two-year layoff. He’s been Notre Dame’s most dangerous receiver in practices. Lenzy, Joe Wilkins and Lawrence Keys are doing more collective good than they have before. Avery Davis is exactly what Notre Dame needs him to be: a reliable slot option. On top of all that, Lorenzo Styles and Deion Colzie have both flashed enough to project successful careers at Notre Dame, regardless of what they do (or don’t do) this season.
Working in tandem with that new outlook at receiver is how Jack Coan has carried the quarterback spot. Is he any better or worse than what Notre Dame had hoped? Probably not. But actually seeing that in August means more than hoping you’ll see it in August. There was a question from a reader about Coan having a Joe Burrow-level senior season. There has not been any evidence of that, nor does Notre Dame have the skill position talent to make that happen. But Coan looks like a bona fide starting quarterback for a program that wants to contend.
The positions that feel less certain today than they did a month ago are defensive end and cornerback. Neither has made a ton of plays in the practices open to the media. Starting cornerbacks Cam Hart and Clarence Lewis are rarely mentioned by Brian Kelly, although he cited them after the open practice last week. Still, it’s hard to point to a moment in either open practice where they shined. Defensive end should ultimately be fine because there’s a decent talent pool. But we’re still waiting for Isaiah Foskey to flash at Vyper in camp at a higher level than he flashed last season. Jordan Botelho seems more of a jack-of-all-trades than a classic pass rush threat. Justin Ademilola might be the first end off the bench on both the left and right sides. Is there a great defensive end on the roster? Can Notre Dame thrive with a bunch of good ones?
Running back, offensive line, tight end and safety have all appeared to be roughly as advertised before camp, in a good way.
Cocktail of the Week
Here's a fun fact that m(any) of you may not know - the Valparaiso Corrigans all have a favorite liquor:
Terry: Gin (summer) and scotch (winter).*
Lisa: Kahlua, tequila, port.**
Ryan: Tequila.
Shea: Bourbon.
* I get two favorites (my blog, my rules).
** She gets three; interpret that how you will.
But with Summer well nigh over, one must get one's gin references in while they can...
Gin Eyre
Jane Eyre (1847)
By Charlotte Brontë
You know what's too tragic to be funny? A feminist survivor story published under a male pseudonym. With Charlotte Brontë writing as Currer Bell, Jane Eyre (think: Gloria Steinem in a bonnet) is the retrospective of an abused orphan-child turned bored school teacher-girl turned lovesick governess-lady.
Unfortunately her groom already has a wife - don't you hate it when that happens - and Jane sets off on a soul-quest (as one does), refusing subsequent marriage proposals and eventually landing the man, the baby, and the happy home.
Brontë herself actually wasn't that so lucky; she died while pregnant less than 10 years after Jane debuted to acclaim.
Raise a glass of English gin to a legendary lady, worthy of a sweeter finish than befell her.
* 8 sprigs fresh mint, washed * 2 oz. English gin
* 1 oz. lemon juice
* 1 1/2 tspn. granulated sugar
* 2 dashes orange bitters
* 5 oz. lemonade
Add the ingredients to a shaker with ice, bonus points if you tear the mint leaves first. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Don't be nursing that drink like a nanny.
Source: Tequila Mockingbird
Cocktails With A Literary Twist
by Tim Federle
Schedule.
September
5 @Florida St.
11 Toledo - 1st Stayer Tailgate in 2 years!
18 Purdue
24 Linipalooza X - FRIDAY NIGHT!
25 @Wisconsin (Soldier Field)
October
2 Cincinnati
9 @Va. Tech
16 BYE
23 USC
30 UNC
November
6 Navy
13 @UVA
20 Ga. Tech
27 @Stanford
The Wager.
Wins
Archetype (Embodies)
Domer
12
Miracle On Ice
To be clear, ND running the table wouldn't come remotely close to approximating the USA ice hockey victory over Russia in '80.
Nothing in my lifetime will beat this. Nor will anything exceed the guilt I still have for ruining this for Castellini.
Still ND going 12-0 seems similarly tough to envision with the little we know right now.
Brian M.
JP McG.
John P.
Bryan G.
11
Kerry Strug
One final vault. Hit it, basically perfectly, and your country wins the gold medal.
No pressure. Oh and you just tore two ligaments in your ankle on your prior attempt - you can barely walk.
But apparently, you still have one more sprint in you. Boom! Done.
ND winning 11 games is not really analogous to this but right now, it's looking just as iffy.
Jay F.
Bill B.
Bob J.
Dave G.
Peter B.
Jim S.
Jim B.
Dennis R.
10
Super Bowl III
In hindsight this probably wasn't nearly the shocker it was at the time - but it sure made the NFL sit up and take notice.
At this point in the Kelly regime, ND winning 10 games is no longer unexpected.
And yet, they have a similar imperative (as the AFL did) to do this in order to get the football world to really buy in that ND is elite again.
Jerrence Bob R. Phillip S. Jerry P. Kevin M. Jim T. Tim S. Jerry Ci. Blair R. Tom F. Ted C.
9
NC St over Phi Slamma Jamma
The 'improbable' relevance to ND success gets shakier as the win total gets lower...
A great game but unless you had money on it (I didn't), it was a fleeting feel good.
Relevance to 9 wins? None. But on this continuum this is where this sits.
Brian W.
Garrett R.
Mike B.
John L.
8
Villanova over Georgetown
In terms of improbability, you could probably flip this game w NC State's victory - they were both pretty awesome in a vicarious way.
These rankings all being relative vs. the others, it's feeling 8'ish even if it probably deserves better.
Albert B.
7
ND over Miami, 1988
Was this improbable at the time? Depends on who you ask - and if they're honest.
Miami owned ND in the '80s.
And yet, Holtz & Co. made everyone believe.
Impressive, definitely. But on a scale of 1-10 as unlikely, maybe a 7.
6
ND over Clemson, 2020
This victory - as necessary as it was for the program - gets somewhat devalued in terms of improbability:
1) ND was genuinely really good last year. And playing at home.
2) Candidly, no Trevor Lawrence.
5
ND over Florida St., 1993
After the '88 Miami win, with Holtz still in charge... while never a 'lock', beating FSU was certainly no great surprise.
And ultimately tempered by spitting the bit the next week against BC.
4
If anyone wishes to play down here...
3
...be my guest.
Schadenfreude.
CLOSED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 7TH.
Terry's Tools.
I'm sure I've written this before but... what if idiocy could be converted into energy? Think of the possibilities.
Unfortunately, it probably wouldn't be very clean energy because it'd be sourced from, well, idiots.
But still, it'd be limitless.
These are the things I think about when reading the daily news.
1) Max Kellerman. At the risk of being asked to relinquish my liberal snowflake membership card, I've had it with the outrage of everyone being offended by everything, especially sports nicknames and starting with this now former ESPN co-host. Now people are suggesting - backed by a poll so it must be true - that the nickname Fighting Irish is offensive? To whom? Our indigenous leprechaun population?
2). Spencer Elden. Who? The infant, now grown up, featured - 30 YEARS AGO - on Nirvana's iconic Nevermind album who is now suing the band for sexual exploitation (i.e., child pornography), saying his guardians never signed a release.
Let me repeat - 30 years ago. And I could be wrong but the guy has been interviewed multiple times, with some pride, about the backstory and the picture. Someone please tell me this suit will get thrown out of court with the utmost expediency.
3) NIL 'Abuse of the Week.'BYU has brokered a deal w a sponsor for walk-ons being paid enough to cover their tuition for a year. Walk-on's. I'm gonna go out on the limb and assume the sponsor is a Mormon.
C'mon Catholic Church, this is an arms race - start ponying up!
(Too soon?)
Final Thought
Just as I started this blog, I'm ending it with a remembrance of an important musical touch point. Lisa introduced me, musically, to Nanci Griffin, sometime in the late 80's and she became a fave of the whole family.
We subsequently had the good fortune to see her in London at The Royal Albert Music Hall and it remains one of the best shows I've ever witnessed. It was always ironic to me that she was so much more well known / popular in Europe than the US. The power of her voice virtually unmatched by anyone I've seen before or since.
At any rate, she too passed this month, at the far too young age of 68.
