What Will the Fighting Irish Do During the Dead Zone?

Every Wednesday Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune runs a question and answer session. He probably has more insight into Notre Dame Football than anybody…….

Here is one question, it has been cleaned up a bit, along with Eric’s answer.  Every good Irish sports fan should add: http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=NOTREDAME to it’s favorite's list.

Question: Now that spring practice is over, what do the players do until practice resumes in August?  Do they work on their own, or is there some kind of "off season " program at the University that they can partake in?

Answer: They are finishing up school and exams now, then will go home for the balance of May. They are free to work as much as they want when they're home. Some, like QB Dayne Crist, already have plans to work with teammates every day. Some, like LB Brian Smith, will stay in South Bend and work out. They'll reconvene June 7 -- which is earlier than usual, and strength coach Paul Longo will have a program to follow all summer. They'll depend on the team's leaders to organize 7-on7 drills and things of that nature until fall camp begins in August.

This is no different than anyother school or program, but it gives a warm and fuzzy feeling concerning the Notre Dame Football program.

Nine and Counting!

Well so far, nine top-notch looking recruits for 2011 and counting. Unbelievable!! Can Coach Kelly land any from the high school football rich bastions of Florida and Texas? Surely, a true test of recruiting prowess and ability he can achieve and maintain.

Each recruit’s individual bare facts and pictures are somewhere on the right side of the blog. SAS sees no need to regurgitate what other websites and blogs are presenting about Kelly’s blue and gold mining.  [SAS also can not figure out how to line up items on the right side to match the post.  @#$%!!]

We are sure Jim Tressel and theOSU are peeved over Kelly’s success in Ohio. Before when he was at Cincinnati Kelly was an annoying fly to be swatted and out-recruited. Now he has the Notre Dame Football firepower to back-up his coaching, recruiting and win record. Go Irish.

Blue - Gold Game Pictures

We probably could have placed these pictures into a slide show of some sorts.  However, it is easier to post them and then they will display a lot larger.  Scroll down to the bottom of the blog.

Sat in the South End Zone and took these shots.  Light was not all that great and it sprinkled rain most of the game.  The majority of the action took place at our end so it worked out super.

Never did figure out who participated as the Irish Band.

Parking attendants, ushers, police, many open concession stands, official Notre Dame Greeters were out in force.  Can remember in the not to distant past when you couldn't find an open concession stand.

Notice the construction in the stadium.  They are tearing out some of the old wooden splintered boards/seats.  On the East Side they are fixing up the yellow rich-peope chairs.

Wonder what SAS would have to donate to get two yellow seats on the East Side 50 Yard Line?  Except for the afternoon sun, those are the best seats in Rocks House. 

$15 And You Can Have One Too!

Here is the 2010 Alumni Shirt.

Anything is better than the mustard colored 2009 version. It faded and the designed cracked and peeled.  Kind of like the 2009 version of the Irish.

We here at SAS have already subjected ours to a number of unorthodox tests to include sitting out in the rain during the Blue - Gold Game, spilling BBQ sauce down the front and being hit in the back with a muddy football. "The Shirt" came clean and looks ready for Purdue.  Although it has come under some criticism for rather small print and pictures.  Oh well.

Looking forward to watching on TV a student section sea of green come September 4th.  Go IRISH Beat The Boilermakers.

The Dead Zone Cometh Once Again

Contemplating the label on my second or is it my third bottle of Stella Artois, I have decided I’m not looking forward to the challenge. It comes every year, always very predictable, always a terrible brain numbing experience, just like clockwork. Sort of like those nasty Dementors flying around in the Harry Potter Series.

Now American college football has its share of special terms and a number of them have to do with Zones.

End Zone. Red Zone. Zone Defense. Yet the one that spells dread is the nasty Dead Zone.

The Dead Zone that just kind of sucks the college football life right out of ya.

That terrible time of year between the end of the NFL college draft and the first day of Fall Camp.  

** When the last of the Notred Dame senior hopefuls have either been drafted or picked up in free agency, you know the Dead Zone is upon you.

** The recruiting trail and news has dried up. Some coaches try to catch a short vacation with the family. Others are hard at work in the bowels of the film room. One former Notre Dame Head Coach was even famous for working on his golf handicap.

** Reporters are hard at work covering NBA Basketball and NHL Hockey playoffs and of course Major League Baseball. The media articles are far and few between concerning college football.  Trolls don't even bother to try and stir things up on blogs.

** Campuses are basically empty except for those toiling to graduate early or trying to catch up and graduate at all. Football players are there too, but mostly taking difficult classes they do not want to attempt in the fall and of course are working out.

For Notre Dame the little news traditionally comings trickling out of the Dead Zone is usually bad news.

*** So-and-so finds himself four-deep on the depth chart and with three years of eligibility remaining, bolts for some program allegedly needing his skills. With a coaching staff more appreciative of his talents where he will get a fresh start and maybe some playing time.

*** Or worse, some transgression surfaces involving alcohol and a proven Irish starter finds himself in hot water. The Law, ResLife, and the Head Coach are standing in line to get a piece of his kester. He is hoping and praying for community service and a zillion push-ups. No suspension. No dismissal from the Team.

*** It leaks out that another potential starter and great hope for the future has temporarily left the Team or Notre Dame for the dreaded “Personal Reasons.” This normally happens right around the start of the Dead Zone period and corresponds to semester grades being sent home. Everyone is mum and the hope is that he will be back in a year.

The one ray of hope trying to break through the Dead Zone shield is the plethora of magazines coming out in late summer to usher in the soon to be ending of the Dead Zone.

Which teams are predicted to win their conferences.

Who’s the preseason favorites for the Heisman?

Tons of touchy-feely articles about who during the off-season taught dwarfs in Hungary how to read or which players overcame debilitating injury to come back for a final year.

Will this Dead Zone be any different? Can it rest in peace for once and not haunt the IRISH?

Come on August 5th and the start of the Fall Camp.

Go IRISH Beat the Dead Zone!

Attitude Adjustment and Wake Up the Echoes

Rereading most of the previous posts, I am a little bit surprised at my negativity and skepticism. Like those few that have chosen to migrate over from BGS, I pretty much bleed Blue and Gold and consider Notre Dame Football the greatest team sport to watch and enjoy.
The issue has been isolated and I will try to be more positive. After all, I do not want to drive anyone away before we really get started.
The problem is that I was burned by Charlie Weis.

After watching Lou Holtz and the Administration part ways with hard feelings all the way around. I was not sure Bob Davie was the right fit with no head coaching experience and was not sad to see him get his walking papers. The general consensus was that Ty Willingham would be able to recruit like crazy and bond with the African-American athletics at Notre Dame. With better talent than he could get from the likes of Stanford, I thought for sure he would succeed with the Irish. He rode some great defenses left over from Davie and when that dried up, he was exposed.  Duh.

I should not have however I embraced Charlie and all that he said.  Bring in a pro style offense. His approach to practices and the handling the Irish like any pro team in the NFL. Hint that the NFL awaited anyone and everyone. Show the rings, talk up the offensive genius and plan to out smart the opponents. Recruit like mad.  Gee, went to school at Notre Dame, NJ tough-guy attitude, daughter with special needs, pass right on the first play, bond with the Navy team after the game, I bought it all. Lock, stock and barrel. Duh.

When the defense began to stink like week-old dead fish, the plan to ease out the inexperienced Corwin Brown and bring in defensive genius John Tenuta seemed perfect. I stayed on Charlie’s bandwagon and started singing happy days are here again with the rest of you.

I fell off the bandwagon with the second loss to Navy. My butt is still sore and I have to rub it from time-to-time just to remember my gullibility.

Everyone likes the idea of a proven coach and staff. Plenty of college experience. Coaches who had to ride on buses with the team to games played with open end zones. Brian Kelly says he is going to bring back toughness and a new style. Secretly, I think he is surprised at the talent level and may even drool a little over the possibilities. Kelly Camp, training table, study hall, game room in the Gug, new young hungry coaches and a promise to play old fashion Notre Dame Football. Sounds great, still I’m going to hope, pray and wait and see. However, I will sound  more positive and root for the echoes to be heard by one and all once again.

SAS Blue - Gold Game Plans

The entire staff at SAS is making plans to tailgate, drop some serious money at the Bookstore, throw the old pigskin around on the Quad and watch the IRISH scrimmage.

Anyone going to the Blue Gold Game and would like to provide game perspective and comments. Please do so here at this post.

If you took any pictures, please send to: dragonspress@gmail.com and we will post them up and give you credit.

Two Notre Dame Spring Football Story Lines

It appears from reading all the hype and hyperbole coming from the media and the internet concerning Notre Dame Football Spring Practice that two story lines seem to be emerging. The sources include ND students, hangers-on, spies from the Big Ten, credible websites, drunkards, reporters of dubious character, and of course persons trying to turn an honest buck. Here in a short nutshell is what the National Security Agency (NSA) and Subway Alumni Station (SAS) have gleamed from the intelligence flow coming out of South Bend.


1. The infant still learning-to-walk Notre Dame offense SUCKS big time.

2. The Fighting Irish defense is starting to look like they will simply destroy opposing teams. Hard hitting, swarming, gang tackling type killers. It is about time and long over due. Sign SAS up. We are ready to help engage and kick butt. The Irish faithful want to see opposing offensive players simply carted off the field attended by trainers and team doctors. It will happen this fall and it is about time. The last good Irish defensive, believe it or not stemmed from Mr. Footbaw, Bob Davie.  (Who else was the last to beat U$C?)

Why the problems on offense? Simply a hobbled Dayne Crist who can’t play at 100% and thus no identifiable leader at quarterback who can step up to the plate. Everyone including Coach Kelly hates red jerseys and no contact. Also apparently, Nate Montana is not going to be the answer. Watch the Blue-Gold Game to verify his lack of ability.

The well documented Kelly offense is very high powered and scores at will, often with surprise and frequency. Not the offense that has been displayed coming out of South Bend thus far during Spring Practice. The unknown linchpin is quarterback. Quinn, Clausen, and now will it be Crist?

The Green Line to South Bend - Questions to Address. So Little Time.

A place to express your thoughts on Notre Dame Football.

Each week a new posting will take the place of the previous one.   Come on Join In.  - Week Four

Well it’s another week and the Green Line is rolling down the line to South Bend once again.   Serious questions still persist:

Who's going to the Blue - Gold Game?

Will "The Shirt" be worth the $15?  (Last year it was not!)

With Dayne Crist out of the scrimmage, how will Nate Montana and Tommy Rees respond? (Come on Nate!)

Will it be first team defense against first team offense?

Will you be able to fight the crowds and into the Bookstore to max out your credit card?

Who will be the first quarterback drafted in the 2010 NFL draft?  Poll is somewhere on the right side of the blog.  Vote early and vote often as we say in WV.

Leave a comment.

Open Letter to Nate Montana

Nate, you obviously have a window of opportunity that many Quarterback Wanabees can only dream about and never realize.

Fate has cast you into the number two slot behind the heir apparent starting quarterback Dayne Crist for ‘The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame’.

Notice how the School name is written out. Surely something never to be ever taken lightly.

Dayne has been wearing a ‘red-do-not-hit-me-jersey’ all spring and will not play come the Blue-Gold Game on April 24th.  However, you will Nate. Seize the Day!

Notre Dame, Charlie Weis, and your dad set up the improbable turn of events that now has cast you on the stage. Seize the Day!

From a preferred walk-on, to back-up, to possible starting quarterback. Can you succeed? Do you have the ambition, the Will, the needed gray matter between the ears and the physical ability to perform?

Is it only the name or something You really want to excel in?

The ‘Golden Boy’ title as heir to the quarterback position for The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame is up for grabs. Surely, you can feel it and taste it.

You are competing against three unproven freshman for back-up honors.  Can you be successful?

Remember the number two guy is only a hit or a poor outing away from running in to take over the Notre Dame offense. 

Work extremely hard this summer. Get and learn from the best professional instruction money can buy. Seize the Day!

Good Luck.

Go Irish. Go Nate.

Who Wants a Ride? Get on Board!

Rereading my initial posts, I am a little bit surprised at my negativity and skepticism. Like those that have chosen to migrate over from BGS, I pretty much bleed Blue and Gold, especially on Saturdays in the fall and consider Notre Dame Football the greatest team sport to watch and enjoy.

The issue has thus been isolated and I will try to be more positive. After all, I do not want to drive anyone away before we really get started here. The real problem is that I was burned by Charlie Weis.  But who wasn't?

After watching Lou Holtz and the Notre Dame Administration acrimoniously part ways with hard feelings felt all the way around. I was not sure Bob Davie was the right fit with zero head coaching experience and was not terribly sad to see him get his walking papers.

The general consensus around was that Ty Willingham would be able to recruit like crazy and bond with the African-American athletics at Notre Dame. With better talent than he could ever get from the likes of Stanford, I thought for sure he would succeed with the Irish. I bought into all that baloney. Duh.

I should not have, but I embraced Charlie and all that he said and did. Including bringing in that pro style offense to Notre Dame. His approach to practices and the handling of the Irish like the pro teams in the NFL. Hinting that the NFL awaited anyone and everyone who would embrace his style and football philosphy. Showing off the gaudy Super Bowl rings, talking up his offensive genius and plans to out-smart the opponents. Gee, he even went to school at Notre Dame, New Jersey tough-guy attitude, lovely daughter with special needs, pass right on the first play, bond with the Navy team after the game, son standing next to him on the sidelines, I bought it all. Lock, stock and barrel.  Duh again.

When the defense began to stink like week-old dead fish, the plan to ease out the inexperienced Corwin Brown and bring in defensive genius John Tenuta seemed perfect. After all, John kicked our butts once.  I stayed on Charlie’s bandwagon and started singing happy days are here again with the rest of you.

I finally fell off the bandwagon with the second loss to Navy. My kester is still sore and I have to rub it from time-to-time just to remember my gullibility.

So here comes the Kelly Wagon. Everyone likes the idea of a proven coach and staff. Plenty of college experience. Assistant coaches who had to ride on buses with the team to games played with open end zones. Brian Kelly says he is going to bring back toughness and a new style. Secretly, I think he is surprised at the talent level and may even drool a little over the possibilities. Kelly Camp, a training table, study hall, game room in the Gug, new young hungry coaches and a promise to play old fashion Notre Dame Football. Sounds great, still I’m going to hope, pray and wait and see. However, I will sound positive and root for the echoes to be heard by one and all once again. We are all way over due.

So let me be the very first.

Go IRISH! Beat the Boilermakers.

Two Reports of Investigations - When Will the Other Shoe Drop?

SAS is anxiously waiting an announcement on the results of two significant reports of investigation. Between now and whenever the NCAA rules and infraction Gestapo get around to it, the immediate future of Notre Dame Football and also its storied history could be effected.

Richard A. Rodriquez (University of Michigan and West Virginia University)

Allegation: The habitual violation of NCAA rules by requiring attendance at unofficial scrimmages and requiring players to work-out more hours than NCAA rules permit during the off-season. The Detroit Free Press first broke the story based upon (then) present and past player sworn statements. The kicker being that the NCAA infraction Gestapo just figured out that they probably should investigate Rodriquez’s time and actions while Head Coach at WVU.

You will hear and see the results in a most unusual way. If the violations are proven true, a violent, soon to be drunken, riotous mob will rise up starting in Ann Arbor. It will then spread all across Michigan, even to the god forsaken Upper Peninsula. They will be carrying rope, rails, feathers, tar, and demanding that Rodriquez resign. IF such violations occurred during his tenure at WVU, their will be a hew and cry so loud bellowing out of West Virginia that it will frighten even those poor souls living in Alaska. The lynch mob pouring out of West Virginia will try to get to Rich first. Possible penalties heaped on top of the humiliation from Coach Rodriquez infamous skedaddle to Michigan a couple of years ago. Wow!

What could be at stake for Notre Dame? Michigan’s forfeiture of their 38-34 win over the IRISH in 2009? Possible loss of scholarships and no bowl attendance? Possible forfeiture of wins that effect Michigan’s grand total at the winningest football program in the world? A slap on the wrist?

If the violations are proven false, the murmurs of firing will continue in Michigan, especially after Notre Dame beats there pants off this year. A loud collective sigh of relief and hopefully final good riddance will be heard from the Mountaineer State.

Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II (University of Southern California)

Allegation: A report surfaced raising questions about whether Bush's family received gifts ($$) in violation of NCAA policies. The school has requested that the conference investigate the matter, and Bush has denied any impropriety. In April 2009, the Los Angeles Times reported that the NCAA is combining its investigations of Bush and former USC basketball player O.J. Mayo into a single probe of the Trojans' athletic program. A lawsuit against Bush was filed by sports marketing agent Lloyd Lake, who alleges he gave more than $300,000 in cash and gifts to the former Trojans running back during his college career.  Some of that money allegedly went toward rent for a family home.

You will hear the results in the usual ho-hum way. A slap on the wrist? After all it has been four long years since Bush left U$C and less than a year since Pete Carroll jumped ship and Hollywood for the crappy climate of Seattle.

What could be at stake for Notre Dame? A number of embarrassing drubbings by U$C might be erased from the record books through forfeiture? The remote possibility that U$C would have to forfeit a National Championship and that Reginald would have to return the Heisman trophy to the Downtown Athletic Club in New York? Both of which would temporarily ensure Notre Dame’s lead over U$C in those bean counting categories.

Will/can the NCAA take back a National Championship? Will/can the boys from New York demand the return of the metal and wood statue? Does it matter?

Although unfortunately nothing will ever erase the “Bush Push.”

High School Junior to Enroll and Play Football for the Irish?

The most improbable recruiting story ever told.  Instead of regurgitating it and boring you, here it is in-total.


Kyle Brindza a class Junior high schooler is scheduled to graduate THIS June. Kyle is ready to forego his senior high school year of studies, proms, dating chicks, goofing-off and playing football for Plymouth High School in Canton Michigan as their premier all-around kicker.  Instead, he intends to enroll in the fall at Notre Dame. 

He got this idea from the UM who offered him an athletic scholarship. Coach Brian Kelly also recruiting Kyle found out about the offer from Michigan and countered with the same offer to Notre Dame.  Kyle accepted and verbally committed to the Irish.

Now it is up to the Notre Dame admissions office to approve his fall enrollment or defer it until January of 2011.  Either way, Kyle is Irish.

Go for it Kyle!  Turk, Walker, and Tausch need the competition and push. Competition breeds excellence. Something sorely lacking from the Irish kicking game in the immediate past.  Consistency in field goals, automatic touch backs, and 45+ yard punts with a 4.8 hang-time.

Name Tapes During Spring Practice 2010

If Brian Kelly had coached the then unknown and unheralded The University of Notre Dame Football Team back in 1912, I’m not convinced he would have put a name tape on this guy's helmet during Spring practice. One look and Coach Kelly would surely have remembered his name.

Raw Defensive Statistics

Was the objective to count alligators or drain the swamp? To compare what new defensive coordinator Bob Diaco accomplished at Cincinnati during 2009 or the dismal showing of Tenuta and Brown at Notre Dame?  Probably neither.


The point being, what do Irish fans have to look forward to in 2010 with Diaco calling the defensive shots? Remember nine of eleven Irish starters from the Charlie Weis era return. FBS Rankings out of 120 teams. You decide.


Total Defense: Cincinnati - 67th      Notre Dame 86th


Scoring Defense: Cincinnati 44th      Notre Dame 63rd


Rushing Defense: Cincinnati 61st      Notre Dame 89th


Passing Defense: Cincinnati 78th      Notre Dame 76th


Sacks: Cincinnati 10th      Notre Dame 89th


Tackles for Losses: Cincinnati 3rd      Notre Dame 48th


Passes Intercepted: Cincinnati 50th      Notre Dame 23rd


Passing Efficiency Defense: Cincinnati 82nd      Notre Dame 59th


Red Zone Efficiency Defense: Cincinnati 89th      Notre Dame 15th


First Downs Allowed: Cincinnati 86th      Notre Dame 72nd


Third Down Efficiency Defense: Cincinnati 69th      Notre Dame 67th


Fourth Down Efficiency Defense: Cincinnati 111th      Notre Dame 101st


Punt Return Yardage Defense: Cincinnati 89th      Notre Dame 105th


Kick Off Return Yardage Defense: Cincinnati 32nd      Notre Dame 69th


Fewest Penalties Per Game: Cincinnati 12th      Notre Dame 69th
Not a defensive statistic, but looked impressive enough to include)

Also, the punt and kick off return yardage on defense is obvious a special teams issue, however the majority of the players participating play on defensive.


The two early story lines coming out of Cincinnati were that on defense the Bearcats replaced 10 of 11 starters in 2009 and that the game plan was always to score quickly and often on offense. Well it got the Bearcats as far as the Sugar Bowl and Florida.


NOTE:  This post obviously lends itself to a simple table.  Unfortunately after struggling mightily, the entire SAS staff could not get Goggle to work or cooperate.  Pasting, tabbing, inserting, aligning, all failed.  Thus a redundant post.

A Bizarre Incident to Say the Least

Chris Zorich is considered the finest nose guard to play the game of football for Notre Dame. His life and struggles has been the story movies are made of. Hope this mess does not take an ugly turn with the University and its sometimes self-righness attempt to punish.

Fish or Cut Bait - 2010

A new season. A new coaching staff. New offensive and new defensive schemes. Even a few new wriggles to the schedule, (WMU, Army, Utah, Tulsa).

* Coach Kelly announced all starting positions are open to competition.

* No spring depth charts. (Ha)

* A new start for everyone.

This is a golden opportunity for some in the doghouse or even languishing at the bottom of Charlie’s old depth charts to step up to the plate and fish or cut bait.

** Matt Romine (Sr) OT – Plagued with injuries

** Duval Kamara (Sr) WR – Cement hands

** Jonas Gray (Jr) RB – Fumbleitis

** Ben Turk (So) P – Inconsistency

** Emeka Nwankwo (Sr) DE – (?)  [Apparently Emeka is finding a home on the first team O-line in early spring practice]

** Brandon Walker (Sr) PK - Injury and past inconsistency

** Dan Wenger (5th yr. Sr) - Can't break into the starting OL

** Gary Gray (Sr) CB - Between injuries and moving around Gary can't seem to land a starting position

IRISH Worry Wart

My momma used to say "Subway if you worry about something long enough, it will either go away or something bigger will take it’s place.  So quit worrying."

Here are my five Irish Football warts:

** Lack of depth at QB, let alone experience. This seems to be everyone's concern if you read blogs and the media. Yeah we have Nate Montana and early enrollee freshman Tommy Rees this spring and come fall Luke Massa and Andrew Hendrix show up. There are even a couple of walk-ons, but where is Evan Sharpley when you need him?  Kelly's offense appears to rely on a quarterback who has to be cerebral and really think fast to execute.  That takes practice, something that is hard to come by right now, especially with Crist and his knee.

** A pathetic team punting average of 37.22 yards for 2009 (99 out of 120 FBS Teams) and the same punter coming back.

** A defense that was 86th out of 120 teams last year, with a new defensive coordinator (John Diaco) who was 67th at Cincinnati during the same time period.

** Will the Irish for another year fail to develop, nurture and sustain a decent running game, a hallmark of Notre Dame Football?  It appears that their are plenty of horses in the barn and can the O-line deliver?

** Some key player is going to get hurt, receive a DWI citation, or leave the Team for the dreaded 'personal reasons'.

I wish my warts would go away.

First String Defense - As of April 13th

Without an official depth chart and after one full scrimmage and eight spring practice sessions under their belts. The Fighting Irish defense looks something like this:

DE – Emeka Nwankwo   Sr.

NG – Ian Williams   Sr.

DE – Kapron Lewis-Moore   Jr.

OL – Brian Smith   Sr.

IL – Manti Te’o   So.

OL – Darius Fleming   Jr.

IL – Anthony McDonald   Jr.

CB – Darrin Walls   (5th yr) Sr.

S – Harrison Smith   Sr.

S – Zeke Motta   So.

CB – Robert Blanton   Jr.

Class standing is based upon school enrollment in the Fall.

The pleasant surprise appears to be Emeka Nwankwo.

The disappoint is the missing Senior Gary Gray.

First String Offense - As of April 13th

Without an official depth chart and after one full scrimmage and eight spring practice sessions under their belts.   The Fighting Irish offense looks something like this:

QB – Dayne Crist   Jr.

RB – Armando Allen   Sr.

TE – Kyle Rudolph   Jr.

LT – Zack Martin   So.

LG – Chris Stewart   (5th yr) Sr.

C – Braxton Cave   Jr.

RG – Taylor Dever   Sr.

RT – Trevor Robinson   Jr.

WR – Tai-ler Jones   Fr.

WR – Duval Kamara   Sr.

WR – Michael Floyd   Jr.

Class standing is based upon school enrollment in the Fall of 2010.

Pleasantly surprised by Zack Martin and Tai-ler Jones.

Disappointed by the absence of 5th year Sr. Dan Wenger.

The Green Line to South Bend - Questions to Address. So Little Time.

A place to express your thoughts on Notre Dame Football.

Each week a new posting will take the place of the previous one.

Well it’s another week and the Green Line is rolling down the line to South Bend once again.

Serious questions still persist:

** Where will Jimmy Clausen emerge in the NFL draft?  Another waiting embarressment like Brady Quinn endured?  Will his hair be disleveled and will Jimmy be chewing gum when he is finally called onto the stage?

** Is Coach Kelly’s approach to controlled timed helter-skelter spring practice what the Irish need?  Is the Team learning new schemes or just putting gas in the tank for the fourth quarter?

** No Depth Charts? Well why do a “select eleven” get the first set of repetitions on offense and on defense? Then a second group and if time permits a third level?

** All Hail the newly instituted training table for the dinner meal. What about sleeping-in and missing breakfast.  Hurried classes, thus missing lunch? Is it going to work?

Fighting Irish 2010 NFL Draft Predictions

The crack SAS staff sat down together Friday night over an old wash tub full of iced down Schneider Weisse beer (German) and hammered out the NFL college draft predictions as it pertains to Notre Dame eligible and declared players. As the evening drew to a close and the tub emptied, agreements were more easily reached and a basic consensus formed. If we forgot anyone, it’s because we ran out of Schneider Weisse. Speaking of forgetting anyone, we used the official Notre Dame 2009 roster as a guide that is posted on the ND website. James Aldridge’s name is missing.

Player                                          Round

James Aldridge, FB*                      7th

Sergio Brown, S                         UD/SFA

Jimmy Clausen, QB                        1st

Paul Duncan, OT                         UD/SFA

Kyle McCarthy, S                           6th

Raeshon McNeil, CB                  UD/SFA

Eric Olsen, C/OG                           3rd

Robby Parris, WR                       UD/SFA

Morrice Richardson, DE                UD

Scott Smith, LB                              UD

Toryan Smith, LB                           UD

Golden Tate, WR                           2nd

Sam Young, OT                              5th



UD = Undrafted

UD/SFA = Undrafted/Signed Free Agent

* Aldridge will probably be drafted as a RB

Where is he now?

A Notre Dame basher friend (boy is that an oxymoron) recently decided to try and rub some sea salt (healthier that regular salt) in my scabbed over Ty Willington Era wounds.

“Hey Sub, what’s Ty doin these days?”

“Watching his one year million dollar buyout from the Huskies and three-year $650,000 (per year and concluded) payoff from Notre Dame grow into a nice investment and retirement nest egg I guess,” was all I could come up with at the time.

Thanks to Google, the following postscript can be added.

After leaving the University of Washington, Ty relocated and bought a house in the San Francisco Bay area. He served as President of the Board of Trustees to the American Football Coaches Association during 2008-2009.

He was then offered a coaching job by his old friend, Dennis Green who was the head coach and general manager of the United Football League, (UFL) San Francisco Redwoods – soon to be renamed the California Redwoods.

The UFL is a fledging four-team minor football league headed up by investor, Paul Pelosi. Yup, husband to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Rumor has it he plopped down $30 million during a deep recession no else, to be the league president.

Anyway, Ty mulled the offer to be the special teams and running backs coach for the Redwoods, but decided to turn down the offer. It seems like once again, Ty, for whatever reason came out smelling like a rose. The USF has about as much a chance of fielding teams in 2010 (after a disastrous inaugural year in 2009) as Michigan has of beating the Irish this fall.

So where is Ty?

Guess the picture pretty much says it all………………..

Statues at Notre Dame Are Moving

Cut and Pasted from The Cleveland Leader by Dan Couglin.

The statues of Lou Holtz and Ara Parseghian will be relocated from inside the football stadium to outside as part of an overall theme. Statues of two other coaching greats also will be moved to new locations outside the stadium.

The grand plan is to name four gates after four national championship coaches, which will entail moving their statues.

The new locations are:

Knute Rockne -- North end of tunnel

Ara Parseghian - Southeast Gate

Frank Leahy -- South Central Gate

Lou Holtz -- Southwest Gate

The moves will be done before graduation later this spring.

All four larger than life statues, by the way, are the work of sculptor Jerry McKenna (ND '61) and St. Edward High School ('56).

Maybe Devine and Kelly could be added in the near future.

Oh My Goodness !

Everyone knew that Coach Kelly was a tad on the pudgy side. Most pictures show him in a well-cut dress jacket from the waist up, behind a podium. Very handsome, nice haircut, clean-cut looking new Head Coach.

The photo taken March 31st where he was preparing to bark and chew at everyone wearing a helmet (and some student managers) is an eye-opener.

The guy could shed a few pounds. I forgot already. What was the name of the last Head Coach who had a weight problem?

The Pain of 2009

After the 2009, Irish football results were duly typed out and posted by a member of my staff. (Located somwhere on the right side of the blog).  The obvious has again become painfully clear.

**  For whatever reasons, our defense was truly terrible.  Two defensive coaches?  Poor coaching?  Poor technique?  Crappy Tackling skills.  Lack of overall talent?  Lousy luck and no breaks?  Hybrid 4-3 and 3-4. No game plan?  Maybe all of the above......  

**  The entire team had no gas in the tank for the fourth quarter.

**  Nevada and Washington State played lousy against the Irish.

**  The Irish could have won all six games they lost.

**  They lost those six games by a total of 32 points.

**  The Irish could have lost four of the six games they won.

**  Throwing out the NV and WSU games, the Irish won those four games by a total of 17 points.

The Green Line to South Bend - The Big Sixteen!? Oh No Here We Go Again!

A place to express your thoughts on Notre Dame Spring Football Practice.
Each week a new posting will take the place of the previous one.


You have to go half-way down the article to read Tony Barnhart’s point made in the Heading.  Start here.

The 16 team Big Ten (11) theory is scaring Jack Swarbrick and the Trustees at Notre Dame. The domino effect of teams moving and jumping conferences in the Big East could spell it’s doom. Notre Dame’s independence is at stake because where will Irish basketball and the other team sports compete if the Big East becomes a small Catholic Conference? I think that’s what Jack was trying to say if you can read between his double-speak.


Not sure anybody wants a Notre Dame entry into the Big Sixteen. Probably the most compelling argument came from Scott Engler over at NDNation.

Here’s hoping the Big Ten (11) or Big Sixteen doesn’t paint Notre Dame into a corner.

Rest in Peace * Matt James * Rest in Peace

If you have not heard, you can read the story here, it’s as good as any published

While you never took your first class notes at Notre Dame nor had the opportunity to be yelled for not moving fast enough by offensive line coach Warinner, Matt you were Notre Dame Family.

Easter Sunday when the priest calls us to pray for our special intentions, I’ve remember you Matt James.

God Bless.

New Twist to the Spring Coaches Clinic

Coach Brian Kelly raised a lot of eyebrows and some puzzlement with yesterday’s announcement concerning the annual Blue-Gold Game scheduled for April 24th. While their will be no honorary coaches or former ND Hall of Famers on the field, Coach Kelly did do something no former coach dared to try. He has invited all former Fighting Irish coaches back to his Spring Coaches Clinic April 15-17. The results of those that responded to the invitations were mixed at best.


Ara Parseghian and Gerry Faust declined because of poor health.


Bob Davie is out of the country announcing European football.


Lou Holtz declined considering it inappropriate.


Charlie Weis could not fit the time into his schedule being heavily involved with the Kansas City NFL draft deliberations.


Ty Willingham had a conflict with a previous tee-time.


The only former coach that will attend is….. Scroll Down.













The April Fool Jokester.