One Foot Down: FanPosts

Notre Dame - Michigan: Therapy Sessions

2013-05-16T19:00:22Z

Come in, Brady. Lay down on the couch, if you wish. I find music is soothing. This song is a favorite, so with your permission....

Brady Hoke: It's a great one that I love, too. Fine by me.

A couple of weeks ago you were opening up. The cancellation of the Notre Dame series was more than a shock, you said. Kelly has been outcoaching you. Worse Notre Dame prefers playing Michigan State - and Purdue.

Brady: It didn't make any sense. Little brother over us? Purdue? I'll be the first Michigan coach to have the Irish walk out on me. I had my plans when we went to a nine game conference schedule. I brought us back to respectability. I sacrificed.

Background music:

"Rain falling on my shoes

Heading out for the East Coast

Lord knows I've paid some dues getting through

Tangled up in blue"

They were a natural enemy

Brady: One of our players once said that you were not a great running back until you have success running against Notre Dame. One of our quarterbacks - and probably almost the whole team - said he wanted to beat the Irish more than anyone on our schedule. We all secretly feel we have to have Notre Dame. I do, too. It's a huge loss for me.

"Split up on a dark sad night

Both agreeing it was best"

Why was Notre Dame so important to you?

Brady: The Irish are - or were - our off-season focus. My mountain to climb. My gauge for success. I didn't agree this was for the best - at least not yet. The Leaders of the Big Ten agreed to expand by accepting Rutgers and Maryland to chip away at the Irish presence there. Those teams aren't Legends but they serve their purpose. To watch Kelly build the Irish back to national prominence was a dagger in my heart. I'd give my eye teeth to appear in the national championship game.

"As I was walking away

I heard her say over my shoulder

'We'll meet again someday on the avenue'

Tangled up in blue"

I want to focus back on you. Is your legacy in Michigan is a big part of this?

Brady: A huge part. My wife says this took a little of my soul. I agree. I'd love to diminish its significance. Yost and Crisler let Rockne and Leahy beg. Schembechler would have dropped Holtz and Notre Dame, if he could. We do our best to disrespect them when we have the opportunity. Now all I can do is find a way to criticize their strength of schedule. Beating Little Brother has become key to that now.

"But all the while I was alone

The past was close behind

I seen a lot of women

But she never escaped my mind and I just grew

Tangled up in blue"

Jack Swarbrick promised to renew the rivalry in the future.

Brady: I worry that's as empty a promise as Crisler assuring Leahy of his undieing commitment to scheduling the Irish when they had just come off their third national championship. A two year notice? I was shocked, numb. The Irish say it is due to their ACC commitment and we refuse to play them except within the first two games of the season. They've asked us to be more flexible. I deserved more - we deserved much more. I'll post that rejection letter, because that's what is, on our bulletin board before this year's game. We'll find a worthy rival and fill the Big House with someone else.

"And every one of them words rang true

And glowed like burning coal

Pouring off of every page

Like it was written in my soul from me to you

Tangled up in blue"

How has that rejection affected your non-conference schedule?

Brady: In 2015 we'll play Utah, Oregon State, UNLV and BYU. Do you see anyone on that schedule that can sell out the Big House three times over and draw a national prime time audience? We were lucky to get Oregon State. USC, Stanford, Oklahoma, Texas and now the ACCs powerhouses like Florida State, Clemson and Virginia Tech are booked with the Irish. Except for last year's game with Alabama, the SEC won't play us. I guess we still have Ohio State. Do you think the Irish are blackballing us? You know, tit for tat.

"There was music in the cafes at night

And revolution in the air

Then he started dealing with slaves

and something inside of him died"

How have you coped with this loss and your grief?

Brady: You know how depressed I have been since January. I lost my chance for the sweet taste of victory over the Irish every other game or so. Personally, I don't count those early college football games more than one hundred years ago before the forward pass, when the pigskin wasn't spherical, the touchdowns weren't six points, and the game and the fields were more like rugby. I lost that recruiting edge when I could no longer tell prospects that they would play Notre Dame every year. I lost getting interviewed by ESPN. I crashed. Spring football has helped, bringing me back from the brink. I immerse myself in the animosity. I stick pins in my Swarbrick doll.

"And when finally the bottom fell out

I became withdrawn

The only thing I knew how to do

Was to keep on keeping on like a bird that flew

Tangled up in blue"

How are you resolving this?

Brady: This was never a real rivalry. This was a hated enemy. We found this convenient at the time. I've found relief in calling them names. I have found solace among the alumni groups. Recruiting passions have begun to return. Ex-players are still dealing with this though. Notre Dame can't do this to me. I shall fight back. I'll ignore them. The response I am getting makes me think this is the path I want to travel.

"I don't know what they are doing with their lives

But me I'm still on the road

Heading for another joint

We always did feel the same

We just saw it from a different point of view

Tangled up in Blue"

You've come a long way, Brady. We have some major issues still to work on, though. Your anger may be cleansing now. Anger is critical for the healing process to begin. But it's not where you want to end up, because it will consume you. Do you want Notre Dame to continue to be a presence in your soul, in your life? Let's work towards a healthy alternative and leave those who hate behind. I am here if you need to talk. My secretary will schedule our next session.

Thanks, Doc. Can I recommend you to others?

Tangled up in Blue

The Notre Dame-Michigan Rivalry: "To Hell with Notre Dame"

Notre Dame-Michigan: A History

Friendly Reminder: Michigan asked to stop ND series first

The Five Stages of Grief

Come in, Brady. Lay down on the couch, if you wish. I find music is soothing. This song is a favorite, so with your permission....

Brady Hoke: It's a great one that I love, too. Fine by me.

Background music:

"Rain falling on my shoes

Heading out for the East Coast

Lord knows I've paid some dues getting through

Tangled up in blue"

They were a natural enemy

"Split up on a dark sad night

Both agreeing it was best"

Why was Notre Dame so important to you?

"As I was walking away

I heard her say over my shoulder

'We'll meet again someday on the avenue'

Tangled up in blue"

I want to focus back on you. Is your legacy in Michigan is a big part of this?

"But all the while I was alone

The past was close behind

I seen a lot of women

But she never escaped my mind and I just grew

Tangled up in blue"

Jack Swarbrick promised to renew the rivalry in the future.

"And every one of them words rang true

And glowed like burning coal

Pouring off of every page

Like it was written in my soul from me to you

Tangled up in blue"

How has that rejection affected your non-conference schedule?

"There was music in the cafes at night

And revolution in the air

Then he started dealing with slaves

and something inside of him died"

How have you coped with this loss and your grief?

"And when finally the bottom fell out

I became withdrawn

The only thing I knew how to do

Was to keep on keeping on like a bird that flew

Tangled up in blue"

How are you resolving this?

"I don't know what they are doing with their lives

But me I'm still on the road

Heading for another joint

We always did feel the same

We just saw it from a different point of view

Tangled up in Blue"

Thanks, Doc. Can I recommend you to others?

Tangled up in Blue

The Notre Dame-Michigan Rivalry: "To Hell with Notre Dame"

Notre Dame-Michigan: A History

Friendly Reminder: Michigan asked to stop ND series first

The Five Stages of Grief

NHL Playoffs, 2nd Round: One Last Round Between Rivals

2013-05-14T15:28:04Z

After a first round riddled with drama, comebacks and wild swings of momentum (tough luck, Toronto), there are now eight teams remaining in the running--er, skating--for Lord Stanley's Cup. Several regional rivalries are at stake, including San Jose vs. ~~Anaheim~~ Los Angeles for California bragging rights and the usual sparring between Boston and New York.

However, we all know what the real matchup is: Detroit vs. Chicago. The Motor City vs. The Windy City. Hockeytown vs. Chi-Town. Red Wings vs. Blackhawks. Even though it's not the Stanley Cup Finals or even the Conference Finals, this is the last time these two Central Division archrivals will face off in the Western Conference playoffs, since Detroit is (praise the LORD) moving to the friendly confines of the Eastern Conference and its non-ludicrous gametimes. As demonstrated by the Western #2, #3 and #4 seeds going down, anything can (and often does) happen, so grab a Labatt/ Molson/ whatever and enjoy the good ol' hockey game.

(Last updated Tuesday afternoon)

Eastern Conference Semifinals:

(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (7) Ottawa Senators (Pittsburgh leads 2-1)
(4) Boston Bruins vs. (6) New York Rangers (Boston leads 2-1)

Western Conference Semifinals:

(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (7) Detroit Red Wings (Detroit leads 2-1)
(5) Los Angeles Kings vs. (6) San Jose Sharks (LA leads 2-1)

Let's do this.

(Last updated Tuesday afternoon)

Eastern Conference Semifinals:

(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (7) Ottawa Senators (Pittsburgh leads 2-1)
(4) Boston Bruins vs. (6) New York Rangers (Boston leads 2-1)

Western Conference Semifinals:

(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (7) Detroit Red Wings (Detroit leads 2-1)
(5) Los Angeles Kings vs. (6) San Jose Sharks (LA leads 2-1)

Let's do this.

Poll

How will the Wings-Hawks series turn out?

NHL Playoffs, 1st Round: Drop the Gloves

2013-04-30T12:44:04Z

The NHL playoffs, which seemed doomed only a few months ago, have magically reappeared and will be starting tonight. Here are your first-round matchups (last updated Wednesday afternoon, when I should be studying for finals):

Eastern Conference:

(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. ~~(8) NY Islanders~~ (Pittsburgh wins 4-2)
~~(2) Montreal Canadiens~~ vs. (7) Ottawa Senators (Ottawa wins 4-1)
(3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) NY Rangers (Series tied 3-3)
(4) Boston Bruins vs. (5) Toronto Maple Leafs (Series tied 3-3)

Western Conference:

(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs. ~~(8) Minnesota Wild~~ (Chicago wins 4-1)
~~(2) Anaheim Ducks~~ vs. (7) Detroit Red Wings (Detroit wins 4-3) (WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!)
~~(3) Vancouver Canucks~~ vs. (6) San Jose Sharks (San Jose sweeps 4-0)
~~(4) St. Louis Blues~~ vs. (5) LA Kings (Los Angeles wins 4-2)

This is basically a space for trash-talking, celebrating, expressing disappointment, etc. about your favorite hockey team so that it doesn't spill over into our usual (ahem) completely reasonable discussions on actual ND-related stuff. I'll continue doing this for each new round of the playoffs, because the good old hockey game is the best game you can name!

Eastern Conference:

Western Conference:

College Football Playoff - OFD style

2013-04-24T18:15:49Z

OFD needs their own Selection Committee comprised of selected Commentariat.

This would be:

above and beyond the SBN polling
ranking the top six or eight teams weekly
committee members would have access to weekly SOS
have transparency for individual choices
members would have brief comments justifying their choices
come out Sunday afternoon prior to the CF Committee's choices

What do you think? Any more suggestions? How many members? When should this start? Who wants to be in?

OFD needs their own Selection Committee comprised of selected Commentariat.

This would be:

above and beyond the SBN polling
ranking the top six or eight teams weekly
committee members would have access to weekly SOS
have transparency for individual choices
members would have brief comments justifying their choices
come out Sunday afternoon prior to the CF Committee's choices

What do you think? Any more suggestions? How many members? When should this start? Who wants to be in?

Notre Dame Players in the NFL

2013-04-22T18:09:30Z

List has be updated after the draft with draftees and unrestricted free agent signings. Will be updated after roster cuts.

Current NFL Roster Players (37)

Michael Floyd - 2nd String - RWR (Arizona)

Zeke Motta - Drafted, 3rd String SS (Atlanta)

Kapron Lewis-Moore - Drafted, 3rd String LDE (Baltimore)

Dayne Crist - Tryout & signed contract, 4th String QB (Baltimore)

Sam Young - 1st LG (Buffalo)

Brian Smith - 2nd String RILB (Buffalo)

Jimmy Clausen - 3rd String QB (Carolina)

JJ Jansen - 1st String LS (Carolina)

Armando Allen - 3rd String RB (Chicago)

Tom Zbikowski - 2nd String SS (Chicago)

Trevor Robinson - 1st String C (Cincy)

Tyler Eifert - Drafted, 2nd String TE (Cincy)

Braxton Cave - UDFA, 2nd String C (Cleveland)

Jamoris Slaughter - Drafted, 2nd String SS (Cleveland)

David Bruton - 2nd String SS (Denver)

Theo Riddick - Drafted, 4th String RB (Detroit)

Ryan Harris - 2nd String LOT (Houston)

Cierre Wood - UDFA, 5th String RB (Houston)

Robert Hughes - 2nd String FB (Indy)

Sergio Brown - 3rd String SS (Indy)

Anthony Fasano - 2nd String TE (KC)

Jonas Gray - 5th String RB (Miami)

John Sullivan - 1st String C (Minnesota)

Kyle Rudolph - 1st String TE (Minn)

John Carlson - 2nd String TE (Minn)

Harrison Smith - 1st String FS (Minn)

Robert Blanton - 2nd String SS (Minn)

Eric Olsen - 2nd String LOG (New Orleans)

Justin Tuck - 1st String LDE (NY Giants)

Darrin Walls - 4th String RCB (NY Jets)

Mike Golic, Jr - UDFA, 3rd String, LOG (Pittsburgh)

Manti Te'o - Drafted, 1st String LILB (San Diego)

Darius Fleming - 3rd String LOLB (San Fran)

Ian Williams - 1st String NT (San Fran)

Golden Tate - 2st String RWR (Seattle)

Brady Quinn - 2nd String QB (Seattle)

Derek Landri - 2nd String LDT (Tampa Bay)

Free Agents (5)

Kyle McCarthy - missed 2012 due to injury, 26 y.o., last team Kansas City

Ryan Grant - signed late in the season, played in 3 gms, 30 y.o., last team Green Bay

Jeff Faine - played in 8 gms as backup, 32 y.o., last team Cincinnati

Jordan Black - suspended 4 games for PEDs, 33 y.o., last team Washington

Trevor Laws - missed 2012 due to injury, 27 y.o., last team St.Louis

Undrafted Free Agents Signings 2013, not on Depth chart (1)

~~John Goodman~~ - Cincinnati - not listed on depth chart (5/18)

Tryouts 2013 (3)

Jordan Cowart - Washington

Ben Turk - Houston

Robby Toma - with Baltimore Ravens - May 4,5 - and Kansas City - May 11, 12.

List has be updated after the draft with draftees and unrestricted free agent signings. Will be updated after roster cuts.

Current NFL Roster Players (37)

Michael Floyd - 2nd String - RWR (Arizona)

Zeke Motta - Drafted, 3rd String SS (Atlanta)

Kapron Lewis-Moore - Drafted, 3rd String LDE (Baltimore)

Dayne Crist - Tryout & signed contract, 4th String QB (Baltimore)

Sam Young - 1st LG (Buffalo)

Brian Smith - 2nd String RILB (Buffalo)

Jimmy Clausen - 3rd String QB (Carolina)

JJ Jansen - 1st String LS (Carolina)

Armando Allen - 3rd String RB (Chicago)

Tom Zbikowski - 2nd String SS (Chicago)

Trevor Robinson - 1st String C (Cincy)

Tyler Eifert - Drafted, 2nd String TE (Cincy)

Braxton Cave - UDFA, 2nd String C (Cleveland)

Jamoris Slaughter - Drafted, 2nd String SS (Cleveland)

David Bruton - 2nd String SS (Denver)

Theo Riddick - Drafted, 4th String RB (Detroit)

Ryan Harris - 2nd String LOT (Houston)

Cierre Wood - UDFA, 5th String RB (Houston)

Robert Hughes - 2nd String FB (Indy)

Sergio Brown - 3rd String SS (Indy)

Anthony Fasano - 2nd String TE (KC)

Jonas Gray - 5th String RB (Miami)

John Sullivan - 1st String C (Minnesota)

Kyle Rudolph - 1st String TE (Minn)

John Carlson - 2nd String TE (Minn)

Harrison Smith - 1st String FS (Minn)

Robert Blanton - 2nd String SS (Minn)

Eric Olsen - 2nd String LOG (New Orleans)

Justin Tuck - 1st String LDE (NY Giants)

Darrin Walls - 4th String RCB (NY Jets)

Mike Golic, Jr - UDFA, 3rd String, LOG (Pittsburgh)

Manti Te'o - Drafted, 1st String LILB (San Diego)

Darius Fleming - 3rd String LOLB (San Fran)

Ian Williams - 1st String NT (San Fran)

Golden Tate - 2st String RWR (Seattle)

Brady Quinn - 2nd String QB (Seattle)

Derek Landri - 2nd String LDT (Tampa Bay)

Free Agents (5)

Kyle McCarthy - missed 2012 due to injury, 26 y.o., last team Kansas City

Ryan Grant - signed late in the season, played in 3 gms, 30 y.o., last team Green Bay

Jeff Faine - played in 8 gms as backup, 32 y.o., last team Cincinnati

Jordan Black - suspended 4 games for PEDs, 33 y.o., last team Washington

Trevor Laws - missed 2012 due to injury, 27 y.o., last team St.Louis

Undrafted Free Agents Signings 2013, not on Depth chart (1)

~~John Goodman~~ - Cincinnati - not listed on depth chart (5/18)

Tryouts 2013 (3)

Jordan Cowart - Washington

Ben Turk - Houston

Robby Toma - with Baltimore Ravens - May 4,5 - and Kansas City - May 11, 12.

OFD Offseason Orientation: The Commentariat

2013-04-22T15:06:54Z

via i.imgur.com (click for full)

In Part Two of my [unofficial, definitely not endorsed by the staff] series on OFD Offseason Orientation (Part One can be found here), I have attempted to summarize the essence of how the site and its members operate in a simple, reasonable and [triple-overtime-vs.-Pitt-level of "Ohhhh man, this is just"] fun flowchart.

Not sure how to celebrate a big win? You have options.

Trying to decide whether our recruits are up to snuff? Get yourself educated.

Disagree with a fellow fan’s opinion? Look no further.

With several months of the offseason stretching before us, there is plenty of time to hone your commenting know-how into midseason form. Take a gander at this chart and the Unofficial OFD Lexicon, and we’ll have you FORAGING and MAULING in no time!

Please feel free to add your own ideas and corrections in the comments, and I’ll make sure to respond accordingly (personally, my own chart has arrows leading directly from each article type to GIFS). As I've said before, We’re Not All Deluded Maniacs™…but we can certainly do a good impression of it!

via i.imgur.com (click for full)

Not sure how to celebrate a big win? You have options.

Trying to decide whether our recruits are up to snuff? Get yourself educated.

Disagree with a fellow fan’s opinion? Look no further.

Notre Dame & NBC Sign 10-Year Extension

2013-04-18T18:55:43Z

A couple years ago we were asking a lot of questions about the future of sports television and how Notre Dame would fit in to the ever-evolving landscape and rising payouts for college football.

Would Notre Dame walk away from its relationship with NBC?

The answer today came in the form of a resounding no as the University and NBC Sports Group signed a 10-year extension effective to begin in the 2016 season.

FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE.

Some excerpts:

Per the extension, which begins with the 2016 season, the NBC Sports Group retains global media rights on all platforms to a minimum of seven Notre Dame home football games per year, with the vast majority airing on NBC. It also allows for games to air on NBC Sports Network. As it has since 2009, NBC Sports Digital will continue to live stream Fighting Irish home games.

Let the hand wringing begin over some games being on NBC Sports Network. Does it matter anymore?

"Coming off one of Notre Dame's best and most dramatic seasons in decades, we could not be more proud to extend this historic partnership, which continues to be one of the most innovative in sports-media history," said Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Sports Group. "We are particularly excited that this extension offers enhanced rights that allow us to bring Notre Dame Football to fans on more platforms than ever before."

We're still wondering what those 'more platforms' are, right? Is it simply moving some content (and apparently some games) to NBC Sports Network?

Revenues from the NBC partnership have played a key role in Notre Dame's financial aid endowment since the start of the relationship in 1991 when University officers allocated a portion of the football television contract revenue for undergraduate scholarship endowment (not athletic scholarships). To date, some 6,300 Notre Dame undergraduate students have received nearly $80 million in aid from revenue generated through the NBC contract.

Wow, that's a lot of money going toward education. I'm impressed. Has this money ever been talked about in the past?

Who among us is not happy with this news?

A couple years ago we were asking a lot of questions about the future of sports television and how Notre Dame would fit in to the ever-evolving landscape and rising payouts for college football.

Would Notre Dame walk away from its relationship with NBC?

The answer today came in the form of a resounding no as the University and NBC Sports Group signed a 10-year extension effective to begin in the 2016 season.

FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE.

Some excerpts:

Per the extension, which begins with the 2016 season, the NBC Sports Group retains global media rights on all platforms to a minimum of seven Notre Dame home football games per year, with the vast majority airing on NBC. It also allows for games to air on NBC Sports Network. As it has since 2009, NBC Sports Digital will continue to live stream Fighting Irish home games.

Let the hand wringing begin over some games being on NBC Sports Network. Does it matter anymore?

"Coming off one of Notre Dame's best and most dramatic seasons in decades, we could not be more proud to extend this historic partnership, which continues to be one of the most innovative in sports-media history," said Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Sports Group. "We are particularly excited that this extension offers enhanced rights that allow us to bring Notre Dame Football to fans on more platforms than ever before."

We're still wondering what those 'more platforms' are, right? Is it simply moving some content (and apparently some games) to NBC Sports Network?

Revenues from the NBC partnership have played a key role in Notre Dame's financial aid endowment since the start of the relationship in 1991 when University officers allocated a portion of the football television contract revenue for undergraduate scholarship endowment (not athletic scholarships). To date, some 6,300 Notre Dame undergraduate students have received nearly $80 million in aid from revenue generated through the NBC contract.

Wow, that's a lot of money going toward education. I'm impressed. Has this money ever been talked about in the past?

Who among us is not happy with this news?

Hammond Out, Hicks In

2013-04-15T22:06:29Z

It's official, Dan Hicks is the new voice of Notre Dame football on NBC!! Hicks replaces the much criticized Tom Hammond starting this season. I think this is an excellent decision by NBC. I believe Hicks called the Purdue game last year and I thought he did a fantastic job. Of course, a sock puppet could do a better job than Hammond, but you get my point.

Here is the article on Sports Illustrated:

Hicks To Become New Voice of Notre Dame Football

Let the celebration begin!! GO IRISH!!!!

Here is the article on Sports Illustrated:

Hicks To Become New Voice of Notre Dame Football

Let the celebration begin!! GO IRISH!!!!

Notre Dame Women's Season (and Skylar Diggins' college career) finished.

2013-04-08T03:48:38Z

The final was 83-65, and the game was closer than the score indicated, but not that much closer. The score remained tied most of the first half when UConn went on a run in the last three minutes to end the half up 10.

Notre Dame seemed to lose its composure at times, particularly in the 2nd half, by throwing up prayers for shots. As the 2nd half wore on, UConn gained in energy, outhustling the Irish to get loose balls on several occasions.

It was heartbreaking to see Skylar's last seconds waste away.

Here's a LINK to the ESPN article.

Almost everyone, but Skylar, is back next year. In the meantime, thanks to Skylar Diggins for being perhaps the best basketball player in Notre Dame history, except for maybe Austin Carr.

Thanks for the memories, Skylar. You made us proud with your fierce play and relentless energy. I know you'll do well in the pros, and in life.

It was heartbreaking to see Skylar's last seconds waste away.

Here's a LINK to the ESPN article.

Almost everyone, but Skylar, is back next year. In the meantime, thanks to Skylar Diggins for being perhaps the best basketball player in Notre Dame history, except for maybe Austin Carr.

Thanks for the memories, Skylar. You made us proud with your fierce play and relentless energy. I know you'll do well in the pros, and in life.

The Great OFD Offseason Tailgate: Introduce yourselves!

2013-04-05T00:56:13Z

Ah, spring! It is the time of birds chirping, the Permacloud evaporating, and squirrels becoming more aggressive around the dining halls. It brings the emotional sights of fresh flowers in bloom, newly ordained priests in the Basilica, and gentlemen dropping to one knee under the Lyons Arch. It carries the sounds of students' laughter, the ping of baseball bats, and the roar of the plane taking the women's basketball team to the Final Four.

However, for those of here at One Foot Down, Blue and Gold Weekend is coming up in a few weeks, which basically means we're getting ready for Opening Day. With all the hubbub over recruits, jumbotrons and the fullback situation, we never want to lose sight of the thing that really makes OFD a true community: all you awesome people. With that in mind, we want to make sure that everyone here gets a chance to let everyone else know about themselves: hometown, reason(s) for loving ND, other favorite teams, what you're ~~notorious~~ known for around OFD, views on the current lack of fullbacks, and so on.

This is my first-ever fanpost, so hopefully this doesn't accidentally send everyone's resume to the USC coaching staff (spoiler: you're all over-qualified). I felt compelled to make this because for me, OFD has become much more than just an excellent site with great coverage and commentary on all ND sports. It's also been a place where I can vent, celebrate, joke, support, speculate, banter, and plain old BOND with fellow Irish fans. It might sound ultra-cheesy, but it's the kind of camaraderie that I can guarantee you'll only find among Notre Dame fans, whether they're bright-eyed undergrads, 40-year-old "Subway Alumni", or statues of Jewish prophets who found themselves parked next to Touchdown Jesus in 1962.

Almost forgot: if you're new here (and even if you're not), I highly recommend perusing The Unofficial OFD Lexicon so you can understand some of the (mostly self-deprecating) slang we toss around. Free starter tip: placing an "@" symbol on either side of a word/phrase is sarcasm font, which you will see quite a bit. Also, it takes 5 rec's (gold stars) to make a comment green, which is basically a high-five from the community; I think we're the only blog on SBNation that has a "green minimum" higher than 3 stars, probably because we are ELITE.

Having said all that...grab a few beers, head on down to the comments and introduce your bad selves! Have fun, and always remember our motto: We're Not (ALL) Deluded Maniacs.

Best Home Game of 2013 / Cool Starry Bra

2013-04-04T13:30:41Z

I'm Facebook friends with a guy who works for my company, but whom I've never actually met. He's been rotating to Africa, 28 days on/28 days off, for several years, and we originally became FB friends because I had an uncle who was also living in Angola, and I thought they might want to get together. Through our occasional comments on each other's posts, he found out that I was a Notre Dame fan, and I found out that his wife was one, too. (He's a Texas A&M Galveston guy.) Back in September, not long after my son and I were able to go to the Michigan game, he and his wife won tickets to a 2013 home game in some kind of raffle.

Last weekend, out of the clear blue, he sent me a message that I should call him at home. He had just gotten back from Africa, and we'd had some work dealings while he was there, so I assumed that it was work-related and could wait until Monday. Just in case, I asked what it was about. He replied, "Notre Dame tickets," so I immediately dropped everything and called the man.

He said that he was soon going to be moved from the Africa rotation to a more permanent position in Norway, and he didn't know if he could get back to the States during football season. If that was the case, he wondered if I'd be interested in the tickets. I said that I would be, but money was tight and it would depend on the cost, etc. He said that they'd be free, since they'd only had to pay for the raffle ticket. He also said that they were for the 2013 ND home game of my choice (USC excluded).

Did I just say "tickets"?

I'm sorry, I meant "sideline game passes." One of the coaches' daughter's personal tickets, so he needed someone responsible to use them if he couldn't.

When my wife heard that, she said, "I don't care what it costs, you're going. I mean, how often does one come into sideline passes at Notre Dame Stadium?"

Oklahoma and Michigan State look like the top 2 choices, amiright?

I'm thinking Oklahoma is the best option. Opinions?

Did I just say "tickets"?

I'm sorry, I meant "sideline game passes." One of the coaches' daughter's personal tickets, so he needed someone responsible to use them if he couldn't.

When my wife heard that, she said, "I don't care what it costs, you're going. I mean, how often does one come into sideline passes at Notre Dame Stadium?"

Oklahoma and Michigan State look like the top 2 choices, amiright?

I'm thinking Oklahoma is the best option. Opinions?

Poll

Which non-USC home game would you want to attend in 2013?

Temple on 8/31

1 votes

Michigan State on 9/21

5 votes

Oklahoma on 9/28

34 votes

Navy on 11/2

0 votes

BYU on 11/23

0 votes

40 votes | Poll has closed

Skylar Diggins - ALL TIME LEADER! (Oh, by the way, the ND Women are in the Elite 8 for the Third Time in a Row)>

2013-03-31T19:46:19Z

Skylar Diggins scored 27 points today to lead ND to a 93-63 victory over Kansas to reach the Elite 8. She scored 22 points in the first half, and finished the half five points short of the all-time ND career scoring record. True to form, rather than chase a record, she concentrated on getting her teammates involved in the second half and handed out several assists before she scored a bucket to take over the lead from Beth Morgan Cunningham (Class of '97), who incidentally, is an Irish Assistant Coach.

Here's a link to the SBT article.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/sports/notredame/sbt-notre-dame-womens-basketball-irish-elite-again-20130331,0,7240033.story

And by the way, ND has a Jewel in freshman Jewel Loyd, who they've started feeding the ball for alley-oop buckets.

Go Irish!

Here's a link to the SBT article.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/sports/notredame/sbt-notre-dame-womens-basketball-irish-elite-again-20130331,0,7240033.story

And by the way, ND has a Jewel in freshman Jewel Loyd, who they've started feeding the ball for alley-oop buckets.

Go Irish!

Notre Dame vs. Iowa State: Inside the numbers

2013-03-22T05:38:56Z

In the past, I've found it very instructive to look at breakdowns of some of the more detailed stats about Notre Dame's opponents. To take one example, I was convinced we were in grave danger against Florida State two years ago after looking at both the statistical breakdown and qualitative assessments of FSU's play.

I'm going to start by referencing an outstanding post on NDNation by jack_lorri_is_god, looking at how ISU's performance in their losses differs from their performance in their wins. The post is here. The big takeaway that s/he noted is that most of ISU's statistics were not significantly different in their losses than in their wins. The big exception was offensive rebounding (not, as one might think, three point shooting) and two point shooting, which one might expect to carry over from offensive rebounding.

Moving on, let's look at the overall profile of the teams. I lean heavily on Ken Pomeroy's tempo-free, opponent-adjusted efficiencies and the various tempo-free rate stats he provides for each team.

Notre Dame ranks 12th in opponent-adjusted offensive efficiency and 86th in defensive efficiency, a common trend with past Mike Brey teams. We play very slow, as our adjusted tempo is 319th fastest in the country at 61.6 possessions/game. On offense, we shoot the ball well both inside and outside, we're above average rebounding the ball, and below average getting to the free throw line. We don't turn the ball over much, but we're not as zealous at holding onto the ball as past editions of the Irish, turning the ball over on 17.4% of possessions. Relative to the rest of college basketball, we attempt three point shots less frequently than most teams, and we pass very well as shown by our very high percentage of baskets that are assisted. On defense, we're above average in field goal percentage allowed, above average in defensive rebounding, outstanding at not giving up free throws, and awful at forcing turnovers---the last is a consistent feature of Notre Dame's defenses under Mike Brey. If you believe the research into how teams take and defend three point shots, Notre Dame defends the three point shot well, ranking 47th best in the country in opponent three point field goal attempts as a percentage of total field goal attempts (only seven other NCAA tournament teams rank better), and this is also reflected in the relatively high proportion of opponent points scored on two point field goals as well as the relatively high proportion of opponent baskets that are assisted.

Iowa State is, in some ways, a mirror of Notre Dame in profile. The Cyclones rank 8th in offensive efficiency, 135th in defensive efficiency, they don't get to the free throw line on offense, and they don't force turnovers on defense. That's the end of the similarities, though. The Cyclones like to play fast, ranking 33rd in adjusted tempo at 69.3 possessions/game. They take a lot of three point field goal attempts, ranking eighth highest in the country in three point field goal attempts as a percentage of total field goal attempts. They're above-average at offensive rebounding, above average at protecting the ball, and excellent at both two-point and three-point shooting. On defense, the Cyclones are above average at rebounding the ball and avoiding giving up free throws. They're below-average in two point field goal percentage defense but excellent at three point field goal percentage defense; if you believe current research on how teams take and defend three point shots, however, the good three point field goal percentage defense is an artifact of luck, as the Cyclones are dead average defensively in opponent three point field goal attempts as a percentage of total field goal attempts.

Beyond pure efficiency stats, Iowa State mostly uses a short-ish line-up. Most of the minutes go to players standing 5-11, 6-2, 6-5, 6-5, 6-6, 6-7, and 6-7. Despite the frequency with which they bomb from long range (or possibly because of it), only one player (6-2 guard Tyrus McGee) shoots over 40% from behind the arc. Georges Niang at 38.9% and Chris Babb at 37.8% are also dangerous, but the rest of the Cyclones lineup ranges from 31% to 35% and aren't a big threat unless they get hot.

So what's my big take-home from all of this? I think Iowa State is actually a pretty good match-up for Notre Dame, contrary to the opinion of a lot of talking heads (and I have no idea what their basis is for thinking otherwise). Although there are a couple of examples of the Irish getting a little flustered by faster pace against DePaul this season, historically Mike Brey's use of the slow-down "burn" offense has frustrated fast-paced Big East teams (notably Louisville) and even medium-paced teams (like Pitt). The Irish defend the three-point shot very well and are more susceptible to inside play, particularly when the offense makes the extra pass to catch ND in slow help rotations. The Cyclones may also be bothered by the length of Notre Dame, as point guard Korie Lucious gives up two inches to Eric Atkins and sixth man Tyrus McGee gives up three inches to Jerian Grant. If Iowa State lights it up from outside, or if the Cyclones can drive past overaggressive three point defense by the Irish, they have a great shot at winning the game. However, I think the most likely result is a close win by Notre Dame.

Moving on, let's look at the overall profile of the teams. I lean heavily on Ken Pomeroy's tempo-free, opponent-adjusted efficiencies and the various tempo-free rate stats he provides for each team.

Notre Dame Women Win the Last Big East Tournament!!!

2013-03-13T02:59:18Z

What a fitting way for the Notre Dame women to end their time as members of the Big East Conference. After six failed tries (losing to UConn in each and every tournament championship game), they found a way to win 61-59. They blew a six point lead in the closing minutes, and UConn had the ball in the closing seconds when defensive pressure made them throw an errant pass that Skylar Diggins intercepted, and then with the clock running down, dribbled down the court to find Natalie Achonwa all alone under the basket who laid it in. A last desperation shot by UConn fell short, and
Skylar, Muffet and all the ladies celebrated.

Much as I hate to post anything to an ESPN article, here's a link to their story about it, including video highlights.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=330710087

God, I'd love them to go all the way in the NCAA's. And by the way, they've got a freshman (Jewel Loyd) who is quite the player. Skylar is going to leave the team in good hands.

Go Irish!

Much as I hate to post anything to an ESPN article, here's a link to their story about it, including video highlights.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=330710087

God, I'd love them to go all the way in the NCAA's. And by the way, they've got a freshman (Jewel Loyd) who is quite the player. Skylar is going to leave the team in good hands.

Go Irish!

Notre Dame To Join The ACC For The 2013-2014 Season

2013-03-12T16:27:25Z

The University made the official announcement this morning.

The University of Notre Dame will join the Atlantic Coast Conference for athletic competition in all sports except football and hockey beginning with the upcoming 2013-14 seasons.

"From the time of our decision to join the ACC we have stressed our commitment to ensuring that our departure was achieved in a collegial manner," Notre Dame vice president and director of athletics Jack Swarbrick said. "This agreement realizes that intention and we are very grateful to the members of the Big East and Commissioner Mike Aresco for helping to facilitate this orderly and timely transition."

It is also being reported that Notre Dame will not pay an exit fee as part of the agreement.

We already know that the football team will remain independent while playing 5 ACC opponents each season beginning in 2014. The Hockey team will join Hockey East next season.

Football will remain independent other than those 5 games. The hockey program will join Hockey East next season, 2013-14.
— Observer Sports (@ObserverSports) March 12, 2013

Also, according to THIS bowl bids could be interesting for Notre Dame this year. There is one really easy solution to this potential issue though. Just get back into the BCS!

As far as the actual transition goes the warm welcome from the ACC is beginning to flow. Here is a great example of that hospitality from our friends over at Blogger So Dear.

Enjoy the last Big East Tournament!

So now that it's official how does everybody feel about it?

The University made the official announcement this morning.

The University of Notre Dame will join the Atlantic Coast Conference for athletic competition in all sports except football and hockey beginning with the upcoming 2013-14 seasons.

"From the time of our decision to join the ACC we have stressed our commitment to ensuring that our departure was achieved in a collegial manner," Notre Dame vice president and director of athletics Jack Swarbrick said. "This agreement realizes that intention and we are very grateful to the members of the Big East and Commissioner Mike Aresco for helping to facilitate this orderly and timely transition."

It is also being reported that Notre Dame will not pay an exit fee as part of the agreement.

We already know that the football team will remain independent while playing 5 ACC opponents each season beginning in 2014. The Hockey team will join Hockey East next season.

Football will remain independent other than those 5 games. The hockey program will join Hockey East next season, 2013-14.
— Observer Sports (@ObserverSports) March 12, 2013

Also, according to THIS bowl bids could be interesting for Notre Dame this year. There is one really easy solution to this potential issue though. Just get back into the BCS!

As far as the actual transition goes the warm welcome from the ACC is beginning to flow. Here is a great example of that hospitality from our friends over at Blogger So Dear.

Enjoy the last Big East Tournament!

So now that it's official how does everybody feel about it?