I’m not going to pretend that I am small time anymore. I know that Subway Domer and the rest of the IBG are rock stars- so I’ll save any intro I may have or have not forgotten due to the consumption of gin. You know the drill.
OK folks, here’s the post-Spring edition of the Irish Blogger Gathering as hosted by We Never Graduate:
1. The biggest story of the spring was the quarterback competition between Dayne Crist, Tommy Rees, and to a lesser extent Andrew Hendrix and Everett Golson. Crist and Rees donned the red jerseys while the youngins were fed to the wolves with live contact. How would you rate each signal caller’s performance in the scrimmage? Then put on the Swami hat and predict what we should expect from each of them this fall and in the long term.
Dayne Crist: INCOMPLETE
Tommy Rees: INCOMPLETE
Andrew Hendrix: C+
Everett Golson: C+
I didn’t see nearly enough of Rees or Crist to pass any type of real judgment. The best thing either of them did was not have any limbs torn off, leaving a mangled body drowning in a pool of blood. Sweet!
Hendrix started off a bit slow, but finished really well both passing and running the football. Golson had his own moments too…
Gee wiz, can you tell that I’m really bored with this? It was just a spring practice. As far as quarterback play goes, they all looked the part at times and at other times they didn’t.
As far as this season is concerned, I still think Crist will be the starter. Rees will see some time, although I’m not sure exactly how much. Hendrix will be used in mop up duty, and perhaps in some short yardage and goaline situations (this is even more feasible due to the lack of depth at running back). I honestly think that Golson will be redshirted.
2. Freshman defensive end Aaron Lynch burst onto the scene with seven tackles, including 1.5 for a loss. You might as well have attached his hype and expectations to an Apollo rocket and launched them into orbit they’re so high right now. Is he that good or should Notre Dame fans temper expectations like Brian Kelly keeps saying?
Lynch is that good. However, he still needs coaching to be the best player for this system. He had his moments in the spring game, and I was even more encouraged by his effort and enthusiasm. Aaron was out of position during a number of plays, but he did look amazing and better than any past freshman defensive lineman that I can remember for the Irish.
We should really temper our expectations, but I think he will get put in a position to succeed right away. With KLM and Ethan Johnson as veteran starters, Lynch can be used as a quality guy within the rotation with most of his work being done during obvious passing downs. Don’t expect a 12 sack season or anything, but Lynch will show us all why he was such a huge commitment.
3. Pick two players that surprised you this spring–one pleasantly and the other unpleasantly–and explain yourself.
Dan Fox is a very pleasant surprise. I remember Fox being used quite a bit on special teams last year, and he looked like a very aggressive and athletic player. Fox was a safety in high school, and he was considered as more of an outside linebacker, but he looked more than serviceable on the inside during the spring. His play basically made Anthony McDonald “null and void.” Fox will battle with Calabrese for playing time, and the two of them could see a lot of time together within a rotation.
I don’t want to kick a guy while he’s down- especially one that is only able to use one leg right now; but I was unpleasantly surprised by Cameron Roberson. I mean, c’mon man… we need at least 3 running backs in the mix. Roberson’s body’s lack of desire to work properly really sucked. I had expected Roberson to really get his chance to show what he can do this spring, and by all accounts he was ready. Now, we aren’t sure how much he will be ready for 2011. I feel bad for him.
4. Over/Unders for 2011!
Cierre Wood Rushing Yards: 1000
OVER. Put me in the group of those that think Wood is primed to have a BIG season. The combination of talent, speed, and small pool of other on the depth chart means that Wood will get his carries and I think he will make the most of them. Kelly’s offensive formula is changing somewhat, and that bodes well for Wood.
Jonas Gray Rushing Yards: 300
UNDER. I really wanted to say “over” but I just dont think the carries will be there for him, if he he doesn’t change some things.
Games Michael Floyd Will Miss: 1.5
UNDER. I think Kelly will allow Floyd to play; starting in the opener. As long as Floyd does all that Kelly asks, than there shouldn’t be a problem.
Dayne Crist Passing Touchdowns: 19.5
OVER: But just barely. 21 TD’s sounds about right, and with Eifert, Floyd , and Riddick it even sounds a bit low.
Games Started by Tommy Rees: 3.5
UNDER. Crist will stay healthy, and start every game for the Irish. (rinse and repeat several times).
Combined Games Started by Golson/Hendrix: .5
UNDER. Rinse and repeat several times…
Aaron Lynch Sacks: 5.5
OVER. I say over, only because i think there will be one game where Lynch grabs 3.5 sacks and lights the world on f-i-r-e.
Victories in ND Stadium: 5.5
OVER. We win them all. (Like there was any doubt coming from me?)
5. This offseason athletic director Jack Swarbrick added two teams to future schedules: Temple and Northwestern. There’s a chunk of people who are outraged about the Temple games, but the vast majority approve of Northwestern. What are your thoughts on each of these scheduling moves?
I guess I really don’t care. I’m glad neither team is in Div. 1-AA, and I’m glad (and certain) that neither team is a perennial top 5 team. Filler comes in all varieties.
I am a little disgusted on how the Northwestern thing was promoted, but to each his own.
6. Irish Illustrated senior editor Tim Prister, one of the most respected and longest tenured journalists in the Notre Dame community, had this to say in article following the Blue-Gold Game:
“How would NBCSports.com’s Keith Arnold know that “there’s a different feeling around Notre Dame” when he’s rarely at Notre Dame to report on its football program? Reporters have a feel for the program because they are immersed in it; bloggers take the feelings/opinions formed by those on the scene and make it their own.”
You’re an esteemed member of the Irish blogosphere. What are your thoughts on Prister’s jab?
I think Prister has had it up to his spectacles with the bloggers. The Keith Arnold interview was the last straw on his silence. The thing is, is that Keith ( who is a member of the IBG) has more access and sources within the program than the rest of us would hope for- so Prister’s jab looked a little weak. Had NBC interviewed THE AWESOMEST EMPEROR OF THE SUBWAY ALUMNI ALSO KNOWN AS THE SUBWAY DOMER…. than maybe he could have had a bigger bitch about it rather than knock down the networks blogger for the networks team.
The thing is, is that the question and answer was totally legit. Prister uses the internet as his medium, but he has failed to realize its power. Fans that don’t come with in a 5 hour drive of South Bend can develop a feel for what the “feeling” is due to reports by guys like himself, and from message boards. I don’t live in the middle east but I think there is a different “feel” there than 25 years ago.
I’m not sure if the jab was jealousy or ignorance, but it had the flavor of both. Even though Prister is enveloped in the “new media” that consists of Internet writers, he still has that MSM mentality.
And while I’m on the topic of Mr. Prister… If you read his “Tale of the Tapes” it basically consists of him quoting Mike Mayock about 23 times per article. Mayock said, Mayock said, Mayock said…. What the shit is that? A case of a self-loathing blogger.
*****BONUS TIME*****
Outline what your day will be like from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to sleep on October 22nd, the day Notre Dame faces off against Southern Cal under the lights of Notre Dame Stadium.
5:00 AM: Wake up. Take shower with stereo blasting my newly made gameday mix from the night before.
5:45 AM: Try to wake up wife. Wife cusses me out for the early wake up. She reminds me of our conversation the night before. I reminded her I drank Beefeater Gin and blacked out due to lack of quality. My first loss of the day.
5:57 AM: Lay back down with wife. No funny business- she’s already pissed off.
7:39 AM: Wake up to 4 month old crying. Realized the wife must have woke up the other two times that night. Feel shame. Feed baby and wake up the 2 year old.
8:09 AM: Headbutt 2 year old as I put Frosted Flakes in front of her. She calmly says, no. Pop Tart. Eating and playing ensue.
8:27 AM: Wife wakes up and is in a great mood… but still is not talking to me. She showers and readies herself.
9:10 AM: Mother-in-law arrives at Subway Domer HQ.
9:30 AM: Departure. Wife is still pissed that we are leaving so early. I promise her a sausage burrito. Tensions ease.
9:50 AM: Arrive at Burger King next to toll road. I lied there are no burritos here.
10:04 AM: Take ticket on Toll Road. Immediately think about the games tickets. Holy fuck, did we pack them. Pull over and check. The tickets are not there! My screams break windows of two passing cars. Wife laughs as she pulls them out of her purse. Wife calls me a spaz, and rolls her eyes.
10:14 AM: Drive the toll road at a managable 85 MPH. Wife listens to her iPhone and only speaks to tell me how sad she is to leave the kids behind. This will be the first night away since son was born in June. I swallow enough Advil to kill a small tribe of Swazi.
11:18 AM: We arrive in South Bend.
11:18:30 AM: Wife rolls her eyes at the thought of 8 more hours until kickoff.
11:45 AM: Arrive at the predetermined “Tweetup” with all my Twitter peeps. I am surprised at the normalcy of most of them. Not surprised by Poot and his pootness.
2:30 PM: Leave restaurant. What happens at Tweetups, stays at Tweetups.
3:00 PM: Check-in. Wife is amazed that the hotel is so clean for the price we paid. I discreetly wipe the crumbs off of the bed, and kick used condoms under the nightstand. I agree with wife, this is a quality place. Start drinking shots with wife. Wife has determined look in her eye.
3:19PM: Take taxi to campus. Remembered ESPN Gameday was there. Chuckled since I didn’t give a shit.
3:52 PM: Arrive and make my way to the predetermined tailgate. Do tailgatish things. Drink, talk, drink, talk, piss, drink, drink, yell.
5:27 PM: Bump into Chris Fowler in the restroom inside Joyce. I smile at him, and piss all over his shoes while smiling bigger.
5:34 PM: Run out of Joyce with a corkscrew stabbed into my skull and no vision in my right eye from the stream of blood pouring in. Chris Fowler is a cocksucker!!! While screaming some jibberish, I realize that I haven’t seen my wife since the hotel. OH FUCK… I noticed 57 missed calls on my phone.
5:36 PM: Call wife’s phone. Hear her ringtone behind me. I turn around and take a kick to the nuts. I drop to my knees. Wife pulls corkscrew out of skull and bitch slaps me.
5:40 PM: I buy wife a carmel apple. All is well. Watch the band march into stadium. I shed some tears. See a U$C fan with his 8 year old and then I see the wife headbutt them. I shed more tears. That’s marriage.
6:10 PM: Enter ND Stadium.
6:11 PM: Chuckle about the amount of gin strapped to my leg.
6:12 PM: Frown about the amount of hair I have to rip off of my legs to get gin off of leg.
7:45 PM: Usher yells at me for having a chew in my mouth while i argue that the USC fan next to me that is raping a horse is a bigger priority. The usher disagrees.
7:46 PM-11:01 PM: Notre Dame lays an absolute ass-whooping upon USC.
11:02 PM: Carry drunk wife out of stadium and get in taxi.
11:58 PM: Arrive back at hotel and puke my guts out. I see more used condoms on the floor. FUSC!
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