Domer.MQ is off to the Star Trek convention this weekend (keep your eye out for a spiky black-haired, chubby version of Dr. Spock), so the Friday Roundup fell on me.   Questionable choice really, as my skills with this high-falutin (how do you spell falutin? anyone?) technology are limited at best.

And since I can’t do those fancy links where you click on the word itself, this could just get ugly.  So here’s my roundup:

• Recruiting is looking great
• Everyone who doesn’t love us still hates us
• We are okay with that and cannot freaking wait for the season

That’s about all I got.  But I can’t leave you with just that.  So, instead, watch the clip below.  Take it in, absorb those words.  Remember what it means to be Irish.  And believe!

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We are sure you’ve read it 50 other places by now.  Ethan Johnson might have committed.  He committed last week.  He’s already started 4 games and has 20 sacks.   He once fought 30 insane Monks strapped with Potato Guns and won. 

One of those is definitely true:  Ethan Johnson has verbally committed to join Charlie’s Army as the 17th commit in this stellar class for our beloved Irish. 

This top DE recruit is another huge get for the Irish, and (once again) shows how much Corwin Brown has reinvigorated the Irish Defense, and Defensive recruiting.  

Johnson is the #3 DE with 4 Stars according to Rivals, while Scout has him at #5 at his position, and a 5 Star recruit.  He checks in at a solid 6′5″ 265 pounds.  What’s nice?  This big guy runs a 4.8 forty.  Not bad for anyone, let alone a lineman.  He also benches 330 and has a 30-inch vertical. He’s described as “explosive”, “quick”, “athletic” and “the top pure DE on the west coast.”  Niiiiiice. 

One of the great things here is how much U-M wanted Ethan.  Fans gushed over him after their camp, and he mentioned to one of their fan sites his (then) upcoming visit to ND.   They were worried about their chances then, and he let them know that U-M would be there until the end.  Guess what Michigan?  The end is here. 

Notice any trends in recruiting here?  C-dub and Corwin are going after top guys, yes.  And guys smart enough to handle their system and an ND education, yes.  But, bar none, they are always going for Athleticism.  At the skill positions, on Special Teams, on the Lines, everywhere.  The days of “ND is slow” and “ND isn’t athletic enough to hang with the top teams” are over, and soon competitors will stand in the collective dust of the ND Nation wondering “what the hell was that?”  We will be big, and strong and fast, and damn well athletic. 

Welcome to the family, Ethan!  

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• Don’t Believe Any Rumors About Dayne Crist
• Michigan (sucks!) Not Really Serious About Football Anymore
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That didn’t sound right.

Anyway, we’ve modified the shirt design for those who don’t want to be a walking billboard for HLS.

You can fight evil by purchasing them here.

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Ever since the days of “Stonebreaker” at Notre Dame, I’ve had this theory that, if I want to have really great football playing sons someday, I need to give them great football player names. Being that my last name is French, that puts a lot of pressure on the first name.

Jamoris Slaughter, a DB out of Tucker, Georgia, was given a great football playing family name, and he’ll get to hear it called over and over again on the Notre Dame Stadium PA System in the coming years.

Welcome to the family, Jamoris!

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UPDATE - If you like the slogan, but don’t want to feel like a walking ad for HLS, then check this out.

In case you’ve missed it, there’s been a heckuva battle going on among the denizens of Notre Dame Nation over the “Notre Dame Image” or even the “Notre Dame Brand.” It’s sort of coming to a head right now over at NDN’s Rock’s House. A lot of people are worried that certain administrators will look to “drive revenue” in the near future with the installation of a “Jumbotron” that will show advertisements during Notre Dame home football games interspersed with things like “highlights” and stupid phrases like “Loud Continuous Noise!”

We’ve chosen sides in this argument. We don’t think a Jumbotron can be used in a “tasteful” manner. That would be like Pee Wee Herman being “subtle.” It just ain’t gonna happen. WE DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO THE NOTRE DAME EXPERIENCE. And so, without further adieu, we present the first ever HLS Political Stance t-shirt, now for sale at our very own little neck of the internets…

Back

Front

If someone actually does order one of these, we’ll be thrilled. I’m ordering one right now. You too can make a difference. You can order one, help ND Nation fight against the evils of blasting hip-hop music and used car dealership ads between plays, and put $1.00 in the HLS coffers so we can defray a little of the cost of running this site.

That’s right. We’ll make $1.00 per shirt. That’s it. We’re not trying to capitalize on this. We’re just looking to fight a battle worth fighting, pay for our hosting, and, who knows, maybe even upgrade so the site loads a little faster during the season.

The shirts are available in Navy for $22.99 and White for $15.99. There are other colors available as well, but I think the pricing is between 15.99 and 22.99.

Thanks,

HLS.com Management

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Okay okay, this borders on the absurd. 

10 PSU players were involved in an off-campus fight a while back.  We all heard about it, and it looked for a bit like Penn State might decide to be a little different than all other ‘big time’ college football programs, and actually punish the players.  It almost seemed like they might take a stand and say that mob mentality and meatheadedness would not be considered okay in their program, and institution.

JoePa handed down his own verdict:  the players will pick up garbage after every home game.  Yay!  That’s good.  Way to go death-defying underlord of the great Dark One.  Work that soulless shell of a body for all it’s worth!

Now, the administration at PSU (haha, P U, get it? like it smells, ha!) has handed down their own verdict.  The ruling:

If you’re a huge hulking beast of a football player, and you call in 10 of your teammates to throw the beat down on a dude in HIS house, at HIS party because he looked at you funny, you will be expelled.  EXPELLED!  [The following is the running conversation I had with myself as I read about this.  Yes, I am partially insane]

Wow, that’s serious. Way to go Penn State.  Way to stick to your guns and show the world that you’re a classy institution, and that football players are held to the same standards as…

Wait, it’s a temporary expulsion. 

Huh?

Yeah, and it only applies during summer school. 

What the…isn’t that just a suspension? 

Yeah, pretty much.

Why not call it that?

Because it sounds more serious as an expulsion.

But that makes no sense.

Exactly.

Okay okay, so at least they are suspended for the summer.  That’s at least good.

Well, they’re actually suspended from school, but not from football practice.

WHAT?

Yep, they “can’t” go to class but they can practice all summer long.  So they no longer have to deal with classes, they have more time to party, gang up and beat down innocent dudes at parties in their houses, and more time to work out and practice. 

As if they WANT to go to class????????  Who are these freaking morons?????

Calm it brother. Calm it.

Calmer than you.  At the least the expulsion/suspension goes into part of the season right, so they’re not eligible to play in the first game?

You mean that tough opener against Florida International?  Oh, no, they are un-expelled as of the first game.  They can play.

I freaking give up.

[End running dialogue]

The lesson learned here?  If you’re a football player at a big school (PSU in particular) and you are a meathead jerk and decide to fight whoever you want, you will get out of class for the summer, and you will certainly not miss any games. 

Brilliant.  Way to align incentives PSU.  In your world, murder would be ‘punished’ with a lifelong supply of Guinness.

Asses.

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This one?

Or this one?

Nope, Zach Frazer.  Zach is on the cusp of announcing his new school, as he did not return to summer school at Notre Dame last week.  The almost-former ND Quarterback started considering transfer options when he was left out of the 3-horse race for the starting position after Spring ball concluded in May.  He was rumored to be considering Rutgers, but has since narrowed his list to Cincy and Connecticut.

I think we’re all sorry to see Zach go - you always hate losing a good player and a good person in these types of position battles, but we wish him the best of luck at his new school and on his new team, whichever it turns out to be.

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Congressman John Dingell cleared his schedule with pesky “side issues” to write a letter to the Big 11 10 Chairman Jim Delaney because he’s worried his constituents wont be able to watch Michigan Football games on the fledgling network.

Why? Because none of the Michigan cable companies will be carrying the Big 10 Network.

And apparently that prompted enough potential voters to write Mr. Dingell and demand that the federal government get involved. This springs to mind a little t-shirt our friend at House Rock Built put together last year…

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