Subway Domer lit the fires of the gathering and we came runnin’ to see what all the fuss was about and see if there was a pig in the smoker. Mmmm… pig pickin’… At the end of Spring Ball, we’ll be hosting the Spring Ball Post Mortem IBG, tentatively sub-titled, “Can You Believe [Player’s Name] Is Out For 2010 With An Injury!?”
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Notre Dame is looking at vast changes on both sides of the ball. Kelly will implement his version of the “Spread,” which is run at an excruciating pace, and the Irish defense will, once again, make the transition from the 4-3 to the 3-4. Asking to pick one side of the ball that intrigues you the most would be a disservice to us all. Instead, list your biggest hope and your biggest fear for both the offense and the defense.
On offense, we hope for all the world’s children to be sing… er… I mean, we hope for points. Lots of them. And in all seriousness, we’re completely serious. We hope that kinks will show up in the form of the odd string of 3-and-Out possessions and the occasional turnover, but that the kinks will generally be nullified in most cases by an accumulation of points as multiples of 7. In recent memory, ND’s scoring ability in the red-zone was rather meh. Out of 50 red-zone opportunities, ND recorded a TD only 28 times. Meanwhile, Cincinnati, who did not have Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate, or Michael Floyd, scored 42 TDs in 58 tries. We’ll take more opportunities and more success, please. Our biggest fear, of course, is a total lack of opportunities, let alone any need for analysis or Red Zone scoring capability. Our biggest fear is 2007 all over again. There. I said it.
On Defense, we’re hoping for Cincinnati’s defense before everyone started laying 35+ on them per fame. If that means garnering enough Tackles for Loss to rank 3rd in the nation, that’s fine. That’s what we’ll have to allow. Our biggest fear is the dream where ND makes Purdue look like Florida looked against Cincinnati. We just can’t stand Heisman Hype laid upon… whoever the hell plays for Purdue these days.
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The mainstream media, and ESPN in particular, have been riding Brian Kelly’s jock for about a year now, and were collectively praying for Notre Dame to fire Weis and hire Kelly. Do you agree, or disagree with this statement? What changes in media coverage do you think we will see in 2010 and beyond?
Eh. The only thing more delicious than hot coach on a seat for major media outlets is crisped coach on a plate. I think the major media would have loved to have seen ND keep Weis for one more season. 3D television is coming soon. Can you imagine the dead-man walking montages of Weis in 3D? ESPN can, and they shed a tear each time they think of it and realize they missed that opportunity.
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With new regime changes, players that were once lost in the muck sometimes find themselves in a situation to become key members of the team- or even starters. Identify one of those players that will be that “sleeper.” Explain, in brief detail, why your guy will rise above and become the proverbial; CREAM. Oh yeah… it must be a junior or older to qualify.
Matt Romine, future starter at OT. Because law of averages says he has to stop getting injured at some point, right?
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If you could change the Blue-Gold Game experience in any way- what would it be? Some years, the game can be quite boring and offer no real insight for the upcoming season. Are we all doomed to be underwhelmed every year, or can you make the change that makes spring ball slick like Rick on a pogo stick?
Well, suffice it to say that the idea of stripping scholarships from under-performing players may have merit in a true meritocracy, but wont be looked kindly upon in our society of Everybodygetsatrophyandadonut. So, short of that, some real, lasting, tangible penalties for the loser must be imposed, and we must find a way to annoint a loser. First idea that comes to mind AFTER stripping scholaships? Losers must deploy and collect all practice equipment before and after each practice through fall camp and the season. Second idea? Losers are forbidden from enjoying hot-peppered flank steak night at the dining halls for one year.
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EVERY coach talks about the importance of special teams, and says that they are a major priority for the team. Is there anything that Coach Kelly has done to back him up on his own statements? What phase of special teams would you like to see more improvement from?
I think I got to answer this question well after your asked it, and thus I have the unfair advantage of knowing that Kelly essentially opened up Spring ball with special teams. So I have to think that’s sent a bit of a message to the players. As for what I want to see in terms of phases, how about a phase of ND special teams consistency? Yes. I know that’s not what you meant, but it’s what I want to see. In recent years, we’ve had awesome special teams defense, or decent return games, or a fairly game place kicker. For once I’d like to see all three perform at a consistently high level. It’s not a zero-sum game.
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Last topics are a bit, off topic… A)With the arrival of Spring Football, comes a lot of “color” discussion. “The Shirt,” is always a favorite subject of debate for Irish fans. What is your opinion of “The Shirt,” and if you were in charge of it all- what would it look like? B) There is a lot of talk about the Notre Dame uniforms possibly being altered. What would you like to see, even if they aren’t changed?
A) My opinion of The Shirt is that it makes for great smocks for toddler Van Gohs and relatively uninteresting sleep-ware for women. But if there must be a shirt, I’d like to just go ahead and commision Rakes of Mallow to light up the press and churn out enough of these to clothe the entire stadium. B) Actual gold paint on the helmets that makes people watching the games think, “holy crap, they really are using actual gold on the helmets.” Look, I get it. The economy has a stank on it like last night’s footwear from your outing at The Backer, but there’s a time for solemn acceptance of the outside forces on ones life and there’s a time (now) for an institution to stand up and say, “F THAT. We’re going to lay so much gold up on these things that our enemies will be known by their limps and the gold dust in their hacking coughs. WAPOW!”
Here’s a list of gatherers we’ll update as we find ’em.
- Subway Domer kicked things off.
- One Foot Down is all for solidarity.
- Domer Law reawakens his echoes.
- Friday Roundup: That Was Fast Edition - December 14, 2018
- Ian Book Is Smokey and the Bandit - December 12, 2018
- Don’t Call It A Comeback - December 10, 2018
trey
The Shirt project needs to go back to the students for all manner of design, production, etc. The 2006 one was cool, but they’ve gotten degenerately worse every season. I’m sick of the corporate EVERYTHING that ND is doing. I get it, I dont have to LIKE it.
Pat
I agree that The Shirt has been lacking. Did anyone really think last year’s Easter pastel variety gold looked tough?
By the way, what do you mean by “corporate EVERYTHING”?
Trey
Like the contrived Disney-fied prep rally, the ad space on the cardboard trash cans, the whole talk about jumbotrons, etc
Pat
Ah, okay, was trying to get a feel for what you meant.
Ironically, I think the best argument for a jumbotron is that corporate NBC’s TV coverage leaves so much down time and runs so many commercials that a screen would actually give fans in the stadium something to do in the time they are just sitting around waiting for the actual game to be played.