“Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.” So said Edwin Markham, the poet. And as the Irish defeat yet another ranked opponent by more than 20 points, climbing yet higher in the rankings themselves, perhaps it’s appropriate to ask whether a one-point loss to Georgia was better than a two-point victory that night. For truly, it served to shake the team, and their triumphs since then have indeed been glorious; but would they be in the same place today had they ...
Ara Parseghian
Holy Saturdays w/Padre: Ara – A reflection of Grace
In Greek Epic, the great are given the epithet “Leader of Men.” Few in the now 175-year history of Notre Dame deserve to be called a Leader of Men more than Ara Parseghian. Surely his fame on the field is, and shall always remain, golden. But he served under an implacable superior in Theodore Hesburgh, CSC, who demanded that Ara never tarnish the name of Our Lady or the University dedicated to Her honor. And Ara never did. As a Leader of Men, Ara demanded much from his athletes: first, that ...
Morning Roundup: Sept. 16, 2016
The Morning Roundup is now available as an easy-to-digest e-mail. Sign up at the bottom of this post and be sure to check your spam filter for a confirmation message from newsletter at herloyalsons dot com. Once you're signed up, you'll get all the headlines from Notre Dame athletics delivered to your inbox before breakfast. ...
Looking Back at ND-MSU ’66: A Tie to Win
The “Era of Ara” was off and running as the Irish entered the 1966 season. 1964 had featured a Notre Dame team that came with a “game changing call” of winning the national championship at USC in Ara Parseghian’s first season. 1965 resulted in a 7-2-1 finish, with a late season loss to Michigan State as the Spartans would share the national championship that season with Alabama. The Irish entered the 1966 season ranked #6 and would eventually grab the #1 ranking after a convincing 38-0 win ...
Morning Roundup: Sept. 15, 2016
The Morning Roundup is now available in e-mail format! Get all the Notre Dame athletics headlines in your inbox every morning at 5 a.m. ET by entering your e-mail at the bottom of this page. Today's top stories: Torii Hunter updates us on his concussion; Ara's still salty about fans' perceptions of the '66 tie versus Michigan State; lots of recruits visiting this weekend; women's hoops lands a big recruit. ...
The Case for Brian Kelly…Grows Stronger
Corbett Family Head Football Coach Brian Kelly can look back on 2016 and enjoy the moment. With seven players selected in the most recent NFL draft, a solid recruiting class (ranked twelfth by Rivals, sixteenth by ESPN), and a ten-win season behind him, the case that Coach Kelly belongs in the pantheon with Lou and Ara and Knute has only gotten stronger. In addition to the seven drafted players, which included Notre Dame's highest pick since 1993, Ronnie Stanley, six players signed free agent ...
There Will Be No Brian Kelly Statue
Last week, Notre Dame announced it had extended the contract of head football coach Brian Kelly through 2021. Kelly already has 55 wins at Notre Dame and has the most career victories of any coach currently coaching a FBS subdivision program (226). If he stays for the entirety of his contract*, it's likely he could eclipse Lou Holtz for games coached (132) and Knute Rockne for wins (105). But there will be no Brian Kelly statue erected outside Notre Dame Stadium when the coach ...
Let’s Give ‘Em Something To Talk About: Notre Dame Coaches at 65
Brian Kelly is, by my amateur analysis, the worst coach Notre Dame has ever allowed to oversee its football team for at least 65 games. It’s completely unfair to compare coaches from different eras because of the college game has evolved in the past 80 seasons. There's also several issues that are beyond the head coaches' control: academic issues, injuries and transfers to name a few. However, I’m going to do it to provide an additional perspective on Brian Kelly’s tenure (Bayou Irish ...
Morning Roundup: Feb. 17, 2015
Good morning! Here are your headlines: PODCASTS Irish Sports Daily: 2-16-15 Power Hour (1:06:27) RECRUITING Irish Sports Daily: In the film room: Donnie Corley Irish Illustrated: Irish offer 2017 four-star (Maleik Gray) Bleacher Report (Monaco): Notre Dame football recruiting offers of the week (Cary Angeline, Maleik Gray and E.J. Price) UW Dawg Pound: 2016 UW football recruiting: The rest of the West (Devin Duvernay, Byron Murphy and Chase Lucas) USA Today: Nation's No. 3 ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: A Tale of Two Teams
It was the best of seasons, it was the worst of seasons; it was a game of touchdowns, it was a game of turnovers; it was the inspiration for belief, it was the cause of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the autumn of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had a playoff berth before us, we had a second-tier bowl before us; we were in Heaven on earth, we were in a cold, wet Stadium of defeat. Since 1887, we’ve had worse seasons, but few as ...