It’s important to remember that all of our greatest football coaches kept their most precious players at home…literally. Each man who has led the Fighting Irish to first place in the rankings has been a father first and foremost. I don’t mean to suggest any element of competition, but no one beats Frank Leahy and his brood of eight, though Dan Devine’s clan comes close at seven. Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz had something in common besides winning a National Championship – both men fathered ...
Brian Kelly
Friday Roundup: The “See Y’all Later” Edition
No, I'm not quitting HLS. I've had a planned vacation for a while that starts next week and work has decided to get incredibly crazy so I will be out of the country as soon as I get back. Basically, I won't be back until July. Seriously. ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: Starting Now
And after 12 wins, Brian Kelly looked toward to his fourth season and realized, “I need a quarterback.” So Kelly named a starter. ...
Nothing Golden About Gregg Doyel’s Hackjob
Well, it was only a matter of time before someone performed the offseason ritual of writing a Notre Dame hack piece. On the heels of the Eddie Vanderdoes drama, we knew it was coming, we knew some brave internet white knight troll would bravely call ND out attempt to generate page clicks. Loyal readers, I give you Gregg Doyel (only linking so you don't think I'm making this up) and his well deserved destruction below. ...
Friday Roundup: The “It’s All Gravy” Edition
Ah, the jumbotron -- that offseason topic that fires up the Notre Dame fanbase like no other. The outrage and hot takes ranks somewhere right above Shamrock Series uniforms and right below re-gilding the Dome with platinum*. Bayou gave his thoughts earlier this week and I've made my thoughts on tradition and change well known in the past. This Roundup will not re-hash those thoughts. Instead, I wanted to pass along some sage advice my pastor gave to myself and my future bride last weekend: ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: Season’s Farewells
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” If you tell me that’s from a really cool folk rock band and you like to listen to it late at night when you’re drunk and nostalgic because it reminds you of your high school senior retreat, I’ll increase your Theology requirement from two courses to 16. It is Biblical Wisdom Literature, and in this fleeting season of dramatic transition, we turn to it for guidance. Classes have ended, papers are coming due, final ...
Irish Blogger Gathering: Spring Fling with NDNation
Yes, you read the title correctly: The Subway Domer has pulled a recruiting coup for the IBG and NDNation has joined the fold. For the post Blue/Gold Game edition, we got the first crack at asking questions of Mike Coffey, aka El Kabong, of NDNation. He, in turn, has asked his questions three of Kieth Arnold of Inside the Irish who will eventually have Subway's answers up. And you can find my answers over at The Subway Domer this week. Eventually, we will have the Strong and True blog back in ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: Atlantis Found
“When criticizing a Catholic institution, be sure to troop out quaint stereotypes so that your comments contain vague accusations of sacrilege or apostasy, and the humorous implication that its leaders are, in fact, just bad Catholics.” At least that’s what I presume is written in the general press conference guidelines down at Arizona State. Or maybe the athletic director has one of those desk calendars that gives a new piece of advice for every day of the year. But if that’s the case, he ...
Spy Wednesday w/Padre
For obvious reasons, I will not be publishing a column called “Good Fridays” this week. If you think The Lord was angry when he took a whip of cords to the temple moneychangers, try blaspheming on the His least favorite day of the year. Hence I have moved to today, Spy Wednesday. We call it that because this was the day Judas Iscariot, the spy among the Apostles, sold Jesus to the Sanhedrin for 30 pieces of silver. He then famously betrayed The Lord with a kiss – were that to happen today, ...
Football is Back, Baby
Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly held his first press conference of the spring practice season today. In it, he addressed the lessons learned from the Alabama game, Gunner Kiel's status (transferring but still in school to finish out the semester) and where the team is going. For what it's worth, Coach struck me as poised, confident and clearly looking forward to 2013. Right out of the gate, Coach made it clear that 2012's team "is gone." The team to be? That's squarely on the ...