All in all, I think our 170^th year was pretty good.  Freshmen made it through their first two semesters and are now Sophomores.  Sophomores are now half-way through college.  Juniors are now Seniors.  And Seniors are soon to be part of one of the most exclusive clubs in the world – Alumni.  Just remember Seniors, in this club you have to pay dues regularly and on time, and there really is no limit on how much you can (and should) pay.

One recurring theme I heard on campus throughout the year was, “No Regrets.”  This was sometimes written with As instead of Es in certain places; for this and the Fig Thing, I blame the Englush Depurtmint.  Yet, the sentiment behind a statement like No Regrets is one by which I have always abided.  Don’t get me wrong; you should have remorse and contrition for your sins.  But regrets are ultimately useless and, in the extreme, crippling.  Sure, there are things we all could have done differently: you could have studied more for that test, worked harder, made more friends, and drank less.  I could have put better fire-protection measures in the Main Building.  Still, I do not now nor have I ever regretted the destruction of 1879, for it was an opportunity to build a bigger and better edifice, one capped with a giant golden footstool for the BVM.

Some sick German sociopath once said, “Was ihn nicht umbringt, macht ihn starker,” which means, “What does not kill him makes him stronger.”  Only a German could formulate a noble sentiment like No Regrets in such a crude fashion.  Having had trouble a few years back with a malarial swamp on campus, I can tell you that this is medically true, since the lads who made it were pretty well immune to damn near everything – even Brother Paul’s squirrel-surprise-stew.  Still, for those of you who had a great year, as much as for those of you who had a year that was a little rough-around-the-edges, let me share some sentiments that are a bit less Teutonic and don’t involve killing.

Reflections on No Regrets.

Spend less time sitting with your anxieties and more time running with your hopes.  Whether you have many years ahead of you or just a few, you’re not the one keeping that schedule.  Do everything you can to make your dreams into realities in the present, and always maintain hope in your heart for your future.  But leave the past to rest in peace.  No Regrets.

Spend less time being frustrated by your limitations and more time being inspired by your potential.  You may not be good at a particular position, but you’re on the team for a reason; someone saw great potential in you – so see it in yourself.  You may not be good as an engineer or a philosopher, but Aquinas never built a bridge and Brunel never wrote a Summa.  Marvel at the gifts God has given you and dismiss the frustrations you are imposing on yourself.  No Regrets.

Spend less time pondering how you failed and more time imagining what remains possible for you.  Tests come back with Fs, relationships fall apart, friends turn away, and sometimes you disappoint – both others and yourself.  These are failures.  But they are never the end.  There is always something else, something new, something different that is possible for you.  Look to that shining star as you navigate yourself out of the night of your failure.  But never drop anchor. No Regrets.

If you didn’t have a good year for one or many reasons, don’t worry: You have the capability to make next year not just better, but stellar.  However, that will only happen if you have hope and you believe in yourself and what is possible and how you will make it happen.  No Regrets.

If you had a spectacular year, don’t relent, don’t relax.  It is always possible to do better at everything.  There is no upward limit to your potential, even if it feels like you have done everything right.  That is the deception of complacency.  Keep realizing what you are capable of, and strive to help others realize their own potentials.  No Regrets.

Just look at me!  I wanted to be a missionary in China.  I was sent to America.  I wanted to found a mission for the Potawatomi.  I built a school for…the Irish.  Perhaps, somewhere deep in my heart – especially when it’s 10-below and windy, or 95 and humid – I think I could have found a more favorable location than Northern Indiana.  But this is precisely where my Chinese and missionary dreams ended and where the University of Notre Dame du Lac began.  No Regrets.

Many millennia ago, the Good Book tells us, a man named Lot left his home with divine instructions never to look back.  He obeyed; his wife did not.  She was turned into a pillar of salt.  Now, I’m not saying you will become a saline sculpture.  But never let regret or the fear of failure or the complacency of success turn you into an immobile statue.  Have hope, move forward, live!  With No Regrets.

So enjoy your time at your original homes.  It will be brief, so make the most of it.  Be kind to those of your friends no so blessed as to attend Our University, for they must suffer much.  Be respectful of your little mother, or your Great Mother, the BVM, will have words with you.  And remember: You never really leave Notre Dame, nor does Notre Dame ever leave you.

EFS CSC

The post Good Fridays w/Padre: No Regrets appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Since today is a day for predictions here at HLS, let’s try to predict what shade of yellow narratives our friends in the press will conjure about us all too soon.

2013 Will be the Season When the Luck Runs Out for the Irish

Has any college football program ever built a less convincing 12-0 regular season?  The two highly improbable overtime victories were just part of comic opera that saw the Irish stumble and fumble their way to 12 wins that could have gone either way up to the very last second.  It is safe to say that Notre Dame’s much-vaunted 12-0 could just as easily have been 0-12.  And that poses a troubling question: Who exactly helped the Irish in the critical moments when they “miraculously” fell into specious victory after specious victory?  While the highly superstitious (and some would say, religiously fanatical) Notre Dame fan base points to a discredited former entity known as god, sources within several conferences are 80% certain that the luck of the Irish really is green – as in greenbacks.  As in there will soon be a push to investigate not just the patently bribed officials from the Stanford and Pittsburgh games, but all the referees, umpires, linesmen, and judges, many of whom are known either to have family in the State of Indiana, or to have actually stayed at hotels in or near South Bend itself.

Irish Need to Shake off Demons before they Shake Down Thunder

After a shaky 12-1 season, plagued by scandal after scandal, Notre Dame needs to place the focus back on the football field if the Irish hope to do better than their usual 6-6 and meaningless bowl appearance.  The perjurious Heisman campaign built on a non-existent dead woman (about whom Notre Dame’s administration has shown scant concern) is as nothing compared to the massive cheating scandal that felled the only player with any talent on their offense, quarterback Everett Golson.  The unseemly haste with which the administration sacrificed Golson makes it clear that the plagiarism, ghost test-takers, and handing out of answer sheets to football players before exams, goes much deeper than just this individual, according to a highly placed source who is 80% certain the entire team is involved.

Internal Strife at Notre Dame Likely to Undermine Irish Season

Notre Dame football may have returned to glory last year, with an undefeated regular season and an appearance in the national championship game; but the notoriously fickle (and some would say, religiously fanatical) Irish alumni have already written Brian Kelly’s obituary.  It’s not just that he conducted a half-year-long affair with the Philadelphia Eagles – a flirtation that began before Notre Dame’s plane even touched down in Dublin.  It’s that Kelly, the scion of a famously corrupt Boston political dynasty, has spent more time recruiting cronies inside the Notre Dame administration than he has recruiting mediocre-to-poor high school players.  What is the purpose of all of Kelly’s Machiavellian machinations within the gilded administration building: He wants a new stadium – one big enough and flashy enough to match his outsized ego.  Knute Rockne’s push to get the intransigent and old fashioned alumni of his day to allow the construction of the very stadium now in danger drove Rock to an early grave.  Now the grandsons and great-grandsons of the Judases of 1930 are sharpening their knives for Kelly who, though successful on the field, has committed the Cardinal Sin at Notre Dame: he has threatened the field itself.

In the Emerald City of Irish Football, Who’s the Phony Wizard?

Shakespeare had some disparaging things to say about lawyers, but at Notre Dame one lawyer is essential to the Irish taking the field.  How is it that star quarterback and Irish darling Tommy Rees managed to avoid an almost certain grand jury indictment for attempted murder of a police officer?  How is it that a century-old contract to play Michigan suddenly developed an escape clause that just happens to benefit Notre Dame to the tune of tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue for Michigan?  How is it that a football powerhouse can get away with robbing a talented young scholar-athlete, just beginning his college career, of an entire year of eligibility, just because he forgot to dot an “i” and cross a “t” on a meaningless form letter?  Meet Jack Swarbrick, the man who wields the law like a shillelagh.  The amazing Mr. Swarbrick is the “wizard” behind the curtain in each of these underhanded – though technically legal – maneuvers to keep a gasping Notre Dame in the national conversation for yet another year.  But sources close to a bar association are 80% certain that Swarbrick isn’t even a lawyer, since he admitted in the press conference where he whitewashed Notre Dame’s shameless attempt to capitalize on the death of a fictional California woman, that he’s ‘not allowed to practice law anymore’.  An uncharacteristic slip for the cagey Swarbrick.

Notre Dame Gives Underage Players Alcohol  Every Week

In violation of State, Federal, International, and most important, NCAA law, the University of Notre Dame, founded and maintained by a secretive cult of foreign priests, reportedly gives wine to football players under the age of 21 at least once a week.  A source from the Soviet-sounding “Notre Dame Campus Ministry” reports that he’s 100% certain that any football player or student of the Catholic faith can be plied with wine daily, and that this occurs on a massive scale in student dormitories every Sunday night.  The source wanted very much to be named in this article, but the authors prefer to keep his name anonymous so that he can avoid retribution by the Notre Dame alumni who many believe to be religious fanatics.

Irish Drop Michigan in order to Add Perennial Creampuffs Florida State and Virginia Tech

Dangerously Overweight Squirrels Cause Many to Question Notre Dame’s Commitment to Proper Rodent Care

 How Long Will Notre Dame be Allowed to Exploit Downtrodden and Poverty-Stricken Irish Americans with Racist Leprechaun Mascot?

And just you wait – it’s only a matter of time before one of these sports writers discovers the unspeakable scandal that we’ve been covering up and keeping quiet for a very long time now…

Notre Dame Keeps Physically Disabled Bell Ringer Imprisoned in Church Tower

EFS CSC

The post Good Fridays w/Padre: Scandal Us appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

A time to be born, and a time to die.  Figuratively, the year that was 2012-2013 is dying.  But, oh, what a year it was!  Grapes have to die to make fine wine, and one good school year must come to an end in order for a new one to be born.  The vintage that has been 2012-2013 will find a place of honor in the cellars of Notre Dame du Vin.  And it’s just a foretaste of the sweetness that will be 2013-2014, which is ready to be born in just three months’ time.  Now let that sublime thought wash over you while grinding out that last Philosophy paper or studying for that Chemistry final.  And knock it off with the wine, or you’ll fail both.

A time to plant, and a time to uproot.  We have some lovely grounds, don’t we!  Especially in Spring with everything is in bloom.   When you step out in the last few days on campus, let the natural beauty of the place form a lasting memory for you, so that whatever unpleasant tasks you must complete, you will remember Notre Dame and rejoice in anticipation of your return.  But don’t pluck any of the flowers, or you will find a groundskeeper revving his lawnmower right outside your window at 7:00 in the morning.  And, groundskeepers, while your plantings are gorgeous, I wouldn’t be at all offended if you cut down those flowering trees that smell of profound body odor.

A time to kill, and a time to heal.  Kill all those tiffs and grudges you’ve held onto throughout the year, especially with your roommates.  You may not be living with them next year, and you may not be living anywhere near them next year.  But – who knows – you may never see them again either.  You don’t have to part company on great terms, but at least go your separate ways on civil terms, because you yourself were no prize to live with.  And if you’re having trouble healing the wounds in any friendship, kill a bottle of wine with your old pal; at least you’ll forget why you can’t stand him.

A time to break down, and a time to build up.  Your rooms – you’ve had to break down your rooms.  And I know that was very hard for some of you, because you invested hours and great effort in making you little square of Notre Dame a showplace.  Truly, I have never seen cardboard beer cases used to create so many fetching interior designs.  I don’t really know what a “Man Cave” is, but if you made a fine one this year, perhaps you can advance to a “Masculine Cavern” in your new room next year.  Over the summer, some dorms will be renovated, most will not – but either way, you won’t be able to tell the difference.  And Morrissey…there’s nothing we can do about Morrissey.

A time to weep, and a time to laugh.  I hope you love Notre Dame, I really do.  But cool it with the weeping.  It’s college – it’s only supposed to last four years.  So love it, but don’t get maudlin.  And we had llamas.  I would think that seeing llamas on the quad would be enough to make you laugh – why do you have to set couches on fire just to get a giggle?

A time to mourn, and a time to dance.  Less dancing during “Reading Days” and you won’t be mourning when your grades come in.  And you can’t tell me that St. Edward’s Yacht Dance is not an elaborate scheme to flee parietals by seeking refuge in international waters.  If your parents are hippies, you get three months of no parietals – so just deal with my French boarding school rules for a few more days.

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together.  Ummm…the Grotto is a large gathering of stones…and…well, we know that there were certain medicinal plants in ancient Israel that caused fantastical dreams or hallucinations.  That might account for some of the visions in the Bible; and it might account for this mysterious piece of advice.  So we’ll just leave it at: don’t get stoned and avoid stoners.

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.  Nothing after midnight from here on out.  Your bed at home is your homefield – you may welcome as many fans as you want.  Just not here in The BVM’s house.

A time to keep, and a time to throw away.  Make a list of all the good things you did this year, all the achievements and all the celebrations.  Then make a list of all the disappointments, mistakes, and failures.  Keep the first and promise yourself that you will repeat and multiply everything on that list next year.  Take the second, wrap it around a stone, and throw it in St. Mary’s Lake.  It’s deep – you will never see that list again.  And the act of writing might get you off our butt to finish that Philosophy paper.

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.  It’s important to speak to those who are important to you before the whirlwind of finals week begins and comes crashing to a staggering close.  Don’t miss the chance to say ‘see you next year,’ or ‘farewell,’ or even sometimes ‘goodbye.’  But then respect those quiet hours.  Just because you’re confident you’ll pass, doesn’t mean your neighbors are.  If you’re having trouble keeping your voice down and maintaining a respectful silence, imagine you’re an alum sitting in the Stadium during a big third down – that’ll shut you up tighter than a duck’s butt.

A time to love and, and a time to hate.  It’s been a pretty good year – indeed, this year was, itself, a time to love.  If you made the most of your year, you really shouldn’t have had much time to hate.  But if that’s not the case for you, come back in August and start over as though from the beginning.  Remember: one Spring, as my lads went home, the Main Building was a smoldering heap of rubble – but by the time they came back in the Fall, a new one had risen in its place.  And it’s still there.

A time of war, and a time of peace.  Have a peaceful summer.  The war starts at 3:30 on the afternoon of August the 31st, in the Stadium.

EFS CSC

The post Good Fridays w/Padre: Season’s Farewells appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Excuse me, WHAT THE HELL IS KATIE COURIC DOING? The whole world should be calling her out for the BS she displayed yesterday. Not gonna? Okay then, I will. Thanks Katie, for getting me back into RANT MODE.

Don’t get me wrong, I actually thought 95% of her interview was decent. It wasn’t soft, she asked some tough questions, but those questions deserved to and needed to be asked. For her to look at all professional, and to give Manti a chance to answer them.

But then Katie went too far. Katie went off the ledge. Katie went bat-shit-CRAZY when she started talking about how she would’ve handled the situation. How SHE would’ve done it differently. How SHE would’ve done it RIGHT.

GIVE ME AN EFFING BREAK. Let’s break this down for a second.

First, and most importantly, Katie is about as far as possible from being Manti Teo. She’s an old, white, washed-up reporter, and she’s a she. Manti is a young, male, Morman, Samoan/Hawaiian wrecking ball of a linebacker that attended a Catholic school and played D1 Football. THIS IS A DIFFERENT FREAKING WORLD WOMAN! I mean, there are a ton of things closer to Manti than you…

So that’s point one. You have no idea what you’d do if you were him. BECAUSE YOU ARE LITERALLY NOTHING LIKE HIM.

But, Daytime TV Talk Show hosts spin BS all the time. So, moving on, the second biggest problem with her ‘advice’ was that she used the complete timeline of information to inform how she’d have reacted and behaved. Guess what Katie, when this was all going down MANTI DIDN’T KNOW EVERYTHING YOU KNOW NOW YOU SILLY WOMAN! You can’t just take all of this data that you now have at your disposal and assume that, MONTHS AGO, Manti had the same information. Of COURSE he’d have behaved differently if he’d known it was all a hoax you twit. That tells us absolutely nothing.

Sooooo, since she’s so perfectly able to rip apart past situations, let’s find out What Would Katie Do (WWKD):

If she’s Steven Spielberg, SHE would never put Jar Jar Binks in the prequels. #WWKD

If she were Brian Kelly, SHE would’ve never called that pass play against Tulsa. #WWKD

If she were the Jets Organization, SHE would’ve never taken Tebow. #WWKD

The rest of the interview, like I said, was fair. But this was so far over the line. It was pompous, full of righteous indignation that Teo didn’t at all deserve, and disgusting from an ‘adult’. I never cared about Katie Couric. Wasn’t ever on my radar. Now she officially sucks.

And for all the ‘haters’ who may comment saying ‘yeah Manti still lied’ or ‘I’m an idiot listen to my stupid point that’s irrelevant’ I am not saying any of this exonerates Manti. He didn’t do everything perfectly and he is paying DEARLY. But that’s not the point. The point is that Katie Couric had the chance to be a journalist. To get a story and to dig deep. She started off down that path. But then, at some point, she decided to switch to being a moron. That’s the point. KATIE COURIC, you’re on the HLS WatchList. You don’t want to be there. I’ll see you on Twitter. Loser.

The post WWKD: What Would Katie Do? appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Thanks to the good people at www.sportsmediawatch.com, we know that 2011 was pretty awful, from NBC’s perspective: a 2.1 rating for the USF game, 2.6 for Michigan State, 1.1 for Air Force and a 2.1 rating for USC. A 1.0 ratings point means, essentially, that one percent (1%) of the viewing population, in this case adults ages 18-49, tuned in. To put these numbers in perspective, this week’s Sunday Night Football broadcast on NBC drew a 14.1, which equates to over 22 million viewers. I am sure some of them stopped drooling over Faith Hill’s legs by kickoff. I am talking to you Grantland-X.

http://youtu.be/zNYAJB5Aybs

In any event, 2012 is a different thing altogether. First, though, a word about my research. I cannot find the ratings for the Navy game. If anyone can and they can post them in the comments, that’d be awesome. But here’s what I found: Notre Dame is playing with the boys in 2012. Compare the BYU game’s 2.7 rating (up 125% from last year’s fifth game) to other, “more relevant” schools: 3.3 for Florida versus South Carolina on CBS, 1.7 (a 1.7) (!) for Kansas State versus West Virginia and a 2.6 for Alabama versus Tennessee. What I like about this comparison, is that you’ve got cable (ESPN) and broadcast channels (FOX, CBS, ABC and NBC) in the mix.

http://youtu.be/AnEevNOpzg8

The Stanford game (a 3.3 rating) was second only to South Carolina against LSU on ESPN, which drew a 3.7 rating and a gator’s tooth under six million households. The Miami game drew only a 2.2 and was the second-least watched game in its time-slot. Still, again as the good people at sportsmediawatch.com point out, that’s a one hundred percent increase over last year’s third NBC game.

Michigan State was number one on ABC with a  3.3 rating on ABC and Michigan was numero uno on NBC, drawing a whopping 4.0 share. Please note that those are the only times Sparty and the Skunkbears will appear in the same sentence with “number one” this season. Very interestingly, the Michigan State game outdrew USC versus Stanford on Fox by almost an entire ratings point, 0.8.

http://youtu.be/1ileuNE9cdg

So it seems as though this little prong of Rick Reilly’s argument can be taken away. ND’s ratings aren’t just up this season, they’re doing really well — keep in mind (perspective) that at any given moment on a Saturday that there are 147 games to watch. ND’s ability to either dominate (MSU, Michigan) or show up strong (BYU, Stanford, Navy(????)) is still there, baby. 

Which leads me to Purdon’t. The singular blemish on the table is that giant morass of innanity called Purdue. NBC’s home opener, something you would expect could draw a few eye-balls, clearly did not comprehend or anticipate the shit-giving-suck that is Purdue. The Purdue game eeked out a 1.9 rating, or 2.8 million televisions. HLS pulls a 2.3 on a Thursday, brah. Okay, that part’s made up, but the rest of it is not. Purdue kills ratings.

So where do we go from here? Clearly a high 4.0 — Michigan and Alabama drew a 4.8 and it’s GameDay again (killing you, innit, Rick?) and the ESPN media machine’s going to do it’s thing, so I don’t think a 4.6 to 4.9 is out of the question. A 5.0 would make me really, really feel good. So would 8-0.

The post The Idiot Box: In Which We Prove (once again) Rick Reilly’s Idiocy AND That Purdue Is Boringness appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

But don’t you think that, for even one second, the seething ball of hellacious fire of hate burning inside me hasn’t been raging with the hateful power of a thousand suns since the SECOND the MSU game ended and we officially started Hate Week.

I haaaaaaaaaaate the Skunkbears! Tried to kill our program. Misguided Superiority in Academics Complex. RichRod. And so many other reasons already laid out by Bayou and a slew of commenters.

To clarify: Michigan sucks. And Michigan is not a rival. Michigan is the Enemy.

IBG! Here are the answers that Subway Domer provided to the questions I asked, and you can peep my answers over his way, probably round abouts Thursday mid-day. Little tidbit to get you pumped: all in haiku form over there. Yep. Hate Week.

1. ND blew out a weaker than we thought Navy team, struggled against a better than we thought Purdue team, and defensively dominated MSU. On a scale from 1 to 7, how legit is this Notre Dame team? 1 means this is a smoke n mirrors result and our comeuppance is due. 7 means we are 100% legit and can beat anyone on the schedule.

This is kind of a “smoke & mirror” question. I’ll say “7” because I don’t see a team on this schedule named Alabama or LSU. Notre Dame can beat everyone on THIS schedule- now if they actually do is another story and another question. This team is legit, and and could do HUGE things this year, but obviously we will know more after the Stanford game.

2. Rees’ insertion into the MSU game seemed to spark less controversy/outrage than the same move vs Purdue. Discuss your thoughts on this move and why BK went with Tommy at that point. Getting Rees touches to stay fresh? Working on some new looks? Just trolling the heck out of the fanbase?

I didn’t care. Not. One. Bit. Troll hard BK! Troll hard. Seriously, it could have been for any reason outside of benching Golson and it just didn’t matter to me.

3. Michigan Sucks. This is simply fact. Discuss the top 3 reasons UM sucks so completely.

Not sure if these are top 3, but there are just so many.

1) Their history of being whiney little girls. They hated ND and made damn sure that the Irish would be blackballed for B1G admittance (Thanks skunky!). But then… they stopped scheduling the Irish out of fear. FEAR!
2) They continually brighten and neon up their actual piss maize color. What the hell Skunks?! Turn the damn volume down- you suck.
3) Michigan lives even more in the past than Notre Dame. The Skunkbears have had 1 National Title since 1947. One. That one was in 1997 when they had to SHARE it with Nebraska. Go on Michigan… tell me how you’re relevant. Yeah… that’s what I thought.

All of the hate. So much of it. Burning. Twisting me up inside. MUST KILL THE SKUNKBEARS!!!!!!!!

The last few years have been the worst too. Random luck, terrible mistakes, ND ripping defeat from the jaws of victory. It’s time for it to end! It’s time for ND to put the throat stomp on these rodents. IT’S TIME TO TAKE DOWN THE ENEMY!

Let’s do iiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttt!!!!!!

The post IBG: Hate Week Edition appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Dick.

STOP EFFING BOOING YOU TOOLS. Do you WANT to lose the game? Are you HOPING you get in the head of the kid with the GAME IN HIS HANDS SO HE SCREWS UP? Because then HE will lose, and you will…what? WHAT? THAT’S RIGHT LOSE YOU BOOING IDIOT.

Any argument for why booing in that instance was okay is idiotic. I’ve seen people justify it through ‘free speech’. Good Lord, doesn’t even deserve a response. I’ve seen folks say that Tommy ‘deserves it’. And many other stupid, lazy justifications. Guess what folks, there’s NO reason to do it. None.

If the game were out of reach and we were losing by 70, I might understand. I wouldn’t be with you, but I’d understand. It wouldn’t impact the outcome of the game one bit, so I’d get it. Again, I wouldn’t join in because it’s just stupid and disrespectful, but I’d get it. But to boo when a player trots out onto the field with minutes remaining and the game on the line? You must ACTIVELY WANT NOTRE DAME TO LOSE. AND IN THAT CASE I HATE YOU.

Because all it can possibly do is hurt our chances to win. It’s certainly not going to help give the kid confidence. And it’s most likely not a neutral effect. Think about it: kid runs out on the field to a chorus of boos…

You think he tries harder? You think he WANTS you to get to cheer and be happy and get drunk with friends later? It’s just not motivating. It may not actually de-motivate, but it’s certainly not helping. And if what you’re doing isn’t neutral or motivating, you shouldn’t be doing it. So if you like ND at all, just a little, in the future:

SHUT YOUR TRAPS.

So from a practical standpoint, don’t boo.

From a personal or human standpoint, don’t boo either.

Think about this: Tommy Rees, or any other player on this team, has put more sweat, effort and pain into ND’s success than you ever have. Even if you don’t like the result, these guys are up and at it every single day trying to make ND better. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING BOOEY MCBOOERSON, TO DO YOUR PART? YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT? ABSOFREAKINLUTELY NOTHING. SO SHUT IT.

You and your privileged look-at-me-and-what-I-deserve attitude can pack up, and go join Ohio State fandom. I’ll not have it. You thought Freekbass was embarrassing? THIS IS WORSE. And if you don’t get that, you don’t get ND. Be what we’re about, or don’t be, and if you don’t wanna be, please get off our campus.

This fanbase is for people that believe, support, and treat one another like family. You do none of the above.

Goodbye.

The post You Boo? You Suck. appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

My records of late:

07: My inaugural year, was ugly. I said 8-4 with a lean towards 7-5. We all know how that turned out.
08: I said 7-5 with a strong lean to 6-6. Pretty good. Sad that I was right, but I was right.
09: Said 10-2. Was very wrong. Chaz got fired, I didn’t.
10: I said 8-4 with a lean towards 7-5 (notice I never lean ‘up’? This is an issue) and I had it pretty much right.
11: Good Lord. Please read what I wrote last season:

“So I am going with 11-1 as our upside, 10-2 as likely, and 9-3 as our downside this year. BUT, we can win every game. If we get the bounces and we can stay healthy, this is a BCS team. Could be a MNC game team.

If all hell breaks loose, we dont get the bounces, we get hurt in key areas, and we slip again on a fake FG in overtime, we finish 8-4.”

HOLY GEEZ IT WAS THE LATTER IN SPADES. Regardless, not a great year.

A reminder of the rating system: THE DANCING LEPRECHAUNS! Here’s the Scale:

This is just as likely to be wrong as it is to be right (aka the BadKermit Effect)

I’ve got a good feeling, but am leaving myself some wiggle room

This is a lock, I am a genius, I cannot be wrong.

Navy

Against our starting Front 7, and a Navy team that has no air game, the midshipmen’s best chance here is that they are used to getting up really, really early. Which means that playing in Dublin will feel a little more normal for them. I’m not discounting the losses they handed us a few years back, but they’re rebuilding, and ND is loaded against the run on D. And while our Offense has holes, I think Kelly has figured this one out. I expect a close first half, with ND pulling away in the 2nd.

ND Wins 31-13

  The time zone thing is what keeps this a 2-Dancer.

Purzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Wait, what happened? Oh yeah, we’re playing the most boring program in America. I can’t say the name, because it puts me to sleep, immediately, Saying that word is like Ambien on Steroids Drinking Horse Tranquilizers. Watch. Purduzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

See?

Anyway, the SimmerCreators are a mess again this year, and should be an easy romp for ND. Once again, the only thing that gives me pause is the time zone change. The boys from Sleep Lafayette will have had a nice easy game at home against Eastern Kentucky and we’ll be traveling back from the other side of the world. But this is a team that we should absolutely HANDLE. If that’s not the case, then forget about the murderer’s row that follows, we’ll drop ’em all. And I don’t think we’re there, so we’ll beat Purzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

We’ll beat ’em, but it’s not going to look great because of the fatigue.

ND Wins 21-17

Again, travel and time zones make this a 2-Leprechaun rating.

Michigan State

I was pleased to call a W against MSU last year, and I see it again this year. This is a team redefining its offense with the loss of Cousins. And while we are also building our O, and the MSU defense is also strong, we have a stronger supporting cast around our QB (whomever it shall be) and a stronger front 7. MSU would typically take this opportunity to jam some shifty RB up our throats a thousand times for 5 yards each. But now that RB has to meet the likes of Nix, Tuitt and KLM. #NotHappening

ND Wins a Grinder 17-13

Despite what I think is a pretty strong case to be made in terms of depth chart, etc, I’m leary of this game due to fatigue. We play 2 real games to start, with one half a world away. One Dancer.

Michigan

I was so sure we were going to crush the skunkbears last year. And at half time, it was in the bag. In the 3rd quarter it was in the bag. In the…nevermind, it still sucks too bad to go there. Regardless, Denard has had ND’s number. He can’t pass for shite, but man he can get some amazing bounces and our DBs sure can make his receivers look amazing by completely blowing coverage. And with the injuries and lack of depth at CB this Fall, I am not counting on guys staying covered while Denard runs for his life. In the interest of not being a homer, we’re probably losing to Denard again. DAMMIT I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT. But this is not a rah rah column. I believe we can beat them, we SHOULD BE UNDEFEATED VS DENARD AHHHHHHH. But we’re not. This should be a really tight game – ND can stuff the run, but Denard is so damn shifty. The UM D was much improved last year, and will be good this year. Both offenses will likely struggle. But UM has experience under center, and a much lighter schedule the two weeks before after opening against Bama. I can’t even bear it, but I’m gonna say it:

ND Freaking Drops Another to FREAKING MICHIGAN 24-20

So up in the air. One Dancer. But we can easily take this game.

Side Note: BE SURE TO BID ON THE MICHIGAN TIX! GO TO THE GAME AND RAISE MONEY FOR CHARITY!

Miami

Say it with me: WE. ARE. M. D. WE. ARE. M. D.

Off to Chicago, Soldier Field, and the “Our Helmets are Uglier than the Ugliest of Last Year” Bowl.   Joy.

The talk will be all about the hideous uniforms, which is a shame, because the Shamrock Series, and the players, deserve better.  Miami doesn’t, however, and MND will trounce them. 

ND Wins 28 – 10

  Feel really good about this game.  3 Dancing Leprechauns!

Stanford

I will be in town for this game. I don’t lose. Unless there are 2 lightning storms and we fumble 5,000 times in the red zone. Okay, then I lose. But anyway, we won’t lose. I’ll be there, I’ll be drunk, it will be glorious.

Last year, I did not fear Andrew Luck. I was foolish to not fear him. And I actually really like the staff over there – they do some good things and have done a great job of continuing Harbaugh’s winning ways without being, you know, dicks. But the holes are too big this year. ND hasn’t had a QB in a while, and we hung in last year. They had Andrew Freaking Luck, and the game wasn’t a blowout. We turn the tides among the smart boys this year. But it’s a barn burner, and it’s gonna be close.

ND Wins 14-10

Just the 1.

BYU

Independence and belief in a book are where the similarities end, on and off the field. This won’t be close.

ND Wins 45-16

Just the 3.

Oklahoma

Stoops is back. There are a lot of injuries. But this game happens late enough where the Sooners should be able to get their depth chart figured out, and young guys will have more experience. This is, also, the #4 team in the country pre-season. This is, also, in Norman. ND will also be at the end of a pretty long grind, though the 2nd half against BYU will be a decent rest to add to the 4 hour long nap we all take when we play Purzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Anyway, if this were at home, I’d paint a different picture. But assuming Rees isn’t the QB, this will be a first-season starter in a big, hostile environment. This will be a top 15 opponent for sure (though we will also be ranked), and it will be an electric atmosphere. I think it’s a bit much for the team this Fall. But we perform admirably and don’t slide much in the polls.

ND Drops Another 34 – 21

2 Leprechauns for the Sooners.

Side Note: BE SURE TO BID ON THE OKLAHOMA TIX! GO TO THE GAME AND RAISE MONEY FOR CHARITY!

Pitt

Genac This Pitt!  Pitt is in all-out, start from scratch rebuilding mode.  New coaches, new everything.  While last year was ugly that was so much about ND and so little about Pitt.  The boys are pissed about the week prior and take it out on the Panthers.  Genac!

ND Wins 27 – 17

 3 Leprechauns!

BC

BC and their HC Spaz-man are in a similar spot, in start from scratch rebuilding mode.  This one will be ugly by the 2nd half.

ND Wins 37-9

3 Leprechauns!

<strong>Wake Forest</strong>

Wake Forest played us well last year.  They had a good game plan and executed it well, and it was down to the wire.  But that was at home for them, and ND clearly came out flat-footed.  I don’t expect a similar test this Fall, but it won’t be a blowout either.  (can you tell I’m starting to get tired?  yeah?  well, good on you!) But Our Lady trumps your Deacon any day of the week.  That said, injuries and fatigue could play a role here for ND.

ND Wins 27 – 21

  1 Leprechaun for the Deamon Deacons.  They played us well last year, and will come in fired up for the Irish, and we’ll be a bit tired and hurt.  They could upset. 

USC

We all know the story of the condoms Trojans Trogans.  Sanctions.  Hire the shadiest, least successful ‘successful’ coach out there, hit the precipice, manage through it somehow, and come out really strong.  The big secret is that the sanctions don’t really start hurting SC until next season, but with their recruiting they’ll weather it pretty well.  Regardless, this Fall they are pretty strong.  While they don’t have quite the dominance in the trenches and the backfield, they have a hell of a passing game with 2 of the best in the country at wideout, and a lights out QB.  Given that the strength of the ND D is against the run, this isn’t a great matchup for us.  And their D, per usual, will give our offense fits.  I don’t know that Away, against this pass-focused offense, is our time to beat Southern Cal.  In 2013, we will be poised to knock them off, but I have to give the pre-season #1 the nod here. 
 

ND Loses 27-14

2 Leprechauns – it’s not a lock against us, but it’s an uphill climb.

Summary

Straight up I am calling for 9-3, but the confidence weights as indicated by the Leprechauns (DANCING!) shows that I’m not very confident in that number.  Typically I would call that a 9-3 with a lean down, but I could see 6-6 here for ND this year.  It’s a high beta year, and that’s assuming that we’ve gotten past all of our amazing ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.   Because of that, I’m going 8-4 with no lean either way.  The uncertainty has me giving away an entire game, but I’m okay with that.  I have a few 3-Lepre-W’s in there, but there are a few that are less certain – due to travel, fatigue, or just an opponent that I’m not sure about.

8-4 isn’t a disaster against the #1 SOS in the country, but it wouldn’t tell us that we’re headed in the right direction either.  Coach Kelly and the boys need to prove me wrong for me to be ready for a MNC run in ’13 – let’s get to 9-3 boys, and it’ll be a successful year.  Anything above that is GRA-VY. 

Now please don’t poo poo me for my realism/lack of fandom.  I, of course, believe fully that we will RISE AND STRIKE AND WIN OVER ALL!   DANCE LEPRECHAUNS DANCE!!!

The post Game by Game Predictions ’12: The Leprechauns Be Dancing! appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

“What I always try to do is take Tyrone Willingham out of things. It’s not about me.”

“First thing is, as you know baby, this is a very difficult afternoon for me, just a very difficult afternoon.. To say I am disappointed, I think that very much misses the mark, but at the same time, I understand that I didn’t meet your expectations or standards, and when I don’t meet your expectations, it’s time to go.
Today I am no longer your man, and it doesn’t mean that life is over — life will go forward.
My goals have always been to inspire you to be the best you could be. I believe that I have been true to that in my time with you and appreciative of the opportunity and appreciative of what we have done and I am disappointed with what I didn’t do more than anything else.”

“When I think about how I work 8:00 in the morning until 11:30 at night for a stretch that probably runs from August to February, I think it’s not just commitment on my part.”

“No, I’ve never had a bad day. I’ve had bad moments, and sometimes those bad moments will run into another day that you’ll have hurt, pain, et cetera, but it’s still a day. There are so many blessings that Tyrone Willingham has that it’s amazing.”

“Let them see what we can do and what we have done successfully and then give you cures for what we have done incorrectly.”

“I’m not discouraged, but disappointed. … As a matter of fact, there is still a lot of light at the end of the tunnel. We just have to find a way to get to it.”

“I’ve done this before, … But it’s meaningful because there will be many others that will make something of it.”

“Everything gets more difficult. It adds another dimension to our lives.”

“…I didn’t think we lived up to our end of it.”

“How difficult has the year been for me? It would take me too long to tell you.”

“The first thing is, it’s exciting that people care. You never minimize that point in life. But hopefully there and here, I’ve done the right things.”

“We just haven’t made the things happen that we need to have happen. At the wrong times, we’ve made mistakes. We’ve had some wonderful efforts along the way, but effort is not what it’s about. It’s about finishing the task. That’s what we’ve got to do.”

The post For Ty Willingham, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

HT: irishgreg6

The post Ty’s Players Take Him Seriously appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.