What is good enough for Notre Dame? I was a child of the Lou Holtz years, when Notre Dame was in the hunt for a national title almost every season. That has not been the case at any point since Holtz left. In this article, I'm going to look at some of the stated "hurdles" and determine if they're relevant. Then, I'm going to answer: What is a reasonable expectation for Notre Dame football on an annual basis? Schedule “We won nine games two years out of the five. I think the difficulty is ...
Stanford
Notre Dame Football, The Organization – Part 2
If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, do that now. In Part 2, we’re comparing numbers. To start, how has Notre Dame compared on the recruiting trail to its direct market competitors? (In Part 1 we defined the market as Ohio State, Michigan, Stanford and USC) Using 247sports.com composite team rankings, here are the ranks for each recruiting class: * Stanford only signed 13 players in 2013. I think the rankings draw out what we all probably thought to be true: Notre Dame and Stanford are peers; ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: Burned after Reading
Dear Playoff Selection Cabal Committee: I lodged a complaint with you last year when you began this sinister manipulation of the national treasure that is the venerable college football tradition. You fared somewhat well with your collusory scheme in your first attempt, though I suspect this had more to do with the sort of benighted luck visited upon a broken analogue clock that succeeds in telling accurate time in two minutes out of the 24-hour day. With this year’s shambolic farce, though, ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: Being Generous
In this season of giving, in what I’m told is now a Year of Mercy, the Alumni Association is giving away lanterns to people who “Be the Light.” I’m not sure if this is a command, a wish, or slang. But vague grammar aside, it is a very nice idea to send lanterns to those who light up your days and nights. I would have loved it if someone had sent me a lantern or two around Christmas of 1842 – my log cabin was quite dark and things growled outside the door at night, seeking entry and food. I have ...
Game Preview: ND v. Stanford – Going Out on a Limb
The past week has been a trying one for some in Irish land. The release of the most recent college football playoff rankings left many with a bad taste in their mouth as the Irish dropped from 4th to 6th in the new poll. The frustrations stemmed from a variety of sources. A lot of the anger was directed towards Iowa whose pillow fight of a schedule, including their fluffy, airy, defeat of soft-landing spot Purdue propelled the Hawkeyes past the Irish in the wake of the uneven performance against ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: Working Mercy
Pope Pope Pope Pope. Is no one aware that we have a football season underway? Well, certainly not the Pope, since his idea of a football is round, you can’t touch it, and you play with it on a pitch. Yes, for Catholics (and, strangely, also for non-Catholics) a Papal visit is very exciting. It is an element of our religion, of our belief system, to recognize the supremacy of the Pope. But it’s also an important element of faith for both Catholics and many, many others, to recognize the supremacy ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: Candid Dates
There’s been a lot of talk in the last few days about the debate among the candidates who want to be President. I was President and I didn’t have to debate anybody for the position – I just had to buy the land, build the buildings, bring in students, burn it down, start over…you know, those sort of things. When I retired, I became Superior General so I could give the President orders. I highly recommend this course of action to those seeking higher office. The only debate I had while I was ...
Tim Brown Podcast!
Note: This podcast was recorded on Tuesday, October 7, 2014. You can listen right now below, download in iTunes, or even load an mp3 on our BlogTalkRadio site. Enjoy! We also utilize this show to spread more awareness about Savin' Aven fundraiser on GoFundMe. Read more here on HerLoyalSons or hit the Fundraising Page. Check Out Sports Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with TNNDN on BlogTalkRadio Legendary Notre Dame alum and 1987 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown joined the show this week. The ...
HLS TV (Episode 6): We’re Goin’ Old School
So Molly shot me a text saying that she had a special guest lined up for the show. This guest had some serious opinions on Notre Dame and wanted the chance to come on the show and sound off. That man is none other than Molly's father, Pat Moran, who's been an Irish fan since 1953. Y'all, Pat absolutely killed it on the show. He basically took over and it was nothing short of gold. He has the kind of passion about ND football that I would love to hit. As a bonus, make sure you ...
Throwing Predictions into the Woodchipper
Welcome back to another week of predictions here at HLS. For those new to this weekly feature, the staff here at HLS invites you to make predictions along side us for every Irish game. Can you beat the staff? Can you beat my cat? Even if you haven't played yet this season, there are tons of ways to catch up via bonus points, so make sure to record your entry. Plus, we pick against the spread, the over/under, and a weekly prop for the hell of it. For those that have been playing, y'all know ...