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; ...
USC
Good Fridays w/Padre: NDowment
A generous fellow named Murphy has just endowed the men’s basketball coachship. This goes along with previous endowments for the women’s basketball coachship, the lacrosse coachship, and of course, the football coachship. The defensive backs coachship is also endowed, and even the athletic directorship. Some people think this is crass, that only professorships should be endowed. I don’t have any problem with setting money aside to pay coaches, since it frees up funds to be used elsewhere. But I ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: Bad Question
Last weekend was that big football game which millions ignore to watch everything else that goes on around it. A lot of defense was played and a quarterback of mature years seemingly concluded his career on a high note. One of the several occurrences that people found more interesting than the game itself was the press conference during which the defeated quarterback was laconic, surly, and dismissive before dismissing himself from the press conference. I’m told this fellow attended no fewer ...
Carrying a Trojan Horse: ND v. USC Game Preview
Who is ready for some Trojan Blood? I sure am. I love rivalry weeks. They're like Christmas for a college football fan. the more petty the rivalry, the more I like it. Truth be told, USC's got some actual history which I enjoy even more. This preview is a bit shorter than I wanted it to be, but with rivalries comes doubt. I recall being a freshman at Notre Dame in 2001 and winning the game not realizing it'd be the last time in quite a while for ND to defeat SC. But that absence made the ...
HLS EXCLUSIVE: USC Coaching Candidate List Revealed
As you've probably heard by now, late-Monday afternoon USC officially dismissed Coach Steve Sarkisian. Details about Sarkisian's conduct continue to come out in rumor form, but that's neither here nor there. Offensive Coordinator Clay Helton will serve as the interim head coach until an adequate replacement can be found. Several sites, including the World Wide Leader in Click Bait decided to release their "top targets" list for USC. While I won't link to that piece because I can't stand even ...
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 ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: Beating the Conundrums
It’s an upside down world lately. I feel like Ferdinand and Isabella when Columbus came back. I mean I feel bewildered, not greedy and despotic. If I wanted a comparison for greedy and despotic, I’d use ESPN. I am bewildered at the odd inversions and reversals of these times. The football team had a mediocre season, while the basketball team is in the top ten. The Joyce Center picks up its 600th victory, while the Stadium ended the season with two wrenching losses. The Stadium is becoming ...
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 ...
HLS TV (Episode 14): We Injured Ourselves Filming This Episode
I'm only slightly joking with the title. Molly's voice was shot and my back has been killing me since Thanksgiving. This Notre Dame injury curse is real y'all, even bloggers are getting hit. However, the show must go on and, despite terrible, terrible Irish losses, we can't quit now. In this episode, we cover all the "fun" hot topics from the ass-kicking in Southern Cal. We talk about Golson's disappointing performance and the QB controversy with Malik Zaire, take a look at the ...