With Anthony Fasano, John Carlson, Kyle Rudolph and Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame has put together a string of tight ends that might very well make ND the new “Tight End U.” Losing Eifert, the 2012 Mackey Award winner, to the NFL will be a tough obstacle to overcome, particularly without Everett Golson at quarterback. Many have noted Tommy Rees’s tendency to lock onto one receiver (first Floyd, and then Eifert), and he will not have the safety blanket of throwing to one of the premier targets in ...
USC
Good Fridays w/Padre: Common Scents
I’m not nearly as upset about this forthcoming Notre Dame perfume as most people might think. You must remember that the every Main Building I every built (including the one I burned) housed not only my Presidential office, but also dormitories for the lads. That’s right – I worked 16-hour days behind a desk and under the miasma generated by hard-working student bodies. That’s why I had a strict, twice-weekly bathing rule, as well as an unbreakable 4:00 Saturday foot-washing command. Even ...
Friday Roundup: The “Horribly Delayed” Edition
Better late than never...or something...right? Anyways, this week has been rather brutal. Thankfully I got some time to unwind at last night's Rangers game, but once I returned I too damn sleepy to think of anything to write. I made an executive decision to punt the Roundup to this evening, likely making Biscuit's head explode that I put baseball as a higher priority than football writings. ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: Admit This
We have a controversy! There is a tear in the seamless garment of our unity. Ugly voices are raised in shouting and discord. Someone has messed with the Stadium! And this time it’s serious – someone has messed with the tickets. Alumni and Subway Alums, put the lead pipes and letter openers down; this doesn’t call for violence on your part, because this has nothing to do with your tickets. You will continue to be given one-sixth of the tickets you request at twice the price you expect. ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: Symbols & Signs
This weekend marks the start of the 2013 march to victory for the football team. Fitting, then, that the team is guaranteed a victory in any event because they play with themselves [Editor’s note: Padre doesn’t always appreciate how certain phrases have changed over the years.] [Padre’s note: Get your mind out of the gutter, so Mark May’s can float by.] What used to be the old-timers’ game, the intrasquad scrimmage, or simply ‘the spring game’, has been officially exulted to The University of ...
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 ...
Friday Roundup: The “Attrition” Edition
Well, it's been a bit of a rough ride for the 2012 recruiting class. Last year, Tee Shepard was only on the roster for a few hours. Aaron Lynch departed after the 2011 campaign. Gunner Kiel decided to head elsewhere. And this week, Davonte Neal and Justin Ferguson decided to depart as well. Attrition has definitely set in. These days, it's an annual expectation. Thankfully, the Notre Dame Football program is healthy enough to handle it. ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: Chaplains
This week, the Michigan State football chaplain got himself in a bit of trouble for making a public boast about the Spartan basketball team, that was of questionable taste (to say the least). I know this is as much of a shock to you as it is to me – not that a priest has a filthy mouth, but that Michigan State athletes would welcome a man of God without trying to boil and eat him. I’m sure you also had the same initial suspicion that I had: a priest with low manners joining freely with our ...
Good Fridays w/Padre: Mercy
We find ourselves is a strange position, awash with unaccustomed emotions. No, this has nothing to do with being undefeated and Number 1. That is our proper position and we should feel simple contentment for, indeed, all is right with the world. I mean we are caught up in the unusual furor of conference-hatred. Not belonging to one of these mutual-mediocrity-assurance societies, we have no natural animosity toward any of them. Normally, we deride them all equally. (Do we hate the Big 10? ...
Irish Defeat Trojans, Punch Ticket to South Beach
Notre Dame simply did what it has done all season. Minimize mistakes on offense, establish their running game, and have their defense dominate. The result: a 22-13 Irish victory to cap off an undefeated 2012 regular season and a berth in the BCS title game. ...