I’m no Ultimate Frisbee (or Frisbee golf) expert, mainly because my parents didn’t possess the foresight to name me “Brodie.” But even amateur Frisbee disc throwers can enjoy the Notre Dame campus and engage in a little friendly competition.

Ground Rules

• Skins format. Hole winner gets a point, and highest point total wins. In case of a hole tie, you can either award points to multiple winners, roll the point forward to the next hole, or award no points.
• Watch out for strangers. This confines Frisbee golf to nighttime activity when foot traffic is light. Football weekends prove especially difficult.
• Watch out for friends. This last one is optional, but if you encounter a) someone who’s not playing your current round of Frisbee golf and b) is known to a majority of participants, that person immediately becomes a “speed hole.” Strokes are not counted, but a point is awarded to whomever’s Frisbee first hits the individual as s/he runs frantically from an onslaught of Frisbees. Make sure this is a “hey, this person is cool getting hit with a disc” friend and not a “hey, isn’t that Malik Zaire?!” friend.
• Previous hole winner gets first attempt, and can modify the hole as s/he sees fit. For example: “First shot has to land on concrete only, or one stroke penalty.” Or: “Everything to the right of this lightpost is out of bounds.”

The Course

At one juncture, we had 72 holes of Frisbee golf mapped out — 4 complete 18-hole courses originating from the flagpole. Below is a recommended course.

1. Start at flagpole on South Quad. Proceed to woman at the well in front of O’Shaughnessy Hall. Gotta get it in the well.
2. Proceed south between engineering building and O’Shag. Hit metal sculpture outside the front of the Snite.
3. Hit the double doors on DeBartolo Hall.
4. Land in one of the two fountains inside the atrium/trellis between DeBartolo and the Law School.
5. At least 50 percent of the Frisbee needs to be under the Law School arch.
6. Stop sign just south of Main Circle
7. Hit the flagpole on South Quad
8. Hit Father Sorin. The base of his statue doesn’t count. Bonus points if he catches your disc.
9. Front doors of the Music Building. if you hit the glass windows on either the doors or elsewhere on the building, that’s a stroke penalty.
10. Planter, no Jesus. Look for the Christ statue near the Golden Dome. “Venite ad me omnes” clearly calls to the committed Frisbee golfer, but take care not to hit the statue itself or your soul may be in mortal peril.
11. On the west side of Washington Hall, there’s a set of iron stairs with dogs at the base. There’s a three-legged dog. That’s the hole.
12. Basement doors of LaFortune (do these exist anymore after the renovation?). It’s helpful to post a lookout. Take a stroll through LaFortune.
13. On the east side of LaFortune, shoot for your Frisbee to land on top of the old Fieldhouse cornerstone.
14. Any portion of #1 Moses statue
15. Plaque just south of the reflecting pool. Water hazard incurs a stroke penalty (and blue-stained clothing)
16. Proceed south & east toward Jordan Science Hall. Hit the sundial.
17. Proceed toward the north end of the Stadium. Hit one of the stop signs at the intersection of Old Juniper.
18. At least 50% of the Frisbee lands in the bricked oval north of the Stadium entrance gate. Frisbees lost into the tunnel result in forfeiture of round.

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The letters of redshirt sophomore quarterback DeShone Kizer’s name spell the phrase “red zone hikes.” Like the ouija board that freaked me out when I played with it in my grandmother’s basement, was this some sort of message from beyond?

I’m not sure what the spirits are trying to say, because Notre Dame wasn’t particularly good in the red zone last year. They converted 81.13 percent of their red zone opportunities into field goals or touchdowns in 2015, which was 77th best. There’s some talk of using redshirt senior Malik Zaire in red zone situations next year. While Kizer made his fair share of boneheaded mistakes inside the 20 yard line, the lack of red zone production precedes both men competing for the starting spot. The Irish were 78th in red zone conversions in 2014 and 69th in 2013.

While I contemplate how to decode this message, here are my favorite re-arranged names:

• Junior reserve quarterback Montgomery VanGorder’s name can be shuffled to spell “a government dorm orgy.” To me, this conjures a slightly disturbing image of disrobed politicians mingling limbs with nubile interns in the Rayburn Building.
• Freshman linebacker Khalid Kareem is from Michigan, but he was never going to play for Jim Harbaugh and his “lame red khaki.”
• 

  Credit: ratzingerfanclub.com

  I’ve rearranged the letters in redshirt sophomore center Sam Mustipher‘s name and it’s scary, folks: “Messiah Trump.” To add to this, freshman offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg‘s name can be reorganized as “emailing breech.” (Yes, in this context I’d want “breach.” Work with me, folks.)

• Sophomore wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown is from California, but I love that his name can be re-arranged to “Be a unique snowstorm.”
• I don’t think we have to worry about freshman running back Deon McIntosh running afoul of the university’s code of conduct regarding premartial relations. His name, scrambled, is “condom, the sin“
• 

  Max Redfield & Austin Collinsworth / Credit: Uh, Pintrest?

  I may have some insight on what got redshirt sophomore Grant Blankenship suspended from the team this spring. It may have been “penning brash talk.”

• Sophomore Te’von Coney is poised to become a leader on the field, if is his name is any indication. He can “convey tone” and be “not even coy” about his calls. Ditto to senior defensive end Isaac Rochell, who can “coach rallies.”
• If you appreciate senior safety Max Redfield‘s arms in this picture, it can be said you “admired flex.” Redfield, to my knowledge, has been able to avoid any off-field academic issues which is good, because he may also be an “exam fiddler.”
• Sophomore cornerback Ashton White may not be pleased with Notre Dame’s opening game; the high temperature in Austin on Sunday, Sept. 4 is forecasted to be 95 degrees. And Ashton White “hates hot win.” But as redshirt sophomore tight end Nic Weishar reminds us, “Each win, sir,” is vital.
• The Middies better hope 5th year senior safety Avery Sebastian doesn’t see playing time in their Nov. 5 game against Notre Dame. His name suggests he likes to “bite Navy areas.”
• Redshirt sophomore Shaun Crawford may enjoy apple-picking if he’s ever invited. After all, “orchard was fun.” Or perhaps he’s warning of us of a illegitimate despot overseas – “fraud has crown.”
• If freshman safety Jalen Elliott doesn’t see the field this year, it may be because he needs to be more physical with the receivers coming into his area. Right now, they’re getting a “lite lane jolt.”
• 

  Credit: Showtime

  We know senior wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr. plays football and baseball. How about golf? His name suggests he could be good – “true-hit iron.”

• Freshman cornerback Donte Vaughn may be questioning our Second Amendment, because his name spells out “handgun veto.”
• Senior cornerback Devin Butler is “unbelt drive.” Don’t do it, Devin! It’s illegal under Indiana state law and it’s a $25 fine for first offenders.
• Does anyone know if junior cornerback Nick Watkins is into post-game needlepoint? “Sack. Win. Knit.” Please let it be this instead of “win cat kinks.” MEOW!
• Notre Dame has been giving scholarships to long snappers like 5th year senior Scott Daly. That’s a “tad costly.”
• What does senior running back Tarean Folston walk around campus in? “Not tan loafers.”
• Sophomore running back Dexter Williams is enjoying the good life back home in Orlando, although sometimes his coaches wish he would “relax wild times.”
• Sophomore safety Nicco Fertitta is constantly working on improving his game. He’s “a critic, often” of his own play. And I love the seemingly boundless energy of junior linebacker Greer Martini. I wonder if he’s ever said: It’s “rare, me tiring.”
• Junior tight end Durham Smythe is probably the thirstiest guy in practice. “Hydrate us, hmm?”

The post DeShone Kizer & Red Zone Hikes appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

I don’t know anything about each player’s rapping and singing skills, so instead I’m going to assign players based on how similar their personal traits are to each character in the musical.

GEORGE WASHINGTON

“Here comes the general!”

Senior Isaac Rochell is a likely pick for captain of the 2016 Notre Dame football team, which makes him the perfect person to play our first commander-in-chief.

Washington prioritized the health of the country more than his own ambition. In the musical, he’s assured in his convictions and has a strong sense of ethics that he will not violate. Hamilton looks up to Washington, and the general responds in kind by putting Hamilton under his wing.

Christopher Jackson as George Washington in “Hamilton.”

With the graduation of Sheldon Day and Romeo Okwara, Rochell has stepped into a leadership role on the defense. Rochell is also looking to make his mark off the field, securing an internship with Street Bean Coffee. It’s a nonprofit that helps young, homeless individuals receive job training they need to become employed and improve their situation.

Rochell, like Washington, recognizes the platform that he has been given and intends to make full use of it for the greater good.

THOMAS JEFFERSON

I’ll have sophomore defensive tackle Jerry Tillery play the role of Thomas Jefferson.

Jefferson rivals Hamilton in intellect. He’s well-traveled, having spent several years in France as an American diplomat. If there’s a word that comes to mind, it’s ambitious. Jefferson drafted a version of the Declaration of Independence, served as Secretary of State during Washington’s tenure and later became vice president and president of the United States.

Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson

Ambition is also a characteristic of Tillery. He has designs to be a doctor and a professional football player.

“Plenty of people have done it before me,” Tillery told NDInsider.com last year. “I don’t think I’m the first one with those aspirations. I’m handling the coursework, and I’m doing pretty well on the field. Why can’t I have both?”

Tillery is an avowed supporter of Hillary Clinton and seems very interested in political discourse, having served as campaign manager on a student body ticket that ultimately fell short. He’s also traveled to Ireland and Germany during his brief breaks from the gridiron.

ELIZA SCHUYLER HAMILTON

Redshirt junior tight end Nic Weishar is my pick for this role. Eliza was Hamilton’s wife, a kind-hearted, moralistic woman who prioritized family over self. She had a well defined sense of purpose, throwing herself into the founding of New York’s first private orphanage.

Weishar helped establish The Andrew Weishar Foundation, a charity in memory of his brother. Andrew, a victim of colorectal cancer, wanted his family to “pay forward” the kindness and generosity he experienced while fighting the disease. The foundation provides financial donations to families who have a member battling cancer to pay bills, take a vacation or whatever they deem appropriate.

The foundation throws an annual WeishFest in Chicago to bring awareness of the charity and to raise funds. About two dozen of Weishar’s teammates attended last year’s music festival and signed autograph for attendees.

ANGELICA SCHUYLER

I choose senior wide receiver Corey Robinson for the role of Hamilton’s sister-in-law. If you’ve heard the musical, you know Angelica has the wattage of Beyoncé. She is a strong, witty, independent woman who is an equal to many men in intelligence and foresight. Angelica is also very well read and, from her introduction onward, is “looking for a mind at work.”

Robinson typifies many of these characteristics. The university’s student body president, Robinson matches his on-field achievements with excellence in the classroom. Robinson has started a non-profit, composed an album’s worth of songs and briefly considered leaving school early to help the homeless of Brazil.

Robinson is an obvious choice for the role of Angelica.

AARON BURR

My choice for Hamilton’s chief adversary and our county’s third vice president is redshirt junior DeShone Kizer. Unlike the outspoken Hamilton, Burr is decidedly more reserved. Burr, an artful and intelligent man, is a man of fewer words. But don’t mistake his silence for a lack of ambition. Burr definitely wants to be in the mix and to get ahead. Burr is also a man who is proud of his accomplishments and wouldn’t stand for anyone slighting them.

I see a lot of these attributes in Kizer, who is more soft-spoken than his counterpart at quarterback. Like Burr, Kizer didn’t exactly know what he wanted – until opportunity presented itself. Both made the most of it when given their shot.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON

My choice for the protagonist of the show is senior quarterback Malik Zaire. The musical is a story of an ambitious, driven individual who surprises adversaries who continually underestimate him. Hamilton is a leader, unafraid to offer his opinion even when it may be politically advantageous to hang back and see which way the winds blow. The Founding Father was obsessed with leaving his mark on the young country and being remembered long after his political career ended.

It’s no coincidence that I’ve cast Kizer in the Burr role and Zaire in the Hamilton role. Burr and Hamilton were friendly, although they approached similar challenges in different ways. Hamilton and Burr began to grow apart when Burr defeated Hamilton’s father-in-law for a U.S. Senate seat. Hamilton would vigorously campaign against Burr whenever the latter sought political office. Their acrimony was settled on the dueling grounds, with Burr fatally wounding Hamilton.

OTHER ROLES

• Jarron Jones as James Madison – frequent collaborator with Jefferson (Tillery).
• Corey Holmes as Lafayette – Who is faster? Holmes on the field or Lafayette with the raps?
• Torii Hunter Jr. as Hercules Mulligan – Smooth, fun fellows who can command a presence
• Cole Luke as King George III – Ruler of an island; keeps close tabs on enemies

Thank you to Lin-Manuel Miranda for inspiration.

The post Recasting “Hamilton” With ND Football Players appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

I’ve had my first Notre Dame related dream/nightmare of the 2016 season. Usually, these dreams come to me midseason, but I think this constant blogging has put my subconscious ahead of schedule.

Like all dreams, this one was riddled with inaccuracy. We are playing Navy, but I am 100 percent sure that it is the season opener. Also, I am playing safety. I must be playing very poorly – which would actually be accurate – because the score is 45 to 37 in favor of Navy.

Don’t ask me why, but Navy is lining up for a 2-point conversion despite already being ahead by 8. Just as Navy wouldn’t do in real life, they decide on an empty backfield. The ball is snapped and I am really hoping it doesn’t come my way. Luckily, Andrew Trumbetti hurries the QB just enough for an errant pass and a Drue Tranquill interception!

The crowd goes crazy as Drue looks to be going all the way!

He’s at the 20!

The 10!

The 5!

The…fumble!?

It looks like one of those nerve induced cough-up fumbles, Drue simply tossing it across the goal-line and into Navy hands. Suddenly, Navy is coming all the way back down the field! To my horror, I am the final hope to stop them. Unfortunately, my friend from elementary school (Zach), who also has no business being on the field, is holding me. I yell out for a call, along with Coach Kelly and others on the sideline, but no flag is thrown and Navy walks in for 2 more…

Yet, I guess there is enough time to mount a comeback as there is a communal feeling hope in the air. Also, we have already scored 37 points so I assume Malik Zaire has played well (and yes, it was Zaire starting). That being said, Coach Kelly is looking to me as quarterback for the next drive! But, all of a sudden, I am wearing nothing but a towel around my waist! I tell Coach Kelly to ‘hold on’ while I get dressed….and so ends the dream. Probably a good thing I woke up before Kelly screamed my ear off.

Is this dream a sign of things to come? Well, I sure hope we don’t let Navy score more than 40 on us! However, there is a good chance of Zaire getting the starting nod. It is also possible that we see a lot more of Trumbetti and Tranquill making plays this season; hopefully a goal line fumble won’t be one of them. I think, as long as I’m not out there running around naked and afraid we will be OK in the real world.

For a few years now, I have been writing down some of my oddest and most memorable dreams. I recommend this practice to everyone. It can be quite fun and, frankly, rather disappointing when you can no longer remember that weird one you had the night before. My Notre Dame related dreams are some of the most vivid. Last year, I was especially haunted by the Clemson game – DeShone Kizer’s 2-point conversion attempt and all those fumbles often replaying in a loop. In another, I was on campus meeting Demetrius Jackson for the first time. He was in a hurry, jumped over a very high fence and went off to class. Do you ever have Notre Dame dreams?

The post Notre Dame Nightmares appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

@isiahhole / Twitter

Lou Holtz, Notre Dame’s legendary and revered Hall of Fame coach, was a featured guest at the University of Michigan’s “Signing of the Stars” event. Holtz had his good reasons for participating, including supporting a charity dedicated to eradicating children’s cancer.

But Lou didn’t go to make jokes at the expense of the Michigan men. He went there AND KISSED THEIR PATOOTIES.

Here is a list of eight times we rolled our eyes, cringed or puked in our mouths when Lou Holtz was praising Michigan football.

8. “I don’t think there’s any doubt – the best is yet to come. If you look at wherever he’s been, it just keeps getting better and better. What a tremendous year. What tremendous leadership. Not only that, he’s been able to bring in great coaches. And he’s given the players great – he has a vision of where he wants to go and a plan of how to get there. He’s done it everywhere he’s been. I’m just glad I wasn’t at Notre Dame when he was at Michigan.”

7. “I’ve known Jim for a long time. Not many people realize – the first game I ever coached against [sic] Notre Dame, we had them beat. He throws a fade route with two minutes to go to end up beating us. And then we played a lot of golf.”

6. “The quarterback is nothing more than the reflection of the head football coach. I’d say to the quarterback: ‘If you and I are on the same page, I don’t care if nobody else on our team shows up. We’ll find a way to win.’ That worked except when we played Michigan.”

5. “You’re putting together the whole complete team. You can’t just do it with one position, etc. Jim’s done a great job of bringing what I think will be a championship team together.”

4. “When you get a pass rush, when you get a big defensive lineman like that, that’s where championships start. And with a great defensive staff you have, they made a wise choice to come here because they’ll be very well coached. And they’ll become better here than had they gone anywhere else.”

3. “If you want to ruin some coaches day, video this whole damn affair you got, including the athletes coming in. Coaches ain’t going to sleep. Plus the number of stars that support Big Blue and the enthusiasm you had in here. I’m glad I wasn’t aware of that when we came up here.”

2. “Let me tell the fact that impressed me the most about this class – the number of signees that you have that are relatives of coaches or relatives of successful players in the past, but are also team captains. You not only have football – when you read this, you have stats – you also have character and integrity.”

1. “I see how excited you are to see those athletes here. But I want you to also realize how excited the family must be. Number one, they got a $200,000 gift to educate. There isn’t going to be any debt when they get out. But more importantly, that’s not a four-year decision. It’s a 40 year decision. It’s the second most important decision you’ll ever make in life. And as a parent to have your son come into this environment with 100,000 people each week, getting a great education, and have a great future, I just think how excited the family has to be.”

The post The Most Unforgivable Things Lou Holtz Said at Michigan Signing Day appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.