Archives › 2009 › September
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Talk about an unfair question… Who is your favorite Notre Dame player? Why don’t they just ask me my favorite sibling, or ask my parents in front of all three kids who they liked best. (That’d be easy… it’d be my sister.) Favorite Notre Dame player? That question is sinister. It’s like asking someone to…
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In all my years as an Irish fan, this might be as excited as I’ve been for an opening game, not including my first as a Notre Dame student (Upset special against Michigan — the defending National Champions). There is a sense of urgency in the air, and it’ll be interesting if the Irish can…
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The heralded recruiting class of 2007 touted a lot of very big names. Brian Smith’s wasn’t one of them. Smith was a recruiting afterthought, a three-star linebacker committed to Iowa, but a deep love of Notre Dame given to him from his father Chris, a former fullback at Notre Dame from 1981-84, made the 11th…
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Before we usher in the 2009 season, the video wizards here at NBCSports.com put together this “Best of 2008″ reel from last season. After you’re done watching this, if you’re not ready to watch some Irish football tomorrow, head immediately to the emergency room and tell the doctors you don’t have a pulse.
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Chris Brown is the editor and creator of the website SmartFootball.com, which is every bit as intelligent as the website name implies. He’s taken a look at the Pistol offense before, and I asked him to give us a little slice of how he expected Notre Dame defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta to attack Chris Ault’s…
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As a sophomore, quarterback Brady Quinn showed signs of greatness. According to his official bio, Quinn “produced the finest statistical sophomore season of any quarterback in Notre Dame history.” His numbers in 2004: 12 games: 191-353, 54% accuracy, 2,586 yards, 17 TDs, 10 INTs. For all the talk of Jimmy Clausen and his uneven play,…
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So… the billboard. (Sigh.) Here’s where we left off. A mysterious billboard popped up earlier in the week, strategically placed above the popular bar, The ‘Backer. The billboard featured a pretty decent (actually good, but I’m not really willing to give the guy credit after learning the backstory) zinger at Charlie Weis, replacing the word…
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As a Notre Dame fan you get conditioned for certain reactions. Whether its bemoaning a ranking undeserved or chuckling when the team falls out of preseason favor, the opposition always finds a way to say something that gets under your skin. The Nevada game is a perfect example. This season’s Notre Dame story line undoubtedly…
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For the few people left on the internet who don’t know what The Onion is, this article must come as a shock as game day approaches: During Wednesday’s afternoon practice, 17-year-old Brian Novak, a 145-pound walk-on for the struggling Notre Dame football team, injured nine starters, including third-year quarterback Jimmy Clausen, junior wide receiver Golden…
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Jimmy Clausen met with the media as one of the team’s captains yesterday. Here’s what he said: On Robby Paris solidifying his job as the #3 receiver: “Robby’s done a great job. Ever since I’ve been here he’s been a hard worker, a team player. Just a guy who wants to be on the field…
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In the end, it really wasn’t that big of an announcement. Head coach Charlie Weis revealed his depth chart Tuesday afternoon, and if it told us anything, it’s that Weis has built his team. There are no more excuses about a previous regime. There are no more ways to forget about the “decided schematic advantage.”…
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Our good friend John Taylor over at CFT has got the scoop on the billboard prankster who spent a few grand to rankle Irish fans and head coach Charlie Weis. Per CFT: Former Notre Dame linebacker Tom Reynolds stepped forward today and explained his decision — made with the support of 50 other former Irish…
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While All-America accolades aren’t necessarily hanging on the walls, there is no more acclaimed position group, top to bottom, than the Notre Dame secondary. Sure, wide receivers have a dynamic duo. And the quarterbacks have that one kid who created a stir in a Hummer limo way back when and another All-Everything recruit in Dayne…
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I’ll get around to breaking down what Charlie Weis said at his first game-week press conference, but first a quick tribute to the extraordinary event that is a Charlie Weis press conference. In his season-opening remarks a week or so ago, Weis spoke about “showing us.” Instead of giving his thoughts on what his team…
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(“And in that corner” will be a weekly feature where we find an expert on Notre Dame’s opponent to give a look from the other side. Because opposing viewpoints are good, right?) While Vegas sportsbooks have the Irish hovering a bit above a two-touchdown favorite, there is a solid minority that truly believe that Nevada…
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Do you have an extra two-grand lining your pockets and want to get off a cheap shot at the head football coach of Notre Dame? Too bad, because somebody beat you to it. A well-directed smart bomb was heaved toward coach Charlie Weis, and it’s created quite a controversy. A billboard placed strategically above the…
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Pay no attention to what's happening in Southern California…
Sep 1, 2009, 2:00 PM EDT
(And no, I don’t mean the fires…) While we are a long, long, long, long, looong way away from October 17th, it bears mentioning a few minor updates that are happening in South-Central Los Angeles. * Starting defensive end Armond Armstead broke a bone in his foot a few weeks ago and could miss anywhere…
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(Catching Up will be a regular feature at Inside the Irish. Feel free to send along suggestions or nominees for future weeks.) Kory Minor is a fascinating person. A five-star recruit before there were five-star recruits, Minor was USA Today’s national player of the year coming out of high school in Inglewood, California. Minor signed…
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Can’t get enough of Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick? (I could always link to another Q&A if you guys would like…) Don’t worry, because you can look forward to the Jack Swarbrick Radio Show! Swarbrick will be hosting a one-hour weekly radio show beginning this Saturday (Sept. 5) and will be running for 30…
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As Nevada prepares to make a historic first visit to Notre Dame stadium, head coach Chris Ault is forced to deal with a question. How to deal with the rich tradition and history of his week one opponent? For the most part, Ault insists its a game just like all the rest. “Travel and play…
