Hi

I knows its been a week, and I'm sorry. I got another assignment at work. I'm cycle counting inventory at a plastic factory. So, I'll be getting familiar with another module of the ubiquitous Peoplesoft software. But it involves running all over the plant looking for stuff. Plus I have to wear steel-toe'd boots which are kind of heavy compared to other shoes. I'm sure the exercise is good for me, but I'm tuckered out at the end of a day. So I've just been chilling in the evening.

I didn't want you to think I was avoiding you because I didn't want to make a prediction on the Notre Dame MSU game. I was nervous about it, however, and would have included some if's and but's. It was important to win because the Spartans are so obnoxious, and because they usually fall apart half way through the season losing four out of their last five games - so they hurt the strength of schedule computation when it comes to bowl selection time.

Besides it's being another stressful game, we had to listen to Boob Davie, the disgraced former Irish coach, now a "color commentator" for ABC, second guess coach Weis all night. He's the guy who planted his blade in Lou Holts's back, to get the head coaching job when Lou was forced out. You may have heard ND lost seven of the last nine games to MSU. Well, you can lay four of those losses at Boob's door. Jerk. Oh and somebody please get Brent Musburger, the ABC play by play guy (and big ten homer) to a twelve step meeting.

By the way, I was a junior the year of the game of the century, and I don't like the spin the Spartans try to put on that game - ie Ara played for a tie, not trying to pass the ball on the last Irish possession. If the Spartans were the tough guys they like to remember that they were, how come they punted the ball away with two minutes left in the game. Hell, Charlie went for it on fourth down at least three times last night, and made two of them. In fact, Samardzjia's touchdown in the 4th quarter was on a fourth and five.

I don't know if we'll be 11 and 1 this year or 10 and 2, but I'm happy for the players that they didn't quit on themselves, and I continue to be really impressed with Coach Weis.

Here's a couple of pictures of the coach, first hugging Terrail Lambert who intercepted for the winning touchdown. Last week Terrail got burned several times in coverage against Michigan, and a lesser guy than Charlie would have thrown the kid under the bus, replacing him in the line-up to show he was "doing something" to address the weaknesses displayed last week. Charlie stayed with his guy, and Lambert came up big.

The second in Charlie hugging his twelve year old son as time ran out for Spartie.

Oooops

Remember me? I posted before the game predicting a 14 point win.
Three tortured hours later, I'm tempted to unload on BQ, for throwing a lot of bad passes. But I think what really happened was Michigan decided to cover our receivers and let us try to beat them with the run. Darius is great but he's not the kind of runner who can take over a game.

I haven't looked at Darius' numbers but was his longest run six or seven yards? He can catch and block. Maybe he should be a fullback and we should give Prince some OJT at the running back slot.

Not that it matters now

Game Day

Folks on ND bulletin boards have been getting nervous the last couple days, predicting a clse game or even a loss. I understand they're afraid our linebackers are going to get pushed around and Hart is going to run for a lot of yards, enabling Michigan to play a ball control game and keep ND's offense on the sidelines.

Well, if they know that, and I know that, Charlie Weis knows that too. Penn State couldn't figure out was happening to them last week, and I think Michigan is going to feel the same way today.

Last week ND beat PSU 41 to 17. Michigan beat Central Michigan 41 to 17.
How do you think Penn State would do against Central Michigan?

Prediction ND by two touchdowns

OK, OK, one more, but just a short one

A Michigan fan was sitting at a table reading the Newspaper, The headline read: "12 Brazilian Soldiers Killed." He shook his head at the sad news, then turned to the man sitting next to him and asked, "How many is a Brazilian?"

Stop me if you've heard this one

A Notre Dame fan in a bar leans over to the guy next
to him and says, "Wanna hear a joke about Michigan Wolverine
fans?"

The guy next to him replies, "Well, before you tell that
joke you should know something. I'm 6' tall and 220 pounds
and I'm a Michigan fan. The guy sitting next to me is 6'2"
tall, 240 pounds and he's a Michigan fan, and the guy sitting
next to him is 6'5", 280 pounds and he's a Michigan fan, too.
Now, do you still wanna tell that joke?"

The Notre Dame fan says, "Nah, not if I'm gonna have to explain
it three times."

A Joke about Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr

A Notre Dame fan, on his way home from the game last year in Ann Arbor, came to a dead halt in traffic and thought to himself, "Wow, this seems much worse than usual." He notices a police officer walking between the lines of stopped cars. The officer replies, "Lloyd Carr is depressed, so he stopped the team bus and is threatening to douse himself in gasoline and set himself on fire. He is tired of losing to Notre Dame every year and the university has cut back on his recruiting budget. We're taking up a collection for him." The Notre Dame fan asks, "How much have you got so far?" The officer replies, "About 75 gallons, but a lot of folks are still siphoning."

As you've probably noticed I'm pumped a bout Notre Dame this year, and if I begin to resemble the kind of "arrogant" ND fan other schools' fans hate, you gotta remember the eight years since Lou Holtz left have been really depressing and I'm on a high I plan to enjoy all the way through January.

My Irish cousins down under

I know my children don't feel particularly Irish, but I do.

The Clancy Brothers, jokes that make you cry, devotion to the Blessed Virgin and getting scrappy when drunk all resonate with me.

It's now been proven that you can take an Irishman, plop him down anywhere in the world and a century and a half later his descendants will still be Irish.
From The Times On Line

At least ten stingrays have been found dead and mutilated on Australia’s eastern coast in the last week in what conservationists believe could be revenge attacks for the death of Steve Irwin, the popular naturalist and television personality.

Checking in

Vacation was great. The first evening I was sitting on the porch with a book on my chest wondering how long it had been since I was that relaxed. I mean I didn't worry about a thing all week. I don't think I ever felt grumpy, though I'm sure Janett could think of at least one occasion. We were happy and nice to each other the whole time and even the rainy days were nice. Janett and Kim and Steff would visit the little shops in South Haven and St Joes and Mark and I would trail along. Mom was still the mom, but the girls are grown up now, so it great seeing them enjoying each other as adults. Malachy was precious and precocious and we got to spend a lot of time together. We have a cute video of the little guy getting hit in the head with a basketball - funnier than it sounds. Maybe Steffy will post it. See Steffy's site for photos.(The Stangers link)

We got home to see Noah before he went back to Afghanistan. I don't know what to tell you about that. I enjoyed being with him, but my antennae were up and twitching trying to understand how and what he was feeling. He seemed like the same guy, and I don't think he's suffering any really bad feelings, but Noah isn't always easy to read. Anyway, when you're away and you come home, it's nice to feel that everyone loves you like you remembered that they did, and I think Noah felt that way.

Okay, ND only beat the Yellow Jackets by 4 points. And BQ didn't take charge of the game. His passes were a little off, maybe because Georgia Tech was getting a good rush and he was throwing off his back foot. We expect better things tomorrow against Penn State. I'm throwing in a picture from the last Penn State game in South bend, the Snow Bowl, 1988 I think. Penn State got a first down on ND's three yard-line and Notre Dame staged a great goal line defense. The Lions settled for a field goal and Notre Dame ended up winning the game by a point.