Wharton70
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Everything posted by Wharton70
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Absolutely agree - sadly this guy is a QB killer (ex Tommy Rees). It usually takes him a year, but with BW he upped his game & did it in 1/2 a season.
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I graduated from ND and have been a fan since my childhood long ago. But I'm about to become more a fan of the local team (TCU) than of ND. I'm just tired of waiting. TCU is in the 'here and now', has better coaches, and has been much more relevant over the last 20 years than ND. Sigh. Sad but true. If ND is about to lose me, an alumnus, as an ardent fan of the team, then I suspect they are about to lose many many more. Recent posts on DD only reinforce this notion. Of course as an alum I would/will always remain loyal to ND, but my football enthusiasm may just shift elsewhere. Not yet, but may soon. A crossroads. ND '68 - Agree 100% (sadly)
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If you could replace Kelly with anyone
Wharton70 replied to KellyisNasty's topic in Notre Dame Football
That's a bingo! -
I agree this was a huge let down, that I attribute to the coaching. The U$C & NC State games were circled because of last year's games against them - humiliation in LA & bitter stubborn stupidity in Raleigh. In both games this year, the team played very well. The let down against Wake was somewhat understandable, but tonight was 2 in a row where they came out flat. (shades of 2016) When they took the field, I had a sinking feeling that we were in trouble. Miami was pumped & ND took the field like commuters getting on the bus for work on Tuesday morning. Add to that, the Miami speed was not taken in to account in the play selection on offense, and the Miami QB had a 'clean jersey' - no DL penetration. Faith can tell us why, on the last factor, but not getting them pumped for a prime time 'rivalry' matchup, and being outschemed on both sides of the ball to me points to the most relevant grade being an "F" for the coaching staff. As to BW & JA, neither played to prior levels, but we have been riding them both very hard all season, and they both show evidence of being 60 - 70% (or whatever # you choose) due to the wear & tear. I'd give both at least a conditional pass. I am hoping for a strong rebound against Navy & the tree. Something along the lines of the last game of the 1966 season would do nicely. Keep the faith, lads (and lasses) better days ahead.
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At this point weren't we saying the same things about Hayseed? They are similar in size, speed & tackling ability (from memory), but DT has been more injury prone. My initial conclusion is to not write DT off as a starting, or at least contributing safety on Sundays (with the right defensive scheme).
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Great point, Cory - they'll be fresher due to less snaps, and have the bye week before U$C - so nice ramp up if this goes long, - a lot in the tank. Another point, is that they played U$C Lou - mean & tough because they were embarrassed in LA last year & they remembered. I have a feeling that the bitterness of the monsoon loss last year in Raleigh also sticks with this club & they will go in pi**ed off.
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"The changes to staff and how they work out, will determine how we do" Bull's eye, Hawaii - thanks for the focus.
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I will miss him very much, we were freshmen together. It has been a somber gray few days, so I thought that this was somehow appropriate to share. Col. John Stephens was my Army ROTC PMS, and I stayed in touch with him over the years. After retiring he became Moose Krause's Assistant AD - for about 20 years. The two were very close, and defined the odd couple, as Stephens was about 5' 2", and Moose was, well, Moose. When Moose died in 1992, the pall bearers were Lou, Ara, the Colonel, and 3 former players. 1 player (as I remember it) had had a heart transplant, and added to Ara's hip replacement, the other 2 players had had 3 or 4 knee replacements. Very somber silent car ride back after the burial. Out of nowhere, Ara said, "One guy borrowed a heart, we have 3 guys with 2 good legs between them, another guy is blind, and the last guy can't see over the top of the casket. This is the first time that the deceased has looked better than the guys who carried him." You can take the boy out of Akron..... I hope that this doesn't offend, and that the coach enjoys what should be the great reward that he deserves.
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Well stated and thought out, Hawaii. Very little room for error - the big hope is that a staff that is very different is sending & selling the message that these guys CAN dominate and win - they need to start each game fast & hard - no sleep walking, and I agree that it is very important for the defense to b**ch slap all 11 guys on the other team (old school version of 1st class ).
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Frankus - just read your 9-18-16 post:
"My symbolic moment of how different ND had become happened 15 years ago."
Dead on - thanks - it sums up what I have noted in the almost 50 years since I graduated (class of 1968. Letter perfect - the only change that I might suggest (I got an MBA at Penn right after ND & both parents were Ivy Grads) would be on the last sentence - "In their minds ND will finally have arrived with the old WASP elite (the Ivys), who will despise them anyway." I would agree, but twist it - they don't despise ND, rather, don't even consider them. There is a whole level of Amherst Williams, Stanford, Northwestern etc in their mind between them and a Catholic school in Indiana. Let me guess - was the well groomed priest with the umbrella jenkins? (he of the snowflake candle light vigil to reduce the angst after election)
Where is Father Charles McCarragher when we need him?
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Frankus - just read your 9-18-16 post:
"My symbolic moment of how different ND had become happened 15 years ago."
Dead on - thanks - it sums up what I have noted in the almost 50 years since I garduated (class of '68). Letter perfect - the only change that I might suggest (I got an MBA at Penn right after ND & both parents were Ivy Grads) would be on the last sentence - "In their minds ND will finally have arrived with the old WASP elite (the Ivys), who will despise them anyway." I would agree, but twist it - they don't despise ND, rather, don't even consider them. There is a whole level of Amherst Williams, Stanford, Northwestern etc in their mind between them and a Catholic school in Indiana. Let me guess - was the well groomed priest with the umbrella jenkins? (he of the snowflake candle light vigil to reduce the angst after election)
Where is Father Charles McCarragher when we need him?
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As Convert said, cyclical. I remember reading Leahy's book on defense & wondering if his 5 man front would work in this era - the answer is yes, in response to what the offense is trying to do. Back then it was mandated by one platoon football not allowing for the specialists to be freely substituted, and the heavy run orientation. I would be surprised if closer examination would not reveal more similarities than differences. As the French say, the more things change, the more they remain the same. Thanks for the topic, Faith - top notch as usual.
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Marshmallows? Were we allowed to have sugar back then? No, I remember scooping an extra cake into my dining hall jacket (had to be worn at dinner & Sundays as I remember it). DHJs were handed down or sold down - mine was a green corduroy without pocket flaps, to enable scooping of cookies & cake, and usually came with rock hard crumbs from prior years thefts.
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Maybe one of them - old fart is probably more accurate, but we try to live up to the logo on the t-shirt "Old Guys Rule". On nostalgia - does anyone remember when we used to hurl rolls of TP from the stands for a touchdown? (and then pray that we didn't have beans for dinner). Actually a cool visual.
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As an old fart, I spend too much time focused on the antics of candle light vigils to help the snowflakes get over their angst at the election results, and too little time remembering the comaraderie, mass in the chapel below the cathedral, and finally passing Thermo II. (as well as drinking beer in the cemetery - I went to confession for that). Thank you for devining the spirituality of the place that those too close to it sometimes miss. 4 years and degree don't necessarily define a Notre Dame Man - In certain cases, the reverse is also true. I second Davis' gratitude, and add that for my money you are a true Notre Dame Man, in the best sense of the phrase.
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Frankus - great post - I was a Junior in the stands for that Purdue (1966) game & you are dead on. I agree with your other picks as well - would add some of the Sunday morning re runs from the 50s - B&W TV - "Nick Pe-Et-Tro-Santi", with the aroma of Frank Leahy still redolent... guess that fully qualifies me as an old fart!
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Top 5 reasons to expect a good 2017!
Wharton70 replied to hawaiiirish's topic in Notre Dame Football
Hawaii - clear and in depth - thanks. It is great to see you salvage the old half full approach. We both have followed for long enough, with many ups and downs. While it is easy to get down, we have to remember the immortal words of Ruby and the Romantics, "Our Day Will Come." -
Top 5 reasons to expect a good 2017!
Wharton70 replied to hawaiiirish's topic in Notre Dame Football
Faith - broken record, but again a great analysis, spot on. I even agree with the order - thanks -
To your point - most people knew that the game had passed Mack Brown by, and that he had relied on slam dunk recruiting of 4* & 5* players... but it was underscored when he went to Alabama (i think it was) and on seeing their S&C facility, was dumbstruck - supposedly said that he had no idea that there was that much 'stuff'. In Longo's defense, no one has identified the reason for his medical leave, and in all fairness, that may have taken the edge off his contribution - I am not saying that complacency did not play in, but I noticed significant aging and a distressed appearance when he was on screen the last 2-3 years.
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Your opinion, but Rocket's is a true statement. Good as he was, Mike was always what Coach Leahy called a "cruiser' (one of his nicer terms for Lattner). By that I mean that he does not have the focus to develop beyond the low hanging fruit of his considerable talent. Think of other number #s - Rice back to Berry who squeezed everthing out of their ability - he is more Swan than Stallworth.
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ND is a 'different' school - than the SEC factories - even than Stanford, with it's weather, S&C and other advantages. Gone are the days of Lou & Vinnie when we could trade on Ara & Frank, there is a need to think outside of the box. Well said, Davis.
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You represent the true giving spirit of what Notre Dame should be. Thank you.
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Dead on, Echo - succint statement of what I was trying to say. Thank You
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