It seems like Notre Dame football is at a major crossroads, with significant changes happening after an impressive 14-2 season. Despite the success, it's clear that the program's staff turnover is creating some big challenges for head coach Marcus Freeman. But it also looks like Freeman is working diligently to navigate these changes by bringing in some strong new hires.
Chris Ash replaces Al Golden
The decision to replace Al Golden with Chris Ash seems strategic, especially considering Ash's background with defensive backs and his leadership beside Luke Fickell. Golden's style was clearly popular, so it'll be interesting to see if Ash’s fiery approach can maintain that same level of success. His expertise should complement the strong defensive talent already present, but the transition could still have its bumps.
Ja’Juan Seider is a big get
With the talented trio of Jerimiyah Love, Jadarian Price, and Aneyas Williams at running back, having someone with Seider’s track record will certainly keep that position as a strength. His experience with developing 1,000-yard rushers at Penn State is a major win for the Irish.
A new GM (Mike Martin)
The search for a new General Manager is definitely an intriguing one. The evolving nature of college football’s rules around recruiting, the transfer portal, and NIL demands a savvy, experienced leader. Mike Martin seems like an excellent choice to help navigate this new era, and building out a robust scouting department could help the Irish gain an edge on the competition, especially with such a complex landscape.
Building for Long-Term Success
All in all, Marcus Freeman is making moves to stay ahead of the curve, and while there are inevitable challenges, these hires could help position Notre Dame for continued success. It's exciting to see how these changes will unfold and if they'll pay off in the long run. What do you think of these moves? Does the future of Notre Dame football look bright to you?
Okay, I was reading the following article this morning, chuckling to myself at how ridiculous some of these athletes seem. That chuckling abruptly stopped once I realized how ridiculous I AM for Irish games. Some call them Game Day "Routines" but let's be honest, they all boil down to plain old superstitions. What are your game day shenanigans? (I'll divulge mine in a later post, have to work up the courage first.) GO IRISH!
Putting the 'super' in superstitions
Story Tools: Print Email XML
Elliott Kalb / FOXSports.com
Posted: 8 hours ago
Some athletes credit hard work for their success. Some admittedly get lucky.
But others are superstitious, and believe in doing things a certain way. Here are some of the more quirky superstitions in sports history.
Joe Louis, the great heavyweight champion, believed that he would lose a fight for sure if his right glove was put on and tied before the left one.
Joe Louis was like any every fighter - he put his gloves on one hand at a time. (Allsport UK/ALLSPORT / Getty Images)
Hall of Fame baseball player Kiki Cuyler did not play at all in the 1927 World Series because manager Donnie Bush wanted Cuyler to play center field and bat second in the lineup. Cuyler was extremely superstitious about batting in the third spot. Bush benched him, saying Cuyler would not play in the Series unless he would agree to bat second in the order and publicly say he liked it. The Pirates lost the World Series in four straight games to the Yankees.
Lou Gehrig had superstitions. He and his mother used to fish for eels, and his mother would pickle them. Gehrig believed eating the eels helped his batting. This was the same Hall of Famer who, according to legend, heard a story early in the 1929 season that it was going to be a great year for left-handed pitchers — and a terrible year for left-handed batters. He believed it — or let it get into his head — and went from hitting .374 in 1928 to .300 in 1929. The next year, he batted .370.
There are tons of baseball stories about old-timers' superstitions. For example, Joe DiMaggio would never run from the outfield to the dugout without touching second base.
Satchel Paige was convinced that an axle-grease rubdown of his arm allowed him to pitch nine innings every day.
They called Lou Skizas, a major-league outfielder in the late '50s with New York and Kansas City, "The Nervous Greek." He used to rub an Orthodox medal in his back pocket between pitches.
Tito Fuentes, a second baseman in the '60s for San Francisco, paid a visit to a witch doctor to cure a shoulder ailment.
Mike Cuellar, the Orioles pitcher from the early '70s, insisted that the baseball be sitting on the mound when he went out to pitch. He refused to accept it from a player or umpire.
Former Dodger third baseman Ron Cey used to wear a Superman T-shirt under his uniform.
Wade Boggs was well known for his superstitions. He ate three chicken meals a day, which started when he had a good week in 1977 in the minor leagues. He always had chicken at exactly 2:00. He had to come out for batting practice at 5:17. And the "Chicken Man" ran sprints for every night game at 7:17.
Wade Boggs liked his chicken ... a lot. (Otto Greule Jr. / Getty Images)
Nomar Garciaparra is another player with obsessive routine. He gets dressed the same way every day, makes sure to step on each dugout step with both feet, and tugs at his batting gloves and taps his toes during each at-bat.
Pitcher Turk Wendell had to brush his teeth between every inning. He also had to eat four pieces of licorice every inning.
Patrick Roy admitted to talking to his goalposts. Another hockey player, Bruce Gardiner, dipped his hockey stick in the toilet before going out to play. The late hockey goalie Pelle Lindbergh had some unusual superstitions. Between periods, he wouldn't drink anything but a Swedish beverage called Pripps and would only take a sip if there were exactly two ice cubes in the cup. A particular team trainer, by the way, could only deliver that cup to him.
Golfer Paul Azinger marks his ball with a penny, always heads up, and always with Lincoln looking at the hole. Jack Nicklaus always carries three coins in one pocket. And Mark Wiebe only used coins minted in the '60s, because that's what he intended to score.
When Goran Ivanisevic won Wimbledon in 2001, he made the ball boys and ball girls retrieve the same ball every time he served an ace, while refusing to use balls which he had just used to serve a fault. Ivanisevic would always try to be the second person to get up from his chair on the changeover and would try to never step on any of the lines.
Michael Jordan had to wear his lucky blue University of North Carolina shorts under his Bulls or Wizards uniform.
Bill Parcells was one of the most superstitious people in football that I've come across. He wouldn't pick up pennies unless they were heads up. One year the Jets won the same week that he went to the dentist. Although he was finished with the appointment, the next week he still went to the dentist. He didn't have any work done, just stayed there enough time to shoot the breeze and then left, all because his team had won.
And I have to credit my friend, Charlie Jones, the great announcer, for this item. He collected a quote from Rick Rice, a journeyman minor-league pitcher, circa 1920. Rice supposedly said, "I always eat frogs' legs before I pitch. They make my fastball jump."