If you've tuned in to ESPN at all this week, it's pretty obvious that they'll be covering the Notre Dame game in East Lansing this weekend. While you'd like to think Notre Dame would be getting this much attention regardless of which channel they were going to be on (this is the only matchup between two top 20 teams), you just know ESPN isn't that respectable.
But all cynicism aside, it's hard not to let the attention get me pumped up. First, after his weekly press conference, Brian Kelly made an appearance on SportsCenter Tuesday, where he assured us that there is no quarterback controversy and that he is taking this season one game at a time:
The game was also featured on ESPNU's "The Experts" where we find out, surprisingly, that this game is important for Notre Dame:
Herbstreit is also feeling the Irish this season, but in the end makes no commitments and essentially says that this game is going to be close. Thanks for the insight, Herbie.
Finally, Wojciechowski narrated a cool, short special on why this game is the most important in Notre Dame's recent history:
So the overall opinion on Notre Dame football up in Bristol appears to be confusion, optimism, and hopes for a ratings boost.
In the end, if the Irish hang with Sparty and pull of a win this weekend, the real conversation can start. If not, all hope is not lost - Michigan still sucks.
Well, if you missed the news......ok, let's be honest there's no way I'm breaking this news to anyone. As Coach Kelly announced today, Everett Golson will be our (Notre Dame's) starter v. Navy in Dublin. I like him. I'm ready for the visor. He's looking pretty jacked in this press conference from today, and I also liked what he had to say:
In case you missed it, he's going to try to be the best player that he can be.
After hearing the news, I immediately went to his high school highlights. Not too shabby.
Here's his entire playing time from the first half of the Blue and Gold Game. I was too lazy to do the second half as well, but you can watch the whole thing here.
Finally, here are a few links to some articles if you want to do some reading (lol).
In case you missed it, which I'm sure you didn't, Rick Reilly posted an angry article about Notre Dame's preferential treatment in the college football universe. Summarized, Rick believes that ND's recent performance is undeserving of the many perks - an exclusive and lucrative NBC contract, bowl payouts every year, and underserved preseason hype - that the football program receives.
I've come across three decent responses from the ND Nation to Rick's plea for a "downgrade" of Irish football. I present them here in order of effectiveness. All of them are from Domers, so there is obviously bias here, but i think they all make some good points.
3. Mike Golic on ESPNRadio's Mike & Mike in the morning.
Mike's basic point is that it isn't Notre Dame's 'fault' that they are overrated. Now, this really isn't a great response. I'm not sure Rick was saying that it's Notre Dame's fault, and Mr. Golic seems to be attacking a point that was never made.
It really starts to get good around the 2 minute mark when Golic gets all fired up and yelling directly at Rick. The main reasons I include this is because (a) it's Mike Golic and (b) he calls Reilly stupid, asinine, and several other good zingers.
I've never heard of this site before, but this is the first article that comes up when you google "Rick Reilly v. Notre Dame." Tyler Moorehead of College Spun and an English major at ND makes some worthwhile points here and it's a quick read. The highlights:
"First of all, [Reilly] believes that Notre Dame doesn’t deserve a share of bowl revenues. But he isn’t writing the article about a team like Northwestern, which rarely reaches a bowl game and still receives the same share of revenue as the rest of the Big Ten. He’s singling out the Irish, giving them even more “undeserved attention and hype." He’s making his article a self-fulfilling prophecy."
"Reilly claims that Notre Dame is not a national brand, because it lost to Tulsa in 2010. If that is the case, Appalachian State was the undoing of Michigan as a brand, and Boise State put an end to Oklahoma years ago. Give me a break."
"One big problem I have is his claim that “somebody needs to do something” and his pleading to the NCAA and college football’s conference commissioners to put an end to Notre Dame’s prominence. But these powerful figures are catering to the school because, unlike Reilly, they realize its worth and prestige."
and a great tweet from ND columnist John Walters is also included:
@jdubs88: The utter *$%@ IRONY of a writer who was at the top of HIS game 20 years ago but now earns more $$$ than anyone in our field calling out ND for taking the $$ it can get is beyond hilarious. And I may have fractured a friendship w/ that comment, Rick, but it’s what everyone is thinking. You wanna prove ND doesn’t matter? Go write 2,000 words on Clemson. You didn’t, did you? It’s called the free market. No one is forcing NBC to give ND that $$$, just like no one forced John Walsh to give u a 7-fig salary" (...not sure that's 140 characters) 1) Rick Reilly is Lazy and Wrong. Maybe I was just fooled by the references to logical fallacies in this article, but it was by far the best pro-ND response I've seen to Reilly. It essentially goes line-by-line and calls Reilly out for every dumb comment that he makes. There are a few parts where the author sounds idiotic, but I can chalk that up to being a hardcore fan and leave it at that. Otherwise, this is great and I am really happy about what is said here. Not giving you any highlights because I want you to read it. Now if Notre Dame can just stop making their schedule so damn ridiculous every year maybe they can have a shot at a championship soon. Go Irish.
