Resolutions

OK, faithful readers, I must admit that I let you down. My posting activity waned dramatically as our season progressed and it became painful to dwell upon the reality of our team this year.

This, however, is contrary to what it means to be a fan. Mea culpa. I therefore pledge to produce at least one posting per week on this blog, no matter what the odds. As I prepare to watch the feast of bowl games and the spinning of the coaching carousel this holiday, there is no shortage of thoughts on the college game. With time, there will return hope as well. That is the beauty of a new season.

So enjoy whatever plans you have to ring in the new year. I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. Also, take advantage of the opportunity to reflect on the past year and to dedicate yourself to goals for 2008.

Schedule Revisions

Notre Dame athletic director, Dr. Kevin White, announced changes to the 2008 football schedule. "In an ongoing attempt to improve revenue and competitiveness, we have determined it was necessary to tweak the schedule for next year. As always, we will seek to bring the best possible teams to South Bend and continue the barnstorming ways established by Rockne"

Revised 2008 Football Schedule
Sept 6: SAN DIEGO STATE
Sept 13: DUKE
Sept 20: @ Duke
Sept 27: DUKE
Oct 4: DUKE
Oct 11: @ Duke
Oct 25: @ Duke
Nov 1: DUKE
Nov 8: @ Duke
Nov 15: @ Duke (Baltimore)
Nov 22: DUKE
Nov 29: @ Temple

ND Extends Home Win Streak to 21!!!

Notre Dame extended its home win streak with its 21st consecutive home victory, 3 shy of the record by beating LIU Blackbirds.

Hurray for basketball season.

Air Farce

Ouch.

We stink. Really, really, really stink. The game against Air Force was reminiscent of the first half of the season except against a less talented team. The 2007 version of the (Pillow)fighting Irish is officially the most generous team of the year; their mission is to bring joy to all the opposing teams on their schedule.

At this point, no one should be complaining about Notre Dame's schedule. Obviously, the academies are our athletic peers this season. The only reason we aren't losing to I-AA teams like Meechigan is that we aren't playing any.

Fear not, however, because this dark night of the soul shall pass and we shall see future glory. Continue to criticize coach Weis and this team, for it shall become the fuel for their off-seasoning.

Miscellany

Thoughts from Navy

As the season goes on, I am surprised by how many people are turning on Charlie Weis. Notre Dame fandom was well aware of our talent deficiencies at the beginning of the year and that our schedule was going to be brutal. Of course, hope and optimism abound and the feeling was that Charlie's coaching was going to keep the floor from falling out.

Well, it hasn't. Charlie has made mistakes and his experience as a head coach is very apparent this year. The worst of these mistakes was not attempting the 40 yard field goal for the win on 4th down - going to the air in the third quarter after having a successful run game is another. The only reason this decision makes sense is if both kickers underwent amputation sometime in the fourth quarter.

So as much as this loss stings, what is the big picture? We got the pressure of the win streak of our backs (or, more importantly, removed as future incentive for scrappy Navy teams) and we got to give joy to another section of college football fandom. A win would not have saved our season - it's sunk already. No, I am not content with losing, but my expectations have been adjusted. I like that our offense was able to score some points against a weak defense and this is exactly what they need to get better. Honestly, I think a blowout win against a weak defense would have given them the impression they are better than they think (they're not) and a close game is something they also need to experience. The game could and should have been won and I was actually just happy to be at a game that had me on my feet past the first quarter.

Now, Air Force. The AF Academy is 7-3 with their wins coming against South Carolina State, Utah, TCU, UNLV, Colorado State, Wyoming, and Army. Their three losses are to BYU, Navy, and New Mexico. The loss to Navy is the only common opponent, which gives me some hope. Air Force has a new coach but is likely running a similar offense to years' past. While not having the history of the ND-Navy series, the ND-Air Force tilts have been more competitive over the last few decades, with close games and big upsets. Looking forward to our second win and first home victory of the season. Another first the Freshmen need to experience is the joy of winning at home.

We're Back

The new season begins tomorrow. October was unofficially declared 'bye month' by 91 Screaming Otters and the official end of the 'bye season' of 2007.

The new season, 2007.5, begins in South Bend tomorrow. We're undefeated! Go Irish!

Looking forward to catching the first game of the new season in person. Can't wait to see all of our young players and our offensive look.

P.S. - Our prayers are with the Hughes family during their time of loss.

Words of encouragement

Words of encouragement to Irish fans can be find from today's Living Faith daily devotional.

Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. Psalm 126:5

The journey from tears to rejoicing is no easy one. The going from sowing to reaping that the psalmist speaks of is a gradual process of transformation. When a seed is sown it does not spring up quickly into a thriving plant. Each seed has its own gestation period and cannot be rushed. The movement from spring planting to autumn harvesting takes time. The reaping of fruits, nuts, and vegetables only occurs after the crops have been carefully tended.

The same is true for each of us and our journeys from sorrow to joy. We cannot force or hurry the healing of our bodies, minds and spirits, even though we want to leave the pain and distress behind as quickly as possible. We are apt to forget this when we or others are moving from hurt to healing.

-Sr. Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

Diabolical Spartan Plans Unearthed

Let's get to business and put the past behind us, the Spartans come to town on Saturday and a win is step #1 in my revised expectations, (missed one last week, but we can still get 75%). It won't be easy, however, as the Spartans have gained confidence with three season opening wins. Coach Mark Dan Tony Oh has the young Big Televen team believing in itself and they fully expect to continue their dominance of the Irish in at Notre Dame Stadium, a venue where they haven't lost since the Hayes administration.

Signs of Spartan confidence have been uncovered by ND alumni in East Lansing who obtained a portion of the Spartan playbook. The page depicts a play titled 'Post Game FP' and is being revealed to you, the loyal 91 Screaming Otter readers:

Coach Oh has never ever, never, never, never lost a game to Charlie Weis or Notre Dame. His confidence is demonstrated in the 'Post Game FP' key assignments to remember flag, find the library, and to pick up the megaphone trophy. In order to prepare his team this week, Coach M. D. T. Oh is planning to take his players to a Borders book store in Lansing to familiarize them with the environment they will encounter in South Bend.

Hart Backs Up Guarantee, Promises More

Michigan running back Mike Hart backed up his win guarantee in stunning fashion Saturday with a 38-0 beatdown of Notre Dame. The Irish offensive line was just glad they could help the Wolverine captain: "When Mike made that guarantee, it was a wake up call. We knew that all 22 players on that field would need to be pulling in the same direction to get the job done. We're just glad we could do our part to back up Mike's words" said ND captain John Sullivan.

Fresh of his newfound success, Mike Hart has set his sights on bigger things. "When I made the (win) guarantee, I had no idea just how powerful that was. If only I could have known about this ability before we faced App. State and Oregon. . ."

Hart's next move was to guarantee the winning lottery numbers in this week's Mega Millions lottery. "Tuesday's estimated $47 million dollar payout will be for the following numbers, no doubt about it" says Mike Hart. All Michigan fans are encouraged to play the following numbers: 38 1 15 7 12 20

D Jones to D Kalb

Demetrius Jones, the starting quarterback for the Georgia Tech game who was pulled before halftime after two fumbles, did not make the bus for Ann Arbor and is reportedly enrolling at the Northern Illinois University. As I speculated recently, DJ's prospects at quarterback are looking dim with Clausen's performance and the offensive woes. I'm sad to see him go, because he what I have read about Jones paints a picture of a very talented and likable guy. I also think he could have had a good career at ND, although probably not at QB. The move seems sudden, but I am guessing this had been considered during the spring competition and he is trying to get into the fall semester in order to achieve his transfer year requirement in the 2007 season. I will wish the best to DJ unless something more sinister motives are forthcoming; I hope this decision leads to a great career, because he is sacrificing a Notre Dame diploma and a valuable collegiate experience that will be unmatched at NIU (no offense).

And with that, please meet your new third string quarterback, senior Darrin Bragg.

Only two missed blocks from starting!

Michigan Man

Things are definitely testy in Ann Arbor. You have to think a few Wolverine fans might be pulling for the Irish this weekend just to get rid of Lloyd.

91 Screaming Otters Guarantees Win!!!!

That's right, folks. 91 Screaming Otters are guaranteeing an Irish victory against Meeeechigan tomorrow at the Big House. No exceptions, no clauses, just a 100% stone cold guarantee or we will refund all moneys paid to our website.

This is what it's come to - if Mike Hart can do it, so can we. And we will back up our guarantee by shouting at our television until we mentally will our offensive line to block and their defense to shrivel into the fetal position and allow Charlie his birthright - offensive production!!

It's been awfully quiet posting this week, but one set of grumbling, over-critical, any-loss-is-intolerable blogospheres is going to get its sweet reward this weekend and the otters have spoken.

The Mustelidae family says 'Go Irish, Beat Meeechigan!'

Whither DJ?

In Saturday's game against PSU, Charlie Weis ended the quarterback derby by naming true freshman Jimmy Clausen the starter. While the offense was ineffective, Jimmy Clausen played well by all accounts and has probably cemented his position, barring injury. In naming him the starter for Penn State, Charlie indicated that Clausen's offseason elbow surgery had more impact on his readiness for the opener than his performance in pre-season practice.

Given the performance against Penn State, I see no reason not to build for the future with Clausen. This season is already facing a new set of expectations, so why not develop your quarterback of the future?

But what does this mean for Demetrius Jones? With Jones starting against GT, Charlie experimented with the spread offense with mixed results. With Clausen entrenched at QB, will we ever see the spread again? In what role will Jones be utilized?

I doubt we will see the spread because this offense is too young to run one scheme well, let alone two. With all of the youth on offense, I suspect the emphasis will be on building some basic competence and allowing the players to develop. Although the spread offenses of Michigan and Appalachian State exploited Michigan, those were good spread offenses - probably not a version we could transform ND's offense into since last Sunday.

And where does Demetrius Jones go from here? If we are going to run a passing offense, it seems that Sharpley is more suited to the backup role based on his performance from Georgia Tech. However, Jones showed flashes of playmaking ability that can't be wasted on the bench. How will Charlie get him on the field? Will he play at all this weekend or is he destined to be a third string QB and future transfer?

I wouldn't mind seeing us take another stab at the spread against a defense like Michigan to see if it could be effective and give DJ a shot at redemption. If not that (and I would understand the reasons from a preparation standpoint not to get fancy), I would at least like to see some creativity in trying to get a playmaker on the field. Would DJ accept a role as a receiver / running back in certain packages? Let's hope that the two fumbles are not the last we hear of a very talented player.

Hope Revisited

Only 361 days until the 2008 home opener against San Diego State! I have accepted that the rest of the season will serve mainly as an opportunity to develop our young talent in preparation for next year's campaign, which is not a bad thing. The number of freshmen and sophomores who are going to play this year along with the incoming class of 2008 means that there may be a good times ahead.
Beyond watching our players develop, I have re-evaluated what I think is possible to achieve in this down year.

1) Beat Michigan State. We need to end this home loss streak. Now. I actually like the Spartans and would like to see their program revive. Living in Michigan, I share their distaste for the Wolverines and have a good rapport with my Spartan friends. The early results look pretty good for MSU with D'Antonio; while the opposition has not been first rate, they have been physically dominant and the program has developed a blue collar attitude that is the antithesis of John L. Smith. This should help prevent the self-destructive tendencies and I am thinking they have a decent chance of competing for the Big Ten this year. Respect aside, I want to end their streak in our stadium.

2) Beat BC. Everyone remembers 1993 when the Eagles knocked off ND to deprive us of the national championship. The only two Div 1-A football catholic schools resume their rivalry which has generally been a bigger marquee game for BC who plays with passion against the Irish. This year, the table may be reversed in that the Eagles will be favored and the Irish will be playing for respect. Beating them at home would notch a respectable win and serve as a catharsis from 1993.

3) Beat Michigan. Until Saturday, I wouldn't have thought this possible. Even now, it is a tall order because if we can't move the ball we could get blown out and face the indignity of restoring some hope to our rival before they start the Big Televen season. Likewise, we have the ability to pound a nail into their coffin with a win. It will be weakness on weakness when our offense faces their defense - if we can win this battle, we have a chance because I am liking our defenses chances against UM offense more in their current doldrums and with a freshman QB. If Hart and Long have lingering bumps and bruises from Saturday, our defense might play well against UM if they can only get some rest between drives.

4) Win a bowl game. That's assuming we make one, which would require six wins. If we do it certainly won't be a top tier bowl so maybe we could actually break our string of losses. I would be quite happy with the Motor City Bowl against the MAC champ if it meant we could get that monkey off our backs as well. I'd say we should drop down to Div 1-AA this year, but I think we would get blitzed by App. State.

For the rest, I would hope to win the four November games, which would still gives us a shot at seven wins. With what I have seen, I will be happy if we win six games and make the bowl. I am less hopeful about Purdue, because we will have to score some points to beat that team and I haven't seen it yet. Purdue will also have the revenge factor, but it would now be in the category of 'Big Win' if we get it. Bleh! I am not even going to entertain hopes of beating USC or UCLA. Perhaps we should keep out our young players from those games to avoid injuries and let the seniors and walkons start.

Friday Q, meet Sunday Q

The transformation from the hopeful, Friday version of Quixotehan and the Sunday realist version of Quixotehan occurred sometime in the third quarter of last night's game against Penn State. The flashes of opportunity by the defense mired in a constant string of three and outs by the offense. The catalyst for the conversion - the offensive line. When they weren't getting penalized for false starts or holding, they failed to establish any control of the offensive line in either drive blocking or pass protection. There are very few defenders being driven out of holes and the linebackers are making plays untouched. When in pass protection, the offensive tackles (especially Duncan) are diving at the ankles of the defensive ends in a futile attempt to chop block. This provides Clausen roughly 1-2 seconds for the end to step over the tackle and pressure the QB. And the penalties . . . oh, the horror.

Friday Quixotehan, Sunday Quixotehan

The hopeful Friday Q would like to remind Sunday Q that this OL is very young. With the exception of Sullivan we are playing 2 juniors and 2 sophomores. These are true years - most other universities would report them as 2 sophomores and 2 freshmen because they would redshirt linemen as a matter of course. This line is very young, but are also gaining valuable experience.

More to come from Sunday Quixotehan as a rewatch the game and give my thoughts on all of the Irish units performance. My quick take was that this could have been a much different game with even marginal OL play: the defense was stout before they tired late, the special teams provided good field position (and a PSU score), and the team intensity was improved over the first game. Clausen made good decisions and showed potential to direct the offense - if only we could have avoided all of the costly mistakes and gotten some offensive momentum from time to time.

Nittany Bidet

A loyal reader (thanks, mom) sent this photo in from the road on her way to Penn State. I wouldn't want to see the facilities reserved for opponents. I'm guessing that this was taken just outside Beaver stadium.

I'm gaining confidence (delusions?) that tomorrow will be a day to make us proud. The offensive line has masterfully used the Georgia Tech game to lull all future opponents into believing they are a spineless bunch just so they can lay the wood the rest of the season in dominating fashion. The team will stun PSU and we can all forget the first game of the season (any Michigan fans with me?)

Go Irish!

Hope Returns

Well, it has taken five days but hope has finally returned after last Saturday's debacle. Blue Gray Sky helped by posting this analysis which made our prospects seem much better and the chance of improvement more possible (91SO Motto 'dedicated to directing you to better websites'). I also decided that I should resign myself to reliance on hope rather than reason this year or it would be a long season.

With that said, I am predicting an upset of Penn State which will return a shimmer to the eye of Irish fan. The upset will come from a strong defense and a serviceable offense, not pretty but providing something to build on. So put on your lucky shirts and hats this weekend and don't forget to say a few devotionals. And if you're going to the game, don't forget to reference the handy 91SO Penn State Traveler's Guide for safe travels.

Clausen to Start

Freshman phenom, Jimmy Clausen, has been given the opportunity to start next Saturday's tilt against Penn State. Happy Valley hospitals have already requested for Mr. Clausen's insurance information to be on file.

Better get one of these, Jimmy!

Ouch

Well, that was painful.
The Irish suffered their worst home opening loss and fell to Georgia Tech 33-3 on Saturday. There wasn't much good to take out of the loss, although the final result contained a certain amount of snowballing. Even at halftime, I felt that we had a chance if we could just get calmed down and make a few breaks.
The one clear conclusion is that our offensive line was thoroughly dominated by the Bees. A certain amount of that is due to GaTech having a very good defensive front seven - but the Irish line looked totally ineffective whether it be run blocking or pass protection. It seemed like ND hasn't been doing much live blocking drills, because the Bees actually kept playing after the initial contact whereas the Irish blockers were expecting blocking sled behavior.
The defense gave up a lot of running yards, but played good redzone defense in the first half. I won't take much away from their performance because our complete lack of an offense left them on the field, demoralized.
Similarly, I think that the Demetrius Jones gameplan was the right way to attack this defense. It didn't work due to turnovers but there were some early encouraging flashes. The fact is that this line couldn't protect a drop back passer or blow open holes, so why not try deception in the running game? Good luck to Jimmy Clausen this weekend - unless the OL goes through some serious learning, he better be throwing the ball after a one step drop.

Otter Preview - GA Tech

Sorry for the absence, I've been sequestered for the final week before football in the Pacific Northwest, trying to survive the last week without exploding any internal organs. I've also used the opportunity to commune with some fellow otters to obtain their wisdom and insight into the coming season.

Tomorrow, the college football season starts and we will get our first glimpse of the Irish on the field. Right now, hope blossoms in the heart of every fan as they extrapolate all of the tidings from fall practice. Blogs find reason for optimism amongst the player and coach quotes and the statistical breakdowns of last season and what adjustments are going to yield a surprising number of wins. We rely on sea mammals. Their prediction for ND - GA TECH:

ND OTTER WIN!!

High Fives All Around!

The Otter says: anyone paying close attention will realize that Notre Dame's hopes rely on two major areas of improvement: 1) the impact of defensive coordinator Corwin Brown on a rejuvenated defense and 2) improved offensive line play allowing a power running game to give time for a young quarterback to come of age. If Notre Dame achieves substantial improvements in these two areas they will be able to stay in games with their defense and play a ball control offense which grinds up the clock and relies on their offensive strength - depth and talent at the running back position.

Of course, in the first game, hope meets reality. In terms of defensive improvement, Corwin Brown brings a new fire to the position of defensive coordinator and fans are hoping for an improvement similar to the impact made by Michigan coordinator Ron English in 2006. The defensive secondary is very experienced and has added depth. The increased depth will allow them to field more packages without sacrificing talent. Hopefully, the schemes will eliminate the big plays given up in 2006 and generate more interceptions against the passing game. The other big question mark will be the interior line play, particularly the nose guard in the 3-4 alignment. Notre Dame is undersized in this position and has little depth until Darrell Hand rejoins the team following his 3 game suspension. Georgia Tech will be a tough test in that they have a back in Rashard Choice who can grind out long drives in small chunks if the defensive line can't bear the point of attack.

On offense the key will be the offensive line, even more so than which quarterback starts the game. Expectations were high heading into 2006, with BGS assessing our OL as the 3rd best in comparison with our opponents. The assessment last year was that we had one of the most experienced lines in ND history, but now the post-mortem of last season laments the line's inability to guarantee short yardage. This year's version is the opposite of last year: the line is shorter on experience, but longer on talent and size. If true, it will allow our new quarterback to gain confidence while we rely on a stable of running backs to pound away. This will be a true test because Georgia Tech brings a stout and confusing defense which will test our OL right away. So as cliched as it is, the game will be won or lost in the interior line tomorrow. Get a good rest, boys and bring your A game.

Crash Wrecks Cheer Travel Plans

The Ramblin Wreck of Georgia Tech was in an accident this summer. Old news, you say. Well, we at 91 Screaming Otters have been able to obtain the first photo of this incident, taken at the moment of impact.

Due to this unfortunate event, the Yellow Jacket cheer squad will not be able to make it to the away opener in South Bend. They will be replaced by Granger Fifth Grade baton student, Tracey Farley. Georgia Tech students are reportedly excited about this development.

Said Ga Tech student, George Burdell added:

"I am really looking forward to seeing Tracey in action.
Nothing against our cheer squad, but they've been kinda flat lately. I
mean how many times can you get excited about watching an old car drive around
the stadium? Now if they were doing laps in a Dale Jr. NASCAR series car
at 150 mph? WOOHOO!! Also, our mascot, Buzz, kind of creeps me out - who ever
thought of the combination of a car and an insect, aren't they like karma
opponents? Hey! wait, I'm not done! I've got more. Don't walk
away. . ."

Actual football content!!!

Thoughts and observations about the coming season.

The tired comparisons of Charlie Weis tenure with Ty Willingham could return this season if some analysts (rhymes with Mark Gay?) hold serve. Coach Willingham's record at the end of three seasons is 21-15, and Coach Weis stands currently at 19-6. The Irish would have to go 2-9 in their first eleven games which is highly unlikely. However, the media will make hay of the comparison if the Irish start out poorly in their early stretch which includes USC, Michigan, Penn State, Georgia Tech, UCLA, Boston College, Purdue, and Michigan State. Five losses during this stretch is possible, so brace for the witty analysis. By the way, Bob Davie checks in at 21-16 over his first three seasons, a record which would have been identical to Willingham if Kent Baer had not coached the Insight Bowl loss to Oregon State.

Sports Illustrated's college football preview is out and has the Irish ranked 42nd and is predicting a 7-5 record. Unlike other magazines, they do not predict individual games but by looking at predictions for each of our opponents for their conference wins and losses this season you can deduce the following

Wins - Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Purdue, Navy, Air Force, Duke, Stanford
Losses - USC, UCLA, Michigan, Penn State, Boston College

Discarding my irrational exuberance, these predictions are pretty realistic in that most pundits would forecast 2 automatic losses in USC and Michigan, six competitive games in UCLA, Penn State, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Purdue, and Michigan State which SI splits at 3-3. The four final games are all heavy leans towards the Irish. One ray of hope is that SI picks USC as their national champion this season. A pretty safe bet, but one that Carroll and company may have wished away, given the SI curse. For an outstanding resource compiling all of the various predictions, accountants click here.


There's another win in here somewhere.

Borrowing from SMQ's prediction method, which is an expansion of the Athlon system. The method rates each game per the following points system:

• 9: Likely blowout win; no conceivable defeat
• 8: Comfortable win; chance of competitive game
• 7: Competitive win; minor upset threat
• 6: Close win; major upset threat
• 5: Toss-up win (likely, but not specifically, awarded to the home team)
• 4: Toss-up loss
• 3: Close loss; major upset threat
• 2: Competitive loss; minor upset threat
• 1: Big loss; chance of competitive game
• 0: Blowout loss; no conceivable victory

Without further ado, this is how I would subjectively evaluate this season's prospects:

	By Game
5	Georgia Tech
3	at Penn State
1	at Michigan
7	Michigan State
6	at Purdue
4	at UCLA
5	Boston College
1	USC
7	Navy
8	Air Force
9	Duke
7	at Stanford
5.25	Total

Weis Hires Freshman Choir Coach

AP Newswire: South Bend, IN
Notre Dame head coach, Charlie Weis announced the hire of Dwight Jones as a special assistant coach for football choir. The hire was prompted by poor performances by the football team in singing the Alma Mater following football games. "We feel that Mr. Jones can significantly improve the level of singing, especially with our freshman class" stated coach Weis. "I was impressed with what I heard in the following clip, and this will let me get back to evaluating quarterbacks while addressing a situation of need"

Famous moments in Spartan History

Yes, I am very bitter about the way the Spartans have dominated ND in our stadium for the last umpteen years. However, Notre Dame is not the first to suffer from Spartan humiliation. A review of the historical archives revealed that the first Michigan State flag planting occurred with the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the new world, succinctly captured in this 16th century painting.

Why, yes, I do have a new paint program.

Help Wanted: Research Assistant

Once you finish reading Joyce's Ulysses, why don't you stroll on by Blue Gray Sky and check out this article. Holy cow! I would think that they were making stuff up, but they actually use sources and everything. Between them and SMQ, the bar for college football blogging is really getting high.

That's why I am dismissing my current research assistant (yes, your allowance will decrease accordingly) and accepting applications. Position pays well in accolades and titles but monetary compensation is more of a growth opportunity. Please submit bona fides and work samples via the comment section.

Spartan Flag Hijinx Continue

The Michigan State Spartans continued their 2007 season tuneup by executing their traditional flag planting ceremony on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima today. In related news, former coach John L. Smith may be working in a special role for the Spartans since his dismissal and replacement by Mark Dantonio. Rumors persist that the firing was a well orchestrated ruse to allow Coach Smith to further focus on his special gift, player motivation and gamesmanship, under the new title of Special Assistant to Deploy Flags After Games (S.A.D.F.A.G.). The following satellite image was taken at a mothballed Air Force base near Louisville, Kentucky where Coach Smith is reported to be working on 'something special' for the ND game on September 22.

NASA Unveils New Lunar Photos

The Michigan State Spartans held a scrimmage on the lunar surface this weekend, to simulate the gray, lifeless environment which is Spartan Stadium on a home football weekend. After soundly beating themselves, the Spartans continued their rich tradition of flag planting on conquered terrain.MSU plans to plant flags this season on soil in South Bend, Madison, Columbus, Iowa City, West Lafayette, and Ganymede.

This Is Why We're Hot

Why is Notre Dame still the lead story on SportsCenter even when they are not picked to finish this year in the top 25? Even the most optimistic Irish fan would have to admit that a BCS bowl would be a major accomplishment this season. Despite all the pundits claims that Notre Dame is irrelevant, a capitalist society is governed by the laws of supply and demand. If the secondary ticket market is any indication, Notre Dame still rules the college football world.

If you didn't follow the link, Ticket City released the top 25 games of the 2007 season as judged by market ticket price. Notre Dame is playing in an astounding 5 of the top 25 including 4 of the top 5 games - Penn State(1), USC (3), Michigan (4), BC (5), and UCLA (21).

The reigning national champs and preseason favorite USC both play in 4 of the top 24 games, followed by Michigan, LSU, Ohio State, and Alabama appearing in 3 each. Only USC, Michigan, and Florida appear in two of the top ten.

So while sportswriters and pundits are ready to turn the page on ND season, don't think for a minute that the programmers and advertisers don't recognize the appetite for ND in the marketplace. (I'm sure Brian of MGoBlog will argue that it's because ND football players are concentrated in the Mendoza school of business, but HLS puts the kabosh to that)

Chocolates and Chaps!

If you are alive and reading this blog, you probably know that football practice has begun. The sleeping giant that is the college football internet media has awoken and there are prodigious amounts of candy out there for the fans.

If you are looking to gorge yourself on the fine chocolates of ND fall practice, head over to NDNation for starters or any of the blogroll links at right. I won't try to keep up unless I see some interesting tidbit or insight, such as deciphering Charlie Weis' starting QB via hidden hieroglyphic messages in ancient Egyption artifacts (Dan Brown's next novel, perchance?)

In case you missed it, Rocket Ismail will be entering the fray of reality TV in Ty Murray's Celebrity Bullriding Challenge. Not sure how Rocket's speed is going to help him stay atop the bull, but we'll keep you posted.

Oh, Canada!

Recent travels took me north of our borders into the land of maple syrup, hockey, and 12 man football. What I did not expect was to see such a rabid bunch of Notre Dame fans in Quebec. While I was unable to interview any of the local denizens (they spoke some form of gobbleydegook), I did notice that they have the habit of naming their local churches after their favorite college football team.

I submit the L'Eglise Notre Dame des Victoires, built after ND beat Miami 31-30 in 1988.


and the chapelle Notre Dame de Bon Secours in Montreal, which is gobbleydegook for 'Notre Dame is good, suckers!"


and the Basilique Notre Dame de Montreal, which means 'Basically, Notre Dame IS Montreal'. This is where Montrealiers congregate to watch Irish games on big screen plasma TVs.



The visitor to the basilique is greeted by a familiar logo.



Go Irish, eh!

This buckeye brakes for kitties!

As I was wandering around the net, the following quote from an ESPN article on Michael Vick caught my eye:

The public outcry had reached a fever pitch. PETA protested outside. Cars honk
and drivers waved to the group. The condemnation seemed universal. "I've been
doing this 20 years," says Bill Long, PETA activist and former Ohio State
quarterback, "and I've never seen anything like this."

What?? A former Ohio State QB and PETA activist? That's like a peanut butter and asparagus sandwich, Keith Richards and Julie Andrews, 4th of July and sashimi, ND football players and solicitation, uh, you get the picture.
From what I can find on the web, it looks like Mr. Long was the starting quarterback in 1967 and went 6-3. Including in this win total were victories over Ducks, Wolverines, and Badgers with a loss to the Wildcats. Apparently, his activism was not a problem on the field, although he did convince Woody Hayes to become a vegan for about twenty minutes.

ND Spirit vs Spirituality: Ch 2

Click here to see chapter 1 of this series.

In order to consider the interaction between Notre Dame's football program and its place as a religious institution, I thought we should evaluate the peer group to see what other programs share this trait. My research assistant has gone through the 119 institutions which play Div 1 college football and the removed the obviously public institutions which are, by law, secular. The following is a rundown of the remaining institutions and what can be gleaned regarding their religious affiliation from the web.


Texas Christian University - associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

University of Southern California - private university with no religious affiliation. Interestingly enough, of the limited information on the school website, they point out that the three founders were a Protestant, Catholic, and a Jew, which seems intended to stress their secular nature.

Brigham Young University - associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Named after the early Mormon leader who was also the first governor of the state of Utah.

University of Miami - private secular university.

University of Tulsa - private university affiliated with the Presbyterian church

Boston College - private college associated with the Catholic Church, founded and operated by the Jesuits (Society of Jesus)

Wake Forest University - private university founded by North Carolina Baptists. Unsure of present religious affiliation - mission statement mentions religious pluralism but there is also a recently added divinity school with Baptist and Presbyterian studies.

Stanford University - private university with no religious affiliation.

Northwestern University - private university founded by Methodists but with no current religious affiliation.

Baylor University - private university affiliated with the Baptist Church.

Vanderbilt University - private university founded with ties to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South - but no current religious affiliation.

Southern Methodist University - private university affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

Notre Dame - private university affiliated with the Catholic Church, founded and operated by the Brothers of the Holy Cross

Syracuse University - private university founded with ties to the Methodist Episcopal Church, but no current religious affiliation.

Rice University - private university with no religious affiliation.

Tulane University - private university with no religious affiliation. Only public school to go private.

Duke University - private university with historical ties to the Methodist Episcopal Church. Interestingly, Duke's website compares it's Methodist affiliation to Northwestern, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, and USC? Yet USC does not make any similar claim to religious affilitation. Similar to Wake Forest, Duke has a historical religious connection but is primarily a secular university in its current mission.

So, of 119 universities playing division 1 college football, we can glean the following.

112 are public universities.
Of the 17 private universities
5 have never had any religious affiliation (USC, Miami, Stanford, Rice, Tulane)
5 have historical ties but claim no current religious mission (Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Duke, Wake Forest)
7 universities claim a religious affiliation (TCU, BYU, Tulsa, Boston College, Baylor, ND, SMU)

Of the seven universities in Division 1A football, Notre Dame and Boston College are the only two Catholic institutions and are the only programs in a BCS conference (yes - I know ND is not technically in a conference, but it has its own rules about BCS eligibility). I don't claim to know a great deal about the other five non-catholic schools, but they do not have either the historical success or national following that Notre Dame has achieved. Of these schools, BYU appears to be most similar to ND as a standard carrier for a religious affiliation with a national following. With regards to Boston College, they retain a regional fanbase in comparison with ND. Thus, Notre Dame does hold a unique position with a relatively small peer group for comparison.

I Think I'm Going to be Sick

Not much I can say about this. Is Mike Celizic serious comparing the sainted Rockne with the horned Carroll.

Honestly, I'm a little nauseous from reading it. I think I have to go lie down.

Discipline or PR

Quiet news about two key opponents status for the 2008 season was made yesterday. One was the reinstatement of Michigan receiver Adrian Arrington after being suspended from spring practices for violating team rules and a domestic violence arrest (charges were dropped). The second is the undecided status of Penn State safety, Anthony Scirotto, and tackle, Chris Baker.

The optimist in me says that the young men involved have shown character by accepting their punishment, learning a valuable lesson, and should be allowed to continue. The pessimist in me wonders if these punishments were more about appearing tough than reform - in Arrington's case, his position as a a starter was not in question during spring ball and he has been reinstated jus before fall practice. If Scirroto returns for the home opener, then JoePa will appear tough as nails (pick up trash, throw the bums out), then get credit for his compassion without a player missing so much as a single practice.

I contrast this to the way ND has handled a couple of discipline cases in the past. Lou Holtz, for all his critics, has a history of suspending talented starters for key games and the suspension of fullback Rashon Powers-Neal was handled in a way that punished the team but protected his privacy and didn't allow any PR-hounding by coach, Charlie Weis. Are Michigan and Penn State posturing about being tough while Notre Dame stays true to its beliefs or are we generalizing individual cases? We may never know.

A Look Ahead

Notre Dame and the University of Michigan just announced that they would extend their current series another twenty years, meaning that they will play each other until 2031. The current series stands at 19-14-1 in favor of Michigan, although the record since the Ford Administration is 12-10-1 in favor of Notre Dame. Here are my predictions for the series in the year 2031:


1) Notre Dame leads series 38-19-1 after a 24 game win streak which began in the last year of the Carr coaching era and lasted throughout the entire span of the Jimmy Johnson coaching era at Michigan. In desperation, coach Johnson has even persuaded the Michigan department of corrections to build a team dormitory facility on campus to allow Michigan to attract premier recruits with some societal debt.


2) Notre Dame head coach, Charlie Weis, Jr. will face rival coach, Joe Paterno, for the second time when Notre Dame plays Penn State in their first offsite meeting in Notre Dame's new 8-3-1 scheduling format. The neutral site meeting will be held in the new 95,000 capacity facility built for Indiana University at South Bend. This will be the second game played in this stadium in the 2031 season as they also face the Titans in their away opener.



3) SEC coaches make a familiar complaint about Notre Dame's recruiting advantages, due to the difficulty of getting high school athletes to consider southern locales. Once again, they cite global warming and the health affects of any skin exposure below the Mason Dixon line as unfairly hurting schools in Florida, Texas, California, and Arizona whereas students in Northern Indiana are enjoying moderate temperatures throughout the winter.

USC songgirl in year 2031

4) Officials discussed the possibility of a playoff when the current ESIFRIMIBCS (Extra Special Improved Format Really I Mean It Bowl Championship Series) expires in 2050.

Please feel free to leave your own Kreskin-like predictions in the comment section.

This is getting ridiculous

Just checking in from the road to find out that ND just landed its 19th recruit from the class of 2008, 5 star recruit LB Steven Filer from Chicago. The amount of talent landed this early is incredible. It's easy to get sucked into the hype of recruiting in this slow cycle, but it's also great to see the coaching staff getting the work of recruiting completed before the season when there is less time for wooing high school seniors.

With all the talk about the class of 2008, I thought I would take a moment to review the incoming class of 2007 which will be getting its first taste of ND practice. The reality is that very few freshman will see the field let alone make an impact. The new faces which will have the biggest impact this year will be from the sophomore class of 2006. I look forward to seeing more of James Aldridge and am hoping a Munir Prince, Barry Gallup, Conrad Reuland, or Paddy Mullen make a big impact in their sophomore campaigns.

Have Wife, Must Travel

Lite posting ahead as Q must take some time to vacate.

God put the summertime before the fall so that you could get all of those family responsibilities accomplished right before settling into the Barcalounger for the three month hibernation called college football season.

My grand experiment in learning new tricks will be tested as I try to post from the road, but for the most part, I am leaving you in Tim's capable hands.

P.S. - Tim, this posting method is not going to work.

Oooh! Pretty Charts

My dilemma for next posting fodder was solved by an anonymous commentator who posed these questions:

I think Tim should write an article about single alumni returning
to South Bend and hooking up with coeds on football weekends. More specifically,
after what age is this no longer acceptable? I had heard the formula was
(age/2)+7. Meaning a 24 year graduate could hook up with anyone who is 19 or
older. Is this accurate? Also, is there any truth to the Tawny Kitaen
exemption?

Dating age restrictions - an interesting, ethical question.

To answer these questions, I requested some help from my research assistant to evaluate the proposed formula for minimum dateable coed age. One result of this equation is that the coed pool is essentially out of dating reach for alumni at age 30 as most coeds are under the age of 22. This seemed a little harsh to my way of thinking so I constructed a 'Q curve' which took into account that males mature slower than females so the coed dating availability should be extended into mid-thirties. I also adjusted for the 'Peter Pan reality effect' which require a nonlinear escalation in middle age. The Anna Nicole Retrograde Impact was also included to acknowledge that AARP membership includes the right to no longer care just how young that trophy wife is.

Lastly, to maintain sanity, I added the 'Classmate Daughter Control Line' to confirm that no correlation allows the dating of a classmates daughter, this is violated by the Q Curve at approximately age 58 which should be an age where the threat of violent conflict is assuaged by hip replacement fears. That is, unless your classmate is Jack Palance.

Regarding the Tawny Kitaen exemption, this ruling is rarely required in circumstances surrounding single alumni attending college football games, particularly at ND. For the Whitesnake video Tawny Kitaen prospect, a general dispensation is allowed, provided that she is not the daughter of Jack Palance. For the recently incarcerated Tawny Kitaen lookalike - well, if you are asking the question, you are probably going to ignore socially acceptable guidelines, anyway.
Not the girl from the Whitesnake video

Latest Development in Vick Case

This just in . . . federal investigators acting on an anonymous tip searched Michael Vick's property in Aspen, Colorado this afternoon and uncovered startling evidence related to the Atlanta Falcon star's developing legal troubles.

Spokesperson Harold Rayman announced that detectives found kennels for over 20 dogs of the St. Bernard breed on the Vick property. Each dog was equipped with portable beverage containers worn around the neck. These containers hid a secret compartment with a small amount of dark brown particulate and a pungent arome described thus, 'looks like cannabis, smells like cannabis, smokes like cannabis'.

Will not make it through airline screening!

The dogs do not appear to have been used for purposes of fighting, rather they exhibited a very mellow, almost detached outlook. The living space for each dog contained abundant amounts of chips, pizza, and fast food wrappers as well as lava lamps and velour puppy pillows.

Neighbors mentioned that the dogs are a common sight in winter on the ski slopes, particularly near the snowboard half-pipe.

Welcome, Tim

91 Screaming Otters welcomes Tim to the staff. Tim meets our editorial requirements by (a) having a computer, (b) possessing the ability to write semi-coherent, meaningless fluff, and (c) foolishly accepting the offer.

Take it away, Tim!

Tim?

Tim?

Denson Article

The South Bend Tribune has a nice write up on Autry Denson. I especially like the description of his transformation from player to fan:

Following the Irish falls in that category. Now that his own football career is behind him, Denson plans on being a regular at Notre Dame Stadium."It's better for me to be there than watch it at home," he said.
"When I'm at home, I have this Notre Dame room, and it's just me and my son (Autry). And when the game's on, no one can call me. No one can talk to me. No one is allowed to come into the room."I was talking to (former teammate) Ron Powlus a couple of weeks ago. I told him I've turned into the guy we used to make fun of. I'm a Notre Dame fanatic. I can't help myself. I'm hopeless."

'The guy we used to make fun of' - I know of what you speak.

Autry - there's a pair of pants waiting for you at the bookstore.

PSU Rivalry Perspective

Mike on Black Shoe Diaries has written an interesting article on the ND - Penn State rivalry. He recaps the eighteen meetings between the schools and it is interesting that the majority of these games took place in the 80's through the early 90's when PSU joined the Big 10.
Better yet is his assessment of the rivalry from a Nittany Lion perspective. I think he is very correct in assuming the rivalry means more to PSU than ND and I was unaware of how the void in the PSU-Pitt rivalry has affected PSU fans. Penn State has yet to develop any serious Big Ten rivalries because they have not yet generated the beatdowns and dream-ending upsets that are the heart of a rivalry with any of their Big T(elev)en brethren.
What I do remember are the close, exciting games in the 80's. I was at many of those games and I always had a certain amount of respect for the Lions in their throwback unis and team style. JoePa takes a beating and is a cantankerous old goat, but he is /was? (if the zombie rumors are true) harder to dislike than a Schembechler or Jimmy Johnson.

ND Spirit & Spirituality: Chapter 1

This is the first of a series of posts where I will ruminate upon aspects of religion and spirituality surrounding Notre Dame and its football program. Certainly, religion has been an intrinsic part of the Notre Dame mystique and lore; from the early days of Rockne's Ramblers to current campus icons such as Touchdown Jesus and Number One Moses. How has religion influenced both fans and detractors of the football team? Does the blend of religion and football truly offer spiritual meaning or is it a mere fusing of cultural and historical symbols which create fan enthusiasm without serving spiritual progress? i.e., does the football program promote spirituality or just ND Spirit? Can it be both? Can it have multiple meanings to different people?

For the purposes of these discussions, I will use the following definitions:
Spirit - the shared feelings of passion for the university and football team
Spirituality - the personal search for meaning in one's life through contemplation and prayer
Religion - the organized creed and practices of a specific religion.

In the context of this blog, I will use the term Catholic to refer to the religious faith rather than spirituality. It should go without saying that the three are not mutually exclusive.

For example, I would consider the Leprechaun and the Notre Dame Victory March to be examples of ND Spirit - icons which are well recognized but hold no claim of spiritual or religious meaning. Such symbols are typical of most collegiate programs and is part of the quiltwork of college football pageantry which makes the game so vivid across the country.

As a counter example, the Grotto is a place on campus which is primarily spiritual. While it has elements which are specifically Catholic (statue of Virgin Mary, prayer services), it is primarily a place for quiet contemplative prayer. I would contrast this with the gameday ritual of players attending mass before every home game as, of course, a religious activity, in that it is a distinctly Catholic ceremony.

Other campus icons such as the golden dome and the name of the university themselves are tributes to the Virgin Mother, Mary. While these symbols have strong spiritual meaning, the meaning is best felt as part of the Catholic faith in that Marian beliefs and practices have a strong Catholic tradition but are less prevalent with many other Christian denominations in the US. For my purposes I will consider them primarily Catholic rather than spiritual in that they are not universally accepted symbols. (this is not thesis-worthy work, so please do not be offended if I inadvertantly misrepresent beliefs)

So where do we put other familiar campus icons such as Touchdown Jesus and Number One Moses? I believe that part of the reason for so much passion (positive and negative) about Notre Dame football is that many of the prevalent symbols can have meanings in all three areas. I will revisit some of these icons in later postings.

I imagine that some of the same reasons that attract certain people to support Notre Dame cause detractors to have an active dislike for the team. Disregarding religious affiliation and prejudices, some Catholics are leery of the identification of the team with the faith. Co-opting spiritual symbols into the realm of college football pageantry has the potential of reducing the symbol's power to inspire and/or program negative responses for opponents of the team. Beyond this, the common equating of Notre Dame as the holding some prestiged position in the Catholic faith is also poor religion. Catholicism is the largest denomination in the United States; every team in college football has Catholic players and fans, just as Notre Dame has players who are not Catholic. To claim that Notre Dame has favored status as a Catholic football institution is one of the reasons cited by ardent opponents (haters). Yet, there is clearly a following amongst Catholics that gives ND a fanbase which is far more national than most college teams. This is an area ripe for examination, as the roots of this history are as much historical and cultural as they are religious.

Does the university foster this role? The athletic programs certainly benefit from this prestiged position financially, using their broad national appeal to retain independence and negotiate its own television contracts. However, there have been signs of tension in the administration (Notre Dame is governed by the Holy Cross Order of Catholic priests) over the proper role of athletics within the university mission, which will sometimes be at odds with the football program.

The University mission statement itself expresses tension between the need to be a great learning institution and a place of free thought and belief with maintaining its Catholic beliefs and traditions. The following excerpt from the university mission statement demonstrates this:

The University of Notre Dame is a Catholic academic community of higher learning, animated from its origins by the Congregation of Holy Cross. The University is dedicated to the pursuit and sharing of truth for its own sake. As a Catholic university one of its distinctive goals is to provide a forum where through free inquiry and open discussion the various lines of Catholic thought may intersect with all the forms of knowledge found in the arts, sciences, professions, and every other area of human scholarship and creativity. The intellectual interchange essential to a university requires, and is enriched by, the presence and voices of diverse scholars and students.
The Catholic identity of the University depends upon, and is nurtured by, the continuing presence of a predominant number of Catholic intellectuals. This ideal has been consistently maintained by the University leadership throughout its history. What the University asks of all its scholars and students, however, is not a particular creedal affiliation, but a respect for the objectives of Notre Dame and a willingness to enter into the conversation that gives it life and character. Therefore, the University insists upon academic freedom which makes open discussion and inquiry possible.

Notre Dame is dedicated to being both a world class university and provide an environment where spirituality can flourish. It is not particularly evangelical, but rather provides opportunities for faith and allows individuals to choose their own level of involvement. There is a fair range in the approach to religion amongst Catholic universities in the United States, and Notre Dame is considerably more secular than institutions where formation plays a central role, such as Franciscan University or Ave Maria University. I believe that the university stays mostly silent on the more blatant secular uses of religious symbols surrounding the football team while providing opportunities to fans and students alike to find some spiritual meaning in the experience of the university. I also believe that it is this distinction which makes the 'ND Spirit' a unique phenomenom in college football and drives so much passion in its fans. Even those who can't vebalize it, often describe the ND experience with feelings of attachment which go beyond team loyalty.

WFL Fallout

The NFL Europe recently announced that it would be ceasing competition. The NFL indicates that Europe's insatiable demand for all things American will be met by having (up to) two regular season games held internationally per year. The debut comes in October when the Giants meet the Dolpins in London. This announcement was met with disappointment by British football hooligans, who had hoped for the Cincinnati Bengals, a team with a large following in British football circles.
London Footballers hold candlelight vigil for Bengals
With any corporate closing, there are jobs and lives affected. Some players in NFL Europe have a chance to land on an NFL roster and others may find work in the new All American Football League. I had my research assistant break down the NFL Europe rosters to see what schools will be working overtime:

Conference	# of players on NFL Europe rosters
ACC	30
Big T(elev)en	26
SEC	26
Pac 10	25
Big 12	22
Big East	19
Mountain West	16
Conference USA	14
WAC	11
Independent	4
Div I-AA	43
Div 2	21
Div 3	5
International	44
Other	4

The schools with 3 or more former players are:

6 - South Carolina (apparently, the good people have already prepared for the coming rush. )


5 - Georgia Tech, San Diego State, Syracuse, Virginia Tech
4 - Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Florida, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Virginia, Wyoming
3 - Arizona St, Boise St, UConn, Florida, Maryland, Memphis, North Carolina, Oklahoma St, Rutgers, USC, Southern Miss, Temple, Tennessee St, Utah, Washington St, Wisconsin

The lone ND player is kicker D.J. Fitzpatrick. Perhaps he will catch on with that other European football, I would think they would need some kickers. I was hoping to be able to make some clever analysis of this data, but couldn't come up with anything insightful or clever (mea culpa). If anyone has any thoughts that make Michigan and USC (not the gamecocks - who cares) look bad, leave them in the comments. In other words, this is meaningless statistics with no value. Good to see I can live up to my mission statement.

Notre Dame Football Returns

During this slow football news period, I would like to welcome the return of football to Notre Dame. Rugby football, that is.

This past spring the Notre Dame Rugby Football Club (NDRFC) was reinstated after 12 years of banishment for 'inexcusable misconduct'. Office of Student Life official, Dean Wormer reportedly said the NDRFC was responsible for excessive drinking, poor grades, consorting with his relatives, and cruelty to animals.


91 Screaming Otters salute the efforts of the current team members and wish them luck this season. Faugh a Ballaugh!

Last Notre Dame Football team to win at Ohio State.

A Pause for Reflection

Not much one can add to this article.

While it is fun to make caricatures of coaches, Charlie's daughter is a humanizing gift which is a lesson to all.

It's important to be reminded of life's true lessons from time to time. We, as ND fans, should probably consider that rival teams and coaches have similar stories before we apply our scorn and ridicule.

Of course, after consideration, we will smear them anyway - but with empathy.

A Sensible Proposal

July is the famine times for college football fans. The afterglow of bowl and NFL season leads into the March Madness. April through June bring the start of baseball season and the distraction of the NBA and NHL playoffs as well as the professional drafts. The past football season has faded (we lost in the Sugar Bowl?) and the hope that comes with a new season is still a mirage on the horizon. The preseason magazines are like a billboard for an oasis in the desert.

Water Ahead! Only Ten More Weeks!

But July is only baseball (sorry NASCAR, golf, and tennis have no interest for me) and next weekend is the absolute slowest weekend in sports when baseball turns to the All Star break and we don't even get a full slate of games. At this time of years, ESPN is basically hoping that Terrell Owens or Pacman Jones will feed the media beast with some story because otherwise they are just shouting down the well.

So what to do? I am a casual baseball fan and my interest only rises later in the season when the pennant races are heating up. I watch games in July, but only with a halfhearted interest.

Then it struck me - why not play the baseball playoffs in July and August? The most exciting time of the baseball season has to compete for attention with the two behemoths of American sport in September and August (college football and NFL). If MLB moved the playoffs to start in July, they would have the spotlight to themselves and the ratings of playoff games would go through the roof. In August, the only competition is the preseason football and training camps, but the baseball series would still be top dog. Finish the world series by Labor Day and baseball will at least own the summer.

But wait, Quixotehan, that would mean shortening the season by half. What of all the lost revenue?

The answer - start the next season the week after Labor Day. You can still play into November, but now the meaningless first half of the season is played in the fall, the players take a winter break and play resumes in the Spring in the midst of the pennant races. The diehards in the fall are in their season of new hope, so maybe people will even go to Devil Ray games again as they could be at the head of the division in late October. In the spring, the games are more meaningful and momentum builds until the playoffs.

Unconventional, yes. Inspired, absolutely. For providing this brilliant solution, I only ask for World Series tickets in perpetuity and 1% gross of April gate receipts. Or one year of A-Rod's salary.