"We're good enough, our schedule's tough enough and gosh darn it, people like us."
That final point, ironically, because we got shafted last week.
So
one of the things I neglected to mention about my recent visit to China was the
odd dream I had my first night in the country:
I
found myself on the par 4, 414 yard 1st tee of Shanghai Links, the Jack
Nicklaus course in Pudong, a nearby suburb of the city.
Our foursome was Lini, Spittler and a giant panda named Alan.
Our foursome was Lini, Spittler and a giant panda named Alan.
How
extraordinary, I thought! Bob and Jerry in China. What do you suppose brings them here...
But as our fourth prepared to hit, I noticed my
classmates exchange looks and sniggers.
“What?”
I asked.
 |
| "Tell Bob and Jerry, they can settle via Apple Pay…" |
“You
mean the plus fours he’s wearing? Perhaps he’s a big Payne Stewart fan.”
“No,”
they whispered, “he’s hitting a one iron! I mean, seriously? In this day and age?”
At
which point Alan striped his drive 285 yds. with a bit of a power fade, cutting through the East China Sea wind and landing dead center in the fairway. He picked up his tee, smiled at the
boys and said, “Who’s laughing now, sweet cheeks?”
Then
I woke up.
Thought #2
Who, indeed, is laughing now? With ND sitting 6-1 and in near total control of
their football destiny? After a pre-season with so minimal expectations that even this august group of pollyanna's (realists Albert and Feifar excluded), by and large, predicted a 3-4 loss season.
Probably not the SEC, PAC-12 or Big 12 who thought their conference winners were gonna be fast tracked to the Final Four.
Probably not the SEC, PAC-12 or Big 12 who thought their conference winners were gonna be fast tracked to the Final Four.
 |
| "You said, '2015 will be ND's year…" |
"Not so fast!," as embarrassing ESPN buffoon / Mel Brooks impersonator / proud FSU alum Lee Corso might say.
Indeed, ND has made a fine mess of it for those who thought they had this year all figured out.
And in doing so, will surely hasten the cry for an 8-team playoff format…
And in doing so, will surely hasten the cry for an 8-team playoff format…
Fantastic.
Song of the Week
I'm in a contemplative mood this week - color me surprised, happy and grateful regarding the state of both the team's performance and the program itself. Who would've thought even an academic scandal would make me proud of the school?
Thank you, Danny Elfman - and Raymond V. for inviting me, lo those many years ago, to see these guys…
Thank you, Danny Elfman - and Raymond V. for inviting me, lo those many years ago, to see these guys…
"Life's been so good to me
. Has it been good to you?
Has it been everything that you expected it to be ?
Was it as good for you as it was good for me?
And was it everything that it was all set up to be?
Now is that gratitude? Now is that gratitude…"
Has it been everything that you expected it to be ?
Was it as good for you as it was good for me?
And was it everything that it was all set up to be?
Now is that gratitude? Now is that gratitude…"
Word of the Week
 |
| "Hey, isn't that a pick play…" |
Anxiety-relieving; helpful in escaping one's thoughts or cares.
Used in a sentence: Viewing the football games without the pressure of ND playing, young Terry finally realized how phrontifugic is was to watch other teams lose, especially in the torturous end-of-game fashion that USC has made a habit.
Mid-Season Musings
The thought occurred to me I could just make up an imaginary game and start commenting. Half the people who read this wouldn't even realize we didn't really pick up a Chechnya State (The Fighting Rebels) but I'm not gonna do that. Instead, call this a stream-of-conscious State of College Football ramblings:
1. There doesn't seem to be a 2012 Alabama, no uber-dominant team. We can play with anyone.
2. We can also lose to a lot of these teams. A few of which are on our schedule.
3. I don't think USC is one of those teams. They look like a team that one more tough loss (and season ending injury) could totally break their spirit.
4. Teams I don't really want to play: Georgia, Baylor / TCU (I get them confused - they score a ton of points and their coaches have no conscience about running up the score) and yes, Bama.
5. Michigan is really bad. Really, REALLY bad. They don't look capable of upsetting anyone. Which is unfortunate for us as it relates to Ohio State.
6. I should apologize to Joe Schmidt for subscribing to the "he's a walk on, how good can he possibly be?" line of thinking. Plus he's so dreamy looking. Sorry, Cam, you are so 2013.
7. I don't even know what Trumbetti's first name is but it doesn't matter: he's an Italian kid from Jersey, he's probably never been called it in his life. Except maybe by his mother when he was in trouble. Which no doubt, because he's an Italian kid from Jersey, was every day.
8. Thanks to Special Guest Blogger, B. Gruley, Esq., for calling out the deplorable state of refereeing and the need to do something about it. Reinforcing Bryan's true visionary nature, several high profile editorial sheep followed suit, including this commentary here - the implications of which are extremely disturbing, if not entirely revelatory.
9. I hope none of you are spending any time doing the 'what if we have Kevaire / Ishaq / Devaris' exercise… chemistry is a delicate thing - this team has it. Who is to say those guys would've been great leaders?
10. I wonder what Vegas thinks about the way the refs are impacting these games? Unless, of course, they're in on the action.
11. I love the fact that the playoffs are making everyone raise the bar, scheduling-wise. Still have to do something about September cupcake platter.
12. Hey - a November that matters! How cool is that?!
13. If we have even the slightest of knee injuries against Navy, I'm beginning that "drop them from the schedule like a stone' movement. So tired of their cut blocks.
Quote of the Week"My pessimism extends to the point of even suspecting the sincerity of other pessimists."
Jean Rostand, Biologist
A sentiment for those of you still not buying the "ND is back and this time we mean it" story...
2014 Schedule
August
28 Rice - W
September
6 Michigan - W
13 Purdue (Indianapolis) W
27 @Syracuse (MetLife) W
October
4 Stanford W
11 North Carolina W
18 @FSU
November
1 @Navy
8 @Arizona State
15 Northwestern
22 Louisville
29 @USC
The Wager:
Money continues to trickle in - which is awesome - and if I haven't marked you down, let me know.
Wins
|
Song
|
Representative Lyric
|
ND Application
|
Contestant
prediction
|
12
|
 |
“Here's your ticket,
Pack your bag.
Time for jumpin' overboard...”
| Man Oh Man Oh Man... if we win this much, something's getting lit up! Starting with me. | |
11
| Daryl, Dave M | |||
10
|
Heaven
 | is a place... where nothing... nothing ever happens...” | Boy, attaining this level of consistent, calm excellence... I could get used to. | Kevin C, Terry, Lini, Jerry W, Peter, Rob W |
9
| JP,, Ted, Mike C, Jerry C, Tim C, Bob R, Tim S, Jim S, Jay, Jim B | |||
8
|
Once In A Lifetime
 |
"And you may ask yourself, how did I get here?
Same as it ever was..."
| 8-5... again?! How did we get to this point of near constant mediocrity? | Brian W, Jim T, Jerry P, Tom, Kevin M, Garrett, Mark, Mike G |
7
| John, Ray, Blair, Alvin, Dave, Ryan, Randy, Dennis | |||
6
|
The Big Country
 |
“I wouldn't live there if you paid me.
I couldn't live that, no siree..."
| Both 'A' Lot and ND football - gone the way of the dinosaur. I need to make some profound changes in my life. | Matt |
5
| ||||
4
|
No Compassion
 |
“They say compassion is a virtue...
But I don't have the time.”
| Empathy for our pathetic football program is over-rated. I am so done. Hello, lacrosse. | |
3
| ||||
2
|
Psycho Killer
 |
“Run run run run
run run run away…
Oh oh ohhhhhh...
ay yai yai
yai yai...”
| Dad is just staring at the TV. He's not even paying attention to the game. And he's drooling. | |
1
|
Schadenfreude Time
1.
Mississippi. The Italians have an expression, “piano,
piano” which means “slowly, slowly” and represents my attitude toward ND and
their playoff hopes: we don’t everyone
to lose immediately, we just need about one per week to stumble. And as conflicted as I am any time a Les
Miles team wins, this is a solid start.
2.
USC. I can’t help myself. I know their winning helps our strength of
schedule but it’s just too delicious when they lose to a nationally ranked ski
program.
Terry's Trolls.
1. UNC. Oh boy. Between them and FSU, they sure are making our academic justification for alignment with the ACC looking a bit… thin. At any rate, 18 years of systematic academic abuse. How do they not get the Death Penalty?
2. Karlos Williams. As you all now know, FSU's starting tailback is being investigated for domestic battery. Shocker! But don't dismay, he'll be okay: 1) If any significant discipline is going to be handed down, it'll happen after the Seminole's Thursday night's Louisville game and 2) Jimbo Fisher says "Karlos told me he didn't do it. I believe him. He's a great kid…"
 |
| "You promised me some serious bling…" |
Plus Jimbo's wife and odd children are expecting a big Christmas and, you know, those FSU performance bonuses just don't award themselves…
3. Lamarr Houston. One of the Bears' prize free agents tears his ACL after celebrating a sack yesterday. That alone would be worth loving for Packer Boy. The fact that it happened to the unfortunate nitwit when Chicago was losing to the Pats by almost 40 demonstrated that a) the Bears aren't paying him for his intelligence and b) karma is indeed a bitch.
An English Major Walks Into A Bar…
A Midsummer Night’s Beam
(A Midsummer Night’s Dream, ca. 1600)
by William Shakespeare
Take two parts Ren Faire and one part
Greek mythology, add a liberal dash of forest-dwelling nymphs – and you’ve got
Shakespeare’s whimsical meditation on love and lunacy.
An amateur might toast this
oft-produced play with two melatonin and some cough syrup but only a foolish
mortal would try that – this is a dream, not a blackout. You’ll want to stay upright, if drowsily so,
for a light, vegetation-heavy drink that will keep you skimming all five acts
before a proper fairy-blessed slumber.
You just might wake up in love.
·
8 sprigs fresh mint,
washed
·
½ oz. lime juice
·
2 teaspoons
granulated sugar
·
2 oz. bourbon
·
1 (12 oz.) can club
soda
Muddle the mint, lime juice and sugar in a highball glass. Add ice and bourbon – and fill to the top with the club soda. Sip to your imagination’s content, stopping only if your inner wood nymph begins to manifest itself too flamboyantly.
Recruiting
 |
| "And he shall be a good man…" |
He was born a pauper to pawn on a Christmas day when the New York Times said ‘God Is Dead’ and 'The War’s Begun'!
Alvin Tostig has a son today.
And he shall be Te’von. And he shall be a good man...
I hope. About the 'good man' bit, not the 'he likes his money'… although that's no doubt true as well. And understandable. Let's just hope he's making it by mowing lawns or life guarding.
But hey, when you're 6-1, ranked #7 and in the conversation for a Final Four spot, kids want to play for you… 21 spots tentatively filled (pending the inevitable surprise decommitment), with an elite QB now in the fold and maybe 4 or 5 more spots left to hold out for a stud RB / WR / S / CB / DL. This could be fun.
And the prospective names are as elite as their talent: Soso, Equanimeous, Iman, Ykili, Minkah, Aliz'e. Sounds like the cast of an awesome "Homeland" episode.
On This Day in 1689
There is no truth to the rumor that he really burned down the city due to over compensation issues after all his peers made fun of his name, which, loosely translated, means little wind instrument...
Final Thought
For those of you who still can't let it go. And evidently, I'm one of you...
