04/25/24
November 22, 2009
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
It's clear Notre Dame's football team is not capable of winning games any more that can be considered "big" for whatever reason.
Could not have happened to a better team either.
Maybe its time to replace "Touchdown Jesus" with a scene from Dontas' Inferno.
posted by Folkways at 09:42 AM on November 22, 2009
Gruden is having too much fun right now to want to go to South Bend and get into that fishbowl job.
He's finding out that having fun and not enduring a grueling weekly work schedule are important intangibles.
Plus, he gets to eat catered grub rather than having to jam his way through a team chow line. And doesn't have to ride around from place to place on team buses. It's a total lifestyle upgrade.
Whoever goes to Notre Dame will get to spend the first year or so fielding talented teams full of the studs that Weis brought in but couldn't shape into a competitive squad. They should do pretty well.
But ND is going to be reminded that, just like Michigan, the luster and prestige of their program is greatly diminished and most top tier coaches will not be interested in taking the job.
Jack Swarbrick might have to resort to a session of film study with Coors Lite commercials. Ditka, Crennel, Billick, Dennis Green. Oh boy, oh boy.
Jim Mora!
Playoffs???? PLAYOFFS???
If you really hate Notre Dame, you would want their next coach to be...the guy that would switch escort services in the middle of an all-nighter if the second one offered him a rewards program:
Dennis Erickson
Sure and it's shame that there's a classy gent out there, and in yer fondest dreams, don't ye wish his name were Tony O'Dungy. He'd show the lads how to defend the sod for a full four quarters, aye.
Someone somewhere sooner or later has to hire Cowher and get him the heck out from behind that broadcast desk, because he is a dud with two capital D's as a studio analyst. Do the country a favor, please.
posted by beaverboard at 11:02 AM on November 22, 2009
In the Premier League today, Tottenham Hotspur absolutely mauled Wigan Athletic 9-1, in a score that 1: makes me extremely happy as a Spurs fan and 2: may take me off the bottom of the SpoFi Premier League fantasy table.
posted by boredom_08 at 02:37 PM on November 22, 2009
Glad I got rid of any and all Spurs on my team for doing nothing. If someone had DeFoe as captain, they might move up a bit.
posted by yerfatma at 02:40 PM on November 22, 2009
Which I did. Would've gone up more if I wouldn't have left Lennon on the bench.
posted by boredom_08 at 03:01 PM on November 22, 2009
I was a bit pissed off that Derby lost on Friday night, but this puts it all in perspective. One of the finest pieces of sports writing of all time.
Probably.
posted by owlhouse at 03:40 PM on November 22, 2009
When Football's Deadly Brutality Outraged America
posted by justgary at 05:51 PM on November 22, 2009
I knew Detroit-Cleveland would be a great game. :|
posted by Mr Bismarck at 12:15 AM on November 23, 2009
Egypt just recalled its ambassador to Algeria in the fall out from the World Cup qualifier last week.
posted by owlhouse at 12:27 AM on November 23, 2009
Real Salt Lake win the MLS Cup over LA Galaxy on penalties.
posted by boredom_08 at 01:32 AM on November 23, 2009
Bismarck, near the end, one of the Detroit Radio Announcers said something like, "You won't find a more exciting game between 2 1-8 teams."
posted by apoch at 04:48 AM on November 23, 2009
It's clear Notre Dame's football team is not capable of winning games any more that can be considered "big" for whatever reason. On Saturday, with their coach hanging by a thread, they lose to UConn. The once-proud Irish have proven over the past few years they can only be considered an average (at best) Division 1 team. They play a relatively poor schedule, yet every team on Notre Dame's schedule know they can beat them, whether it's UConn, Navy, or any others. Even though the Irish will always have a huge, loyal following, I still feel embarrassed NBC is under contract to broadcast Notre Dame's games weekly. They'd be better off having a contract with Stanford. Some of Notre Dam's games this season have been close and entertaining, but there's seldom a doubt with anyone they will lose at the end. Since Weis is likely gone, it now becomes a matter of who will lead Notre Dame next (I think Jon Gruden, even though he just resigned with ABC), and can anyone restore the school to a yearly, consistent football power.