Trick Dogs, Carbonite, and Fish Frenzy

The NFL Draft has come and gone. Four and a half months of pure hype, and now the ramifications of what the draft will bring football fans is still a long ways away. The only certainties that we know are where these players have all gone and speculations on why they went where they did. Also, there seems to have been a resurrection of sorts...but more on that later.

Here is the list of Fighting Irish Players that were drafted, where they went, and the free agent signings for the guys not picked in the draft. By the way if any of you out there are an undersized, 4.6 + 40 yard dash running back... stay a 4th year in school. "Flipping Idiot!!!"- Napoleon Dynamite.

1. Brady Quinn Cleavland Browns 22nd Pick. Unless you live on Uranus, you know all about the freefall of Quinn. How in the hell did he slip to 22? Miami fans are enraged and Cam Cameron does his best to pacify the horde of saltwater spewing Fin Fanatics as depicted in this video. This was not planned by the Browns, but there has been reports of Cleavland trying to trade up with Buffalo to take Quinn at #12. Completely contrary to what the Brown are used to, they got lucky and got a trade with Dallas to nab Quinn before K.C. Good luck to Brady in the Dawg Pound.


2. Victor Abiamiri Philadelphia Eagles 57nd Pick. Round 2 for this domer. He fits in nicely with a good defense and can learn a lot while he is there. He was the 6th DE took and could of ended up in Chicago at pick number 62. Hopefully Philly doesn't keep drafting DEs every year ala the Giants . (A Justin Tuck reference).


3. Ryan Harris Denver Broncos 70th Pick. Ryan got the call while he was walking to Dairy Queen. He won't need the extra weight in Denver. They plan on using his athleticism in their zone blocking scheme. If he can ever develop a pissed of mentality, he could do well as a Bronco. How nasty can you be with a Banana Split?


4. Derek Landri Jacksonville Jaguars 166th Pick. I heard he could have gone earlier. Only 3 DT were taken after him, so good luck to you #66 at pick 166.


5. Mike Richardson New England Patriots 202nd Pick. WOW. Mike has come a long way. He went from 1 star prospect out of high school, to horrible, to starter, to one of the reasons any school could throw for 300+ yards on ND, to decent, to arguably the best DB ND had in 2006, to drafted in the NFL. Good Luck Mike. Try covering Moss in practice. OUCH.


6. Dan Santucci Cincinnati Bengals 230th Pick. I really didn't think he would get picked... so kudos to you Dan.


7. Nedu Ndukwe Cincinnati Begals 253rd Pick. Only 2 picks away from being Mr Irrelevant! Damn, so close. It all makes sense now. Cincy needs character guys in the late rounds. That is why Nedu and Santucci landed here. Nedu will be a special teams guy, because he does tackle very well and hits with some pop.

Seven is a step in the right direction, but it could have been nine. The other 2... oh yea just a starting RB and WR on a deadly offense. It seems they were undraftable, but they are signed.

Darius Walker Chicago Bears. Darius just became the poster child for anyone considering leaving school early despite the advice from EVERYONE not to do it. He should make the roster and be 3rd on the depth chart after Cedric Benson and Adrian Peterson. Not a bad situation, but it may get worse in a year. Good Luck Darius.

Rhema McKnight New Orleans Saints. Rhema is in a tighter spot. I am really surprised he did not get picked, but if you can't catch a 4th and 5 pas that hit you dead in the hands...you don't get drafted. He has a lot of competition ahead of him as the Saints were loaded at WR and took another with their first pick in Robert Meachum. If he makes the roster, he will be lucky.

Chris Frome Chicago Bears. In an unexpected turn of events, Frome was signed to a contract with Chicago after going undrafted and unsigned. Word on the street is that Chris had been frozen in Carbonite and was quite safe as he survived the freezing process. No word yet if Emperor Weis or Darth Brown had any connection to Frome's hibernation. I did pick up a few transmissions that he was sent to the Bears to protect the Princess. A.K.A. Darius Walker as he is already being called that by Urlacher.

The Brady Fixation

This is getting a little out of hand. At first I thought I was in the minority, but after reading a few message boards, I realize there are a few of you out in NDNation that feel the same way. NO, I am not gay and this is not a man-crush post. I am sick and tired of the "Brady" talk. Are some of you shocked? Well you shouldn't be. Why? Read on...

I have to admit, in the beginning of "draft season" I was very opinionated about where Quinn should go and where I would like to see him end up. I scoffed at all the media and their outright blasts on the man. I mean, did they not see the same QB I saw for the last 4 years? (And the defense that was supposed to have his back?) This kid has been nothing but a class act, and by the way OWNS every important passing record at ND. So yes, I debated with a few people and cussed and shook my head at the T.V., Internet, and radio. Then, like every draft season, I realized what was going on. These guys don't know squat! The debating is to draw viewers in to pay attention to a very lackluster class in terms of star power. Regardless of where Brady goes, which will be in the top 9 at least, what does this mean to ME. So I had to break it down into my loyalties and what I truly care about. You should try doing the same.

1. The University of Notre Dame and its Football Team. This is mine, and perhaps most of yours as well. Will Brady going #1 be beneficial to the team? Absolutely! Will Brady going in the top 10 be just as rewarding? ABSOLUTELY! Any way you slice it it is good for ND. He doesn't have to go #1 to see the results. The results are Jimmy Clausen and Dayne Crist. This is what Brady has helped do the most. He (with help of course) has made ND a national power again and nothing in the draft can take that away from us now. Fans from across the country like to talk about how many alumni are in the NFL, and how many first rounders they have as well. He fits both criteria. It is time to move on. Everyone is talking about Quinn, but we should be WAY more concerned about who is to replace him. Weis said it best when he described how #10 won us a lot of games and now he is gone. Brady will make his millions, I want the millions of fans to bunker down.


2. My NFL Team... Green Bay. My team doesn't have a shot in hell to get Quinn. I tried. I know Favre is done soon and Rodgers is not the answer. I rooted my ass off to LOSE this year so we could have a top 5 pick again. Obviously that didn't happen. I will say that I would prefer it if he stays out of Detroit and Minnesota however. I don't want to see Quinn get killed by his brother-in-law (Hawk), or Urlacher twice a year. And I like to see ND guys succeed and I just see either place boding well for him... which leads me to ...


3. Notre Dame Alumni in Pro Football. Notice that I didn't say the NFL. Why? Because I follow everyone in all the leagues. Tony Rice, Deke Cooper, Devron Harper, Jarious Jackson...the list goes on and on of ND guys in other leagues that I pay attention to. I root for the success of all the guys Jones, Fasano, Black, Fisher etc. etc. If they do well it all goes back to Priority #1, ND. I cheer them all on while I pray for the downfall of most of the teams they play for. By the Way, another ND alum that I loved in college and hated all the teams he was with in the NFL AND he is in my top 5 all time ND guys- Ricky Watters. His wife is smoking hot. I saw them at the BG Game. We need more guys like Watters.

So the way I look at it is that I wish all the best to Brady, just don't hurt Green Bay too bad. And the truth is, the farther he falls in round 1, the better chance he has of really doing well. Just ask Big Ben, and Quinn is WAY better than that motorcycle wrecking, Jerome Bettis coat tailing, my D and Randall El did everything else for me tool.

Subway Domer

Will she have to make a jersey like this with Green Bay and Detroit...God I hope not.

Spring Fling Notes...And A Coronation Of Sorts

The Blue-Gold Game has been over for approximately 4 days and I can now finally sit down and enlighten you all of what has happened and what shall be. Please keep in mind that I speak on behalf of the ENTIRE Notre Dame Subway Alumni Association. (I am the self-appointed Emperor...voting is for wussies).

This is a bulleted breakdown of the weekend.

• The Shirt unveiling was a joke. I think it was poorly organized and the line was exhausting. Clearly a better way to sell these things, is a topic that should be discussed at the committee meetings. If you were there, you know what I mean... if you were not there, don't be at the event next year. I will update you in the future if it is safe. I do like the color. I think the slogans are cheesy. I will wear it at all the home games. Please simplify it for next year.


• Before I go into any info on the game and players, I have another complaint about ND and poor organization. I almost died of dehydration. When one is expecting between 40.000 and 55,000 guests it seems that common sense would rule that beverages should be plentiful. Especially as warm as it was. No water bottle stations? Have they gone mad? I stood in line for 20 minutes prior to the game, and during the entire halftime. I NEVER GOT SERVED. Why I followed rules and didn't bring anything in, is beyond me. But hey "Super, Smart, Elite University" Think the details out a little for next year.


• Quarterbacks. A lot of my fellow spectators in my section were confused and quite honestly upset, that the passing game was almost non-existent. I knew better. Weis already has a good idea who is top 2 QBs are and didn't need an aerial dogfight to help him out. Who those 2 are is antibody's guess (and everyone is). Clausen is one of them I am certain, flip a coin for the other. I will say that I was impressed by all the QBs, and a little disappointed in all as well. I don't think we can take anything out of this game, and why should we. Chris Olsen was once the MVP here.


• Running Backs. We've got a lot of them. One in particular was very impressive. Junior Jabbie. Weis has been talking about this kid all spring, and we finally saw what he was dishing. He cuts very well and showed good vision and a nice burst through the line. I have had a man-crush on this kid since he committed in HS. The name alone is great "Junior Jabbie from The Hun School in New Jersey". The other backs were equally impressive in their own ways. Travis Thomas is going to have a very good year. He plays with fire and guts and runs as hard as an escaped convict.He seems to have improved on his lateral movement as well. James Aldridge is going to be a huge factor for the Irish this year. James is showing signs of why he was a 5 star recruit. His legs are back and power and shiftiness go hand in hand with him. Armando Allen looks fast and is a slick runner. Let's hope we can find ways to get him in some open field.


• Wide Receivers. I am not going to even start on this subject. I don't have the heart. I will say that no routes went longer than 15 yards, so the jury is still defiantly out on this position.


• Tight Ends. Ask Lou Holtz.


• Offensive Line. They looked very good at times and poor at others. Pass blocking is a concern, but that is defiantly a technique issue. The run blocking looked very good. They play very physically. Sully got injured and will be fine. I like this group for the most part, but depth is an issue. Weis needs to keep these guys mean and what's the word...NASTY. Jeff Faine style.


• Defensive Line. The word of the day is going to be aggressive. They looked like a bunch of crazies. Laws is an animal and Pat Kuntz surprised me with his physical play. I would not be put back at all this season with a healthy rotation of players during the games. Chris Stewart is as big as Asia and could be huge, if he revs up his motor every play.


• Linebackers. Toryan Smith is going to be a legend... I can feel it. He is the biggest bad ass out there. (That includes#9). They all played pretty well. I am not sure if I am sold on John Ryan, but this is a 3-4 personnel defense, not a true 3-4. Some people were impressed with Vernaglia, but he has fooled me before. I think the starting 4 will be a mystery until the end of August.


• Secondary. What's the word again?...AGGRESSIVE. They looked a lot faster. Why? Probably because they are playing in a system where they know what the hell they are doing. They all flew around to the ball very well. Bruton of course was a key guy to watch and he didn't disappoint. ALL of the DBs looked very good and should be a strong force this year. Here's to a pass rush, huh fellas!


• Kickers. I see lots of practice showdowns in the future. We need a solid leg this year. Not sure if it's on campus just yet.

Well that's my little take on it. I need to go. Weis is blowing up my cell...everyone needs a little help. If you need more on the game, go to Blue-Gray Sky. They got a rundown of good stuff along with a very nice slide show.

Stay tuned for more coverage of ND Football this whole off-season.

Subway Domer...The Last Emperor.

Where's Ted Nugent? It's A Free-For-All...Fleming & Fauria Commit

This is getting out of control. Notre Dame received their 9th and 10th oral commitments for the incoming 2008 class. YO! I just got home from the Blue-Gold Game... now I got all this typing to do. If Charlie doesn't stop this crap, I may end up with carpel-tunnel (spelling?who cares).

I will have all my Blue-Gold Game stuff up soon, but first let me introduce you to the boys.

Darius Fleming. DE/OLB. This is what we ,as Irish fans, have been craving for a long time. A PREMIER linebacker. A CHICAGO product. And Mike Frank's favorite slang, DEPTH. After weeks of speculating, Darius made it official after speaking with coach Weis this morning before the BG game. Fleming becomes commit #9 and the 3rd linebacker. 3rd linebacker. This Corwin Brown is the real deal. Many have said that ND will take 4-5 (and maybe a 6th) linebackers this class. The spots are disappearing fast and ND has their eyes set on Arthur Brown and Steve Filer. If they land these two, pray for our opponents...seriously pray for them.

Joseph Fauria. TE. Welcome to Tight End U. AGAIN! Notre Dame received its 10th verbal commit for 2008, and its 3rd from California. 3rd from California. ND is becoming THE place to be for TEs and QBs (DEPTH, DEPTH,DEPTH)... like it should be. Joseph plays in the same league as current ND commits Anthony McDonald and Dayne Crist. Someone call Tony and Joe and tell them not to kill each other before they get to ND! Joseph is also the nephew of former Patriot tight end Christian Fauria. But don't think that just because he played for Weis that he pushed him towards ND. He was pulling for Colorado (Alma Mata) this whole time. Looks like the brains in the family are in the younger generation.

Congratulations, and welcome to the Notre Dame Family Joseph and Darius!

The Cannons Are Loaded...Crist Commits

Dayne Crist is the top quarterback in the state of California. Dayne Crist is coming to Notre Dame to play for the Irish. Sound familiar? For the 2nd year in a row ND is stealing one from the Poodle's backyard. The news leaked out from the LA Times today. Crist chose the Irish over U$C, LSU, and Stanford.He becomes the 8th verbal commit for the Irish's 2008 incoming class. The announcement was taped the other day and is prepared to run tonight on FSN at 10:30 Pacific time, but the LA Times in an eerily timed move, let the cat out of the bag today. (Mitch Mustain announced today that he will transfer to U$C).

Obviously, this is fantastic news. Now ND MUST go hard after the top-flight WRs. It's not that the Irish haven't been gunning for these kids, it's just that they haven't been pulling the trigger just yet. But with the cupboard full for at least another 4-5 years, it may make the decision easier for a few of the recruits out there.

This also adds some momentum heading into the Blue-Gold Game. There is going to be a lot of talent visiting ND this weekend, although not as much as last year, and I like the fact they are going to see some slots filling up. Rumors are flying around about Darius Flemming(LB) and Brandon Newman (NT) possibly committing this weekend as well. Is there a game going on?

Johnny Come Lately

With the Blue-Gold Game just a few days away now, I'm sure that I might be the last yahoo to post about the rosters being announced. But I just might add a little something that no one else has, so....here are a few tidbits.

• As much as Charlie had talked about a competitive game, I had originally thought that the teams would be picked almost like a pick-up game. I was of course very wrong. The trend seems to be that the Blue Squad is primarily the 1st team Offense and 2nd team Defense, while the Gold Squad is the 2nd team Offense and 1st team Defense. This is mostly true. (Just like you can be mostly dead). The lineman are forced to wear the green jerseys and play a little iron-man.
• The QBs are split up in a manner that shouts that Clausen and Jones are the top 2. I myself think Frazer is the #2 right now... but we will see. It is a disadvantage to Frazer and Sharpley to be on the Gold Squad. They have almost no one to throw to. Hord, Gallup, and Jackson are the WR, while they get both sophomore TEs (Yeatman and Reuland). By the way if you haven't heard, senior WR Darrin Bragg left the team. Good Luck son.
• Ahh the RBs. This should be a dandy of a horse race. Travis Thomas, looking to cement his starter status, will try to become the Blue-Gold Game MVP for a 2nd year in a row. Armando Allen will make his debut as "lightning in a bottle". James Aldridge will try to cap off what has been an impressive spring camp, and solidify himself as the main competition for carries with Thomas in the Fall. Another name that has been dropped quite a bit has been Junior Jabbie. Hell Yes. I love this kid and his name. Some insiders have been so impressed with his performance, that they have touted him as a starter on 90% of the other schools out there.
• Weis has Schwapp and Schmidt flipped at FB. This is probably to get Asaphs head on straight. I have heard he did not have a great spring (rusty), while Luke looked very solid.
• I think the LB situation is getting a little out of hand. Don't read too much into where what guys are where. I think this is a very fluid battle with the lone exception being Maurice Crum. I will say that I am surprised that of all the combos I have heard of the 4 LBs, not one included Toryan Smith, Mo Crum, and Joe Brockington on the field at the same time. I think those are the best guys we got and I believe with the lack of TRUE depth, they ALL should be out there.
• Keep an eye on Paul Duncan at Left Tackle. He will be key to the success of whatever QB is starting this fall.
• Also keep a SHARP eye on David Bruton. If he plays well, so should the rest of our secondary.

These are just a few thoughts about the rosters. Honestly though, I don't feel like Weis is going to tip his hat too much as to who all the starters would be. Just too many spots to be fought over. GT and Michigan got a pretty good look at us last year because most of the jobs were already won. The element of surprise ladies and gentleman. We may not know what we really have until August...what a long summer.

• Editors Note: I would love to hear from any and all of you that attend the Blue-Gold Game about your thoughts. Please E-Mail me at my address on this page. If your thought is noteworthy, I will quote and credit you.(With credit not cash).

You Can't Spell U$C Without $CUM

Sorry about the lack of info everyone! I will have some pieces put together soon however. The recruiting news and spring game stuff should keep me busy for at least a month or so.

There is one little blurb that I recently uncovered. It is a UCLA site, but their hatred of Trojan assbags is very insightful. Follow the link below and check them out. (There is one little jab at Digger Phelps, but an 88 game winning streak is a lot to let go).

Trojan Haters Club (link)

Subway Domer

Dropping A Little Knowledge

Just had to share with you guys a great post from NDNation.

I had to laugh, vomit, and pee... it was great.

LINK

2007 Notre Dame Victory Over Michigan State Celebration

I rewatched this game on ESPN Classic (again). It's too bad we can't randomly see the classic games In SOUTH BEND like we can with road games. NBC take note.

Notre Dame Football Defence 2007

Chris Stewart (#59) dwarfs every human on the planet.

McDonald Stays Catholic And Weis Gets Smarter

Anthony McDonald made a bold decision. He would not follow family tradition. He will go his own way. What the hell am I talking about, you ask? Today Anthony chose Notre Dame to be his school of choice.

Anthony is a 6'3" linebacker from Sherman Oaks, California. His father played for USC and in the NFL. Anthony currently attends Notre Dame High School, where as you can see by the picture, has the same uniforms as the University of Notre Dame. (Albeit the early '90s version.)

After watching his game tape, it is easy to see why he is a very sought after prospect. He is very big, very fast, and very mean... or in Charlie's terms "Thick, Quick, And Nasty." McDonald has great instincts and hits like a [insert cliche here].

This is the 7th commitment for the incoming class of 2008 for the Irish. It may also be one of the most important. Why? McDonald is the 2nd linebacker to commit in this class. And as that is pretty awesome in itself it is also going to force the hand of some other top prospects to decide about ND. Charlie is adapting to the recruiting world and taking a page out of Mack Browns Philosophy. With 6 other LB offers out there that are known, McDonald's commitment is filling up the roster need. ND will probably only take 2 more LBs, so a guy like Darius Flemming may pull the trigger soon to guarantee a spot. Why is this so fantastic? (Besides getting a blue-chipper). It will allow for more time to work on other players of need for the 2009 class. Texas is the map, and Weis is doing the smart thing in following that direction to which it leads. That is a great recruiting class this year and beyond, with less kids that are likely to jump ship.

Irish Running Backs

John David Booty never scared me. Armando Allen does though...cause he's fast.

Happy Easter!!!

Happy Easter from the Subway Domer.

Pullover! Posluszny is Irish

David Posluszny is the 6th commitment for the Fighting Irish's 2008 incoming class. The linebacker from Aliquippa Pennsylvania, and brother of former Penn State linebacker: Paul Posluszny, came to ND for a visit to NDs practice. He must have liked what he saw. ND beat out a host of schools for Poz. He was lacking an offer from Penn State, but they may have felt that too much ground was lost already to the Fightiing Irish.

This is the 2nd defensive recruit at a position of great need to commit to the Irish. He may be the start of a domino effect with some other players that have been offered.

Go Irish!!!!

LOOK ONE POST DOWN

The spring rundown is posted below the video!!! Iam an idiot. Thank-You
Subway Domer

Notre Dame Football 2007 Irish QBs In Action

This is a preety good video of spring practice. No stretching bullshit. Two sweet parts... Zibby VS. Carlson, and the mob scene at the end. Enjoy.

Spring Rundown...

There has been a lot of speculation about the starting lineups for fall 2007, since shortly after the Sugar Bowl. Fortunatly, for Irish fans, nothing has been really set in stone after a few weeks of spring practice. (What the hell is these coaches problem?) There have been a few minor surprises however. Here's a rundown of stuff. Just stuff and randomly thought out, about the team and the spring practice session.

Quarterback

• Jimmy Clausen has the smoothest delivery. He has also made a few very tight throws and did a few of those while on the run.
• Zach Frazer has the strongest arm of any of the quarterbacks. He also seems to have a quiet leadership quality.
• Evan Sharpley throws a very nice ball. A few of the receivers mentioned that they prefer his throws over Brady Quinns.
• Demetrius Jones has given one of the better quotes of the off-season "Ain't no buster ever wear number 3." He has looked good from what I could tell.

Running Back

• Travis Thomas seems to have the #1 spot locked up. Has had a little trouble with blitz packages.
• James Aldridge is 100% healthy for the first time since the start of his senior year in H.S. He is pushing Thomas for the starting job.
• Armando Allen is fast. He could be VERY dangerous next year.
• Junnior Jabbie has been a pleasent surprise. He has been doing very well, but he may still be buried on the depth chart.
• Robert Hughes. Yes, Robert Hughes. He isn't on campus yet, but has been to a lot of practices. He looks like he really wants some playing time right away his freshman year.

Wide Receiver

• David Grimes has got the number 1 slot locked up.
• It appears as if George West has the #2 spot to himself. Weis said as much in an earlier presser.
• Weis also mentioned that the rest of the WR are even steven with one another.
• D.J. Hord is not looking too well. The rust needs to go bye-bye in a hurry, if he wants to nab the 3rd WR job.

O-Line

• Young RT
• Sully C
• Turkovich LG
• Duncan LT
• Carufel RG
• The line looks a lot more physical. Still some shake-ups to come I imagine.

Tight End

• Carlson is Heismanesque.

D-Line

• Looks like Pat Kuntz is going to nail down the NT job. Chris Stewart is in a boot and riding a bike.
• Laws at one end and the other side is still very much open. Dwight Stephenson has been running with the first group.

Linebackers

• Anthony Vernaglia is the big surprise here. Looks like he has a starting job at OLB. Think he's happy with the 3-4 and Corwin Brown?
• Crum and Brockington are going to shore up the middle 2 spots.
• Toryan Smith will be rotating in with Brockington. Smith has looked like a beast so far.
• John Ryan seems to have a hold at the other OLB job...but I think he will be greatly challenged by Kerry Neal this summer.

Defensive Backs

• Zibby is...well...Zibby, and looks faster. Carlson has owned him though.
• David Bruton is bigger and looks to be the leader for the other safety spot.
• Wooden and Lambert seem to have a firm grip at the corner spots.
• McNeil is rotating with Walls at the nickel position on the first team.

There you have it. Just a few notes. By the time you read this things might have changed...I'll let you know.

SUBWAY DOMER