Subway Domer: Irish Blogger Gathering: Heart of Darkness Edition

Oct 8, 2008

Irish Blogger Gathering: Heart of Darkness Edition

This weeks Irish Blogger Gathering is brought to you by OC Domer. Please visit him in Southern California if you find yourself in dire need of legal representation after a night out with Albanians.

Please read OC's original post for the explanation of why the Bloggers are exploring our deepest fears.

Subway Domer before the battle of Chapel Hill

1. Who was your first Notre Dame hero?

Ricky Watters. In a time of legends such as Rice, Rocket, Zorich and others- one player always stood out to me as a favorite. Blasphemy you say? Hardly. Watters was a legendary figure on and off of the field while at Notre Dame. His running style was such a sweet combination of speed, power, and agility it is hard to imagine that most Irish fans dismiss him from memory. As a white, rural youth growing up in Ohio, I had nothing in common with Ricky- but I loved his style. A speed back that rocked the big neck collar and made big play after big play. He was right, when he thought he could have had a shot at the Heisman if Holtz didn't put him at flanker, but that is what made him so great in my eyes. He still gave 100% effort on the field despite his feelings towards the actions of the coach. I could go on and on about Watters, but this video does far more justice:

2. When was the first time the Fighting Irish broke your heart?

I could pull something from the 89 season, but I can not and will not ever, forget the loss to Boston College in 1993. In a season where there were mild expectations and a new QB under center, 1993 was supposed to be a so-so year. Then the Irish just kept rolling the victims in its path until the Florida State Seminoles came to South Bend. The Irish beat Bowden and his group of all-worlders and rose to #1 in the rankings on its way to another title shot in a bowl game. Then, BC came into South Bend and upset the Irish on a FG. (I refuse to write anything more on the game. It's still too soon).

3. Let's suppose for just a moment that for whatever reasons the Notre Dame football program begins to slide into what looks like long term mediocrity, or even long term suckitude:

NBC doesn't renew the television deal, and the package offered by the Versus network makes it clear that remaining independent will mean a lot less $$$ than joining a conference and sharing in their TV deal. Should the Irish join a conference? If so, which? Why that one?

I hate answering this question because of my own ideas of conferences and the major need of realignment within ALL of them. However, I will stick to the question at hand and say yes, the Big Integer. (Big 10 for those you don't know what integers are). It makes the most sense when you look at the overall schedule and of course the geography. A new name would be in order as well as divisions. Someone else can work those out.

Over time, Notre Dame becomes the football peer of Duke and Syracuse, lucky to win four games a year, rarely posting a winning season. What should the University do? Drop football? Join a conference (or a lesser conference)? Drop down to Div-IA (the FCS Division)? Schedule 12 cupcakes each season?

Again, join the Big Ten. (Man these questions make me crave Gin and crack).

The Indiana legislature has been taken over by a coalition of tee totalling, non-violent religious groups that outlaw both beer and football, and the University is forced to end the football program. To which college football team do you switch your allegiance, and why?

Seeing as we are Notre Dame, it would be hard to root for any team afterwards. No current big school would be acceptable in my eyes. I would fall back into the comfort of my Alma Mata and my blog, Subway Domer would be known as : Hurons Forever and would be more in the style of Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician. I'm talking about Eastern Michigan University. I would travel every Saturday to the Eagles games and sulk in the crack infested neighborhoods of Ypsilanti... again. I may go home a loser every week, but at least I'm not a buckeye.

4. While on campus on a football Saturday you stop by the Knights of Columbus building to get your traditional steak and gristle sandwich. You also take the opportunity to pop inside the building to use the restroom before following the band over to the stadium. While waiting in line for the bathroom and watching the endlessly running Rudy on the K of C television you make the acquaintance of an older gentleman with a beard. He's rather short, but very energetic for his obviously advanced age. You allow him to cut in line in front of you. When he comes out of the restroom, obviously relieved, he thanks you and and then steps in really close to you and whispers in your ear. "I'll grant you two wishes. The first - Notre Dame will beat any team you choose for the next ten seasons. The second, the Irish will also lose for ten straight years to any team you name. Quick now, what two teams will they be?!" You blurt out your two answers, and he disappears into the crowd. What two teams did you pick, and why?

As much as I want to go hypothetical on this one, I will stay within our current schedule format and choose from those teams.

The team to beat for the next 10 years? Michigan. As much as I wanted to say Southern Cal, I live too close to Michigan and its diluted fanbase to not chose the Skunkbears. I wonder how many coaches Michigan would go through during that time? DickRod 0-11 versus Weis has a nice ring to it.
The team to lose to for the next 10 years? After the ass pounding Notre Dame will hand out for revenge of last years debacle the team is... Navy. Let's make this "rivalry" interesting.

5. I'm a terrible predictor. I'm pretty good at analysis, but I'm no good picking games because I almost always pick the Irish. But we need to get on the record here. Notre Dame has games left against North Carolina, Washington, Pitt, Boston College, Navy, Syracuse, and USC. Pick the winner of each of those seven games. Assign each pick points based upon your level of confidence in the pick. Most confident pick gets a 7, least confident pick gets a 1. Each value 1 through 7 must be used once. A perfect score of all picks correct would be worth a total of 28 points. The member of the Irish Blogger Gathering with the highest point total wins a prize of my choosing at the end of the regular season. In case of a tie, the tiebreaker is the member who has the best overall season based on quantity and quality of posts to their blog from now through the end of the season, as voted by the members of the Gathering.