Subway Domer Is Moving

I just wanted everyone to know that within a few days... I HOPE... Subway Domer will be making the move to Bloguin. Blogiun is a blog network that was started about a year ago and is growing every week.

I will not be posting anything else on this site until the move is complete. I really wanted to wait until the bye week- but the ants in my pants are running like a Jamaican sprinter, and it just time to move on.

My friends over at Her Loyal Sons should be laughing at the irony of this move during Purdue week... the most boring game week ever by their standards.

Speaking of opponents. I do apologize for not having a hangover post this week for MSU. I think the video of Golden Tate jumping into the band said it all yesterday. If I bust my ass, I may still get an Anti-Preview up for the Purdue game on the new site, and I am 95% certain I will be hosting a live blog for the game as well.

So again, please accept my apologies for the lack of posts this week... but it will be well worth it. Once the move is complete, I will post something on this blog to direct you to the new site, and I'm sure I will pimp the shit out of it across the web as well.

Until then (which I am hoping is later today or tomorrow) keep drinking early in the day and remember... Subway Domer loves you.

In The Blink Of An Eye

The Subway Domer was on a little siesta this past week and a half. Ahh... I should have known better. There was more ACTUAL Fighting Irish news in the past 4 days than in the last two months. Never fear- I have a little recap of what went down along with some commentary that I know most of you just can't live without.

Commitments:

Notre Dame was in a bit of a recruiting lull for most of the past few months (as far as commitments are concerned), but this past week has proved to be a giant one for the Fighting Irish.

Andrew Hendrix, Quarterback- Cincinnati, Ohio:

The last elite QB prospect offered by the Irish for the 2010 class, finally committed to Notre Dame on Thursday. Hendrix doesn't have the name power of Nick Montana and he isn't as highly rated as Austin Hinder (Cal) or Jake Heaps (BYU), but he is still a four star QB with a lot of potential. He fits in well at Notre Dame with his overall character, but his rollout style as a passer will be a project that Charlie Weis will definitely be hands on with right away. This was an excellent pick-up for Notre Dame as they start to really cement the future at the position.

Here is an evaluation from ESPN:

Hendrix could be the biggest sleeper in this class not only as a powerful pocket passer, but also as a deceptively good athlete. He possesses adequate-to-good height and a solid build. Arm strength is outstanding and he is one of the few players in this class with natural downfield power and terrific wrist snap and velocity on all throws. Plays in a multiple set scheme out of the shotgun and from under center. Foot speed is good for the position and overall athleticism is very good. Gets back and set quickly in the pocket, feet are balanced and he shows poise and confidence surveying the field. Shows good ball handling skills, can freeze defenders with play fakes and can make the deep sideline throws from the opposite hash off play action. Has shown the ability to work through progressions, side-step the rush, keep eyes downfield and deliver the ball on time. Can compensate on late throws with arm strength and is more than capable of fitting the ball into tight spots in all three phases of the field-- short, intermediate and deep. Delivery mechanics are sound and consistent. Release is fairly compact and he is capable of driving off his plant foot and deriving excellent power when he transfers his weight through his hips. Overall accuracy is very good and even through he displays a great arm, he can change ball speeds a bit too. He is a guy that can use his feet to buy time and get an extra passing chance. Is not afraid to tuck the ball and run and shows very good foot speed for the position. He can be elusive and is a much better runner and athlete than one might think. His feet and arm make him a threat on the perimeter when rolling to either side because he can tuck it, but also make difficult throws off balance and across his body due to his arm strength. The more you watch Hendrix, the more you get an appreciation for the vast array of throws he can make which you do not see much of at the high school level. He can be a bit robotic at times as a passer-- a little tense in the upper body, but he has a high ceiling for further development. Overall, this is a kid that should be garnering far more attention than he is in the spring on a national level particularly in what is considered a down year by most at the QB position. Big arm, good athlete and nice upside.

Here is video from Rivals:

AMP: Hendrix finds his perfect fit @ Rivals Video

Blake Lueders, Defensive End- Zionsville, Indiana

One of the biggest recruiting needs for Notre Dame is at the defensive end position. The Irish are looking to solidify both end spots with Lueders and Chris Martin. It never seemed like Blake would go anywhere else but ND. Four and 5 star prospects from the state of Indiana are few and far between, so after losing James Hurst to North Carolina, Blake was a must have kid to help not only the team, but to keep building that fence around the state.

Here is an evaluation from ESPN:

Lueders is a pretty physical defensive prospect. He plays middle linebacker for his high school and does a nice job versus the run and he will offer some versatility to a defense in college, but will most likely make a move to defensive end. He has good size now and nice physical upside and should grow into an end with ideal type size. The athleticism he shows for his size should translate well to the end position, but there will be some adjustment. He moves well and has the lateral ability to stretch plays and come across the ball and squeeze down. He displays a physical nature in taking on blocks from the linebacker spot. Flashes the ability to generate power from his lower body on contact and use his hands to engage and separate from the blocker. He will need to be more consistent though in using his hands and also get accustomed to more quickly engaging blockers on a consistent basis. He has a good motor and is a good wrap-up tackler. An area Lueders will need to work on and adjust is his pass rushing from the end position. He displays the raw tools to be a productive rusher as he can attack half-a-man and work around blockers, but he will need to learn to use his weapons. Lueders is a good prospect with nice upside physically and as a player. He could end up at outside linebacker in a 3-4 look and where he ultimately plays will depend on where he lands. If he makes the likely move to end though there will be some adjustment and gray areas but should develop into a good one in college.

Lo Wood, Cornerback- Apopka, Florida

Back in the early spring, Wood was considered a Michigan lock. Some lock. Wood visited Notre Dame and called the Irish his leaders... a few months later he becomes the first defensive back to commit to Notre Dame. With the departure of McNeil after this year and the possible departure of Darrin Walls after this year as well, Notre Dame was looking to sign 2-3 corners. Now that Wood has committed , it will add pressure to players such as Spencer Boyd and Joshua Shaw, amongst others, to make a commitment soon.

Here is an ESPN evaluation of Wood:

Wood is a quick-footed cornerback prospect who is savvy and very active around the football. Lacks great size but has adequate arm length and some range to his frame. Plays bigger and is a scrapper. Transitions out of his pedal quickly breaking underneath and eats up the cushion. Hips are fluid and shows he can open out of his pedal and transition smoothly breaking underneath. Has good body control and change-of-direction quickness when playing off-man coverages. Will walk up and play press aggressively as well; knows how to use his hands to take away leverage, but lacks the upper-body strength at this time needed to reroute and jam bigger receivers of the line. Best asset may be his ability to recover in the short-area with burst and quickness. Anticipates the pass well and undercuts a lot of balls. Very instinctive and adjusts his body well to the ball in the air. Ball skills are good. In terms of run support, he is willing and feisty. Comes up quickly to tackle and is reliable in the openfield chopping down bigger backs. However, he could struggle setting the edge if asked to be the force player in Cover 2 zone schemes, and we question his vertical speed when locked up in man-to-man. Struggles limiting separation from faster receivers at times and can let them slip behind. Will have a more difficult time recovering at the next level. Shows some hip-stiffness for a smaller corner transitioning to run vertically. Overall, Wood is a solid, well-rounded corner who is savvy in coverage awareness, disciplined and consistent in his play. Has better range than speed and projects well as an underneath corner if he can continue to physically develop.

Here is a video of his commitment:

Lo Wood talks ND @ Rivals Video

Other recruiting news of note...

Talk about an emotional roller coaster ride for recruiting junkies- Notre Dame commitment Chris Martin announced earlier in the week that he would be checking out a few other schools as part of a back up plan. Irish fans have fell in love with Martin after reports were coming out of Chris verbally and physically smashing U$C recruits at various football camps and pledging his hatred of the Trojans. A few days after the news came out of his decision to take a few visits, he retracted his plan and has said that ND is solid with him and he has no plans to take any visits. Whew. One small note though, Pete Carroll will not allow Martin at his camp because he fears Martin will recruit for ND while he is there. However, Urban Meyer still has that invite for Martin at his camp. How many ND verbals / former recruits are on the Gator front four? Too many. Meyer isn't scared of what the Poodle is pissing his shorts over.

TRANSFER...

Sophomore TE, Joseph Fauria has asked, and received permission to transfer out of Notre Dame. Fauria was recently suspended for the fall semester after he was found guilty of violating school policy. I will not comment much more on this matter as it pertains to the reasons for the suspension as I have only read rumors and nothing has- nor will it probably ever be released by the University. I will say that I smell a lot of bullshit, and it isn't coming from Fauria. Fauria will likely transfer to a PAC-10 school.

Numbers...

The incoming freshman were assigned their jersey numbers:

Manti Te'o #5
Shaq Evans #11
Roby Toma #84
Jake Golic #88
Cierre Wood #20
Tyler Eifert #80
Theo Riddick 332
EJ Banks #27
Carlo Calabrese #44
Tyler Stockton #92
Zeke Motta #17
Jordan Cowart #60
Zach Martin #70
Chris Watt #66
Alex Bullard #68
Nick Tausch #40
Ben Turk #35
Dan Fox #48

Quick UPDATE:

The eligibility charts for 2009 and 2010 are updated as well as the State of Recruiting map. All 3 links can be found in the right hand column.

All right. I think that about covers it. Subway Domer is officially back on schedule. Commence with the kegger!

Still Vacationing...

I realize that there has been a lot of Fighting Irish news in the past week. You should realize- I'M ON VACATION MOTHERFUCKERS!!! Hellyeah!

Anyways, I'll be back and running full speed by either Monday or even Sunday. I really mean it this time.

So R.I.P Michael Jackson, Ed McMahon, and sweet Farrah.

And not only did Hendrix commit today, but Blake Leuders did as well per Rivals. (Stories to follow post vacation... what a week).

The Nitty Gritty

I'll make this short and sweet. Bagpipe Monday is suspended until August. I have a lot of posts that I want to do for the summer, and I have even less time to do it- it's summertime. And to make maters even more complicated, I am tinkering with a few things on the site and I may make some very big changes before the season begins.

We'll see.

Look for a new survey on the right hand column to appear very soon. I also ditched the Shoutbox. It was becoming a collection of links to dating sites and other bullshit. Other than BM, posts should (should) stay relatively on the same pace, as they have been.

So anyways...

2009 Eligibility Chart Updates

Since I had a few minutes this morning, I decided to take a look at the Eligibility chart for 2009 and see if any adjustments were needed. Sure enough, there were. Here are a few notes pertaining to the eligibility chart, followed by the chart itself.

• There is no need to be hasty and move Aldridge into the fullback slot right now. He may very well play more meaningful downs as a FB, but until we get past spring practice and the spring game- he remains a running back. I will have a post that goes a little more in depth with this possible positional change soon.
• The same rules apply to Trevor Robinson as a tackle. He will have to win the left tackle spot, before I move him as well.
• Since the Irish are moving away from the 3-4 terminology and settling in on a 4-3 verbal base, I have changed the position titles a bit. There are nose guards and defensive tackles.
• There are no more hybrid slots, as you are either have your hand up or your hand down 99% of the time. Also, I have not split up the linebackers into Sam, Mike, and Will. I may do this in the future, but not yet.

Oh, Dear Lord...

Well, it finally happened. The Subway Domer is a brand new father. To say that I am completely overwhelmed emotionally and physically would be an understatement and an injustice to my wife... but I am- we are. Baby Olivia was born Monday the 16th at 4:48 PM. She was 7 lbs. 4 oz. and was 20 inches long. She looks just like me. I have apologized to her countless times already.

I just wanted to let everyone know, that posting will be a little light for a while. I'm sure you will all understand. However, just because the frequency will be down some, does not mean I'm closing shop or changing the way I do things around here. I have some things that I am working on and thoughts and ideas that I am bouncing around... so look out. 2009 is shaping up to be a great year. Stay tuned, God bless, and Go Irish!

The Subway Domer.

Things That Suck, Weis, And The Future

Two words. Fuck Dell. OK, maybe it's not entirely Dell's fault this time, but their products are built to break down. I finally have my computer up and running and I'm ready to start posting again- but what about? This week has knocked me off of my rhythm and has put a damper on next week. But, like the trooper I am, I will give you a short commentary of what just happened and try to give some insight on the short-term future of the program. Briefly.

So Weis is still the head coach. I'm not surprised. Despite some delusional Irish fans dreams, there was never a long list of top coaches willing to come to Notre Dame. Meyer, Stoops, and Saban were a few of the names I kept hearing- and I was shitting myself with laughter. It's OK to dream big, but there was no way we were going to land any of these guys unless the Pope himself commanded Meyer to take the ND job. (Apparently Benedict cares for football about as much as John Paul). I won't get into the reasons why Notre Dame decided to retain Weis, but I will say that I am grateful that the cloud of uncertainty has been dissipated.

I also think that it was a smart move- for now. I have stated in a couple of different posts that I felt that the 2008 team resembled the 2004 team in a lot of ways. So in keeping with that frame of mind, and looking at the schedule for 2009, I feel that Notre Dame can replicate the success they had in 2005 next year. The biggest difference is going to be in 2011 and 2012 (assuming the Mayans are wrong about the end of the world). The cupboards will not be bear like they were in 2007 and 2008. The biggest question left, is what changes will be made with the staff? I expect a few (or more thatn a few for that matter) but I wouldn't be surprised if it was only one guy. I'd be dissapointed if it was only one change, but not surprised.

Enough of all of that. The Weis debate has been beaten to death around the Irish message boards, blogs, and the mainstream media. It's done, and I'm moving forward. The team should take the same advice.

The season is not over. One more goal can still be accomplished. A bowl victory. After last nights Louisville-Rutgers game, the bowl scenario for ND becomes a little clearer. No Sun Bowl. The most likely destination for the Irish is probably the Texas bowl against Rice. I'll leave speculation and possible previews aside until something is in writing, but I am almost certain that this is were ND is going to land.

Thanks for coming back to Subway Domer and sorry about the power outage.

This Is Bullshit

My awesome, Dell bought computer, has crashed for the 3rd time in 2 years. I should have it back up and running before the end of the week, and I will post more psychotic babble then. Weis will still be the coach until then, so no biggie.

I'll have something on Weis, the USC game, and other shit as soon as this is fixed.

PEACE
The Subway Domer

Something For Everybody

You may, or may not, have noticed a new widget on the site. It's a video widget called FanDome. There is also a website that this widget comes from called Irish FanDome. It is a very well put together site that has oodles of videos and information on Notre Dame and it's mother site covers most of the other NCAA 1-A schools as well.

I encourage all of you to check them out, and if you are a blogger I suggest you use them as a video service as well.

That's all. Check out two of the most recent additions to their video library for Notre Dame:

Don't Worry, I Gotcha

In my last "Hangover" post, I promised you a list. I'm very good with making lists of things- whatever they are. I am, however, a huge procrastinator and have a hard time staying motivated.

This isn't the case this time.

I have started the lists and I am making pretty good headway with them. Most of the things will not be new if you read Subway Domer regularly. Some are.

I will be releasing these lists the week after the Southern Cal game. Publishing them now would make sense considering the sharks circling the waters, but the regular season is not over. I/we will have to wait until then.

BTW- I'm sure most of you have heard that Notre Dame has a good chance of not going to the Sun Bowl. They can't get into a Big East bowl with a 6-6 record if all of the slots can be filled by the conference. They will be thrown into a pool of other 6-6 teams and most likely will fill in for a PAC-10, SEC, or Big 12 slot as these conferences may not fill their quota. These "other" bowls include:

• Las Vegas Bowl VS. Mountain West
• Poinsettia Bowl VS. Mountain West
• Hawaii Bowl VS. WAC
• Independence Bowl VS. Big12 / SEC
• PapaJohns.com Bowl VS. Big East
• Texas Bowl VS. Conference USA

There are probably a few others, but these are the ones that stood out to me. All of these would be for a fill in for the 3 conferences that I mentioned.

I don't give a shit what Dick Vitale says about going to a lesser bowl (he thinks we should stay home). It's basketball season and he should stick with that. I realize he has ties to ND, but his opinion of the program as it pertains to a bowl game means very little to me. We need to go. I am looking deeper into my comparison of the 2004 team. They sucked. They went to the Insight Bowl and got waxed by Oregon State. But, they got some very valuable practice time that I am sure helped them to an amazing season in 2005. So, without question- if we are invited we HAVE TO GO. I don't care where, and I don't care against who. With a huge amount of starters and key players coming back in 2008, the practice and bowl experience can be a vital thing for a program that will be looking to get back on the right track in 2008.

Enough. this was supposed to be just a quick update and a funny video. Here's your video, but think of yourself as a fan who is close to driving off of a cliff after this last loss and chooses not to watch the U$C game. You just got the phone call after the game from your buddies:

Hey Everbody! We're All Going To Get Leid!

In a recent post I stated that ND was not going to allow students to wear lei's in support of a visiting recruit by providing a letter sent by the University.

They had to write it. The lei's are still on. The NCAA can't do anything about it if ND doesn't sanction the event.

If you are going to the game, I think you will be able to find them at Gate E, or bring your own.

This could be a great show of support. 10,000 + wearing lei's for a football game in the middle of November in South Bend. It's just too bad that there is not a forecast of snow for Saturday. How cool would that look?! I'm starting to regret turning down tickets 4 different times for the game. If you go, send me some pics and I will post them here.

My 500th Post Is An Update? Weak

I had no idea that I had put so many posts up in my short time on the net. My life must be boring.

Anyways, I saw that a few people were wondering where the game chat for BC and Pitt was at the last two Saturdays. Well, I was in South Bend for the Pitt game, and I was throwing shit at the TV this past Saturday.

The Navy game? You betcha! I will be having a Live Blog/Chat for the Navy game here at Subway Domer. If you want to see what this live blog entails, you can check this out and this out as well.

So stop by for some punch and pie. Just don't eat the yellow cake.

Join The Crowd...

Here's your chance Irish fans, and in particular- Subway Alumni. The Subway Domer is making the trip up to South Bend for the game Saturday versus Pittsburgh. I usually make it to about 3-5 games a year, but due to circumstances that I only wish I could control- I am making this trip my one and only to the Mecca of College Football this year.

So join me, in decimating the population of liquid bread that has over run this country. You can find me stumbling along almost anywhere on campus whether it be White Field, Joyce parking lot, or even inside the stadium- wherever. The Subway Domer crew will be decked out in only the finest Internet-made game gear to make it easier for you to find, and since they are t-shirts, it should be that much easier on a 50 degree day.

Join the crowd and purchase your own Subway Domer t-shirts at the Subway Domer Store. Here are a few of the finest examples of too much time on my hands and not enough alcohol...

I mean, if that's what you're in to...

Live Blogging, Because Work Sucks

So I'm not heading to Washington for the game this weekend as I imagine a lot of you are not. Eric and Sprout of The Subway Alumni Show are making the trip and I encourage all of you that do attend, to seek these fellow Subway Alums out- and take care of them. 5 star hotels, Champagne and caviar are not necessary for those two (although I'm certain they will not turn it down). Give them a ride from the airport and pass a cold one there way and they will be happy. Good luck fellas!

BTW- If you haven't already done so, join the Subway Alumni Club. You get a cool badge...

Anyways... I am going to have a Live Blog set up for gameday and opt out of going to work- because work sucks. If you joined me the last time you know the drill & if not, here is the link to the replay of the live blog I had for the Stanford game.

So I hope to see you Saturday commenting away on why ND should keep running the score up with a 45 point lead in the fourth quarter. It should be up and running around Noon so you can stop by and spew a bit before the game if you like.

The Anti-Preview for Washington should be up later tonight.

Ask Not, What Your Blogger Can Do For You, But What You Can Do For Your Blogger

Alright everyone- I need some help. I have been spending some time during this bye week evaluating the blog and trying to come up with some new ideas to help make it that much enjoyable for you. I have a slight problem though... I don't know what the fuck I am doing.

Maybe I should clarify that statement.

I am not in need of another writer, but I am willing to give you a shot if you like. What I really need is a tech guy with a sick sense of humor and a passion for ND football. I have no clue when it comes to photoshop, html code, and other such things that help define a blog. Call me old, call me an idiot- but don't call me stupid. I know where my "talent" (said with the loosest meaning) lies, and that is writing about Irish football and recruiting from the perspective of a hardcore motherfucker.

So, if you have any skill in the following:

• Photoshop
• HTML code
• Web design
• Drinking large amounts of alcohol without the word "light" attached to it
• Avoiding your family
• Comedy
• Bleeding Blue & Gold (literally)
• Podcasts
• Marketing
• Breathing

Than maybe Subway Domer has a use for your talent. If you would like to help contribute to Subway Domer please e-mail me and let me know what you can do. I offer you no benefits and absolutely no pay. I will give you complete recognition and a chance to do your blogger proud.

Be apart of something much lower than you. Sign up today!

Site update.

I am scrapping the Intense Debate comment system. It just wasn't working right and I'm not sure if it was me or if it was , well- it. I might put the shoutbox back on the right. Maybe.

Sir, We Have Been Compromised

Due to a new set of circumstances, The Subway Domer has been forced to move into a new War Room. This move may seem untimely due to the season being underway, but it is a key factor in the survival of all mankind.

My apologies to all of my readers if you are looking for the newly created Wu-Banga Tuesday. As unfortunate as this is, I assure you that it will be operational for next Tuesday.

I am also working on a posting schedule for the season, but it seems that Subway Domer will remain as sporadic as usual throughout the short season.

Hooray Beer!

Oh, It's So... Weird

You may be looking at this post and are starting to think that something is fucked up. Then you glance over at the new poll on the right and think "Hey, somethings different."

Congratulations genius. Something is!

First, I have took the shoutbox and thrown that motherfucker in the trash. It has worn out its use as I will get to in a minute. In its place, I have added a poll. Now this weeks poll is to gauge how you, the reader, feel about the new changes. What the plan is, is that every Monday after I post the "Bagpipe Monday" post, I will have a new poll of whatever stupid ass thing I think up that week.

The biggest change is the new commenting forum that I have installed. I saw it on Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and thought it was a good idea. I encourage you to use this new system instead of the shoutbox that's fucking gone anyways. Sign up and witness the magic of posting on a blog that is amazingly similar to some chat forums. I really feel that most blogs will start using this kind of commenting in the near future.

Now a lot of you that come to Subway Domer are avid NDLNA users. You should be. That site is the motherfucking shiznit. I pimp just about every post I write on that site. Some of you comment regularly on on my posts at NDLNA. That's great, but I ask that you give my new buddy ( intensedebate) a try as well. If you comment on NDLNA, copy and paste it on the new comment section at Subway Domer. See if you like it.

Also, I will be adding even MORE blogs to my blogrolls soon. If you think a blog is badass and think I should have a link to it, let me know and I'll give it a consideration. Blogs like Black Heart Gold Pants, Burnt Orange Nation, Rockey Top Talk, and others are too good not to peruse throughout the week. They will be linked here.

Let me know what you all think about the changes and I'll keep on posting mediocre and juvenile posts!

Thanks,

The Subway Domer

P.S. - Due to the fact I am a total dipshit, I have somehow vaporized all previous comments by accident. I'm trying to get them back... like you care.

Updated

Alright everyone, I have updated a few things.

1. The Irish Blogroll is now under a RSS feed. This means that every time a linked site is updated, that link on the right will show when and what. These are the main Irish blogs that I read and I recommend you check them all out. Different strokes for different folks.
2. The Enemy Blogroll (now Enemy Propaganda) is completely renovated. Every team that the Irish play has two blogs linked. (Except for Purdue, because they have nothing other than Boiled Sports to link to.) These links are also under a RSS feed and should one of these punks have some shit to say about the Irish, you'll know about it. There are also a couple of non opponent links as well, but they are enemies none the less.

Please feel free to let me know if you would like to see anything on Subway Domer.

Subway Derailed?

Not a fucking chance guy. I have been battling a severe case of workaholism, some sort of bronchial damage that has me wheezing and gasping for breath like a 90 year old, a honey-do list, and have been in a deep football depression. Shit sucks. Oh yea, I have been the main battlefield for a blog war between Irish Band of Brothers and Domer Sports Report. I am staying out of this because it seems insanely childish. I am an IBB reader and enjoy that site. DSR (not Detroit Sports report for yet another Tigers loss) is new- listen Mark, if you want a link... quit begging for one like a child. Keep posting on a regular and when I update my blogrolls in July, you might find yourself there. Or, maybe not at all. I don't know and don't care. Ithink you may have been a troll and that doesn't sit well with the Emporer. We'll see.

All this has led to a less than stellar effort from myself, The Subway Domer. But, I apologize to no one. It's fucking summer and I have been enjoying as much as a workaholic, with fucked lungs and a demanding wife can. However, I feel the need to comment on a LOT of things that have gone on in NDNation recently. I won't sit here and pretend to report on these things as if you did not already know them, but I feel you are owed my commentary on these events.

Let us begin...

May 31st, Kevin White Leaves Notre Dame for same position at Duke. Huh. I wasn't shocked, but I really didn't see this thing ending so abruptly.

Kevin White had become a somewhat infamous character in Irish Athletic lore. His scheduling tactics for the football team were unforgivable in the eyes of many alumni and subway alumni. His "barnstorming" theory was a good thing in concept, but was very poorly executed up to this point. His bumbling of George O'Leary and his hiring and firing of Ty Willingham made him a household name.

Here's the thing, it doesn't matter. Here or somewhere else, an insanely hard or easy schedule, or whatever... winning cures all.

So go ahead and search for a new Athletic Director. Bring up names like Holtz, Phelps, and whoever else from the past that you can dig up. It really doesn't matter if we are winning. It doesn't. Oh sure, we may bitch about a few things, but we would not be sticking venom into this subject as much as we have been for the last few years. Watch what happens in 2009 and 2010. It may be Kevin White's fault.

I am by no means an apologist for Dr. White, but he has about as much impact against Michigan and USC as I do.

June 3rd, Chris Zorich returns to Notre Dame as the manager of student welfare and development inside the athletics department. Zorich has become a permanent fixture at Notre Dame during gamedays since Charlie Weis became the Head Coach. This is a similar plot line to another former Irish great. (I said great motherfuckers. Don't doubt me.) Ron Powlus. Begging in a small administrative role and turning good work into a reward of a coaching position. Maybe Zoro has no aspirations of this, but any fan of his can only hope of having him in Ian Williams or Brandon Newman's face at practice and on gamedays. Wahoo!

June 5th, Phil Steele is in my mailbox. So much information it gave me a headache and induced my bronchial infection to attack at full scale.

June 5th, Dan Fox committed to the Fighting Irish. The 6'4" 219 lbs. linebacker from St. Ignatius high school in Cleveland, Ohio gave his verbal pledge to Weis on Thursday and it was a commitment Irish fans have been anticipating.

Dan has a very athletic edge to him and his single greatest attribute has been his ability to cover the pass at his linebacking position.

Dan is the sixth commitment for the class of 2009 and will be a very welcome addition to a class that is looking to keep the momentum going after the 2008 class.

Dan is rated as a 4 star on Rivals.com and turned down offers from Boston College, Michigan State, and Virginia. He chips away another piece of this 2009 class that is forming. With only 19 scholarships available (went up one when Nagel left) Fox represents 2 of the 3 or 4 LB commits for this year. Spots are filling up and the pressure may now be on players such as Jenkins, Te'o, and Telfort.

Now a little video for the archives...


Welcome To ND Dan!!!

June 6th, Alex Bullard commits to Notre Dame. The 6'3" 285 lbs. guard from Brentwood Academy in Brentwood Tennessee gave his verbal pledge via a news conference most of you who are reading this have already seen.

Alex is the first offensive lineman and the 7th overall to commit to the 2009 incoming class. The first offensive lineman in a class that needs to rake up about 4 or 5 with most of those being tackles. This now leaves the Irish with about 12 or 13 scholarships remaining to give to incoming recruits, and two of those offers are for specialists. Ben Turk, a punter, and Dustin Hopkins, a kicker.

Alex also represents a small trend in Irish recruiting. they are doing well in Tennessee. Alex is the 3rd 4 star recruit to commit to the Irish in as many years. (Harrison Smith and Golden Tate class of 2007). Beating fat Phil in anything is great, but after recruiting losses to Ben Martin, Chris Donald, and Gerald Jones for the 2007 class, recruiting geeks should be joyous in the fact that we received a pledge from an outstanding recruit both on and off of the field.

Once again, spots are filling up and ND might get another boom soon after a few summer visits. Stay tuned to ALL Irish blogs and sites for more info in a very interesting recruiting year.

Welcome to ND Alex!!!

June 7th, Subway Domer stays home from work and actually writes a new post... still not breathing though. However, I did find this piece of youtube footage from the MZone. TAH-NOO-TAH teaching back in the day for the Suckeyes. Notice the extreme lack of f-bombs. What the fuck?!!!