Brady Quinn to be traded?

It appears the Browns are looking to trade Brady Quinn. The National Football Post's Michael Lombardi is reporting that the Browns have been shopping Quinn, and currently are considering trading the quarterback for at least a first round pick. Lombardi reports that the Browns have a team offering a first rounder, but are still looking for more as the draft nears. Two teams seem to be very interested.

Lombardi doesn't mention which teams are interested, but I can't imagine a team would trade a pick higher than the 22nd overall (the pick used by the Browns), especially since Quinn has yet to prove himself in the league. If I had to guess (and it is nothing more than speculation), I would think the Vikings would be interested with the 22nd overall, but the other squads that come to mind would be the Lions (20) and the Jets (17). The Broncos have the 12th pick and the Jets have the 17th, which both seem too high, but both teams need a franchise quarterback and should be considered darkhorses.

The draft is in two weeks, so a move would certainly be made before then (if at all). I'll keep you updated.

Beating SC, Being Jesus, and The Golden Boy (LOTD 4/11)

Busy couple of days for me, including a trip back to my hometown, so there hasn't been a lot of time to blog. Luckily, it's a slow period for football news as the Blue-Gold game nears, but I'll give you what I have.

The biggest story in the queue comes from NDNation, where "The Rock" is convinced that we can beat USC this season. It's hard to determine if this is a legitimate claim or simply spring expectations, but NDN's argument makes a lot of sense. SC has lost a ton of talent on defense, all three members of the best linebacking corps in the country. The Trojans also lose Mark Sanchez, who is expected to go in the first round of the draft. The only noticable advantage for the Trojans (from a talent standpoint) is their offensive line against our defensive line, though there is a lot of talent on our DL. Our coach is in his fifth year, surrounded by his coaches, and coaching his players. If it isn't possible this season then when will it be?

Of course this brings me to the one area of doubt; Charlie Weis. Can Weis coach this team to victory in a match up of top 10 talent? Or will another one of Weis' teams play "not to lose" while USC "plays to win", as they almost always do. I'm not convinced that Weis can outcoach Pete Carroll, but the talent is (finally) there and the game is being played in South Bend. Let's see... a talented but unproven team, a highly recruited junior quarterback with experience, a spectacular receiving duo, a solid defense and a game in South Bend. I can't help but think of 2005. But please, leave the green jerseys at home.

Speaking of the highly recruited junior quarterback, the Tribune's Brian Hamilton has a story on the evolution of Jimmy Clausen. Clausen has gone from "a brittle, relatively overwhelmed freshman" to someone who is just "working on little details." Clausen's maturation is going to be essential to returning to BCS calibre play. Jimmy doesn't have to take the leap that Brady Quinn took in his junior year (though I would certainly take that), but he does have to limit his interceptions, stay in the pocket for a little bit longer, and improve his downfield accuracy. There's no reason this team can't play in a BCS game if Clausen can make those improvements. He has the receivers to throw to, a solid group of backs, and an offensive line that has made major leaps, according to most reports. Now it's on the quarterback.

The Journal-Gazette's Michael Rothstein recently asked a few of the players who they would be if they could be anybody. The responses were very dull (Rock stars, LeBron James, my dad, grandpop, grandma (?), Jeff Samardzija, Steve Tasker and Tiger Woods) until I got to the very end, where Sam Young drops this gem on everyone.

"And then Jesus. Jesus would be nice. It's Easter. Why not? I want to know the big answers. Heck, why not, right."

Dream big, Sam, dream big. That response is what you would expect from the kid in 4th grade who throws out "f-bomb" (index finger and thumb) in a game of rock, paper, scissors. You know, it beats all three.

In non-ND related news, The Golden Boy, Jon Gruden, was offered the offensive coordinator position at Oregon after the Ducks promoted Chip Kelly to replace Mike Bellotti. Gruden had once talked about how much he likes the Ducks offense ("I want my son to go to Oregon football camp and I want to learn what the Oregon Ducks are doing on offense"). In the end, Gruden decided that he would rather take a year off from football than work under a college coach, which is a nice way of saying that he is waiting to see if Charlie Weis can get the job done this year.

Finally, our USC-is-in-trouble update. The folks at Dr. Saturday held a (digital) roundtable to try and figure out just how deep USC is in it. Possibilities range from the death penalty (likened to a nuclear bomb; never to be used again), to the vacation of a heisman and some victories (much more likely). The big question surrounds the 2004 BCS Championship. Will the NCAA force the Trojans to (retroactively) forfeit the game, or will SC be able to hang on to it's crystal trophy?

Interesting note: if Reggie Bush loses his heisman then USC will have 6 heisman winners... one fewer than the Irish. Ohio State also has had 6 heisman winner, though they have seven trophies in the case.

That's all for today. There may be a post tomorrow, though I can't imagine there will be a lot of breaking news on Easter. If not, then have a Happy East, and I'll see you all on Monday morning.

Class of 2010 Commit #3- Chris Martin

No, not the guy from Coldplay. This Chris Martin is a legit 5-star prospect across the board. Scout has him ranked as the top DE in the country, while Rivals and ESPN have him in their top 100. Martin weighs in at 6'4" and 224 pounds. With the lack of depth at the DE position, Coach Weis will almost certainly use Martin as a pass-rushing end.

Martin comes from Oakland, CA, where he played for Bishop O'Dowd High School. He had offers from Georgia, USC, UCLA, Oregon, Cal, LSU, Nebraska and Stanford. Pulling him away from the West Coast seemed to be the most challenging aspect at first, especially with USC as a top contender, but Weis landed what might be the most important prospect of this class before spring practice even started.

Martin is a speedy DE, running a 4.6 40, and ESPN compliments him on his short burst speed and downhill running ability. In his junior season, Martin rang up 110 tackles, including 20 TFL's. He also had four sacks. As a sophomore, Martin collected 108 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions. He was an all-state selection his sophomore year.

I cannot overstate the importance of adding Martin to this class. We didn't sign a single defensive end last year, so getting one who could play on par with the '09 class was critical. Martin seems to be that guy, and he could make a case for being the top prospect overall with a solid senior season.

5th year seniors, Leadership, and the NCAA targets SC (LOTD 4/9)

There's a bit of ND news today, but mainly stories are coming from outside of the program.

Five players had their 5th year requests accepted (as was expected). Seniors Mike Anello, Paul Duncan, Ray Herring, Kyle McCarthy and Scott Smith will all be back for another season. McCarthy and Duncan will be starters, Smith might be as well, while Mike Anello and Ray Herring will contribute on special teams. Good to see all five return, and I expect at least four of the five to make solid contributions in the upcoming season.

Anello was also named as a Lott Trophy finalist. The senior was one of 42 people nominated for the award that goes the defensive player who has the most impact on and off the field. Anello recorded 29 tackles (19 solo), with two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery as a gunner on the punt and kickoff coverage teams. Past recipients of the award include David Pollack, DeMeco Ryans, Daymeion Hughes, Glenn Dorsey and James Laurinitis. While Alleno may be a longshot, it's still quite the honor for a former walk-on.

KellyGreen asks a very interesting question: who will emerge as a leader for this team (if anyone)? As KG points out, ND went from a team with no talent or depth, to a team with talent but no depth, not to a team with talent and depth but no experience. So who do I think will step up to be that leader? Brian Smith. Smith has exhibited the heart and passion to be a leader, and he has definitely shown that he has the talent to be one of the better players on the D. I think Smith WANTS to be the leader of this team, but he has to get guys on board for that to happen. A long shot? Robert Blanton. Blanton may be one year away from a leadership role, but I didn't see anyone who competed with more swagger and moxie last year than Blanton.

Okay, now to some fun stuff.... such as Pete Carroll's high school yearbook photos! Poodle was apparently a three-sport star, playing football, basketball, and baseball. Not surprisingly, Petey claims that his favorite of the three was "whatever was in season."

However, Pete may be the one in-season... at least for the NCAA. The NCAA will combine the Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo investigations into one (RICO?). Smells like the NCAA has something good on both, otherwise they wouldn't risk a good case on one that might go down. Essentially, Miles Brand has a six and a five and just doubled down. Both the Yahoo! story on Bush and the ESPN story on Mayo looked pretty damning. The evidence was well researched, and the Trojans may find themselves in trouble if the stories hold. I pointed out last week that the waters were warming, and this seems to be the next step. The interesting thing is that the Death Penalty wouldn't be outside the realm of possibilities here, though I don't expect the NCAA to kill it's most notable football program and recent Pac-10 championship basketball squad.

Finally, another one of our favorite programs has had a player run into trouble with the law: Michigan receiver Darryl Stonum has been sentenced to a year's probation for driving while impared. Stonum (seriously, that's his last name) also has to attend substance abuse education, a drunken driving victims panel, and three days of a jail community work program. At least he'll be able to spend some extra time with his teammates.

Obama Update: MSM descends like vultures

Three days ago, we provided a post taking a look at the protests going on at Notre Dame over Father Jenkins' selection of President Barack Obama for this year's commencement address. It was one of the more popular posts I've had since starting up, and many of you chimed in with your thoughts on the issue. It was my feeling that the commencement speech is intended for the students, not alumni, and therefore the decision should be up to the graduating class as to whether Obama is appropriate. I personally feel that he is a home-run as a commencement speaker, as do the majority of the students to this point. But that doesn't mean the protests are going away.

The Observer's Sarah Mervosh wrote on Palm Sunday of approximately 400 students participating in a "prayer rally", the first of what seem to be many to come.

The purpose of the rally, which took place in front of the Main Building, was to kick off the Notre Dame student response and set the tone for a respectful, prayer-centered disagreement, Notre Dame Right to Life Club president Mary Daly said.

"Since 1973, a plague has ravished our country," said senior Chris Labadie, the chair of the newly-formed Notre Dame Response coalition, in a speech at the rally. "It's a plague that not only kills the body, but also souls. This plague is abortion."

The rally included guest speakers and a rosary prayer. While the event is noteworth on its own, the turnout is surprisingly low. Just 400 students from a campus of over 10,000? That's just 4% of the student population on one of the holiest days of the year. That leads me to believe that most of the noise is coming from outside of the student population.

Also, the website www.stopobamanotredame.com has popped up, backed by The Society for Truth and Justice. SOND looks like a bunch of radical-rights, throwing around ridiculous claims and assertions on Obama and pro-choice policies. The site compares Obama to Herod and Pilate, while claiming the issue is important to the entire world. The group's goals are not only to have Obama replaced as the commencement speaker but also to have Rev. Jenkins resign as President of the University. They've even gone as far as drawing up a suggested letter of resignation (PDF). And I thought I went over-the-top at times.

Then the New York Times got involved, taking a similar position to the one I took: the students are excited, while many alums and outsiders are upset.

Some 97 percent of seniors who have sent letters to the school newspaper, The Observer, support Mr. Obama as the commencement speaker, said the editor, Jenn Metz. Letters from alumni, however, have overwhelmingly opposed his appearance.

Compare that 97% of supporting student writers to the 4% of students in attendence at the prayer rally. The numbers seem to line up pretty well.

Finally, the gem of all gems came from Fox News, which ran a story on Sunday. Fox News took their predictable right-wing position, but also had junior Kathleen Donahue on, spokesperson for the student group ND Responds, to back them up. Donahue stated that, "The Observer tends to be a bit left-leaning," keeping right-wing students from reading or writing to the paper. Donahue also said that 2001 speaker George Bush's support of the death penalty (also against Church policies) is different in that there is some room for leeway in the Catholic Church on the death penalty (really?) while there is no debate on abortion. She also thought that the selection of Obama was a joke at first. Finally, she feels that a commencement speech is "not dialogue", and therefore no dialogue has been opened (dispite the fact that it is being debated two months in advance of the speech).

I must admit, I didn't believe that Donahue was actually a student at first until I saw her facebook page. It seemed like she was handpicked by Fox News and given a script of responses. She doesn't actually address the topic of George Bush's policy on the death penalty, and her belief that the right-wingers on campus don't read the school's newspaper is absurd.

This will all continue until the speech is actually given. There is no way that Jenkins will resign, and the odds of Obama being replaced are very slim. At this point it just seems like a lot of noise from outsiders, dispite stringent support from the students.

Hafis Heaves, Blue-Gold Recruiting, and Busters (LOTD 4/8)

As spring practice draws to an end and the Blue-Gold game nears, we can begin to see a clearer picture of what this Irish team will look like heading into the fall. The first team has been set for most of the spring, with a few surprise emerging players such as Hafis Williams. And how did Hafis react to the news?

When Williams saw his name atop the depth chart before that late March scrimmage, nerves hit. And when he took the field for that practice, he needed another moment, this time to unload into a trashcan.

"Before every game and before every practice I get butterflies so it really wasn't nothing different," Williams said. "It just felt like one of those days when you know it's about to be one of those big things. I just felt overwhelmed at the time but once I cleared my throat I was ready to go."

We're you expecting me to start with something serious? I actually think that Hafis will emerge as one of the better players on this year's defensive front seven (especially if he can incorporate this Donovan McNabb act into pre-snap situations).

UHND has a profile and matching Q&A with Maurice Crum, featuring Crum's thoughts on this year's defense, being a two-time captain and his pro football future. Crum defends Charlie Weis ("I love Charlie Weis to death"), and thinks the Irish can be national championship contenders very soon. It's a good get for a fellow Irish blogger, and a nice insight into one the mainstays on the Irish defense in the past few seasons.

It's important to remember that the Blue-Gold game is as important for recruiting as it is for the current players. The Irish could have more than 20 recruits in attendence. Subway Domer has a recruiting refresher up, taking a look at who is being considered and how many we could take from each position. Also, ND=NC, one of the board mods at IrishEnvy, believes the Irish will get three new commits this weekend, and maybe even more.

Dr. Saturday has a story on the over-hyped Demetrius Jones. Jones, as you may recall, was the starting quarterback for the Irish two seasons ago before getting pulled in the first half of the first game (he was that bad). He then refused to show up for the team bus next game and left the school without telling any of the coaches, transferring to Cincinatti. Jones was supposed to be the Bearcats' starter last year, but injured his shoulder and couldn't emerge from a musical-chairs QB situation once he got healthy. Then it was revealed he would be playing at linebacker for the Bearcats' this year, a move Jones feels is temporary ("just trying it out"), while head coach Brian Kelly sees it as a permanent move (I wonder who will prevail). Jones was trouble from the start, and his attitude seems to be keeping him from overcoming his lack of talent. Which brings me back to Jones' time at Notre Dame, where he infamously uttered that "the last time I checked, no busters wore number 3". Maybe no busters, but certainly some major busts.

In non-ND news, a top prospect from Florida blew any chance he had at college football (maybe West Virginia remains) after allegedly wielding a knife in a cafe food-court brawl involving 20 people. The knife was drawn on a security guard, and the result is an arrest and possible felony.

Also, this isn't even college football related, but you must check out Martellus Bennett's blog as Cowboy Insider for the Dallas Morning News. So far Bennett has blogged on the best way to leave a date at a movie (involving nachos and a 44oz drink), Mel Kiper's film addiction ("there is NO WAY he can watch all those players"), and playing chess with aliens (jackpot!).

I believe in aliens. I've actually seen four or five of them in my lifetime. Although they aren't as smart as everyone seems to think. I played one in monopoly, checkers, and chess and I destroy him/her couldn't really tell which it was so I'm just going to call it It.

It's almost as if he's trying to save the Morning News by himself.

Oh, those offseason expectations (LOTD 4/6)

One of the biggest stories from this offseason so far is the general excitement concerning the assistant coaches. Weis has been given early credit for injecting the coaching staff (and team, by result) with a new, angrier, dare I say nasty attitude. The additions of Frank Verducci, Randy Hart, and Tony Alford have all added a few more decibles to the coaching staff, and players are hitting the field with more excitement and desire than seen in the past two seasons. Then comes word that the canktankerous one, Charlie Weis, is expressing pleasure with how things are working out so far.

“One of the things that I’ve probably been the most pleased with, besides the fact that they care and they’re good football coaches, is that they are three very energetic, passionate coaches that are all very good teachers. They’ve brought a lot of energy to practice and they’re very good teachers…I’ve been very pleased, not only with their energy, but also their teaching ability.”

This brings up a question; how many more wins will these changes (in addition to the maturation of talent) bring? Last year's 6-6 regular season was definitiely a disappointment, but if Verducci cleans up the offensive line, Alford can get the backs running with power and direction, and Hart can coach up a young but talented defensive line, then we could be looking at a very talented team, possibly even a contender (did I say that out loud?).

The schedule is a joke, and the only team with more talent than the Irish are the Trojans of USC. We have seven home games, one neutral site, and just four away games. Is an undefeated regular season possible? Yes, but not probable by any means. Can this team finish the regular season with one loss? I'm warming to the idea every day.

Spring practice does little more than get guys some reps, provide a couple of injuries, and send fans' expectations through the roof. It's no different this year. But if Weis has actually addressed the three major areas of weakness from last year and the talent continues to develop then why say no to an 11 win season? Remember, it was just two years ago that the Irish were in the BCS for the second year in a row. Then we had the two Radio years of inept recruiting at the top, and now things may be back.

Now for some links. BlueandGold has a very thorough look at both the offense and the defense in their spring capsules. Topics include most of the storylines I've been talking about this week, including the depth at tight end, improvements on the offensive line, youthful talent at defensive line, and a rock-solid secondary. Check it out if you need to get caught up on your spring practice news.

In non-football news, Luke Harangody was selected to another All-American list that is not the AP's and has more than five players. 'Gody was named to the John R. Wooden All-American team. He joins 10 others on the list. It's the second year in a row that Luke made Wooden's team, a feat that only Troy Murphy was able to accomplish in an Irish uniform. Cheers to Luke.

Former Irish wide receiver (and pitcher) Jeff Samardzija has been optioned to the Cubs' AAA affiliate in Iowa for a bit of fine tuning. The pitcher, who was the Cubs' 8th inning guy at the end of last season, was bumped down for two reasons; a) the Cubs want Samardzija as a starter, not a reliever, so he can build up some stamina in the minors and b) this pushes his free-agent eligibility back another year, which means the Cubs get another year of Samardzija for cheap. I'd expect to see Jeff at Wrigley by June, especially when considering Rich Harden's injury problems.

Finally, the Irish baseball team swept Villanova this weekend. Good on ya, boys.

Class of 2010 Commit #2- Daniel Smith

Daniel Smith is a wide receiver out of Clay High School in South Bend. A local, Smith chose to play for the Irish early in the process despite offers from Indiana and Purdue along with interest from Louisville, Michigan State, Northwestern, Illinois, and Iowa. He is possession receiver at 6'4" and 205 pounds, running a 4.6 40. Smith also carries a 3.6 gpa.

Smith, who has started at receiver since his freshman year, had 51 catches for 1,071 yards and nine touchdowns in his junior season. Scout ranks him as a four-star receiver and lists him 15th overall at the position. Smith has the body to play football at the next level, and could prove to be a good red-zone receiver. Smith was recruited by Rob Ianello, which means the Irish valued him pretty highly as a recruit. It's early in the process, but a solid senior year could have Smith on more of a national level.

Also, an interesting human-interest point- his sister is married to former Irish safety Gerome Sapp.

A big week for TDS

Blogging is a new thing for me, and I've spent most of the past two weeks trying to figure out the big differences in blogging versus tradition newspaper reporting and commenting. Journalism school's are still very much based in the traditional print ways (thanks to professors in their 40s and 50s), so a move to the digital world has been a new, exciting, and sometimes frustrating experience (I still have no clue how to deal with HTML, though I am much better off now than I was two weeks ago).

That said, I was very pleased to see the response I've gotten this past week. I had over 1,600 unique visitors this week, the first week I've tracked web traffic. 1,600 may not seem like a lot at first glance, but it is very exciting for someone used to publishing stories for a college weekly. I've had visitors from 44 states and eight different countries.

I am thankful for everyone who has stopped by so far, and I hope you enjoy what you have read. A lot of thanks goes out to the guys at NDLNA, who have picked up many of my posts and helped develop an audience. I've also gotten to meet a few of the Irish writers in the blogosphere this past week, all of whom have been very gracious with tips and advice for a successful blog.

I'm going to continue updating TDS on a daily basis, mainly with LOTD stories, but there will be much more information as the season nears. Again, thanks to those of you who have stopped by, even the ones who turned the dial to the right after a visit.

-TDS

Irish alumni and fans protest the Obama commencement speech

It's a slow news day, but there was one particular news item in the Google Reader that caught my eye. It isn't football related, but I think it is worth mentioning.

I usually try to keep politics out of a sports blog (most of the time it isn't the slightest of problems), but the Press-Telegram's Tom Hennessy wrote an interesting (and somewhat uncomfortable) column criticizing protesters who believe the University has turned it's back on Catholicism by asking President Obama to be this year's commencement speaker. The President will also receive an honorary degree, becoming the 9th President to receive such an honor from Notre Dame.

As most know, Obama is pro-choice and supports embryonic stem cell research. The Catholic church falls on the other side of the aisle on both issues, as do many of the alumni who attended a school based in Catholic beliefs and values. And so we've hit a fork in the road.

Hennessy mentions that President Jenkins has been asked to resign by some alumi, and many more have threatened to cut future donations to the university. One protester went as far as to say that Notre Dame is "no longer a Catholic institution" in the pages of U.S. News and World. Bishop John D'Arcy, who presides over the diocese covering the Notre Dame area, has refused to attend the ceremony, stating that Obama has led the government in "supporting direct destruction of innocent human life."

What alumni and protesters fail to see, however, is that the commencement speech isn't intended for them, it is intended for the Class of 2009 and the students of the university, the same students who voted for President Obama with 52% of the vote in a mock election, and the same students who were part of a wave of young voters that put President Obama in the oval office.

My question is where does all of this end? Will a university that does not require students to be Catholic proceed to solely invite speakers who back the Catholic message? Doesn't that go against all things higher learning, such as intelligent discourse, free speech, and open debate?

These protests, in my mind, are just another example of Notre Dame fans and alumni being out-of-touch with the current generation of students. President Obama was a home run selection for commencement speaker, and the majority of the students are very excited for his arrival. I give credit to President Jenkins for a) getting the President of the United States as a commencement speaker and b) not being afraid of upsetting a conservative-alumni base with the selection of a liberal politician. Again, graduationis a day for the outgoing students, and though many alums hate to see their incomes taxed, the students supported the President and the general feeling on campus is one of excitement.

Charlie Weis joins the Twitterati (LOTD 4/4)

Charlie Weis (or someone tweeting on behalf of Charlie Weis) has begun twittering. It seems like another move in the attempt to make Weis more personable, though it does provide some insight into what Weis (or his ghostwriter) are seeing. Today "Coach Weis" told us a scrimmage in practice ended with a 30-yd touchdown pass from Clausen to Kamara. He also told us that the team had a Bar-B-Que. I find it odd that Weis uses the twitter machine around 10 times a day, which surprises me because a) why isn't he working on making the team better and b) Weis always struck me as an old man who didn't know how to use the internet. Anyways, keep up to date with all things Coach Weis at the twitter site.

Weis acknowledged some of the better performers from spring on friday, none of whom are starting on the current depth chart (is that a good or bad?). Weis likes what he sees from the three backup tight ends (Mike Ragone, Joseph Fauria, and Bobby Burger), Hafis Williams, Dayne Crist, Toryan Smith, and Robby Parris. This team needs to improve it's depth, so this news is nice to hear, but the only one with starter-potential is Toryan Smith.

Speaking of Toryan Smith, he ran with the first team of linebackers in today's scrimmage, flanked by Brian Smith and Scott Smith. The Chicago Tribune's Brian Hamilton wonders which of the three will be challenged by Manti Te'o. The coaches give the expected response of "the players here are competing for the position, and we'll see where Te'o fits when he gets here," but Scott Smith has never shown signs of greatness, nor has Toryan Smith. Weis has said that Te'o can play all three linebacker positions, so I would imagine that either Toryan or Scott will be sharing playing time (if not yielding playing time) to the superprospect.

IrishEyes has a feature on fan favorite Mike Anello. Anello passed up the opportunity to work on Wall Street to come back for another year of Irish football. Anello seems to be just one of those guys who thoroughly enjoys being a part of all the good things associated with Notre Dame Football. The job offers will be there next winter, but this is his last chance to play for the Irish and he decided to take advantage of it.

Finally, Luke Harangody was named to Dukie V's All-American team. Harangody was one of seven players named to Vitale's team (I thought you played with five?). Harangody had a school record 25 double-doubles this past season. Cheers to Luke, but why is the university's sports info department boosting this up like it was an AP selection? Vitale is successful because he screams, is self-deprecating, and loves Duke. Let's not make him into Grantland Rice.

Off-Topic News: Boston College defensive tackle BJ Raji and Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin tested positive for marijuana at the combine. This story from the same sight that claims Cushing and Matthews tested positive for steroids.

Yahoo's Matt Hinton believes that Aaron Corp is the front-runner to start at QB for USC next season. This reverses all of last week's news that Matt Barkley was the second coming.

Purdue quarterback Justin Siller has been kicked off the team for making "a bad academic decision". Siller was expected to compete with Joey Elliot for the starting spot in West Lafayette.

Finally, Dan Shanoff takes a look at the best five starting fives in NCAA history. He names the Fab 5 as the best ever, but fails to include Phi Slamma Jamma.

The waters are warming in Southern Cal

We were going to do the normal LOTD post today, but events have overtaken us, events not directly involving the Irish but relevant all the same.

First came news the SC LBs Clay Matthews and Brian Cushing tested positive for steroids at the NFL scouting combine. The author cites various sources, including one NFL team. Cushing has been suspected of steroid use, though there were no positive tests until now. You would be foolish to think that these are the only two guys using PEDs at USC, they were just the first few to get caught (remember the Tings?). Carroll runs a loose program, and many of their guys can't be the built and still be in their early 20s.

Pete Carroll has come out and denied the accusations, stating:

"These rumors are absolutely false. If they were found positive, Clay and Cush would have been notified three weeks ago, which they weren't, and all of the NFL teams would have been notified too, which they weren't."

Petey makes sense, but what other position would he take on this? The timing of the leak is odd, but there has always been smoke here. Time will tell on this one.

Bigger than that, however, is the fact that Tracey Pierson, a very well respected poster on the UCLA Scout board, is reporting that USC will be hit with sanctions very soon. Pierson states that the NCAA was ready to go with their case before new evidence came about. The new evidence could be the steroid news mentioned above, or it could be something completely new.

This all kicked off with the Yahoo! Sports report on Reggie Bush's illegal activities and has snowballed since. Pete may believe his program is above the law (as I suspect Urban Meyer does), but the NCAA is coming. Whether they rule with the iron fist or not is another story.

Weis Goes Mainstream, Offense and Defense Improve, and Another Hanson Brother (LOTD 4/2)

The big news out of yesterday is Charlie Weis' sudden appreciation of the MSM (or, rather, what they can do for him). Weis opened up for ESPN's Ivan Maisel, allowing an all-access story for the first time in his tenure as Irish head coach. Weis claims he is doing this to avoid an "I told you so" situation at the end of the season, a season in which he sees the Irish being very successful.

"That's what losers do," Weis said, give or take an adjective. "Losers call the guys up after they won because they want to say, 'I told you so,' or 'You were wrong about me.' I don't want to do that. I don't want to do what those people do. I don't want to be one of those people who all of a sudden because you proved yourself right and everybody else wrong, you have a chip on your shoulder and are boasting. I think that's a totally arrogant attitude."

Weis also mentions that he was taking painkillers during the season (only at night, according to Weis), and decided to get off the pills on New Year's, when he "felt like a drug addict".

Also mentioned in the story is a four page email sent to Weis by offensive line coach Frank Verducci breaking down the play of each of the linemen. Verducci also commented that his lineman are being outworked by their opposition, some thing he will not stand for. Dan Wenger takes some shots (labeled a "training room guy"), while Eric Olsen is praised ("the heart and sould of our offensive line"). There seems to be a huge effort on reforming and improving the offensive line in the spring practice sessions, something that is essential to the success of this team in 2009.

The rest of the article is worth a read. Maisel seems to be drinking the kool-aid, impressed by what he saw and believing that Charlie Weis really feels that this team can be successful (A BCS bowl appearance).

BGS has an all-encompasing look at the offense, it's lack of creativity in recent seasons, and what has changed since the offensive explosion in Weis' first two seasons. It's a must read, you will not be disappointed.

The offense isn't the only side of the ball receiving attention. A plethora of Irish outlets have been focusing on the defense. The Observer has a feature on the improving defense (which was already pretty damn good last year), Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples sees Coach Weis shaping the Irish D into a BCS contender, and CFB blog One Foot Down takes a look at the depth of the defensive line. The defense will be young this year, but there is loads of talent there, and already reports of freshman stepping up have been leaking from practice. Hafis Williams has been given a lot of credit, as has fellow tackle Ian Williams. As mentioned before, if those two can draw double teams it will free up the less-talented defensive ends and make it much easier to get pressure on the quarterback.

A few more quick football links to check out: IrishEyes has a review of the past week in recruiting, along with a practice report from yesterday. Her Loyal Sons comments on the increased competition and desire in practice this year. Subway Domer takes a look at how the Irish can "buff out" the mistakes from last season, along with posting a few video interviews with Paul Duncan, Jimmy Clausen, Hafis Williams, and Dayne Crist.


An interesting story made it's way on ESPN yesterday. Former Irish hockey player Christian Hanson has been signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hanson is the son of Dave Hanson, one of the three Hanson brothers made famous in the cult-classic Slapshot. Hanson had 16 goals and 15 assists in 37 games for the Irish this past season. Oh, and Hanson rocks the same style glass as his old man, which earns him points on its own.

Finally, JoePa had an astute observation while at the ND-Penn State NIT game; "Everyone says it's a black mans game. When I played it was a Jewish mans game." As one commenter pointed out, that's because Paterno was born before the birth of Christ.

Irish NIT Run Ends in Semis (LOTD 4/1)

And no, that is not an April Fool's Joke (though I had originally planned one involving Jimmy Clausen, a do-rag, and beer pong. In the end I decided it was just too unbelievable).

So the Irish lost last night at the hands (paws? claws?) of the Nittany Lions by a score of 67-59. The loss ends the season for the Irish hoops team after an enjoyable NIT run. Penn State had four guys with double-digit points (Talor Battle 17, Andrew Jones 16, Jamelle Cornley 15, Stanley Pringle 10). Those four players accounted for all but nine of Penn State's total points.

Luke Harangody was the only scorer in double-figures for the Irish, and even his 17 isn't the usual 20+. The Irish did make an impressive comeback, getting within one possession of Penn State after trailing by as much as 19. In the end, it wasn't enough and the season comes to an end.

I would have to say that most fans will see this season as a disappointment, and rightfully so. This team entered the season in the top 10 (though I said those expectations were high at the time) and couldn't even make the NCAA tournament. There's no way Mike Brey's job is in jeopardy (he has something like 7 years left on his deal), but if this were the football team he would be out the door. Nevertheless, the Irish should be commended for finishing the season strong and not giving up.

In other basketball news, Brey feels that Luke Harangody should test the NBA waters. The NCAA's policy of allowing players to return to college after declaring for the draft (as long as they don't sign an agent) gives Gody the chance to see what teams think about him and weigh his options. Harangody says he will take a week, think about it, and then make a decision. I'm not sure that Harangody is built for the NBA, much in the way that Tyler Hansborough isn't really built for the NBA, but he's got nothing to lose.

In football news, the media has a man crush on Bryant Young. Stories are flying everywhere, lauding the newcomer for his attitude, youth, and knowledge. IrishEyes has story about how much Young likes working with the players (including the great photo caption of "Young likes being around Randy Hart," despite the fact that Hart isn't pictured anywhere in the photo), while IrishIllustrated has a video interview talking about Bryant learning to teach the players in his new role. I've already talked about what an important addition Young has been to this coaching staff, and I think he's going to make quite the positional coach in time.

Also, SubwayDomer has a post containing three coach interviews from yesterday's practice, including interviews with Jay Alford, Bernie Parmalee, and the Young interview.

Jimmy Clausen was listed among FoxSports top 20 Heismen contenders. Clausen would need a breakout year similar to Brady Quinn's junior season to be listed among the true contenders, and I'm not ready to mark him down for such a year. Being the quarterback at Notre Dame always means you have a shot at the heisman, but Clausen needs to show vast improvements to be in the discussion.

The Denver Post's Mike Klis says that Jay Cutler is as good as gone, but doesn't list the Browns as a potential match for a trade. I still think there is a good possibility that the Quinn/Rodgers-Cutler/3rd rounder deal could happen. Klis mentions the Redskins, Jets, Bucs, Bears, Vikings, and Lions as potential trade partners.

Sad news, former Irish star tackle Gus Cifelli died of natural causes yesterday at the age of 84. Cifelli helped the Irish win three national championships in the 1940s. He also was part of a Detroit Lions team which won an NFL title (before it was the Super Bowl), which is an accomplishment on it's own.

In non-ND related news, Matt Barkley was either average or great in his first day of practice, depending on which Southern California publication is slurping the Trojans at the time. He also provided one of the great interviews of all time. Here's an excerpt:

Were you nervous? "Not really."
Did you struggle with anything? "Not really."
Is it harder being a freshman when the other guys have been in the system for a few years now? "I don’t find it that hard at all."
Was there a big difference in speed? "It’s not that bad."
Was practice what you expected? "I’ve been here, watching spring practice last year and years before. It’s the same thing."

Brilliant.

Also, Rich Brooks is selling whiskey bottles with his face on them, it's good to be Tim Tebow, and Army is thinking of using a 6'10", 286 pound lineman at wide receiver this year (he runs a 4.8 40).

That's all for today. We might have a recruiting profile later, and of course and updates on breaking news.