A new coach for Notre Dame.

Charlie Weis did so many things right that it took us a long time to figure out it wasn’t a fit.  He gave us great anecdotes to add to the legends, like the dying boy who called the opening play of his coaching career, “pass right.”  And he corrected a lot of mistakes like bringing back Rudy and honoring him, while the stuffy, self righteous leaders of the college had ignored him, even though the movie about his life had done more for recruiting than any coach or athletic director had ever done.  And Charlie showed ND how to get first downs again, after some pathetic offensive years.

What we liked about Charlie Weis was that he called the unexpected plays, like a general ordering his armies to attack where the enemy least expected it.   When it worked it took our breath away.  When it didn’t work we thought it was idiotic.  There is a reason why the opponent was expecting a run, because a pass is stupid right now.

Charlie Weis exploded on the scene because he had the one thing that the team at that time was so desperately missing, namely good offensive schematics.  And then he was a brilliant recruiter.  But all the other things that were in place were not of his making and after they wound down he couldn’t seem to get them back again.

Reading the tea leaves of Tom Pagna’s revealing columns over the years, we can guess that Charlie didn’t know how to adequately teach college level football to high school graduates, took for granted the basics of blocking for the offensive line, didn’t reach out enough for counsel and information from his own coaches and staff and considered motivating his team to be sophomoric and unnecessary.

Charlie tore down players, cussed them out on national television.  I guess he thought that it would build character.  And while he obviously had no control over his own temper he professed amazement when his team on the field lost it and personal fouls cost yards.  Maybe such boot camp anger works on multi-million dollar players in the NFL, who need to be shocked into reality.  But maybe it doesn’t work for 19 year old kids, who are still battling acne and low self esteem.

He was terrible at the expectations game, putting enormous pressure on his teams.  Typical was the prediction that Monti Te’o would have a field day against Navy.  I suppose Charlie thought it would inspire the youngster.  Needless to say, it didn’t.  In that respect, Charlie was the anti-thesis of Lou Holtz.  Lou would go into a game making it sound as if ND was playing a team out of its league, that it was an impossible, uphill task.  The boys would be loose, have fun and usually won.  Then Lou would brag about the magnificent upset.  Charlie on the other hand went into games fearlessly, unimpressed, “we should beat them,” and only bragged on them after he got beat.

So now what?  Who is the best coach for Notre Dame?

He should be someone with college coaching experience.  Lee Corso made that obvious point last Saturday when he said that the odds were against Charlie from the beginning, that no one should come to Notre Dame as a first year college coach.  Dan Devine, who came from the Green Bay Packers and led ND to a national championship, had coached at Missouri and Arizona State.  Parseghian had coached at Northwestern.  Holtz had coached at William and Mary, North Carolina State, the New York Jets, Arkansas and Minnesota before coming to Notre Dame.  So yeah, a little experience is a good thing.

He should not necessarily be a Catholic.  Frank Leahy, Dan Devine and Lou Holtz were Catholics, but Knute Rockne came to Notre Dame as a Lutheran, Ara Parseghian a Presbyterian.

There is speculation that Jon Gruden will get the nod.  I hope not.  Anyway, he signed a two year contract extension as an analyst for ESPN.  Gruden has a very complicated pro style offense.  Who does that remind you of?

Paul Johnson of Georgia Tech?  A Baptist at Notre Dame?  And he has those wonderful  triple option schemes that worked so well for Navy and now for the Yellow Jackets.  Problem?  The black suits of Our Mother could take a Lutheran, maybe even a Presbyterian but never a Baptist.  And it’s just as well.  His options plays would virtually guarantee annual top ten finishes, even without five star recruits, but it would be such boring television that the school would lose its glorious NBC contract.

Most now speculate that it will be Bob Stoops of Oklahoma.  He is Catholic, like most of the others on the ND fan wish list.  He has been the head coach at Oklahoma.  But if you talk to Oklahoma fans they are a little miffed over his last three bowl game losses.   Still, the university likes someone who wants badly to come and Stoops is already campaigning for the job.

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald has bad mouthed Notre Dame, which ironically makes him attractive to some.  And they like the last coach who came from Northwestern.  He brought two national championships to South Bend.

Kirk Ferentz of Iowa would be hot.  And he is Catholic, which would please the black suits.

Gary Patterson of TCU would be hotter and he is supposed to be Lutheran.  Remember, the last Lutheran head coach at ND was Knute Rockne.

Some want Jim Harbaugh of Stanford.  (Gee, could we get him before we play them?  Maybe we could win that game. ROTFL.)

Chris Peterson of Boise State is very popular with many.  His record is 45-4.  Imagine?  If we only lost 4 games a year we would be happy.  And Peterson’s current salary is $850,000 a year.  On the boards many are saying he is not Catholic, that he is in fact into Scientology.  But I suspect that these posts are being planted by Bob Stoops’ mother.   Anyway, if the religion is so important, they should bring back Jerry Faust, and tell all Catholics worldwide to pray.  Heck, if they brought back Faust even I would pray and I am a Protestant.

And finally, there is my favorite Brian Kelly of Cincinnati who has landed his team in the top ten with only two and three star talent.  It’s got to make you wonder what could he do in South Bend?

Oh sure, at Notre Dame they believe in miracles, so someone is bound to stop by the Grotto and light a candle and pray a prayer for Urban Meyer.  They had him you know?  He was quarterback coach for Bob Davie but got dumped.  If Davie, who developed some good defensive teams, had kept Meyer on staff he might still be the Head Coach at Notre Dame.

But barring that miracle, I vote for Brian Kelly.  An Irishman leading the Fighting Irish?   Now that’s an idea.

Read the debate intro and the arguments from Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan.

The catchall “sports media” is responsible for creating hype, and therefore value. The Sports Debates is guilty of it as well. Each week the writers here contribute what we believe will be the best game of the coming weekend, and present our arguments backing up that presumption. It is less overt hype, but hype nonetheless.

I have no problem with hype. However, there is value to the comment in the argument from Bleacher Fan that the hype machine tends to overinflate value. That is, rather than excite for a coming reality (the upcoming New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts game will be excellent, for example), hype has been twisted into a warped tool designed to create false value, driven by inherent bias. While Loyal Homer is correct that eyeballs see the details – the eyeball test evaluates teams based on intangibles like hustle and headiness that a computer may never grasp – they also come with bags of unavoidable bias. Therefore the best method for evaluating a college football team involves computers, and a debate win from Bleacher Fan.

In theory the eyeballs seem to be the best method to judge a college football team. The polls seem to get more right than they get wrong, regardless of Bleacher Fan’s astute observations about recent poll missteps. However, it is really not just eyeballs being used to judge a team, who those eyeballs belong to matters as well. A lot. One expert is better at evaluating teams than another. For example, I trust Sports Illustrated writer Stewart Mandel much more than I trust ESPN’s Lou Holtz. Duh. The voting and polling system is fraught with errors from voters who do not deserve the vote (many of the voters on this list of the original voting cast from the 2005 Harris Poll do not deserve a vote because they do not watch and follow college football), do nothing to retain the vote, are not screened for football knowledge to evaluate if they deserve a vote, and in some cases still get a ballot sent to them after they have died, as was the case with the Heisman trophy.

It is not that college football is just wedded to an antiquated approach to things – hence the reason eyeballs are still thought of as a legitimate way to judge the best teams in college football. It is that the entire organization seems immune to criticism when making blatantly obvious mistakes.

Bleacher Fan makes an excellent point, too, about the various types of bias that ultimately obscure the vision of voters. Size matters. Er, rather, MARKET size matters. The more mediums, locations, and distribution channels content can be bought, sold, and distributed, the better for the sports media organizations. Eyeballs exist in this paradigm as well… as in, “how many eyeballs are watching the game, reading the story, or telling their friends to tune in?” And, the more money a sports media organization has, the more biased nimrods they can include on college football hype shows. It is a vicious cycle.

Loyal Homer’s basic argument – that humans are able to be more objective than computers – does not hold water with me. While it is true that eyes can perceive hustle plays that demonstrate why a team goes from good to great, human eyes are never alone. They are unquestionably accompanied by history, bias, geography, allegiance, friendships, appreciation for that coach that always returns your calls or gives you the soundbyte you need, etc. I remember covering a high school baseball team one rainy Spring. After making an in-person visit to practice to grab some quotes and get the low down on the team, my car got stuck in the mud trying to escape the rainy baseball facility. The head coach, coaching staff, and a number of players ran over to push my car out of the mud. I will never forget it. Their kindness was the focus of my next column. While I am not communicating that their kindness bought them long term favor in my eyes, that team got the benefit of the doubt when rumors floated past my ears.

While I do not agree that numbers “cannot be influenced by bias or self-serving interests” as Bleacher Fan stated, computers do offer a certain level of objectivity that lends itself to a better overall product. Sure, people program computers… and computers often reflect the human bias. But, that is why the world has committees!

Weirdly, I personally still believe in the bowl system as being a good thing for college football. I also believe it is a legacy that started small, but has compounded and is – short of an act of Congress – a permanent part of our sports culture. But, when it comes to determining the national championship contenders, perhaps some things ARE better left to machines.

“You must take personal responsibility.  You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself” – Jim Ron

“All blame is a waste of time.  No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you.” – Wayne Dyer

“The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it.”  – Lou Holtz

“Decide upon your major definite purpose in life and then organize all your activities around it.—Brian Tracy

“The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this:  decide what you want.” – Ben Stein

“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise.” – Robert Fritz

“The number one problem that keeps people from winning in the United States today is lack of belief in themselves.—Arthur L. Williams

“The difference between success and failure is simple.  Success is getting up one more time than you are knocked down” – Brock Henderson

“You can be anything you want to be, if only you believe with sufficient conviction and act in accordance with your faith; for whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” – Napoleon Hill

 That’s my 2 cents.

“Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.”

Samuel Johnson

“How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser.”

Lou Holtz

_________________________________________

Someone recently described his job description as being written in “…two parts caffeine, one part adrenaline and four parts blood.” Now, I’m not sure if that describes your personal experience or philosophy of ministry, but it certainly is descriptive of at least some weeks! Life and leadership is full of ups and downs; good times and bad; fortune and misfortune; and although some weeks are genuinely exciting, those tend to be the exception, not the rule.

Much of what we do in our careers, ministry and in life is routine and repetitive: paperwork, returning telephone calls, administrative duties, planning or required meetings. So in the context of the ordinary, have you learned to appreciate the grind?

Of course we have periods and times of “mountain top” experiences but how do you handle the valleys or the plateaus? The unusual and adventurous weeks are electrifying but how do you navigate the predictable and the routine?

Isaiah 40.31 is a familiar verse that speaks of “mounting up with wings as eagles” but it also reminds us to “walk without fainting.” Typically that’s not easy, but the reality of life is that there is a lot more walking than there is flying. The grind tests a man’s character.

The exceptional moments of life aren’t a test of a man’s mettle, the question is, how does he handle the ordinary moments? A man’s worth and character is revealed in his attitude and commitment toward common, ordinary, everyday things. Not when he’s on stage or in the limelight, but in the often lonely grind time. And the truth is there are many more mundane moments in leadership than there are mountaintops.

In 1968, the country of Tanzania selected John Stephen Akhwari to represent it in the Mexico City Olympics. Along the racecourse for the marathon, Akhwari stumbled and fell, severely injuring both his knee and ankle. By 7 PM, a runner from Ethiopia had won the race, and all the other competitors had finished and had been cared for. Just a few thousand spectators were left in the huge stadium when a police siren at the gate caught their attention. Limping through the gate came number 36, Akhwari, leg wrapped in a bloody bandage. Those present began to cheer as the courageous man completed the final lap of the race. Later, a reporter asked Akhwari the question on everyone’s mind: “Why did you continue the race after the you were so badly injured and the winner was already determined?”

His reply: “My country did not send me 7,000 miles to begin a race; they sent me to finish the race.”

Greatness, both in athletics and in leadership comes not just from ability, but from tenacity and endurance. Leadership over the long haul is difficult; perhaps that’s why it is so rare. The drudgery of the ordinary and routine serve as temptation to your long term effectiveness.

How are you doing in the routines of life? Are your ordinary moments characterized with integrity and perseverance? Is your ministry and walk with Christ marked by a consistency in the predictable routines of the usual? Have you learned to appreciate the glory of the grind?

Stay the Course,

Dr. Greg Morris

10/29/09 – 6,945 Steps

Food Journal – No

10/30/09 – 2,900 Steps

Food Journal – Yes

Good morning Mintdom,

I am back from my vacation.  I caught up with my relatives and met new friends. I had a wonderful time and I am happy to be home too. I am recomMINTing again (is that an oxymoron? LOL) to getting my exercise in AND eating right.  Being overweight is so not fun; however, traveling and being overweight is horrid!  Walking through the airports with a computer and a big purse slung over my shoulder was painful at times.  I DID use the people movers, but I walked them. It was so late on my return, that the shuttle was not operating and we all had to walk.  If walking through the airport was physically painful, then sitting on the plane was emotionally painful.  I am telling you that I REFUSE to get on another plane at the weight I am now. I am sure that most people take it for granted that they fit in the seat with room to spare, and when they fasten their seatbelt, there is a foot left over!  It is disheartening to put down the tray table in front of you and find that there is no space between you and it. When I get down to a healthy weight, I will NEVER take sitting in an airplane seat for granted.

As painful as my travel was, I am happy that I had this experience because today, I am more comMINTed then ever to my health.  I am going to start carrying a picture of a plane wherever I go to remind me of this experience.  Each time that I think that I would rather stay in bed instead of going to exercise, I need to think about my travels.  I need to think about my travels when I am ordering food at a restaurant, when I am planning my meals, and grocery shopping.  This was a GREAT lesson for me.

You have to love Lou Holtz!

“If you don’t make a total commitment to whatever you’re doing, then you start looking to bail out the first time the boat starts leaking. It’s tough enough getting that boat to shore with everybody rowing, let alone when a guy stands up and starts putting his life jacket on.”  –Lou Holtz

AffirMINTion:  I am totally committed to exercising and eating for my health!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

Life is good!

You were not born a winner, and you were not born a loser. You are what you make yourself be. ~ Lou Holtz

I was watching ESPN today and I was just spacing out about some transactions I would love some of my beloved sports teams to make.  Lets face it, everyone has favorite players that play for other teams.  Ever since Bernie Williams retired it has been difficult for me to select a favorite baseball player, I mean if i were to just say Derek Jeter was my favorite player now he would just be sloppy seconds.  Lets face it, Derek Jeter is nobody’s sloppy seconds (Unlike Kate Hudson). This list gets a little ridiculous, but hell, who cares? Im not even sure if many people even read my articles.

5.) Lou Holtz: Holtz is the last Notre Dame head coach to win a national championship, and that was in 1983. It has been sad to watch Notre Dame football for most of my life, outside of the Brady Quinn era I still do not understand why i would rush to watch them every saturday.  However, it is obvious that no one cares more about the Irish than Holtz.  For example, when recently asked, “Lou, who is going to win tonights game(the world series)?” He answered “Notre Dame!” Only Holtz would pick the Irish to win 10 games in 2007, which was the worst season in team history.  This move will also help me from having to see Charlie Weis’ snot drool all over his face every saturday, clean yourself up you slob.

4.) Taylor Swift: I realize Taylor is not an athlete..yet. Swift was observed wandering the Notre Dame campus a few weeks back.  Who wouldnt want to see this blonde bombshell go to Notre Dame, and then join up and play some women’s hoops.  She is listed at 5′ 11” so I dont think size will be an issue for the future point guard, why point guard you ask?  Well, that way the camera is always on her because she controls the game.  On a personal note, seeing Swift wearing only a Notre Dame basketball jersey is better than any porn you could dream up. 

3.) Ricky Rubio: Ok, Yes I realize this is the third straight Notre Dame reference.  It will be the last dont worry.  Rubio is currently property of the Timberwolves, and future property of the New York Knicks. There is no way imaginable that this would happen, but Rubio playing for the Irish would be amazing. They would win four straight national championships.  I will admit, I was not big on Rubio at all when I first heard of him.  In fact, I straight up hated the guy.  While watching the draft, I saw his game, and the kid can ball.  I have two primary reasons of why Rubio in college isnt that insane. 1.) Chris Weinke was like 28 years old when he graduated from Florida State.  2.) If some middle aged 40 year old women can sit next to me in class and be offended that I am not paying attention, so can Rubio.

2.)  Adam Morrison: Well, he did exactly what I predicted him to do, be part of an NBA championship within his first five years in the league.  Well done Adam. Now its time to work on your image, therefore its time to demand a trade to the Knicks.  Probably everyone besides me hates Morrison, but one thing is undeniable, he can shoot lights out.  In the run and gun offense that D’antoni runs Morrison will light it up, and I will be right there at the Garden watching.

1.) Grady Sizemore: Ladies love Grady, and so does Chris Leary.  Sizemore has emerged as my favorite MLB player over the past four years.  I have always loved young exciting outfielders, and Sizemore is probably the best one I have ever seen. If the New York Yankees could ever land him in a deal I would lose it.  It would solidify the most covenant position in New York Sports, Center Field for the New York Yankees.  I stand by my feeling that the Yankees should not have traded Phillip Hughes for Johan Santana, but if i were offered Sizemore for Hughes, I would do it.  If the Indians are willing to give up Victor Martinez for Justin Masterson, then there actually might be some validity to this trade idea.

With a week and a day before the polls close across the Commonwealth, candidates for office are making their closing arguments to voters.

For gubernatorial candidates Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R), that means visits from major national politicos.

President Barack Obama will stump for Deeds Tuesday in Norfolk.

McDonnell has a slew of surrogates coming to Virginia, starting with former Notre Dame football coach (and possible GOP congressional candidate) Lou Holtz, who will attend a low-dollar meet-and-greet Monday night in Richmond. Fomer Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will campaign for McDonnell on Wednesday.

All this week, I’ll be taking a closer look at five major issues in the gubernatorial race. In addition to segments on NBC29 HD News at Five and Six, I’ll provide some more context and analysis here.

The issues we’ll be examining are: transportation; jobs and the economy; women’s issues; higher education and federal issues.

Wins, Losses, and Lessons
An Autobiography

When I die and people realize that I will not be resurrected in three days, they will forget me. That is the way it should be. For reasons known only to God, I was asked to write an autobiography. Most people who knew me growing up didn’t think I would ever read a book, let alone write one.

—Lou Holtz

Few people in the history of college sports have been more influential or had a bigger impact than Lou Holtz. Winner of the three national Coach of the Year honors, the only coach ever to lead six different schools to season-ending bowl games, and the ninth-winningest coach in college football history, Holtz is still teaching and coaching, although he is no longer on the gridiron.

In his most telling work to date, the man still known as “Coach” by all who cross his path reveals what motivated a rail-thin 135-pound kid with marginal academic credentials and a pronounced speech impediment to play and coach college football, and to become one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in history. With unflinching honesty and his trademark dry wit, Holtz goes deep, giving us the intimate details of the people who shaped his life and the decisions he would make that shaped the lives of so many others.

His is a storied career, and Holtz provides a frank and inside look at the challenges he overcame to turn around the programs at William and Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, and Minnesota. From growing up in East Liverpool, Ohio, to his early days as a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa, to his national championship runs at Notre Dame and his final seasons on the sidelines in South Carolina, Lou Holtz gives his best, a poignant, funny, and instructive look into a life well lived.

 More Lou Holtz

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Bob Kravitz: Since when is not getting blown out OK? | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star.

As someone who grew up idolizing ND football I find this article to be fascinating and right on the money.

The article shows that the decline in football at Notre Dame has been more like the frog in the pot of water where we continue to turn up the temperature a little and then, after the gradual changes, the frog realizes that he is doomed.

ND has seen the competitive level of their program erode over a number of years after Lou Holtz left and the numbers bear this out.

What would it take to make ND a marquee program again?  That is hard to say, but the balance of football power has certainly shifted from ND and the Big 10 to other conferences such as the SEC, Big 12 and even the Pac 10.

With the first BCS rankings coming out this Sunday there are some notable games this Saturday, such as the Red River Rivalry. For me, a huge Notre Dame fan, the biggest game will take place when USC visits South Bend for a meeting with the Irish.  Since the famous “Bush Push” game, the Irish have been dominated by USC, averaging only nine points per game.  Thats pathetic.  The only reason the Irish were so successful with Brady Quinn was because they could control the ball and keep USC’s offense off the field, and more importantly Notre Dame’s horrendous defense.  All signs indicate that this year will be different, that the Irish will actually play competitively.  The biggest sign has been the emergence of QB Jimmy Clausen, who is finally living up to all the hype.  I believe that the biggest reason the Irish have a shot is that USC will have Matt Barkley under center, compared to past years with Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Mark Sanchez(John David Booty never played against the Irish due to injury).  Barkely has a bright future, but has already missed a game due to injury and does not seem to have the ability to create big time pass plays.  The Irish will most likely stack the line and let Barkely beat them if hes up to the challenge.  subjectively I dont know if the Irish will pull this game out however.  Four of the last five years I have claimed that Notre Dame will upset USC, and along with Lou Holtz I have sounded like an idiot.  The Trojan defense is nothing short of amazing, if they can cause any Irish turnovers then this game will get out of hand early.  However I will do what I do every year, watch Rudy on saturday morning, watch college game day, and then get my hopes up for what would be the best Irish win of my life time(all of which will be done while enjoying a few nice keystones).  I thought it would be kind of funny to put into perspective how long it has been since the Irish have beaten the Trojans. 

In the year 2001 the Fighting Irish took down the Trojans, just to put that in perspective for you, the last time the Irish won this matchup:

The New York Giants were crushed by the Baltimore Ravens in the super bowl, as Vodka Collins threw five pics.

Luis Gonzalez hit a flair base hit, which is still sinking through my heart, to defeat Mariano Rivera and the Yankees ending their streak of three straight world championships.

The United States was first introduced to Anthrax attacks

Dale Earnhardt took a wrong turn at Daytona

and the ringer, Wikipedia (where i obtained all of this information) was first launched on the internet.  Leaving me to wonder how students were able to obtain their diplomas.

So basically, when the Irish run onto the field this Saturday wearing their famous clover green jerseys, they need to win.  Because honestly, Im not sure I can handle another blowout from our biggest rival.  I mean the last time they had a fighting(pun) chance, Frank O’Brien and I were seniors in high school talking about how a freshman named Rusty Tebow was pretty good.

1. Who is the better quarterback after Saturday’s Red River Shootout?  Colt McCoy or Sam Bradford?

So far this year, it’s been very difficult to call either one of them Heisman candidates.  Bradford of course has been injured most of the season, and McCoy hasn’t lived up to his runner-up status from last year (10 TDs and 6 INTs thus far).  Colt does have a 73% completion percentage though, and that was his key stat from last year that really opened eyes to his talent.  McCoy won’t have it easy Saturday.  The Sooner defense is one of the most stingy in the nation, giving up just 8.2 points a game, already pitching 2 shutouts this season.  I don’t see either QB falling out of the NFL hype machine after this game, but each player has a lot to lose with a poor performance Saturday.  Bradford has to prove he’s healthy enough to beat a top 5 team, and Colt McCoy has to show 2008 wasn’t a mirage.

2. Is South Carolina for real?

We’ve seen this movie before: it starts out great, with plenty of action sequences to get you excited.  But then before you know it, the plot falls apart and you begin to just feel embarrassed for the actors.  Steve Spurrier and his Gamecocks gave us this very script back in 2007, when they climbed as high as #6 in the AP poll before going on a 5 game losing streak and failing to make a bowl.  This year, Gamecock fans have reasons to be cautiously optimistic.  The defense is as good as it’s been since Spurrier’s arrival with perhaps the best pass rusher in the nation (Eric Norwood) and solid bookend Cliff Matthews anchoring a defense ranked 3rd in the SEC behind Alabama and Florida.  On offense, Stephen Garcia is slowly turning out to be the star QB Spurrier has hoped for, knowing how to manage the game well with his mind and feet, something previous QBs Chris Smelley and Blake Mitchell were never great at.  The Gamecocks get what will be their toughest test this weekend at Alabama.  Their win over Ole Miss on a Thursday nighter a few weeks back is proving to be less impressive by the week, but if Spurrier can pull some magic against Bama, the Gamecocks may just proven themselves to be SEC title contenders.

3. Can a win over Southern Cal save Charlie Weis?

Were it not for ESPN, NBC, and decades-ago traditions, Notre Dame would be on the equivalent scale of MLB’s Chicago Cubs: often talked about, typically overhyped, but always irrelevant halfway through the season.  Well, here we sit near the mid-season mark, and we still aren’t sure whether or not the Irish are a good football team or not.  If you ask Lou Holtz, he’ll draw up a formula as to why Notre Dame is still a national title contender.  But for those of us not quite at the age of senility, we see Notre Dame hasn’t beaten a team yet with a winning record.  The Irish are giving up nearly 30 points a game to BCS opponents, a stat not indicative of a team destined for a BCS bowl game.  Freshman QB or not, I don’t see USC losing a game against a team with such a porous defense.  And that’s what it will come down to.  You’ll hear all week about Jimmy Clausen, but it’s really a showdown of defenses, and not even Touchdown Jesus will be able to help Notre Dame.  And if Weis loses another one to their west coast rivals, more and more Irish alumni will be scratching their heads, wondering who they can bring in that will actually be able to beat teams that are good.  Maybe Charlie should use a Lou Holtz pep talk?

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Former GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and college football Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz will campaign separately this month for Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell.

McCain will attend a “Veterans for McDonnell” event Oct. 17 in Hampton Roads.

Holtz, the former Notre Dame coach and current ESPN analyst, will participate in a low dollar meet-and-greet Oct. 26 in Richmond. Holtz is rumored to be considering a congessional run, though he has denied interest in doing so.

Both events will be open to the press.

Ryan Nobles – bio | email

The Bob McDonnell campaign revealed today that two high profile guests will come to Virginia to stump and raise money for the Republican candidate for governor. Former Notre Dame and University of South Carolina head football coach Lou Holtz will headline a low-dollar fundraiser at Willow Oaks Country Club on October 26th. Nine days before that, former Republican nominee for President, Sen. John McCain will be the featured guest at a “Veterans for McDonnell” rally in Hampton Roads.

The news of these two visits comes in the wake of a cancellation from Meg Whitman, the former CEO of Ebay and a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of California. The McDonnell campaign said that the upcoming birth the host’s child forced the cancellation of the event. Democrats have seized on the schedule change as a way to show that McDonnell’s graduate thesis is keeping high profile politicians, particularly women, from wanting to associate with him. Both the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Governors Association have used the event’s change as a tool to pound McDonnell here in Virginia and Whitman back in California.

During the 2008 presidential election, McDonnell served as one the McCain campaign’s primary surrogates. He regularly appeared at events on behalf of the Arizona Senator, so it is not a surprise that McCain is coming to town to return the favor. While McCain did not win Virginia in the 2008 election, he is still popular in Southern portions of the state, particularly in places like Hampton Roads, that have a strong military presence.

Holtz, of course,  is best known for his run as the head coach of arguably the most high profile collegiate football program in the country. The College Football Hall of Famer, was the last coach to guide Notre Dame to a National Championship. He currently serves as an analyst on ESPN.

The man he is coming to town to stump for, Bob McDonnell, is a graduate of Notre Dame.

Let the Notre Dame hype machine begin.

Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen has had a fine season and the Fighting Irish have made a habit of playing dramatic games against some lower-middle class opponents this season.  This week’s game against the Washington Huskies was no exception.  Clausen and the Irish defeated the Huskies 37-30 in overtime at home this weekend in a game in which Washington outplayed Notre Dame for most of the contest (Clausen and the Irish pulled it out after the Huskies twice failed to score from Notre Dame’s one-yard line in the second half.)  Clausen threw for 422 yards and two touchdowns against Washington, fine numbers indeed, but let’s keep in mind that this is a Huskies team that went 0-12 last season.   And yes, we know the Huskies beat USC two weeks ago in Seattle, but they also lost to Stanford last week.  And the true star of the game was Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate, who tallied an astonishing 244 receiving yards on Saturday. The Irish have beaten Nevada, Michigan State, and Purdue this season in addition to the Huskies, not exactly a murderer’s row of opponents, and went down to the wire against both MSU and the Boilermakers (Nevada was a blow out, but then again, they are Nevada.)

But now, ESPN blowhard and former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz is now calling Clausen not only a Heisman Trophy candidate, but claims that the Golden Dome’s golden boy is now the favorite to win the most prestigious individual award in the sport. Clausen has thrown for 1544 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, and that’s not bad at all. But keep in mind that the Irish have not beaten a team with a winning record as of yet, and probably won’t as the Irish’s schedule goes from mediocre to laughable after they play Southern Cal in two weeks.  If Clausen did not go to Notre Dame, he would not even be being mentioned as a long shot Heisman candidate, let alone the frontrunner.

It is rare for us to put a team on ass-kicking alert two weeks in advance, but USC plays at Notre Dame on October 17, and we firmly believe that the Trojans will put an end to this nonsense. Clausen has had a fine season and will probably be an early-round draft pick if and when he decides to forego his last season of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft this spring.  But he is not the most outstanding player in the country.  He may not even be the best player on his team.

10/1/09 – 5,049

Food Journal – Yes

11-Knee Exercises – No

Good morning Mintdom,

If it takes 21 days to make a habit – I think it only takes 2 days to break it!  When I was going to the gym and or walking every morning, I swear I had more time!  I know that it does not make sense.  I have the same amount of time in my day, but since I started adding the knee exercises to my program, I do not have enough hours in my day to do them!

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein”  -H. Jackson Brown

OK (rolling eyes) last night I came upon this quote – darn it.  Jeepers – do you mean that I have the same amount of time in my day as ALL those people?  Well, that is certainly humbling for me.  This quote tells me that I DO have enough time in my day; I am just not prioritizing the knee exercises.  It means that I have NO EXCUSE for not doing them and that I need to be vigilante about getting my exercise in.  In addition, I guess it means that I need to do another 21-day sprint – on Facebook, and now I can add the Spark People site. Starting Saturday, October 3, 2009 (I need to put a date on it) I will do the 11 exercises for 21 days in a row – stay tuned!  The famous coach and speaker, Lou Holtz said, “Excuses come from the losing locker room.” I want to be in the winning locker room – do you?  What important things are you putting off because you do not have the ‘time’ to do them?  Think about it.  Are you making excuses?  Let us all stay in the winning locker room!

AffirMINTion1:  I prioritize my time for the important things in my life

AffirMINTion2:  I do what it takes to be in the winning locker room

Here is a tip:  If you can relate to the AffirMINTions that you see, or find them helpful, write them down on a 3×5 card and keep them with you.  Repeat throughout the day.

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

Life is good!