Campus News:
Here's some PHAT news. The musical composition for the Parade of Athletes during the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games was done by Notre Dame band director Kenneth Dye. He is the band director for the Olympic Games and taught his music to a band of 2,000 made up of numerous nations. There are at least 36 pieces used in the composition. The project began two years ago and included 18 months of music composition. Dye collaborated with New York University ethnomusicologist Barry Spanier to research the musical styles and traditions from the many countries. He had had some previous Olympic experience as he was the associate band director for the 1984 Olympic Band in Los Angeles. For the first time in history, the Games had live music. The band played a 90-minute piece for the Parade of Athletes and the 10-minute opening ceremonies music. Dye, who is in his third year at ND and the first as the band director, was NOT at the opening ceremonies to hear his composition. Instead he led the band for the home game versus Purdue. An announcement was made at halftime and some of his Olympic music was played by the ND Band. And seeing as how the Olympics are Down Under, he threw in a little classic '80s with some Men at Work.
Campus Watch by the Gipp from Scholastic:
The Gipp's back and ready to ride! He wants to welcome all the Irish faithful back to campus. He wants to extend a special welcome to any Nebraska fans who made the trip out from Lincoln. If you're feeling homesick, come see the Gipp: he'll give you something to husk.
While the Gipp's on the subject of schools he doesn't much care for, he wants to share with you an e-mail he got this summer from a bitter Ohio State fan. It seems this Buckeye and a buddy of his have some history with the Gipp. The fan - let's call him mwaters21@aol.com - explains, "Back in 1996, this buddy of mine charged your field... passed your feeble security, and threw two birds sky high at your fans in your inzone." The Gipp breaks in here with a question: Just what is an "inzone"? Judging from the context, it's a place on the field where classless Ohio State fans stand. Either that, or our friend Matt has the editing skills of The Observer staff. Back to the story.
"By two birds, I mean he flipped you the bird, i.e., gave you the finger." Thanks for the clarification, buddy. "You recognized this as immature, obnoxious, and low-class..." The Gipp has great judgement. "I, on the other hand, saw this as hilarious, retaliatory, and igenious."
Let's see what happens next to his "igenious" friend. "You...approached him after his dance....You fronted as if you were doing a report on college fans and my buddy...fell for your trap and submitted to you his name and e-mail address. In turn...you printed this info in the paper and prompted your student body to unleash an attack of e-mails on my brave compadre." The Gipp strikes again - now that's genius! "I guess what I'm saying is this, you will print an apology to my buddy Al...If it is unacceptable, you will see what has become known on Ohio State campus as AL-MACARENA in the 2000 Football Season...the birds will be let loose again and you'll know when it happens..."
Hey, Matt, the Gipp's got something you can husk, too.
Hall Notes:
While watching our beloved Irish on Saturdays, keep an eye out for your fellow Vermin. Junior Arnaz Battle may be injured but he still leads from the sidelines. #25 Tony Driver represents Carroll on the starting defensive unit, as does #98 Tony Weaver. Much heralded freshman quarterback #7 Carlyle Holiday lives in The Hotel. #23 Chris Yura sees action on our explosive special teams. #84 John Owens is ready at a moment's notice to step in at defensive end should someone need a breather or an injury occur.
NDSportscenter:
We are #1. The women's soccer team ascended to the top spot after North Carolina was upset by Clemson.
In response to the estimated 25,000 Nebraska fans that acquired ND tickets, the Athletic Department is reviewing its ticket policy. Don't expect anything to really happen, certainly not ticket privileges being revoked. This quote from the Department says it all: "In reality we have a limited staff...It is virtually impossible for us to track any situations." The Student Senate looked at the issue. (Whatever.) They threw out the idea of "punishing" the alumni by trying to make next year's Tennessee game Parents Weekend to reduce ticket availability for non-parents. (Whatever.) This quote from the alumni says it all: "Shut your mouths and know your role."
We landed another verbal commitment. Brandon Hoyte, a 6'1", 220 lb. linebacker out of Sayreville, NJ, chose us over b.c., Michigan State, Northwestern, and Florida. He runs a 4.4, benches 310, and carries a 3.8 GPA.
An Irish star of the past won a championship this summer. Coquese Washington, a former ND basketball player, helped the Houston Comets win yet another title. She was the first guard off the bench and averaged 9 minutes and 1.7 ppg in the regular season. During the playoffs her minutes and points increased to 15 and 2.3, respectively. She even made 2 free throws in the final 10 seconds of the title game to secure the victory. Coquese is an ND assistant coach in the off-season and has an ND law degree. Not only is she a pro player, but Washington is also the President of the WBNA Players Association. She took the lead in pushing for year-round health insurance, a 401K package, and maternity benefits.
Campus News:
The U.S. News & World Report's "2001 America's Best Colleges" came out a few weeks ago. And for the second year in a row we came in at 19th. The analysis is based on 16 items. Academic achievement, academic reputation (why? reputation?), student selectivity, faculty resources, and graduation & retention rates were given the most weight. Our highest marks came in graduation rates and retention percentage. Our 95% graduation rate was behind only Harvard and Princeton. That was topped with a rentention percentage of 98.
The school year started with "Domer Fest" for the freshmen. It has replaced the Graffiti Dance which was deemed a "meat market." The signing of shirts at the Dance was linked with sexual harrassment. Females had reported males had signed in inappropriate places. There was no "comfort" level and there was no dancing. "Domer Fest" was a video dance party. Apparently it went over well as there were supposedly no complaints.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
So OUTreachND was allowed by the University to print T-shirts. After donning their shirts for Activities Night, the group's members headed over to the JACC - perhaps to join "Right Reason" or the College Republicans. Roaming around the arena floor, some of the members came across an empty table and decided to sit down for awhile. It wasn't long before the watchful eyes of a Notre Dame administrator caught what was going on and closed in on the group quicker than a stadium usher on a bag of marshmallows. Taking names and kicking the group out, our heroine saved Activities Night from any unseemly controversy.
Hall Notes:
So who saw Carroll on the tube last week? Just prior to the beginning of the third quarter the Goodyear Blimp keyed in on the home of the Vermin. A gigantic sign stating "GO IRISH" blanketed the front of the dorm. Seventy-two white bed sheets made up the canvas of the campus' largest piece of artwork. It vertically covered the second and third floors. Horizontally is stretched to the second windows in from the north and south sides. It was HUGE! (That's what she said.) Now because of Carroll's location, the NBC commentators actually thought it was OUTSIDE of campus. They thought it was somebody's house, not a dorm! Well, I guess it is. It's the Rat Pack's Mouse House. VERMIN UNITE!
NDSportscenter:
The women's soccer team is on fire. The #2 Irish hosted a tournament last weekend that boasted #3 Santa Clara, #9 Connecticut, and #10 Stanford. Santa Clara was destroyed 6-1. Stanford was defeated 2-1 in overtime. This year's freshmen class is phenomenal. Amy Warner is electric. Not only does she have blazing speed and unmatched quickness, but she does a FLIP when she executes a throw-in from the sidelines. Absolutely FOOLISH!
Well, another wide receiver has transferred. Freshman (Yes, FRESHMAN!) Jovan Witherspoon called it quits after 3 whole weeks of school. The 6'4", 220 lb. wideout said it was just the wrong system for him. (Ummm.. hello? Everyone from here to Laos knows the system.) Jovan's father, who is an agent, supposedly asked Davie not to play his son against A&M even though Davie had planned to play him.
So Arnaz is done for the year basically. And Grant Irons separated shoulder has surgery written all over it. There is a possibility they could get their athletic years back if they apply for medical red-shirts. Supposedly is it an option.
A couple t-shirts were spotted this weekend. One stated "In Godsey We Trust." The other went something like this....(front) "Rudy may have sucked..." (back) "....But he would have started at Purdue."
Next week's game versus Michigan State is at 2:30 pm EST on ABC. It is a regional telecast, so those of you outside the midwest best get to a sports bar.
Well, Letters to the Editor streamed in after the Nebraska game. Quite a few were printed in The Observer. Check 'em out on the Articles of Interest page.
Literally. Arnaz broke his left wrist on the first play of the Nebraska game. He's basically done for the year. Our starter is now Gary Godsey who was recruited as a tight end. Godsey's big and has a strong arm but he's certainly not as mobile and has trouble reading defenses. It's going to be a long season.
Campus News:
A week and a half ago Monk announced that the University plans to establish a Community Learning Center in the former Goodwill building on North Eddy Street (south of Senior Bar and across the road). It is a collaborative effort between ND and the northeast community. Students and residents will be offered educational programs, recreational activities, and health care services. The overall mission of the center is to unite students with the community. The big plus for the community will be that there will be a Computer Teaching and Learning Center equipped with 20 computers, educational software, and internet access. The Health Maintenance Center and Neighborhood Clinic will be operated by St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center. Included will be informative health programs, physical examinations, and prenatal assessments. The projected cost for the completion is over $500,000 and the annual operating budget will be around $300,000.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
So just how far does the long arm of Notre Dame's administration reach? At least across the Michigan-Indiana state line. Just ask OUTreachND. The group went to get some T-shirts printed. Unfortunately the guy who took the order had read up on his "du Lac" and sent off a faz to the university's licensing department. The response was prompt: the shirt was unauthorized and should not be printed. Undeterred, OUTreachND's Dave Wyncott placed a call to the people in the Dome. Amazingly, the administration relented, and the shirts were printed. Is that the sound of hell freezing over that the Gipp hears?
Hall Notes:
VERMINAPALOOZA '00 didn't take place. Or did it? Turns out Butler DID have a 'gater. Alas I didn't know until I happened upon it in Senior Bar parking lot. I guess some other Vermin still found it also. Not quite the gathering that had been hoped for. Oh well. Sorry fellas.
Well, I contacted the Carroll Wear representative about alums possibly purchasing some gear. They will be doing sweatshirts, shorts, and hats a little later. Right now they have t-shirts that will hopefully be available in the near future. I was already asked for an order and I hadn't even got this posted yet! I believe they will be ordering some extras so that some alums can snatch them up. Here's the scoop: All shirts are Fruit of the Loom, size XL, and 50/50 to help reduce shrinking in the dryer. The shirts are $10 each. I can ship them priority mail for an additional $3 or you can pick them up from me if you are coming into the Bend for a game. Below are pictures of the shirts with close-ups of the front and back. Window shop at your leisure and email me with an order if you so desire. First come, first serve.
NDSportscenter:
Nebraska wrap-up....can you say "sellout"? There was red ALL over the stadium. Apparently only Economics majors had tickets because they sold them all to Nebraska fans. The Cornhuskers were relatively classy. They even stayed after the game to watch the band. The pep rally the previous day was in the stadium to accommodate the number of people. Dick Vitals spoke and the rally concluded with a fireworks display heavy in the shade of green. Speaking of green - besides the student section - I'd say the red outnumbered the green 5 to 1 easy.
A few Irish stars are in the running for some college athletic awards. Tony Fisher is one of thirty-five running back candidates for the Doak Walker Award. Tony Driver is one of forty defensive backs up for the Jim Thorpe Award. He has also been named a 2nd team pre-season All-American and an all-independent team member by The Sporting News. The Sporting News also has Driver tagged as the 3rd best free safety in the nation. He showed that with 10 tackles and a pick against Texas A&M. Troy Murphy is one of fifty nominees for the Wooden Award. Ten will be named All- American and one will be the MVP.
The "D'OH!" Award goes to the men's basketball office for almost leaving David Graves ineligible for the first semester games. Graves was slated to be on an all-star team sponsored by the NIT that was to travel Europe. Well in the whole Doherty-Brey transition, the proper paperwork was not filed. An official "O.K." was needed from the NCAA. It's all good now, though.
The Monogram area in the JACC will receive some new additions in the near future. The Sports Heritage Hall Ring of Monogram Winners will have 1,700 named added. That's the toal number of Monogram athletes from 1990 through 1999.
Reportedly some bootleg t-shirts were floating around campus the week prior to the Nebraska game. On the front it showed a profile on the Nebraska helmet with the big "N". On the back it read, "N is for knowledge." BUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
Two interesting articles have been posted. One is about Troy Murphy's trip to Hawaii to play against the Dream Team and the other is about a nun that spoke at the football luncheon before the Texas A&M game.
Hall Notes:
Well, it looks like there will NOT be a VERMINAPALOOZA '00. Butler did not get the parking pass and he has to work for awhile that morning. O'Leary is coming with an RV, but the location may not be known until Saturday morning. So it looks like we are S.O.L. It is over before it has begun. Sorry, fellas. Maybe another game, maybe another year.
Campus News:
Another year, another miserable attempt to come up with a ticket distribution system after killing the classic camp out. Students labeled the procedure "complicated" and "cumbersome." It centered around a student picnic at Stepan where lottery stickers were handed out. After the picnic, numbers were drawn and the sales started from there and those before the number went to the end. Maybe the University should listen to senior John Osborn who stated, "All they should do is designate one section of the stadium for each class." The freshmen didn't have a clue. Apparently events were planned by the Office of Student Activities and student government, but some people just got their stickers and left. The lines were long and off-campus students were a bit out of the loop. Law and graduate students got the shaft in the so-called lottery. Supposedly 1,098 stickers HAD to be distributed for a lottery. (Yeah, that makes sense.) They didn't have enough so they just started with one. Of course the students didn't know that. Tickets apparently went on sale the next day at 7 AM. Different numbers in the order had different times according to one person I spoke to. Yet word on the street is that few were present in the early morn so others there just went ahead and got tickets. Senior Mark Donahey blatantly blurtted, "I thought [the lottery system] was a complete waste of time. The people that showed up at seven o'clock got [the best tickets], regardless of the lottery..... you might as well have camped out." A new system will undoubtedly be tried again next year.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
ODE TO THREE NUDE MEN
Getting in the spirit
Of the springtime
The Gipp has decided
To tell this tip in rhyme
The party was off campus, the theme, "No Clothes!"
Three young men were thrilled, the Gipp must disclose
Most of the revelers wore sheets, blankets, or towels
But more naked than the rest were these three night owls
"We'll live it up," one had said, removing his socks
"I'll wear a lampshade, and you, a small box
The third lad declared, "Where's your style at?"
And he wore on his groin a chic cowboy hat.
The party was all right, until they ran out of Beck's
Then the trio set off for another apartment complex
The weather was unseasonable - a rare April blizzard
They could either trudge onward, or go home and play Quizzard
So they found themselves ata shin-dig where everyone else was dressed
But they weren't ashamed, feeling they looked the best
Down, down a banister the cowboy did slide
For the girl at the bottom, there was no place to hide
While leaning on a kitchen table, there three undressed loners
Were scolded and berated by the apartment's owners
"Why the hell are you naked, you fungus rats,
Don't you know that we eat off that?"
When they left the party, one asked a friend for a ride
But his naked butt was unwelcome on the passenger side
And the people inside a car were less than tickled
When the cowboy ran alongside their comfortable vehicle.
Hall Notes:
One week away from VERMINAPALOOZA '00. John Butler '96 will be the host. The location has been narrowed down to two: a spot in Senior Bar parking lot just south of the very center of the Stadium (very easy to find) or in the lot of kids' soccer fields on the south side of Edison, across the street from the Baseball Stadium. If the 'gater is amongst those soccer fields, it will hopefully be alongside the 'gater or Ryan O'Leary '96. A dual Vermin tailgater would pretty much dominate the Bend. But the specific location has yet to be determined. Please check back toward the middle of the week when we hope to have the definite location. It will certainly be one of the two. In either case the best way to spot it is by the Vermin flag. The Vermin colors easily can be seen. It's a maroon flag with a gold "V" and the name "Bulter '96" under the "V" also in gold. It is very, very easy to see. See the picture below.
NDSportscenter:
Irish star pitcher Aaron Heilman will be returning for his senior season. He had to sign by August 22nd to go pro. However, when he attended his first class, the Minnesota Twins lost his draft rights. He will be eligible again next spring. Heilman was the 17th pitcher taken and went 31st overall. Our 3rd baseball All-American could not reach a deal with the Twins. One of the issues was that of the signing bonus. Aaron wanted $1.4 million and was offered $900,000. He felt he should have been drafted sooner and wanted money to reflect that as his $1.4 million was greater than some of the players drafted before him. The Twins and Heilman also disagreed on the timing for him to return to ND to complete his degree. The Twins agreed to pay for his final two semesters, but wanted them to be farther off into the future. Heilman wanted the next two fall semesters regardless of the minor league assignment. He has not and will not take out an insurance policy. Bring on #1 Nebraska. As I recall, last time #1 came into our house they left # something else. And it's been awhile since I rushed the field. Might be a tad more difficult from the upper deck.
Did you hear the Nebraska library burned down? The saddest part was that half the books weren't colored in yet.
Campus News:
Classes started on Tuesday. The '00-'01 school year is underway. The Observer started up on Wednesday. If you'd like to read the daily issues just go to our Links page and click away. If you don't have the time to read it, don't worry. I shall. And I'll pass the news your way.
So the school year starts with some INTERESTING news. It seems we have our first ever....FEMALE Irish Guard member. Molly Kinder, a 6'3" native of Buffalo, New York, received the honor. She obviously met the 6'2"+ requirement and certainly did well at tryouts. She is only the second woman to try out (the other occurred in '92) since the Irish Guard was established in 1949.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The #1 spot on campus to make-out according to the Gipper...
1. That big box in the grand hallway of O'Shaughnessy - The Gipp has to commend the art student who built this little room, lit only with a black light and built with a ceiling low enough to keep people off their feet. They don't call it O'Shag for nothing, baby.
Hall Notes:
Here's another "Classic Moment in Vermin History." It's somewhat tame compared to some of the other tales, but still highlights the ever present Vermin highjinks. The story is told by Sean Donnelly and is named "Big Joe Campbell"....
One night during my freshman year I was working on a paper in the typing lounge (does it even exist anymore?). As usual, Big Joe made his appearance at around 9 or 10pm. In those days Joe was living the 3rd shift--waking up before midnight, doing his homework during the wee small hours, and heading off to morning classes. Harry, his roommate that year, can probably give a better description of Joe's routine. At any rate, Joe was certainly a regular of our night owl theatre and also spent much of his time writing in the typing lounge.
Writing was always an agonizing exercise for me--rarely did it take less than the entire night (Hell, this post alone took me 2.5 hours...) to finish. I would simply compose the paper right on the computer rather than write it down and type it later. Of course the continual soda/tv/bullshitting breaks didn't help. Still I continued on this pace throughout the night. As I was finishing up my paper, Joe became strangely curious about it. Not only did he ask what it was about but also when it was due. I told him the paper was for my Latin class and that it was due that afternoon.
Joe just nodded and said, "Make sure you read it over before you hand it in." Shrugging it off, I replied, "Usually I don't leave myself much time for proofreading--besides I'm so sick of writing the paper the last thing I want to do it read it."
Later that morning I ran into Joe again at breakfast. As I was getting ready to leave the dining hall, he said, "Hey, make sure you read that paper before you hand it in." Again, I had no clue why he cared. But I figured I might as well scan it while I walked to Decio to turn it in. It was then I noticed that my scholarly interpretation of Ovid's Metamorphosis had transformed into a raunchy sex farce--in mid-sentence! Yep, Joe had given me my first taste of the Vermin tooling tradition. Good thing his sense of pity kicked in when he realized I wasn't in the habit of proofreading my work. Fortunately, one of the secretaries in Decio loaned me some of her Liquid Paper so I could play censor. From that point on, I always saved to disk *before* I left the room.
NDSportscenter:
Have you heard the latest rumor to fly out of the Bend? Actually it's apparently more than a rumor. Word on the street is that the Chicago Bears may be re-locating to the Bend for a season or two to play "home" games. Obviously a new stadium is on the way for Da Bears. Northwestern's stadium does not meet the capacity demand. Notre Dame Stadium is actually quite a bit larger in terms of seating than the Bears current home accommodations. It is believed the Bears would generate approximately $3 million in revenue per game. That is half of the $6 million the Irish generate on any given football weekend. On average the Irish and Bears play only 3 simultaneous Saturday and Sunday home games. All this comes down to only two obvious issues - turf wear and tear and MONEY. Somebody call Bob Barker to see if the price is right.
One of the trends new AD Kevin White has paid attention to is that of incoming SAT scores versus graduation rates. The average football player SAT score from '93 to '96 was 925. We ranked 51st. The score average rose to 951 from '94 to '97. We climbed to 35th. Yet when graduation rolled around we were 7th at 78% according to the NCAA. (Overall we graduated 88% of all student-athletes to put us 3rd behind Duke and Northwestern.) White wants to continue to stress the "student" in student-athlete.
New basketball coach Mike Brey is working to revive the ENTIRE ND basketball family. He's hoping to get alums to come back and aid in the program in whatever way possible, even if it be only in spirit. Brey has already contacted/will soon contact Adrian Dantley, Tracy Jackson, Stan Wilcox, Duck Williams, David Rivers, and current Valpo assistant coach Ryan Hoover.
Campus News:
Three Domers took part in the recent College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Dinner in good ol' South Bend. Highly decorated defensive lineman Ross Browner was enshrined. Browner was a member of the '73 and '77 National Champions and was fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting one year. The Outland Trophy and the Lombardi and Maxwell Awards were bestowed on Ross. He was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the Cincinnate Bengals and played there from 1979 to 1986. Browner joined the Packers for the '87 season before retiring. Ross was one of 22 players and coaches enshrined. He was given the honor of speaking first amongst a few select enshirees that took the mic. Of course he received a rousing ovation from the local audience.
Ara Parseghian was also at the enshrinement dinner. He was there to present the Distinguished American Award to Arthur Decio. You know, Decio Faculty Hall. That's the guy who got the award. Decio is a member of our Board of Trustees.
Ara also recently spearheaded the 14th annual NFL Alumni Charity Golf Classic Series in the Bend. All the proceeds went to his Foundation that is working to cure the disease Niemann-pick Type C. The disease has claimed one of his grandchildren and two more are afflicted. Mike Ditka and Johnny Lujack were amongst some of the big names present. Football items were auctioned off to raise funds.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The #2 spot on campus to make-out according to the Gipper...
2. The Brownson Hall Courtyard - Dark. Secluded. Blindfolded "Scholastic" staffers and handcuff-weilding rebels.
(Vermin: There's more to that supposed joke, but it's lame so I'm going to leave it at that. Boy, I sure hope they come out with a new Scholastic soon.)
Hall Notes:
Here's a little ditty about Vermin Ryan "O-Dogg" O'Leary '96...
After graduation O-Dogg lived the life of a nomad: Chicago for about a month.....Connecticut and ESPN for about six months.....a few stints back at Cape Cod (his 'hood) in between.....western Massachusetts for 2 years.....a six month tour of duty at b.c. (don't ask).....currently writing for 2 papers just outside of Baaaaston. He's a sportswriter for the Waltham News Tribune and sports editor for the Newton Tab. As for what O-Dogg's doing on the side.....well....I'll let him tell you in a third-person diatribe: "Ryan's alter ego, O-Dogg (a.k.a. Felix Barbosa) recently completed his long awaited (by some, anyway) debut LP...'Coming Out Party.' The second joint - 'Ain't Ben Ogilvie' - should be out by year's end." Feel free to email him for a copy as there aren't many left. Most likely the album will be playing at a 'gater near you come Nebraska weekend.
NDSportscenter:
Troy Murphy is 1 of 12 collegian players chosen to the USA Men's Select Team which is to compete against the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team on Sept. 2 in Honolulu. The game will be televised on NBC.
Football notes: WR Jamaar Taylor has decided to transfer. The sophomore- to-be played 0 minutes last year, mainly due to a knee injury sustained in a bicycle accident.....Freshman Greg Pauly DID tear up his knee in that high school all-star game a few weeks back. He has a torn ACL and a torn medial meniscus in his left knee.....Our 4th verbal commitment for next year is Zach Giles, a 6'4", 275 lb. lineman from Marshfield, Massachusetts. In high school he played offensive guard and defensive tackle. Tom Lemming labeled this a big pick-up for us. He runs a 4.9 40 chose us over b.c. and Penn State.....Verbal #5 is Matt Root. He's straight outta North Florida Christian High School in Tallahassee. The 6'6", 225 lb tight end runs a 4.75 and benches 300. Root carried a 3.4 GPA and scored a 930 on the SAT. We won out over Florida State, Mississippi, Florida, and Clemson.....Old school Heisman winner Leon Hart's grandson, Brendan Hart, is a freshman walk-on tight end.
A little basketball news: Word on the street is that the 2 senior-to-be recruits will still sign with the Irish despite Doherty's departure..... Two big games highlight the just released schedule: Tuesday, December 5th versus Indiana at the JACC and Saturday, January 13th against Kentucky which will be televised on CBS. Bring it on!
Did you hear Bobby Bowden is only dressing 10 players for the first game? The rest of the players will dress themselves.
Those going to the Nebraska game please read the latest article from a current ND student. It's titled "Wear green to the Nebraska game." Spread the word. Copy, paste, and email. I received it from 2 separate Vermin so please pass it on to all Domers.
Campus News:
Runnin' low on news. Good thing the summer's almost over...
Former Irish and Washington Redskin quarterback Joe Theismann may have a different look if you see him on ESPN football coverage. Joe had his hair dyed in a promotion by Just For Men with the proceeds going to the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Theismann hopes to help raise $10,000 through the promotion.
This weekend South Bend held the annual College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony. News on that next week as yet another Domer goes into the Hall and ups the ND total even farther above the other schools.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The #3 place to make-out on campus according to the Gipp...
The Stadium - The Gipp has been breaking parietals in there since 1917. Hell, it's tradition.
(Well, it seems the Gipp is less than scholarly. I'll go out on a limb and state he's not a History major. It's pretty obvious seeing as how the stadium wasn't built until 1929 and opened in 1930. D'OH!)
Hall Notes:
Another "Classic Moment in Vermin History." This was a bit of a toughie to post. The story is mainly told by Vermin James L. His initial tale was clarified and expanded by Vermin Keary Ryan. The main portion of this moment is written by James, while Keary's additions are in parenthesis. (I hope my editting hasn't butchered the fable too much.) This story was passed our way by Matthew Miller '94. The Classic Moment (I believe) occurred during the '91-'92 school year and it titled: "Grain Alcohol".....
My Sophmore year, myself and some of my co-horts from the fourth floor (Steve "Nappy" Tompkins, Pat Coleman, Chris Hesburgh, Brendan Quinn and Eric "Grainman" Kurowski were the ones that took the fall) decided to throw a party. To add a theme of sorts, we decided to make grain alcohol punch. While this may not have been the smartest move, drinking at the time WAS allowed in the dorm rooms so we did not feel we were breaking any rules.
Well, needless to say things got a little out of hand that night. Matters weren't helped by the fact that the "Duders" had a little gathering of their own across the hall. A mess was made of the hallway (by guest of the Duders I might add) so the RA's decided to put an end to the party. While we were disappointed, we asked everyone to leave and even helped clean up the hall.
The night turned interesting after that. Some freshman got so drunk that he curse the rector. (To top that he puked your home-made purple passion punch all over the 24-hour lounge.) Someone also took a sh!t in the sink of the Hall Kitchen. (After years of prodding, I think we finally got Stan Tuholski to admit that he was the masked bowel mover. Stan took a sh!t on a plate and placed it in the kitchen sink. A real practical joker, that Stanislaus.)
The result of our little gathering??? A $200 fine, letters home to all of our parents, "probation" for the rest of the year, and we were turned over to Student Affairs. Apparently the event could not be handled internally. Student affairs simply put a note on our files and made us take an alcohol awareness class together, but that is not the point. It could have been worse.
An interesting side note - beginning with 91-92 edition of Du Lac, the university officially baned the consumption or possession of grain alcohol on campus. All thanks to the fourth floor of Carroll Hall!
NDSportscenter:
New men's basketball coach Mike Brey has completed his staff. The two other assistant coaches are Anthony Solomon and Lewis Preston. Solomon played at Virginia and for the last 2 years served as an assistant athletic director for basketball operations at Clemson. Preston played pro ball in Europe for 4 years. Then he was an assitant for a year at Coastal Carolina University. Finally our new director of basketball operations is Rod Balanis.
In addition to bringing in Coach Brey, new AD Kevin White had supposedly had 20 coaching contracts to handle. One of the issues he learned from the Doherty incident was that of a binding contract. Apparently all contracts now will be long-term with a very large penalty clause for someone leaving early. White has also stated he will carry out a "master plan study of all intercollegiate, intramural, and recreation facilities at the University" and "review all the competitive venues." That's music to the ears of hockey coach Dave Poulin (who's up for contract renegotiations) as he makes his case for a hockey arena. White dealt with all of this AND oversaw the building of his new home. Prior to that he was actually living on campus in McGlinn Hall.
Former Irish basketball standout, and current memeber of the Orlando Magic, Pat Garrity has become more than just a player. He is the secretary-treasurer for the players' union. Pat was also recently elected to the union executive committee. He is one of only seven on that committee.
You should have your football tickets by now if you had them coming. If not, call the ticket office pronto.
Campus News:
A few weeks ago Father Hesburgh was in Washington D.C. to receive the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. It is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a civilian. The presentation was made by the president and was televised on C-SPAN. Father Hesburgh gave an acceptance speech in the presence of what looked to be all of Congress. Monk even made the trip out East and was visible in the background.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The #4 best place to make-out on campus according to the Gipp....
4. zahm hall, if you're into farm animals.
Hall Notes:
Yet again a veteran Vermin new to the website registry has been kind enough to fill us in on is post-Carroll days. Kevin "Wolf" Steele '90 went right into law school after his undergrad days. Three years were spent at Indiana University-Bloomington studying issues like why it's illegal to take the tags off the mattress. While on Bobby Knight's stomping (read: "choking") grounds he was fortunate enough to room with fellow '90 Vermin Knight Anderson. (I pity the fool who labeled Wolf a "Knight Rider." Vermin can clean house better than Phyliis and Luanne.) After law school was completed in '93, Kevin continued the tour of Indiana as he went to Merrillville to work with the firm of Burke Costanza & Cuppy LLP. (Insert George Costanza joke here.) He's now a partner who spends his days in court doing civil litigation for clients. Kevin wed Laura in '95 and they live in Griffith, Indiana. And check this out...in October they are expecting...TRIPLETS! Two girls and a mini-Vermin. One of Wolf's ND highlights was during our '88 championship run. Although he was in London that fall semester, he hopped a puddle jumper and actually flew into Phoenix for the National Championship. I guess that would be a more optimistic "Tale of Two Cities." It was the best of times, it was the best of times....
NDSportscenter:
Last weekend the greatest quarterback of all time was inducted into the pro football Hall of Fame. The interesting thing about Joe Montana's entry into that Hall is that he can never be in the College Football Hall of Fame. He was never an All-American, a College Hall prerequisite. Read further in an article posted on The Comeback Kid.
New men's basketball coach Mike Brey has brought his top assistant with him to ND. Sean Kearney actually already had ties to our University. His father-in-law is a Domer who heads an ND alumni group in San Diego. Kearney was at Delware for 10 years. Prior to that he had the good fortune to serve under Rick Pitino for a year as Providence made its '86-'87 Final Four run. He was also an assistant at Northwestern. Despite the experienced resume, Kearney did not even bother to see if he could become Delaware's new head coach. The grass is always greener on South Quad. Another Brey article has been posted. Read up on Jordan Knight (a.k.a. The New Kid on the Block).
The capacity of the stadium has been bumped up some. It will now seat 80,232, up 220 seats from last year. The seats will be located in the southwest corner of the field. Apparently those seats will be up for sale at top dollar as they are being set aside for ND alumni clubs to assist in their scholarship fund-raising efforts. We have the 15th largest stadium capacity-wise.
Campus News:
Check this out....The following is a piece from an issue of Scholastic. The victims names have been changed....
Beth and Jane had first encountered Greg Hale in LaFortune's basement at the beginning of second semester. His sweet Southern disposition and apparent genuine openness drew them in. As they talked he unloaded his sad lift story. Hale claimed his parents had disowned him as a result of his homosexuality. He stated he was a business student who had transferred from UCLA. The three became good friends. He then spoke of serious financial problems and constantly asked for money. Jane's parents offered to pay his tuition, while another friend's parents offered a second home for him to stay at over the summer. Then portions of his hair appeared to be missing and he claimed he was being treated for cancer. To show support Beth and Jane shaved their heads. Then the questions began. Discrepancies in his stories became glaring. He claimed he took his chemotherapy in a pill. His "real" parents' phone number in Mississippi turned out to be a store in Indiana. So when the opportunity presented itself, they searched his bag. It revealed a wallet containing an Indiana driver's license with a South Bend address and a job application that stated he had never graduated from high school. Security was called and he was taken into custody and questioned. It was obviously discovered he was not an enrolled student. In addition to fooling them, he had used the disowned-because-I'm-a-homosexual bit to weasel into the home of a Goshen family for the semester. Supposedly he had hacked into the University's main computer to put his name in the online directory. He also had shaved parts of his head to sell the cancer angle. Hale stole prescription medication and cost many people a lot of money as they had tried to "aid" him. The police also discovered he had provided false Social Security numbers on both his tax forms and job applications. All the University apparently could do was issue a Letter of Trespass which says if he sets foot on campus he will immediately be arrested. The final chapter involves Beth and Jane hiring a lawyer and an investigator in hopes of prosecuting Hale on the grounds of computer and tax fraud, as well as theft.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Well, Gipp fans, the warm weather seems almost ready to stay, finals are approaching, stress levels are rising, people are getting ready for summer - or the big G-word, which the Gipp won't even get into. All in all, this is a very good time to let off some steam, but it's a very bad time to start a relationship. Thus, for your springtime pleasure, the Gipp has assembled a list of the top five places on campus to make-out....
5. WVFI studios at LaFortune - The Gipp hears that the radio station has kind of a groovy atmosphere and that the walls are cushioned in case things get rough. Plus, there's kind of a thrill in the extremely remote possibility that somebody might be listening.
(I'm running low on "Campus Watch"s so I'm gonna drag this sucker out. #4 next week.)
Hall Notes:
Here's some Carroll historical facts for you. This little morsel was passed our way courtesy of Matt "Slim" Miller '94. It was written by old school Vermin Kevin "The Toe" Corbley '85....
The Vermin colors date back to the 1983 Vermin football team, my junior year. Up until then, the Vermin changed colors every year, usually picking whatever was on sale at the sports supply store. For instance, my freshman year it was a hideous orange, then sophomore year it was a lovely royal blue. Finally, junior year we got those cool looking maroon uniforms that everybody liked because instead of having "Carroll" emblazoned across the front, they had "Vermin." These jerseys were also particularly well made. Many guys wore them to play interhall hockey. When the next year rolled around, everybody still had an intact jersey, except for the freshmen. At about $30 a pop, we were all tired of buying new ones, so we went back to the same supply store and found they still stocked the maroon for those who needed them. It's hard to imagine that a Vermin tradition was driven by nothing more than practicality.
NDSportscenter:
Incoming freshman football player Greg Pauly sustained a knee injury preparing for an All-Star game. The 6'7", 290 pounder was injured on July 9th. He will be re-evaluated on Aug. 6th by ND medical personnel. According to Davie it "doesn't look good." Practice begins on Aug. 10th.
Camp will be minus sophomore-to-be Neal Ambron. The 6'7", 295 lb. tackle has left the team and school. He was slated to be a backup to Kurt Vollers and Jordan Black. He plans to go back to Colorado and enroll at a nearby university. Ambron has decided to stop playing football altogether.
We have our third recruit for the 2001 football class. Aldo De La Gaza, a 6'4", 295 lb offensive guard from New Braunfels, Texas, has verbally committed.
OL Rob Mowl will not return for a 5th season because of medical reasons. DE Ryan Roberts and OG Sean Mahan are back in the mix after spring injuries.
Four captains have been named for this year's team. Anthony Denman, Grant Irons, Jabari Holloway, and Dan O'Leary have been given the honor. Two tight ends as captains? That's fine. Can we please throw them the ball then!
Campus News:
This past spring semester the University declared that rectors could now have pets. The acceptable animals are cats, fish, birds, and dogs under 50 lbs. Great, one more in the menagerie of that petting zoo known as zahm.
Ever wonder about that guy who sits by 31 with the American flags around him? Scholastic featured a piece on the man known as "Brother Flag." For eleven years, Brother Edward Courtney, CSC has occupied a lawn chair alongside U.S. 31 just west of campus. He was in the Army during World War II and served under Patton. While in the service he earned five bronze stars. After the War he entered the Brothers of Holy Cross. From then on his livelihood revolved around God's work. Brother Flag has actually received national recognition for his roadside patriotism. He had received attention from former President Bush and recently deceased Peanuts creator Charles Schultz, who actually used his likeness in a Peanuts strip four years ago.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The following document, quoted here verbatim, was found in a printer tray at a computer lab:
Rules of the Roman Hookup:
It is a commonly known fact that 3rd year archies while in Rome "get a lot of ass." In order to ensure quality control, The Roman Hook-up Game has been implemented. Point totals, both positive and negative, have been assigned to various people and situations, with the possibility of positive and negative bonus points to be earned. 100% participation is required and point totals will be calculated whether or not consent is given. There are two concurrent competitions: the gender with the highest point total at the end of the year will be given a KEG party hosted by the losing gender. Also, within genders one winner will be awarded bragging rights for eternity, not to mention never having to pay for your own drinks at the bar for the duration of fourth year.
Hall Notes:
Once again a Vermin tailgater is tentatively being organized. Last year's VERMINAPALOOZA '99 went well even with not much notice. This year's 'gater is being slated for the Nebraska game on September 9th. It is understood that tickets are hard to come by so get on the phone now if you'd like to attend. And even if you don't have seats, feel free to join the other Vermin in some pre-game festivities. Once again the 'gater will (hopefully) be hosted by John Butler '96. The location of VERMINAPALOOZA '00 will be provided in the near future. It sounds as if this is the best game for a get-together. Ryan "O-Dogg" O'Leary '95 has already passed information that his '96 posse is comin' 'round. I believe a few '95ers will be visible. I know '97 and '98 Carroll grads will be in da house. So if you contemplated having to get a 'gater, you can nix that and all can congregate at one. Come one, come all. The more Vermin, the better.
Wedding pictures have been posted on the Photo Gallery for Todd Kuczaj '98 and Bob Fincutter '97.
NDSportscenter:
Two highly informative articles on the new head basketball coach, Mike Brey, have been posted on the Articles of Interest page. Good stuff.
On July 8th in Hamburg, Germany a group of 55 football alums donned the pads and Irish uniforms for one last time. They played in Charity Bowl 2000 against a semi-pro team from Germany. Money was being raised for Kinder Helfen Kindern. For all you non-German speaking folks that's "Kids Helping Kids." It is an ND charity fund in Germany (obviously). Tony Rice was supposed to be the starting QB until he ruptured his Achilles tendon. However, the championship team of '88 was still represented by 8 members. RB Mark Green and LB Wes Pritchett were on hand. Other standouts to make the trip were TB Reggie Brooks, TB Lee Becton, DL Melvin Dansby, and TE Kevin Coretta. The oldest member was 48 year old Pat Steenberge who was a QB in '70 and '71. Even Lou got in on the act as he spoke to the alums prior to their leaving. The game was played before 18,500 spectators. Of course the veteran Irish team came out on top, 14-10. The game ended in grand fashion as Ivory Covington made an interception in the end zone on the final play of the game to secure the victory. Also in grand Irish fashion we missed 2 field goals. QB Steve Belles was responsible for both scores as he ran and threw for touchdowns. Reggie Brooks was named the game's MVP.
Campus News:
More construction news....
The most recent work that was completed was on Notre Dame Avenue and the road off of it through the main gate. The winter hit the roads hard. ND Ave was tore up and replaced from Angela to Main Circle. The other road that passed the main gate was only about 5 years old. It went in with the new dorms. That street was milled out all the way to Pangborn.
Ground was broken for the new Performing Arts Center in what used to be labelled Green Field during football season. Fences stretches around the entire area, along ND Ave, Angela, Senior Bar, and the south Visitors Parking lot. The completion date is projected for sometime in 2003.
Another future project is that of a science-teaching building. The unnamed project (as far as I know) has yet to really come to the surface. The little information gleaned is that the location will be in front of Rolfs RecCenter, just to the north of the JACC and east of Juniper. Niewland and Stepan's facilities had become too limiting. The rumored 200,000 square-foot structure will more than provide ample space.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
People are always stealing stuff from South Dining Hall, but the Gipp really has to give some credit to the kid who stole an entire tub of ice cream and managed to run away with it, past three angry dining hall workers. Nice job, son.
Hall Notes:
Yet another veteran Vermin has passed some info our way upon request. Old school Vermin Jock Mutschler is actually a Double Domer. He was in the Carroll Class of '86 and the MBA Class of '94. But check this out... He was in the Army ROTC AND a member of the men's soccer team. Jock was even the captain his senior year! Hell, make him class president for living in the farthest dorm from the field. After graduation he did his Alan Alda M*A*S*H impersonation by heading over to Korea for a one year tour of duty with a field artillery battalion. Then it was on to Anniston, Alabama as an S-1, S-4, and company executive officer for an AIT Chemical Battalion. After getting out of the Army in '92 it was back to ND for the MBA thang. One of his MBA semesters was actually in Chile. It was the first MBA class to go to that country. His job out of school (and current job) was (and is) at Breadsmith, a franchisor of bread boutiques. Breadsmith specializes in European style hard-crusted breads and has 45 stores across 14 states. Jock is the Director of Communications and handles most of the marketing. He wed in '98 and now has a baby girl. And of course he bleeds blue and gold with a golden retriever named Domer (how 'bout an irish setter?), "DOMER" is on one license plate, and "2 DOMER" on another car's plate.
NDSportscenter:
Obviously you've heard that Matt Doherty has left the Dome to become the head men's basketball coach at his alma mater, North Carolina. It seemed he was fifth in line for the position and the four others - who labelled is a "dream job" - all passed. So our beloved coach waved goodbye. Oh, and he took his entire staff with him. And how nice of Michael Jordan to lay the final guilt trip on him to get him to UNC. There was no buyout in his contract and he was simply let go. New AD Kevin White acknowledged a special clause in Doherty's contract that gave him this out. The 2 recruits who just gave verbals a short while ago have stated they may look elsewhere. The South Bend Tribune reported that new UNC staff is apparently not shy about luring them to the Tar Heels. But apparently Doherty has stated that his is encouraging them to stick with us. Also Jere Macura may not return for his sophomore year. He is currently with the Croatian national team and may decide to turn pro. On Thursday P.J. Carlesimo took his name out. Good. We would have lost one of the recruits for sure. His family was vehemently opposed to the berating Carlesimo. Prior to that Rick Pitino and Minnesota's Dan Monson took their names out of the running. The next to back out was Ernie Kent of Oregon. Finally on Friday we announced former Delware coach Mike Brey our new head coach. His claim to fame is being a former assistant coach at Duke from '87 to '95. He was a part of 2 national championship teams and six Final Fours in 8 years. He was the only coach actually offered the job by AD Kevin White. Brey signed a 7 year contract and explicitly stated he would not leave for ANY reason, even if Duke came a-knockin'.
Lottery results are now available. You can call the ticket office at 219-631-7356 to find out how you fared. Nebraska, of course, was the hot ticket. The total number of requests for that game was roughly 48,000. Only approximately 32,000 seats are available for regular alums. Such a small number compared to 80,000! Students, opposing team, our team, faculty, season ticket holders, and the University big wigs suck up 48,000 seats rather quickly.
Three games have been slated to appear nationally on CBS this year. The Navy game in Orlando will be completely national while the West Virginia and Rutgers games will be split nationally.
Campus News:
Prior to the close of the school year, the Faculty Senate finally addressed the University's ban on advertisements from gay and lesbian alumni and student groups. On May 9th members voted 27-1 to ask Monk to withdraw the policy and to declare that The Observer should not placed under the oversight of the Office of Student Affairs. The request was in the form of a letter and is not binding in any way. The resolution and an accompanying report on the issue were researched and presented by the Senate's Student Affairs Committee. Many of the faculty claim the ban violates academic and press freedom. Over 215 members of the faculty and staff signed a petition expressing such thoughts.
Chandra Johnson, The Observer's liasion to the Office of the President, and Monk have said that the University acts as the publisher as it collects student fees for the paper. And as publisher the U has the right to determine editorial and advertising content. Officials have never tried to influence articles run in the paper, but have called for bans on certain kinds of advertising on occasion. The Observer has maintained that it sets its own policies and HAS actually run several ads from GALA-ND/SMC and OutReachND.
In January, Monk created an ad hoc committee to review The Observer's relationship with the administration and the newspaper's advertising policy. The committee was originally charged with making a recommendation at the end of this summer, but it will most likely carry over into the fall. The committee has stated it will consider the Faculty Senate's sentiments in their discussion.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
A Keough boy was caught fishing through the recycling bin the other day, and a passerby asked him what he was looking for. "A cinnamon roll," he said. "I threw it in here this morning, and now I'm hungry for it. Shouldn't be anything wrong with it, right?"
Hall Notes:
The wedding of Bob Fincutter '97 and Karen "I'm Vermin too" Kerney '97...
Well, five other lads from the Class of '97 journeyed out to Baaaaston for the Massachusetts wedding. The Best Man was Dean Busack. Two of the groomsmen were Dan Hogan and myself. The ushers were Sweet Baby Zawada and Tim Mullarkey. It was obviously a Domer wedding as the bride and groom requested that guests sing an Irish or ND tune to get the newlyweds to smooch as opposed to the clinking of glasses. Of course the bridal (and groomal?) party led the way with the fight song. In addition to that three participants in the wedding and one guest sprung a little surprise by coming front and center to perform the Alma Mater sans the band. The wedding photographer also asked that all Domers take to the floor for a group snapshot. Roughly 25 had journeyed from all across the country. Another interesting twist was that people seated at the reception were located at tables that had the themes of various campus sites. For example, the bride's parents were seated at "The Grotto" and the groom's co-workers from Deloitte & Touche were placed at "COBA." Alas the head table was not "Carroll" as there were others in the bridal party not of ND. We were "The Dome." The Vermin, however, did secure a group photo separate from the group. We hope to have it and other pictures up within a few weeks.
NDSportscenter:
Sophomore-to-be cornerback Albert Poree has decide to transfer. The 5'10", 190 pounder is moving on to Georgia Tech. He has three years of eligibility left after playing only 90 seconds this past season due to leg and knee injuries. He was listed as a backup to probable starters Brock Williams and Clifford Jefferson.
The rankings came out for overall athletic performance amongst universities. We placed 21st in the Sears' Director's Cup. We climbed four notches after a 25th finish the year before. Our high was 11th in '93-'94 and '95-'96. The worst placing was 31st in '97-'98.
When watching the Olympics this fall, keep an eye out for Domer Nick Radkewich '93. He has made the Olympic team as a tri-athlete after finishing 2nd in the U.S. trials. Radkewich was a state champion swimmer in high school and a cross country and track participant at ND. He placed a strong 14th in the 1999 Goodwill Games and has been excelling ever since. This is the first year the Olympics will feature the triathlon. The event consists of a 1500 m (0.9 mile) swim, a 40 km (24.8 mile) bicycle ride, and a 10 k (6.2 mile) run. Fifty racers will compete in the event which is to be held on September 17.
Campus News:
On May 1, the newest addition to the campus opened. The William K. and Natalie O. Warren Golf Course was dedicated and opened to the public. The private dedication ceremony featured a blessing by Monk and remarks from the designer, professional golfer Ben Crenshaw. The first foursome to play the course was Warren, Crewshaw, Father Beauchamp, and Stephen Warren, son of the donor. The course is named in honor of William Warren Jr.'s parents. Warren '56 chairs a foundation established by his father that made a $7 million gift to underwrite the construction. Warren also provided a donation to build the clubhouse dining room and the pro shop.
While serving as president of the board of Southern Hills Country Club, Warren worked closely with Crenshaw and his partner, Bill Coore, on the club's West Nine Course. Obviously that was the springboard to our course. The course is located on 250 wooded acres adjacent to the northeast corner of the campus. The most distinguishing and unusual characteristic is that there is no par for the course. Like Muirfield - an old school course in Scotland - only the yardage is posted for each hole. The course spans 6,744 yards, has 86 bunkers, two lakes, and a creek. The 7,000-square-foot clubhouse was built in a French country style. Environmental safeguards were a priority in the building of the course and included more than $500,000 for improvements to and monitoring of Juday Creek. Students receive over a 55% discount. Faculty and staff have 20% knocked off. Alums get about 10% off.
Campus watch by ME:
Speaking of golf....
A friend of mine recently played the new course. He and his father were going to play a round. A straggler joined their group. Why, it was none other than...Father Beauchamp. Father was decked out in a shirt, a PGA Players Championship shirt. Father was wearing shorts, Polo shorts. Father was toting clubs, clubs worth about $1,200. Father was playing for free, as all the priests do. Can someone please fill me in on this "vow of poverty" thing? Some of you may be wondering what Father is doing now-a-days. Well, it seems for that particular week prior to that Saturday Father's job was to.....play four rounds of golf. That was his occupation for the week. Ummmm....can somebody please fire me and allow me to live the life of a retired millionaire?
Hall Notes:
Last weekend I had the privilege of attending the wedding of Vermin Todd Kuczaj '98 at the Basilica. Boy, they run a tight ship at Sacred Heart. There were no other wedding scheduled, but they still gave the wedding party the immediate boot after two hours. There was half an hour prep time, a thirty minute ceremony, and an hour for photos. The 11 am nuptials were followed by a reception in the Monogram Room at the JACC. One word....open bar. The guests traveled great distances. The groom is originally from Cincinnati, home of the Bearcat basketball team and its 0% graduation rate. The bride grew up in Omaha, and fellow little red cornshuckers were in attendance. The newlyweds having been living, and will continue to live, in Arizona. Of course the finest guests in attendance were....the Vermin. Big Joe '98 and Brian Buoye '98 were actually in the wedding. Slimmer '98 and Paul Lewis '98 joined myself as faces in the crowd. A grand time was had by all. Pictures will be made available in the near future.
NDSportscenter:
Mike Monserez, who just completed his freshman year on the Irish basketball team, has decided to transfer. The 6'6", 192 lb. guard was released from this scholarship and no hard feelings exist. Doherty was not able to promise him minutes and Monserez did not like his chances. He mentioned not wanting to look back 10 years from now and regretting not getting to play college ball. (I wonder if he'll look back in 10 years and regret not getting an ND diploma and being a member of the Notre Dame Family.) Monserez is projected to go to a mid-major D-I program. The good news of course is that we now have another scholarship available. If playing was his #1 concern, then he made the right choice. With the recruits we have coming in, he would not have played. His footwork, or lack there of, is what would keep him off the floor. He wouldn't be able to stay in front of anyone and he wouldn't be able to break anyone down.
We have our second verbal commitment for football. Local boy, Jeff Thompson of Penn High School in Granger, Indiana, has orally pledged to play for the Irish. He's a 6'5", 260 lb. defensive lineman. Word on the street is that we are vying for all the top players. We are legitimately in the hunt for the blue chippers in virtually every region of the country.
A new assistant men's soccer coach has been named. Nino Berticelli '99 joins the staff. He is the son of Mike Berticelli, the Irish head soccer coach who passed away of a heart attack this last winter.