Balance is key...You're either "optimistic" or "realistic"... Can you be both?

Your favorite team often falls into the part of your brain 

where the concept of "balance" is foreign. 

It's kinda like your kids...you love them unconditionally!

They screw up..sure your disappointed, but it doesn't make 

you love them less!

They succeed..your pride is often displayed by a a natural glow 

coming from your face...along with a devilish grin that a surgeon  

couldn't remove!

When it comes to our BELOVED IRISH...well, that takes

me to the dilemma of, am I too "optimistic" and 

are my expectations "realistic"?

This season has reminded me of a Christmas special 

with beautiful ladies, awesome music, incredible stage

decorations...then halfway through you realize your

host for the evening is Charles Manson!

You're deflated...your excitement is tempered and you 

just don't know how the ending is gonna go, 

but your not quite as excited as you 

were when the whole thing started!

Stanford

Home of the overly educated...eccentric and not quite 

as funny as they think they are, really geeky band!

Oh...and the no. 8 Stanford Football team.

Stanford is no joke!

They've played a really odd mix of games this season.

They somehow figured out how to lose to

 Utah...who is 4-7!

Then they completely DESTROYED the 

Ducks who are 9-2

Then with the exit of Lane Kiffen the Trojans 

have pretty much beat the hell outta everyone

they've played including Stanford..but not ND??

So the Cardinal?...who are they?

Well they are a 9-2 team ranked top ten in the country 

who has:

1. Played a TOP 5 Strength of Schedule!

2. Their Defense is 22nd in the country

-but 101st vs the pass!

-and 3rd vs the run!

3. Their Offense is 69th in the country

-32nd rushing the ball!

-90th passing the ball!

So what does that all mean? 

It means lets be "optimistic" 

"But Damefan are you sure?" 

Look I'm from Ohio...I've lived with OVERLY optimistic,

yet WILDLY un-realistic people my entire life!

I know the difference!

Well...I'm here to talk to you about why we should be:

"OPTIMISTIC" 

1. IF...IF we establish the run we can control the game!

-Stanford is not a great pass defense, but if they 

know your passing the ball every down they 

will drop eight and make it very hard for us!

BALANCE!

Coach Martin will have to call a good game!

2. IF..IF we show up on defense!

-Stanford can run the ball...control the run,

force them to pass, which they are not great 

at and you control the game!

JARRON JONES and TUITT and FOX and CARLO

will all have to have the games of their year!

3. IF...IF we don't turn the ball over!

But is it "realistic"? 

I mean...they've played tougher teams!

They've seen "elite" speed!

We are BEAT UP...and have several starters out!

It's at their house!

They are still dumb enough to think this was a TD!

   Things have just not gone our way this year?

But....this is why they play the game..

This is why the IRISH have the word "FIGHTING" in 

their name!

This is our chance....will we RISE UP...or get beat down?

Are we "optimistic" with good reason?

Or are we just not being "realistic"?

Well my brothers and sisters...it's gonna be about the 

"X's and O's" of the game...

ND-One of only 3 teams with 3 wins over 

BCS top 25 teams!

ND-has two wins over BCS top 12 teams!

ND-had played 7 top 50 defenses and is 4-3 

Stanford- has played 3 top 50 defenses and is 2-1

Stanford- has played 6 top 50 offenses and is 4-2

ND has played 2...and is 2-0

You know what...I'm not really sure what it all means....but 

it seems to me that this is gonna be one hell of a game!

What this means to me...in a season playing with a QB 

that was never recruited to be the starter, and with 

the amount of injuries we've experienced....Hell I'm not mad at ya!

Just imagine what happens next year!

For that my friends I'm very OPTIMISTIC

and that feeling is very REALISTIC!

GO IRISH and GOD BLESS!

Wow...That game made me....Uh..

Let me tell you right now...this may sting a bit,

but if I don't get this outta my system, I may 

cut my own ear off in frustration!

This game...this scheme..this COMPLETE 

pooch screw that we laid on the field 

in Pittsburgh...is exactly what would NOT

be happening if we had all 

the right pieces!

I'm not here to make any excuses for this game!

Throw Tuitt out for nothing?... F-U it's Pitt!

Turn the ball over three times?... F-U it's Pitt!

Play with absolutely no emotion?... F-U it's PITT!!!!

Now...let's assign some blame!

Your Honor I'd like to call Coach Chuck Martin 

to the stand....

What in the Hell was that last night?

First things first...You do realize we are playing with a 

skeleton crew on defense...We are stopping NO ONE!

So slowing the game down and pounding the 

ball to protect this defense at 

it's most vulnerable state??

That never crossed you're mind?...no? 

So you decide that with the absence of what?...6 starters 

on our defense, and losing our 1st round Daft pick

D lineman...that trying to sling the ball 

around on a team that ANYONE has rushed 

on in the past was a great idea?

No...let's not run the ball at all in the second half?

No..let's reward the ONLY REAL running back 

on the team, that broke the freshman rushing record

THE WEEK BEFORE with what,

FOUR touches the ENTIRE GAME?

Really?...That made sense to you?

I mean I know it's Pitt, and they are 63rd in the country 

vs the rush....so that should be intimidating!

At one point I was expecting to see Weis's big ass

burping his way though a press conference

after this debacle!

Coach Brian Kelly, do you swear to tell the 

truth, the whole truth and nothing 

but the truth?

What in the world?...Take control brother!

Look...this is year four, and if a player is just 

not progressing...then you gotta get him 

outta there, regardless of the "C" on his uniform!

We have Defensive secondary running around like 

fairy tale characters!

If it's not a players night...then SIT THEM DOWN!

Let's get some new blood flowing!

Eilar Hardy

Devin Butler

Max Redfield

You can't tell me, that at WORST, these kids 

wouldn't at least TACKLE the player when 

they have one running at them!

I hope Coach Kelly takes a HUGE long

look in the mirror and says..

"WOW...That was fu#king embarrassing!" 

With our 3rd string we should beat Pitt by 20!

Look...I'm not looking to "NEG" you out...but 

this season is what this season is....we got caught

with our pants down!

We were a motor-cross racer without the proper 

spare tires on the truck!

This is Notre Dame's offense!

Got a great engine...speed and is full of horsepower.

But the front wheel is Tommy Rees....God love Tommy,

I'll never fault a kid for giving 100%, he is just 

limited...he's a great kid, and in a game 

when everything is clicking...he's more than 

enough to win...

But in a game when we need a QB to put the team on 

his back and lead....to make something from nothing.

In a game where we are needing the offense to bail out

the defense...Tommy is a square wheel on a dirt bike!

It may roll clumsily here to there,

but it's never gonna be smooth enough

 to win a race!

The quarterback at Notre Dame affects both sides of the ball

when you run a Brian Kelly type system.

Why was our D so dominant last year...The offense had long 

sustained drives...Keeping the defense fresh and ready!

By the time our 65 yard, 11 play 5 min drive was 

over...the D was rested and ready to attack!

When we had a 3rd and 4....if no one was open, Golson

would take off and get the first..When the pocket collapsed, Golson

would rush and gouge the defense for 15!

When the play would break down, Golson would scramble and

someone would get behind a defender and he had the arm

to make them pay!

Trust me my IRISH family....the darkest hours often 

produce the greatest light!

We have 3 more games....then we roll into spring 

ball with a commander at the helm of this 

battleship!

BIGGER-STRONGER-FASTER

And mentored by the best QB coach in the country!

The missing piece is returning...time to make the picture!

GO IRISH & GOD BLESS

**My editor was busy tonight...so sorry for the 

grammatical errors!

Can't get my secretary to accept editing my 

blog as part of her job description! 

There are girls you date, then there are spring break girls!

Life is all about timing...and anticipation!

The timing of an event must be right in order to test our

normal everyday standards!

Like when you trying to work out and eat right...then 

some lady brings brownies into work with cream cheese icing!

You don't want to eat one..but damn they are right there, 

and it's just bad timing!

Anticipation will build excitement if you 

can get excited about normal everyday

opponents?

Navy reminds me of spring break!

There were girls you'd date...if your buddies where 

watching..Then there were girls you'd date, cause 

all your buddies where out of town on spring break!

Make sense?...Navy is the full figured lady!

Yeah...she's pretty...She's nice and she's here...but 

damn, she's a bit bigger than the standard you're used too!

Now to the "idiotic" fan of other programs pointing out 

Navy on our schedule is like justifying playing teams 

from Florida with an "A&M" behind their name!

But to the "educated" fan we all know why Navy has 

a relationship with Notre Dame and that is to be 

respected and honored!

HISTORY LESSON ON NAVY & ND

But Navy can be like that full figured girl A LOT!

When your not looking this can happen!

She creeps away and re-appears and SHOCKS YA!

Navy is one of those teams!

In the past 4 years they've:

Taken Ohio State to the final minutes 

and the Buckeyes barely escaped!

Taken South Carolina at home to the 

wire..and the Cocks barely escaped!

They run the ball...they are very disciplined, and they

play with heart cause they all know: They are 

NEVER gonna play football beyond this 

stage of life!

So you have to respect them!

So who are the 2013 Navy football team?

4-3

Wins over:

Indiana- Nobody

Pitt- Nobody this year

Deleware- ? Uh yeah

Air Force- Bad

Losses to:

Western Kentucky- I got nothing

Duke- Not much better

Toledo- and were done!

They are 61st in Total Defense

89th in Rush Defense 

And...as always a top 10 rushing team!

Now with that being said..this should be a very 

similar game to the Air Force match-up from

last week!

On to more interesting topics:

Watkins is IRISH as I'm sure most 

of you have heard!

I first laid eyes on Watkins at the ND coaches clinic

in March...The kid walked around the practice 

like a 1st round draft pick being shopped 

by NFL teams...he is not short on confidence 

that's for sure!

From what I heard just this morning this is domino 

one, in a decent size line that should be dropping 

in the next few weeks!

Then we have a few that are "work in progress" type

of situations...

 Two are HUGE names ready to pop,

and one that popped, then un-popped, all 

are due to academics!

These kids getting into ND will be a marathon not

a sprint...so don't expect them anytime soon!

One would be as big a get as Jaylon last season and 

can play ANY position...but he's gonna have to hit the 

books hard to even come close!

The other is a substantial need with what I'm sure will be

 a mass exit of our current D line come draft day!

But again this kid is not splitting the atom anytime soon!

Sometimes being ND is hard...cause at any other school

they'd already be committed regardless of grades!

A big time Offensive playmaker is getting ready to 

join the ranks also...just working on timing!

We are on the verge of taking that next step 

in the re-birth of the IRISH program!

Notice since Kelly's arrival each recruiting class 

get's better and better!

Each season more and more young talent hits the 

roster and is making a substantial impact!

Aggression

Speed

Determination

Kelly recruits a different breed of kid than we've seen 

at Notre Dame in a very long time!

No more free lunches!

No more 5'11 D tackles!

If ND offers...there's a reason!

So with that being said...not much going on,

the team is together...a bit dinged up but timing 

seems to be on our side with 

the bye week approaching!

Get a W vs Navy!

Move on to Pitt!

Relax and get healthy!

Cause BYU is no walk in the park!

Then it's time to chop some trees!

So drink it if ya got it, and have a great weekend!

GO IRISH & GOD BLESS! 

Picked up this locker name tag this week...
Just felt right to me....May you walk with the 

angels big Ace...See ya again some day and 

rest in peace!

GO IRISH!