Weekend Wrap-Up

Runnin' Boilers
The LJC had a great story this weekend about some of Matty's boys and what they've been up to.

First, they all run like a team of deer, it seems.

The entire team runs a sub-6:00 mile, even Marcius and JJ. That's nifty. But, Robbie Hummel runs a fast 4:49 mile. I'm pretty sure I can't drive one that fast. Hummel humbly denies this as noteworthy saying that he ran the mile in middle school. Okie dokie, Ostrich.

The article also talks about Chris Kramer entertaining the idea of Chris donning shoulder pads for our Boilers in the fall of '10. This actually makes a ton of sense to me- Purdue graduates a lot of defensive backfield talent...perhaps Kramer can help out back there.

For those of you who have been Purdue fans for a while, this might remind you of Kip Jones who played football for Purdue after his basketball eligibility was up...Jones actually blocked a field goal while playing for Fred Akers...I'm pretty sure Kramer will look more the part than did Jones.

I'm a fan of blondes, I guess
I haven't done this in a while, so I thought I'd do it- here are some ladies on the TV that have caught my eye recently. First off, probably the best-looking woman on TV right now is a bit commercial actress on Budweiser commercials- Christina Scott Bennett.
The next two are a sign that the BTN is run by smart people. One, a favorite of J and I who my wife doesn't think is anything special (let the record show, Mrs. Boilerdowd thinks Erin Andrews is A-OK). Charissa Thompson isn't new to the network, but is noteworthy.
Second is the new co-host of a tailgating show in BTN on Saturday mornings...and while Melanie Collins is no where near as good at being a studio personality as Thompson, she is awfully nice to look at.

Around Indiana
Not all of you who regularly visit the site are in Central Indiana...so you don't get to hear/see a lot of the fan reaction from Purdue, IU and UND fans after game weekends like this...As a service, I'll share what I heard out and about today.

Purdue fans are generally excited...I'm one of those. My adjusted prediction for the season is now 6 or 7 wins, up from 4 or 5...no surprise there.

IU fans are funny...some are smart, they seem to think this season's going to be long and painful and the squeaking out the first two games versus bad opponents is an awful omen. Others are the typical IU fans- they see 2-0, and nothing else...and are talking about a bowl game already. They think that a win is a win. I'm actually impressed at their level of energy...but think their talent level is still low (with the exception of a few receivers who are very good).

My favorite fans are the Domers. Most are still convinced that a BCS bowl is all but a sure thing...but UM is just back and that good. Heck, how else could they beat the might Irish? This is classic, old-school UND BS...and I love hearing it. A pal of mine who went to UND once told me that Notre Dame students would spend evenings after losses (back in the early 90s) trying to figure out what had to happen for Notre Dame to win the national title. If the question was asked today by the same people, perhaps they'd say, "get rid of the Manatee"? Nope...he's on solid ground. Sure, the outsider can see that he lost Saturday's game with plain-dumb play calling down the stretch. No matter. Ignorance is b...eing a Domer.

Did anyone else see King Charlie demanding satisfaction from the refs as if his opinion mattered to those guys after the clock hit 0:00 in AA? I loved it...hope to see more of it very soon.

Here's to an angry Spartan team circling the wagons this week.

The Votes of Confidence (and notes)

Alright, ESPN now has multiple "experts" believing that Notre Dame is a double-digit win team. I've received a lot of texts about this topic, so I thought I'd respond.

Notre Dame's schedule is a sham...we all know it, Domers know it... it's Twinkie soft. So it's possible for the Irish to win ten games. But now, you have a lot of the media saying it's going to happen...All that does is increase the pressure in South Bend. This is a good thing. And, I think, as a guy who can't stand the Irish, I'm standing in a good position watching this all unfold.

Sure, anytime I hear a head slobbering over UND it makes me yell at the screen, but that's really not what's happening. With the exception of their senile ex-coach, most of those saying that Notre Dame will get a lot of wins aren't crediting the Irish, but dis-crediting their competition. If they dont' win a lot of games, it could be fun as UND is forced to let go of the Manatee. If their last scramble for a coach is any indicator, we could be in for a good show.

But, if they reach 10 wins, that's when the fun really begins. First, UND will almost definitely be in a BCS Bowl...GOOD!! I think we all want to see that again. Delusional Domers waxing poetically about the echoes being awakened as they prepare for the big stage? Sweet. This has ended very well for the Irish in the past 15 years...I'm kind of rooting for it.

And, once the Irish are shellacked in a BCS contest, they'll probably just be talking about Pickle's upcoming Senior season and looking forward to another year with Weis at the helm...so will we.

The worst case scenario is Gruden ending up in South Bend next season. I'm positive he'd win...and he's an easy guy not to like. I'm for Charlie staying in South Bend as long as he wants.

And speaking of votes of confidence, Jim Tressel wants the Snakeoil Salesman to know he stands behind him. And why wouldn't Tressel want Rodriguez to stick around? Since he's arrived we've heard of haphazard practices, seen UM lose more games than they've ever lost in a season, watched legal battles distract the coach and, most recently, heard of possible NCAA violations against the Wolverines. Seems pretty ideal...if you're a Bucknut.

Other Stuff
Rivals.com really likes Matty's Boilers...we know that. But, they ended August with a big helping of love for our Boilers. They predict Purdue will be back in Indy in March in '10. This stuff gets me stoked...but right now, I'm more excited to watch football this evening.

I hope you enjoy tonight and the coming weekend as much as I will!

How Cute: UND Still Thinks They're Relevant

UND Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick gave Chuck Weis a vote of confidence by praising the building of a new 5,000 seat hockey arena. Or something like that.

Regarding the football team heading in the right direction:

Swarbrick also believes there will be a better team dynamic this season. He says Notre Dame's 49-21 over Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl has led to improved team spirit and camaraderie.

Okay, we've discussed this before, but... seriously? They beat up on a poor Hawaii team. And if they hadn't, Fat Charlie would have had his second losing season in a row. They went 7-6, people, with several nutritious cupcakes on the schedule.

Swarbrick also had positive words about Weis, saying he hadn't been given enough credit for coaching through all the pain he was in last season.

The 53-year-old Weis injured his left knee on Sept. 13 when defensive end John Ryan, who is 6-foot-5 and 264 pounds, was blocked into the coach during the Michigan game. Doctors told Weis the damage was so severe it appeared that he had been in a car crash. In December, he had his right knee replaced because of severe deterioration of the bone.

Yes, Charlie is a warrior. I'm sure being morbidly obese didn't have anything at all to do with his bones deteriorating. Oh, that's right! He's morbidly obese because it's the doctor's fault!

Swarbrick praised Weis for coaching without taking pain medication, so he could remain clear-headed.

Wait, how many millions does Weis make? And he STILL stayed clear-headed for hours at a time on Saturdays! Praise be to the man!

Swarbrick has had more than football on his mind the past year. One of the highlights of his first year was the announcement that the board of trustees in February had approved construction of a 5,000-seat ice hockey arena that will open for the 2011-12 season. The school also consolidated its medical services, strength and conditioning, and nutrition departments into a sports performance division.

"I think it will give our students a competitive edge," he said.

Notre Dame also is preparing to open new facilities for soccer, lacrosse and track and field.

Swarbrick has yet to figure out, however, how to move Notre Dame out of the wasteland that is South Bend, Indiana.

[Swarbrick] is also trying to cut costs and increase revenue during these tough economic times. He said the school is trying to come up with ways to do more events on football game days that could bring in more money and to explore more ways to bring in more advertising through new media.

Yes, if only we could get more Notre Dame media exposure. Blech.

Notre Dame Dominates...Yet Again.

We all saw what UND and Pickles can do when they played a lousy defense at the end of last season...but they really got to show their stuff this weekend as UND's offense played UND's defense in South Bend.

The quarterbacks, two former number-one recruits out of high school, Crist and Pickles gleamed like the golden dome. They went a combined 12/27, 0 TDs, 1 INT (for a TD).

Ooh, ooh, but Joe Montana was there to watch his son!! It was awesome. Nate Montana wowed the crowd with an aerial that included a pass to the third-team tight end for 34 yards.

But the awesome passing wasn't the only story. UND running backs pounded their great defensive line* for 4.2 yards/carry...and scored a ton of points and they all got to do coordinated dances after each score...it was cute.

Is everyone else thinking what I'm thinking? Probably not, but, are the echoes waking up again, seriously this time? Regardless, Irish football is once again rising to glory.

*Great defined as #45 in the nation v. the run