R. Rich

Congrats! I'm so glad I married a non-smoker, like myself.

I agree, rtconner. They do need to acquire depth at OLB. This may be something they can do in the mid to later rounds of the draft (haven't really evaluated all the LBs coming out yet) or in free agency.

Can't agrue the strength of schedule. Notre Dame plays a tough schedule, for sure. I wonder if that adds to the problem of winning. Hmmm.... Considering the difficulty of the schedule and the level of talent there (just how many first round players have they produced lately?), averaging a 7-5 record is nothing to sneeze at. But, they believe that they're above the game of college football, so Ty gets his head put on the block. I sure hope he latches onto a good program and continues his career. Things may get better for ND or not. Only time will tell. When it comes to recruiting, they're now in the position where they must actually recruit, not just wait for players to come running to them. Good players-yes, even those who can meet the admission standards of Notre Dame-are out there, waiting for their shot. Go get 'em, Irish, if you want them.

Who is using that excuse for Penn State? I haven't heard about it. They flat out suck. Recruiting is THE major issue for the Lions. They did have a much better recruiting year by obtaining LB Dan Connor and QB Anthony Morelli among others, but there's a loooooong way to go. I'm just hoping they can find some WRs that not only can catch (imagine that!), but can stay off the police blotter too.

F TMEP!!

Isn't everything?

Not only can he hit (has the size of a linebacker at 6-3 and 230), but his abilities in coverage surpass those of Roy Williams. This kid could be special. I only hope injuries or immaturity don't spoil his career.

I caught that as well (on ESPNews) and it's a bunch of crap. Stanford is able to put competitive teams from ALL sports out there year after year and they do not compromise their admission standards. Other schools do it, too. It does make for a convenient excuse though when the wins aren't coming as much as before.

And to think, there were a few people here ready to call him a bust after the first couple weeks of the season. Yeah, right! Can we have this 'bust'? He is the player I wanted the most out in this year's draft and we're seeing why. If he keeps himself healthy, watch out.

I wonder if by firing Willingham they'll be able to recruit those players that no longer need the prestige of playing for Notre Dame or the nice TV contract that guaranteed all of the games will be shown. These kids in Florida can get that now without leaving the state from Miami, Florida State, and Florida. I think that's the biggest challenge Notre Dame faces now.

I blame Billszone for that.

Since when does 'Central NJ Bills Backers' and 'silecne' ever go together? How many footballs were tossed at the screen at Shaun Alexander?

It does look like fun. They didn't have that when I was in high school. They may have it now, I'm not sure.

Lacrosse is real popular in this area, Fezmid. Johns Hopkins, Virginia, and Maryland all have lacrosse programs that are among the best in the nation every year. They really get into it.

What's the NHL?

They should've stayed with Ryan Leaf. I don't know why they gave up on him so early.

I actually have a few audio tapes of one of the Elvis Death Day shows that includes the Are You Lonesome Tonight gigglefest. I can make you a copy if you want.

No, but I have heard (via the Don and Mike show's annual "Elvis Death Day" show) him doing "Are You Lonesome Tonight" and cracking up while on stage. I'll be on the lookout for the Blue Christmas you're referring to.

All I know is that I finally get to kill somebody.

For humor, you can't beat the Bob Rivers Twisted Christmas CD! Great stuff. For serious ones, I like Bing Crosby and David Bowie's version of "Little Drummer Boy", The Beach Boys' "The Man With All The Toys", and Elvis' "Blue Christmas", to name just a few.

It was an easy call for me, as Stanley Kubrick is my all-time favorite director. I have a lot of his movies on DVD, including Paths of Glory.

The Boys In Company C is another great one.

Week 12: 9-4 Overall: 85-67-4

We're in agreement on that.

Great minds think alike.