Bobref

And here I had you figured for a “bah, humbug!” kind of guy. 😉🤣😂 I was wrong! Happy holidays to you and yours!

For me, from this point forward, the default explanation for this sort of flip-flopping is that somebody came up with a better NIL deal.

So, the big rumor flying around is that the Wake Forest QB, Sam Hartmann, is going to Notre Dame as a grad transfer. He is the all time ACC passing leader, with 12,000 yds. and 110 TD passes. Last 2 seasons he’s thrown for about 8,000 yds. and 77 TDs against 26 interceptions. https://www.onefootdown.com/2022/12/23/23524618/notre-dame-football-is-wake-forest-qb-sam-hartman-going-to-transfer-to-the-irish-acc-news-update-nd College football in 2022 reminds me so much of the change in hiring philosophy our law firm went through. We’d hire the best and brightest law school grads, train them up for 3 years or so, and just when they got to the point where they knew what they were doing, and became profitable, they’d leave for a bigger firm with higher pay. So, we decided unless a kid was a true “can’t miss” star coming out of law school, we would only hire young lawyers who had a couple of years experience somewhere else, so they could hit the ground running. It looks like the college football “market” is trending in the same direction. Why spend a couple of years developing a QB when every year you can just poach a good one from someone else?

Here’s some info about the Immaculate Reception that most people don’t know. Can you imagine the controversy that would occur on social media, TV, podcasts, etc., if something like this happened today? https://www.referee.com/immaculate-reception/

Friends, are you among the many who are turned off by the rank commercialization of Christmas? Don’t really understand what Hanukah is all about? Can’t really get behind Kwanza? Well, don’t despair. You can still join in the holiday spirit … by celebrating Festivus, the holiday for the rest of us! Yes, today is Festivus. Each year at this time we recall the story of Festivus. How Festivus has been around for a long time, but burst into public consciousness during the 1997 episode of Seinfeld “The Strike.” There, Frank Costanza (George’s father) explained the origin of Festivus, as depicted in this video clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbfMmCf5-ds I’ve pulled the Festivus Pole out of the crawl space and shined it up. Mine is aircraft grade aluminum, with a very high strength to weight ratio. And you don’t have to bother with any decorations on the Festivus pole, as tinsel is distracting. Tonight, we celebrate with the traditional Festivus dinner of meat loaf and mashed potatoes, preceded by the Airing of Grievances, where we all berate those who have disappointed us in the past year. I’ve got a lot of problems with you people! Then we move on to my favorite part: the Feats of Strength! Festivus is not ended until someone bests the master of the house in a Feat of Strength. So, I declare Festivus will continue until someone manages to pin @temptation! I nominate @IndianaWrestlingGuy Let’s get ready to rumble! Finally, let me close with a heartfelt plea that I hope reaches you at this special time of year when we must consider those less fortunate. I do hope you will find it in your hearts this year to make a donation to the Human Fund in honor of Festivus. After all, it’s money … for people. May you all have the Festivus you deserve. That will truly be a Festivus Miracle! Happy Festivus!

True or false: ”In 2023 and going forward, how well you recruit the transfer portal will be at least as important as how well you recruit high schools, if not more so.” Discuss.

In fact, you can fair catch any legal free kick in the neutral zone or beyond, and any legal scrimmage kick beyond the neutral zone … except for a kick try.

What I am concerned about is your feeling that this is a fairly common occurrence. That has not been my experience.

What is and is not important to crews is dictated by our Manual and the guidance of our boss. It’s not my call, or any crew’s call. And I have a hard time believing that a slot receiver who is supposed to be in the backfield, but is 6 inches too close to his line of scrimmage, affects the defensive coverage and assignments at all.

It has not been a problem in games I’ve seen, nor have I heard any complaints.

I agree with making DPI an automatic first down. But I like the NCAA distance enforcement better.

From last night’s All Sports Banquet: https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/news/notre-dame-2022-echoes-banquet-awards-michael-mayer-isaiah-foskey/ Rockne Student-Athlete Award: Senior linebacker Jack Kiser Most Notre Dame athletic programs give this award to a player each season. Jack Kiserearned College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District honors this year. He is a grad student in the Mendoza College of Business pursuing a master’s in accounting. Kiser is also second on the team in tackles (52). He has 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 blocked punt.

Doesn’t sound all that extravagant to me.

As of now, the folks at 9150 N. Meridian are staunchly opposed to the concept of replay. I wonder if they would feel the same way if we had experienced in LOS on Thanksgiving weekend what the Georgia folks did in their 3A championship game. https://www.ajc.com/sports/high-school-sports-blog/ghsa-to-seriously-consider-instant-replay-in-wake-of-another-controversial-call-in-3a-state-title-game/625NLDQ7EJD3XCVAAIUJIM4Q2Y/ GHSA to consider instant replay after latest controversial call in state title game ‘We owe it to the players and coaches to do everything we can to make sure the correct result is reached ...’ The Georgia High School Association will consider using video replay to review officials’ calls in the wake of a controversial play in Saturday’s Class 3A football championship game, three members of GHSA’s board of trustees indicated Monday. “Yes, I think we are going to have to look at this,’’ board chairman and GHSA president Jim Finch said. “Currently, it is against the GHSA bylaws to use video evidence to overturn judgment calls. It’s not something that we can just vote on today to pass and be effective immediately. It will require some thought and planning.” Board members Jasper Jewell and Steven Craft echoed Finch’s remarks. “We almost have to now,’’ Jewell said. “We have no choice but to have it for championship events, at least.’’ Said Craft, “It is not possible in the regular season, but we need to look at using replay for the championship games. We owe it to the players and coaches to do everything we can to make sure the correct result is reached.” The play that reignited the debate occurred in the final minute of the Sandy Creek-Cedar Grove game at Center Parc Stadium. Travis Franklin scored the winning touchdown in his team’s 21-17 victory on a 1-yard run with 50 seconds left, but video from the GPB Sports broadcast indicated that Franklin was tackled short of the goal line. The play took place on third down, so Sandy Creek would have had another shot at the touchdown or a tying field goal. Video replays met with harsh criticism and went viral. Cedar Grove ran a controversial play of its own earlier in the game, when quarterback Elliott Colson was ruled short of the end zone on a third-down run from the 2. GPB replays appeared to show the ball crossing the line. Cedar Grove coach John Adams was pleased to hear that the GHSA will consider replay in the future. “Maybe something good to come out of this game will be replay so you don’t have that error in a big game,’’ Adams said. “I know those are judgment calls, and I’m not dogging any referees or anybody. Sandy Creek played a heck of a game. But there was a reason they implemented replay in college and NFL. Even referees at that level sometimes make mistakes, so let’s find a system where we can make a correction on a mistake of that magnitude.’’ GHSA bylaws don’t allow officials to use replay to overturn calls during games or for the GHSA to change the outcome of completed games based on video evidence. Schools also may not base appeals on video evidence. The Sandy Creek-Cedar Grove call was the most controversial since 2017, when Peach County believed a bad call cost it a late touchdown in a 10-6 loss to Calhoun in another Class 3A championship game. On that play, Peach County’s Noah Whittington caught pass at the Calhoun 5-yard line and stretched out for the goal line. The ball popped loose in the end zone when it hit the ground. Instead of a touchdown or first-and-goal with 3:33 left, the play was ruled an incomplete pass, giving Calhoun possession on downs. At the time, the GHSA noted that National High School Federation rules prevented the use of video replay. In 2019, the NFHS approved video replay for postseason contests, and a minority of states, including Alabama, now employ it. The trustees have the power to implement instant replay in Georgia, but any change almost certainly would go through the GHSA’s executive committee, which has representatives from the GHSA’s 64 regions. It meets in April. GHSA executive director Robin Hines and his office have no authority to change bylaws, only to enforce them. Hines had no comment Monday. The board members acknowledged that any proposal would require planning and discussion to consider feasibility and protocols. “For example, is instant replay used only in the finals?” Finch said. “Would this be used for all sports? Whose video evidence? GPB’s camera angles? Perhaps begin with football, since it has the most sophisticated camera coverage, and see how it works. Another issue would be training for officials. And I’m sure there are many other factors I have failed to mention. But if we have the technology, and we can get the correct call, then I say we can at least begin exploring the answers to the questions I posed.’’ Other considerations would be determining which plays can be challenged, who can initiate a review and who makes the decision to overturn, how many cameras to employ and the costs of equipment and hiring more officials. “The biggest challenge would be logistics, which is why I think only championship games, because those venues will have the bandwidth to take care of that,’’ Jewell said. “I don’t think cost will be as big of a factor as people think. I do know there has been talk this weekend, very unofficial through some of the board of trustees. We all agree that we have to seriously consider replay.”

An excellent example of the difference between “correlation” and “causation.”

I’m talking about the situation where, for example, the widest receiver is on the line, and the slot receiver on that side is off … except he’s not far enough behind the wide receiver to be in the backfield. When he goes downfield on a pass, instead of flagging him for being an ineligible downfield, we’ll talk to him after the play and tell him either to move up a step or back a step. It’s called preventive officiating. And it’s done that way at every level.

Just telling you the way it is. Don’t shoot the messenger.

It was 102 yrs. ago today that George Gipp died. You cannot be a true Notre Dame fan if you don’t know that story.

I can see where you would think that. Lining up on vs. off the line receivers is something that our officials are told not to nitpick. Ordinarily, this is handled as a “talk-to” unless the violations are egregious or repeated.

Believe it or not, some organizations actually work out contingency plans in advance, in case Plan A doesn’t pan out. Apparently, that concept is foreign to the NCAA. Most organizational disasters are not the result of a plan failing, but rather of failing to plan.

I heard a guy say this morning, “the world is a much less interesting place without Mike Leach in it.” That sums it up. Did you know he had a law degree?

No, they can’t. Let me be clear. Bowen is a stud. There are not many at his position who have come out of Indiana HSF and can claim to be better. But Jaylon Smith is one of those few. He was just a superior athlete.

100%. This is an outdated mechanic.