Bobref

This interesting story from the Fighting Irish Daily Facebook page: "PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION TODAY." Notre Dame doesn't make a dime off it. All the rights money goes in the pocket of the little sign painter who made it -- Laurie Wenger. "I have MS," says Wenger, who retired from Notre Dame in 2009 but still lives in South Bend. "So it really helps pay my medical bills." How a simple sign painter has made all that money off Notre Dame starts with Lou Holtz. He was the new football coach at Notre Dame in 1986 when he was leafing through an old football picture book and saw a black-and-white picture of a sign that said, "Play Like a Champion Today." He had to have one. He dispatched one of his assistant coaches, George Stewart, to the campus sign shop. "Coach wants something like this painted up ASAP," Stewart said, handing Wenger a piece of paper. It took about three days. When she finished, she closed her eyes, said a quick prayer and rushed it over to the football office. Prayer answered. Holtz loved it and had it hung on the wall of a narrow staircase leading to the field. "I told my players, 'Every time you hit this sign, I want you to remember all the great people that played here before you, all the sacrifices that your teammates have made for you, all the people, your coaches, your parents, who are responsible for you being here.'" Since that day, some of the greatest players in Notre Dame history have touched it -- from Tim Brown to Rocket Ismail to Manti Te'o, Holtz believed in the sign so much that he had Laurie make another one and took it with him to road games. It became so screwed into Notre Dame lore that you'd think George Gipp had slapped it, too. "People think that sign has been up there since Christ was in diapers," Wenger says. "But, really, it's only been about 25 years." Right away, somebody wanted a copy -- Rudy Ruettiger. Yes, that Rudy, from the movie of the same name, although that came seven years later. "I thought, 'Wow, this guy is into it," she says. "And then my husband thought, 'If he wants it, maybe other people would want it." So her husband set out to get it trademarked. "We checked to see if we could have the rights, and the school said 'Well, it doesn't say "Notre Dame" on it, so go ahead.'" It's nearly as famous as the Golden Dome, and, as it has turned out, worth almost as much. #GoIrish

There is a line of cases in Indiana arising out of some nursing home sexual abuse situations where the employer is held responsible for the acts of an employee who sexually abused residents, simply because the employee’s duties made it possible for him to prey on a vulnerable population that could not defend themselves. I’m not suggesting anything at all about the Triton matter, because I don’t know the facts. But I can visualize an extension of that reasoning to a school corporation employee whose job duties place him in a position to take advantage of a vulnerable population, such as underage kids. Don’t know of a case like that, but I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility just because “they didn’t know.”

Elmer Layden owned an insurance agency in the Region for many years.

Happy 100th birthday to The Four Horsemen. It was 100 years ago today that Notre Dame beat a powerful Army team 13-7 at the Polo Grounds in NYC, a victory made legendary by the great Grantland Rice, who gave them their name. “Outlined against a blue, gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. “In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below.”

There’s no hard and fast answer here. The QB (or any other offensive player) is not allowed to simulate the start of a play, or do anything else designed to cause the defense to encroach. Hand clapping signals, or voice inflection, can be used without penalty. When you get into head bobs and other movement, it gets dicey. There’s no way to eliminate officiating judgment, and that will necessarily result in some degree of perceived inconsistency.

I thought they were paying Russ the minimum, since Denver still owed him a ton?

“Is this Heaven? No, it’s Iowa.”

Oh no. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the frequent debates about the wisdom of an all-in tourney vs. a qualification format, it’s that we cannot learn anything from the experience of other states. We are unique in Indiana. So stop trying to pollute our perfect tournament with these newfangled ideas.

Saw one of those Friday night. Kid went down about 10 yds. from where I was standing. My first thought was “His foot is not supposed to be pointing in that direction.”

Of course, as soon as I posted this, he fumbles. 😂

OK, I have no problem admitting when I was wrong. It’s still early, of course, but I’m now a Caleb Williams believer. He’s somehow managed to overcome the fact that he’s from USC, to his credit. He has 2 things that are rare in a rookie, and indispensable for a franchise QB: He can read defenses, including pre-snap reads. On several drives it looked like they were running “check with me” almost every play. And he seems to know very quickly where to go with the ball. He is really accurate. And not just with fastballs, either. Accuracy means more than hitting a target in the pros. You have to be accurate not only with “where” you’re throwing the ball, but also with “when” you’re throwing the ball. And he seems able to fit the ball into tight windows just before they close. Also, Ryan Poles is finally feeling better about the D’Andre Swift signing. He was very good today. If he continues to play this way, look for Caleb Williams to develop more in the play action game.

The IFOA also provides a service for officials looking to find a crew, and vice versa, among its many other services to football officials. https://www.ifoa.us

It’s really simple. The IHSAA website can explain how to get licensed. https://www.ihsaa.org/become-official But only other officials can teach you how to officiate. So, it is critical that you get hooked up with your local officials association. Here’s a list of associations. https://www.myihsaa.net/associations. You should also join the Indiana Football Officials Association. https://www.ifoa.us

Illegal participation is a live ball foul. 15 yds. from the previous spot. 9-4-6c.

Yes. If there is an IW while the ball is loose following a kick, there are no options. Replay the down at the previous spot. Which, I understand, is exactly what the crew did. I’m looking forward to seeing the Hudl video. Does anyone know which official blew the whistle on the play?

I wouldn’t explain it exactly that way, but it’s close enough. A scrimmage kick, untouched by the receivers beyond the neutral zone, and recovered by the kickers behind the neutral zone, can be advanced by the kickers.

Unfortunately, this happens far too frequently. Under NF rules, on a kick try (extra point) the ball is dead as soon as it is apparent that the kick has failed. Not so on a field goal attempt. But a field goal from that distance looks like a kick try, and muscle memory kicks in so you blow the whistle when the kick fails. That’s why the proper mechanic is for the crew members to all communicate with one another before the play that “it’s a field goal, the ball remains alive.” Not an excuse. Just an explanation.

LaVille answers with its own drive set up by a nice kickoff return. 14-7 Jimtown. 0:47 of the 1st.

LaVille goes 3 and out, and Jimmies drive right down and score again. 14-0 Jimtown. 3:41 of the 1st.

Jimtown intercepts deep in LaVille territory on the game’s first series. A short drive. 7-0 Jimmies. 9:09 of the 1st.

Me, too. 😂

Was there once in my youth. Was very impressed by the perpetual cloud that hung over the student section.

Probably because that argument wouldn’t appeal to those who have assumed the responsibility for determining morality for the rest of us. And there are way too many of them, especially in Indiana.

Not at all.

Ugly game all the way around. On a positive note, I got to say hello to Marcus Freeman on the sidelines. Who was he there to watch?