If I recall correctly, thought Sid was planning on going to Dublin to see the game. Sad to see that cancelled as visiting Ireland and getting to watch a college football game during the visit sounds like a great vacation.
Notre Dame has their plan for returning football players, starting next week. They will live at the on campus hotel, The Morris Inn, 1 player per room. They will be tested when they arrive and those who test negative will be allowed to start voluntary workouts. Initially they will be allowed into the facilities in groups of 10 with the equipment having been rearranged for social distancing and there will be a path from the entrance to the exit as the players work through the various stations. Of course temps will be taken daily, daily checks on all Covid-19 symptoms, etc. Voluntary team workouts can start June 22 if all goes well. I assume voluntary workouts mean the usual summer 7x7 that teams do now during the summer.
Similiar plans here in Columbus Terry. Basketball will commenmce mid June, etc. We are in unchartered waters for all sports.
Irish pickup a CB recruit, Ryan Barnes from Maryland. He's a 3 star kid but his offer list is a high 4 star. ND recruiting gurus are all pretty excited about him. He's got great length and good but not great speed. DB was a big need in this class and it's looking good. The new coach, Mickens, who came from Cincinnati is turning out to have been a good hire.
Notre Dame has landed a commitment from Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard three-star cornerback Ryan Barnes, one of the most coveted defensive backs in the entire country and class of 2021. The 6-2, 180-pounder held over 30 scholarship offers from the likes of Michigan, Clemson, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, USC
An article online says that the Packers have confirmed that the Wisc/ND game at Lambeau is still a go.. Wisconsin football: Packers CEO Mark Murphy confirms that Lambeau Field game against Notre Dame is still on
Irish women get another Mabry, Dara. She played at Va Tech the last 2 years, I never quite understood why she was never offered by Coach McGraw. But she proved that she could play in the ACC at Tech. Glad she's going to be at ND to finish and graduate just like her sisters
Email from Navy AD... With the game being played in our historic stadium, we expect a requirement to restrict the size of the crowd to a lesser percentage of what the stadium would normally accommodate. Regulating the crowd with the appropriate safety and social distancing guidelines will mean that many will not be able to attend due to the limited ticket distribution. For those who will not secure a ticket(s), the game will be nationally televised and available in a prime time slot to be determined by ABC/ESPN. I would like to share some expectations regarding specifics that are known to date. a. I expect this will be the only time we will play Notre Dame football in Annapolis. Therefore, the game is of historic significance and most likely a once in a lifetime opportunity for those who will be in attendance. b. The cost for limited tickets available to our fans will be at a premium. Losing the Dublin event is of significant financial detriment to the NAAA and consequently affects our ability to support all 33 varsity sports at the championship level. Therefore, with an expected socially distanced environment and "capped" attendance, the cost of this ticket will be an exception to the norm. Obviously, there will be many who choose not to attend for personal health considerations, cost of attendance, travel challenges, etc., but be reminded the contest will be nationally televised. c. Priority access to tickets and distribution will be based on availability and first to those who are Margin of Excellence contributors in support of The Fund for Athletic Excellence in any of our 33 varsity intercollegiate programs, and our physical mission capital projects. In addition, I anticipate the opportunity to purchase tickets will also be available to those who are members of our Blue & Gold who are football season ticket holders and then Blue & Gold at large. We are establishing a priority list now, and once we know what our attendance limitations are, we will be sharing specific information with those who qualify for the first opportunity to purchase. Do not hesitate to contact the Ticket Office today at tickets@usna.edu and let us know the desired amount of tickets you would like to request for the game. We will note your request and get back to you with definitive game related information when available. There will be no penalty to cancel your reservation right up until kick off. d. Tailgating will be governed by state regulations as they pertain to social distancing guidelines and the appropriate size of gatherings in effect on the first of September. e. Those who have suites will be allowed to utilize their suite, but limitations on group size may also be regulated (TBD). f. We will have special accommodations in Akerson Tower for those who qualify for that facility. Supplemental seating to allow for social distancing will extend into the stadium adjacent to the Tower. g. Parking at the stadium for the game will be accommodated only for those who are ticket holders specifically for this single game. h. This contest is not included in the 2020 season ticket package. It is a stand alone event and will be made available only as a single game. Finally, this opportunity today is being extended exclusively to our closest friends of Navy Athletics. Loyal contributors in support of the NAAA will have first opportunity to purchase tickets. Although we realize the expense for this ticket will be significant, the proceeds will be used to sustain our broad-based championship programs. Our financial challenges due to COVID-19 have never been greater, but this is an opportunity for us to maintain consistent support for our midshipmen and continue to allow them to successfully compete as representatives of the Brigade, alumni, Naval Academy, and our community. Do not hesitate to contact our Ticket Office today at tickets@usna.edu with any questions you may have. Be Healthy, stay safe. Chet Gladchuk Athletic Director, NAAA Replies:
Manasquan NJ has certainly been good to the Irish. As has Dayton, Ohio with another Westbeld on the way and this one was the top ranked female player in the state.
Nice stadium on a beautiful campus in a beautiful city. My Uncle Pete Odgers is buried there two spots from John McCain over looking the Severn River.
Irish starting "Voluntary" workouts today. No announcement yet about any players testing positive. Although it's bound to happen and when it does even if the University doesn't make an announcement I would imagine it will leak out. I wonder if there is any program out there that has had no players test positive.
Irish had 1 player test positive, they had 4 test positive for the antibody. All are asymptomatic. Not the least bit surprising, I would have figured more to tell you the truth
Good article on new ND women's basketball coach. Niele Ivey in the Chicago Tribune. Tough gig following a HOF coach like coach McGraw, but it seems like she is up to the task. How Niele Ivey — Notre Dame’s 1st female Black head coach in any sport — is using her new basketball platform: ‘I am the visual rep of what’s possible’
A NDNation poster named olson is always posting interesting tidbits from the past about ND recruiting...this one is interesting because it involves some pretty big names in baseball. 1959 Joe Kuharich was the new Notre Dame football coach Kuharich's Irish had some battles for HS football stars that also were standout prep baseball players in his first recruiting class of 1959. This was before the days of the MLB draft-which didn't start until 1965. among the ND targeted recruits who were also MLB prospects: Bill Freehan QB/LB St Petersburg Fl Bishop Kenny Tim McCarver E/LB Memphis Tn Christian Brothers Ken Hubbs QB Colton Cal Colton HS Daryle Lamonica QB/DB Fresno Cal Clovis HS -------------------------------------------------------------- **BILL FREEHAN ST PETERSBURG FL BISHOP KENNY Linked below is the 'Society for American Baseball Research' (SABR) bio on St Petersburg Bishop Kenny HS star (and future Detroit Tigers catcher) BILL FREEHAN. From the article: "After graduating from high school in 1959, Freehan hoped to attend the University of Notre Dame, but the school required that he choose football or baseball -so he accepted an athletic scholarship to U of Michigan...' Michigan allowed Freehan to play both...a catcher on the baseball team & TE/LB on the football squad (single platoon rules days)...Freehan had been a HS QB, but moved to TE/LB in college. But there are a few slightly different version of events (Freehan/ND): *per Freehan's brother Rick (from an article in 'Spokesman Review'): "Notre Dame wanted him to come play football, but they wouldn't let him play baseball too.' and then * from the 'Jock Bio.com' site: "Dozens of colleges recruited Bill (Freehan) during his senior year, but the three he favored were Notre Dame (partially because he was Catholic), Western Michigan (good baseball squad)..and Michigan; however Notre Dame and Western Michigan didn't offer the strapping 6'3 teenager the opportunity to play play football...(Freehan) elected to go to Michigan." another (from a Michigan site) states that Freehan looked at ND, Florida & Florida State but picked Michigan because he could play both football and baseball. ----- So this leads to a mystery regarding other ND recruits listed above (assuming Freehan was a football recruit at ND).... IF Notre Dame wouldn't allow Freehan to play both sports -what about the other baseball/football stars the Irish were recruiting in that class??? **TIM McCARVER LB/E Memphis Tn Christian Brothers Per all reports, McCarver was down to Notre Dame or homestate Tennessee for football- when the MLB St Louis Cardinals swooped in an signed Tim for $85k(or $ 75K-depending on which article you read). I have never seen a mention of Notre Dame telling McCarver to pick a sport or refusing to allow Tim to play both sports...but if they required that of Freehan- wouldn't McCarver have been the same? An aside, can you image IF Jake Kline had both Tim McCarver AND Bill Freehan on his Irish baseball team? McCarver caught his first game in the majors that fall -Sept '59-at the age of 17! Later Tim would say that the Cardinals gave him a 'take it or leave it' offer that 'scared the hell out of me.'..so he signed. As for Freehan, Bill signed off the Michigan campus after 1 year on the Wolverine football varsity -for a reported $ 125k (one of the largest bonuses ever up to that time). --------------------- Notre Dame was also recruiting two California prep QBs in '59 -and battled the Chicago Cubs for both. **KENNY HUBBS Qb Colton Cal ND wanted Hubbs to play QB & John Wooden (UCLA) wanted Hubbs to play point guard in basketball. A book on the Chicago Cubs by a avid Cubs fan claimed that the 'Notre Dame priests recruited Hubbs'....silly-but meant to point out that Hubbs was a Mormon. Hubbs signed with the Cubs out of HS for $ 50k...and by 1962, at the age of 20, was NL Rookie of the Year & the youngest player ever to win a Gold Glove (2B)....two years late Hubbs was dead -in a plane crash. --- **DARYLE LAMONICA FRESNO CAL CLOVIS HS was supposedly also offered $ 50k by the Cubs out of HS...but choose college & football...selecting Notre Dame over Southern Cal (and their chief recruiter Al Davis). Lamonica did not play baseball at ND (was he prohibited?)...albeit Irish football teammate Bob Scarpitto DID play baseball for the Irish (and later played against Lamonica in the AFL). Lamonica was drafted in the NFL by Vince Lombardi & the Packers -but choose to sign with the rival AFL Buffalo Bills. Later, Oakland Raiders GM/Owner Al Davis, having failed to recruit Daryle for the Trojans, traded to get Lamonica in Oakland. In Oakland, Dayle would earn the nickname 'The Mad Bomber' & led the Raiders to the first Super Bowl -vs the NFL team (and coach) that had drafted him out of ND -the Green Bay Packers. ----- A final aside on the 1959 Notre Dame Frosh recruiting class (non baseball related). In 1958, HS senior Ed Budde, a star lineman from Detroit Denby HS attended a Notre Dame game on the invitation of ND assistant coach Bill Walsh (not that Bill Walsh-this one was a former ND player & two time NFL Bowl Bowler) who was the Irish offensive line coach. During this ND visit, Budde also met another Irish assistant coach Hank Stram. Both Stram & Walsh were fired in December -along with their boss HC Terry Brennan. The ND recruitment of Ed Budde basically ended with their departure(at least in Budde's eyes). Ed Budde went to Michigan St & beat ND all 3 times he played against the Irish(Budde & his Spartan teammates also beat rival Michigan all 3 times (6-0 vs ND & Michigan) Four years later Ed Budde was taken in the first round of both the AFL & NFL drafts.....the Phil Eagles took Budde in Rd 1 #4 pick/ and the KC Chiefs took Budde in Rd 1/ #8 pick. Budde picked the Chiefs -who's HC was Hank Stram & offensive line coach was Bill Walsh...both of whom he had met on his Notre Dame recruiting visit. Both coaches helped Budde become an All Pro OL with the Chiefs
Sorry to read that she passed away, that was a long battle for her. I saw that she had 83 radiation treatments, that's a lot. RIP