Rick Reilly on the myth that is Notre Dame football

[buckley503]

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/8264769/notre-dame-irish-relegated-insignificance

Ain't it the truth.

 

[Palatine]

This column is overdue by a decade.
Heck, even this out of date video was done in 2006.

 

[Carl Spackler]

You know, I wish I didn't have to state it.....but the article would carry a hell of a lot more weight, if Reilly was still writing for SI, and not ESPN. It's too bad, because there's a lot of good stuff in there, that really should be addressed somehow. Notre Dame is a major lynchpin in the constant instability in the intercollegiate landscape that's existed since the mid 1980s.

But I simply can't buy the premise, b/c it's coming from ESPN - which desperately wants ND to go to the ACC. That, ain't happenin.

ESPN did it to themselves.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Somebody tell Riley his company devoted an entire segment of ND opening their fall camp.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Perhaps it is just the cynic in me but does anyone else believe it may be more than mere coincidence that the day after our conference hires a heavy hitter with serious inside experience in sports television to run the show (while there are many rumors of NBC sports attempting to become more of a major player by signing the BE to add to their ND telecasts for college footall) that an article laying the groundwork for an 'ND is over rated' campaign appears from the worldwide leader?

 

[Carl Spackler]

Perhaps it is just the cynic in me but does anyone else believe it may be more than mere coincidence that the day after our conference hires a heavy hitter with serious inside experience in sports television to run the show (while there are many rumors of NBC sports attempting to become more of a major player by signing the BE to add to their ND telecasts for college footall) that an article laying the groundwork for an 'ND is over rated' campaign appears from the worldwide leader?

It's the very first thing that went through my mind.

 

[UConnDan97]

Perhaps it is just the cynic in me but does anyone else believe it may be more than mere coincidence that the day after our conference hires a heavy hitter with serious inside experience in sports television to run the show (while there are many rumors of NBC sports attempting to become more of a major player by signing the BE to add to their ND telecasts for college footall) that an article laying the groundwork for an 'ND is over rated' campaign appears from the worldwide leader?

THIS! A million times this! Expect the next two weeks to be an ESPN "s#it-show" on the Big East, Notre Dame, and anything that might make the contract negotiations more expensive. ESPN doesn't even attempt to hide this behavior anymore...

 

[Adios]

That's a lot of sunglasses. Just too cool.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Well, if Reilly wants to rip schools based on the merit of their on-field results, I expect his next target to be the ACC.

 

[huskyblooz]

I agree with most of it. They've done NOTHING since Holtz.
There shouldnt be any Notre Dame Rule within the BCS.

But Reilly really has a problem with the NBC deal. Why?
Thats between them. NBC wants them and they want NBC.
If you dont want to watch, don't! There are plenty of other college games on every Saturday.

They'll be lucky to go 6-6. Floyd was their whole offense last year.
USC, Oklahoma, Michigan are all blowout losses.
They'll probably lose to Stanford, Michigan State and the U.
Pitt, BYU and Fredo are toss-ups.
They should beat (but not guaranteed) Navy, Wake Forest & Purdue.

 

[UConnDan97]

But Reilly really has a problem with the NBC deal. Why?

I'm sure that your question was rhetorical. Unfortunately, it is difficult to fight an agenda like the one that ESPN has and continues to put out there. And to think that there are still some people that believe that ESPN hasn't pulled any strings in the realignment puppet show...

 

[Uconnalliance]

Holy s4it aint it great to see them getting burned on! lmfao!!!!!! no play us assholes!

 

[mattp]

as much as i don't genrally care for Rick Reilly's writing, i seriously doubt he'd allow himself to be ESPN's mouthpiece. he's way too self-important to just chirp the company line. i think he wrote the article for the same reason we've been saying it for a decade: b/c it's obviously true, and b/c anything about Notre Dame generates interest. of course this guy makes proclamations like he's the first one to realize it. i mean come on "I'm declaring an end to all that"... get over yourself

 

[CTfan07]

I agree with most of it. They've done NOTHING since Holtz.
There shouldnt be any Notre Dame Rule within the BCS.

But Reilly really has a problem with the NBC deal. Why?
Thats between them. NBC wants them and they want NBC.
If you dont want to watch, don't! There are plenty of other college games on every Saturday.

They'll be lucky to go 6-6. Floyd was their whole offense last year.
USC, Oklahoma, Michigan are all blowout losses.
They'll probably lose to Stanford, Michigan State and the U.
Pitt, BYU and Fredo are toss-ups.
They should beat (but not guaranteed) Navy, Wake Forest & Purdue.

The Irish were not a bad team last year, and no, Floyd was not the whole offense, although he will surely be missed. The team has a great offensive line and a bevy of running backs. Also, Tyler Eifert, the nation's best tight end, returns and will be moved all over the field in a "Floyd-like" roll. There are questions at QB, Receiver and in the defensive backfield, but nobody, especially Irish fans are expecting a national championship this year.

Should lose: @USC, @Oklahoma
Toss Up: Michigan, @MSU, Stanford
Should Win: Miami (Chicago), BYU, Pitt Wake Forest
Big Favorites: Navy (Ireland), Purdue, @Boston College

Notre Dame is nowhere near as popular as they were 20-30 years ago. And yet, they still have as big a following as any other program in the country. Is it fair that ND has a TV deal with NBC? Who cares. NBC made the deal with them. I assume if it wasn't good business they'd drop 'em pretty quick.

 

[Nostical]

Sorry, but Reilly's rant about ND sounds eerily similar to all those pundits who can't quite figure how and why Tim Tebow or Kim Kardashian get all the press, while better players and "playas" can't seem to get a nibble of coverage on the Back Page, or Page 6. The answer is that there's no accounting for the public's taste. That's just the reality, Rick. Get over it.

 

[Husky68]

as much as i don't genrally care for Rick Reilly's writing, i seriously doubt he'd allow himself to be ESPN's mouthpiece. he's way too self-important to just chirp the company line. i think he wrote the article for the same reason we've been saying it for a decade: b/c it's obviously true, and b/c anything about Notre Dame generates interest. of course this guy makes proclamations like he's the first one to realize it. i mean come on "I'm declaring an end to all that"... get over yourself

I'd like to hear from conspiracy kitty on this.

 

[Rondogg]

I hate ND. I hope they lose every game until they die out from lack of interest.

 

[pj]

Articles like this tell me ND is about to make a comeback.

 

[HuskyFan16]

Articles like this tell me ND is about to make a comeback.

I doubt they will (and in fact hope they won't). But it is good to know they can't take the champs bowl this year because it saves a lot of the time I annually have to spend rooting against them instead of just paying attention to how the Big East teams are projecting for bowls.

 

[whaler11]

The most surprising thing in this thread is that anyone reads Rick at all.

I think Notre Dame will be pretty good but I have a lot of faith in Kelly.

 

[ZooCougar]

I really have no love for Notre Dame, but i like Rick Reilly less and he is almost always wrong. I think he still thinks Lance Armstrong was clean and he is still carping about what a mean person Tiger is.

As a result, Notre Dame will probably go 10-2.

 

[RedSoloCup]

ND is a NBC product and must be trashed, it was probably an off the table message from the corporation... while we want to call a duck a girl with a camera and a mirror, eventually you start to realize a duck is a duck...

I like a good conspiracy theory, it makes my foil helmet useful.

 

[mattp]

I really have no love for Notre Dame, but i like Rick Reilly less and he is almost always wrong. I think he still thinks Lance Armstrong was clean and he is still carping about what a mean person Tiger is.

As a result, Notre Dame will probably go 10-2.

You're probably right. i hate ND, but i think Brian Kelly is a good coach that will wins a lot of games there.

 

[Palatine]

Does NBC make money on ND?

 

[ZooCougar]

Does NBC make money on ND?

Of course. Jack Donaghy would never take a loss on a product like Notre Dame.