Spicy McHaggis

Oh yeah, I agree with you. No doubt the Kobe situation lit a fire under O'Neal this season. But I think Shaq's lazy overall despite what he's currently showing us.

Well, Kobe works harder on his game than any other player, and Shaq's a lazy fat-ass. It was obvious for a long time that their partnership wouldn't last. Phil aligned himself with Shaq quite a while ago. If you followed the Lakers closely, you would know that Shaq wouldn't put up with public criticism of any kind. Jackson hardly ever got on O'Neal's case during games, timeouts, etc. When he did, that kind of public display humiliated Shaq and he literally wouldn't put effort into his play. Kobe would certainly make defensive remarks in response to criticisms by Phil of his play, but he hardly ever let them negatively affect his play. I believe Kobe felt singled-out by Jackson but, for the most part, held his tongue. Why? The Lakers were winning. After 3 rings, they got swept by the Spurs. Sometimes I wonder if the rape allegations are what stopped the shit from hitting the fan that summer. But the team lasted into this past season. For as good as Shaq & Kobe were, to finish 4th in the conference was mediocre at best. The Lakers then got bitched by Detroit. The "offensive-road-through-Shaq" was failing fast, but Jackson 1) wasn't about to cross O'Neal and 2) didn't want to stay with the team anyway (which he admitted in public). Shaq would only play for Jackson, probably because that would guarantee him being the focus of the offense. Kobe had legit gripes with the system no longer working. And the clincher... Jerry Buss (who hates slow, half-court offenses, but hates losing more) had legit gripes too. The writing was all over the wall. Buss knew 100% that Jackson's leaving would make Shaq want out. He couldn't afford to lose all 3 with the Clippers courting Kobe. Phil & Shaq couldn't stand Kobe because he was correctly picked by the boss as the key to the franchise.

Exactly.

John Saunders is a first class asshole.

Yes, but people in wheelchairs make me uncomfortable. At least this freak can walk. Hey... watch it, you. For the sake of my not getting banned, I'll just say that you should be ashamed of yourself.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph... If I read one more time that Christ wasn't born on December 25, I'm going to have a coronary. That fact is widely known. December 25 is the feast day, the arbritrary commemoration, of Christ's birth. The 25th was a pagan holiday (the tree, a pagan symbol) adopted specifically to make Christianity more palatable by blending two traditions. Christ's birth is essentially celebrated all over again on January 6, the Epiphany. Before you criticize any religion, please take some time to look into it.

INXS, why aren't you against life imprisonment for the same reason??

Kotz, you're talking out of your ass. ND has had 15 coaches with tenures of 3 years or less. They have fired coaches in the middle of contracts, including TW's predecessor, Bob Davie, who was canned in the third year of a five-year contract extension.

And that's precisely the point, and exactly the answer to the SI article's question.

Maybe VC will apply their talents for a better college game.

Kobe thought he had street cred when he played at the Rucker for one summer. Oh, you mean the time he destroyed any and all competition??

2 things... J.J. Arrington averaged 6.8 yards per touch, Reggie Bush averaged 10.1 yards. After winning his Heisman, USC QB Carson Palmer went 21/31 for 303 yards and 1 TD in a 38-17 victory over Iowa in the Orange Bowl.

However, Peterson is only a FRESHMAN on one of the best teams in the country. Arrington should be a finalist, but that doesn't mean he deserves the award more than Peterson. And Bush trumps Arrington easily.

Oh yeah, I agree. You could easily make a case for any of the big 4.

I'm doing a double-dynasty with Notre Dame (I will save their program) and Wake Forest (their uni's are awesome). I played North Carolina A&T State in my 3rd game of the WF season and VAULTED my RB to 2nd in the Heisman race. He broke Tomlinson's record for single-game rushing and scored 8 times. He brought his total to 849 yards on the season, on pace for possibly 3,000 yards.

That Palmer deal is piss-poor. He could justify Leinart and Bush, but not Jarrett... that was not a classy move. Personally, I think Reggie Bush should win. I put together some numbers: Bush: 2233 total yards (52 passing, 833 rushing, 478 receiving, 501KR, 369PR) 16 TD's Peterson: 1849 total yards (1843 rushing, 6 receiving) 15 TD's White: QB Rating 162.9, Completion 65.3%, 2961 passing yards, 33 TD's, 6 INT's Leinart: QB Rating 154.5, Completion 66.6%, 2990 passing yards, 28 TD's, 6 INT's

Recruiting may also have played a role... Rumblings that Meyer wanted "Holtz '88-'93" academic standards, and ND wouldn't bend.

A few things: Norm Chow has been a college coach for his entire career, with the exception of coaching in high school for 3 years. USC does not run a pro-style offense. Chow's system is insanely easy to learn and execute. The genius is in the coach's chess-like playcalling and adjustments. Carson Palmer sucked out loud until the Carroll era. A new coach recruits new players regardless of the previous coach's players and systems. Better caliber vs. new type doesn't matter. Also, Ty won progressively LESS as HIS players were supposedly implementing HIS system. That means Bob "It is what it is" Davie is a better recruiter. Dama's got you also with Stoops. Derrick Mayes, former ND standout receiver, has said it takes 6 years to learn the West Coast Offense. What kind of a moron puts a 6-year system into a program with a 4-year turnover? ND dominated the line of scrimmage for the entire 1st quarter against SC. That tells me the talent is there. So what was the difference over the next 3 quarters? Coaching adjustments. Finally, the talent level of a school's players is a reflection of recruiting. Should a coach be judged on recruiting ability? Absolutely. But coaching ability is something different. The Boise St. coach gets everything possible out of his players, who are on an equal level with their seasonal competition. He's a good coach. Urban Meyer is taking Utah...Utah... to the BCS. He's a good coach. Please save "strength of schedule." ND beat Michigan, but lost to BYU. Inconsistency is the mark of a poor coach.

Being a USC student, but raised as an ND fan, I have a unique perspective. I watched Pete Carroll win the NC in 3 years...it can be done. Vern's right, you can tell if a coach is going to work out after 3 years.

I can't really understand the meat argument given the lack of mad cow disease coming from America... Well, except for Hillary.

I thought the TW fact sheet produced by NDNation.com would be a good read: THE TY WILLINGHAM FACT SHEET: 1. Tyrone Willingham has lost 8 games by at least 3 touchdowns. By comparison, Bob Davie lost 4 games by 3 touchdowns and Gerry Faust lost 3 games by 3 touchdowns. That means that in 3 years Tyrone Willingham has lost more games by 3 touchdowns than Bob Davie and Gerry Faust did in their 10 years combined. 2. Notre Dame was shut out by at least 30 points twice in 2003. The last time that happened was 1904. 3. In Tyrone Willinghams first 3 years, Notre Dame has lost by at least 30 points 5 times. For perspective, in the previous 40 seasons (1961-2000), Notre Dame lost by at least 30 points a total of 4 times. Bob Davie only lost by 30 points 1 time, as did Gerry Faust. 4. The 38-12 loss to 6-6 Syracuse was Notre Dames first 3 touchdown loss to an unranked team since 1960. 5. From the 44-13 loss to Southern Cal in 2002 until the 20-17 loss to a 5-6 Brigham Young team, Notre Dame lost 10 games over a 15 game stretch. That was the worst 15 game stretch since 1960. 6. Tyrone Willingham is the first Notre Dame coach since Joe Kuharich (17-23) to have fewer wins by 3 touchdowns (5) than he had losses by 3 touchdowns (8). Bob Davie had twice as many 3 touchdown wins as losses (8 wins, 4 losses). Gerry Faust had over 4 times as many (14 wins, 3 losses). 7. In 2003, Tyrone Willingham became the first Notre Dame coach to have consecutive 4 TD losses to Southern Cal. In 2004, he had his 3rd in a row. 8. Tyrone Willingham has been a Notre Dame coach for 3 years out of the schools 117 years (2.6% of the seasons) and has coached in 36 of Notre Dames 1,106 games (3.3%), however, he has coached in 23.8% (5 out of 21) of Notre Dames losses by at least 30 points. 9. After starting out 8-0, Tyrone Willinghams record since has been 13-15. 10. When Tyrone Willingham took over, Notre Dame had the #1 all time winning percentage, with a record of 781-247-42 (.749), ahead of Michigans 813-265-36 (.746). At the end of the regular season of 2004, Michigan now has the #1 all time winning percentage, with a record of 842-274-36 (.747) while Notre Dame is #2 with a record of 802-261-42 (.745). Some miscellaneous stats: Three Notre Dame opponent records have been set in the last 3 years: Most passing yards against Notre Dame (425 yards)- Carson Palmer, USC, 2002 Most receiving yards against Notre Dame (217 yards)- Craphonso Thorpe, FSU, 2003 Most passing touchdowns against Notre Dame (5)- Tyler Palko, Pitt, 2004, Matt Leinart, USC, 2004 Combined 3-year records: Joe Kuharich: 10-18 (.357) Ara Parseghian: 25-3-2 (.867) Dan Devine: 28-7 (.800) Gerry Faust: 18-15-1 (.529) Lou Holtz: 25-10 (.714) Bob Davie: 21-16 (.568) Tyrone Willingham: 21-15 (.583) Year by Year Coaching records for their first 3 years: Joe Kuharich: 5-5 2-8 5-5 Ara Parseghian: 9-1 7-2-1 9-0-1 Dan Devine: 8-3 9-3 11-1 Gerry Faust: 5-6 6-4-1 7-5 Lou Holtz: 5-6 8-4 12-0 Bob Davie: 7-6 9-3 5-7 Tyrone Willingham: 10-3 5-7 6-5 Coaching Home Records for Their First 3 years: Joe Kuharich: 7-8 (.467) Ara Parseghian: 14-1 (.933) Dan Devine: 12-3 (.800) Gerry Faust: 9-7 (.563) Lou Holtz: 15-3 (.833) Bob Davie: 15-4 (.789) Tyrone Willingham: 11-7 (.611) Total Scoring Margins Through Their First Three Years at Notre Dame: Ara Parseghian +731 Dan Devine +517 Gerry Faust +241 Lou Holtz +438 Bob Davie + 114 Tyrone Willingham +18 In the 117-year history of Notre Dame football, Notre Dame has lost by more than 30 points 20 times. Here is a listing of those losses, detailing year, coach, opponent, and score: 1900 - O'Dea - Wisconsin - 54-0 1904 - Salmon - Wisconsin - 58-0 1904 - Salmon - Purdue 36-0 1905 - McGlew - Purdue - 32-0 1944 - McKeever - Army - 59-0 1945 - Devore - Army - 48-0 1945 - Devore - Great Lakes - 39-7 1951 - Leahy - Michigan State - 35-0 1956 - Brennan - Michigan State - 47-14 1956 - Brennan - Oklahoma - 40-0 1956 - Brennan - Iowa - 48-8 1960 - Kuharich - Purdue - 51-19 1972 - Parseghian - Nebraska - 40-6 1974 - Parseghian - USC - 55-24 1985 - Faust - Miami - 58-7 2000 - Davie - Oregon State - 41-9 2002 - Willingham - USC - 44-13 2003 - Willingham - Michigan - 38-0 2003 - Willingham - USC - 45-14 2003 - Willingham - Florida State 37-0 2004 - Willingham - USC - 41-10

Here comes Urban Meyer! ND did the right thing... but I can already here Wilbon huffing and puffing.

This one's for pride... THURSDAY Connecticut West Virginia FRIDAY Colorado Arkansas Texas A&M Arizona State SATURDAY Wake Forest Memphis Virginia Tech Iowa State Mississippi TCU UAB Louisiana Tech Oklahoma State USC Tiebreak #1: How many total points will be scored in the A&M/Texas game? 50 Tiebreak #2: How many yards passing Pittsburgh's Tyler Palko have against West Virginia? 198

SATURDAY Clemson Kansas State Georgia Tech Michigan UAB Central Michigan Navy Troy Missouri Arkansas Tulsa Colorado State Auburn Wisconsin Oregon State Florida State

THURSDAY Florida State FRIDAY Memphis Fresno State SATURDAY Minnesota Indiana North Carolina Texas A&M Connecticut Kansas State Troy Auburn Virginia Oregon Oregon State Purdue Kent State New Mexico SMU South Carolina Army Tiebreak #1: How many total points will be scored in the Southern Miss/Memphis game? 55 Tiebreak #2: How many passing yards will Florida State's Wyatt Sexton have against N.C. State? 234