Your weekly dose of Notre Dame news, opinion, and other stuff.

In the News

Notre Dame released a statement that it is opting out of the new EA Sports video game (for now) until the Name Image Likeness (NIL) policies are updated. Most expect this to get hammered out in the coming months and years, though.

By the way, a 4th bill relating to NIL was brought to Congress in recent weeks. This time, from Senator Jerry Moran from Kansas.

Irish Sports Daily has a really interesting look at how Tommy Rees and Notre Dame attacked Florida State this past season.

Michigan AD Warde Manuel just got a new 5-year deal.

Justin Foster from Clemson, a former Top 200 recruit in the 2017 class, is retiring due to asthma and Covid-related issues. He has 16.5 tackles for loss over 2018-19 but did not play in 2020.

Throwback Article

Open up the 18S Film Room and take a trip back to the days of tricky Chip Long play-calling.

The Portal

Former Oregon quarterback Tyler Shough is headed to Texas Tech. Former Nebraska quarterback Luke McCaffrey is choosing Louisville as his new home.

Former UCLA and Oklahoma receiver Theo Howard is back on the market. He caught 119 balls for the Bruins but just 13 last year for the Sooners.

Rising junior running back and top returning rusher at Vanderbilt, Keyon Henry-Brooks, is leaving Clark Lea and Nashville behind.

247 Sports has a breakdown of the top 10 available players on the transfer market.

Helmet Talk

Indiana is in the tier somewhere between average to above average for their helmets. Their traditional helmet is fine but they do look too much like Oklahoma. The chrome candy striped helmet, though?

Why not make this the regular helmet? I went and did a little research and apparently Hoosier fans love their “IU trident” logo which I guess it’s okay? I just love the way the chrome stripes stand out, and to be fair, I think Indiana football could use a little standing out.

Recruiting

Notre Dame picked up a big running back this week as Jadarian Price (0.923) is on board with the Irish.

UCLA plucked one of the top tight ends in the country in Jack Pedersen (0.927).

One of the top receivers in the country is staying in-state as Evan Stewart (0.981) gave a verbal to Texas.

Texas A&M received a commitment from corner Bobby Taylor (son of our former All-American of the same name) who is currently the No. 218 player in the country.

Tennessee signee Dylan Brooks asked to be let out of his NLI due to the firing of Jeremy Pruitt. The Vols finally relented and Brooks signed with Auburn.

House of the Week

The NHL just wrapped up a fun weekend of outdoor games in Lake Tahoe at the Edgewood Resort in Stateline, Nevada on the southern tip of the lake near the California border. Today’s house is on the same border just on the northern tip of Lake Tahoe.

Three years working on carving a tree doesn’t seem real. How much was that person compensated?

Okay, I’m anti-vaulted ceilings but that view on to the lake from their entry way is out of this world. The connected patio on the lake side is cool, but not very functional (not that the super rich care about these things). As per usual for these videos, the decoration is extremely gaudy. The interior looks like it was designed by a 75-year old cat lady and kind of ruins the exterior amazement.

Quick story, I once visited a hockey teammate’s family vacation home in the Thousand Islands in New York and the house reminds me of this one in Lake Tahoe, except far, far more modest. It was a large house, had the hot tub on a huge deck outdoors overlooking the St. Lawrence River, and a steep and winding staircase down to 2 separate boat docks. Nestled in the rocky, forested land it’s maybe the nicest home I’ve ever visited.

Tunes

Billie Eilish releases her long-awaited documentary “The World’s a Little Blurry” today on Apple TV+ and it’s difficult to think of anyone in recent years whose had a more impressive 2+ years at such a young age. At just a little over 19 years old she’s already holding 5 Grammy Awards, sweeping Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year at the 2020 show. She’s the first female and youngest artist to ever do this at the Grammy Awards.

Her song-writing partnership with brother Finneas has been something special, and I love the turn they took in this single “my future” from last summer. “I know supposedly I’m lonely now. Know I’m supposed to be unhappy without someone. But aren’t I someone?” Great beat, terrific lyrics, and amazing singing.

Ugly Apparel

Would you buy THIS hooded hockey sweatshirt?

I’ve got issues. One, the script on the front is so badly photoshopped that you can’t trust this purchase. Plus, the green sticks out like a sore thumb. As many know, I can’t stand the use of sandstorm gold especially when the hockey team doesn’t use that shade. Shame on you, Champion.

On This Day in Sports

Marshall Faulk was born on this day in 1973. The dynamic running back gained 4,589 yards, caught another 973 yards, and scored a total of 62 touchdowns in just 3 seasons at San Diego State before a Hall of Fame NFL career. As a member of the Colts and Rams, Faulk gained 12,279 rushing yards, 6,875 receiving yards, and 136 total touchdowns across 12 seasons.

Book Nook

I received this book for Christmas and it is right up my alley. It’s written by Chris Creamer from www.sportslogos.net (@sportslogosnet is a great Twitter follow) and is a bit of a different book than I was prepared to read.

The title does give it away, though. It’s not really a book so much about the various iterations of uniforms throughout history and their designs (the book largely focuses on original uniforms with brief talk on alternates or changes over the years) but goes into large detail on the history behind the names and how the franchises were created in conjunction with their colors and uniforms. For example, I was not aware that original Blackhawks owner Frederic McLaughlin wanted Chicago to be the “Team of America” and tried to use only American-born lineups. It didn’t last very long.

Hot Take

Can I put my Seinfeld hat on for a second? What is the deal with the bulky toilet paper dispensers that hide the roll like we wipe with gold? Toilet paper dispensers like THIS are one of the most evil human inventions. I’m truly at a loss as to why we make these items, did toilet paper theft really become a major issue in decades past?

I have a small bathroom right down the hall from my office with a double dispenser. Except, the lower apparatus doesn’t roll very well. So you’re grabbing for toilet paper and it constantly rips leaving me with this pile of small squares. It’s the worst.

Trivia

Building off last week’s question about turnover differential, can you name the 4 games of the Brian Kelly era in which Notre Dame was -3 or worse in turnovers but won anyway? Hint: They happened in the 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2015 seasons.