Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1235613
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MAY 2020 5 FAN FORUM GETTING PERSONAL As an "alumni wife," for many years I have been a huge fan of the Univer- sity of Notre Dame and Notre Dame football. I watch the games with your annual 160-page preview at my side to check on the players by number. By the end of the season, I know who each of them is. I also have the various "chapters" on positions/ coaches earmarked. In the past, I knew more about who a player was from the "personal" in- formation that was included at the end of his football profile. It was so nice to read of their various majors, talents (concert pianist), languages spoken, etc. It demonstrated that these student-athletes are, indeed, students. With the emphasis on academics at the University of Notre Dame, that information underscored that the school is more than a football program and that the players are more than just positions on the team. Bravo to you for that! I trust that removing that entry was an oversight in the production of the 2019 Football Preview Issue. I do hope that it will return in 2020. Eileen Metress Toledo, Ohio Mrs. Metress, thank you for this valu- able feedback. In an effort to streamline the bios section of players, we bullet- pointed a lot of accomplishments in an effort to be "easier on the eyes" with regard to the amount of content. We will attempt to include some other information beyond football as we begin to put together our 2020 Football Pre- view this June. However, because of the current CO- VID-19 pandemic, we have been unable to have any interviews with any players since the turn of the New Year, and we're not sure what access will be permitted in the coming weeks and months. We are in a holding pattern at this point like everyone else. DIRECT APPROACH Your objectivity in reporting Notre Dame football is appreciated by this longtime fan, especially in your re- cent coverage of quarterback Ian Book and head coach Brian Kelly. In my opinion, your team eschews superficial or low-resolution think- ing in favor of a thoughtful effort to "tell it like it is." I know it's only col- lege football, but truth is truth wher- ever you find it. Thanks for the information and en- tertainment you provide. Ron Adley Via the Internet BE HEARD! Send your letters to: Letters Blue & Gold Illustrated P. O. Box 1007, Notre Dame, IN 46556 or e-mail to: lsomogyi@blueandgold.com Despite the abrupt end to spring drills follow- ing just one practice and an overall paralysis of athletic endeavors amidst the COVID-19 pan- demic, BlueandGold.com's message board re- mained highly active with myriad topics. Among them was this small sample on the potential reality of no 2020 football season. GoIrish94: Several talking heads on ESPN have mentioned there is a possibility that the college football season could be canceled this year. If this happens, do we play the SAME sched- ule next year and everything gets pushed out a year down? Or, do we play the 2021 schedule in 2021? Also, how about the seniors who have lost the season? Would they "retain" their eligibility. Based on the 2021 schedule, there is not a real "tier 1" team on the list (like Clemson in 2020). This schedule is more favorable for a 12-0 run with Ian Book at the helm. Thoughts? at FSU vs. Toledo vs. Purdue vs. Wisconsin (Soldier Field) vs. Cincy at Virginia Tech vs. USC vs. North Carolina vs. Navy at Virginia vs. Georgia Tech at Stanford Corby 1233: I would assume you just move on to the 2021 schedule. PatrickEngel: You can definitely not assume everyone comes back. Guys who'd be coming back for their sixth year in college or juniors who have a high stock are not at all certainties to come back. On a related note, most "buy games" have a clause where Notre Dame won't owe anything if the game is canceled by "an act of God" — which this virus would fall under. DillonDomer2010: If I were the other school, I'd claim this is an act of the devil and still de- mand the money. CharlestonIrish25: Just skip it and move on. I don't think that comes to pass, but it's the easy solution if it did. Smcnd: I can see the media calling 2020 "the lost season." KevinPS: I could see them calling 2020 "hind sight." Vinnieboombah: But you have contracts to play a home and away — so those games would be rescheduled. USC, Navy, Stanford no issue, and ACC would continue to schedule 5 ND games a year. PreTill1: Even if the season is on, I can't imag- ine any chance there will be fans in the stands. You can't afford to risk a breakout of the virus in the fall. I just don't know how enjoyable it will be in empty stadiums. It will be like a scrimmage. Inamar: I don't even want to think about it. They opine that if there is no college football, there would also be no college basketball. Can you imagine going almost two years without fall or winter college sports?! FROM THE WEB JOIN THE CONVERSATION! GET A 60-DAY FREE TRIAL WITH CODE IRISH60 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ISSUE $12.95 ✦ WWW.BLUEANDGOLD.COM ARMS RACE Senior quarterback Ian Book and the Irish strive to produce more offensive firepower in pursuit of another College Football Playoff berth