Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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FAN FORUM ordinate number of injuries to key players. Given proper diet and physi- cal conditioning, neither players, nor coaches, have any control over inju- ries. No player intended to turn the ball over, and injuries happen. Yes, our team "underachieved" in 2011? In a nutshell: turnovers plus an in- Why didn't the Irish finish 13-0 in SO NEAR, YET SO FAR mentals — blocking, tackling, ball handling and sportsmanship. Coach Kelly is obviously one of the most skilled and experienced coaches in the country. He will fail, however, unless he abandons the "system" ap- proach and returns to the teaching expertise and character development he has previously demonstrated. If he persists in bullying and nit- 2011, but it was not due to a lack of preparation, effort, skill, motivation and coaching. Clearly, the 2011 foot- ball team was very capable of beating any team on its schedule. Tom Landvogt Williamsburg, Va. program will remain mired in medi- ocrity as long as the administration continues to hire "system" coaches who stubbornly persist in imple- menting exotic passing offenses, regardless of the ineffectiveness of these offenses on the field. Football is a simple game and the It is now apparent that the football ALL SYSTEMS GO? picking of players, and the disturbing sideline tirades, he should be fired. Dan Rhode Littleton, Colo. Bonaventura in the Boston College issue. Regarding JumboTrons, I CELEBRATE 'THE STRANGERS' You published a letter from Tony FROM THE WEBSITE While quarterback will be the No. 1 debated per- sonnel topic among Irish faithful this spring (and probably beyond), several significant movements in the freshman class in the past month also stirred much conversation. One, prized Arizona slot receiver/cornerback tried and true formula for success — run the ball, play good defense, emphasize the kicking game — has been well known and accepted for more than a century. Superior foot- ball coaches emphasize the funda- Davonte Neal came aboard with the Irish a couple of weeks after National Signing Day. Two, top cor- nerback recruit Tee Shepard left the program dur- ing spring break this March (see page 8). Three, the NCAA ruled that USC transfer running back/ slot receiver Amir Carlisle can be eligible to play at Notre Dame in 2012. So at which position is Neal more needed, cor- ner or slot? Brenner_f: It hinges on how well the top five corners perform in spring ball and into summer workouts. If the staff feels comfortable with three of the five, we will still see Neal in the slot. Rsharman: Neal in the slot. He needs the ball up-to-date with all the Irish news? Want to stay Like Us On Facebook: www.facebook.com/ blueandgoldillustrated Follow Us On Twitter: www.twitter.com/BGInews Blue & Gold Illustrated P. O. Box 1007 Send your letters to: Letters BE HEARD! Notre Dame, IN 46556 or e-mail to: lsomogyi@blueandgold.com www.BLUEANDGOLD.com couldn't care less. However, the item about "that end- less parade of strangers marching out to the 20-yard line at every timeout" caught my attention. Is he referring to the student members of our other varsity teams receiving recognition for their ac- complishments? If so, Mr. Bonaven- tura has expressed the highest insult to our university and its policies. So, let's put his name at the bottom of the list for future football ticket applications. I am extremely disappointed that you missed an opportunity to en- lighten this gentleman. Harold F. Reilly '54 Staten Island, N.Y. in his hands as much as possible. Move Matthias Farley to corner. Amosirish03: Farley will move to DB. I also see George Atkinson flipping as well to the secondary with the addition of Amir Carlisle. Theo Riddick and Carlisle will fill the slot role with Robby Toma. The last thing you want to do is have an 18-year- old trying to learn coverage and packages on of- fense too. Let him return kicks and play DB, where the larger void lies. Star69: Farley, yes, George Atkinson no way in hell he moves to D. HamonWry22: Neal is one of the most explo- With USC transfer Amir Carlisle (above) eligible to play at Notre Dame in 2012, the Irish have depth at running back/slot receiver and could opt to sive prospects ND has had in years. His first look should be on offense. Jiggafini19: Since Bob Diaco has been at ND, the corners he has leaned toward offering have usually use versatile recruit Davonte Neal at corner. PHOTO BY DARRYL OUMI been on the taller side of 6 feet. Neal is 5-9. ND needs a slot receiver and someone to return kicks. Neal addresses those needs. I doubt he addresses a need at corner, Tee or no Tee. MinnyGriff08: The question we need to ask is what position can he make the largest and most im- mediate contribution? I think WR is the obvious answer, as the team can dictate how much he touches the ball and therefore put him in position to decide the outcome of games. Psdo51: CB has become a "Must Have" for the 2013 recruiting class. I think to have Neal play defense would be counterproductive … I don't think that improves our CB position, or our team, as dramatically as him having the ball in his hands improves our offense. APRIL 2012 7