Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com JANUARY 2018 7 FAN FORUM at Notre Dame I will have no choice but to do what I always do: Root like hell for the kids! Go Irish! Tony Ardizzone Indianapolis HOLIDAY WOE The season that once held such promise flames out as the Irish lose on the West Coast on the Saturday following Thanksgiving for the eighth time in 10 years, and fifth in a row. The pattern is familiar enough to make it a grim holiday tradition. What happened to this team? More distressing, why will it be any differ- ent in the future? Despite millions thrown at the pro- gram, in the biggest moments we get the Alabama blowout in the champi- onship game, the Ohio State Fiesta Bowl beatdown, the turnover chain humiliation in Miami, and now yet another season-ending disappoint- ment in Palo Alto. Thankfully this season had some great moments, too, including the Michigan State and USC wins. But the team's downward trajectory the last month makes it feel that a true return to glory is not something that will be happening any time soon. Tom Derengoski ND '70 Lansing, Mich. MACRO MANAGING I enjoyed the latest Fifth Quarter column (Status Quo: Good Enough …) as it addressed my "macro" frus- trations with the Notre Dame foot- ball program. I'm frustrated because I'm not sure what the main contributors are to this macro problem — and are there any viable solutions? Is it as simple as the batch of coaches over the last 24 years are just not in the same league as Ara, Lou and even Dan Devine? I suspect that explains a decent per- centage of the macro problem, but I have my doubts that even a Nick Saban or Urban Meyer could win a national championship at Notre Dame in today's macro environment. Notre Dame will always be in the running and will sign their fair share of high school recruits who under- stand their college choice is not just a four-year decision, but a 40-year decision. I also realize lowering its academic admission standards is not a solution to this macro problem. I guess what's frustrating is that I do not have any tangible solutions to this 24-year status quo dilemma. Equally frustrating, it seems that Notre Dame's administration is ask- ing its football coaches to get in the four-team playoff/win a national championship with one coaching hand tied behind their respective back. It seems that the administration eventually realized its men's basket- ball program's placement in today's college landscape and adjusted its expectations accordingly. I wonder if that's the path that the adminis- tration will ultimately take with its football program. I hope not. Dan Sarver 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 GIFT GIVING SHOP ND ORNAMENTS bit.ly/NDornaments CHRISTMAS