Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/973680
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MAY 2018 15 THEY SAID IT "One of the reasons that they were the smarter team is everybody we faced in the Final Four was coached by a male head coach." — Athletics director Jack Swarbrick after Muffet McGraw led the Irish to the women's basketball national championship "We measure competitive excellence here by national championships. That's our goal every year. It doesn't often get achieved … but even among those national championships, not all are created equally. "A year from now, 10 years from now, a century from now, when people comment on the greatest achievements in Notre Dame athletics, this team and this year will always be among them. And it's not just because they overcame remarkable odds given the circumstances to win that national championship, but it's how they did it. It's how well they represented this university and this community and this fan base." — Swarbrick on McGraw's team's thrilling run to the national title "We're not going to be bull-headed and say we're not doing this, but we've set a very specific criteria. If a guy is here on a visit, we feel the decision is going to be made before the senior season. There's a number of academic criteria and a number of other things we look at. … If a guy comes here on an official visit in the spring and early summer it's because there are four or five things we're looking at and they've met that bar. "I like the way we are approaching it. I think it's smart, but ultimately the ebbs and flows of this we won't know until we've been through [it] because it's uncharted territory." — Notre Dame special teams and recruiting coordinator Brian Polian on the staff's strategy with April official visits "Fix the quarterback problem, and the rest will take care of itself, right? In college football today, teams might not need both a dominant quarterback and a dominant defense, but they do need at least one of those to succeed. The Irish lacked both last season, but they have the potential to do a lot more, particularly on defense, which would give them a good shot at a New Year's Six bowl if the cards align just so." — Matt Fortuna of The Athletic on the state of Notre Dame football "They've been a favorite of mine, really. Maybe it's because of how they handled this year when things didn't go well … they just kept us going. They kept the young guys understanding what we're trying to do. As I said during the year, they kept me up. You come in and those guys are upbeat and you feel better. They leave as a really special group. "I think when you heard them all speak, they all have personality and they all have a different style. I miss the personality of this team. It was a fun team to be around. I'm very interested to see what the personal- ity is when we add these young guys, who probably won't say a word for a month." — Notre Dame men's basketball head coach Mike Brey on the departing senior class OF THE MONTH ➤ "Big time shot Arike! We are a @UConnWBB family but we love seeing great players making great plays. I know my lil sis @jewellloyd is happy. Well done @ndwbb good luck on Sunday. #mambamen- tality" — Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) March 31 ➤ "Wow, my life is complete. The GOAT." — Arike Ogunbowale (@Arike_O) March 31 ➤ "Nah... it's complete by finishing the job on Sunday @Arike_O. #MambaMentality" — Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) March 31 ➤ "WOW! @Arike_O #lifecomplete #MambaMentality" — Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 1 ➤ "@Arike_O had the world cheering for her in her incredible NCAA performance. Even @KobeBryant wanted to congratulate her. In person. @NDWbb"— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) April 6 UNDER THE DOME NOTRE DAME AUTO MATS *PLEASE ADD SALES TAX IN IN, MI, AND NC Mats are shipped direct from manufacturer. Please allow time for processing and delivery. BLUE AND GOLD ILLUSTRATED PO BOX 2331 • DURHAM, NC 27702 800-421-7751 www.BlueGoldOnline.com #6503 - 2pc Vinyl Front Mat Set $39.95 + $9.99 S&H #6504 - 2pc Vinyl Utility Mat Set $27.95 + $7.99 S&H #6518 - 4pc Vinyl Front & Utility Mat Set $59.95 + $12.99 S&H Front Mats 18"x27" • Utility Mats 14"x17" 31"x31" VINYL CARGO MAT $39.95 + $12.99 S&H CHOICE OF LOGO DESIGN: ND Logo (Item #6519-ND) Leprechaun Logo (Item #6519-LEP) VINYL AUTO MATS Available in 2-pc or 4-pc Sets Logo Choice: ND or Leprechaun