Irish’s Quinn Falls on Draft Day

Former University of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn fell to the No. 22 pick in last weekend’s draft. Quinn had been slated to be a top ten pick by most, and those people out there who buy Notre Dame Fighting Irish tickets probably thought he should have been a No. 1 pick overall.

The actual No. 1 pick was JaMarcus Russell, who was selected by the Oakland Raiders. Quinn was the second QB picked, winding up on the Cleveland Browns. The Browns also got a defensive tackle, Joe Thomas, and a corner back named Eric Wright. Many consider the Browns and the 49ers to have come away from this past weekend as the big winners of the NFL Draft.

Still, the draft day slide of Brady Quinn must have been disappointing for the former Notre Dame standout. The media scrutiny of players’ faces when they get passed up is pretty unbelievable. But Brady Quinn remained upbeat. Said Quinn, “I’m so excited to come to Cleveland. The Browns called me and told me they had traded for me.”

If you are a Notre Dame fan in Cleveland, this works out great for you. You can get Browns tickets at StubHub.com to see the former Notre Dame star.

Quinn or Russell to be No. 1?

University of Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn will likely be taken in the top 10 of this year’s NFL draft, and so too will Louisiana State University’s JaMarcus Russell. Since Russell and Quinn are the two top QBs coming out of the NCAA this year, the debate rages: Who is better, Brady Quinn or JaMarcus Russell?

For fans who regularly purchase Notre Dame Fighting Irish tickets, the choice is probably going to be Qinnn. We might get an insight into who the NFL front offices think is better this weekend when one of these two is selected first, although neither Russell nor Quinn have heard anything special from the Oakland Raiders, who own the first pick.

We probably won’t really know who the best quarterback to com out of the class of 2007 is until ten or so years down the line, after both of these players has had a chance to prove themselves in the NFL. If you would like to see how these players do in the big leagues, then get tickets for their NFL games at StubHub.com, your source for rookie QBs with promise.

How Risky is Brady Quinn?

Former Notre Dame Quarterback Brady Quinn is preparing his “surprise” face for the NFL Draft this weekend, and everybody who has been purchasing Notre Dame Fighting Irish football tickets for the past few years will want to see where he winds up in the National Football League.

Recently an article at ESPN’s Page Two reported that, statistically, the risk of drafting a quarterback is much greater that that of drafting, say, a linebacker or offensive lineman. Although you’ve got to believe that NFL managers use more sophisticated methods for picking players than by simply checking the major sports news websites a few days before the big day, the theory certainly looks valid.

So will the Raiders pick up Quinn, or will he fall somewhere in the teens? Dickie V seems to think that the Raiders would be acting a fool if they passed up on Brady, who could be the next… Brady. Dick Vitale, who may or may not get his Notre Dame season tickets at StubHub.com, says that he likes Quinn’s “quickness, athletic ability, size and strength.” Adding, “Those are things you cannot teach.”

Tight End Fauria Commits to ND

Joseph Fauria, a star tight end at Crespi High School in Encino, California, has verbally commited to playing football at the University of Notre Dame. The 6-7 250-pound Fauria racked up 329 yards in 22 catches his senior year at Crespi. He is also the son of a former NFL player, Christian Fauria, who played under then-New England Patriots offensive coordinator and current Irish head coach Charlie Weis.

Most NCAA football experts consider Fauria to be one of the best recruits coming out of high school this year. He had been heavily recruited by other top football programs such as Nebraska, Colorado, Stanford and UCLA. His decision to join the Irish will have to officially be made in February. Until then, Notre Dame cannot comment on the matter to the media.

For those of us who have already purchased our Notre Dame Fighting Irish tickets for next year’s season, this addition looks very promising. Though the Irish will probably not use the pass as much as they did with Quinn, a good tight end like Fauria will get plenty of playing time, both as a blocker and a short route option. Get your tickets to see Fauria and the other newbies on the ND squad at your choice for great freshman prospects, StubHub.com.

Time for Fighting Irish History

Like many people out there, i was confused as to how Notre Dame got their nicknme, the Fighting Irish. Ever wonder what the real scoop is? Well, lucky for you, I’ll let you in on it. Here goes:

There are actually several different theories about why the Fighting Irish are so named. The term may have come from the Irish immigrant army brigade during the Civil War. Joyce Kilmer is thought to have bestowed the name upon the university, as he was the chaplain of the Irish Brigade in WWI. However, some accounts of the nickname predate the first World War. Apparently in 1909 Notre Dame was losing to Michigan when a team member yelled at his fellow ND football players, who were named Dolan, Kelly, Glynn, Duffy, and Ryan, “What’s the matter with you guys? You’re all Irish and you’re not fighting worth a lick.” Still, there are other theories.
For all of you who have loyally purchased Notre Dame Fighting Irish tickets without stopping to ponder the origin of that name, we offer to you an easy and quick way to purchase tickets, StubHub.com. With all the time you saved getting tickets online, you can now go out and learn more about the interesting tradition of the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame’s Gold Shines

The Gold team beat the Blue team at Notre Dame Stadium this weekend. The annual spring football game was sold out, as a record crowd of 51,852 fans watched the spring training season come to an end with an exhibition game.

Many of those who purchased Notre Dame Fighting Irish tickets for the Blue-Gold game this weekend were interested in seeing how the four top prospects for the starting quarterback position would fare in a more formal competition. The departure of Brady Quinn has left a void which must be filled by next fall. The top returning candidates include Jimmy Clausen, Demetrius Jones, Zach Frazer, and Justin Gillett. Plus the Irish will have a top high school QB recruit, Dayne Crist, coming to South Bend next fall.

Still, whoever wins the starting QB job will probably just get the opportunity to hand off to one of a number of talented running backs next year. It was obvious from the game that the time for passing left with Brady. The Irish will most likely focus on their rushing game next year.

If that sounds like a winning plan to you, then you ought to take a look at StubHub.com for some seats at a Notre Dame game. Defense and rushing will be the order of the day.

Blue-Gold Spring Game

You know what time of year it is? Spring time. And that means one thing around the University of Notre Dame: the spring football practice season! Oh, and some classes and other sports and stuff. Whatever.

Anyways, the Fighting Irish will take to Notre Dame Stadium for an exhibition game this weekend to end their off-season training session. It’s an annual tradition that goes back millions, if not billions of years. Lou Holtz and Ara Parseghian, who may have played in the first such game together, will be the honorary coaches.

The game is officially and ridiculously is called the 2007 Blue-Gold Spring Football Festival presented by Home Run Inn Pizza. What kind of a name is Home Run Inn Pizza? Are they a hotel chain that dabble in the pizza industry, all the while devoted to a baseball theme? This is clearly a company going in a lot of different directions. Let’s keep our eye on this one.
Back to the game. The Blue-Gold game will divide the roster in two, with a fairly equal distribution of offensive and defensive talent. Each team will start at the 35 yard line for every possession, unless there’s a punt, in which case there is no coverage. Also, there’s no sacks on the QB. It’s Diet Fighting Irish, but it’s still better than Lifetime, or whatever else you were going to watch- maybe Oxygen. If you even get it.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish tickets to this game are probably long gone by now, but if you want tickets for the upcoming season, then just check out StubHub.com for some sweet deals.

Crist’s on our Side!

Notre Dame has always seemed to have the edge on USC, Michigan, Florida State and LSU when it comes to having God on the right side, but now they have Christ as well.  Actually, I’m referring to Dayne Crist, the 6’4’’ high school quarterback from Sherman Oaks, California. But we can still be pretty sure that JC is on our side also.
 

One of the nation’s top prospects, Dayne Crist already has the size and throwing strength to be one of the best QBs in the nation.  It was widely known that Michigan, USC, Florida State, and LSU all were hot and bothered by Crist.  All were heavily recruiting.  What seems like the biggest surprise is that he decided not to go to USC, a school within a short drive from his Southern California house. Instead, he signed with ND.
 

Crist may or may not end up being the immediate successor to Brady Quinn, but one thing is sure: the top recruiting schools in the nation all think this guy has some outstanding potential.
 

If you’d like to see if Crist can really walk on water like everybody is saying he can, then you ought to get some Notre Dame Football tickets for a game or two next season.  Check out StubHub.com, your source for great college football tickets.  

Notre Dame Won’t Be Notre Lame

Don’t worry, Fighting Irish fans. You won’t be buying Notre Dame tickets for a “transition team” this season, not according to head coach Charlie Weis.  Even thought the Irish lost eight of their best players on offense, including Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija and Darius Walker, Notre Dame is not lowering its expectations for the upcoming season.  
 

Said Weis, “It’s easy for everyone to say, ‘Well, this is a transition year; this is a rebuilding year,’ You can’t ever think like that. I can’t think like that as a coach, and they certainly won’t think like it as players. It’s not happening.”
 

The term “transition season” gets thrown around a lot in sports these days as a copout excuse for a disastrous season or one that’s about to be disastrous.  It applies to other aspects of life too, though. For instance, right now the ozone is having a “transition century,” and if I remember correctly, Don Rumsfeld referred to his career as the as the Secretary of Defense as a “transition period” for American foreign policy.
 

Be thankful that Weis refuses to use those words. If you would like, you can check out StubHub.com for home game tickets that become available.  There is a lot to be excited about this season, even though a lot of the familiar faces are gone.