Lou Holtz at half time of Military Bowl

Bama Czar

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Sep 1, 2010
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The word "analysis" indicates study, thought, reasoning, and conclusion. If you can't get the starting QB's name right, how thorough was the analysis. When an "analyst" mispronounces Golson's name, I immediately discount his comments as a talking head and that seems more like "press" to me than analysis. It works both ways, if they mispronounce Barrett's name, I think the same thing.

The point I was attempting to make, however poorly, was that ND does not "only get good press". ESPN/ABC have the contract to carry SEC games along with others. NBC has Notre Dame's right. ESPN and their "analysts" are going to talk about their clients (SEC) and promote that product. They are not going to promote NBC's product unless their paths cross and it's to their benefit.

Now go to the next step, the BCS game. Now Notre Dame is in ESPN's path again. As it seems most of you believe ND can't compete with most SEC teams, wouldn't the network that is televising the game and promoting it want to build up the competitiveness of the two teams to build up the game. Sell more commercials, charge more for them! This is business and very little to do with the sport.

I'm not arguing the competitiveness of the teams or the conclusions, just that this good "press", especially from ESPN is a pretty recent phenomena because ND made it to the championship game.

ESPN quit being a sports reporting network and became sport news making network a long time ago. I digress.
Man, I agree with 99% of what you're saying here. Especially in regards to ESPN & other economic factors involved. However, I have yet to see Holtz ever out-right pick against ND. (Of course, I don't believe most analyst's "picks" are really their "picks" anyway, but they have to stir the pot while at the same time attempting to seem credible. Honestly Gameday (to me) is a complete waste of time to watch. Rarely do I get any real insight from it) Holtz typically goes waaaay overboard on how "special" of a place ND is....
 

taddy

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Dec 25, 2012
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Man, I agree with 99% of what you're saying here. Especially in regards to ESPN & other economic factors involved. However, I have yet to see Holtz ever out-right pick against ND. (Of course, I don't believe most analyst's "picks" are really their "picks" anyway, but they have to stir the pot while at the same time attempting to seem credible. Honestly Gameday (to me) is a complete waste of time to watch. Rarely do I get any real insight from it) Holtz typically goes waaaay overboard on how "special" of a place ND is....

Holtz is undeniably a homer. He will occasionally talk real football. He did pick against ND last year in the USF/Notre Dame game. Remember Skip Holtz was the coach there and Mama Holtz wasn't going to have none of that. Turns out he was right, sadly. :)

The Holtz/May shtick is a rating thing.
 
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TIDE-HSV

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Holtz is undeniable a homer. He will occasionally talk real football. He did pick against ND last year in the USF/Notre Dame game. Remember Skip Holtz was the coach there and Mama Holtz wasn't going to have none of that. Turns out he was right, sadly. :)

The Holtz/May shtick is a rating thing.
This is the truth. Several years ago, there was a famous out-take clip that leaked of their deciding who was going to pick which team. Rece is, of course, a Bama grad/fan, but he almost never lets it show...
 

bamafaninOhiO

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May 11, 2010
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I appreciate your opinion but as a long time ND fan I don't agree with the opinion that ND gets nothing but good press. At ESPN, except for Holtz who is a definite homer, and Golic, the same thing, they have only recently been saying nice things when they began seeing the possibility of Notre Dame being in the NCG which they will broadcast. Before that, they kept analyzing why we would lose each week, until they ran out of excuses. Ever watch Pollack or Howard try to say something nice about ND, they almost choke on their own words.

Did you see Rick Reilly's article back in the fall? http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/8264769/notre-dame-irish-relegated-insignificance

Heck, most of the analyst have been calling Golson, GolsTon. Some still do.

Manti has obviously gotten a lot of good press which started with NBC for obvious reasons. If you're not a ND fan I'm sure it got old. He's a good guy though and represents the best in college football, much like Barrett Jones who I think a lot of.

It's ok to see what we see and disagree, we just see differently form our perspective.
very nice post, IMO.
Some of us Bama fans need a little humility at times as well...
 

jps1983

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Aug 30, 2006
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Holtz is undeniable a homer. He will occasionally talk real football. He did pick against ND last year in the USF/Notre Dame game. Remember Skip Holtz was the coach there and Mama Holtz wasn't going to have none of that. Turns out he was right, sadly. :)

The Holtz/May shtick is a rating thing.
Yep. It's entertaining to see them play off of each other, but you know it's coming at the same time too. Just like the "loser" in Final Verdict takes a shot or two at Rece. I like the show; but it's a fore entertainment only type of thing: watching highlights and a little back and forth jabs at the other hosts.
 

jps1983

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It'll be interesting to see the number of NFL draftees this year off ND, Bama, and, for example UGA...
Throw in at least 2 from A&M (assuming Joekel and Moore declare; 3 if Matthews declares, but I think he's returning) in Round 1; LSU is going to have at least 2 in the first I think; UF might get Elam in Round 1. A lot of good talent in our league this year. I expect at least 3 Bama guys in Round 1 (Dee, Warmack and at either Williams or Fluker if not both).
 

bamafaninOhiO

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That's because many of them are southern "mobile homers" which the Notre Dame elite feel are inferior to themselves. ND fans make fun of southern illiteracy and look down their haughty noses at Southerners and then complain because of a mispronounced name?

Guys, Its not Notre Dame fans in general that made that ridiculous T-Shirt, and I don't believe that the Notre Dame masses will be wearing them come game day either.

This should be a great, classic College football game played by two of the most historic programs in college football....a match made in heaven for both fans and the media..

we'll actually know the winner on the evening of the 7th of January, but until then, their fans will try to rationalize why they can win, and that seems very rational to me.
 
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Chukker Veteran

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For some reason I'd like to point out our deceased moderator Bayou was married to a Notre Dame grad.

His handle for Notre Dame was Notre Dang.
 

selmaborntidefan

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Funny stuff! We have similar thoughts with our Hammond/Mayok team.



Pretty broad sweep there. Being a southerner with family in Alabama I'm not an elitist and don't believe I've said anything to indicate otherwise.. I also don't appreciate fans that disparage other fan bases, no matter the team.



I understand, and appreciate the ND fatigue, especially after 20 years and the last couple of of BCS game performances. The NBC contract is business, there's still a large, hopeful fan base.



I get that there is some Alabama/SEC fatigue. My answer to those that have that feeling is to do something about it besides complain. I think what Saban has done/is doing is remarkable. I also agree that going undefeated in the SEC is a tough row to hoe. I don't have "ABB", I do have "ABC", Anybody But Carolina.
In all seriousness - if you want to have some real fun on a computer, come back here next fall when we have a big game and follow (even if you don't post) on the game thread. You will hear the funniest remarks - mostly clean except for rare double meanings - and get a kick out of folks live reactions, ESP when Verne starts referencing player names. More than once that old coot has forgotten which two teams were playing in the game he's calling.
 

bamafaninOhiO

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This is the truth. Several years ago, there was a famous out-take clip that leaked of their deciding who was going to pick which team. Rece is, of course, a Bama grad/fan, but he almost never lets it show...

and he shouldn't, if he wants to keep any credibility with other fan bases across the country...
 

derek4tide

Hall of Fame
Jan 19, 2005
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The word "analysis" indicates study, thought, reasoning, and conclusion. If you can't get the starting QB's name right, how thorough was the analysis. When an "analyst" mispronounces Golson's name, I immediately discount his comments as a talking head and that seems more like "press" to me than analysis. It works both ways, if they mispronounce Barrett's name, I think the same thing.

The point I was attempting to make, however poorly, was that ND does not "only get good press". ESPN/ABC have the contract to carry SEC games along with others. NBC has Notre Dame's right. ESPN and their "analysts" are going to talk about their clients (SEC) and promote that product. They are not going to promote NBC's product unless their paths cross and it's to their benefit.

Now go to the next step, the BCS game. Now Notre Dame is in ESPN's path again. As it seems most of you believe ND can't compete with most SEC teams, wouldn't the network that is televising the game and promoting it want to build up the competitiveness of the two teams to build up the game. Sell more commercials, charge more for them! This is business and very little to do with the sport.

I'm not arguing the competitiveness of the teams or the conclusions, just that this good "press", especially from ESPN is a pretty recent phenomena because ND made it to the championship game.

ESPN quit being a sports reporting network and became sport news making network a long time ago. I digress.
And yet, ESPN is doing nothing but promoting ND. There have been 2 shows so far dedicated to nothing but ND. One even had their current and former HC's on it. All networks are fawning all over ND and we all expected this....nothing new.
 

bamafaninOhiO

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And yet, ESPN is doing nothing but promoting ND. There have been 2 shows so far dedicated to nothing but ND. One even had their current and former HC's on it. All networks are fawning all over ND and we all expected this....nothing new.
None of this matters on 8 January if the team takes care of business, right?

I see this as nothing but a positive...the players are watching the same shows, seeing the same coverage, hearing the same things...
...better to have the players hear how great it is to have Notre Dame back than how great Bama is, IMO.

I love the team feeling like they have something to prove rather than thinking they've already proven it.
 
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selmaborntidefan

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To be fair - some of us are over-sensitive to criticism because too often we've been on the receiving end of unjustified criticism. It's hard to separate the two when the bulk of it is incorrect. Let me give you an example: every Alabama fan in the world knew the moment Colt McCoy got hurt that Texas now had the excuse we'll hear for the rest of our lives. Even had he played and we won - once he got hurt we knew how it would be written.

Last year was all the discussion about how undeserving we were. Never mind that in 1996 there was nary a criticism uttered over the UF-FSU rematch. Not one TV pundit tried to argue that BYU (who went 14-1) deserved to play the Noles for the national title - even though they had the best record, a high-powered offense and won their conference (e.g. the OK State argument). Never mind Florida lost by three in regulation - just as we did.

Thus - we have earned the sensitivity. There are far more episodes I could give but that would make this NS.
 

Florida Tom

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Hey Lou I would worry more about how long jr is gong to last at La La Tech.

ND appreciates your continued service however I view them as the Bosie of today just they got in.

The Game will speak enough for its self.

Roll Tide!
 

selmaborntidefan

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I know that folks are going to disagree (ducks) but there is ONE reason I'm uh ok with the fact we lost this year: it prevents ESPN from running a show proclaiming whether or not we are "the greatest ever team."

2002 Miami? They lost.

2005 USC? They lost.

In BOTH cases, you had a team going for a repeat and unbeaten. That's the ONLY reason I'm 'ok' with the loss. (Never said I liked it).
 

CHATTBRIT

Hall of Fame
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With direct reference to Granny Holtz, have you noticed that Mark May is sitting further and further away from Granny so as not to get showered with spittle during the program?
 
Sorry, but I think that the media sees this as the match made in heaven...there are some who are loving that Notre Dame has made it back to relevance, and I see nothing wrong with that....but they both have gotten a lot of good press.
It must be a northern thing or I work too much, because I see the coverage. I see way more ND than Bama. They had this ND coaches thing on the other day. I was thinking we have two championship coaches still alive why not do it the other way around. As for back to relevance, 2008 we are number 1 in the country, where was that relevance showing? Oh in the trash with all the others.
 

bamadp

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Sep 24, 2006
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I get that there is some Alabama/SEC fatigue. My answer to those that have that feeling is to do something about it besides complain.
There's quite a difference between stating a fact and complaining about something. There is a media bias toward ND. That's a fact. ND fans know it and Bama fans know it. Even ND's consummate homer Lou Holtz stated that fact. I don't think the average Bama fan can do anything about it. Personally I complained about it plenty back in the 60's and 70's but not so much now...now I just expect it and accept it.

My statement that "ND gets only good press" was to emphasize that there is a media bias toward ND. There was 50 years ago, and there still is. To deny it exists or try and chalk it up to over-sensitivity by some Bama fans is naive.
 

TiderJack

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There may be a little more ND than Bama but the ticker on all ESPN channels that runs at the bottom of the screen has "TIDE" for the subject referencing the BCS game and it has been running like that for a couple of weeks.
 

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