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Sports Arena
D-E-F-E-N-S-E
The term is synonymous with a Notre Dame linebacker who came out of President Obama’s school.
(Page 2 of 2)
There are, of course, the intangibles, the difficult-to-measure metrics. Football is a team sport. No player can achieve much without successful teammates. For example, rookie quarterbacks are typically drafted onto failing NFL teams that have poor offensive lines. (So, it is odd that a December 15 Washington Post story on this year’s stellar NFL rookie quarterbacks failed to mention their offensive lines.) Te’o, a team captain, led the No. 1 defense in the country: No. 1 in points allowed per game (10.3), No. 6 in yards/game allowed, No. 17 in turnover margin per game, No. 18 with 34 sacks for the season, No. 19 with 16 interceptions.
The Notre Dame-Alabama BCS National Championship on Monday, January 7, promises to be a defensive struggle. Alabama’s defense is ranked No. 2. The game will be held in Sun Life Stadium. Although it is an outdoor stadium, one can hope that the game will not be a soaked slugfest like the “mud bowl” of the November 2007 match between the Steelers and the Dolphins in Pittsburgh, won by the Steelers 3-0 on a field goal with 17 seconds remaining.
Notre Dame has played in some huge defensive struggles, including the scoreless tie against Army in 1946, the 10-10 tie against Michigan State in 1966, the 3-0 win over LSU in 1970.
Te’o is eligible for one more award following the game. An MVP is awarded to an offensive player and to a defensive player. Even should Notre Dame lose, he could garner the award, just as Chuck Howley, a Dallas Cowboys linebaker, won the 1971 Super Bowl MVP although Dallas lost.
Bob Grant| 1.3.13 @ 9:00AM
So he attended Punahou School. Did each school day begin with:
"barack hussein obama, hmmm hmmm hmmm"?
Sorry, he may be a great guy but wayyy too much baggage attending THAT school.
Sara L| 1.3.13 @ 9:45AM
Te'o is undoubtedly a wonderful person and a great football player. So is Barrett Jones, a terrific player for Alabama and the winner of that scholar-athlete trophy, among others. I can assume from your essay that you will be pulling for Notre Dame.
Good luck to your school, an admirable institution.
I am proud to be cheering for Alabama. Roll Tide Roll!
Al Adab| 1.3.13 @ 1:34PM
Last night the Florida Gators lost to Louisville in quite an embarrasing fashion. They were too busy strutting about and pounding their chests to realize they needed to play football.
Tonight Fiesta Bowl and Monday Championship should both be worth watching although there is after all a reason they play the game. One never knows.
Occam's Tool| 1.3.13 @ 9:46PM
Te'o's new nickname is gonna be "Deacon Blues."
Roll Tide!
Bob K| 1.3.13 @ 10:17AM
If he played at any school other than Notre Dame he would be overlooked for most of these awards. Remember the Notre Dame motto:
"We're Notre Dame and you're not! We have NBC and you don't!"
Bob K| 1.3.13 @ 10:44AM
In the interest of curiosity only, is the author this article the same James M. Thunder who is a graduate of Notre Dame?
http://www.martindale.com/Jame.....lawyer.htm
Frekki| 1.3.13 @ 2:10PM
My wife's a Domer, my daughter's a Domer, and fie on your house.
Bob K| 1.3.13 @ 11:06PM
I'll bet you even like the tattoo on his arm! More proof that he is a typical Dome scholar athlete.
Al Adab| 1.3.13 @ 1:35PM
What are the squads up to these days, 55 players or even more?
Crassus| 1.3.13 @ 1:50PM
Yet another reason to root for Alabama in the MNC game. Roll Tide.
Frank Drackman| 1.3.13 @ 2:01PM
As a proud Grad-yew-ate of the 2010 BCS CHAMPION AUBURN TIGERS it pains me to say this, but..........................................................
Notre Dame has about as much chance Monday Night as Dick Chaney getting nominated to the Surpreme Court.
How can I put this? You'll see a White Man in the White House(as President, not Secret Service) before Notre Dame beats that School that Represents all thats Evil and Bad in the World, Coached by a Man who would make Satan himself cry like a bitch, Nick Satan, I mean Saban, The University where George C. Wallace stood in the School house door, at least for a minute, until the guys with guns showed up, where Bear Bryant singlehandedly kept the makers of "Old Crow" and "Barclay" Cigarettes in business,
Only way Notre Dame's scoring Monday Nite is if you put in a DVD of "Newt Rockney, All American"...
Frank "SEC rules!" Drackman
Frekki| 1.3.13 @ 2:12PM
Monday night I'll hold your beer while you cry on my shoulder.
Frekki| 1.3.13 @ 2:13PM
Auburn can't beat 'Bama, but we can.
Frank Drackman| 1.3.13 @ 2:36PM
Maybe in some alternate universe where athleticicsm, skill, coaching, and under the table payments didn't matter.
In this one, though, it'll be bama 35, Fish Eaters 0.
AT HALFTIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Frank
Al Adab| 1.3.13 @ 2:56PM
35 - 0? I'll take a piece of that Frank. Laphroigh or Laguvulin?
Frank Drackman| 1.3.13 @ 2:37PM
and actually the 2010 BCS CHAMPION AUBURN TIGERS did beat Bama, in 2010, to be exact.
Frank
Frekki| 1.3.13 @ 2:48PM
We have touchdown Jesus on our side, even in Florida.
Sara L| 1.3.13 @ 5:45PM
Yes they did. And Bama beat Washington in 1926. How is this relevant?
Frank Drackman| 1.3.13 @ 2:42PM
Hey Homo, if you like to cry on guys shoulders, thats your problem.
And I'm not sayin I WANT Alabama to win, in fact I'd love for you Pope-Worshiping Fisheaters to win, it'd be like an Eclipse, one of those miracles of nature that happens once a century or so. But facts is facts, Notre Dame would be lucky to finish 4th in the SEC West, and I do mean "Finish", as 1/2 the team would quit after a few games of Big Boy(Big 10(11?12?) doesn't count) football
Frank
Frekki| 1.3.13 @ 2:50PM
I'm Presbyterian, and you need to lay off the sauce this early in the day.
Occam's Tool| 1.3.13 @ 9:48PM
My wife is a proud graduate of the Capstone, Frank, and I was an instructor at UAB School of Medicine in Huntsville (psychiatry). So, ROLL TIDE!
Crassus| 1.3.13 @ 3:43PM
Thank you, Mr. Lowder. Say hello to Cam Newton for me.
War Chicken!
Occam's Tool| 1.3.13 @ 9:49PM
Come on, that's "War Eagle," the cry of the Auburn TIGERS. Poor babies, they are confused.
A lot of Chi-O girls....
Sara L| 1.3.13 @ 5:43PM
It's Knute. And pronounce the K.
Gosh, you sound bitter, Frank.
Frank Drackman| 1.3.13 @ 2:05PM
"James Thunder"?????
How did I miss that, and even though your football knowledge is a little Rude-ementary at best(Free Substitution didn't start till 1965) can't expect the dude who did "Pipeline" to be an expert at everything...
Frank
Frank Drackman| 1.3.13 @ 2:38PM
Te'o wouldn't make Alabamas practice squad...
Frekki| 1.3.13 @ 2:58PM
For a Tiger you seem to like the Tide a little too much. But if you like Andy Kaufman you can't be all bad.
J.C.Eaton| 1.3.13 @ 11:34PM
I have all sorts of gripes with this thread....and at least one HUGE error in the article itself. That first: a Lineman DID win the Heisman, and Mr. Thunder, he went to The School of Our Lady[Frank, you figure that one out if you understand anything but Drack]. His name was Leon Hart and besides being a tremendous football player[he was so good he started on the National Champion team as a freshman], he was a very classy man. Anyway, although I practically revere my pal Occam, he and the rest of you SEC supporters are in for a verrrry rough view on monday night. The Irish are a bit like the U.S.Marine Corps: best spirit, best song, best uniforms. Roll Irish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
air max en france | 1.4.13 @ 1:23AM
It has remained in place since that season. And now we speak even of a third platoon — the “special teams” unit.
Sara L| 1.10.13 @ 1:02PM
Oh my. This article was hard to find after Monday. Well, what can I say and still be kind? Hardly anything. Alabama won in a huge way. The roughness was for ND to take, not the least of whom was Teo himself. Bless their hearts. I'm Catholic and Irish too. And a fifth/sixth generation Alabamian. The Irish have very good uniforms and a lovely song. Not so sure about the spirit. Roll Tide.