-Bye, Charlie. Irish coach for the last five years is history. Lou Holtz on how long it would take the next coach to turn it around: ...about the 2nd quarter (of the 1st game); 1st quarter if he's as good as Ara Parseghian. (Gotta love Lou.)
-Think I've said this before: I graduated from ND in '61 after four years of dismal football - first four year class to go out with a losing football record (like that is important, right?). Ara Parseghian arrived in 1964 while Diane and I were over in Japan and otherwise preoccupied with defending the free world and stamping 'made in Japan' on the flanks of our first two kids. So, we missed what took place in that turnaround year in which (from wikipedia):
Parseghian was hired as Notre Dame's 22nd head coach, inheriting a team that had finished 2-7 in 1963 and taking it to within 1:33 of an undefeated season and a national championship in 1964.
Of course, he went on to have a brilliant coaching career at ND and finished with the best record in ND history. Now for a trick question: Can you football and Irish junkies tell me what fantastic record Ara had at Northwestern from 1956 to 1963? The wikipedia link above has the answer in the Northwestern (3rd) section of its report. The answer will surprise you - it did me.
- Saints marvelous against the Patriots. Didn't surprise me at all. Now how about some chatter about two undefeated teams meeting in the super bowl come January, or is it February now?
- Golf day at Lakeview. Frosty morning but the sun is rising fast and shining bright.
