For best football player in Arizona. Over Priest Willis..... They said it was the closest race in it's 25 year history. 


Hamilton DB Luke wins Ed Doherty Award for top senior football player | Insiders

“I think the sky’s the limit for him,” Hamilton coach Steve Belles said of Luke. “He can play a long time, even after Notre Dame. The thing is, educationally he is set as long as he gets his degree from there. He’s humble. He keeps working hard.”

KurzND wrote: For best football player in Arizona. Over Priest Willis..... They said it was the closest race in it's 25 year history. 


Hamilton DB Luke wins Ed Doherty Award for top senior football player | Insiders

“I think the sky’s the limit for him,” Hamilton coach Steve Belles said of Luke. “He can play a long time, even after Notre Dame. The thing is, educationally he is set as long as he gets his degree from there. He’s humble. He keeps working hard.”

It's nice that we have so many kids of high character. Glad Luke is in the fold.

It's also nice that he can really play!

Congrats to Luke.  Happy to have him.

Younger posters may not realize Coach Belles started at least a game or two as a Luke Massa type QB-turned-WR on the 1988 Championship team over Ricky Watters and/or Rocket Ismail.

Okay, Lumbergh, I am curious:

You are, admittedly, pretty much split between MSU and ND as gas as football fandom goes (correct me if I am misunderstood).

Has the time you spent on this site increased your appreciation for ND or has it not changed much?

Great, great question Gav.

I grew up passionately pro-ND and not giving a damn either way about State.  While attending State, I would often leave games in the second half to go watch ND on TV.

I have always rooted for ND over State with the exception of this season.  Other subway alums might understand based on MSU's recent improvement prior to 2012 and the fact that ND had sucked (relative to history) since about 1993.  Another part of my very brief switch of allegiance had to do with the fact that culturally (aside from football), I do prefer Michigan State.

Even this year, in September, my heart and mind were about 51% pro-MSU and 49% pro-ND.

Based on recent football results and the fact that I prefer the company here to the handful of posters at the MSU board (at least as long as ND fans have less to bitch about), it would be fair to say I'm back to being an ND fan first and foremost.

Of course, I'll always love and follow MSU.

p.s.  My interest in State currently also has to do with the fact that Andrew Maxwell played for my high school, which happens to be literally in my backyard.  Of course, so did Steve Elmer, so now that situation has more or less evened up.

GaviND wrote: Okay, Lumbergh, I am curious:

You are, admittedly, pretty much split between MSU and ND as gas as football fandom goes (correct me if I am misunderstood).

Has the time you spent on this site increased your appreciation for ND or has it not changed much?

I must admit as a subway alumnus if ND played the Kentucky WildCats tomorrow. I would want ND to destroy Kentucky 70-0. I enjoyed watching ND defend their court in basketball against UK this year. I bleed Blue and Gold if we go 12-1 or 3-9. I've loved ND since becoming a fan in 1963. GO IRISH!!!

I see a '14 commit from Luke's HS is committed to SC, Casey Tucker... wonder if we can get in on that next year.

Did Neal win an award coming out of Arizona? I remember him being the best player in the state or something

lumbergh wrote: I grew up passionately pro-ND and not giving a damn either way about State.  While attending State, I would often leave games in the second half to go watch ND on TV.

I have always rooted for ND over State with the exception of this season.  Other subway alums might understand based on MSU's recent improvement prior to 2012 and the fact that ND had sucked (relative to history) since about 1993.  Another part of my very brief switch of allegiance had to do with the fact that culturally (aside from football), I do prefer Michigan State.

Even this year, in September, my heart and mind were about 51% pro-MSU and 49% pro-ND.

Based on recent football results and the fact that I prefer the company here to the handful of posters at the MSU board (at least as long as ND fans have less to bitch about), it would be fair to say I'm back to being an ND fan first and foremost.

Of course, I'll always love and follow MSU.

p.s.  My interest in State currently also has to do with the fact that Andrew Maxwell played for my high school, which happens to be literally in my backyard.  Of course, so did Steve Elmer, so now that situation has more or less evened up.

I have similar allegiances to Syracuse and Navy, though in games where they're playing one another, I'll always take Notre Dame.

I forget your age if you ever offered it, GoldRush, but did you feel the same way during the McPherson/MacPherson era?

More importantly, I wonder how guys like you and 73 would feel if Syracuse/Kentucky were going through periods like that while ND was (apparently) in the middle of a decades-long slump.

GoldRushND wrote: 
I have similar allegiances to Syracuse and Navy, though in games where they're playing one another, I'll always take Notre Dame.

I may have missed the point of the question slightly.

Yes, I would say people on this site have increased my appreciation for ND as a cultural whatever.

I still think of ND as a bunch of churchy country clubbers (with the emphasis on the latter) compared to Spartans who, by virtue of numbers and lack of official religion, are automatically far more diverse, but that stereotype has certainly softened in my mind and definitely for the better.

GaviND wrote: Okay, Lumbergh, I am curious:

You are, admittedly, pretty much split between MSU and ND as gas as football fandom goes (correct me if I am misunderstood).

Has the time you spent on this site increased your appreciation for ND or has it not changed much?

lumbergh wrote: I may have missed the point of the question slightly.

Yes, I would say people on this site have increased my appreciation for ND as a cultural whatever.

I still think of ND as a bunch of churchy country clubbers (with the emphasis on the latter) compared to Spartans who, by virtue of numbers and lack of official religion, are automatically far more diverse, but that stereotype has certainly softened in my mind and definitely for the better.

Posting here has definitely opened my mind to the diversity of the ND fan base. However, it never really mattered to me one way or the other. I suppose if I came here and everyone that posted was talking about things that I had no interest in, then I'd be turned off to some degree or another.

Overall, I don't care if I have philosophical/moral/religious/political differences with other ND fans because it rarely matters come Saturday.

No, you nailed what I was looking for.

For me, Notre Dame has always been número uno. Love the Pats, Sox, Celts and Bruins, but Notre Dame has always been the can't miss team -- no matter how they were faring and I feel like the community here has only made that appreciation greater.

Was curious if your interactions here drew you in more than it did in the past.

Your answer was excellent.

---------------------------------------------
--- lumbergh wrote:

I may have missed the point of the question slightly.

Yes, I would say people on this site have increased my appreciation for ND as a cultural whatever.

I still think of ND as a bunch of churchy country clubbers (with the emphasis on the latter) compared to Spartans who, by virtue of numbers and lack of official religion, are automatically far more diverse, but that stereotype has certainly softened in my mind and definitely for the better.

GaviND wrote: Okay, Lumbergh, I am curious:

You are, admittedly, pretty much split between MSU and ND as gas as football fandom goes (correct me if I am misunderstood).

Has the time you spent on this site increased your appreciation for ND or has it not changed much?

---------------------------------------------

i can see how this might be, but i have to say that my experience has been sort-of the opposite of yours. this forum has certainly made me think of  notre dame fans as more elitist, more conservative, and more sanctimonious than how i had previously perceived us to be. anyway, i'm glad if your experience here has made you feel better about us.

lumbergh wrote: I may have missed the point of the question slightly.

Yes, I would say people on this site have increased my appreciation for ND as a cultural whatever.

I still think of ND as a bunch of churchy country clubbers (with the emphasis on the latter) compared to Spartans who, by virtue of numbers and lack of official religion, are automatically far more diverse, but that stereotype has certainly softened in my mind and definitely for the better.

GaviND wrote: Okay, Lumbergh, I am curious:

You are, admittedly, pretty much split between MSU and ND as gas as football fandom goes (correct me if I am misunderstood).

Has the time you spent on this site increased your appreciation for ND or has it not changed much?

lumbergh wrote: I forget your age if you ever offered it, GoldRush, but did you feel the same way during the McPherson/MacPherson era?

More importantly, I wonder how guys like you and 73 would feel if Syracuse/Kentucky were going through periods like that while ND was (apparently) in the middle of a decades-long slump.

I was born in 1980. I didn't start following football until '88 (it was pretty much Notre Dame's national championship season that got me hooked. Hence why I'm such an Irish fan despite having no ties to the school in any way). Of course because my family was a "Syracuse" family, I also got into rooting for the Orange.

They were really good during the MacPherson Era and I had a lot of fun rooting for both teams. In those days I really thought I knew how to pick 'em. My favorite teams were the Yankees, Irish, Orange, Knicks, and Jets. From the early-to-late 1990's, ALL of those teams were good (winning the majority of their games, going to playoffs every year, etc). I wish I'd appreciated those years more, because the decade that followed has pretty much been the suckiest decade of my sports life!

But to answer your question, if the Irish had been as bad in the '90's as they were in the '00's and Syracuse was still that good, I might have been swayed to the Orange. However, the Irish didn't get truly awful until the latter part of the Davie Years, so the point is moot. At this point I'm so invested in the Irish that I can't imagine rooting for another school more. But I do hope that Syracuse one day finds its way in the dark. It looked like they might be headed up the ladder, but then their coach just fled to the NFL, so it looks like they might fall back into the hole.

GoldRushND wrote:

lumbergh wrote: I grew up passionately pro-ND and not giving a damn either way about State.  While attending State, I would often leave games in the second half to go watch ND on TV.

I have always rooted for ND over State with the exception of this season.  Other subway alums might understand based on MSU's recent improvement prior to 2012 and the fact that ND had sucked (relative to history) since about 1993.  Another part of my very brief switch of allegiance had to do with the fact that culturally (aside from football), I do prefer Michigan State.

Even this year, in September, my heart and mind were about 51% pro-MSU and 49% pro-ND.

Based on recent football results and the fact that I prefer the company here to the handful of posters at the MSU board (at least as long as ND fans have less to bitch about), it would be fair to say I'm back to being an ND fan first and foremost.

Of course, I'll always love and follow MSU.

p.s.  My interest in State currently also has to do with the fact that Andrew Maxwell played for my high school, which happens to be literally in my backyard.  Of course, so did Steve Elmer, so now that situation has more or less evened up.

I have similar allegiances to Syracuse and Navy, though in games where they're playing one another, I'll always take Notre Dame.

Who between Navy vs Syracuse?
and a tie doesn't answer the question

To me your either a fan or your not.  There Is no going back and forth etc.  Not for me at least.  I was born and raised In Hopkinsville Kentucky and I love UK Basketball because UK Basketball surrounds you from day 1.  Like high school football Is In Texas Is how much we love our Kentucky Basketball In Kentucky.  I love them so much I dont even pull for UL....In fact I despise UL.  It doesnt bother me when ND does well.  But every other college basketball team can crash and burn for all I care as long as It Isnt my Kentucky Wildcats....Ive felt this way even through the crappy years that hit us here and there.

As far as ND Football goes I feel the same way.  I root for ND and ND only.  I have always liked ND as a young child but I became a really big ND fan through some of the crappiest years In ND history.  2001 Is probably the year where I got really Into college football and haven't turned back since.  I dont root for UK football and I barely keep up with whats going on there.  (The UK Football news I get comes from the same show I listen to everyday that Is dedicated mostly UK Basketball.)  Although It doesn't bother me If they do well....which Is almost non existent.  Its just how It Is for me.

lumbergh wrote: I forget your age if you ever offered it, GoldRush, but did you feel the same way during the McPherson/MacPherson era?

More importantly, I wonder how guys like you and 73 would feel if Syracuse/Kentucky were going through periods like that while ND was (apparently) in the middle of a decades-long slump.

GoldRushND wrote: 
I have similar allegiances to Syracuse and Navy, though in games where they're playing one another, I'll always take Notre Dame.

I can relate to this.  I love UK Basketball and ND Football.  Although Its slightly different from your situation It Is similar.  Ive noticed that ND fans and alum are good people but tend to be more judgmental and holier than thou.  Kentucky fans are more down to earth middle class personality who have more of a sense of humor.  Both teams fans are stubborn beyond belief.  However, by coming on here for how ever many years Ive been on here has taught me both fan bases have that holier than thou attitude sometimes.  ND just gets a worse reputation for It because of their past and how they are portrayed In the media. 

lumbergh wrote: I may have missed the point of the question slightly.

Yes, I would say people on this site have increased my appreciation for ND as a cultural whatever.

I still think of ND as a bunch of churchy country clubbers (with the emphasis on the latter) compared to Spartans who, by virtue of numbers and lack of official religion, are automatically far more diverse, but that stereotype has certainly softened in my mind and definitely for the better.

GaviND wrote: Okay, Lumbergh, I am curious:

You are, admittedly, pretty much split between MSU and ND as gas as football fandom goes (correct me if I am misunderstood).

Has the time you spent on this site increased your appreciation for ND or has it not changed much?

I'm one of the much maligned IU basketball/Notre Dame football fans. I also cheer for both schools football and basketball teams but its more of a passing interest. I know it's lame to be a fan of both given there historic pasts, but I grew up a catholic in central Indiana and went to school at IU. People always give me flack for it but I've been a huge fan of both since I was a small child, a die hard fan of any team knows that you can't just stop cheering for your favorite team.

I also like the culture of IU more than ND, but that probably has more to do with my experience in Bloomington. The good part of cheering for both teams is their massive fan bases provide for great online discussion.

Also, congrats to Cole Luke. Really looking forward to watching this defense in the coming years.