April 20, 2010 By: Evan J. Thomas Today marks the beginning of the 2010 NFL Draft in New York City, Round 1 is in Prime Time on ESPN. This is the day that Jimmy Clausen has been dreaming of as a kid. All the hard work, all the preparation, and all the injuries he sustained, all the negative comments about not being able to win at Notre Dame. This is Jimmy’s time. It’s guaranteed that Clausen will be a first round choice. His potential suitors through draft experts are the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills. Talk is that he may fall to the back end of the first round depending on other teams needs. The Kansas City Chiefs should also be in the mix for Jimmy’s pro services since his former college coach at Notre Dame; Charlie Weis is now the offensive coordinator for KC. Questions surround Clausen though on draft day. Clausen admitted during an ESPN film session to former NFL head coach and current Monday Night Football color announcer John Gruden that as he stated “lazy” on a deep out play against USC and safety Taylor Mays. Gruden ripped him on his lazy comment and said in the NFL he won’t be able to get away with making those throws. Clausen wasn’t as highly touted as Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow or Colt McCoy during his college career. Jimmy didn’t win the “Big Game” or a national title or the Heisman at Notre Dame as he had hoped coming in as the top freshman quarterback from high school. Clausen’s Notre Dame teams didn’t frequently blow out other teams like the previously named prospects did throughout their college careers. But Clausen knows how to play in pressure packed games and how to come from behind in games. Clausen ran a pro style offense at Notre Dame and has the skills and pedigree to be a top-flight gunslinger in the NFL. Clausen’s future begins tonight. This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
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February 18, 2010 By: Evan J. Thomas Let’s start of by saying that I am not a Lindsey Vonn hater. The 25-year-old statuesque blond with model looks is a world-class skier with all world talent. Vonn is competing against the best of the best that the world has to offer. But wait a minute! Has Vonn become the subject of an over exaggerated shin injury so the NBC brass and the US Media could hype up the darling of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics for ratings? We know the Olympics are all about the drama of competition. We see the way the media has to have a dramatic story behind every competitor and their rise to stardom from the small towns, the farms, or the hardships that they grew up with to get to this point. Was anyone really THAT interested in watching the women’s downhill until hearing of the potential set back to Vonn? We first heard the reports about 2 weeks ago that Vonn had a serious shin injury that may potentially keep her out of the Olympics. All skiers have nagging injuries whether it’s back stiffness, knee, ankle, joints or just bumps and bruises from training. Does anyone really think that the shin injury would have stopped Vonn from pursuing her Olympic dream? With all the grueling hours of training would an injury like this really hold Vonn back from competing in the biggest moment in her career? I think not. We all recall the image of Curt Shilling and the bloody sock and what he had to overcome to pitch in the 2004 World Series. This time we have Lindsey Vonn sitting at the Olympic podium discussing the probability of her being able to overcome the injury and compete in the games as throngs of reporters scribbled every word and flash bulbs from dozens of photographers snapped away. Since Vonn has underperformed in previous Winter Games and has never won gold, could the injury be a potential excuse in case she failed? She had talked about the pressure of performing and how she relished it; how she was so deeply aware of Bode Miller’s hype-and-collapse in Turin, and how she would make sure his failures did not happen to her. If she overcame the injury and won gold she would become an iconic figure in the Winter Games. This is exactly what NBC wants! So it came down to Wednesday’s showdown on the bumpy and blood stained Franz’s run. A handful of competitors met their match on the hill as they lost control and wiped out one by one before Vonn’s attempt at Olympic Gold. Vonn furiously raced down the slopes, gliding and weaving her way to the finish line while hundreds of flag waving and cowbell ringing family and fans cheered her every move. Vonn crossed the finish line and collapsed on the sun-drenched snow in sheer delight of her accomplishment. Her championship time was 1:44.19, but her winning time was secondary to the grinding competition of the day. Vonn embraced her husband and cried for several moments as TV cameras and photographers fixed their lenses on her every move. Vonn showed no signs of discomfort during her gold medal run. “My shin was killing me but I somehow found the aggression and intensity I needed to have a good run,” Vonn said. “When I crossed the finish line and seeing my name up there at No. 1 it was overwhelming, was the best feeling of my life.” As she stood during the medal ceremony Vonn had tears of joy in her eyes as the gold medal was placed around her. It was a gritty performance from Vonn nonetheless. I am not taking anything away from her as a competitor, though I can question how all this was manipulated to the Olympic viewers by NBC and the media. Vonn will go down in history as a fighter and vicious competitor. She will be offered million dollar endorsement deals. We will be subject to her hocking products on various commercials like moisturizers, hair products and dietary supplements. Her blond locks and good looks will be gracing the pages of every major magazine. She will be the subject on every major talk show as she discusses her personal and professional setbacks. Vonn’s talents made her a sports figure, but the media has made her a household name. This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
December 2, 2009 By: Evan J. Thomas The yearly IHSA State Football Championship games recently concluded a few days ago on a breathtaking weekend after Thanksgiving. High School football teams from all over Illinois converged for their final games of the 2009 season in historic Memorial Stadium in Champaign, home of the Fighting Illini. These teams, these players, these coach’s football seasons began in June during the immense heat of the summer with 2 a days. The weeks of training are geared to take on the task of the upcoming season. On the football field is where the men are separated from the boys, some kids quit, some get injured but they all do this for one common goal, a championship for their school, for their community, for their teammates. 99.9% of these young men will walk off the field having never known what playing in a championship game means, but the few that do will either find out the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat. Obviously only a handful of schools will get a chance to play in the season’s defining game. I have never partaken in these events but have seen them first hand and wished I had played football while I was in school. I live within minutes of Montini and I graduated from Glenbard West in 1993 so I have reason wish the best for both schools. I was on hand to witness and work two of the best games in IHSA football history on Saturday. The first pairing for the 5A Championship game was between the powerhouse Joliet Catholic Academy Hilltoppers (11-2) and Montini Broncos (9-4). Talk about David vs. Goliath scenario, Joliet Catholic has won 13 state titles to Montini’s 1 state title and Joliet Catholic was favored in this match up. The game began with two quick Hilltopper touchdowns off turnovers that put Joliet Catholic up 14-0. Montini answered with touchdowns of their own to keep themselves in the game. After trading touchdowns in the second half, Montini was down 28-21 with under a minute remaining. Bronco’s senior quarterback Brandon Pechloff guided the offense into Joliet Catholic territory and moments later found an open receiver in the back of the end zone to bring the Broncos within one point with 34 seconds remaining. Montini head coach Chris Andriano promptly called on his kicking team to line up and attempt the game tying extra point. Coach Andriano then called a timeout to think what to do next. As the Broncos came back out onto the field coach Andriano decided to make the gutsy decision to go for the two point conversion. Now, after weeks and weeks of tiresome practices and 13 hard fought games the Broncos season will culminate on one final play. Everything these kids battled for all season long comes down to this and will ultimately decide whether these young men will feel the jubilation of celebrating a state title or wallow in defeat. Coach Andriano made his decision to go for it. As the offense walks up to the line of scrimmage no one was sitting, everyone was on his or her feet and at full throat in hopes of what the final play will bring for Montini. Bronco quarterback Pechloff lined up behind center, he took the snap and dropped back to survey the field, he spotted his wide receiver who had lined up on the right side of the formation running a drag route down the goal line. Pechloff wound up and tossed a perfect pass to the goal line as he led the receiver for a diving grab to convert the two-point conversion. Once the Broncos on the sidelines realized the conversion was good, the players rushed the field in celebration of their second state championship. The overjoyed players, coaches, family and friends gathered for the festivities following the game and the presentation of the championship trophy. On the other side of the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat spectrum we had the IHSA 7A Championship game pitting #2 Glenbard West Hilltoppers (13-0) battling #3 Wheaton Warrenville South Tigers (12-1). Glenbard West is gunning for their first state title since 1983 and their second overall in school history. The Hilltoppers lost in last season’s semi-final game to eventual state champion East St. Louis. The Tigers during their playoff run have ended the seasons of St. Rita and East St. Louis. Those victories have put the Tigers in their second championship game in 4 years. Both teams emerged from the tunnel under a falling darkness and bright lights of Zeppke field. The game got under way with the Hilltoppers and senior quarterback Tyler Warden hurling a careless pass on his first attempt for an interception. After West stopped the Tigers on the goal line and got the ball back at their own 1-yard line, Warden three plays later lost a fumble on the Glenbard West 3 yard line. Two plays later WWS scored on a one yard push to go up 7-0. West added a field goal in the first half to cut the deficit to 7-3 going into halftime. WWS started the second half with the ball and on the third play of the half Tigers senior quarterback Reilly O’Toole forced an ill-advised pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by the Hilltoppers All-State linebacker Connor Loftus. The teams traded touchdowns and field goals in the second half to make the game 17-17 with a few minutes remaining. The Hilltoppers had a chance to go ahead with 47 seconds remaining when a 28-yard field goal went wide right missing by barely a foot. Time eventually ran down in the fourth quarter as the game went into overtime-tied 17-17. In the first overtime both teams traded touchdowns. In the second overtime, the Tigers began with the ball and on fourth down at the Glenbard West one yard line scored the go ahead touchdown. With the overtime rules giving each team a chance to score in overtime the Hilltoppers get the second possession of the second overtime. After three imperfect play calls that went for naught the game hangs in the balance, a fourth and goal with the state title and undefeated season on the line for the Hilltoppers. As the teams line up for what ultimately is a defining moment the stadium is going crazy with anticipation. Warden takes the shotgun snap and rolls right, he has about four seconds before his potentially game winning pass sails over the head of a jumping receiver and unceremoniously drops to the ground. As the ball sat motionless on the ground after the incompletion the players on the Glenbard West side became grief stricken. Some players fell to their knees in disbelief, some players took their frustrations out on helmets and other items within their grasp and some players sat with their heads in the hands trying to hold back tears. Some weren’t able hold back emotions and were consoled by other teammates, coaches or family members. Tears of joy and tears of sadness flow after each game as each team wanders up to the podium to receive their trophies. The trophy sitting in the school trophy case will always be a reminder of what that day meant to each of these young men. This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
December 22, 2009 By: Evan J. Thomas Now that Brian Kelly has been on the job at Notre Dame for just over a week, I am going over a mock first week checklist for Coach Kelly. Enjoy! - Return Charlie Weis’ Super Bowl rings that he left in the desk drawer. - Take down the autographed photos of former Michigan quarterback Tom Brady that were gracing the walls. - Have the movie “Rudy” playing on a continuous loop in my office Blue Ray player. - Follow up on future Irish starting quarterback Dayne Christ and his scheduled rehab. - Wrap wide receiver Michael Floyd in bubble wrap so he doesn’t get injured this offseason. - Learn the names of all janitors who sweep and mop the floors. - Remember to say 100 Hail Mary’s before leaving church. - Call Los Angeles post office to forward all mail marked “University of Southern California” to South Bend, Indiana - Contact University of Washington about the possibility of Nate Montana returning to Notre Dame in a backup roll. - Hope that “Rudy, The Golden Gnome” reaches 100,000 friends on Facebook!! Search: “Rudy, The Golden Gnome” and become a fan! - Hire an offensive and defensive coordinator; I think Charlie Weis may be looking for a coordinator job. - Set up a 5-year plan on how not to lose to Navy. - Make sure to rid my closet of all things red and black. - Send all Cincinnati hate mail to Ann Arbor, Michigan. - Thank ND Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick for this job every time I see him. - Walk the campus of Notre Dame and think to myself how small Cincinnati was compared to this. - Silently search for a location on the stadium grounds for where they will erect my bronze statue after winning a national title. This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
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Evan J. ThomasEvan is a contributor for ThePit-SE.com Follow him on Facebook, Twitter & InstaGram Archives
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