Spring Practice Thread 2012

[Who'saWildManNow]

And we'd be wrong. Just like how we were wrong about all of those kinds in the last class with "swag." You know exactly who I'm talking about.

It got me thinking "how the eff do you have swag as a 17 year old?" And the answer is that you don't. You just have a big ego, over-inflated confidence, and a large sense of entitlement.

How many guys on Stanford's team do you see talking about swag? I, frankly, want ZERO kids in this class tweeting about how they're going to be the best ever or **** like that. I want a whole bunch of tough, smart kids who want to be at NOTRE DAME.

That's a great point man..

 

[koonja]

Clausen was that bad, huh?

 

[Emcee77]

I don't really get why people didn't like Clausen. Maybe he was as arrogant as people say, but during the Clausen years I didn't read a ton of news or follow recruiting very closely, so all I know about Clausen is what I saw on the field. And after a couple years, what I saw on the field was one of the best college QBs of the last decade or so. Once he hit his stride, he was supremely confident and deadly accurate out there, even while taking a beating. If he'd had a better team around him (particularly a better O line), more people would remember him as a great QB, which is how I remember him. I never saw much to dislike.

On a different note, I love how in every practice video you can see Amir in the background looking a little pathetic, crutching around or standing on one leg. Poor guy. He can't catch a break when it comes to injuries.

 

[BeauBenken]

And we'd be wrong. Just like how we were wrong about all of those kinds in the last class with "swag." You know exactly who I'm talking about.

It got me thinking "how the eff do you have swag as a 17 year old?" And the answer is that you don't. You just have a big ego, over-inflated confidence, and a large sense of entitlement.

How many guys on Stanford's team do you see talking about swag? I, frankly, want ZERO kids in this class tweeting about how they're going to be the best ever or **** like that. I want a whole bunch of tough, smart kids who want to be at NOTRE DAME.

And I'd think you're wrong.

 

[IrishLax]

Clausen was that bad, huh?

Nah, he was great (in his junior year). What he wasn't was a great leader/person and I've spoken to that when I first joined this board awhile ago... but it's not like he was bad... like Terelle Pryor or Marcus Vick.... so while leadership is a part of being a QB, he was a lot better than a lot of other guys who were successful. But that's besides the point.

I'm more railing on the other kids... some who committed and then decommitted (Chris Martin, etc. etc. etc.), some who just lacked any competitive drive or work ethic, some who quit as soon as they didn't see immediate PT or found themselves down on the depth chart.

Not enough Manti Te'os/Mike Anellos and way too many Shaq Evans/Matt Carufels. Got to recruit the right types of players or sign 25+ kids a class like Alabama if you court the prima donnas.

 

[DillonHall]

And we'd be wrong. Just like how we were wrong about all of those kinds in the last class with "swag." You know exactly who I'm talking about.

It got me thinking "how the eff do you have swag as a 17 year old?" And the answer is that you don't. You just have a big ego, over-inflated confidence, and a large sense of entitlement.

How many guys on Stanford's team do you see talking about swag? I, frankly, want ZERO kids in this class tweeting about how they're going to be the best ever or **** like that. I want a whole bunch of tough, smart kids who want to be at NOTRE DAME.

Great post! I've been thinking this over the past year and wanted guys like Greenberry and Shepard to just shut up about how great they thought they were. Those types don't fit at ND and I'm glad someone finally said it.

 

[TheSunIsRising]

whats the difference between confidence and swagger

around 4 to 6 wins??

 

[DillonHall]

On the Gunner-swag, confidence, arrogance and cockiness topic. As long as i've been around the game the really good QB's have all those traits.... I guess it goes along with the role of leading men.... You have to be confident in getting the task at hand accomplished... you have to be a little arrogant and cocky to know no one will take your job and if you have competition for your job you will just get better.... and well "swag" thats knowing you can and will make big plays often....

So in Young Gunner's career i believe he is humble because he isn't a big fish in a little pond and the speed of the game is so fast.... But i'd bet on it that he knows he will be the man sooner then later....

Hell i'd go out on a limb and even say Tommy got some cockiness to him, yeah he's a nice kid and all. And yes he helps out the other guys....but in his mind he's saying "none of these guys are stealing my spot"....

Obviously you need to have confidence to succeed, especially as ND's QB. However, you show that confidence by being a leader, motivating your teammates, and playing with confidence and swagger on the field. However, when you're off the field and speaking to the media, you need to always be humble and give credit to your teammates and coaches. You do not pull up in a limo at the college football hall of fame and announce your commitment to go to college.

Just like Kelly said, we need "tough gentlemen" in this program.

 

[NDhoosier]

 

[Meacon Irish]

I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't take Jimmy on this team. You put Clausen on last year's team with Floyd/Eifert, that running game, and that defense? Whooooo.

That said, we can't live in the past, can we? And if we could, I doubt we'd pick the Jimmy years to be the ones to re-live.

 

[NDdomer2]

Swagger needs no promotion. If you really have it, it will show.

 

[Irish4Life09]

I don't really get why people didn't like Clausen. Maybe he was as arrogant as people say, but during the Clausen years I didn't read a ton of news or follow recruiting very closely, so all I know about Clausen is what I saw on the field. And after a couple years, what I saw on the field was one of the best college QBs of the last decade or so. Once he hit his stride, he was supremely confident and deadly accurate out there, even while taking a beating. If he'd had a better team around him (particularly a better O line), more people would remember him as a great QB, which is how I remember him. I never saw much to dislike.

On a different note, I love how in every practice video you can see Amir in the background looking a little pathetic, crutching around or standing on one leg. Poor guy. He can't catch a break when it comes to injuries.

Clausen sure was a great QB....against mediocre competition. If we had had a better team around him, it would have made him even more overhyped than he actually was.The NFL has proven he just wasn't that good.

 

[DillonHall]

Clausen sure was a great QB....against mediocre competition. If we had had a better team around him, it would have made him even more overhyped than he actually was.The NFL has proven he just wasn't that good.

Clausen was very good and very consistent throughout his junior year. He's hardly gotten a fair shot in the NFL. It's not his playing career that was the problem; it was his attitude.

 

[IrishLax]

Swagger needs no promotion. If you really have it, it will show.

Man, this is such a simple but such a great and accurate post. See: Skylar Diggins. Not one tweet or statement ever to the effect of "I GOTZ TEH SWAGG!!1!" but she has it and you can tell. By her followers. By Lil' Wayne wearing her jersey for concerts. By the articles in every publication out there. If you truly have "swag" it is obvious.

She didn't get that (and 1st team AA + back-to-back Final Four trips) by running her mouth on twitter. She got there by working hard at her craft and fully dedicating herself to being the best she could be.

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Others players who shall not be named instead love tweeting pictures of their new Ed Hardy shirts and talking about how they're the best ever without stepping on a DI field. Ridiculous.

 

[mgriff]

Clausen was very good and very consistent throughout his junior year. He's hardly gotten a fair shot in the NFL. It's not his playing career that was the problem; it was his attitude.

I'll take him in Miami time now.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Another room full of otherwise upstanding men with burlap sacks over their heads in the dark, swinging sticks at each other. Do the ones with swag score more hits, or is it the ones with confidence? Does it hurt less with ample arrogance, or does pride keep one from letting it show? Snatch the pebble from my hand grasshopper.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Clausen sure was a great QB....against mediocre competition. If we had had a better team around him, it would have made him even more overhyped than he actually was.The NFL has proven he just wasn't that good.

The NFL hasn't proven jack sh*t.

During Clausen's junior year, he was playing as well as any quarterback has, ever. You could count the number of bad throws he had all season on one hand.

 

[JughedJones]

The NFL hasn't proven jack sh*t.

During Clausen's junior year, he was playing as well as any quarterback has, ever. You could count the number of bad throws he had all season on one hand.

100% agree.

1 year on a crap team doesn't mean anything. He'll get another chance.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

100% agree.

1 year on a crap team doesn't mean anything. He'll get another chance.

Will Brady? How is he different? He's every bit the qb that Jimmah is/was.

 

[JughedJones]

I think he may as well.

I don't think either of them got a fair shake, but Jimmy especially so.

You can't throw a guy into that mess and expect him to do well right away. Cam had a better opportunity because of his skill set to surprise people.

 

[koonja]

Clausen had ridiculous accuracy. Accuracy that is god given and can't be taught. That gives him the edge on Brady, Imo.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Now we are getting into a Jimmy versus Brady arguement!

 

[returnofthemack]

Brady Quinn is one of my favorite players ever, but among the great Irish QBs, I had the fortune to see, Jimmy was by far the best passer. His junior year was a work of art. I have yet to see a QB throw as many pinpoint passes - not Sam Bradford, not Andrew Luck, despite their infinitely better offensive lines and running games. Clausen was a fantastic passer but was saddled with one of the worst running games and offensive lines, and with the most putrid defense I have ever seen. I have no doubt that if you switched Rees for Clausen last year, we would have won a BCS bowl. He may not be the most popular guy, but anybody trying to bag on his skills knows little to nothing about football. There is no QB in college football that could throw a better deep ball or fade route. His passes can bring a tear to your eye when you envision them on the backdrop of Rees throwing as hard as he can and the ball going thirty yards.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Clausen had ridiculous accuracy. Accuracy that is god given and can't be taught. That gives him the edge on Brady, Imo.

Agreed.
Brady was/is too streaky.
Not to mention he made a lot of plays with his feet in 05.
Neither has elite or even above average arm strength.
Clausen just needs a complete team around him, good running game, great defense and he'll win in the league.
I could see him being successful on a team like San Fran, Houston, or maybe even the Jets.

 

[returnofthemack]

As far as swag vs. quiet confidence, neither of them is wrong. Manti has quiet confidence, and is a beast. Deion Sanders is the embodiment of swag, and there will probably never be a player as great as he was. Different players express their confidence in different ways. Cornerbacks and WRs usually can't afford to be quietly confident. Part of their game is getting into their counterpart's head. Name any great cornerback, and I guarantee you they are not "quietly confident". QBs and other defenders can keep their confidence internalized, because they can prove their worth through their actions (big hits, big passes). I prefer the quietly menacing players (think RB in backfield staring into Ray Lewis' smoldering eyes), but Lord knows I wish we had some Deion Sanders types in our secondary.

 

[dublinirish]

Was never bagging on Clausen's skills just his attitude in his early days at ND. If Kiel is successful and gets to ND hes going to be a marketers dream because hes so well spoken and humble.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

As far as swag vs. quiet confidence, neither of them is wrong. Manti has quiet confidence, and is a beast. Deion Sanders is the embodiment of swag, and there will probably never be a player as great as he was. Different players express their confidence in different ways. Cornerbacks and WRs usually can't afford to be quietly confident. Part of their game is getting into their counterpart's head. Name any great cornerback, and I guarantee you they are not "quietly confident". QBs and other defenders can keep their confidence internalized, because they can prove their worth through their actions (big hits, big passes). I prefer the quietly menacing players (think RB in backfield staring into Ray Lewis' smoldering eyes), but Lord knows I wish we had some Deion Sanders types in our secondary.

Champ Bailey.

 

[bert2834]

Prince Shembo is in a walking cast per ISD twitter.

Also, he and Springman are on the bikes this morning.

 

[Old Man Mike]

odd "spring practice thread".... can we say "obsession"?

 

[BobD]

I was going to ask what year this spring practice thread is for?