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Maybe Texas A&M was out of the top 20 because they lost to Penn State.

STOP THE PRESS!
FROM FROSTYBITES FALLS MINNESOTA:

BREAKING NEWS: VMAN GIVEN MORE BAD DATA OR ALWAYS GET A NERD UPS RESEARCH GUY TO CHECK ON DATA!

In unprecedented fashion, your favorite Sidman ambassador, Vman has once again reported faulty data!! In the ongoing UPS's schedule and record vs anyone decent saga, another record mistake/omission occurred.
It seems that Vman was initially relying on an olde Pitt buddy, who turned him onto the Nitwits pitiful perfomance against any real team during the period noted from '98 thru '04; and reported a bageling 0 for 12 performance vs top 20 teams. Pitt buddy,after further review, then updated Vman that the Nitwits also lost to Auburn in '02 bringing that choking total to 0 for 13...now that is eye-opening; and some people have trouble internalizing the concept underachieving, despite excellent recruiting and stockpiled talent!

More recently Vman called nerd UPS buddy in Minn. who clued us in of yet other deletions from this pitiful transcript! "You don't say", Vman responded, fully expecting to hear a UPS win that may have been overlooked during period in question. Oh contraire, the UPS CFO (having some affiliation with U of MINN.) relayed that in 99 "we" also lost to Minnesota, who indeed ended yr in top 20!! Alas, this would bring ineptness record to 0 for 14, amazing!

Now trusting this nerd researcher Vman asked him about a few things in question that were mystifying the entire reading area and unknown parts of Texas! He was turned onto a website with past records and polls. To update the non-believers all data was doubled checked personally by Vman this time and the following scientific analysis were concluded(remember,with UPS buddy in tow)! In '99 UPS did defeat A&M in the remember the Alamo Bowl(currently supplanted by the remember morale is up Zipper Bowl) but by average ranking A&M fell well out of top 20 in all but one poll(hung onto 20th in AP) but were 26th and even 32nd in others! Now my nerd researcher argued, you have more of an issue with Miami in '99. They were 15th in 2 polls and top 10 in BCS. "But" Vman exclaimed, "you obviously are not down with the scientific Harlan, Harlequin, Huckowie & Huckleberry, 4H Poll. "No" CFO responded, "but you have to give UPS this one, despite the 4H finding!"

Being fair minded Vman conceded; thusly the official record vs Top 20 teams for UPS from "98 thru 04 was an astounding 1 for 15!!!!! nm.

I know that this is a Pitt-Penn State discussion now, but I thought this was interesting.

[hr]

Notre Dame Scheduling Neutral Site Games

By TOM COYNE
AP Sports Writer

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- Notre Dame's decision to schedule a game each season at neutral sites starting in 2009 is an attempt to return the school to its independent roots.

Athletic director Kevin White said Tuesday the goal is to travel to different parts of the country and ensure that the only school with a national television contract remains a nationwide school. He said it would help recruiting and give more Fighting Irish fans a chance to see the team.

Division I football will go to a 12-game schedule for all schools beginning this season.

"I think over time we've really begun to behave like a wannabe conference member," White said. "I think it was real important for us to go back to our roots and behave more like an independent - go back to the coach Rockne barnstorming era if you will."

The game is a sign that Notre Dame is moving further away from possibly affiliating with a conference, White said.

He said the games aren't truly neutral-site games, but home contests played away from South Bend. They will not be against what White described as "heavyweights."

"We have enough heavyweights on the schedule," he said. "We need to have a schedule that's conducive to success."

He said the university is negotiating to play in Jacksonville and Orlando, Fla., New Orleans and Dallas. The school is looking at existing bowl-game organizations to help stage the contests.

"It's really not a bad idea for Notre Dame to have relationships with lots of different entities," White said.

Some Notre Dame fans contend the team's upcoming schedules are not as tough as previous ones. White said he is not trying to put together the nation's most difficult schedule.

"We need to schedule in a way it puts us in a position to win national championships," he said. "We could have a great football team and schedule ourselves out of a championship. You can schedule yourself in, you can schedule yourself out. The last time I checked, the most important thing here is to try to win national championships."

I'm gonna let LL Cool J lead into this, because I'm about to get out the whipping stick.

Don't call it a comeback
I been here for years
Rockin my peers and puttin suckas in fear
Makin the tears rain down like a MON-soon
Listen to the bass go BOOM
Explosion, overpowerin
Over the competition, I'm towerin
Wreckin shop, when I drop these lyrics that'll make you call the cops
Don't you dare stare, you betta move
Don't ever compare
Me to the rest that'll all get sliced and diced
Competition's payin the price


WHERE DO I EVEN START? I guess at the top. Buckle your seat belt.

Notre Dame's decision to schedule a game each season at neutral sites starting in 2009 is an attempt to return the school to its independent roots.

When in the hell did Notre Dame exercise any kind of movement un-independent like? Look at who they schedule.

Athletic director Kevin White said Tuesday the goal is to travel to different parts of the country and ensure that the only school with a national television contract remains a nationwide school.

No, the goal by Mr. White is to take advantage of local media and gain exposure for his team when they play SW Texas State. Remains a nationwide school? Didn't know the campus was the new fortress you morons want to build around the US. Let's just be called "Notre Dame" from now on instead of America.

He said it would help recruiting and give more Fighting Irish fans a chance to see the team

Good point. Make sure that fanbase stays on board through 8 straight bowl losses.

"I think over time we've really begun to behave like a wannabe conference member," White said. "I think it was real important for us to go back to our roots and behave more like an independent - go back to the coach Rockne barnstorming era if you will."

What this means, ladies and gentlemen, is that ND is looking to go back to the old days of when colleges scheduled club-team opponents. The best news Gannon heard all year? "How about a series with your traditional rival Notre Dame?"

I love the use of the word BARNSTORMING. See the hypocrisy a little below.

The game is a sign that Notre Dame is moving further away from possibly affiliating with a conference, White said.

What this translates to is that the NCAA just accepted 4 more bowl games. That being said, ND will never NOT be bowl eligible. The only thing that was forcing ND into a conference was the BCS pressure w/ conference bids. Adding more at-large bids helps WHO? Notre Dame.

"We have enough heavyweights on the schedule," he said. "We need to have a schedule that's conducive to success."

YOU ALREADY HAVE ONE, JACKASS! You can't even go over 9-3!

What do all you idiots who argue with me over ND think "SCHEDULE CONDUCIVE TO SUCCESS" really means????

He said the games aren't truly neutral-site games, but home contests played away from South Bend. They will not be against what White described as "heavyweights."

If every single poster on BC doesn't jump all over this quote I am going to THROW UP!!!! Re-read that sentence. "NOT TRULY NEUTRAL GAME SITES"!!!! No heavyweights, of course not!

WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE BARNSTORMING ERA.

Please contridict yourself more!

The school is looking at existing bowl-game organizations to help stage the contests.

Hey, genius... they already do that! 0-8, numbskull!!!!

Some Notre Dame fans contend the team's upcoming schedules are not as tough as previous ones.

DING DING DING DING DING DING DING!

White said he is not trying to put together the nation's most difficult schedule.

Wow, for real?! Because I couldnt tell that from the ARMY, AIR FORCE, AND SAN DIEGO STATE games you just scheduled!!!

"It's really not a bad idea for Notre Dame to have relationships with lots of different entities," White said.

"Its not really a bad idea for Notre Dame to have relationships with lots of different NAIA programs." WELCOME TO SOUTH BEND, LOUSIANA MONROE!

"We need to schedule in a way it puts us in a position to win national championships," he said.

How can this guy possibly fit more cupcakes on that schedule? Is the NCAA going to 20 games now? This is a complete joke!

"We could have a great football team and schedule ourselves out of a championship. You can schedule yourself in, you can schedule yourself out. The last time I checked, the most important thing here is to try to win national championships."

I hate to break this news... but you need to actually play quality teams in order to gain respect. Am I seriously the only person in America who thinks that you're only as good as your competition is?

MY HATE FOR NOTRE DAME IS REAL, AND IS ACCELERATED.

good points made by TAE... the one where the athletic director saying that he doesnt want the toughest schedule was good, hey maybe he'll start scheduling division 1-aa teams for his whole schedule... hell, notre dame could lose to the citadel, furman, and appalachian state and still be in a BCS game, cuz they are notre dame, greatest school in the world, who have a bowl [strike]winning[/strike], i mean LOSING streak of eight straight games... i said that they were overrated last year, and i'm not saying that they'll suck this year, but with all these cupcake games during the season, once they get to play a good team, let's say usc or penn state, they wont have as much experience in big games like the other teams...

I thought this was a decent piece and very relevant to our conversation. This definitely captures the gist of what a lot of Notre Dame fans are feeling right now with regard to scheduling and the inability to manage the most valuble brand in college football by Dr. White. He just doesn't get it and he probably never will.

[hr]

Words or no words, ND fans still fume

Tip McCann, Notre Dame fan, suffered a jarring disruption to his serenity this week.

With his beloved Irish football team on the rise and, he hastened to add, USC crumbling under its own weight, Tip felt contentment he thought only a third pint of Guinness could create.

Then Kevin White spoke.

A wave of bile rose in Tip's throat over the audacity of a Notre Dame athletic director suggesting no "heavyweights" need apply to be the football team's opponent at its "off-site" games.

He puffed up like a blowfish and bellowed:

"Notre Dame never had to apologize for its football schedule. Except maybe to its own coach. Now this guy wants to water it down, just when the team's getting good enough to handle it?"

White didn't say that. Somebody asked about his philosophy of scheduling in the new 12-game seasons the NCAA approved and he described Notre Dame's ideal situation.

Seven home games. Four on the road, "return games" against traditional, major conference opponents, like USC, the Big Ten teams and Stanford. Then one "off-site," essentially a home game played someplace like Dallas, Jacksonville or the Meadowlands.

Safe to say Notre Dame wouldn't want to play a regional power on one of those occasions. It would defeat the purpose because it wouldn't include a return date at Notre Dame Stadium. That's all he was trying to say.

"Why say it at all? Just do it and shut up about it."

So it's not the idea that bothers you, just the fact that White acknowledged it out there in front of God and microphones.

"Exactly. No need to give all the Notre Dame haters more ammunition. It's not like he was under oath to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help him Charlie."

Face it, White's spin cycle has never been his best feature. But God forbid someone in his role should state a reasonable position that everybody with any sense knows to be true. Notre Dame doesn't go 15 yards for a first down, just 10 like everybody else. Why shouldn't its scheduling philosophy be equal to the competition?

"There's pride in playing the best and he's stating flat-out that, to win national championships, Notre Dame has to avoid doing that."

Didn't the Irish do some carbo-loading with Rice the last time they won a national championship? That was on top of the usual rotation of Air Force and/or Army to go along with old standby Navy.

"The service academies are traditional opponents, dating back -- !"

Somebody's cranky. Relax. Just pointing out that the schedule included its share of middleweights even in the quaint, old 11-game format. USC will always be there. So will some traditional Big Ten opponents. Probably a Tennessee or the equivalent, too. Remember, anything that happens in this new "iteration," as White likes to call it, is an addition to, not a subtraction from, what Notre Dame already does on an annual basis.

"Nevada? San Diego State?"

Well ...

"See, it's all part of a mindset -- from inside the athletic department -- to treat Notre Dame football like some schlub from a second-rate conference. White just doesn't get it."

Wait a second. Those games are just a gesture to the teams that accommodated Notre Dame switching BYU to the beginning of the 2004 season. Everybody agreed with that move (not that it did any good). So teams should just step aside and expect nothing in return when Notre Dame needs to rearrange its plans at the last minute?

"It shouldn't come to that. Any competent athletic director would have worked out those details before it became an issue."

This stuff doesn't happen in a vacuum. Other teams have schedules and interests to protect, and granting Notre Dame its every wish doesn't factor into the equation. Really, it's a pretty complex environment. Not to mention the fact that White's only now starting to cobble together schedules he didn't inherit.

"And look what he's doing with them. He just doesn't understand what Notre Dame's all about."

Which is ... ? Vowing to play only the best teams, then scheduling exactly the way he described anyway? Big, empty talk. That's what Notre Dame's all about?

"White just never knows what to say. It's like he's trying to tear down everything Notre Dame stands for with his choice of words."

If that's how people interpret a straightforward answer on a pretty innocuous subject, no wonder he never says anything.