Franchitti wins 2012 Indy 500

            I never thought there would be a more exciting Indianapolis 500 after last year’s epic conclusion in which Dan Wheldon beat JR Hildebrand after crashing on the last lap. Even if there was, I never thought it would be the very next year. Yet, the 2012 edition of the “500” was arguably the best ever. The record for most lead changes was shattered as drivers were able to take advantage of the great drafting conditions made by the new cars. There was passing at the front, middle, and back of the field and throughout the race. Restarts were intense as drivers would be three- and four-wide before diving into Turn 1. Plus, this race had a pretty good ending too.

            With 7 to go, Tony Kanaan led Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon to the green flag. Before T.K. could even get to the starting line Franchitti and Dixon got by him. With five to go, Dixon got by Franchitti and huge underdog Takuma Sato got by Kanaan for third place. The laps went by and the Ganassi drivers continued to swap positions. Sato got by Dixon with two to go and set his eyes on Franchitti. The two came around to take the white flag and that’s when Sato went for it all. He dove under Franchitti going into Turn 1. All of a sudden, Sato’s car got loose and he slid right into the wall. Dario Franchitti had the lead and won the race under caution.

            Those are the facts, but my opinion is that Franchitti is an asshole and didn’t give Sato any room to make a clean pass. It made me sick to my stomach to stand and watch Franchitti celebrate a victory that will put him on a pedestal that only a few men have reached. He is now only one of nine drivers to win 3+ Indy 500’s. He is also just one win away from tying Rick Mears, A.J. Foyt, and Bobby Unser for most “500” wins. He is nowhere near as talented as those three incredible racers. All three of his wins came under caution, one of which was due to rain. Maybe rain victories should be counted as half victories.

            No matter the outcome, the 96^th running of the Indianapolis 500 was tremendous and sets the stage for what should be a fantastic race in 2013. Along with Dario, Helio Castroneves also has three “500” wins and you can bet he doesn’t want Dario to be the first one to get four victories in over 20 years. It also isn’t ridiculous to think that Takuma Sato, Marco Andretti, and James Hinchcliffe will be better next year after strong showings in this year’s race.   

          Don't forget that there is more to IndyCar than the "500"! Will Power maintains his first place in the points standings over Helio Castroneves. The next race is this Sunday in Detroit at 3:30 on ABC.

Indy 500 Preview

            The 96^th Indianapolis 500 may not have all the pageantry and magic that last year’s 100^th anniversary race had, but it is still a race full of exciting stories that I am anxious to see play out.  

The biggest story comes from what happened in the practice sessions leading up to the race. It wasn’t uncommon to see 10- and 15-car packs driving single file all within about five seconds of each other. The new cars punch a huge hole and allow following cars to really take advantage of drafting. In the final practice on Carb Day last Friday, there was constant passing everywhere on the track. I don’t believe there is going to be pack racing like there is with NASCAR at restrictor plate races, but I do believe there will be a lot of passing and a lot of different leaders. It was also great to see that all of the crashes during May were single-car incidents. This means one of two things, either the drivers are skilled enough to make passes and race close without crashing, or they were all holding back and not being aggressive since it was just practice.

            Another big headline is the battle between the engine manufacturers: Chevy, Lotus, and Honda. Sadly, Lotus became a non-factor in the weeks before Opening Day for the “500”. Teams were fed up with the dismal amount of horsepower produced by their Lotus engines and decided to end their contracts and signed on with Chevy and Honda. Although there are still two Lotus powered cars, neither has shown the speed necessary to even finish in the Top 20. This leaves Chevrolet and Honda to go at it for supremacy in Indianapolis. Honda was thought to have an advantage since their engines are made to perform on the long straightaways of the Brickyard, but the Chevy’s have been much quicker. In fact, the first six spots on the qualifying grid and 10 of the first 13 are Chevy’s.

            This could be the year an American driver wins the Indy 500 for the first time since 2006. Included in the strong class of domestic drivers are: Josef Newgarden, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti, Bryan Clauson, Graham Rahal, JR Hildebrand, and Ed Carpenter. Andretti Autosports teammates Andretti and Hunter-Reay have been fast all month (along with their other three teammates at AA) and start third and fourth, respectively. Newgarden, the first person from Tennessee to race in the “500”, won the Indy Lights race at IMS last year and starts 7^th on Sunday. Rahal finished third last year and has steadily improved since his first Indy 500 in 2008. Carpenter won his first oval race last season and the Butler University graduate would love to get his second oval win right here in his hometown. We all know about Hildebrand at this point, don’t we?

            The final story to watch for is if Helio Castroneves can finally join the illustrious club of four-time Indianapolis 500 winners. It’s a club that only the legends Rick Mears, Al Unser, and A.J. Foyt belong to. This is probably the best chance Castroneves has had since he last won in 2009.

Starting lineup:

Row 1: Ryan Briscoe #2, James Hinchcliffe #27, Ryan Hunter-Reay #28

Row 2: Marco Andretti #26, Will Power #5, Helio Castroneves #3

Row 3: Josef Newgarden #67, Tony Kanaan #11, E.J. Viso #5

Row 4: Rubens Barrichello #8, Alex Tagliani #98, Graham Rahal #38

Row 5: Ana Beatriz #25, Charlie Kimball #83, Scott Dixon #9

Row 6: Dario Franchitti #10, James Jakes #19, JR Hildebrand #4

Row 7: Takuma Sato #15, Townsend Bell #20, Justin Wilson #18

Row 8: Michel Jourdain Jr. #30, Simon Pagenaud #77, Sebastian Saavedra #27

Row 9: Sebastian Bourdais #7, Wade Cunningham #41, Oriol Servia #22

Row 10: Ed Carpenter #20, Mike Conway #14, Katherine Legge #6

Row 11: Bryan Clauson #39, Simona de Silvestro #78, Jean Alesi #64

            It’s my opinion that nobody in the back five rows has any chance of winning on Sunday. Nothing against them, but none has shown the speed necessary to win and they will all have a long way to go to get to the front. If you look at the first six rows there’s only 14 I would consider to have a good chance of winning. Of those 14, here are my 5 that are my favorites, in no particular order:

Ryan Briscoe- This the Penske driver that has never been able to match the success of his teammates. In fact, this is his first pole of his IndyCar career. The Australian has struggled mightily at Indianapolis and his best finish in the last four years was 15^th in 2009. However, that could change this year.

Marco Andretti- His grandfather only won this race once and his father never won at all. Andretti nearly won in 2006 but has three Top 10 finishes in four of the last races. He has always been strong at Indy and this could be the year he finally breaks through.

Helio Castroneves: The three-time “500” winner finished a lousy 17^th last year and 9^th the year before. He appears to be a much stronger contender this year especially with his Penske Chevrolet engine. Unfortunately for him, he will likely have to beat the other Chevrolets if he wants to win his fourth “500”.

Tony Kanaan- One of the most loved drives in IndyCar has had some awful luck at Indianapolis. He averaged a finishing spot of 22^nd from 2008-2010 but was able to finish 4^th last year. Could the Brazilians luck finally be changing? TK has been fast in May and this could his year.

Josef Newgarden- This is my underdog pick. Newgarden has been really fast all month, similar to Hildebrand last year. He was also the winner of the Indy Lights race at IMS last year so he has the knowledge of what it takes to win.

            Be sure to catch the Indianapolis 500 on ABC at noon.  Unless of course you live in Indianapolis, then you’ll have to wait until 7:00 p.m. Also, be sure to watch the pre-race coverage because I should be in it!

Series is Tied Up

             After the Indiana Pacers destroyed the Miami Heat in Game 3 and took a 2-1 lead in the series, it seemed as if the Pacers were going to roll right into the Eastern Conference Finals. The underdog Pacers were had become the favorite and had a great chance to take a 3-1 lead with Game 4 being played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Well, Lebron James and Dwayne Wade had something to say about that. In Game 4, those two combined to score 70 points and lead their team to a 101-93 win. Now, the series is tied at 2-2 and Game 5 is Tuesday night in Miami. If Indiana wants to win this series they have to win at least one game on Miami’s court.

            What was so different about the Heat from Games 2 and 3 than from Game 4? What did the Heat do that the Pacers couldn’t control? Plain and simple, Lebron James played like the MVP he is. He finished the game with 40 points and 18 rebounds. He played the kind of game he had when he was in Cleveland. He put his team on his shoulders and carried them to victory. Plus, he had that one guy Dwayne Wade helping him out.

            If Lebron and Wade have two more games like they had in Game 4, then Miami will undoubtedly win this series. The question now becomes; will they be able to repeat those numbers? I am extremely anxious to find out the answer because nobody really knows for sure. Will those two have the energy to play 40 minutes a game and drive to the hoop on nearly every possession? Will they play with the same focus and determination? Will the Pacers’ Roy Hibbert and David West stay out of foul trouble and prohibit Wade and James from driving from to the hoop? Who knows?

            The safer guarantee would be that the Pacers will play the same way they have all season and the way they played in Game 3. Indiana’s starting five combined for 79 of the team’s 94 points and Hibbert and West combined for 27 rebounds.  Their 79 points was 4 more than what the entire Heat team scored. They also out-rebounded the Heat 52-36. In the two losses for the Pacers this series, they lost the rebounding battle. It is safe to say that the duo the Pacers desperately need big games from are David West and Roy Hibbert.

            Game 5 is Tuesday night in Miami. It should be a dog fight as this series has turned into a best of three. Game 6 will be played in Indianapolis and Game 7, if necessary, is in Miami. 

            The other series being played in the Eastern Conference is tied up at 2-2 as well between the 76ers and Celtics. In the Western Conference, the Spurs have already swept the Clippers and Thunder lead their series 3-1 against the Lakers. The expected series between the  Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs will be epic.

Frustrating Game 1 Loss

            The 95-86 final score of Game 1 does not tell you how close the game really was. The Pacers were down by just one point with 4:50 left in the 4^th quarter. They had battled the Heat and had the lead for the majority of the game. Yet, it was in those closing minutes that the Pacers found a way to choke and lose another Game 1. We missed free-throws, three-pointers, and couldn’t find open shots when we needed to. The missed free-throws are really what I noticed. The Pacers combined to miss five of the final eight free throws. Those are shots that you cannot afford to miss, especially in a playoff series where you’re considered the underdog. Indiana also missed their last nine field goals of the game. Are you kidding me? It was so frustrating watching the Heat run away with the game as the Pacers struggled to do anything right. We couldn’t make any shot, whether it was easy pull-up jumpers or free throws.

          Game 1 collapses is not anything new for the Pacers.

2011: Pacers- Bulls in Game 1 of first-round playoff series. Pacers lead 98-89 with 3:28 left in the game. Bulls end up winning 104-99.

2012: Pacers-Magic in Game 1 of first-round playoff series. Pacers lead 77-70 with 4:05 left in the game. Magic end up winning 81-77.

2012: Sunday afternoon, Pacers-Heat in Game 1 of first-round playoff series. Heat lead 86-85 with 4:50 left in the game. Heat end up winning 95-86.

           
            Combine all that together and it comes out to that the Pacers scored two points in 13:23 minutes of playing time. Think about that, a team of professional basketball players scored just TWO points in 13 minutes! I played three on three with some friends last weekend and we scored about 40 points in 20 minutes, and believe me, none of us are going to be playing in the NBA.

           

This is still a series the Pacers can win and, I believe, should win. This is even truer since the Heat will be without their third best player, Chris Bosh. “Boshasaurus” got injured in the second half of Game 1 and is doubtful for the rest of the series. Even with Bosh at full health, the Heat were not that strong in the post. Without Bosh playing at all, they will struggle to find matchups for Roy Hibbert and David West. Hopefully Big Roy and West are licking their chops at the chance to make a huge impact for the Pacers. The two scored 17 points each in Game 1 and they should get at least the same amount in Game 2.

            The two that really need to make an impact is Danny Granger and Paul George. Granger and George combined for 13 points and shot 2/15 on field goals. Now, there are a few different excuses you could make for the two. Granger was being kept pretty busy trying to guard the NBA’s 2012 MVP, Lebron James. James was also the one guarding Granger and he is a great defender. As for George, it’s not like he’s an experienced playoff player. This is only his second year in the NBA and only third playoff series. After the game, both players complained they weren’t getting the ball in good positions to take open shots. Vogel said he and the coaching staff would try to improve that but I’m not sure how necessary that is. The offense does not need to move through those two since the Pacers will have a huge advantage in the post under the basket.

Game 2 will be played tonight at 7:00 on TNT. Games 3 and 4 will be in Indiana on May 17^th and 20^th. If the Pacers win tonight I don’t see the Heat coming here and winning. There is a huge amount of energy and pride in the Pacers and Bankers Life Fieldhouse is going to be rocking.

Indy Weekend Wrap Up

 Raise your hand if you thought the two of the fastest drivers of the weekend would be the duo from Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing? Unless you’re Sarah Fisher, nobody should have raised their hand. Rookies Josef Newgarden finished atop the leaderboard on Saturday with his teammate, and fellow rookie, Bryan Clauson, coming in at third. On Sunday, Clauson finished the day second fastest and Newgarden third. The two American drivers are definitely the future of IndyCar and will be two to watch as we get closer to race day. Another young American driver to watch is Panther Racing’s JR Hildebrand. Hildebrand nearly won the “500” last year but hit the wall in Turn 4 on the last lap and finished second to the late Dane Wheldon. Hildebrand completed the 7^th fastest lap over the weekend.

            The fastest lap award on Sunday went to Sebastian Saavedra who ran a 40.627 second lap and crossed the line at 221.526 MPH. That was also better than any lap ran on Saturday. He is from the Andretti Autosports stable of drivers and the 2012 “500” will be his first race of the season.

            Looking at the leaderboard of the fastest laps from the first two days of the practice, there is a great mixture of Chevy and Honda drivers. Of the Top 15, seven are Chevrolet’s and eight are Honda’s. Unfortunately, there is a third engine manufacturer in IndyCar, and that’s Lotus. Lotus has struggled all season to provide engines that can compete against even the lower-tiered Chevy and Honda teams. In fact, one of the teams that started with Lotus has already switched to Chevrolet. By Sunday night, there were only two Lotus cars that had completed laps. One was rookie Jean Alesi who ran a 209.438 MPH lap. Alesi has yet to finish the rookie orientation program. Alesi said he had the gas pedal on the floor and is still not getting the speed he needs. The other Lotus driver is Simona de Silvestro who came in at a 202.179 MPH. Silvestro became a fan favorite last year and it’d be great to see her turning in quicker laps.

            Missing from the Top 10 of the Leaderboard entirely is Penske Racing. The trio of Helio Castroneves, Will Power, and Ryan Briscoe are all considered favorites for the “500” but none have shown a lot of speed yet. They could just be waiting until later in the week to show their muscle though. Ganassi Racing is fielding four cars and only two of their drivers are in the Top 10. That would be Scott Dixon and Charlie Kimball. Two-time Indy 500 winner, Dario Franchitti, sits in 14^th and Graham Rahal is 22^nd. My guess is they’re doing the same thing as Penske and just waiting until they have to go 100%. Both teams have dominated Indianapolis in the past decade so they know what they’re doing.

It should be noted that all the drivers on top of the Leaderboard were aided by driving in the draft of a driver in front of them. That doesn’t deter me from considering those drivers the fastest though and in my opinion they’re farther ahead in the game than the drivers below them on the leaderboard.

           

This week there is practice every day from Noon to 6:00. Most of what you’ll see is four-lap mock qualifying laps in preparation for Saturday’s Pole Day.

Indy 500 Weekend Preview

            We haven’t even reached Opening Day for the Indianapolis 500 festivities and already there has been a lot going on at IMS and around the city. This is a rundown of the events that have happened so far and a look at what to expect this weekend.

May 9^th: ESPN crews filmed part of a commercial they will air to promote the Indy 500 and I was there. Along with about 50 other diehard IndyCar fans, we spent about five hours working pretty hard. After meeting at the Pagoda at 8:00 a.m., we all headed to the frontstretch to Box 14. We were then given instructions on what we were going to be doing. Simply put, our group would be filmed, several times, entering a row of seats and then sitting down. We had to shoot three different times in Box 14, 15, and 16. Then we shot three times in the section behind Box 14, 15, and 16. Finally, a final shot was taken of all of us on the front row of seats on the awning over those Box seats. Those numerous shots will be put together to create a time lapse shot. I have no idea it will turn out, but I can guarantee you’ll be able to see me when it airs.

Filming in Box 14

Two "show cars" being pushed around the track at 30 MPH to film part of a commercial

Filming a close up shot

May 10^th: The annual Rookie Orientation Program featured a group of first-time “500” drivers that may be one of the best ever. The group of rookies was Jean Alesi, Rubens Barrichello, Bryan Clauson, Wade Cunningham, Sebastian Bourdais, Katherine Legge, James Jakes, Michel Jourdain Jr., Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud. Barrichello is one of the best Formula 1 drivers in the last 15 years. Cunningham has won the Indy Lights race at Indianapolis twice. Newgarden won the Indy Lights championship in 2011. Pagenaud has been the best rookie of the 2012 season so far and is fifth currently in the points standings.

            It is required that all rookies complete the three phases of the Orientation Program. The program allows one day for drivers to get used to the high speeds experienced on the 2.5 mile oval. Six drivers completed the program on Thursday, they are:  Newgarden, Clauson, Jakes, Barrichello, and Jourdain Jr. Alesi and Cunningham completed two of the three phases and will attempt to finish the third phase Friday afternoon. According to the IndyCar timing sheet, Legge nor Bourdais recorded any laps.

Update: According to the Indianapolis Star, Legge and Bourdais’ team, Dragon Racing, does not have an engine available. That is because they are currently under contract with Lotus but they want to destroy that contract because Lotus is not providing adequate engines that are on par with Chevy or Honda. Dragon is not the first team that wants to leave Lotus, as Dreyer & Reinbold has already left and signed with Chevy.

Rubens Barrichello

Jean Alesi?

Simon Pagenaud

May 11^th: IMS will host the Green Flag Celebration from 10-1:30 on Monument Circle in Downtown Indy. Several race cars will be on display, as will be some of the antique cars participating in the Celebration of Automobiles at the Speedway on Saturday. The event is being hosted by two IMS legends; Arie Luyendyk and Johnny Rutherford. The two have a combined five Indy 500 victories.

As for on-track activity, the day will be an open test for Indy Lights teams. As I said above, there will also be a continuation of the Rookie Orientation Program at 4:30 p.m.

May 12^th: Opening Day! This is the official beginning to the two weeks of preparation for the Indianapolis 500 on May 27^th. Gates open at 10:00 a.m. and IndyCar practice begins at Noon. There is also the second annual “Celebration of Automobiles”. This is a car show unlike anything you’ve ever seen. These aren’t the cars your uncle collects, these are cars millionaires collect. Every car is from 1920-1970 and includes manufactures like Alfa-Romeo, Maserati, Jaguar, Stutz, and Bugatti.

          The first day of practice will be interesting to watch. Honda has struggled to match the output of power made by the Chevrolet engines on road courses, apparently that’s because their engines were built to perform on the long straightaways at Indianapolis. It would be a significant statement if a Honda driver finished the day atop the leaderboard.

May 13^th: Mother’s Day practice will begin at Noon again and will conclude at 6:00 p.m.

Next Stop: Indianapolis

Believe it or not, there is more than just one race in the IndyCar Series schedule. Already, four races have been run since late March. The first quarter of the 2012 season has been dominated by Will Power. Power not only leads the points standings but has also won three races. Although all of the races have been on road courses, it has been plainly obvious that the teams running Chevrolet engines are the fastest cars week-to-week. Power’s Team Penske teammate, Helio Castroneves, cruised to victory in the first race of the year in St. Petersburg. Power then won the second race at Alabama. (Those may be really brief recaps but not a lot happened in those races).

Things got interesting at the third race of the season in Long Beach. Chevrolet changed one of the parts in their engines and as a penalty, every driver that uses a Chevrolet had to start 10 spots back from their qualifying spot. Not only did this damper anybody’s spirits, it may have been used as a motivational tool. Ryan Hunter-Reay set a new track record in qualifying and Will Power won the race after starting 12^th.

In a completely unrelated note, Dario Franchitti showed his true colors at Long Beach when he ran rookie driver Josef Newgarden into the wall on the first turn of the first lap. Newgarden started second and was alongside Franchitti going into the first turn. Franchitti left Newgarden little room to make it through the turn and the only viable option for Newgarden was to concede the position. However, he didn’t, and clipped the right side of Franchitti and ran into the wall. You could consider it a rookie mistake on Newgarden’s part. He should have realized that it was a long race and he would have more chances to pass. Franchitti could have also realized that you should give more room on the first lap.

The fourth race of the season was in Sao Paolo and was again dominated by Will Power. This race highlighted one of the most confusing and idiotic moves made by IndyCar officials in the offseason. The geniuses that run the league decided that double-file restarts would only be utilized on road/street courses. The oval races on the IndyCar schedule are wide and have room for at least two lanes of traffic. Instead of keeping the ultra-exciting double-file restarts on those big tracks, they get rid of them. Even more dumbfounding was that they kept the double-file restarts on the street/road courses. Those tracks are not meant to allow two-wide racing or any kind of passing, yet this is where they allowed the double file restarts. If you watched the Sao Paolo race you saw that one caution brought out another caution which brought out another caution, all because everybody wants to drive 150 M.P.H. into Turn 1. Needless to say, it creates one huge snafu.

2012 IndyCar Standings:

1- Will Power

2- Helio Castroneves

3- James Hinchcliffe

4- Ryan Hunter-Reay

5- Simon Pagenaud

6- Scott Dixon

7- Takuma Sato

8- Ryan Briscoe

9- JR Hildebrand

10- Dario Franchitti

11- Rubens Barrichello

12- Graham Rahal

13- EJ Viso

14- Tony Kanaan

15- Charlie Kimball

16- Oriol Servia

17- Justin Wilson

18- Mike Conway

19- Marco Andretti

20- Sebastien Bourdais

21- James Jakes

22- Josef Newgarden

23- Ed Carpenter

24- Simona de Silvestro

25- Katherine Legge

26- Alex Tagliani

27- Ana Beatriz

            Proving once again how powerful the Chevrolets have been this year, the highest place Honda race car is represented by rookie Simon Pagenaud in 5^th place. Andretti Autosports teammates Hunter-Reay and Hinchcliffe have been good so far and should be considered good picks to win the 500. Franchitti has had been in position to win races but has had a lot of good luck in 2012. He has won three IndyCar championships so don’t count him out of the points race until he’s officially out. The former Formula 1 driver, Rubens Barrichello, seems to have gotten a good handle on the new IndyCar’s and is consistently running in the Top 15. It will be interesting to see how he does at Indy. I’d love to know the last time he raced on an oval.

            This is just the first article of many I will post in the next couple of weeks concerning IndyCar and the Indy 500. I just wanted to let everybody know what’s gone down in the IndyCar Season so far and how it could influence what happens on May 27^th. Look for a preview of this weekend’s track activity and about how you can see me on ESPN!

Notre Dame Football Spring Wrap Up

            Spring practice for the Fighting Irish football team concluded with the 83^rd annual Notre Dame Blue and Gold Game. The game is the only practice that. This final spring practice is only chance the public has a chance to view the Irish before they take the field the first Saturday in September. Besides being great for the fans, the game is also the last chance players have to make good impressions on their coaches and teammates. In the past few years, many players have taken advantage of the big stage to produce huge days. Two players really made a name for themselves, but you’ll have to read on to find out who they were.

            I’m gonna break down the game by each position on the team, from quarterbacks to kickers. The names under each position are players that will most likely fill out the depth chart when fall practice begins before the season in August.

Quarterbacks

Tommy Rees, Andrew Hendrix, Everett Golson, Gunner Kiel

This is the position that is once again at the forefront of the Notre Dame off-season watch list. Last year, the battle was between Dayne Crist, Rees, Hendrix, and Golson. This year, there is no Crist. Instead, there is one of the Top 5 ranked recruits in the country; Columbus, Indiana native, Gunner Kiel. 

Before the game was played, I would have ranked the quarterbacks, in terms of how they should be placed on the depth chart, as: Hendrix, Rees, Golson, Kiel. That is based on how they played last year and the assumption that each quarterback will improve during the offseason. After the Blue-Gold game, I would rank them as: Hendrix, Golson, Rees, Kiel.

Even though sophomore Golson had the most statistically impressive game, I don’t think he’s ready to be the starter yet. He had trouble getting the calls to his teammates and getting his receivers into their right positions. Golson connected on 11 of his 15 attempts and threw for two touchdowns. He also got 30 yards rushing on 6 attempts. He brings electricity and a dynamic edge to the offense that no other quarterback can.

Hendrix, Rees, and Kiel had average days. All completed 50% of their passes and none threw for more than 100 yards. Hendrix did have one touchdown though. Rees was his usual self. He made a lot of good plays but he also had one interception. Rees has not improved in any way since his sophomore season last year. This has been my complaint since he made his first start in 2010. He is a solid player, somebody that can manage games, but he isn’t a game changer or somebody that is going to win a national championship. Sadly enough, he has reached his full potential. Hendrix, a junior, seems like he has room for improvement and is already as good as Rees is. He has a good arm, good decision-making skills, and is quick on his feet. Kiel had a good day too, but I don’t believe there is any way he will start the season as the starting quarterback. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see coach Kelly redshirt the incoming freshmen. This would give him a fifth year as long as he doesn’t play one snap in the 2012 season. Kiel has a lot of potential and I can see why he was so highly touted in high school. He is going to be a great player, but not this year.

The whole quarterback controversy may have gotten a little clearer after an altercation that got Tommy Rees a misdemeanor. Last week, 19-year old Tommy Rees and teammate Carlo Calabrese were arrested while trying to run from police who were called to stop a house party. Rees and Calabrese both acted aggressively towards police officers and both were over the legal drinking limit. Their penalties have not been announced yet.

Running Backs

Cierre Wood, Theo Riddick, George Atkinson III, Amir Carlisle, Cameron Robinson

This should be one of the strong points of the Irish offense this year. Wood was the team’s leading rusher last season and is back for his senior year. He only played for about 10 snaps in the Blue-Gold game to prevent injury. Obviously, he is the guaranteed starter for 2012. Fellow senior Theo Riddick was primarily a wide receiver last season but he has been moved to the backfield because of lack of depth at the position. He ran 5 times for just 17 yards on Saturday. I was not impressed by Riddick really. He has speed but he doesn’t have the vision or mindset of a running back. He just seems like a fast guy that likes to run the ball, which is basically all he is.

Who was really impressive on Saturday was George Atkinson III. The sophomore carried the ball 15 times for 127 yards. Even though he fumbled a couple of times, the way he broke tackles and worked his way downfield was fantastic to watch. With Atkinson’s impressive play, I wonder if Riddick will be moved back to wide receiver. Atkinson seems more than ready to be the backup to Wood.

Sophomore Amir Carlisle is a transfer from USC and did not play in the game because of an ankle injury. Junior Cameron Robinson was also recovering from an injury and did not play.

Wide Receivers

T.J. Jones, Robby Toma, John Goodman, Luke Massa, Daniel Smith, DaVaris Daniels

            There are huge shoes to fill at this spot as one of the best wide receivers in Notre Dame football history is gone. Those shoes, and many Irish records, belong to Michael Floyd. Junior T.J. Jones will become the #1 receiver and fifth-year senior will be the #2 receiver. Playing the slot will be senior Robby Toma. All three of those guys saw a lot of playing time in 2011 but only combined for 5 touchdowns. That should tell you how much Floyd meant to the Notre Dame offense.

            Jones, Toma, Smith and Daniels combined for five catches. You can’t blame that on the receivers though. Most of them only played in the first half of the game. Plus, many of the passes were to tight ends and running backs. Massa and Goodman did not register any receptions. I don’t know if they didn’t play or they didn’t catch any. I would go with the former.

            Fitzpatrick and Liebscher are just two white guys who are on the roster to fill up spots. I wouldn’t expect them to even play once during the season. No shame in that though.

Tight Ends

Tyler Eifert, Alex Welch, Ben Koyack, Jake Golic, Troy Niklas

            Along with the running back unit, these guys will be the strength of the Irish offense. Senior Tyler Eifert is back after a tremendous junior year in which he was named a first-team All-American. The 6’-6”, 249 lb. future NFL player is looking to have another great season but did not see very much playing time in the spring game. Junior Alex Welch only had one catch in his freshman season and only had one catch in the Blue-Gold game. He is expected to be the starter along with Eifert.

            Freshman Ben Koyack saw a lot of playing time in the game and finished with 4 catches, 38 yards, and 1 touchdown. Neither Golic or Niklas played because of injury. Golic is a fifth-year senior who will have to work his way up the depth chart. Niklas was recruited as a linebacker but has been moved to tight end. He is only a freshman but it will be exciting to watch him in the future. He is almost the exact same size as Eifert at 6’ 6”, 250 lbs. but doesn’t have the hands that Eifert does yet, but that can be taught. Expect Eifert, Welch, and Koyak to get most of the playing time, but also expect Notre Dame to use numerous tight ends in a similar fashion to Stanford last year.

Doesn’t it seem like we always have fantastic tight ends? First, there was Anthony Fasano who started from 2003-2005 and was then drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round. Then John Carlson became the starting tight end from 2006-2008 before being drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round. Last, but certainly not least, there’s Kyle Rudolph. He started for the Irish in 2009 and 2010 and was then drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round. The current tight ends coach, Mike Denbrock, was at Notre Dame during Carlson and Fasano’s tenure. He then left to coach at another school but was rehired by Coach Kelly in 2010.

Offensive Line

Braxston Cave, Zach Martin, Chris Watt, Mike Golic Jr., Christian Lombard, Tate Nichols, Conor Hanratty, Nick Martin, Jordan Prestwood

            A lot of names up there, but the only ones you’ll hear called on game days will be: Cave, Watt, Z. Martin, Nichols, and Lombard.  Cave, Watt, and Zach Martin were all starters last year and all are entering their senior years in 2012. Cave is the center, Watt the left guard, and Martin the left tackle. Fifth-year senior Mike Golic Jr. is looking to get starting time after filling in for Cave last season because of injury. Juniors Christian Lombard, Tate Nichols, and Bruce Heggie are vying for the other two starting spots. Sophomores Brad Carrico, Conor Hanratty, Matt Hegarty, Nick Martin, and Jordan Prestwood didn’t play at all last year and they all reserved a year of eligibility.

            The three seniors on the left side of the line should give plenty of protection for whoever the quarterback is. They should also open up huge holes for the running backs. The Irish offensive line is always one of the best in the country and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon, especially with five offensive linemen verbally committed in the 2013 recruiting class.

Defensive Line

Louis Nix III, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Stephen Tuitt, Sheldon Day, Chase Hounshell, Kona Schwenke

            The front seven for the Irish is going to be dominant. I don’t think at one point in the last ten years has the defense ever been this strong. That was even before Freshman All-American Aaron Lynch left. Nix started 11 games last season as nose tackle and will return to that position. Junior Kona Schwenke and sophomore Stephen Tuitt will line up at defensive end. Those three all started in games, and were integral parts of the Notre Dame defense. Kapron Lewis-Moore is an early graduate and in his final year of athletic eligibility. Hounshell saw action last year when injuries started amounting on the defensive line. He played well in those games and should be even better in his sophomore year.

Linebackers

Manti Te’o, Dan Fox, Ishaq Williams, Prince Shembo, Carlo Calabrese, Kendall Moore, Jarrett Grace, Ben Councell, Anthony Rabasa

            This is the second half of a very impressive defensive front. Teo was a 2011 All-American and enters 2012 as a pre-season All-American. The senior inside linebacker will undoubtedly be an early round NFL Draft pick. Before that happens, he has a chance to be the greatest linebacker in Notre Dame history. That is just my opinion, but I cannot think of ONE great linebacker that has played for the Irish. Backing up Te’o is Kendall Moore and Jarrett Grace. Moore got most of the playing time in the Blue-Gold game and finished the game with eight total tackles.

            Playing inside linebacker next to Te’o will be senior Dan Fox. Fox started in all 13 games last year and accumulated 48 tackles during the season. Like Te’o, Fox didn’t play much during the Blue-Gold game to prevent injury. His back up, Carlo Calabrese played and recorded four tackles. As mentioned earlier, Calabrese got into trouble with his teammate Rees and may be disciplined before the season begins.

            The starting outside linebackers will likely be Ishaq Williams and Prince Shembo. Shembo was a 2011 starter that finished his sophomore year with 31 tackles. Williams is being hyped as one of the most athletic players on the Notre Dame roster. The sophomore stands at 6’ 5” and 255 lbs. and is looking to make a larger contribution this season than last. The backup outside linebackers are Ben Councell and Anthony Rabasa.

Cornerbacks

Bennett Jackson, Lo Wood, Josh Atkinson, Jalen Brown

            This is the biggest area of concern for Coach Kelly and his team. None of these players have any starting experience plus Atkinson and Brown are just sophomores. Wood and Jackson, juniors, will be the starters. Wood played well in the Blue-Gold game and tallied seven tackles. Atkinson also played well and had three tackles and broke up a pass. Brown played on the scout team last year and defended Michael Floyd every day in practice. That experience should pay off when Brown goes against elite receivers.

            What most Irish fans are hoping for is that our cornerbacks won’t have to stick to their receivers for a long time since our defensive line so good. It is going to be paramount that Jackson and Wood aren’t left playing one-on-one against receivers for an extended period of time or it could get ugly. It gets even worse when you see pass-happy teams Oklahoma, Michigan, and USC on the 2012 schedule.

Safeties

Zeke Motta, Jamoris Slaughter, Austin Collinsworth, Eilar Hardy, Dan McCarthy, Chris Salvi

Slaughter and Motta are the only players in the entire secondary that have any starting experience. Slaughter started 11 games in 2011 and had 45 tackles and 4 sacks. Motta started seven games and has amassed 102 tackles in his career at Notre Dame; a total that is third-most on the team. These two seniors will be key to stopping opposing quarterbacks that will look to pass against the young cornerbacks.

Fifth-year senior and graduate Dan McCarthy has mostly been a special teams player and that will likely continue in 2012. Junior Austin Collinsworth played on special teams in 2011 but made a few appearances on the field in the dime package. Salvi is a walk-on player who impressed the coaches enough to earn a scholarship for 2012. Salvi is also a pretty good amateur boxer. The last time a Notre Dame safety part-timed as an amateur boxer, he ended up in the NFL. Look for Salvi and Collinsowrth to get more playing time this year as they will likely be the starters in 2013.

Kickers

Ben Turk, Nick Tausch, Kyle Brindza

Senior Ben Turk is a tremendously talented punter and has held the punter position for as long as I can remember. Senior Nick Tausch and sophomore Kyle Brindza are fighting for the starting kicker spot. Tausch was the starter last year and made 14 straight field goals his freshman year. Tausch made it onto the field in 2011 as a kick-off specialist. Unless Tausch starts nailing 60-yarders in practice in August, I would expect him to remain on the kick-off unit. He’ll get his chance to start next year.

It’s a bit too early to start predicting about the 125^th season of Notre Dame Football, but I really don’t see this team making it to a BCS Bowl this year. I know this is not what the Irish faithful want to hear. After two, eight win seasons in a row, everybody will look at the third year of coach Brian Kelly as a benchmark of how successful he has been so far. The entire success of the 2012 season will rest on the arm of one of the four quarterbacks. If one of those young men can claim the starting spot and play great then this is a team that could get to 10 or 11 wins. However, with such a hard schedule, they could easily finish with 7, 8, or 9.

The truth is that Brian Kelly is just now getting players he wants in his offensive system in the 2012 and 2013 recruiting class. Give Kelly another year and he will prove to everybody that Notre Dame football is back. I’ll say it right now, Notre Dame will be invited to play in a BCS Bowl after the 2013 season. We just have to be patient Irish fans!

We Got This

            The first round of the playoffs began with a scare for the Indiana Pacers. Throughout Game 1, the Pacers and Magic played a close game with neither team able to get a big lead. In the 4^th quarter, the Pacers had a five point lead with 4:00 left. In those final four minutes however, Indiana was unable to score even one point. The Magic shut down the Pacers’ offense while continuing to drain shots. The Pacers missed free throws, open three pointers, and easy jump shots. On the final possession, we had the opportunity to tie the game with a three-pointer. The ball was passed in to Granger; just before a “five seconds” violation was called. Granger got the ball at the top of the three-point line and dribbled around until attempting a shot fake. The fake didn’t phase his defender and Granger was forced to move around on his pivot foot until he eventually travelled with only 2 seconds left. Game over. Magic win.

            Panic ensued in the Hoosier state. Suddenly, the Pacers’ first round gift of playing a Dwight Howard-less Magic squad was a gift we wanted to sorely return. This was supposed to be an easy series for the Pacers; one that gave them time to prepare for a second round contest versus the Miami Heat. It appeared as if Indiana would have to actually give a 100% effort just to win one game.

            Game 2 was played two days later. I was in attendance for this game, thanks largely to Colts’ punter Pat MacAfee, but that’s another story for another day. The Pacers got off to a tremendous start and had the lead after the first quarter. But then, the Pacers’ traditional second quarter collapse allowed the Magic to go into halftime with just a 2-point deficit.

As predictable is the Pacers’ miserable second quarter play is, so is their great play in the third quarter. It seems like every time we come out of the locker room and start the second half, there is a new energy in the team. Our defense improves and starts forcing turnovers which allows for easy breakaway baskets and open looks. These huge improvements between the first and second halves can be credited to head coach Frank Vogel and the rest of the coaching staff.  

In the third quarter, the Pacers turned that 2-point halftime lead into an insurmountable 15-point lead by the beginning of the fourth quarter. Our defense became suffocating and our bench started making their shots. The Magic were never able to even come close to the Pacers, in terms of energy, great play, or in scoring.

The way Indiana played in the first and third quarters made it clear to me that we are going to win this series. In that first quarter, our guys showed that Game 1 was over and they were ready to move on. Then in the third, they reasserted themselves as the better team, right when the game got a little close. They never let the Magic believe there was any kind of magic left for a comeback and won 93-78.

As dominating as Game 2 was for the Indiana Pacers, Game 3 was even better. The series had moved to Orlando, and this worried me. The Magic could really feed off the home crowd, especially if they started making three’s at the beginning of the game.  That did not happen though. What did go down was basically every one of Indiana’s shots. That’s how you really know the Pacers are playing at a high level. For the duration of the season, the team has really struggled in the first quarter.  In fact, those slow starts are what probably cost us a few games. By the end of the first quarter, Indiana led by 9 points and would maintain that lead for the rest of the game.

Danny Granger and David West are playing phenomenally right now. In the first three games, Granger is averaging 20 points per game and West is averaging 13 points per game. This should be expected though. Both players are the veteran leaders of the team and have been to the playoffs before. It is vital that these two continue their solid play throughout the playoffs. George Hill is also averaging double-digit points thus far and is shooting 50% from three-point range. The only disappointer on the team is center Roy Hibbert. Without the Magic’s Dwight Howard playing, everybody expected Hibbert to dominate the post. He has failed miserably at that, especially on the offensive side, in Game 1 and 2 as he scored 12 points total in the two games. In Game 3, Hibbert turned it around and scored 18 while grabbing 10 rebounds.

There is no reason to worry about the Pacers not making it to the second round of the playoffs. It was made obviously clear in Games 2 and 3 that we are the superior team. That’s not to say the Magic won’t find a way to win one more game, but the Pacers should win the series by Game 5 or 6.

Remaining series schedule. Pacers lead 2-1 in a best-of-seven:

5/5- Pacers at Magic. 2:00 p.m.

5/8- Magic at Pacers. TBA

5/11- Pacers at Magic. TBA

5/13-Magic at Pacers. TBA

           

            In other playoff news, the Miami Heat are likely to be the second round opponent for the Indiana Pacers. The Heat have dominated the New York Knicks and currently lead that series 3-0. The San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Los Angeles Lakers all have 2-0 leads over their opponents too and will likely move on. The fourth Western Conference matchup between the L.A. Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies is tied at 1-1 and could go either way.

Back on the East Coast, the Bulls and 76ers matchup got way more interesting when Bulls’ point guard, and 2010 NBA MVP, Derrick Rose suffered a season-ending ACL injury. That series is tied at 1-1, along with the Atlanta Hawks-Boston Celtics grudge match. Nobody has given the Hawks any respect the entire season and nobody expects them to beat Boston.  If I’m an Atlanta Hawks player, I would try my absolute hardest to prove all the doubters wrong.

Did you miss me?

             As you might have noticed, I have not posted as many articles the past two months that I usually do. The main reason for that is I started a new job in March. Between that and school, there isn’t a lot of free time to watch sports, let alone gather my thoughts and write about them. However, that all changes now! Today was my last day of the spring semester and I am ready to devote all my time to the wide world of sports once again. May is one of the most exciting months in all of sports, especially for the auto racing industry. There's the Kentucky Derby, the NBA playoffs starting, and the MLB season heating up just in time for summer. Oh, and did I mention the NFL Draft was last weekend?

Expect to see a story on the Pacers (which I have really neglected by not posting anything sooner), the IndyCar season thus far, the Indianapolis 500, and a spring football wrap-up for Notre Dame. Be prepared for a ton of Indy 500 info as I have a “Bronze Badge” this year! That means I get into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway every day. On top of that, I get access to the garage area.