When Drummings and College Football Craziness Mix with Youth Sports

When I started this new venture, I knew there would come a time in which I could only write so much about what Notre Dame did. Back in the blogging/podcasting days, I would simply supplement or heavily pivot with broader college football takes.

Those days of spending Saturday glued to my couch don't exist anymore. One of the major themes that I wanted to explore in my writing was how I handle my Notre Dame and college football fandom with a massively busy dad life that includes coaching three youth sports teams.

My Saturday started at around 8 AM to get some breakfast, set lineups for soccer and baseball, and print out the ten different things the soccer league requires to make sure I don't bring in ringers to 9U rec soccer (I'd say that I want the league to calm it down, but I can only imagine how many asshole coaches made this needed).

Team pictures at 10 AM (God's timezone). Kickoff at 10:30 AM. As the 11 AM games kicked off, I rallied my soccer troops, down to only a single sub, to try to hold things together.

After a loss, it's a sprint to baseball, starting at 12 PM. My youngest changing uniforms in the car, saying it's the most illegal thing he's ever done because he wasn't buckled. We get to the field right before I have to meet the umps and opposing coach at home plate.

We got flat waxed, so (mercifully), the game ended at 1:30 PM, and I check scores to see Notre Dame up 7-0. By the time I got to the truck, I fired up Peacock on my phone so I could hear audio, just in time to see Aneyas Williams blow through the Purdue defense for his 22-yard TD run.

We arrive home just before 2 PM, giving us about 45 minutes to eat lunch and turn back around for my oldest's game at 3:30 PM. Thankfully, it's clear that Notre Dame will make this a laugher, so to the quad box I go to see the end of the Tennessee/Texas game.

I saw the beauty of the onside drop kick (which was apparently illegal!) and then the Vols promptly shoot themselves in the foot repeatedly while failing to block anyone on the Texas defense. I did, however, miss Kirk Herbstreit being hilariously silenced. I may just rewatch the game just for that moment.

Notre Dame continues to both run and pass all over Purdue at will. Just as I start to get comfortable and my body considers a post-lunch nap, it's time to run off again.

Thankfully I don't miss anything else of note. The only thing that confuses me is how Purdue ended up scoring a touchdown and I learn from my friends they scored the most garbage TD of all time with 6 seconds left. I know I'll give this a full rewatch later (note: still haven't had time...).

I finally arrive home, settle in to a new quad box at around 5:30 PM. It's a perfect time to catch the end of the afternoon slate, watch Michigan and Southern Cal lose (more on that later), see Florida spank Ole Miss, and cook dinner before the primetime offerings really ramp up.

I'm absolutely dead by the end of this. I'm too tired to drink, unsure if my throat is sore from enthusiastic coaching or I'm getting sick (thankfully I was not sick), and didn't think I'd make it to the SNL premier.

A glass of wine and kids in bed recharged me just enough to not feel like a completely old man. So, all in all, I had a successful Saturday.

Here's hoping Notre Dame launches Bill Belichick to the sun early so I can handle my schedule of four freakin' youth sporting events in peace.

Y'all, I'm so tired.

Southern Cal, Get Rid of Lincoln Riley Already

And now, time to make your $3 per month worthwhile. Right here, in this section alone.

Lincoln Riley's a coward. This weekend cemented he coaches dirty. He's an asshole of the highest order. He takes no accountability. He's turned the Trojans into a joke (appreciate it!).