It’s time for you to go.

My brothers Jim and Pat, me, and our Dad at Notre Dame Stadium this afternoon. Wish you were with us, Steve Dillard.

All hail Notre Dame!

 Today my wife and I attended our first Notre Dame football tailgate party. What an amazing experience!

One of the many people I met and talked with this afternoon was the great Ralph McInerny, author of many books including Lack of the Irish, a murder mystery surrounding a football game between Notre Dame (where I am a faculty member this year) and Baylor (my home institution). That’s pretty cool.

Beat San Diego State

A worthy project to be sure. I am glad this is being done. Otherwise, I am not sure I even want my children applying to Notre Dame. What’s the point of sending your son to Catholic university that has forsaken its Catholic identity? With all due respect, if I wanted to send my kids to a prestigious secular university, it wouldn’t be Notre Dame.

And fwiw, if I had to choose a college for my son to attend today, it would be this one.

(LvNCP)

Tomorrow my wife, Frankie, and I begin our trek to the University of Notre, where I will serve on its faculty for the 2008-2009 school year as the Mary Ann Remick Senior Visiting Fellow in Notre Dame’s Center for Faith & Culture. My home institution, Baylor University, was more than generous in providing me research leave. My department chair, Michael Beaty, deservers particular thanks for his support of my work.

During my time at Notre Dame I will be working on a book critically evaluating the modern Supreme Court’s epistemological assessment of religious and moral beliefs. I will bring to bear in that analysis much of what has gone on in Anglo-American philosophy of religion over the past 4 decades. Another problem I will address–something to which I alluded in my blog entry on Andrew Sullivan–is the a priori denigration of religious and moral claims by those who proudly assert that they are the guardians of liberal democracy.

(Cross-posted)

It looks like ND will be heading to the Rose Bowl or the Sugar Bowl. My guess is that it will be the latter against the SEC champion.

USC whipped the Irish good, and the Trojans deserve to play in the title game.

Congrats to SC and all Trojan fans. It was a heck of a win.

I concur.

Beat SC!

“Beat SC!”

-Brady Quinn

Who really wants to see an Ohio State v. Michigan rematch for the national championship (other than Michigan fans)? I mean seriously, Michigan didn’t even win its conference championship!

I am sorry, but Michigan had its chance and lost. If USC runs the table, then the men of Troy should play for the national title. If Florida beats Arkansas, the Gators should take on the Buckeyes. If ND defeats USC, and Arkansas topples Florida, then one of those two teams should play for the title.

Think about it. What if Michigan plays Ohio State again and Michigan wins? If that isn’t a tainted championship, then I don’t know what is. Best two out of three anyone? No thanks.

In any event, now that all of the experts have ruled out any possibility of ND making the title game, here’s what I hope happens: ND beats USC at home, and Florida defeats Arkansas in the SEC championship. Florida then plays Ohio State for the title, and ND gets a rematch with Michigan. I am not sure whether ND can beat Michigan or not, but I am confident that the Irish will keep it close.

for an Ohio State v. Notre Dame matchup in Arizona.

Bring on the Trojans!

Update: Oh well, Michigan stayed at the second spot despite losing to Ohio State, so it doesn’t look like the Irish will go to the title game even if they beat USC. 

If Arkansas beats Florida in the SEC title game, and Notre Dame beats USC at home (and assuming USC wins out), Notre Dame will play in the title game against the winner of the Ohio State/Michigan game.

Man, will that bring out the ND haters in full force.

For all you Domers:

Please stop by the BLSA table in the law school lounge today for the “Save
Darfur” International Day of Service.

Educate yourself on the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Darfur, which has affected
millions…

Get a red ribbon to wear for a $1 minimum contribution (proceeds support humanitarian efforts by the International Committee for the Red Cross in Darfur)…

Participate in a letter writing and petition campaign to members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, demanding that the U.S. pressure the U.N. Security Council to sanction Sudan and withdraw its financial support to the Sudanese government.

Attend the candle light vigil tonight. Meet @ 6:15 pm by the flagpole  (Quad, in front of the law school), and we’ll head over to the Grotto for a moment of silence in memory of the Darfur victims.

Thanks,
Marlysha, BLSA Community Service Chair

I would have posted this earlier, but I just checked my gmail account for the first time today.

Anyway, I encourage all Domers to do what they can to help Marlysha get out the word about the genocide taking place in Darfur.

And God Bless Marlysha for her fine work on behalf of the people suffering so greatly in Darfur; for being a voice for the voiceless.

Heh.

Beat Stanford!

Oh, and feel free to use this post as an open thread to discuss any other college football game.

Feel free to cheer/vent here.

Oh, and go ND! Beat Purdue!

Update: 4-1, baby!   

The AP has this report.

when, while being interviewed post-game, you saw him turn and say “get the team over to the band.”  Given MSU’s response last year at ND, after beating the Irish, Weis’ call to assure sportsmenship and safety, was the best coaching of the day.

Go Irish!

Other than ND getting drilled by Michigan, I had a wonderful time in South Bend this past weekend. I spoke to the ND feddies on Friday, and found them to be an engaging and thoughtful group of folks. I especially appreciate the gracious hospitality of Rob Driscoll and Jane Hertz (president and vice president respectively), who were kind enough to extend me an invitation to speak to their chapter. I also appreciate Monica Secord and Angela Pfister attending the event as well. It was nice to see Judge Manion’s chambers represented by such fine young (and brilliant) women.

Later that evening, my hosts for the weekend, Bill and Elizabeth Kirk, threw a fabulous dinner party that was enjoyed by all. The conversation was lively, and the food could not have been better. And while I enjoyed speaking with each of those in attendance, I must say that I especially had a blast hanging out with Professors Nicole Garnett (a former clerk to Justice Clarance Thomas) and Carter Sneed (who was fomerlly general counsel for President Bush’s Council on Bioethics). They are both brilliant and funny, which is a rare combination to say the least.

On Saturday, I was fortunate enough to tailgate with the fine folks from Notre Dame’s Center for Ethics and Culture, including its guest of honor, Michael Novak (whom I was lucky enough to speak with at length). Having read and admired Mr. Novak for years, I can only say that he is as engaging in person as he is on paper, which is a rare talent among scholars of his caliber. I also was able to chat with Professor Rick Garnett for a spell. Like his wife Nicole, Rick is wicked smart and a blast to hang out with, even if he did clerk for that liberal justice (i.e., Chief Justice Rehnquist). Finally, I also briefly chatted with Professor Amy Barrett (a former Scalia clerk), who struck me as a wondeful person and teacher.

In short, it was the kind of weekend that David Lat would have died for. :) 

Oh, and the game? Well, all I will say is this: No matter how bad it looked on t.v., it was much. much worse in person. ND got whipped. Plain and simple. I remarked to Miss Elizabeth at the game that I considered it a form of penance to stay at the stadium until the bitter end. :)  

to speak to the ND feddies.

Hope to see some of y’all there.

Still think the Irish are overrated?

Beat Penn State!

It sure is nice to have friends to stay with in South Bend during a home-game weekend.

Beat Tech!

I’ll be there. Will you?

(Thanks to Top Shelf for the heads up)