Fenway Park Football: Notre Dame Fighting Irish To Host UConn Huskies At ... - The Pigskin Report (blog)

Fenway Park used to be home to more than just baseball. It used to host the Boston/New England Patriots as well as the Boston Red Sox. But with no football games there since 1968, Fenway has taken to holding other events, such as the NHL Winter Classic with the Boston Bruins and a soccer match featuring Liverpool FC and AS Roma.

But after nearly 45 years, Fenway could be getting back into football.

American football.

More specifically, Irish football.

Fenway Park is looking to host a college football game in 2014 between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Connecticut Huskies. While there would be many things still to iron out, it is an intriguing possibility.

College football has seen many interesting homes as of late, including the Irish beginning this season against Navy in Dublin, Ireland. Both the old and new Yankees Stadiums have hosted a game or two, including the Pinstripe Bowl at the new house. Even Wrigley Field played host to the Northwestern Wildcats and Illinois Fighting Illini, although they could only use one end zone due to safety precautions.

No one knows for sure whether this game between the Irish and Huskies can take place at Fenway, especially in 2014. Notre Dame does have an opening but, with the news that they will be playing five games against ACC opponents soon, UConn does not fall under that category. They are still in the Big East.

Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly is certainly intrigued by the possibility, but he also has quite a few concerns as well.

”I just saw that. You know me, I love Fenway Park. I just don’t know if it’s big enough,” Kelly said. ”As long as they do the due diligence, and I know [Notre Dame athletic director] Jack [Swarbrick] is looking for great venues, and I don’t think they played a game there in a long time. If it’s on the schedule, we’re going to play it.

”Being a Boston guy, baseball has not been very good there, so maybe we’ll bring some football.”

The problem is that the Fighting Irish used to playing in front of over 80,000 fans in Notre Dame Stadium. Although, they did travel to Ireland in Aviva Stadium to play in front of just over 35,000. Fenway Park holds around 34,000 for Red Sox games, so it is unknown as to how many people they can cram in for a college football game. They did fit over 38,000 in for the 2010 Winter Classic between the Bruins and Flyers.

If this contest does take place, it would more history for Fenway Park, which celebrated 100 years this season. It would also be a good thing for college football.

NBA 3 on 3 Tournament Round Two -- Indiana Pacers Vs. Detroit Pistons - SB Nation (blog)

Read More: Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons

We're halfway through the second round of SB Nation's NBA 3 on 3 Tournament, and of the four teams who have already advanced to the conference semi-finals, only one is a top 4 seed (the 4 seed in the East, the Boston Celtics). After a pretty uneventful first round, the upsets are coming fast and furious now. In the East, the 3-seed Indiana Pacers will try to avoid falling to the Detroit Pistons, the 11 seed who benefited in the first round when they drew a rebuilding Orlando team.

The Pacers feature Lance Stephenson, Paul George and Danny Granger, one of the teams using a trio of wings in the tournament. The strategy has advantages -- defensively you can switch everything, offensively everyone is capable of making plays -- but it also leaves a team exposed to mismatches. Stephenson in particular is a dubious choice. He's plenty talented, but he's yet to show much in the NBA, and this Pacers team may be vulnerable without a true point guard.

The Pistons field a much more traditional threesome -- point guard Rodney Stuckey, forward Jonas Jerebko, and center Greg Monroe. This group has the extra advantage of having a fair amount of versatility -- Stuckey has very good size for a point, Jerebko can play either forward spot, and Monroe is one of the better playmaking centers in the league. The Pacers may have more pure talent, but the Pistons team may be more coherent.

Let's see what our panel of experts has to say.

• Tom Ziller, SB Nation NBA, Sactown Royalty -- Indiana wins 13 of 20
• Andrew Sharp, SB Nation -- Indiana wins 12 of 20
• Steve Perrin, SB Nation, Clips Nation -- Each team wins 10 of 20
• J.R Wilco, Pounding the Rock -- Indiana wins 11 of 20
• J.A. Sherman, Welcome to Loud City -- Indiana wins 14 of 20
• Probability to win any given game -- Indiana 60 percent; Detroit 40 percent
• Probability to win series -- Indiana 64.8 percent; Detroit 35.2 percent

Expert Comments:

Maybe? Who knows. Neither one of these teams has business getting to the third round. -- Sharp

Too close to call; I think Indy is better in most ways, but doesn't Monroe pretty much kill Granger in the post? -- Perrin

This matchup is really close, but in the end I don't think Detroit will be able to contain George and Granger -- one of the best duos in this entire tournament. -- Wilco

Indiana should win this one handily, but with Paul George, as we saw in the playoffs last year, we're never really sure if he's going to come up small at a critical moment. Thankfully, Indy still has the best pure scorer on the court in Granger, and I think Detroit is going to struggle to match his offense. -- Sherman

The Bottom Line

The experts have given the Pistons a fighting chance here despite their 11 seed. It's difficult to know whether that's an endorsement of the Detroit selection or an indictment of the Indiana team.

All that's left to do now is to roll the dice. The Pacers will be looking for rolls of 60 or lower, the Pistons want to see a 61 or higher.

Who do you think would win this one?

The results will be posted at 5 p.m. ET.

For a complete look at the SB Nation 3 on 3 Tournament, check back with this StoryStream.

WBN NCAA Football Top 25: Stanford Cardinal, Notre Dame Fighting Irish make ... - Wildcat Blue Nation (blog)

Home » Kentucky football » WBN NCAA Football Top 25: Stanford Cardinal, Notre Dame Fighting Irish make big jumps after week 3 upsets

September 15, 2012; Stanford, CA, USA; A Stanford Cardinal fan holds up a sign mentioning former quarterback Andrew Luck (not pictured) during the fourth quarter against the Southern California Trojans at Stanford Stadium. The Cardinal defeated the Trojans 21-14. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

The Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers are the unamious top two teams in the country in the latest version of the WBN Top 25.  While those two have a solid hold at the top, there was some shuffling in the poll as upset kings Stanford and Notre Dame made big jumps.  After upsetting USC, Stanford moved from #19 to #10 while Notre Dame jumped five spots after beating Michigan State.  Three teams, (Mississippi State, Nebraska, and Boise State) are new to the poll this week while Arkansas, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech fell out.  Here is the complete Top 25.

1. (1) Alabama (3-0) â€" 150
2. (2) LSU (3-0) â€" 144
3. (4) Oregon (3-0) â€" 136
4. (6) FSU (3-0) â€" 131
5. (7) Georgia (3-0) â€" 126
6. (5) Oklahoma (2-0) â€" 121
7. (8) South Carolina (3-0) â€" 113
8. (9) West Virginia (2-0) â€" 105
9. (11) Clemson (3-0) â€" 100
10. (19) Stanford (3-0) â€" 96
11. (3) USC (2-1) â€" 87
12. (20) Notre Dame (3-0) â€" 84
13. (13) Texas (3-0) â€" 83
14. (17) Florida (3-0) â€" 73
15. (14) Kansas State (3-0) â€" 68
16. (15) Ohio State (3-0) â€" 62
17. (16) TCU (3-0) â€" 53
18. (22) UCLA (3-0) â€" 42
19. (18) Michigan (2-1) â€" 39
20. (21) Louisville (3-0) â€" 32
21. (10) Michigan State (2-1) â€" 29
22. (24) Arizona (3-0) â€" 24
23. (â€") Mississippi State (3-0) â€" 23
24. (â€") Nebraska (2-1) â€" 8
25. (â€") Boise State (1-1) -7

Others:  Tennessee (6), Oregon State (3), Baylor (2), Ohio (1), Oklahoma State (1)

The WBN Top 25 is published weekly and is compiled by WBN Writers Paul Jordan, James Streble, Jason Marcum,  Alan Smith, Jordan Bunch and Tyler Adkins from Kentucky Sports Report. To check out the Fansided Network Top 25. go here. 

Tags: Football, Kentucky Wildcats, NCAA Football Top 25

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Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards: Preseason Preview - Always Miller Time

Home » Offseason » Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards: Preseason Preview

March 22, 2012; Washington, DC, USA; Indiana Pacers power forward Tyler Hansbrough (50) shoots the ball as Washington Wizards forward Kevin Seraphin (13) and Wizards forward Jan Vesely (24) defend in the first half at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE

Washington Wizards Off Season Recap

The Wizards made a couple of moves to improve their roster.  They picked up Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza in a trade for Rashard Lewis.  They also used an amnesty clause Andray Blatche, who hasn’t done anything.  The Wizards would have rather just unloaded him on another team, but they dumped his salary anyways, and look better in the long run.  The Wizards also picked up former Pacers point guard, A.J. Price, who should be a formidable back up for John Wall.  Price should get plenty of time in Washington something that wouldn’t have happened in Indiana.  He looked to be decent for the back up position at times for the Pacers.  At other times, he looked completely lost out there.  But he needs to get playing time to show what he can do, and he’ll get that for the Wizards.

This Wizards team is still a ways off from getting back into playoff contention.  This is a young team as there’s no player over 29, so veteran presence would be great for the Wizards.  John Wall is turning into a stud, but who else is there to help him?  Emeka Okafor has lost something in his career, but maybe he can still find a way to help the Wizards.  As a Butler fan, I would love for Shelvin Mack to have a good career there for the Wizards, but I don’t know if he’ll get the playing time to show what he can do.  He did get some time last season, but this team seems loaded up on the guard position.   Overall, they are just some players away from even sniffing the playoffs.

Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards Match Up

In this match up, I can see the Wizards having an advantage at the point guard position as John Wall has looked so good in the short time he’s been playing.  George Hill will have to do his best to slow down the play of Wall.  The fact that Wall can score and dish out the assists is something that most teams would drool over to have in their point guard.  He’s got a way to get to the basket and make plays so many ways.

The Pacers’ big advantage is their big men in Roy Hibbert and David West.  I think the Pacers have to find a way for those guys to get the ball against many teams in the NBA, especially the Wizards as I don’t think there’s a guy on the roster that can handle Hibbert.  Nene could provide a challenge, but Emeka Okafor coming in shouldn’t be a problem.

This is the type of team that once again, the Pacers should beat and move on to the next game.  The Wizards might steal a game, but I can’t see it meaning much as the Wizards aren’t playoff bound, and the Pacers are worried about bigger expectations.

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Tags: Washington Wizards

WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 vs. Indiana Fever 79 - SportsPageMagazine.com

Katie Douglas #23 drives to the basket through Maya Moore #23. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Shavonte Zellous #1 dribbles around Seimone Augustus #33. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Lindsay Whalen #13 drives to the basket. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Briann January #20 looks to pass the ball. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Maya Moore #23 drives the ball down the court. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Maya Moore #23 goes up for a layup. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Maya Moore #23 goes up for a shot over Shavonte Zellous #1. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Briann January #20 tries to dribble around Lindsay Whalen #13. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Monica Wright #22 goes up for a layup past Tamoka Catchings #24. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Seimone Augustus #33 goes up for a three pointer. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Katie Douglas #23 drives to the basket through Seimone Augustus #33. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Maya Moore #23 goes up for a shot past Jessica Davenport #50. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Katie Douglas #23 goes up for a shot. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Monica Wright #22 and Karima Christmas #11 fight for a loose ball. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Seimone Augustus #33 after team mate Maya Moore #23 makes a three pointer. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Jessica Davenport #50 goes up for a layup over Devereaux Peters #14. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Tamoka Catchings #24 goes up for a layup. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Tamoka Catchings #24 goes up for a shot. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Maya Moore #23 reacts after getting a foul called on her. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Katie Douglas #23 drives to the basket past Monica Wright #22. (WNBA: Minnesota Lynx 86 v Indiana Fever 79, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Sept 17, 2012)

Notre Dame-Michigan State: The Positives - Slap the Sign (blog)

Home » Football » Notre Dame-Michigan State: The Positives

Manti Te’o Overcoming Adversity

When Manti Te’o announced that he was coming back for his senior year at Notre Dame everyone was ecstatic. Not only because he is a great player, but the fact that the guy that represents what Notre Dame is, returned for one more year. This past week Manti Te’o lost his grandmother and no more than 24 hours later he lost his girlfriend to a battle with leukemia (both lived in Hawaii). No one that watched this game would have noticed what he had lost earlier that week, with a game high 12 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 tackle for loss. Te’o showed the nation as to why he is the best linebacker in the country. It gave a Rudy type feel to the game. You could see in his eyes that he was playing this one for the two women that he had just lost.

The Receivers

Saturday in East Lansing Robby Toma, TJ Jones, and John Goodman all had a coming out party. Toma, who over the years has been a solid player, but he showed that he can be an x factor for this team. He led the team in catches with 5 for 58 yards, while TJ Jones led the team in yards with 59 on 4 catches. John Goodman had 1 catch for 36 yards, but that catch was one handed while being held for the first touchdown of the game. We also saw the speedster Chris Brown for the first time this year for a couple of plays, he burned the secondary on one deep route, but Golson overthrew him.

Defensive Line

All the talk about Notre Dame’s front 7 being very good this year was just confirmed this past weekend, while only giving up 50 yards rushing on 25 carries. Holding the Heisman candidate Bell to only 77 yards on 19 carries is a testament to how good this front 7 is for Notre Dame. Besides Manti Te’o the player of the game would go to the entire defensive line, recording 3.5 sacks and 13 tackles throughout the game. Notre Dame did run some stunts that I haven’t seen much of in the past, but it was the basic 3 to 4 man rush putting pressure on the Quarterback. They can only get better from here and have a big task this week, containing Denard Robinson.

Turnover Margin

Notre Dame had 2 turnovers coming into this game and that’s all they had going out of it. The Notre Dame offense did a great job in securing the ball and playing under control during this game. Michigan State did have one turnover giving Notre Dame a +1 turnover margin for last Saturday’s game.

Kyle Brindza

He sealed his starting spot as Notre Dame’s full time kicker against Michigan State, he was 2 for 2 on field goals (29, 47 yards), and 2 for 2 on extra points. Michigan State only had one kick return and it was for 24 yards. He has a very strong leg and it looks like he is starting to get much more accurate with his kicks.

Welcome Back Cierre Wood

Cierre didn’t have a day that would make you look at the stat sheet over and over, but he had 10 carries for 56 yards. One carry really stuck out in my mind when he cut back across the defense and made a beautiful stiff arm on cornerback Johnny Adams was a show of his strength. Cierre should get the bulk of the carries from here forward. Atkinson and Riddick will still get their fair share of carries, but I would look for them in the slot as well.

Tags: Football, Notre Dame Fighting Irish