O’Donnell: At least Notre Dame-NIU promises to be profitable
THERE'S A BLUE-SKY RAH-RAH TACTIC older than Knute Rockne available to upstreaming long shots everywhere.
It's called “Why not?”
Jerry Reinsdorf's White Sox perfecting the art of the improbable and winning the 2025 World Series?
Why not?
Shaquille O'Neal actually finally a reasonably intelligent non-sports media vehicle to star in?
Why not?
Thomas Hammock and the Northern Illinois Huskies throwing down a crisply competitive game Saturday on the golden-green turf of Notre Dame (2:30 p.m., NBC)?
Why not?
OUT OF THAT TRIO, SPECULATORS MAY WANT to note a modest sign of go-David-go optimism regarding the projected NIU-ND scrimmage that emerged Tuesday:
There was a 1-point line shift in favor of the Huskies. As dusk descended upon Lincoln Highway in DeKalb, they were getting only 28 ½ points.
That is a sign certain to stir few souls. The biggest thing guaranteed from the first football encounter ever between the schools is the seven-figure check for traveling to South Bend that will accrue to athletic director Sean Frazier and NIU.
Marcus Freeman and the Irish (1-0) are playing for an odd sort of respect. That, and to avoid a letdown after a 23-13 bruiser at Texas A&M Saturday night.
EVEN LATE IN THAT WIN, ABC's Kirk Herbstreit curbed some ND enthusiasm by telling 9M+ viewers: “The defenses are only going to get tougher for (Notre Dame).”
“Herbie” may have been overlooking Northern Illinois. Fresh quarterback Ethan Hampton (Aurora Christian) and the Huskies walloped visiting Western Illinois 54-15 in their opener.
But coach Joe Davis and the Leathernecks are to Notre Dame home football what St. Paul's in downtown Macomb is to the Vatican.
FAR DEEPER ON THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL TELEGRAPH, some historically learned are saying transfer QB Riley Leonard (Duke) and the Irish may roll into December as the weakest 12-0 team in the CFP's inaugural field of 12.
That status could also lead to a dreaded No. 5 seed for Freeman and his shamrocked mercenaries. Which would mean a first-round game (the top four will bye) and a gaping bleed spot for all of the vulnerabilities that ND's soft-serve regular season seeks to hide.
SO WELCOME, NORTHERN ILLINOIS, to Notre Dame Stadium.
Where Saturday, blue-green skies and marching peacocks should abound.
And, as they will be noting around the NIU athletics vault afterward — why not?
STREET-BEATIN':
Nice Week One plum for Addison's very own Adam Amin: He'll call the Bears-Titans opener alongside Mark Sanchez Sunday (noon, Fox). The new-age McBafflers are holding as 4-point favorites. (But none are on any Emmys watch list after the languid “Hard Knocks.”) …
Sure eight is more than enough, but it was a worthy honor for St. Viator's Cole Kmet to be named a “season-long” captain of the '24 Bears. His late grandpop Dave Kmet — longtime baseball coach at Niles North — would be among those leading the cheers. The selection of premature rookie ticker-taper Caleb Williams to the octet was synthetic, but who got hurt? …
ESPN will utilize its YouTube channel for a soft relaunch of tepid old “The Sports Reporters.” Jeremy Schaap hosts a first revival featuring Kevin Harlan, Joe Buck, Ian Eagle and perma-doze Mike Tirico, American sportscasting's answer to TV catatonia. The first iteration (1988-2017) was a weak and blatant national rip-off of the Bill Gleason-driven Chicago classic “The Sportswriters.” …
On the subject of YouTube, Nielsen reported Tuesday that 10% of all TV viewing in July was on the surging streamer. Significant credit goes to Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky and other stars of the Paris Olympics along with increased interest by younger eyeballs as the 2024 American presidential election cycle continues its surreal twists and turns. …
Even on a Labor Day weekend, Jay Mariotti managed to stir it up with a substack.com essay titled “If we aren't watching sports media, why bother covering the stories?” Energized agenda, but the full reality is that the polarizing Pittsburgh native could run “Best Red Cross CPR Methods” under his byline and half his audience would be flaming nostrils. …
And Peter Zuckerwise, on Friday's Peacock exclusive Packers-Eagles coverage from Sao Paulo: “Somehow I don't think Curly Lambeau ever looked over at George Halas and said, 'You know, one day my team is going to play in Brazil.'”
Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears each week on Sunday and Thursday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.