m iller: e mbrace the green

In my time at The o bserver, I have written about baseball just once. I have spent the vast majority writing about h oly c ross sports or my obsession with college and professional football.

Yet my first love was indeed baseball. o ne of my earliest sports memories is getting my first Little League jersey and cap and proudly trying out my first bat. For the next week of practice leading up to my weekend game, I proudly told people that I played for the c hicago c ubs. m y dad, on the other hand, was quick to remind me I played for the s aint Joseph Little League team.

And while I was terrible at baseball, I loved playing … until my league decided to remove the batting tee, making us bat from a pitching machine. That was well beyond my skill level, and I lost my love of the sport. h owever, one thing that kept me interested in the sport was my family’s occasional visits to Four Winds Fields back when it was still home to the s ilver h awks. Going to the park and getting to see players try and make it to the show was always exciting. I always enjoyed my family outings to the park.

s o, when the h oly c ross c ollege Internship program suggested the chance to work for the s outh b end c ubs, I leaped at the opportunity.

n ow rebranded as the s outh b end c ubs (the h igh-A affiliate of the c hicago c ubs), to me, it felt like destiny. m y first game was on Tuesday, April 11. As the c ubs began their title defense, and I was stationed in the outfield wall (the camera that looks down the pitcher’s mound onto home plate) m y assignment was fairly simple, I would shoot down the plate to catch the pitch at the best possible angle. s hould something happen, I would move to where the

The position that the c ubs offered to me was on the team’s production staff. I would help produce the broadcast for m iL b .T v and with their in-stadium entertainment. I could work everything from replay to the audio mixer and, my favorite, the in-stadium cameras.

I absolutely made mistakes. I moved when I thought the director had taken me off the main screen, and I was slow to get back in position from time to time. b ut I learned the basics of operating my camera and figuring out some of the flow of the game.

And while the c ubs mounted a fantastic ninth-inning comeback, they couldn’t quite win the game, falling short in the tenth. And as I walked on the warning from my spot in the outfield, I felt giddy as fireworks coated the sky. I had helped make a fun and exciting game. And I will keep doing so for the rest of the summer and as long as the season lasted.

If Tuesday was c amera b asics 101, Friday and s aturday were more like Game Production 110. n ow stationed inside the main production office, I worked the audio, switching back and forth from the broadcast talent to the PA when needed, and I also worked the score bug. b eing on the outfield camera, I could only hear what the director wanted everyone to do in my headset. n ow, seated just feet from him, I could see why he made the decisions he did. It allowed me to learn more for when I would work a camera again.

Those two tasks weren’t super time-consuming, just requiring me to follow along with the flow of the game so I could mix the audio as we faded to black. b eing inside the production office allowed me to see what the director could actually see and why he made cuts when he did, getting the best angles for different shots and seeing how other veteran cameramen followed players, balls and shot flavor.

That opportunity came s unday, though the conditions were a lot different than my first few games. s unday was cold, and freezing, with strong winds and a near-frozen rain. s tanding in my camera well, I shook and shivered, hands protected from my camera’s rain gear. While I had worked a camera my first day, it would be the rain gear that made my first day tricky. m y camera’s monitor was obstructed by the plastic that protected it from rain, so I struggled to see what I was shooting. What also did not help was the dark plastic that obstructed my view of the body of the camera, blocking my view of critical functions like the white-balancing button, as well as the rings that let me adjust my iris and my focus. d uring a normal game, the light changes, and camera operators need to do things like white balancing, which allows for more natural color, and iris, which helps with brightness. I was able to find and operate these functions quickly without the raingear. With it, I was slow to figure out where the rings were, meaning I was slower to respond to direction. h owever, I did have a high of lining up a perfect shot on a hotly contested safe call. That led to getting an onair compliment from one of the broadcasters and plenty of compliments from my director. While the mistakes made me frustrated, nailing that shot felt great and filled me with satisfaction. I was learning and getting better in real time. In just my second time working with a professional-grade camera, I was making meaningful contributions, despite my handful of gaffs. e very time I do those three things (though hopefully more of the first two and less of the last one) I have fun. I have had fun four times now and am looking forward to having more for the rest of the summer. s o — go c ubs, go. notre dame’s support of green has grown recently — even in the last few years of brian Kelly’s tenure. In 2021, for three straight games, the Athletics department employed the use of the “Irish Wear Green” campaign. some argue the campaign is a way to push clothing sales and force longtime fans to add green attire to their inventories which primarily consist of blue and gold. of course, there’s some truth to that; notre dame, Under Armour and barnes and noble (which operates hammes bookstore) all want to increase their merchandise revenues. notre dame clearly needed to establish a winning strategy. don’t get me wrong — the Irish’s blue and white jerseys are clean, sleek and polished. I love them both. notre dame faces a team they have a legitimate chance to beat. For the fans, something needs to be different to highlight the solemnity of this game. This is the biggest game the Irish have hosted in three years. The Irish can’t be polite. To create a homefield advantage, the green needs to punch the red in the face. If we call notre dame stadium “our home,” this is the time to prove it. Green is the right place to start.

As I’ve said, I made mistakes. For example, my director told me to put my camera’s rain gear back on (I had been able to take if off for a few innings with a break in the rain.) I was slow to get it fixed properly and missed some of the game while getting it back in place.

A lot of people have asked me if I am enjoying my time with the c ubs. m y answer is always the same. e very day so far, I have learned something, I have done something right and I have made a mistake.

If you’re like me, last Friday’s The shirt unveiling was far from a surprise. Last month, on st. Patrick’s day, the Athletics department announced that the Irish would wear their green jerseys in their primetime matchup against ohio state. If the team planned to sport the green in their biggest game of the year, there was no doubt in my mind that fans would wear that same iconic color.

While many students were tired of wearing green week after week, to some extent, the campaign worked. notre dame stadium looked as coherent and united as it ever has. notre dame has notoriously faced challenges when hosting primetime games at home. In 2019, Georgians flocked to south bend, infamously creating a sea of red across the southern half of the stadium. To a lesser extent, in 2021, cincinnati fans did the same thing. ohio state will be the biggest challenge the Irish have faced so far.

The quantity of notre dame single-game tickets available to the market at affordable prices is far higher than what most other programs offer. For many Irish fans (such as those who win tickets in a lottery), selling tickets at a ridiculous markup may be more appealing than coming to one of the best games across all of d1 football.

In my opinion, they did. Green should be the official color of notre dame Athletics. no other power-five program uses a green like the Irish. before someone fights me, oregon’s green is lighter, michigan state’s is darker and baylor is irrelevant. Green provides a sense of uniqueness which can spark energy among the fans. Unlike gold, green creates a striking appearance like the iconic whiteout at Penn state. of course, some fans continue to make the outrageous, erroneous claim that notre dame somehow plays worse in alternate jerseys. When looking at stats alone, at first glance, this appears to be true. In reality, this is a made-up storyline that has received too much attention.

Players of d1 caliber don’t win or lose games based on what color they wear. Games are lost due to poor decisions, lack of physicality, improper game preparations and differences in the level of talent. notre dame has always had louder fans and better crowd support when they encourage their fans to wear green. This would never make a team lose a game; if anything, it might help a home team draw one extra false start from the crowd noise.

In a sense, they’re very polite colors. but against ohio state, the fierce, tenacious Fighting Irish need to come out.

Contact Jake Miller at jmille89@nd.edu the pressure and expectations aren’t as high. Lower stakes could mean more playing time for buchner as well.

The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Also throwing in Wake forest, wouldn’t that be ironic?

Should Notre Dame pursue a transfer portal addition at QB if Buchner leaves?

Andrew McGuinness, Madeline Ladd: Yes

Andrew: This is the easiest question to answer for me: Yes. steve Angeli is the only other viable person to take snaps at quarterback right now (no disrespect to Kenny m inchey), and he’s never thrown a collegiate pass.

As buchner proved last year, injuries can happen at quarterback. And while hartman doesn’t come with the same level of risk given he won’t run as much, it only takes one play to change a season. The bigger question, of course, is how likely it is notre dame can find a quarterback who both fits the program and the university with only four months until their season kicks off.

Madeline: I’d say yes given the unknown of steve Angelli and freshman Kenny m inchey being the only Qb’s behind hartman.

With the unpredictability we’ve seen in the quarterback room, grabbing a solid veteran from the portal would be a safe move for the program. however, finding someone fit for the job is another question notre dame will have to figure out.

J.J Post, Tyler Reidy, Aidan Thomas: No

J.J: It’s marginally worrisome that the current backup options haven’t thrown a collegiate pass in their careers. but notre dame is also in a weird spot with their potential options in the portal. p urdue’s brady Allen has been floated as a potential option, but would that not be another quarterback that hasn’t thrown a collegiate pass? I’m sure notre dame would love to add an

Men’s Golf

con TI nued from pAge 16 awarded to a graduating senior for their achievements on the course, in the classroom and in their community. o ver the weekend, Jackson was once again on his A-game and was a model of consistency. s ingle-digit strokes separated Jackson and individual winner m ichael experienced options a’la Jack coan … but what graduate student would want to spend their final year of college football as a backup? The Irish, as things currently stand, have one scholarship left to fill in the portal. I think another addition to a currently short safety room would be a far better use of that last slot.

Jackson shot a 72 in all three rounds to finish even in the tournament, good enough to finish in a tie for 16th.

Tyler: This question comes down to notre dame’s 2023 schedule and path to a college football playoff berth. If the biggest challenges were lowend top 25 teams, I would be all for an insurance option behind sam hartman. e xpect your gunslinger to cruise through the slate and, if he can’t, have someone capable of pushing you just far enough to have a shot 12-0. however, that’s not what this season is about at all, as notre dame has three daunting games on the ledger ( ohio state, usc , c lemson).

Assuming they avoid an upset, the Irish will have to win at least two of those games. A backup signal-caller from the portal almost certainly won’t accomplish that goal. A different addition — say, in the defensive backs room — could make a significant difference against the high-powered passing threats of the buckeyes and Trojans.

Aidan: I won’t take up too much space. I think the Irish could be far better suited with a defensive depth addition or maybe a talent at receiver if they can find a good boundary receiver to compete with deion colzie. I don’t see them finding a match with a transfer portal quarterback who’s both an upgrade over Angeli and m inchey and willing to be a backup.

Is Notre Dame’s 2024 starting quarterback currently on the roster?

Tyler: If buchner sticks around, he’s the guy by default. unlike Angeli and m inchey, he has actually played a full game of live college football. And given notre dame’s recent portal moves for quarterbacks Jack coan and hartman, experience appears to be the asset of choice right now in south bend. now, if buchner leaves for good, expect a competition b rennan of Wake f orest. Jackson was one of just 14 out of 58 competitors to finish even or better on par fours throughout the event. g raduate student Andrew o ’Leary was great on par fives, finishing at a tie for 12th with a score five under par on the course’s longest holes. f or most pars in the between Angeli and m inchey at the very least ahead of 2024, with notre dame ready to use the portal again if the practice reps don’t look promising.

Jackson was not the only Irish golfer to have some excellent swings over the weekend, though. Junior Angelo m arcon also notched a top-30 finish, shooting 7372-74 to finish three over par.

Madeline: There is a real potential of five star recruit cJ carr coming in and owning the job from the start. Though this has not been the track record for Qbs at nd, there’s plenty of talent and youth arriving in the notre dame quarterback room to no doubt have an impact. however, If buchner does end up transferring, it could be difficult not having a veteran with collegiate experience and familiarity with the team in 2024.

Matthew: I think it’s most likely that the 2024 starter is not currently on the roster. We’ve seen the Irish be highly aggressive in the portal if they feel like there are better short-term options available than what they have. After buchner’s dynamic performance in the gator bowl win, a lot of fans felt comfortable with him entering 2023 as the undisputed starter, but notre dame did not pass up the chance to add a proven star in hartman. We saw a similar situation with Jack coan the year before.

The additions of hartman and coan have not only shown the Irish’s willingness to find their quarterback in the portal, but also their ability to attract established starters at major-conference programs. Assuming buchner isn’t on the 2024 roster, I could see a bigname quarterback seeing a clear opportunity to step in as a day-one starter for one of the nation’s premier programs.

What do you think is the best move for Tyler’s career? Staying at ND or transferring?

Aidan Thomas, Madeline Ladd, Tyler Reidy, Matthew Crow: Staying at Notre Dame

Aidan: I’m not anti-transfer portal and I think everyone who entered from notre dame prior to buchner probably made the right decision for their career. buchner, however, I think has a lot to gain from starting. he’s extremely raw, but his ceiling is massive. sam hartman is a tournament with 36, freshman n ate s tevens finished in a tie for 12th as well.

The A cc c hampionship was the 11th event the Irish competed in this year. Their season began back in early s eptember at Warren g olf c ourse.

The Irish competed in five events in the fall semester and six in the spring. Their best finish was a fourth-place result in the season-opening competition at Warren from s ept. 4 to 5.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu consistent and prolific passer, both qualities that buchner could improve upon. Learn behind hartman for a year and then take the starting job by the horns next year. Like I said earlier, I’m not sure buchner finds a situation that both guarantees him the starting job and keeps him playing against power-five competition. however, you have to consider that he went into last fall expecting to be the full-time starter at quarterback in 2022 and 2023, and, by virtue of injuries and hartman’s arrival, he now stares down the likely scenario that he will start just three games in those two seasons combined. by keeping the possibility of returning to notre dame open, I think that buchner ensures that he can make the right decision for

Madeline: Though this is currently hard to predict without knowing where buchner will end up, staying at notre dame would be the best move for him, in my opinion. he would be able to get more reps backing up hartman and potentially have the job in 2024.

Transferring has the potential of putting buchner in the shadows again, whereas there is hope of a 2024 spot if he sticks it out with the Irish. nevertheless, as we have seen, the job is never a guarantee.

Tyler: buchner has the upside to garner attention from strong, but retooling, programs. however, his lack of experience holds him back from being a marquee portal name. As a result, buchner might have to make the difficult decision between starting and winning should he choose to leave. The non-contact clause and return contingency in his announcement further affirm the idea that it’s going to take a nearperfect fit to sway buchner.

Matthew: I think that staying at notre dame would put buchner clearly in the driver’s seat to start in 2024 and 2025. With him continuing to improve, and with the Irish building up what will likely be their most talented rosters in recent memory, he would be in a great position to play a starring role for a team in the mix for playoff berths.

SMC Tennis

con TI nued from pAge 16 national tournament. That tough road starts with a semifinal versus hope, whom the belles dropped a 7-2 decision to march 31. It’s a somewhat unwelcome semifinal, as hope has been the highest ranked team in the conference but was upset by Kalamazoo to drop to the no. 2 seed. outside of that loss, hope won five of their other six conference matchups by 8-1 or 9-0 scorelines, with only the belles nabbing two points. To win Wednesday’s semifinal, the belles will need to lean on their depth. In their regular season clash with hope, saint mary’s won at no. what he’s looking for at this stage of his career.

J.J. Post, Andrew McGuinness: Both could work, but leaving might help Buchner but as was proven this offseason, that job is far from a guarantee if notre dame thinks they can find a better option in the portal. e ach of these options is distinctly different, and would produce distinctly different results depending on his performance. but, if another quality school can accelerate that timeline by another year, buchner should probably jump on it.

J.J: even if buchner was to go to Tuscaloosa and win the job this summer, there’s no guarantee of future job security. he could go to stanford, where he’d start immediately and without question. The pressure would be as limited as one could ask for — even buchner at his worst would likely be a welcome sight for new coach Troy Taylor and the media spotlight in palo Alto is far from massive. but the weapons around him would be minimal and he would need to be that much more impressive to catch the eye of scouts at the next level. or, he could return to notre dame, learn under one of college football’s most accomplished quarterbacks for a season and have the job open for him in 2024.

Andrew: If buchner doesn’t leave, odds are he’s the starting quarterback in 2024. remember, because buchner only played in three games in 2022, he’s only used one year of eligibility. It’s absolutely possible that buchner could spend this year learning under hartman and then start for the Irish for the next two years.

The one caveat I’ll add is that I’d be worried about going to a truly elite program like Alabama where the trial by fire element could be too much for someone with only two games of 20 plus pass attempts in the nc AA. buchner might be ready for that type of opportunity in another year, but that feels like an awfully big jump to make after a year spent largely on the sideline.”

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

4 and no. 6 singles, with the third and fifth courts putting up the stiffest resistance in their losses. In doubles, the belles were more competitive on the second and third courts, despite absorbing defeats in both contests.

This group of saint mary’s seniors have seen both their previous postseason campaigns end in 5-0 losses to hope, and the belles hope to reverse the trend. The team has never won an mIAA postseason match, and they’ll face a gargantuan task on Wednesday in their efforts to notch that program-defining victory. They’ll take on hope at 4 p.m.

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu