<p>I say it's time to start Sharpley... How many chances does a freshman get to show he's just not ready? What does a junior have to do to show he clearly is more ready and runs the offense better?</p>
<p>Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Agreed. :)</p>
<p>A guy behind me kept mentioning how we have to protect baby James.</p>
<p>I think he is comically right.</p>
<p>if sharpley were a senior i'd say forget it and let jimmy play the year out, but sharpley could be are starter next year and be a damn good one</p>
<p>Agreed. Start Clausen as a junior. Or even the guy who's coming in next year as a sophomore (his name escapes me). Sharpley should probably be the guy for next year.</p>
<p>Make Clausen earn the spot back. There are plenty of talented freshmen at all sorts of positions, including the line. They've had to earn their spots. Clausen needs to earn his.</p>
<p>I thought Sharpley showed real poise. He's an athletic kid with an accurate arm. He was a three-sport athlete in high school--4 years varsity baseball, 4 years varsity football, 3 years varsity hoops as a shooting guard. Even as a non-specialist, he was rated the #17 QB in the country as a hs senior.</p>
<p>Contrast this with Clausen, who has played nothing but football, and was watching Tennessee game films with his brothers when he was ten, under the tutelage of private coaches and trainers when he was six. His CA high school team was a private school in a smaller school class, and the lion's share of the starting offensive lineup went D1. What QB wouldn't dominate in such circumstances?</p>
<p>To me, the Clausen vs. Sharpley thing is symbolic of what is happening in youth and high school sports all over the country. I have a 10 year-old son, who has been blessed with an abundance of natural athleticism and speed, plus being a gamer who loves to play anything anywhere with anyone, as long as he can run around. His favorite sport is whichever one he is playing at the moment. In fall that is soccer and touch football, in winter that is basketball and indoor soccer, in summer that is baseball. He also loves to ride his bike all over creation, come up with cool moves with his Star Wars light saber. In the meantime, we have managed to have him lined up with good coaches who know how to instruct, but also keep a sense of priorities and let the kids have some fun with the game. He's a team player--the kind of kid who, when he scored an amazing goal from outside the box on the right hand side, drilling it into the upper left corner of the goal from 30+ feet, he told everyone who congratulated him that it was just a cross pass that hooked. He meant it, too.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, a friend in his class had to quit playing on a Sunday afternoon, because he and his teammates on this "select" basketball team were going to private training at a facility 45 minutes away. They are practicing three days a week in this, the off-season, and will most likely take part in about 8-10 tournaments which will consume nearly every single free minute of their weekends (and their parents') over the course of the winter. Their coach even jas them watch their own game films. A few of these kids are really athletic and the extra training really shows. Most of them are average-to-above-average athletes who have been overtrained going on five years. One time a group of the moms involved with these boys were comparing notes on the physical therapy solutions they had already undergone with their sons--this was when they were in third grade! Apparently, the coach was having them do things to work their vertical leap.</p>
<p>I'm sure Clausen's coaches were top-caliber. But being deprived of a childhood is being deprived of a childhood, no matter how good you are.<br>
Now here the kid is at Notre Dame, with all this hype going in and his own website, and he makes a fool out of himself on national TV. A lot of those passes weren't even spirals. I think the kid imploded... Maybe he'll climb out of it. I hope he does. I'd hate to think of what else lies in store for a kid who was groomed to be a superstar quarterback, who gave up everything else he could have done as a kid to be a superstar quarterback, end up not having the chance to be a superstar quarterback. </p>
<p>You can't tell me that kid was asking for trainers when he was 6 or 7 years old. You can't tell me he knew the implications of what he was getting into foregoing all other avenues of sports--or maybe even other options...</p>
<p>This is the kind of thing that is going on every day, especially among young boys. It saddens me and sickens me.</p>
<p>Sharpley is a throwback to the days when a great athlete played every sport he could for his school because he loved them all and loved all the people he played them with... I say he's earned his chance... And I have to admit; I'm rooting for him...</p>
<p>nice post!!</p>
<p>Good points, ddjones! Thank goodness we had a child that was not as athletically gifted and when husband coached the teams, we all knew that he was not playing favorites with our son during game time. Not to hijack the thread, but there seems to be a lot of the "sport" missing from HS sports. While we did not know a lot about special teams, trainers, etc., (son's HS didn't even have a football team!), he did attend elem school where parents were already prepping their kids for sports. They called it "academic redshirting"; kids were held back a grade (whether they needed it or not) so that they could be "older and larger" to be able to compete in sports during HS years. Thank goodness we escaped a lot of that when he changed schools! Locally, we are witnessing a HS that has indeed changed its focus on sports; winning seems to be more important than the game itself! It is a different world out there with kids and sports. We just hope son can make it thru this week with midterms and then perhaps enjoy the USC game-GO IRISH!</p>
<p>I'm so torn here.</p>
<p>On one side I want Jimmy Clausen to be that guy who leads ND to a National CHampionship in the coming years. If he plays the next two years he gets that needed experience, and then we have a much better shot 2 years down the road. There really is no reason to start Sharpley now... the season is over in terms of success. Get JC that pt.</p>
<p>vs</p>
<p>On the other hand... Jimmy C has proven nothing! So far he has sucked... to be blunt.. im sorry to say. He has not proven nor given any indication that he can lead this team. He has multiple mechanical failures, therefore why start him? Sharpley deserves a shot to prove what he can do... at least give him a chance </p>
<p>For now I stay stick with J-thug Claus Claus.</p>
<p>no way tim! sharpley is clearly better and has the potential to be an awesome qb next year and take us far! especially when the young guys get experience and he actually has some talent to work with next year</p>
<p>let sharpley play next year and let jimmy play his jr and sr year (or let dayne crist play)</p>
<p>but don't you think we've already invested so much in JC to just throw him out the door? That would make this season seem like a waste.</p>
<p>I dont know... its a touchy situation for me because Ive always been such an advocate of JC.</p>
<p>You're prob right jvon</p>
<p>you're not throwing him out the door... he got decent experience this year and he'll play his jr year or if he improves A LOT in the off season (or if sharpley gets hurt) but clearly, from what we've seen, sharpley is our guy next year... i trust charlie to make the right decision... evidently clausen does way better in practice than sharpley and that's why he always starts according to weis... he said that sharpley has to "be more consistent in practice and not just games if he wants to start"</p>
<p>you are right</p>
<p>I rewatched the bc game after I got home from football, and I actually watched each offensive play twice. The offense is at a whole different level when sharpley is playing. Everything is faster, and he knows the presence of the pocket. As much as I hate to say it.... we need to drop JC and play Evan.</p>
<p>wow, Tim, I admire your dedication to watching tapes! I agree, Sharp should start.</p>
<p>Great post DD that's why you have such great kids! Balance is everything. I agree start Sharpley. Looking forwad to my first home game this weekend. Go Irish</p>
<p>Doogie Howzer is slow and can't find receivers downfield. Let Sharpley start, he's clearly a Division I quarterback. Howzer should transfer to Pomona.</p>
<p>That poor kid probably wishes he was dead right about now. NOBODY expects much from freshman recruits--in fact they are often redshirted, but this guy gets tossed to the wolves?</p>
<p>I agree with dd--Sharpley should get the starting spot and JC can develop for a year or so.</p>
<p>Sharpely is starting this week</p>