In addition to the posters, flags and signs that are covering up the cinder block walls of my room in Keenan, the inside wall near my door also sports six of The Observer's Irish Insider cover pages from throughout this season. Over the weekend, a friend and I noticed that each of these cover athletes has experienced a considerable setback this year. DayneCrist and Armando Allen have suffered season-ending injuries. Unless the Irish can pull out victories in two of their final three games and become bowl eligible, Ian Williams and TheoRiddick are unlikely to return. Carlo Calabrese missed the Tulsa game with a hamstring injury. The most recent cover features David Ruffer with the headline, "From Walk-On to Starter to Sure Thing." The senior kicker is having a great season, but many are wondering why he did not get a chance to prove so in the final minute on Saturday.
Like the alleged "Madden Curse" that has affected the careers of the NFL stars who have graced the cover of the famous video game, it seems that the Irish may be facing a similar jinx. So for the 2011 season, I only ask that The Observer be a little more selective when deciding who to feature on each Friday throughout the season. Perhaps Rich Rodriguez and Lane Kiffin would be a good starting place.
Josh Flynt
senior
Keenan Hall
Nov.1
