SkyWriting: Statues and Subways Edition | by Pat

A bunch of news bits and pieces from the past few weeks to cover as we head into the Purdue game.

• I neglected to link photos from the Michigan State loss. If you're still interested, you can see them at Mlive.com, the South Bend Tribune, and the Detroit News.

• Speaking of pictures, the new statue honoring Coach Holtz was revealed before the Michigan game. Here is a photo of it courtesy of Irish Eyes. For those headed to the Purdue game this Saturday, make sure to swing by Gate D to see it. Also, here's video of Lou's speech at the unveiling.

• And when you are at the Purdue game, another gameday photo would be greatly appreciated. If folks just want to send pics in for every kickoff, that would be great. We'll probably need them for nearly every game this year.

• I finally got around to tabulating the BGS Pre-Season fan poll. The results are quite different from the adjectives being submitted in Jay's Moody post down below. I guess 16 yards rushing against the Spartans will do that to a fan base.

Here are the results. Plenty of optimism to go around, even if a few of those 12-0 submissions were jokes.

The game by game predictions were just as optimistic save the Southern Cal game, which is hardly a surprise, and the Michigan State game, which is a bit surprising given the confidence in the other games.

As for the fan choice for breakout freshman, Michael Floyd was the no-surprise choice with 48% of the vote. Rounding out the Top 5 were Kyle Rudolph (32%), Ethan Johnson (5%), Robert Blanton (3%), and a tie between Dayne Crist and Braxston Cave (2%).

• A few new ND related sites to mention. First off is The Subway Alumni Show, a fun video blog with a new episode each week. I'll link this week's show, but I recommend visiting their site as well. If they can make the show interesting after a loss, you know it's good stuff. Check out the Michigan week show for some tailgating fun.

• Another well-designed site is Fr. Lange's Gym, a homage to Notre Dame legend, Father Bernard Lange. Long before the Gug or JACC, Fr. Lange introduced many ND men to weight lifting in his gym located in Brownson Hall. Check the site for some fantastic photos and stories of a priest who's ND story is unique in every way. Consider this passage from the 1987 Notre Dame Magazine.

Rev. Bernard H. B. Lange, C.S.C., the legendary “strongman-priest,” was a contemporary and friend of Knute Rockne. Like Rockne he had a galvanizing effect on those students fortunate enough to come under his tutelage. But where Rockne led through wit and charm, Lange was a Prussian field marshall, motivating his lifters with a combination of fear and Teutonic discipline, tempered by love for “his boys.” More than anything, he was a hero to those of us who worked out in his quaint gym behind the Golden Dome.

His reputation as a non-conformist and superman dates to his years in Notre Dame Preparatory School. It was probably born the day he climbed to the top of the Golden Dome, wrapped his right arm around Our Lady, and waved to his awestruck classmates on the ground far below. The police were summoned, and he led them on a frantic chase through St. Ed’s Hall and down to St. Mary’s Lake, where he made good his escape by swimming under the ice to the far shore, where he broke from the lake headfirst and disappeared into the woods.

• Finally, while Classic Ground is the site to hit if you're looking for an ND fan who knows his art, I enjoyed the MSPaint Like a Champion Today blog linked in a recent BGS comment section. There isn't much there yet, but hopefully more is added throughout the season.

• Irish Insights had a note on recent transfer Richard Jackson. When Jackson left Notre Dame, playing time was thought by many to be the main reason. Turns out it was something much more close to home.

"I was really homesick at Notre Dame," he said. "I had a lot of reasons I needed to be at home. My daughter is 16 months old, and I was missing out on a lot with her. Every time I got home, she would have learned something new that I didn't get to see. It took her awhile to get used to me being around. I didn't want her to go four or five years only seeing me three or four times a year. I want to be around her right now so that she knows, 'That's my dad, and he's going to be with me every day.' "

He also wanted to be closer to his grandfather, who helped raised him and is battling cancer.

"My granddad isn't doing so well, and I didn't want to miss this chance to be around him," Jackson said.

• I've seen a few questions about finding ND games on the radio and realized I forgot to update the ND Football radio link on the sidebar. It's fixed now and goes to the ISP page linking all of the ND Football radio affiliates.