With Golden Tate putting in a season for the ages-and winning the Biletnikoff-South Bend Blarney has decided to list the 5 best Notre Dame receivers ever.

HERE THEY ARE:

5.) Jeff Samardzija. Could make the top 5 based on his “jump ball” ability alone. Exploded on the scene in 2005 to catch passes for 1,249 yards, and a record 15 touchdowns. “The Shark” was a highlight waiting to happen and set ND career marks in receptions (179), and touchdowns (27).

4.) Derrick Mayes. Maybe the most underrated Irish player ever. The best hands I have seen on in a receiver until Golden came along. Held Notre Dame records for touchdowns in a season (11), and career (19) until Charlie’s pass happy offenses changed the rules. Made a name for himself despite the fact that Lou Holtz had roughly the same fondness for the passing game that Americans had for Commies in the 60’s.

3.) Rocket Ismail. If this was a discussion for “most exciting” Notre Dame player ever, Ismail would be #1. He combined all-around skills (receiver, returner, running back) like nobody else. To blink was to miss him return a kick (or two) for a touchdown. DVR needed to be around in the early 90’s, because Rocket was the one player that you needed to see every touch. He is stuck behind the next two however, because he did not have “pure receiving” skills that the best wideouts have.

2.) Tim Brown. Notre Dame’s last Heisman winner. A close second to the excitement Ismail brought, Timmy was scary with the ball in his hands as a receiver, tailback, and punt returner (top two total yard seasons in ND history). He get bonus points for being a great receiver in the NFL (perennial Pro-Bowler, insane numbers), and in a way, he could be #1 on this list for that reason.

1.) Golden Tate. Tate didn’t have the special teams impact that the previous two did, but as a pure receiver on the college level, he is Notre Dame’s best ever (has career yardage and most 100 yard games, and would hold every record if he stayed his full time). The best combination of hands, speed, strength, and YAC ability ever in an Irish receiver. Highlight catches, season records for receptions (93), yards (1,496), and touchdowns (15), Golden had it all. Bonus points for having his highlights viewed even more often than Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction”. Once you saw that the ball was thrown Tate’s direction, you new things were going to go Notre Dame’s way for that play.

I “done did it”, now. I had the audacity to compare Notre Dame to the Miami Hurricanes.

Of course, writing something like that is bound to get reactions like this from proud Notre Dame fans:

“When I read the article I assumed it was written by a 16 year old turns out he’s a 27 year old impressed with gangbangers.”

Well, that is ludicrous, preposterous, ridiculous, and a whole bunch of other words I don’t know that end in “ous’s”.

South Bend Blarney articles have the reasoning skills of an 18-year old at least (maybe even 18 and a half).

Look, Miami was Miami, and they were a “police blotter” of a program. They had guys that would score a touchdown, and then go rob someone. They had some guys that would make an LA Crip wish there was less violence, and more giving in the world. And I’m glad ND would never become that.

But…

Miami kids had an undeniable hunger and attitude because they saw athletic talent as a way to better their lives (maybe the only way). That is why they played possessed. Why they intimidated teams and won before the ball was even snapped. Why they won championships.

And the truth is, Notre Dame teams of the Holtz era had many of the same characteristics. They had more than one guy that saw football in the same way as the Miami kids did. It’s why they could stand chin to chin with the Hurricanes. It was mental toughness and “want to”, but Lou also had more slack as far as recruiting the type of kids that could help him win as well.

Unfortunately, if idealism (”We demand excellence in every area”, “Notre Dame does it the right way”, “Never lower your standards”) is your thing, it will hurt to know this:

Holtz’s kind of teams also would not be assembled today-they were not the pristine teams of the last few coaches. Holtz’s teams did not graduate 96% of his players (In fact, Lou got burnt out in part because of his battles with admissions). Holtz’s teams had guys that cared more about football than the classroom. (A lot of majors in Afro-American Studies, not so much in Chemistry.) Tony Rice would not be welcome at ND today (and ND changed his life). One player Lou recruited was shot and killed by police after he attacked them (this was years after he graduated, though). Basically, minus the most despicable behavior-Lou recruited some guys that were made from the same stuff Miami players were. I still remember reading a quote from an ex-ND player from that era, “Catholics versus Convicts? Hell, we were worse than they were.”

I know people reading this are in “getting ready to mock” mode, but there is one more thing.

I want you to listen to Lou Holtz speak. (Lou at his best.)

Religion. Faith. Family. Commitment to Excellence. The Notre Dame Spirit. The Notre Dame Way. Lou believes in all of these. He loves what Notre Dame stands for.

And then remember that he recruited Randy Moss (To this day, every time I hear of violence happening in a High School, I’m afraid Moss is there, beating up some weaker kid, the weak ones can’t run from somebody with 4.2 speed). Because Randy could have helped him win football games.

So, stay on the high horse and make comments about “having players that can actually read”, but realize that the issues over Notre Dame are not black and white. Because fielding a championship-type football program in today’s world just might mean that ND would have to adjust its “excel in every aspect” expectations.

Time to get your hate on, and see if you agree.

10.) Tiger Woods. Approval rating is dropping, and dropping, and dropping. Like Chris Rock said, “Want to cheat, can’t cheat.” Women hate him for his infidelity (How could he date a Supermodel and still cheat?!) Men hate him because most of them will never date a Supermodel.

9.) Your Team’s Starting Quarterback. Even reasonably-minded sports fans are screaming for the head of their quarterback if the offense stalls for say, a half. If the back-up quarterback is the most popular player on the team, than the inverse must be true for the starter.

8.) Michael Arrington. Big-time blogger and founder of TechCrunch (blog about Silicon Valley start-ups). Reeks of “I’m smarter than you” hubris by making bold statements, and keeps his voice powerful by leveraging “face time” for exclusives on new start-ups.

7.) Paris Hilton. Everyone hates someone that is born with the proverbial silver spoon. Especially when they try their hand at singing, acting, modeling, designing fashion, and being an entrepreneur- but failing every step of the way (hang in there Paris, you are good at something). You would still do her, though.

6.) Constant Facebook Status Updater. I don’t care if you’ve been stuck at a traffic light on 3rd and Main for a whole 3 minutes. Unless you’re my pizza delivery guy, that is.

5.) Alan Funt. This guy conjured up Candid Camera back in 1948-creating the concept of “reality t.v.”. He is the basis for the “new thinking” that has given us “Tool Academy” (Tiger thanks you for that, at least), and Jon & Kate, Plus 8.

4.) Ann Coulter. Wacko conservative political commentator. Hates Liberals so much, that she wishes women were not allowed to vote (if that were the case, Democrats would never win). A woman so set in her beliefs that she wishes women were denied what should be a fundamental right.

3.) Kanye West. Whiny star thinks he produces the best songs/albums/music videos ever. Throws a fit when he doesn’t win a Grammy/MTV award. Possibly hates white people and the music they make (why else would he pick on the too-sweet Taylor Swift?).

2.) Barack Obama. When the economy isn’t going well, people are gonna hate the acting President. That is just the way of things.

1.) Charlie Weis. He is the Notre Dame coach that failed. He is the reason that everything Brian Kelly says or does until the start of next season will be loved. With Kelly in place, even former players such as Chris Zorich are taking shots at the disposed coach- saying “Now that there is an individual who understands how to motivate kids that age is extremely exciting.” Ouch.