“Sweet Jesus, I hate Bill O’Reilly.” –Glenn Reynolds

Construction has finally begun on the “Freedom Tower” at Ground Zero.

I wouldn’t be a very good “Irish Trojan” if I didn’t blog about this:

“RESOLVED: That the University of Notre Dame should defeat the University of Southern California in the 2006 collegiate football contest� will be the featured topic as the debate teams from legendary football rivals Notre Dame and USC square off for the first time at 4 p.m. Friday (April 28) in the Decio Theatre of the DeBartolo Center for the Performing Arts at Notre Dame.

Two representatives from each university will argue the topic in front of a public audience. Tim Fiorta and Corey Mehlos, captains of Notre Dame’s parliamentary and policy debate teams, respectively, will compete against USC’s Michael Smith and Brandon Hancock, a member of the football team who is expected to start at fullback for the Trojans next season.

The football game Nov. 25 in Los Angeles will mark the 80th anniversary of the first game of what is considered the greatest intersectional rivalry in collegiate sports.

The Notre Dame Debate Team, composed of students from Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College, this year formed its first policy debate team in more than a decade, thanks to the support of alumnus William T. Carey and his wife, Helen. The team is a member of the National Debate Tournament, the most expansive competitive debate organization in the country.

The Notre Dame-USC debate is free and open to the public, but tickets are required and are available by calling the DeBartolo box office at 574-631-2800.

Heh.

California really is falling into the ocean!

A good piece from Reason on oil, and how fast we’re running out of it, here. (Hat tip: Insty.)

David Beamer, father of 9/11 victim hero Todd Beamer, a passenger on Flight 93, on the movie that debuts tomorrow:

There are those who question the timing of this project and the painful memories it evokes. Clearly, the film portrays the reality of the attack on our homeland and its terrible consequences. Often we attend movies to escape reality and fantasize a bit. In this case and at this time, it is appropriate to get a dose of reality about this war and the real enemy we face. It is not too soon for this story to be told, seen and heard. But it is too soon for us to become complacent. It is too soon for us to think of this war in only national terms. We need to be mindful that this enemy, who made those holes in our landscape and caused the deaths of some 3,000 of our fellow free people, has a vision to personally kill or convert each and every one of us. This film reminds us that this war is personal. This enemy is on a fanatical mission to take away our lives and liberty–the liberty that has been secured for us by those whose names are on those walls in Battery Park and so many other walls and stones throughout this nation. This enemy seeks to take away the free will that our Creator has endowed in us. Patrick Henry got it right some 231 years ago. Living without liberty is not living at all. …

This film further reminds us of the nature of the enemy we face. An enemy who will stop at nothing to achieve world domination and force a life devoid of freedom upon all. Their methods are inhumane and their targets are the innocent and unsuspecting. We call this conflict the “War on Terror.” This film is a wake-up call. And although we abhor terrorism as a tactic, we are at war with a real enemy and it is personal.

There are those who would hope to escape the pain of war. Can’t we just live and let live and pretend every thing is OK? Let’s discuss, negotiate, reason together. The film accurately shows an enemy who will stop at nothing in a quest for control. This enemy does not seek our resources, our land or our materials, but rather to alter our very way of life.

I encourage my fellow Americans and free people everywhere to see “United 93.”

Amen. Let’s roll.

(Hat tip: InstaPundit.)

“I successfully completed a course without taking a note.” –Dmytro

***UPDATE, 12:10 PM: In order to prevent confusion, I’ve rewritten the beginning of this post, deleting the portions that turned out to be inaccurate (specifically, the notion that the alleged assault possibly happened at the 901 Club). I’ve moved the deleted portions to the bottom of the post, after the jump, for the sake of the historical record.***

Update on the Mark Sanchez case… according to the timeline established by the L.A. Daily News and the L.A. Times, the alleged sexual assault is said to have taken place at Cardinal Gardens in the wee hours of Wednesday morning after Sanchez returned from a night of boozing at the 901 Club, more commonly known among USC students as “the 9-0.” (For the uninitiated, you can read more about the 9-0, which is sort of like USC’s version of the Backer, from Playboy.com — some links possibly NSFW, duh.) The Times reports:

According to an employee of the 901 Club on Figueroa Street, club security cameras show Sanchez arrived at the bar Tuesday night at 11:21, using a fake Arizona ID that showed his name as Jordan Traver Uttal.

“I saw him and he was stoned-faced sober when he came in,” said the employee, who asked not to be identified by name.

The club, known by USC students as “The 9-0,” is about a 10-minute walk from Cardinal Gardens.

Earlier in the article, it states:

The security system at [the 9-0] shows [Sanchez] leaving at 12:59 a.m. Wednesday.

“He left by himself,” [the] employee said. “There was no girl with him.”

After leaving the 9-0, Sanchez apparently went home to Cardinal Gardens:

USC students Matthew Menjou and Altman Tsang, roommates who live in a building adjacent to where Sanchez was taken into custody, said Sanchez happened upon them in a parking lot behind the apartment buildings about 1:30 a.m.

Menjou, from Torrance, said he and Tsang, who is from Centerville, Va., said they had returned from getting something to eat when the car they were in ran out of gas just as they prepared to park.

Menjou said Sanchez, whom he recognized from photos as a football player who was supposed to be “the next Matt Leinart,” showed up and offered to help them push the car into a space.

Menjou said Sanchez was loud and appeared as if he had been drinking alcohol.

It was upon Sanchez’s return to Cardinal Gardens — presumably after the encounter with Menjou and Tsang — that the alleged assault is said to have occurred, according to the Daily News:

Witnesses said Sanchez went to an off-campus bar Tuesday night and was dropped off around 1:30 a.m. at Cardinal Gardens, where he met the alleged victim, who also lives in the complex.

[ADDENDUM: Earlier reports stated that the alleged victim says Sanchez was assaulted at or around 12:30 a.m. But the Daily News says he met her at Cardinal Gardens “around 1:30 a.m.” or shortly thereafter. So, there is an inconsistency in the timeline there. What conclusions we should draw from that is anybody’s guess at this point.]

Obviously, the big story here is the alleged assault. But I think the 9-0 could be in some trouble as well, with this high-profile publicity for letting in an underage drinker. They have an anonymous employee admitting that Sanchez, who is 19, got in with a fake ID — and, keeping mind that the 9-0 has gotten in trouble for that sort of thing in the past, methinks this incident could spell trouble for the club, whatever it ultimately means for Sanchez and the USC football team.

P.S. Who is “Jordan Traver Uttal,” the name on Sanchez’s fake ID? I don’t know, but there is a “Jordan Uttal Fan Club” on MySpace, and most or all of its members seem to be affiliated with USC. At least five “Fan Club” members are also part of “USC Trojan Players,” another MySpace group. Unfortunately, the “Fan Club” is private, so I can’t get any more information about it than that. I can speculate, though. Could it be a sort of underground “fan club” for Sanchez, also known as Uttal to his drinking buddies? I dunno, but it seems plausible. (More on “Jordan Uttal” after the jump.)

P.P.S. You can view Sanchez’s booking information from the LAPD here. His bail has been set at $200,000.

Meanwhile, the Wizard of Odds reports:

The L.A. Daily News, which reported that campus security detained Sanchez in March after he allegedly broke a window at a fraternity party but did not make any arrests, said the quarterback attended a workshop Tuesday night at Heritage Hall for athletes on rape awareness.

P.P.P.S. After the jump, more from the DT… including the very interesting fact that today’s issue is the final issue of the semester, the “graduation issue,” which means it will be what all the parents and alums see as they migrate to campus over the next few weeks!

(more…)

Another convert joins the fold of true believers: after much soul-searching, BoiFromTroy is now officially a Mac person! Skoot illustrates this monumental event with a nifty graphic.

Daniel Steinbock gives a rather different account of the Stanford protest.

KNBC reports:

LOS ANGELES — A member of the USC football team was arrested Wednesday afternoon as part of a sexual assault investigation, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police said that a female USC student told authorities that quarterback Mark Sanchez sexually assaulted her. Police said the alleged assault occurred earlier Wednesday.

Police told NBC4 that they are in the preliminary stages of the investigation. Details were not released.

Sanchez redshirted as a freshman in 2005. He earned a long list of honors as a quarterback at Mission Viejo High School.

Cripes.

(Hat tip: Ed Joyce.)

This is apparently very much breaking news, as there’s nothing yet about it on Google News or Technorati.

UPDATE, 9:38 PM: Boi From Troy, alerted to the story by yours truly, is on the case.

UPDATE, 9:57 PM: And now there’s an AP article with some additional details:

Sanchez, 19, was arrested around 4 p.m. just north of campus and was being booked for investigation of sexual assault, police Officer Jason Lee said.

“The alleged assault occurred earlier today,” Lee said. The USC student reported it to police but no other details were immediately available.

A spokesman for USC said the university will release a statement later Wednesday.

Sanchez is listed on the Trojans’ depth chart as the backup to John David Booty, but is expected to battle for the starting job this fall. Booty practiced only once this spring before he injured his back and had to undergo surgery.

Sanchez played the recent spring scrimmage and has been practicing with the first unit.

As I wrote in comments: “We should be careful not to rush to judgment, obviously, especially in light of the Duke rape case. We don’t know yet what Sanchez did or did not do… what we do know is that this is very bad news for USC.”

Thanks again to Ed, whose tip allowed me to scoop the rest of blogosphere on this story.

[UPDATE, 10:36 PM: The L.A. Times has new details:

Mark Sanchez, a redshirt freshman battling to become USC’s starting quarterback, was arrested in the 4100 block of McClintock just north of the campus at about 4 p.m. today after a female USC student reported to police that she had been sexually assaulted by Sanchez earlier in the day, said Officer Jason Lee, an LAPD spokesman.

LAPD’s elite robbery-homicide division is investigating the case. Sanchez, 19, has been booked on suspicion of sexual assault, and is in custody in the jail at LAPD’s Parker Center, in downtown Los Angeles. He has not been charged, Lee said.

USC Coach Pete Carroll, who was out of town recruiting, said early this evening that he was aware of Sanchez’s arrest and that the Trojan football program would cooperate fully with the LAPD.

I could be wrong, but I think the “4100 block of McClintock” must be a mistake, because I don’t believe such a location actually exists. So far as I know, McClintock extends from around 3000 to around 3700. For there to be a “4100 block,” it would need to extend south of campus, which I don’t believe it does. (See map here.)

The university housing locations on McClintock are Cardinal Gardens (3131 S. McClintock), Parkside (3730) and Parkside Suites (3771). I’m guessing either the L.A. Times reporter misheard or the police officer misspoke, and they really meant the “3100 block of McClintock,” in which case we’re probably talking about Cardinal Gardens. According to Becky’s and my recollection, a lot of athletes live there, because they’re the nicest apartments on campus.

UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: Indeed, the last alleged sexual assault involving a USC football player, Eric Wright, supposedly occurred at Cardinal Gardens, in Wright’s apartment. In that case, though, no charges were ever filed (though Wright was shown the door, and now plays for UNLV). Another reason to remember we should exercise caution here, and not rush to judgment.]

[UPDATE, 11:24 PM: I was right! The L.A. Times has corrected the address, and is now reporting: “Sanchez was taken into custody at the Cardinal Gardens Apartments in the 3100 block of McClintock Ave., just north of the campus.”

Meanwhile, from WeAreSC, via NDNation:

Statement from USC’s Michael Jackson, Vice President, Student Affairs:

“We’ve heard of an allegation of sexual assault against USC student Mark Sanchez. We are waiting for the LAPD to provide us with a report. We will of course cooperate fully with the investigation of this matter.

“The university takes charges of sexual assault seriously. Depending on the facts as established by the LAPD, we will determine the appropriate action. In the interim, the student will be placed on interim suspension while the case is pending.”

Statement from USC head football coach Pete Carroll:

“We’re just learning about this. We’ll cooperate fully and do whatever we can to assist. At this point, this is being handled by the University’s Student Affairs office and we’ll follow along with whatever action the university takes.”

In an interesting twist, Jackson used the phrase “charges of sexual assault,” but the L.A. Times changed it to “[allegations] of sexual assault,” because no charges have been filed — and I’m guessing the Times was worried about libel there. Does this mean Sanchez could sue his own university’s Director of Student Affairs for libel?? Somebody call Todd Dickey! Methinks Jackson’s office didn’t proofread his hastily prepared statement closely enough! Heh.

Anyway, the assault allegedly occurred about 12:30 a.m., according to the Times.]

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Becky and I have spent the last 20 minutes calling pretty much every sports bar in South Bend and the surrounding Michiana area, trying to find a place where we can watch Game 3 of the Sabres-Flyers series on TV tonight. The only game that local cable subscribers can watch is Rangers-Devils on OLN, but you’d think that some sports bar in town would have all the games, wouldn’t you? But noooo… “we don’t have the hockey package” is the response I keep getting. Even BW-3, which claims it is “famous for Buffalo Wings,” doesn’t have the Buffalo game! It’s a travesty! :)

I realize South Bend is a football town, not a hockey town, but still, you’d think there’d be some bar filling this niche. It’s not like Chicago (home of the Blackhawks) and Detroit (home of the Red Wings) are that far away… and Notre Dame students come from all over the country, including hockey towns… surely we’re not the only people who have ever wanted to watch a not-otherwise-televised playoff hockey game at a sports bar in Michiana!

Anyway, if anybody knows of a sports bar in the area that gets the “hockey package,” please leave a comment…

UPDATE: Philly wins, 4-2. (It was 3-2 until the Flyers scored an empty-net goal with 15 seconds left.) So now it’s a 2-1 series. Hopefully Buffalo takes Game 4 and then wraps it up at home in Game 5.

UPDATE 2: BFLOBLOG has an excellent game summary.

You know you’re curious.

We all know Godwin’s Law, about the overuse of Nazi analogies. I propose my own. Vivier’s Law: As a debate progresses, the likelihood of somebody comparing somebody else to a Communist approaches one. If you’re against a war, you must be a member of ANSWER. If it doesn’t quite feel right when a man bankrupts a company while making millions, you clearly work for the downfall of capitalism. Dislike gas prices, and surely you must want public ownership of all natural resources. Have any problems with school, you’re ready to join a commune farm. If you’re concerned about both people and owls, you might just have a secret manifesto in your desk drawer. And all atheists worship at the shrine of Trotsky. By that time, you’re stuck explaining why your beliefs are not, in fact, anything at all like Communism, instead of why you believe your points make sense. All further intelligent debate at that point is almost impossible. As a corollary, anyone may now declare “Vivier’s” and win the debate.

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