“A little bit of faith can go a long way. If you really believe that God is with you and strengthens you, you will have the confidence to take on challenges that once seemed impossible and feel you can accomplish things you never thought you would be able to do.” I hope you have a great day today my friends! – Elmer Laydon
Sugar Bowl: Great win for the Wolverines they finished their 132 team with a win in the Sugar Bowl 23-20 over VA. Tech. Brady Hoke finished his first year with an eleven and two record. It seemed like everyone was on the same page during this season. The players were treated with respect and were asked to produce on the field. GO BLUE good luck to the Michigan 133 team for 2012.
The Celebration went on well into the night in Ann Arbor. It started just outside the locker room at the stadium. People had crowed on to the field at the end of the game and the players after meeting in the locker and singing the victors came outside and enjoyed the victory with family and friends. It was a very special moment for our family and the Michigan Nation, who had waited for five years to beat the team from Ohio. Mike Milano and his brothers Chris and Nick, celebrate with Tommy and Yeani after the game on the wall outside the locker room.
It was a good time to be a Michigan Wolverine. GO BLUE
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Everyone was happy in Ann Arbor after the game against the team from Ohio. We win 40 to 34. We will enjoy this victory for a year. Then get ready for a new coach down in Ohio Urban Meyer. It will be great fun to compete against him and win.
Hail to the Victors: Beat the Buckeye's for the first time since 2003. The team from Ohio was tough and didn't go down to defeat easy. They fought and scraped until the final second. The Wolverines finished the season with three good wins against Illinois, Nebraska and the team from Ohio. Now it's on to the Sugar Bowl. Tommy's dad played in the Sugar Bowl 38 years ago in 1973.
Michigan 35 Notre Dame 31 a classic football game by two awesome teams.
Number 91 is Tom Pomarico Michigan's long snapper and the son of Frank Pomarico Notre Dame's 1973 National Championship Tri- Captain. Michigan has had three victories in a row over the Irish. Tommy Pomarico has been the long snapper for Michign for the last three years. GO BLUE / GO Irish. Both teams hould win their share of games and go to a Bowl game. The Irish are the best 0-2 team in the country.
In the new book Don't Waste Your Sports, author C. J. Mahaney profiles what a humble athlete looks like:
- A humble athlete recognizes his limitations. We all come with divinely imposed limitations—limitations meant to humble us.
- The humble athlete welcomes critique and correction from coaches and teammates. If we're humble, we realize that we have weaknesses, so we welcome correction. If we're humble, we know we need to improve, so we want others to show us where and how.
- The humble athlete acknowledges the contribution of others. No athlete accomplishes anything alone.
- The humble athlete is gracious in defeat and modest in victory. When the humble athlete loses, he recognizes that his opponents played better, and he sincerely congratulates them on their win. And when the humble athlete wins, there are no excessive celebrations, no inappropriate victory dances. He realizes that victory is a gift.
- The humble athlete honors his coach. He doesn't rip the coach in private, he doesn't slouch when on the bench, and he expresses gratitude and accepts the role the coach chooses for him.
- The humble athlete respects the officials. He doesn't protest a call—even if it was inaccurate.
- The humble athlete gives glory for all his athletic accomplishment to God. He knows that all of his athletic skill is ultimately a gift from God.
No Excuses: That is one of our big sayings at Lumen Christi. Do it right and you don't have to do it again. Coach Herb Brogan is always talking about doing the right thing for the team and for the individual. Everyone must pull their own weight, everyone is responsible for doing the right thing. The team is a family and we should care for one another. If somebody is falling we need to pick them up. Ara Parseghian said it's not that you got beat, but, that you stay beat. We want people that want to be winners at everything they do. To find a way to be competitive no matter what the odds maybe. On 9/11 as those towers were burning the firemen knew that it was going to be bad, but, they went inside those buildings anyway against the odds and had an unbelievable driven spirit to get people out alive. It is something we all need to think about when we think our odds are to great. Never give up, never have a breaking point. We are strong in spirit we will be strong in everything we do.
Life Goes On:
It was a great day April 30, 2011 my son Tom graduated from the University of Michigan. He has one more season to play football, but, he will be working on a second degree. He has had a very good experience at the University of Michigan and it has very much opened his mind to many new things. His degree is in Classical History. He has worked very hard at school and loved his major. He also loved interacting with the different professors at the University as many of them were experts in their field. The four years have gone pretty fast and they ususally do when you are looking at it from after it is over. When you are looking at it from the beginning it seems like it will take forever. My wife Aileen and I are four years older and have accomplished another goal we set for our family of getting our children through college and we now have had both of them graduate. My daughter Lisa from the University of Notre Dame and Tommy now from Michigan. Lisa also has her masters degree in social work from Loyola in Chicago.
Below is my brother John on the right side of the picture with his son Christian, who by the way has an appointment to West Point and will play Hockey the next four years. The left side of this picture shows Me Frank, Tommy and Yeani at one of the great food places in Ann Arbor. The Ann Arbor Brewing company.
One of Ara's Kinghts of the Round Table: Gerry DiNardo analysis on the Big Ten Network did a tremendous job March 10th 2011 at the Catholic School Fund Raiser in Jackson, Michigan. It is easy to see how passionate that Gerry is about his Catholic education through grade school at Our Lady of Grace, St. Francis Prep and The University of Notre Dame. However, the real value for Gerry was realized himself after he graduated and started recruiting players from around the country. How important it was to the mom's and dad's that sacrificed so that there children could have every possible opportunity to be successful. It's about people ladies and gentlemen not places. Below is a picture of Gerry DiNardo and his old running mate at the other guard at Notre Dame Frank Pomarico who had the pleasure of introducing Gerry at the Event.
"Knights Of The Round Table" are you one of them? Read the following and get an idea of what a Knight Of The Round Table was all about, see if you can be one of Ara Parseghians KNIGHTS. There was a deep spirit to being one of Ara's Knights it wasn't that you were the greatest athlete or the most talented academically, but, that you gave an unbelievable effort to be successful. That you were willing to listen and be coached on how to prepare to compete. The inner drive that was the soul of the person is really want Ara was looking for someone who would want to be in a fox hole with him to win all the time and do it fairly. He was looking for people that were winners on and off the field that were going to be a credit to his program and give back to society. Ara was a people coach not merely a football coach and that is how he was able to touch so many lives in a positive way. The following qualities are what Ara looked for in his people:
1.) 1.) Industrious - hard working
2.) Team Player - Focusing in on the goals of the team
3.) Enthusiastic - Passionate about life
4.) Discipline - Find everything you need to do to be successful
5.) Confident - Presence of knowing how to respond, prepared
6.) Friendly - Warm, Caring, Non - threatening and inviting
7.) Manners - Be polite, respect women, adults and friends
8.) Alert - Be aware of National and Global news, Read
9.) Fit - Strive to be physically fit, train everyday, walk
10.)Spiritually Based - Have a center of peace, innately good, Love
Sorin College: a great place to be during the winter. It was one of the warmest places at the Dome. It was also right in the center of the campus so it was easy to get to anywhere on campus you had to go. ACC 10 minute walk, dinner 5 minute walk, classes 5 minute walk. Church less than a minute walk. It was also the home of Knute Rockne, Jim Lynch, Rocky Blier, Larry DiNardo, the Gipper, Austin Carr, Sid Catlit, Jack Cahill.
Green Bay Packers Super Bowl Champions/AaronRogers MVP
It was a cold day in Michigan and I was able to watch a great Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers winning the Lombardi Trophy. I was especially happy because the coach of the MVP player (QB Arron Rogers) is a long time friend and former teammate of mine at Notre Dame and at the Ottawa Rough Riders in the CFL his name is Tommy Clements, QB coach of the Packes. Tommy should be the head coach of the the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as he was a player there, a captain there and an academic All American there. After that he was a 12 year all star in the CFL MVP three times. Tommy has been in the NFL for about 13 years. Before that he was the assistant head coach at Notre Dame for Lou Holtz. He is also a Lawyer and has practiced law for a number of years. He is married to Kathy Brady of Laning, Michigan. Tommy and Kathy have two children Stevie (girl)and Tommy.
Notre Dame Grotto: The weather was cold 18 degrees and sunny at Notre Dame today 2/5/2011. I'm standing in front of one of the special places at Notre Dame the Grotto. It is a place where many Notre Dame students find peace and pray. It is also a tradition that the football players would pray/ to play their best and not get hurt during the game. Below I'm with two of my best friends Lucy on the right and Ellie at my feet. They love to walk around Notre Dame and play with the students. They have a lot of friends on campus and many people remember them from the years we lived in South Bend full time.
Winter in the Midwest: If you don't like the cold and the snow you shouldn't be in Michigan. Today was signing day for high school athletes going to universities on athletic scholarships. The weather here in the Midwest has been tough. I guess it is for tough people. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so tough if you know what I mean.
Michigan fans here he is Brady Hoke the New Football Coach at the University of Michigan. GO BLUE
Some people may not be happy with the choice and wanted a better known coach, but, here is a man who would have walked to Michigan to coach. Brady Hoke wants to be at Michigan and will be fair with the athletes. He has great respect for the seniors and wants them to have a great experience in their last year at Michigan. He will use the athletes he has in making an offense and will not try to fit a square peg into a round hole. One of his greatest assistants will be his strength staff. Arron Wellman will be the head strength and conditioning coach. A solid man that will do things to keep the players in shape and not get them hurt in the weight room. They will do basic movements, but, nothing that will put the athlete at risk. GO BLUE
To all the rivals out there get ready the Wolverines are back.
Bo Schembechler above is a person that Brady Hoke respected and admired as a person and coach. He will surely try to make his football program as successful and with as much integrity as Bo's programs were. Character, Loyalty and Discipline is what the Michigan program will be all about. GO BLUE
The Man " Ara Parseghian"
At 5'9" and 195 lb Ara Parseghian was not a big man physically, however, there was never any doubt who was in command of his teams he was. He was a leader who was very well organized and prepared to send his teams into battle, but, more importantly he had the loyalty of everyone that played for him. The reason for that was because he was fair and any time a leader is fair he has the respect of his followers. The other thing that set Ara apart from other coaches was that he developed a great amount of hope and optimism for his players. You always felt that Ara was in the fox hole with you. He was a great man that could have been a senator a governor or even president of the United States. You had the feeling that you were around royalty. He was our King Arthur on and off the field. He was a great football coach, but, more importantly he was a great people coach. The season of 1973 he lead our Notre Dame team to the National Championship of college football. It was a time of great spirit and we all recognized that hard work and clean living was what champions were made of. It will always be my Camolet.
Two old Domers: at the Ohio State/Michigan game last Saturday. Gene Smith is the good looking guy in the red vest. He is the athletic director at Ohio State. Gene and I (Frank Pomarico) were teammates at Notre Dame when we won the National Championship in 1973. It takes a Domer to get the Buckeyes in the right direction and Gene is doing a great job. He's all class. What do you expect he's an Ara Parseghian guy.
Three character student/athletes at the University of Michigan. El Mealer, Tom Pomarico and Mark Huyge. Even though Michigan has had it's struggles the last few years the one thing that stays constent is that the character of the student/ athletes that are on the football team remains strong. These boys below represent the quaility of todays college student/athletes. They have great pride in their work ethic on and off the field and are fair to their friends and family which develops great loyalty towards each other. These are going to be our leaders of tomorrow not only as college student/athletes, but, leaders in our community and country. Michigan should be very proud of their effort and class inwhich they participate in their sport. GO BLUE
Happy Veterans Day: It is because of the courage of all our veterans past and present that we are able to live in a free world. Many have died or have been injured to protect that Freedom. Take a moment to thank a Veteran today and any day you see them. I do this on a regular bases because they sacrificed and when you do that they feel proud and feel that what they have done is worth it. They put their life on the line to make it easer for us. Hats off and clap your hands for Master Sgt. Dave Hackworth who is on active duty and keeping us all safe.
Spirit-Determination-Focus: Navy sinks the Irish
This was a great game for the Midshipmen of Navy. They dominated the Irish in all aspects of the football game last week. Their fullback Alex Teich ran for over 200 yards against the Irish giving the Navy their most impressive win against the Irish in many years. Ricky Dobbs the Navy QB added another almost 100 yards on the ground as he led the Midshipmen with wave after wave of offensive fire power over an Irish defense that looked like it wanted to go home after the first quarter. The Irish have to get their act togther and play a very strong offensive team Tulsa this week at the Dome. If the Irish want to save their season and go to a Bowl they must win two out of the next four games. GO IRISH!!!!!!
Saint Francis Prep High School:Honor, Courage and Commintment
e-mail to remember:
Hello Frank,
My name is Garret Oswald, and I am a Saint Francis Prep Alumni. I played football there from 1975 - 1979. I then went to the University of Cincinnati and played for four years, from '79 to '83 with the Bearcats.
When I look back on my life, it is clear that the decision to attend SFP was very important for me. It led to a scholarship at UC, and all the opportunities that go with a college education. More importantly though it has given me a grounding and a foundation for what life has in store for us all.
So when I saw your picture in the Alumni magazine last night, with your website address, I felt the need to tell you (and your brother) a story about one Sunday afternoon that I carry with me everyday.
In 1978, I played left offensive tackle for Coach O'Connor. We were undefeated and playing Cardinal Spellman. That week at practice we were told that a former SFP football player had been diagnosed with cancer. It was your brother John. (It was at this same time that my Mom, who came to every game, was also diagnosed with cancer. It was a very scary time for me.) We were all too young to know either you or your brother, or Gerry DiNardo, but we knew the names and wanted to continue the tradition of excellence that was SFP Football. We dedicated the game to John. In the fourth quarter we were loosing by a touchdown with just a few minutes left to play. Instead of calling the usual blocking calls, we started calling out "POMARICO" as loud as we could. After a few plays, all of the O line was screaming "POMARICO" and we could tell that the Spellman players were freaked out by this display. Coach O'Connor called 35 Belly, over and over and over, and we drove the ball down the field and scored the game winning touchdown.
It is hard to write this without getting emotional. Over the years, I would remind myself of two things that I learned at the Prep;
The Lombardi quote, "The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender", and "POMARICO", which to me means Honor, Courage and Commitment.
During the tough times in my life, one simple word has given me the strength to keep going - "POMARICO"!
Please pass this along to your brother John, and tell him that he has inspired me (and my teammates) for the last 30 + years.
With thanks and gratitude,
Garret, SFP '79
Garret Oswald, Director
Father and Son:
A father is neither an anchor to hold us back nor a sail to take us there. But, always a guiding light where love shows the way. George Webster Douglas.
Fatherhood is a very important position to be in. Some father's judge a child's success on money or status in life, what is important to me is that my children always lend a helping hand to people in need. We all have a chance to make a difference in people's lives, but, will we do it? My daughter Lisa is a social worker in Washington D.C. everyday she makes a difference in children’s lives. Tom, my son helps teammates in any way he can and sometimes it's just by being there and listening to what is troubling them. Life is tough we need each other to make it through. My wife Aileen is a teacher in high school, everyday she looks out for students in the school that they are not going in the wrong direction. She is a true gate keeper (someone who GOD put on earth help children fined their way). So ladies and gentlemen go out and become a gate keeper there can never be enough.
Below is a picture of my son Tommy and me in our letter jackets. Tommy's from Michigan and Mine from Notre Dame. Tommy really earned his letter along with his scholarship. I can't tell you how proud I am of Tommy. More for the good things he does for other people than his accomplishments on the football field. My wife Aileen did a great job with my children.
Family Wins
Family: This is a picture of my family and in-laws after the Notre Dame vs Michigan game. Most of my in-laws are Notre Dame fans and love Notre Dame to win. However, they were for Tommy to do well and win against Notre Dame. I myself was rooting for Tommy along with my daughter Lisa, a Notre Dame grad of 2003. Notre Dame teaches to always be in your families corner. We did what Notre Dame teaches pull for your family. I wish Notre Dame well the rest of the season and will be cheering for them to win and go to a good Bowl game. Besides the birth of my children the most exciting years of my life was being around Ara Parseghian and the Notre Dame family it will always be my Camelot.
Michigan-28vsNotreDame-24 
The game pitted two great programs Notre Dame and Michigan as they squared off in a classic football battle last Saturday Sept. 11, 2010. It was old time competition with the Wolverines out lasting the Irish on cloudy fall day in South Bend, Indiana. The lead changed a number of times and with a tremendous pass from Dayne Crist to Kyle Rudolph that went for 91 yards the Irish fans were very positive it was their day. However, Denard Robinson had different ideas and drove the Wolverines for a score in the final minute. Notre Dame tried to score with just 6 seconds to go, but, failed. For all that watched it was a classic.
The Lakes at Notre Dame
Peace: that is the feeling you get as you take a walk around the beautiful lakes behind the Gold Dome at Notre Dame. One is called St. Mary's and one is called St. Joseph's lake. I can remember many mornings in the summer running around the lakes to get in shape for the up coming season. I can also remember after graduating from Notre Dame long walks with my wife and children just enjoying the beautiful seasons and how they would roll from one season to the next. The fall at Notre Dame is always so beautiful with leaves turning and a chill in the air it reminds one of what Camelot was like. During these walks you are able to think of life and try to develop ways to make our existence meaningful. This fall if you visit Notre Dame go behind the Gold Dome and visit the Grotto, then take a walk around the lakes you will enjoy the experience and for a brief time you will be at Peace.
Courage: This is a picture of my brother John Pomarico and his son Christian. Christian is a great hockey player who is being recruited by all of the military academies. He is also a great student that is a true example of the driven spirit. He gets his attitude from his dad my brother John Pomarico. John was a great high school and college football player. He was captain at both levels. However, what showed that he had such a great driven spirit for life was what happen outside the football field. In 1978 John had the same kind of cancer as Lance Armstrong. However, in those years they didn't have the same kind of updated treatments that Lance when through. John had two years of raw chemo treatments after two operations. All through this process he was thinking about only one thing getting back to the football team at C.W. Post. After a year off from football he returned to the C.W.Post team to start for three years becoming the captain his senior year. To be honest everyone I don't know if I had the same kind of courage my brother had he truly has the driven spirit.
Pride, is what I feel when I see a picture of my family. This picture taken after one of Tommy's games at Michigan. My daughter Lisa, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a Masters degree from Loyola in Chicago, lives the driven spirit. Her career is in social work giving back to society. My wife Aileen, who has done a great job bring up our children is the glue of our family, hard working and caring person who has become a second mom to many of the kids she teaches. Tommy my son, grew up in the shadow of the Gold Dome, but, was asked to play at Michigan under Lloyd Carr and now Rich Rod. He is driven to compete and help make the University of Michigan football program as productive as possible. He has reached many of his goals and is developing new ones each year. He makes a difference in people's lives. By the way I'm the old guy on the left. I feel pretty good about some special people.
Discipline, this is a picture of Gerry DiNardo, Eric Pennick and Frank Pomarico taken in 1972 against Purdue. We won this game and this play became one of Ara Parseghian's favorites. The Irish worked on this play over and over until we were doing it in our sleep. This was a great experience for me and Gerry especially since we grew up together from the 5 th grade at Our Lady of Grace in Howard Beach Queens, through high school at St. Francis Prep in Brooklyn, New York and the guards for Ara Parseghian in 1972 and 1973 winning the National Championship at the Sugar bowl against Alabama in 1973. Gerry DiNardo was one of the hardest working athlete's I have ever been around. We pushed each other every day with a quest for excellence on and off the field. Gerry now is the game day host on the Big Ten Network doing an excellent job as an analyst. As a college head football coach at Vandy, LSU and Indiana Gerry did a great job of making a difference in people’s lives helping many student athletes’ see the value of the college education. Gerry DiNardo was not only a football coach he was a people coach.
Loyalty, when people come to Notre Dame they are usually told to go visit the Grotto. The Grotto is a place that is for all religions, it is a place for peace and prayer. One feels good after they visit the Grotto because it helps us think of our spiritual being and the goodness that is in the world. The Grotto enhances our positive energy and develops hope for the world, our country and our families. Something not many people know is that it was a tradition that the football players would stop at the Grotto the night before a game and say a prayer that they would play their best and not get hurt. My room mate Dan Morrin and I would always make that trip together and say our prayer before we would go to Moreau seminary for our movie and night of rest before the game. You would always feel like you had a little more protection.
