Around the ND Universe 8/1/07

Some things you know, some things you may have missed and "I Don't Know Butchie, Instead."

Some things you know:

• Remember Peter Vaas, the quarterbacks coach who was essentially forced out after the 2006 season  at Notre Dame? Well, he's at Duke, and he's comparing quarterbacks and offenses to ice cream as the new offensive coordinator of the Blue Devils. Think he'll be a hot media topic in November when Duke comes back to Notre Dame? Yeah, we thought so.
• Russell Carter found a home -- in Italy. After going undrafted in June, the former Notre Dame guard signed with Cleveland and didn't last a week. So instead he's heading to Europe, the same destination as former teammate Colin Falls and a bevy of other Irish players.
• Your Daily Brady: Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel hinted that if Brady Quinn had been in camp already, he definitely would have had a chance to start. As of now, Crennel said, he's last on the depth chart. That's probably good news for Ken Dorsey, the guy who is likely the No. 3 quarterback in Cleveland right now.

Some things you may have missed:

• The Colorado Avalanche signed former Notre Dame hockey player Victor Oreskovich to an "entry level contract," meaning he'll start in the minors.
• Notre Dame coach-for-a-week George O'Leary is still at Central Florida -- and still improving the Golden Knights' football team.
• Recognize the name Shane Walton? We thought you might. Well, he's back playing soccer -- his initial sport at Notre Dame -- and is playing in an amateur soccer league in San Diego.

"I Don't Know Butchie, Instead:"

• It's never too early to start looking at Notre Dame opponents and the Atlanta Journal Constitution's Matt Winklejohn, on his Georgia Tech blog, is going to be breaking down the Yellow Jackets' true freshmen each week. One guy he won't look at is Steven Threet, who already transferred from the school before his freshman year after enrolling early. If there is one danger of having early enrollees, Threet is the prime example of it.
• Any question of how Skip Prosser was respected in the coaching world? Well, his funeral was Tuesday and the Charlotte Observer was there, making note that current Notre Dame coach Mike Brey and former coach Digger Phelps showed up. At dinner with reporters the other night after the Brickyard, Prosser's name came up and the table became quiet quick, because most, if not all, realize what Wake Forest and college basketball lost when Prosser died last week.

-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette