It's Not 70 and Sunny -- Could Be Worse!

Sitting here in my hotel room in Mishawaka, IN -- looking out at a "blue-gray sky" -- well, maybe more like a dark-gray sky...  While it might be a lot more comfortable sitting in front of a TV set today watching the Irish play on VERSUS -- I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

The record Blue Gold Game crowd of 51,852 in 2007 is probably quite safe -- but, Notre Dame will set an all-time TV ratings number this afternoon!!!  There won't be a "kick-off" -- but the game will start at 2:06 PM EDT.

Here's a link to a story about the ND Football program in the South Bend Tribune:

LINK:  ND BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

ND: The Shirt -- Call It "Faust Blue?"

Stood in the rain, wind and cold this afternoon to watch the "unveiling" of THE SHIRT.  I have to say it's a BLUE that you will see on TV -- and from the "moon."  Can't say if I'll buy it or not, though I don't think it's as bad as the shirt back in 2009...  What do you think?  Notre Dame fans will recognize #83 on the back -- the real ND fans will remember who number 11 is as well...

Here's a link to where you can buy The Shirt online:

LINK:  BUY "THE SHIRT" HERE

Big Recruiting Weekend for ND Football!

A number of the top high school "junior" football stars in the country will be on the University of Notre Dame campus this weekend for the BLUE GOLD GAME.  As you'll see in the South Bend Tribune article linked below -- one of the most highly coveted recruits visiting this weekend is Ronald Darby out of Potomac High in Oxon Hill, MD.  Darby runs the 40 in 4.36.  We need to get Darby out of that ugly helmet and into a GOLD one!  Here's a link to the story:

LINK:  BIG RECRUITING WEEKEND!

Blue Gold Weekend @ Notre Dame!

This is one of my favorite weekends of the year...  To those of you not heading to Notre Dame, IN today or tomorrow -- you can watch the BLUE GOLD GAME on TV -- LIVE -- this Saturday on VERSUS.  For those who might be interested -- VERSUS is owned by NBC Universal -- which is now all owned by COMCAST.

Unfortunately, Tom Hammond is doing the "play by play" -- but, it just might be the best seat in the house if the weather report is true!  Here's a link to the Versus website:

LINK:  WATCH THE BLUE GOLD GAME -- LIVE ON VERSUS!

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Lil' Wayne @ IU

Rap star Lil' Wayne -- who's a fan of Notre Dame All-American Skylar Diggins -- donned her #4 jersey last night in a concert at Indiana University -- Bloomington.  I honestly don't know if this is a good thing or not -- but, I bet the the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore sells out!

If you'd like to buy the jersey Lil' Wayne is wearin' -- click the link below:

LINK:  BUY SKYLAR DIGGIN'S JERSEY

Today's Forecast for Blue Gold Weekend

Well, it's nice to see a partial "SUN" in the weather forecast illustration from the folks at WNDU-TV for Blue Gold Weekend!  Here's a link to their forecast:

LINK:  BLUE GOLD WEEKEND -- WEATHER

LINK:  FRIDAY AFTERNOON -- HOURLY WEATHER FORECAST

Patrick Coughlin -- A Wonderful Story!

He wears #29 and a gold helmet -- and he pays his own way at the University of Notre Dame -- even though he's a starter on special teams for the IRISH.  His name is Patrick Coughlin -- and the folks at UND.COM produced this wonderful story today on him -- I'm now a COUGHLIN FAN!  Here's the link:

LINK:  PATRICK COUGHLIN -- THE FIGHTING IRISH SPIRIT!

Coach Kelly -- Post Practice Media Session

As has become tradition -- Coach Kelly met with the media after today's Spring Practice.  Here's a link to the UND.COM video:

LINK:  COACH KELLY MEDIA SESSION

Hendrix & Golson to Take Most of the Snaps!

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly let ND fans know tonight that Hendrix and Golson would take "75%" of the snaps during this Saturday's BLUE GOLD GAME.  Kelly also said we wouldn't see much of Cierre Wood -- the only truly healthy scholarship running back on the roster.

Brian Kelly Radio Show @ 7:00 PM Tonight!

The Blue Gold edition of the Brian Kelly Radio Show will take place tonight at 7:00 PM EDT -- LIVE -- from Legends of Notre Dame on UND.COM.  Here's a link to where you can watch the live broadcast of the event:

LINK:  BRIAN KELLY RADIO SHOW

LATEST Blue Gold Weekend Weather Forecast

Here's the "graphic" you'll find on the WNDU-TV.COM website -- showing the weather forecast for the next few days.  Here's the link to their site:

LINK:  WNDU-TV WEATHER SITE

ESPN's Mark Schlabach Interviews Coach Kelly

ESPN's Mark Schlabach was in South Bend yesterday to interview Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly.  Mark's posted a couple of stories today on the IRISH -- here are the links:

LINK:  ND QB SITUATION -- ESPN 

LINK:  BCS CONTENDERS

"Jeff Runs America" -- Visits Notre Dame!

Notre Dame alum, Jeff Grabosky has been running across America for the past 82 days.  Saturday, his run took him back home -- to the University of Notre Dame!  Jeff was greeted by an old roommate and friends -- along with the WNDU-TV crew for an interview.  Jeff's now run 2,502.8 miles -- pushing his 80 lb# cart -- on his way to New York's Times Square where he expects to be next month!  Here's a link to the WNDU-TV interview along with a link to Jeff's blog entry from his time at Notre Dame:

LINK:  JEFF RUNS AMERICA -- HIS RETURN TO NOTRE DAME!

LINK:  WNDU-TV INTERVIEW OF JEFF

Football Update -- Monday's Practice

Today's video segment from UND.COM covers the QB competition as we wind down the final week of practice leading up to Saturday's BLUE GOLD GAME at Notre Dame Stadium.  Here's a link:

LINK:  NOTRE DAME QB COMPETITION

Notre Dame Athletics -- Facebook Contest

Notre Dame Athletics is running a contest at their newly "remodeled" Facebook page -- giving away four seats in the PRESS BOX of NOTRE DAME STADIUM for this Saturday's BLUE GOLD GAME.  Here's a link:

LINK:  NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS

Bald & The Beautiful -- St. Baldrick's and ND!

The University of Notre Dame will be "shaving heads" this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for a great cause!  It's the "Bald & The Beautiful:  ND Fights Cancer" event on campus -- and its goal this year is to raise $60,000! 

Last year, more than 50 members of the Notre Dame Football Team shaved their heads to raise money for the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

Here's a link to the website:

LINK:  ST. BALDRICK'S BALD & THE BEAUTIFUL

Coach Kelly Talks Michael Floyd -- With Media

After Saturday's practice -- Coach Kelly met with the media for fifteen minutes with the obvious topic being the Michael Floyd situation.  Here's a link to the media session:

LINK:  COACH KELLY TALKS MICHAEL FLOYD

The Shirt -- a Notre Dame Tradition!

It's typically the #1 selling item in any college bookstore in America every year -- and the 21st edition of THE SHIRT will be unveiled this Friday afternoon in a ceremony in front of the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore.

THE SHIRT that is my personal all-time favorite is the 2007 shirt -- and it's purely a biased opinion.  My son Jimmy Small '08 -- then a junior and an Irish Guard -- was included in the montage on the back of THE SHIRT that year.  I believe that year they sold around 135,000 of the shirts and then coach Charlie Weis gave away another 5,000 of THE SHIRT to our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq -- during his tour.

For some reason -- there has been very little "chatter" online about the COLOR of this year's shirt.  I'm guessing it just might be a WHITE shirt this year -- just a guess. 

If you'd like to read about the history of THE SHIRT -- check in on some of the previous designs -- or, just place your order -- check out the links below:

LINK:  THE SHIRT PROJECT -- 2011

LINK:  THE HISTORY OF THE SHIRT

LINK:  PREVIOUS SHIRTS

Latest Blue Gold Weekend Weather Forecast

Five days ago the forecast was 71 degrees and sunny for next Saturday's BLUE GOLD Game...

Folks -- today the forecast is for RAIN and 57 degrees at kick-off -- WHAT!!!

LINK:  LATEST FORECAST 

LINK:  BUY THIS UMBRELLA!

Michael Floyd -- ND's Decision a Shocker!

The University of Notre Dame surprised most loyal ND followers with the news yesterday afternoon that Michael Floyd will not be suspended from school -- and will not be kept off the football field.

Michael Floyd is still suspended "indefinitely" by Brian Kelly from the Notre Dame football team.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if Brian Kelly "reinstates" him to team activities in JUNE, when the team returns for the summer semester.  Yet, I wouldn't be shocked if Coach Kelly decides to sit him for the "home opener" against the University of South Florida...

Here's a link to a video at Irish Illustrated of Coach Kelly commenting this morning on the Michael Floyd situation -- along with a link to the South Bend Tribune story:

LINK:  MICHAEL FLOYD NOT SUSPENDED FROM SCHOOL!

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE STORY