Thursday, September 13, 2012

Belatti's 27 Year Relationship with Hank Aaron


Frank Belatti '69, has a special relationship with the greatest HOME RUN HITTER of our time -- Hank Aaron.  They first met 27 years ago, when Frank was then the Chief Marketing Officer at Arby's.

Belatti later moved up the ranks to the CEO position at Arby's and at a number of other well known brands like; Popeye's Chicken, Day's Inn, Ramada, Howard Johnson, Super 8, etc., during his distinguished business career.

Belatti shared a wonderful story in the Mendoza College of Business Magazine, this month, about his friend and business partner Hank Aaron.  It's a story you must read.

LINK:  BELATTI AND AARON


Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Belichick Raves About Former Domer Bavaro...


Former Notre Dame All-American, NFL All Pro, Super Bowl Champion, etc., -- MARK BAVARO -- was New England Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick's topic of discussion recently...

He thinks the world of Mark Bavaro.  ND fans will enjoy the story!

LINK:  BELICHICK ON BAVARO

Replay of the ACC's Press Conference Today


The University of Notre Dame announced today that it had accepted the invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference for all sports other than football and hockey.  The good folks at the ACC Digital Network notified the ND GO IRISH BLOG to alert us of the replay of the press conference on their YouTube channel.  Click on the link below

LINK:  NOTRE DAME JOINS THE ACC

Initial Reaction to Notre Dame's Move to ACC


Just took a lap around the web to track the media reaction to Notre Dame's accepting the invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference -- for all sports but football and hockey.  (photo above of Notre Dame's Director of Athletics, Jack Swarbrick on the left and the Commissioner of the ACC John Swofford on the right)

Just click on the links below:

LINK:  ESPN BLOG

LINK:  MICHAEL ROSENBERG - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

LINK:  YAHOO SPORTS

LINK:  WASHINGTON POST

LINK:  SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

LINK:  TRIANGLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

LINK:  ACC SPORTS JOURNAL

LINK:  CBS SPORTS BLOG

LINK:  USA TODAY

LINK:  DICK VITALE -- ESPN

LINK:  ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION

LINK:  NEW YORK TIMES

LINK:  PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

LINK:  CBS SPORTS

NOTRE DAME TO JOIN THE ACC!





The University of Notre Dame notified the Big East Conference this morning at 9:30 AM ET that they have accepted the invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference for all sports -- OTHER THAN FOOTBALL and hockey!

Earlier this year -- Syracuse and the University of Pittsburgh left the Big East Conference to join the ACC.  Notre Dame, when it officially joins, will become the 15th member institution.

Please note:  the actual timeline for the move from the BIG EAST to ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE is to be determined.


Notre Dame has agreed to play five football games, each season, against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents -- once ND leaves the BIG EAST CONFERENCE.

At 12:30 PM ET today -- University of Notre Dame's president Father John Jenkins, C.S.C. will be joined by athletic director Jack Swarbrick at a news conference at the site of the ACC's Annual Meeting on the campus of the University of North Carolina -- I'm guessing ESPN NEWS will carry that news conference live.

At 6 PM ET this evening -- Jack Swarbrick, Coach Kelly and other Notre Dame officials and athletes will be meeting with the media at the Guglielmino Athletics Complex.  No word yet, on whether that will be carried live at UND.COM.


LINK:  ESPN 

LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S OFFICIAL RELEASE

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Michigan State Week: Coach Kelly With Media


University of Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media today to talk one more time about our team's performance against Purdue and what's in store this Saturday night in East Lansing.  Here's a link:

LINK:  COACH KELLY PRESS CONFERENCE

ESPN Promoting ND's Game Saturday Night


The folks in Bristol, CT are doing all they can to talk about NOTRE DAME this week -- as the IRISH will be televised nationally on ABC at 8 PM ET in their game in East Lansing against the #10 Michigan State Spartans...

BIG TV RATINGS NIGHT FOR ABC

Here's a little piece on ND Football by ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski

LINK:  COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BETTER...

Notre Dame's New Storytelling Platform!

Folks, I work with a talented team of individuals here at the University of Notre Dame and one of the projects we just launched is called the DAILY DOMER. 

Simply stated -- this should become your HOME PAGE if you love Notre Dame. 

This site, much like my blog, will be updated with stories every single day about the University of Notre Dame.  It's ALL NOTRE DAME -- ALL THE TIME.

Enjoy!

LINK:  THE DAILY DOMER

11 Years Ago -- A Notre Dame Man Stood Tall


It was a day unlike any other in the 236 year history of our nation -- and a day this Notre Dame man faced head on...

September 11, 2001

You see, Jimmy Dunne '78, lost 66 of his friends and colleagues that day when a passenger jet crashed into World Center Tower  2 -- where his company was located on the 104th floor.

What this Notre Dame man has done since, for the families who lost their loved ones and for his company -- is truly remarkable.  Here's a story that ran last year in Fortune -- on the 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001.

LINK:  A NOTRE DAME MAN

Monday, September 10, 2012

Vince Vaughn -- Notre Dame Interview


He's been a life-long Notre Dame fan -- and this past Saturday he was on the sidelines with his pal Owen Wilson watching the IRISH beat Purdue.  UND.COM's Jack Nolan got the opportunity to interview Vaughn -- here you go!

Vaughn -- pictured above -- appeared in RUDY!


LINK:  VINCE VAUGHN WITH JACK NOLAN

Photo of the Day: Owen Wilson at Notre Dame


Hollywood star Owen Wilson was at Saturday's football game between the Fightin' Irish and the Purdue Boilermakers.  Here's a photo of Owen with a few of the Notre Dame cheerleaders on the sidelines of Notre Dame Stadium.

People Magazine featured this photo on their site:

LINK:  PEOPLE MAGAZINE

Sunday, September 9, 2012

NBC Replay: Notre Dame vs. Purdue


Here's all of the video currently available online from NBC of yesterday's 20 - 17 win for the Irish over Purdue.  Click on the links below:

LINK:  ALEX FLANAGAN'S INTERVIEW OF COACH KELLY

LINK:  ALEX FLANAGAN'S INTERVIEW OF TOMMY REES

LINK:  MIKE MAYOCK'S POST GAME COMMENTS

LINK:  COACH KELLY POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

LINK:  NBC GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  THE BAND OF THE FIGHTING IRISH -- HALFTIME SHOW

NCAA Statistics -- National Rankings Week 2


National Rankings -- here's a quick look at where Notre Dame players, offensive, defensive and special team units stack up amongst the 120 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision:

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS:

Everett Golson

 Theo Riddick

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS:

Stephon Tuitt

Bennett Jackson

Manti Teo

OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKINGS:

DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKINGS:

Fightin' Irish Move Up to #19 in USA Today Poll


The USA Today Poll has the Irish ranked #19 and the Associated Press has Notre Dame at #20.  Here's the rankings:

LINK:  NATIONAL RANKINGS

The Mornin' After ND Beats Purdue 20 - 17


Took a lap around the worldwide web this morning to see what the media has to say about Notre Dame's last second 20 - 17 win over Purdue -- just click on the links below:

LINK:  ESPN BLOG

LINK:  CBS SPORTS

LINK:  INDY STAR

LINK:  HAMMER & NAILS

LINK:  JOURNAL & COURIER #1

LINK:  JOURNAL & COURIER #2

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN TIMES #1

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN TIMES #2

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #1

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #2

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #3

Saturday, September 8, 2012

ND vs. PURDUE -- Notre Dame Locker Room!


The gang at Fighting Irish Digital Media were workin' their magic today -- catching Hollywood's Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson (photo above) sportin' their ND Monogram hats on the sidelines...

And, the last minute drive, field goal and post game locker room celebration.

LINK:  NOTRE DAME LOCKER ROOM

A Win is a WIn is a WIn and We're 2 - 0 !!!


The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 2 - 0 after a late field goal by Kyle Brindza put the Irish past Purdue 20 - 17.  Some of the key story lines from this game:
  • Seven Irish starters got injured and never returned
  • Golson threw for 289 yards -- completing 67% of his passes
  • ND's defense held Purdue to under 300 total yards of offense
  • Golson's late fumble 
  • Rees came off the bench and took the IRISH down the field with two clutch third down pass completions -- completing 3 of 8 passes for 35 yards

The Irish have won their first two games of the season for the first time since 2008 and for only the fourth time in the last sixteen seasons -- think about that!!!

LINK:  COACH KELLY PRESS CONFERENCE

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS -- ND 20 - PURDUE 17

Rudy's Out Promoting "MY STORY"

Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger is out on a media tour promoting his new autobiography "MY STORY."

His travels this morning took him to NYC and FOX & FRIENDS.  Now, I don't have that video yet -- he was just on the air -- here is a video of an interview he gave on Wednesday this week:

LINK:  RUDY'S MY STORY

LINK:  BUY RUDY'S BOOK

Replay: Notre Dame's Pep Rally Last Night!

As has become tradition at the University of Notre Dame -- THOUSANDS of IRISH fans were in attendance last night at the PEP RALLY for the Purdue game!!!

YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE MANTI TEO!!!

LINK:  NOTRE DAME PEP RALLY

GAME DAY @ NOTRE DAME!


Here's what all of the "experts" are saying about Notre Dame's game today versus Purdue -- just click on the links below. 

VEGAS HAS THE IRISH AS 14.5 pt. FAVORITES

Folks, this game makes me NERVOUS.  I believe this is the best Purdue team we've seen in some time and we're going to have our hands full.  Here's my ND GO IRISH BLOG score prediction:
  • Notre Dame:  31
  • Purdue:  27


LINK:  INDY SPORTS LEGENDS

LINK:  CBS SPORTS

LINK:  ESPN NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  NBC NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

LINK:  THE SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  WEST LAFAYETTE'S JOURNAL & COURIER