Thursday, June 30, 2016

Photo: Becca Huffer & Former Tiger Jim Small


That's my Dad -- Jim Small (former Detroit Tiger outfielder) on the left with former Notre Dame golf star Becca Huffer '12 at last night's Pro Am Party at the Symetra Tour's Tullymore Classic in Stanwood, MI.

Becca begins tournament play Friday at 1:19 PM ET -- teeing off on #10.

You can track how well Becca is playing at the link below:

LINK:  BECCA HUFFER'S SCORECARD
 

Why Teams Want Notre Dame On FB Schedule


Look what happened in Raleigh, NC -- North Carolina State gets Notre Dame on their football schedule for the first time in history...

LINK:  TICKET SALES RECORD


Demetrius Jackson's Custom Suit Jackets

The 2nd Round Draft pick of the Boston Celtics -- is wearing his life story -- thanks to his friends at ESQ Clothing...

LINK:  DEMETRIUS

Domer Jackson Meets With Boston Media


Former Notre Dame basketball star Demetrius Jackson met with the Boston media yesterday...

LINK:  DEMETRIUS ON BRAD STEVENS

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Fox Sports Radio: Brady Quinn Interview


The former Notre Dame All-American weighs in on the Fighting Irish QB competition, Urban Meyer, Charlie Weis and more...

LINK:  BRADY QUINN

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Monday, June 27, 2016

Domer Everett Golson Signs to Play in CFL


I'm not surprised...

LINK:  GOLSON SIGNS WITH TIGER-CATS

Notre Dame's "Mount Rushmore" for Football


This is according to NFL.COM's Jim Reineking who for the past two weeks has been profiling the college football programs that have placed the most players into the National Football League.

The University of Notre Dame has placed more players into the NFL than any other college in the world.

He picks Notre Dame's 4 All-Time NFL players...


LINK:  STORY

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Pat Connaughton Throws a Football 80 Yards!


Torii Hunter Jr. -- Signs Deal With LA Angels


The Notre Dame student-athlete signed a contract yesterday with the Los Angeles Angels -- NO WORRIES -- he'll still be playing football for the Fighting Irish this fall.

LINK:  TORII HUNTER JR.

Domer Will Fuller Signs 1st NFL Contract!


Former Notre Dame All-American Will Fuller agreed to terms yesterday with the Houston Texans on a four-year $10.2 million contract -- which includes a $5.6 million signing bonus.

LINK:  FULLER'S FIRST

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Texas' Charlie Strong Talks Notre Dame Today


Big Day for Demetrius Jackson & Family...



TV coverage of tonight's 2016 NBA Draft begins at 7:30 PM ET -- Notre Dame's Demetrius Jackson is expected to go in the First Round...

LINK:  SPORTS ILLUSTRATED STORY

"Jerian Grant Key to Trade with Knicks"


Former Notre Dame All-American Jerian Grant was traded yesterday from the New York Knicks to the Chicago Bulls...


LINK:  BIG NBA TRADE -- FORBES

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  CSN CHICAGO

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Latest NBA Mock Drafts for Demetrius Jackson


Took a lap around the web to see where the NBA prognosticators think Notre Dame basketball star Demetrius Jackson will be drafted in Thursday night's NBA DRAFT:

LINK:  FOX SPORTS -- MOCK DRAFT

LINK:  HOOPS HYPE -- MOCK DRAFT

LINK:  CHAD FORD'S MOCK DRAFT

LINK:  CBS SPORTS -- MOCK DRAFT

LINK:  DRAFT EXPRESS -- MOCK DRAFT 

Domer Pat Garrity Promoted by Detroit Pistons


Former Notre Dame basketball star Pat Garrity was promoted this week by the NBA's Detroit Pistons as their new Assistant General Manager.

LINK:  READ THE STORY

Notre Dame Plays a Role in Toughest Schedules


Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman weighed in on the toughest "non-conference" schedules this year in college football...

To no surprise here -- NOTRE DAME is on five of the ten teams' schedules.

LINK:  TOP TEN TOUGHEST

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Father's Day Story: Two Sons of Notre Dame


You'll want to read this story about former Notre Dame football stars; T.J. Jones (now with the Detroit Lions and his dad Andre Jones...

LINK:  FATHER'S DAY

Happy Father's Day to My Dad & All the Dads!

I share this poem today with MY DAD -- that's one of his baseball cards from his playing days with the Detroit Tigers -- thank you for giving me my name.

I hope I've carried it well -- in your honor.

YOUR FAMILY NAME

You got it from your father
It was all he had to give
So it's yours to use and cherish
For as long as you may live

If you lost the watch he gave you
It can always be replaced;
But a black mark on your name
Can never be erased

It was clean the day you took it
And a worthy name to bear
When he got it from his father
There was no dishonor there

So make sure you guard it wisely
After all is said and done
You'll be glad the name is spotless
When you give it to your son 

I framed this poem along with my other all-time favorite poem; 'The Man in the Glass' -- and placed it on the bedroom walls of my sons Jimmy and Brady as they were growing up (I am blessed to now have three sons -- with Conor Walsh marrying our daughter Kara).

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!  

Happy Father's Day -- Holy Cross Congregation


The University of Notre Dame has been blessed for nearly 175 years to have the "fathers" of the Holy Cross Congregation leading the way. 

Happy Fathers Day!

She's BACK!!! Skylar Scores 27 Last Night!


Former Notre Dame "All-Everything" -- Skylar Diggins scored 27 points last night leading her Dallas Wings to a TRIPLE OT WIN over the Phoenix Mercury 117 - 111.

Skylar is coming off of major knee surgery -- in only her fifth game back for the Wings.

FYI:  It's the most points ever scored by a Wings player in a single game.  (Now, the team has only played in Dallas for 12 games...)  Still, it's a FUN FACT!

LINK:  SKYLAR HIGHLIGHTS

Saturday, June 18, 2016

How Many Notre Dame Stars Can You Name?


Here's my guess...

L to R:  Tony Rice, Ricky Watters, Chris Zorich, Lou Holtz, Rocket Ismail, ? , Joe Montana, ?

Send me an email with the names of the two I'm not recognizing at: jim.small@nd.edu

In the "reddish pink" shirt is none other than Michael Stonebreaker -- still waiting on confirmation of the man's name next to Rocket...  THANKS TO A NUMBER OF ND GO IRISH BLOG regulars for emailing me about Stonebreaker.

I've been given "Nick Eddy" as the guy next to Rocket -- I don't think that is Nick...

Comparing Five Preseason College FB Polls


This is an interesting way to look at a number of the preseason rankings of the top college football teams in the country:

LINK:  RANKINGS

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Two "Loyal Sons" Return to Notre Dame!


Randy Ayers and Ryan Humphrey have returned home -- joining the Notre Dame men's basketball coaching staff!

Don't forget -- only one men's college basketball program can claim back-to-back "ELITE EIGHT" appearances these last two seasons -- NOTRE DAME BASKETBALL!

LINK:  RANDY AYERS

LINK:  RYAN HUMPHREY

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

College Football's "X-Factor" -- Notre Dame!


A good read about Notre Dame's strength of schedule -- as Brian Kelly says; "my 12 against their 12..."

LINK:  THE NOTRE DAME HEADACHE

Monday, June 13, 2016

Pittsburgh Penguins & Domers Arrive Home!



Domers Ian Cole and Bryan Rust -- returned to Pittsburgh this afternoon after last night's Stanley Cup clinching win for the Penguins over the San Jose Sharks!

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Domers Rust & Cole Hoisting the Stanley Cup!


Replay: Domers' Stanley Cup Champion Goals!

IAN COLE -- former Notre Dame defenseman

BRYAN RUST -- former Notre Dame winger

Broadway's Hamilton -- Patrick Vassel '07



Hamilton won 11 Tony Awards tonight -- further proof of the greatness of this Broadway show.

Notre Dame alum and Associate Director of Hamilton -- Patrick Vassel '07 is interviewed here by fellow Domer Anne Thompson (NBC News) during our recent Notre Dame Day broadcast...

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Biggio Drafted by Blue Jays -- Not the Astros...


I was hoping the Houston Astros would have drafted Notre Dame's Cavan Biggio -- son of Baseball Hall of Famer Craig Biggio -- but the Toronto Blue Jays beat them to the punch, taking Cavan in the Fifth Round yesterday...

LINK:  BASEBALL'S BIGGIOS

ND Football Players With the Fantasy Campers


What Happens at ND Football Fantasy Camp...


A Young Irish Fan Gets a Notre Dame Helmet!


Friday, June 10, 2016

Michigan vs. Notre Dame -- Sooner Than Later


Notre Dame's Brian Kelly spoke with a Sports Illustrated reporter about efforts to renew the rivalry with Michigan...

It has been 1,008 days since Michigan last scored a point against Notre Dame.

LINK:  MICHIGAN vs. NOTRE DAME

My Friend David and His Friend Muhammad Ali


David Chaudoir grew up playing in the backyard at Muhammad Ali's long-time home in Berrien Springs, MI -- just 29 minutes from the University of Notre Dame.  He later worked 12 years for Muhammad Ali Enterprises as their Director of Marketing.

That's David a number of years ago with Ali -- please know it pains me to post a photo of Ali wearing this shirt...

For the last three years -- David has been my teammate here at the University of Notre Dame.

Today -- David is in Louisville with Ali's family and former colleagues celebrating the life of his friend.

David wrote this reflection -- the night of Ali's death.  He's allowed me to share this with all of you today.


“After me, there will never be another.”

One of Muhammad Ali’s famous lines. He had an endless supply of them. He had an endless supply of everything: fun, talent, mischief, justice, audacity, humor, peace, energy, faith, and most of all, love.

When I first met Muhammad in the mid-1980s I had no understanding of who he was beyond the fun guy with a playground in his backyard down the street. A decade later, I went to work in his office when I started college and for years beyond. Only then did I come to realize the magnitude of his impact.

Muhammad’s awe and appreciation of the world and people around him was met only by his ability to harness them for good. This was due both to his abiding faith in God and his authenticity as a human being living out that faith.

Muhammad was a supreme athlete, an activist, a trickster,  an iconoclast, a humanitarian, a titan, but I knew him as a confidant, a mentor, a calming presence. He was a philosopher-poet who lived in the real world, shaking and brightening it along the way. His uncanny ability to sense people’s moods extended from society in general to the few of us who worked with him every day.

He was aware of his effect on people which accounts for so many missed airplanes and appointments—from the beginning of his career and for as long as he was able to, he would stop for photos, autographs, hugs. He loved to surprise people; even on the highway he’d roll down the window and stare at unsuspecting drivers. It seems anyone you meet has a Muhammad Ali story. There are literally millions of them.

Muhammad treated everyone with the same level of dignity: celebrity, president, king, sheikh, the people who worked with him. He didn’t give preferential treatment to anyone. He loved his family. He loved his friends. In the same hour he could give you a belly laugh and say something inspirational that would reduce you to tears. Muhammad was a happy person and a perpetual source of joy for everyone who knew him and for the millions who only knew him from the media. Such was the range of his aura.

This man was comfortable anywhere and everywhere. Yet small-town Michigan was his home for nearly thirty years after he retired from boxing. I was so fortunate and blessed to have spent many of those years with him. A boy from Berrien Springs who was able to walk this earth in his company, bearing witness to untold moments of grace and compassion the likes of which I will surely never see again.

Muhammad Ali was and is exactly who he said he was: The Greatest of All Time.

Muhammad, you were the King of the World and the Prince of our Hearts.

There will never be another.

-- David Chaudoir


LINK:  LIVE TV COVERAGE FROM LOUISVILLE THIS AM



Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Good Stuff: Broadway Car Pool Karaoke



Notre Dame alum Patrick Vassel is the Assistant Director of Broadway smash hit Hamilton -- look for him on stage this Sunday night at the Tony Awards!

Another Day With "The Program" for ND FB!










Wednesday with THE PROGRAM for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame!