Notre Dame Ranked #10 in ESPN Football Poll

Well, it's still 123 days until the 2013 college football season kicks off in Notre Dame Stadium for our Fightin' Irish -- yet, ESPN just came out with their first PRE-SEASON POLL after Spring practice...

You'll find two ND opponents ranked ahead of the IRISH and two ranked behind.  Click on the link below:

LINK:  T0P-25 RANKINGS

Notre Dame's Fr. Bill Dailey on "The Moment"

The Rector of Stanford Hall and a visiting associate professor in the Notre Dame Law School -- Fr. Bill Dailey, C.S.C. -- made a cameo appearance on the upcoming NBC Show "The Moment."

The Moment will air May 3rd on the USA Network at 11 PM ET -- with a show shot at Notre Dame -- former NFL QB Kurt Warner (photo on left) hosts the show...

Fans of Rudy will see some symmetry with this clip from THE MOMENT:


LINK:  FR. DAILEY ON THE MOMENT

Taylor Swift Posing With ND's Leprechaun

Notre Dame's latest Leprechaun (Johnny Romano) -- apparently slipped past security "undercover" to get this photo with Taylor Swift.

Taylor's brother Austin is a student at Notre Dame...

LINK:  ND'S LEPRECHAUN

Video of Manti Te'o & Robby Toma Parade!

The folks in Hawaii threw a WELCOME HOME PARADE and party yesterday for a couple of Notre Dame football players who grew up on the North Shore of Oahu -- Manti Te'o and Robby Toma...

Unfortunately, Manti was in San Diego -- meeting with the media -- yet, the hometown crowd still celebrated -- check out the links below:

LINK:  WELCOME HOME PARADE

LINK:  KITV.COM

LINK:  PHOTO GALLERY FROM PARADE

Coach Brian Kelly at the 2013 NFL Draft...

University of Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly sat down with the NFL DRAFT "XTRA" crew to talk about Tyler Eifert and Manti Te'o -- you'll enjoy this...

IT'S A "MUST SEE" FOR EVERY FIVE STAR'S PARENTS!

LINK:  COACH KELLY

The San Diego Media's Take on Manti Te'o

Apparently the San Diego Chargers aren't accustomed to 14 TV cameras at press conferences... 

Manti Te'o met with the media yesterday in San Diego -- here are a few of the stories:

LINK:  U-T SAN DIEGO NEWS

LINK:  KFMB-TV -- CBS SAN DIEGO

LINK:  NBC-TV -- SAN DIEGO

LINK:  NBC-TV -- SAN DIEGO #2

Notre Dame Players Signing Free Agent Deals

There were five former Notre Dame football players "UN-DRAFTED" who signed free agent contracts with NFL Teams yesterday and today -- here's the list:

• Braxston Cave -- Cleveland Browns
• Mike Golic, Jr. -- Pittsburgh Steelers
• Cierre Wood -- Houston Texans
• Dayne Crist -- Kansas City Chiefs
• John Goodman -- Cincinnati Bengals

In addition, players who have not signed a free agent deal will be invited to Rookie Camp to compete for a roster spot -- here's that list:

• Robby Toma -- Baltimore Ravens
• Jordan Cowart -- Washington Redskins
• Ben Turk -- Houston Texans 
• Chris Salvi -- Chicago Bears

LINK:  LIST OF UN-DRAFTED FREE AGENT SIGNINGS BY NFL TEAM

Six Notre Dame Players Go In 2013 NFL Draft

The Fightin' Irish had SIX players taken in the 2013 NFL Draft;  Tyler Eifert (#21 -- Bengals), Manti Te'o (#38 -- Chargers), Jamoris Slaughter (#175 -- Browns), Theo Riddick (#199 -- Lions), Kapron Lewis-Moore (#200 -- Ravens) and Zeke Motta (#244 -- Falcons).

Cierre Wood -- who still had a year of eligibility left, not drafted.

I suspect we'll soon learn about a few more of the seniors signing "free-agent" contracts in the next 24 hours...

CONGRATULATIONS!

LINK:  NOTRE DAME PLAYERS DRAFTED

San Diego Chargers Welcome Manti Te'o

Manti Te'o took a "red-eye" flight into San Diego this morning to meet with the Chargers and the local media.  Here's the first interview with the gang at CHARGERS.COM -- along with a link to a photo gallery of his arrival and his first press conference as a Charger:

Manti will be wearing uniform #51 for the San Diego Chargers...
 

LINK:  MANTI TE'O IN SAN DIEGO

LINK:  PHOTO GALLERY OF MANTI'S ARRIVAL 

LINK:  MANTI'S FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE

San Diego Chargers -- TALK ABOUT MANTI

Minutes after being drafted by the San Diego Chargers -- Manti spoke with the folks at CHARGER.COM on a number of subjects -- and the Charger's GM Tom Telesco and Head Coach Mike McCoy met with the media:

LINK:  CHARGER'S PRESS CONFERENCE

LINK:  EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Alex Flanagan's Manti Interview -- MUST SEE

NBC and the NFL NETWORK's Alex Flanagan made a trip to Hawaii to interview Manti Te'o -- this is a MUST WATCH story...

LINK:  MANTI TEO INTERVIEW

Manti Talks With Media After Charger Selection

If Manti Te'o had to go in the second round of the 2013NFL Draft -- he couldn't have ended up in a better place to play football for a young man from Hawaii!

I love this photo of Manti's family...

The San Diego Chargers selected Manti with the 38th pick -- and soon after he met with the Hawaiian media -- here's a link:

LINK:  MANTI TALKS ABOUT CHARGERS

Tyler Eifert -- Spends the Day in Cincinnati

The former Notre Dame All-American tight end and the #21 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft -- spent the day in Cincinnati with his new team.  As you'll see -- he'll be wearing #85 for the Bengals -- formerly worn by "Chad Ochocinco".

LINK:  TYLER EIFERT IN CINCI

LINK:  EIFERT ARRIVES IN CINCINNATI

Photos of Manti Te'o Draft Celebration Party

This shirt could become a HUGE SELLER -- I know I'd buy one if Notre Dame were to license it!

Coach Kelly at NFL Draft Talks Manti Te'o

The folks at the NFL Network interviewed Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly right after San Diego selected the Irish All-American with the #38 pick.  Here's a link to the interview:

LINK:  COACH KELLY ON MANTI GOING TO CHARGERS

Te'o & Toma Welcome Home Parade Saturday

Former Notre Dame football players Manti Te'o and Robby Toma will be honored with a PARADE this Saturday by the city of Honolulu.  Here are the details:

LINK:  PARADE SATURDAY FOR MANTI & ROBBY

Video of Manti Te'o & Family Celebrating Pick!

The local Hawaiian TV stations had cameras rolling on Manti and his parents when it was announced that Te'o would be taking his talents to San Diego!  Great moment for this family -- even though it came 22 hours late...

The top photo above shows Manti Te'o taking the phone call from the San Diego Chargers...
 

LINK:  VIDEO OF TE'O  FAMILY REACTION

LINK:  KITV-ABC

Manti Te'o Drafted by the San Diego Chargers!

The wait is finally over for the most decorated defensive player in college football history...

Notre Dame All-American Manti Te'o was just drafted #38 overall in the Second Round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers -- who traded up to get him.

Congratulations Manti!


LINK:  SAN DIEGO SELECTS MANTI

LINK:  SAN DIEGO ABC-TV

Mel Kiper Talks Manti Te'o Not Being Drafted

ESPN's NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper was on the Mike & MIKE show this morning...

One of the subjects was Manti Te'o -- here's what he had to say -- along with these other guests on today's show;  Eric Mangini, Bill Polian and John Clayton.


LINK:  KIPER ON TE'O

LINK:  MANGINI ON TE'O

LINK:  POLIAN ON TE'O

LINK:  CLAYTON ON TE'O

The Next Longest Day in the Life of Manti Te'o

Folks, I just can't believe (check that, I don't want to believe) there are 32 football players in America better for a NFL franchise than Manti Te'o.

It had to be a long night in Hawaii for Manti and his family and today can't be much better.  Hopefully, his phone rang last night or early this morning from a NFL GM who told him "we'll be drafting you at ---."

Here's the latest on Manti:


LINK:  NFL NETWORK 

LINK:  CBS SPORTS

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  BUSINESS INSIDER

LINK:  AOL SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  CBS-TV -- DC

Tyler Eifert Goes to CINCINNATI in NFL Draft

Notre Dame All-American tight end Tyler Eifert was just drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals  -- as the #21 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.  Tyler is the 64th player in the 126 year history of Notre Dame football to be drafted in the First Round of the NFL Draft.

The #21 pick last year signed a four-year contract worth $8,170,000 -- not sure how much of this was guaranteed.

Congratulations Tyler!


LINK:  CINCINNATI BENGALS -- OFFICIAL WEBSITE

2013 NFL DRAFT -- First Round Begins at 8 ET

Welcome to the "next" longest day of Manti Te'o's life...

In about 14 hours from now, Manti Te'o will learn if he's a "multi-millionaire" and what city he'll call home -- or, maybe not...

It's the 2013 NFL Draft and it will dominate the MEDIA's attention over the next 96 hours.  Notre Dame fans will be tuning in to ESPN tonight at 8 PM ET to see if we will have DOMER #64 and DOMER #65 join the ranks of former Irish football players taken in the NFL Draft's First Round.

Tyler Eifert appears to be a LOCK to go in the first round -- Te'o is on the bubble...

Notre Dame is THIRD All-Time in players drafted in the first round (63).  We trail that school in Los Angeles (77) and that school in Columbus (67)...

Here is a look at a few of the latest MOCK DRAFTS:


LINK:  PETER KING -- SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

LINK:  MIKE MAYOCK -- NFL.COM

LINK:  GARY MYERS -- NEW YORK DAILY

NFL Draft's First Round -- Thursday Night!

24 hours from the start of the 2013 NFL Draft -- and the ND GO IRISH BLOG took a lap around the worldwide web this evening to see what's being said about Thursday night's FIRST ROUND.  Just click on the links below:

LINK:  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS -- MOCK DRAFT

LINK:  FORBES

LINK:  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS -- MANTI TO GIANTS?

LINK:  PHILLY INQUIRER

Jon Bon Jovi's Son to Walk-on @ Notre Dame

Add another "famous Dad" to the Notre Dame football roster...

The New York Daily News published this story today about Jesse Bongiovi's plans to try and walk-on to the Notre Dame football program this fall.  If Jesse makes the team -- Jon Bon Jovi will join this list of famous Dad's who will be cheering on the IRISH this fall:

• Chris Collinsworth -- former college and NFL football player -- now a TV analyst with NBC
• George Atkinson -- former NFL football star
• David Robinson -- NBA Hall of Famer
• Torri Hunter -- outfielder, Detroit Tigers
• Terry Hanratty -- ND football star and NFL QB
• Philip Daniels -- former NFL football star

LINK:  BON JOVI'S SON GOING TO NOTRE DAME

Skylar Diggins Says Good-bye to Notre Dame

The All-American girl from South Bend said good-bye tonight to a Notre Dame that will never forget how she represented HER.  The team's season ending Banquet was held in the Joyce Center and Skylar Diggins had her chance to thank the Notre Dame family for the last time...

Here's a link to WNDU-TV's coverage of tonight's celebration along with a link to Skylar's speech:

LINK:  SKYLAR'S SPEECH

LINK:  SKYLAR'S FINAL FARWELL

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE STORY

Notre Dame Engineering Students Give Back

Austin Rousselow -- a 2-year-old young man from the South Bend area who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, was given a HUMVEE that he could drive -- that was created by students in Notre Dame's College of Engineering...

A wonderful story -- click on the link below:

LINK:  A FANCY RIDE!

Notre Dame Parent -- Detroit Tigers' Closer?

Martin Short -- the proud parent of two DOMERS -- announced today that he has signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers...

LINK:  YOU MUST SEE THIS

Notre Dame Women's Golf -- Big East Champs!

Three of Notre Dame's five team members -- BROKE PAR -- in today's final round!

So much for pressure...

It was the fifth and FINAL Big East Championship for the Women's golf program -- as they will be heading off to the ACC next season.  The ACC better watch out -- the three women who broke par today are freshmen;  Lindsey Weaver (Arizona) and Talia Campbell (Texas) and sophomore Ashley Armstrong (Illinois)...

Weaver and Campbell finished up the tournament at SIX UNDER PAR and were the Co-Medalists!  A record low score for the Big East Women's Golf Championship!!!

LINK:  BIG EAST TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

Bald & Beautiful -- Only Notre Dame!

The students here at Notre Dame held their annual St. Baldrick's Day fund-raiser for cancer research this past week.  You'll enjoy watching this video!

LINK:  BALD & BEAUTIFUL

134 Years Ago Today -- Notre Dame's Fire

It was approximately 11 AM -- this very morning -- 134 years ago (April 23, 1879) that a fire was first spotted in the roof of the University of Notre Dame's Main Building...

Three hours later the Main Building, St. Francis' Home, the Infirmary and Music Hall were in complete ruin.  I'll leave it to the historians to tell the rest of the story -- click on the link below:

LINK:  THE STORY OF NOTRE DAME'S FIRE

Manti Te'o Will Be Glad When This Week is Over

I trust Manti's advisors are telling him to avoid the media this week...

The scrutiny he's under is incredible -- I guess it goes with playing at NOTRE DAME, the biggest stage in college sport.

Here's the latest on Manti:

LINK:  PIONEER PRESS -- MINNEAPOLIS

LINK:  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

LINK:  NEW YORK GIANTS WEBSITE

The STORY Behind the Play: "Irish Chocolate"

FIGHTIN' IRISH fans witnessed the first 355 lb. "Shotgun QB" formation in the 126 year history of Notre Dame football -- when Louis Nix went in to play quarterback in the 4th quarter of Saturday's Blue Gold Game.

Nix won a bet -- over an academic performance issue -- with Coach Kelly.  Here's the story:

LINK:  LOUIS NIX

The Blue Gold Post Game Show -- Replay

If you didn't check in online after the Blue Gold Game to watch the post game show on UND.COM -- here it is all fifty plus minutes of it.

You'll find some content -- unique to this show:

LINK:  BLUE GOLD GAME -- POST GAME SHOW

Strong and True -- Full Replay from NBC

If you missed the one hour TV special "Strong and True" which aired on the NBC Sports Network this past Saturday -- just prior to kick-off of the Blue Gold Game -- you can watch it right here!

This is going to turn out to be a great recruiting tool for the Fighting Irish football program!
 

LINK:  STRONG AND TRUE

Notre Dame Men's Lacrosse Ranked #1 Again!

For the second time this season -- Kevin Corrigan's Fightin' Irish are atop the Nike Division I Top Twenty Lacrosse Poll!

Look for the #1 sign to be lit atop Grace Hall this evening!


LINK:  TOP TWENTY RANKINGS

NBC's Coverage of ND's 84th Blue Gold Game

Here's what I could find this morning at Notre Dame Central on the MSNBC site -- concerning NBC's coverage of the 84th Annual Blue Gold Game:

LINK:  COACH KELLY POST GAME INTERVIEW

LINK:  LOUIS NIX & EVERETT GOLSON INTERVIEW

LINK:  BLUE GOLD GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  KEITH ARNOLD'S BLOG

The Mornin' After -- ND's 84th Blue Gold Game

The ND GO IRISH BLOG took it's regular lap around the worldwide web this morning to see what the media had to say about Notre Dame's Blue Gold Game yesterday afternoon.  Click on the links below:

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- GRACE STORY

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- STOCKTON STORY

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- IRISH CHOCOLATE

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE

84th Blue Gold Game is in the Record Books

31,652 fans braved the 34 degree kick-off temperature and brisk wind -- to watch Notre Dame Football's annual scrimmage.  Here's some of the highlights -- along with the LOUIS NIX's "Chocolate Thunder" two-point conversion play and the post game presser:

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  LOUIS NIX CONVERSION PLAY

LINK:  POST GAME PRESSER

Blue Gold Game Today @ 1 PM ET on NBC

If you're not here in town today -- in our HIGH 30's / LOW 40's weather -- you can watch the 84th Annual BLUE GOLD GAME from the comfort of your living room!  Probably not a bad choice today!

Here's the TV SCHEDULE today on the NBC SPORTS NETWORK:

• NOON ET:  You can watch STRONG & TRUE -- this is MUST SEE TV
• 1:00 PM ET:  You can watch the BLUE GOLD GAME
• 3:00 PM ET:  You can watch the BLUE GOLD GAME POST GAME SHOW -- click here

"THE SHIRT" -- 2013 -- Unveiled @ Notre Dame

The highest selling item on any college campus is THE SHIRT -- and the latest edition was unveiled this afternoon on the campus of the University of Notre Dame by head football coach Brian Kelly (see video below). 

Notre Dame fans will recognize NED BOLCAR on the front, TIM BROWN, ROCKET ISMAIL, JOHNNY LUJACK and JOHN LATTNER on the back.

Quick reaction -- I LIKE!

If you'd like to buy THE SHIRT -- click on the bottom link below:

LINK:  THE SHIRT -- SEE THE STORY HERE 

LINK:  THE SHIRT -- OFFICIAL WEBSITE

LINK:  THE SHIRT -- BUY IT RIGHT HERE!

Notre Dame Helmet Decal -- Honoring Boston

The Fightin' Irish of Notre Dame will take the football field tomorrow afternoon in their GOLD HELMETS for the 84th Annual Blue Gold Game.

On the back of each player's helmet will be a decal (shown on left) that will honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing incident this week.

ESPN is LIVE @ Notre Dame All Day -- Tune In

The folks at ESPN are broadcasting LIVE -- all day long -- from Notre Dame Stadium.  It's their COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE -- SPRING BUS TOUR...

Here's the schedule they are promoting -- all ET:

• 10:40 AM:  Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer on Sports Center
• 12:20 PM:  Everett Golson on Sports Center
• 1:30 PM:  Brian Kelly on Sports Center
• 3:00 PM:  College Football Live -- from Notre Dame

Todd McShay Talks Manti Te'o on Mike & MIKE

ESPN's Todd McShay talks about the upcoming NFL Draft and our man Manti Te'o...


LINK:  McSHAY ON MANTI