Saturday, July 31, 2021
Interviews of Notre Dame Stars in the NFL
Took a lap around the worldwide web and found a number of former Notre Dame stars taking questions from reporters at the start of NFL Training Camp begins for them...
LINK: CHASE CLAYPOOL
LINK: AARON BANKS
LINK: HARRISON SMITH
Friday, July 30, 2021
Romeo Okwara Meets w/ Detroit Media
Fast forward the video to the 6:00 minute mark to watch former Notre Dame star Romeo Okwara...
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Notre Dame Stadium's New P.A. Announcer...
It was announced yesterday that Chris Ackles will be the "new voice" of Notre Dame Stadium -- replacing Mike Collins.
Ackles, a lifelong Notre Dame fan, currently announces for the Chicago White Sox.
Rumored "Look" for Game with Wisconsin
Monday, July 26, 2021
Tokyo Olympics Update -- Meinhardt Upset!
Much was written yesterday about the GOLD MEDAL won by Lee Kiefer -- whose husband is Gerek Meinhardt..
Well, Gerek -- the #2 ranked athlete in the world in the FOIL, was upset in his first match by the 124th ranked player in the world...
Here's the Washington Post story.
LINK: WASHINGTON POST
Sunday, July 25, 2021
Photo of the Day: Lee Kiefer '17 Gold Medalist
The former Fighting Irish star just won an Olympic Gold Medal -- the first ever for an American (man or woman) in Foil!
Lee's husband, Gerek Meinhardt '13 is currently ranked #2 in the world in Foil -- and he begins his Olympic journey tonight at 10:35 PM ET
OLYMPIC FUN FACT: America has won only three Olympic Gold Medals in history in Fencing -- and all three have been won by former Notre Dame student-athletes!
- 2004: Mariel Zagunis, Sabre Olympic Gold Medalist
- 2008: Mariel Zagunis, Sabre Olympic Gold Medalist
- 2021: Lee Kiefer, Foil Olympic Gold Medalist
Notre Dame's "Power Couple" at Olympics!
Just minutes ago -- Lee Kiefer just became the first American ever to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the Foil!
Here's the moment it happened: OLYMPIC HISTORY
Her husband (and fellow Domer) Gerek Meinhardt is currently ranked #2 in the World -- he begins his quest for a Gold Medal in the Foil this evening at 10:35 PM ET
Kiefer Wins First Ever GOLD MEDAL for USA!
Notre Dame alum Lee Kiefer makes history!!!
Saturday, July 24, 2021
Friday, July 23, 2021
Olympics Start Tonight -- Cheer on Our Irish!
The Opening Ceremonies for the 2021 Olympic Games in Japan -- started this morning LIVE at 7 AM ET on NBC. The "encore" TV coverage begins this evening at 7:30 PM ET -- again on NBC.
The University of Notre Dame will be well represented in Tokyo these next few months -- with a total of 24 athletes and coaches on Olympic & Paralympic Teams!
Here's the list of all of the athletes and coaches who currently call or did call -- Notre Dame home:
TEAM USA (17):
- Yared Nuguse -- Track & Field Team
- Molly Seidel -- Track & Field Team
- Sam Grewe -- Track & Field -- PARALYMPIAN
- Skylar Diggins-Smith -- Basketball
- Jewell Loyd -- Basketball
- Jackie Young -- Basketball
- Molly Bruggemann -- Rowing
- Kevin Hurley -- Fencing
- Nick Itkin -- Fencing
- Gerek Meinhardt -- Fencing
- Lee Kiefer -- Fencing
- Sabrina Massislas -- Fencing
- Mariel Zagunis -- Fencing
- Francesca Russo -- Fencing
- Angie Akers -- Beach Volleyball (coach)
- Bucky Leach -- Fencing (coach)
- Christian Rascioni -- Fencing (coach)
TEAM CANADA (1):
- Natalie Achonwa -- Basketball
TEAM HONG KONG (1):
- Kaylin Hsieh -- Fencing
TEAM MONTENGRO (1):
- Ilija Tadic -- Fencing
TEAM PANAMA (2):
- Tyler Christianson -- Swimming
- Mike Litzinger -- Swimming (coach)
TEAM POLAND (1):
- Ewa Nelip -- Fencing
TEAM SINGAPORE (1):
- Anita Berhier -- Fencing
Thursday, July 22, 2021
A Custom Golf Car -- The Build Begins!
I joined the Development Team at the University of Notre Dame back in January of 2012 -- in December that same year, we moved into our new home just a couple of blocks away...
In that new home, we specifically designed an area in the garage to park a golf car -- that was more than eight years ago. I've been waiting a long time to finally have that golf car built!
This past February, I started the process of talking with custom golf car builders who could help create my long dreamed Notre Dame themed golf car. Surprisingly, most every company I spoke with had been severely impacted by COVID. They've been unable to acquire used golf cars from golf courses (they are hanging on to them for another year) limiting their ability to find inventory for custom golf car builds.
So, I had to expand my search beyond Indiana, Michigan and Illinois -- which led me to seeking out one of the top players in this space, EXCESSIVE CARTS out of the Dallas, TX. Rob & Stacie Wallach have built quite a business out of "tricking out" new and used golf cars -- and, they've agreed to build my golf car.
The custom golf car (pictured above) is one of the many that Excessive Carts has built for customers around the world.
Back in April, we began the process of designing the golf car and doing our best to try to match the helmet paint color of our Notre Dame Football team -- it's a color you can't order at any paint store. It's made exclusively for Notre Dame by Finish Line Industries and their company Hydro Graphics, Inc.
So -- we had to look around to try to find the closest match to that exquisite GOLD HELMET. We ended up choosing a powder coat color called GOLD GLITZ from a company called Columbia Coatings in Columbia, TN -- this took a lot longer than I had hoped...
That takes us to today -- Rob & Stacie just sent this video clip of the first golf car parts that have been powder coated in the Gold Glitz color and delivered to their production floor -- here's the video...
Replay: Milwaukee Buck's NBA Champ Parade
Our guy Pat Connaughton is introduced to the thousands in attendance at the 2:02:18 mark.
You will also find Pat in the parade for the first time at the 35:50 mark.
ACC Commissioner Talks Notre Dame Football
Jim Phillips, the new Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference is well acquainted with the University of Notre Dame. He is a parent of two Notre Dame students and he's a former member of the Notre Dame Athletics staff -- serving as an Associate Director of Athletics for the Fighting Irish from 2000-2004...
Watch the Bucks Parade Today at NOON ET
LINK: MILWAUKEE BUCKS PARADE
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Our Guy Pat Connaughton -- NBA CHAMPION!
Notre Dame's Pat Connaughton -- front row and center of NBA Championship photo! Click on photo to enlarge...
Extremely Proud of This Notre Dame Graduate
This is what a class act does -- minutes after losing a chance at an NBA Championship as a head coach...
Monty Williams -- you are a wonderful human being.
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Notre Dame's "Shake Down the Thunder Shoe"
Got to love this new shoe from Under Armour that has a gold lightning strike on the heel...
Big Night for Pat Connaughton & Milwaukee!
What a night it could be for the fans of the Milwaukee Bucks. The city is building a second "watch party" area, just north of the Fiserv Forum on a vacant site where a hotel is to be constructed.
They are expecting a total of 65,000 people will be "outside" the arena watching the game -- see photo below from ND GO IRISH BLOG regular Brian Couch '84
Here's hoping they get a win and our guy Pat Connaughton earns a RING!
Sorry Monty -- Pat is a good friend.
Monday, July 19, 2021
Monty Talks Preparation for Elimination Game
Fast forward the video to the 11:56 mark to watch Monty Williams' press conference...
Fived Named to Athlon's All-American Teams
Sunday, July 18, 2021
Monty Williams Talks Game 5 Loss to Bucks
The former Notre Dame star is definitely going to have to get his team "to the other side of hard" as they head to Milwaukee down 3-2 in NBA Finals.
Saturday, July 17, 2021
Friday, July 16, 2021
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Nearly a "Double-Double" for Connaughton!
Here is Pat being interviewed alongside Khris Middleton (future member of the US Olympic Team) after the Bucks big 4th quarter comeback last night!
Notice how Pat slides the microphone over -- so it doesn't cover the NIKE logo -- aware!
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Dillan Gibbons -- Doing the Right Thing...
I will always cheer for this former Fighting Irish offensive lineman -- who recently transferred to Florida State to play his fifth year. Gibbons, a Notre Dame grad -- is making sure a young man and his family get to see the FSU vs. ND game this September -- and more...
LINK: GREAT FORBES STORY
Pat Connaughton on NBA Finals' Game #4
Pat's presser begins at the 11:36 mark -- just fast forward to that time stamp...
The game begins at 9 PM ET -- tonight on ABC!
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
Monday, July 12, 2021
Sunday, July 11, 2021
Two Domers "Mic'd Up" at the NBA Finals!
The NBA "mic'd up" three during Game 2 of the NBA Finals -- and wouldn't you know it that two of the three were Notre Dame grads...
Saturday, July 10, 2021
Domers Competing in Celebrity Golf Tourney!
Here's how the former (and current) Fighting Irish stars are doing at the American Century Championship at Lake Tahoe -- you can watch tomorrow's final round beginning at 2:30 PM ET on NBC.
26th: Joe Theismann
33rd: Jerome Bettis
40th: Brian Kelly
50th: Golden Tate
73rd: Justin Tuck
75th: Kyle Rudolph
LINK: LEADERBOARD
Friday, July 9, 2021
This Notre Dame Fan Turns 1 Year-Old Today!
Thursday, July 8, 2021
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
The Vault: Notre Dame Orchestra Victory March
This past October we produced the first ever Notre Dame Music Festival from Notre Dame Stadium -- as you can see it was during COVID and we were limited as to how many students could be in attendance...
I absolutely LOVE the Notre Dame Orchestra's performance of the greatest of all college fight songs!
We'll be producing the 2021 Notre Dame Music Festival on Thursday -- October 7th.
Tuesday, July 6, 2021
New York Post Story: Monty Williams
You are going to want to read this...
Monty leads his Phoenix Suns into the NBA Finals tonight vs. the Milwaukee Bucks and fellow "Domer" Pat Connaughton. Game 1 tips off at 9 PM ET on ABC.
LINK: NEW YORK POST STORY