Boston Media Coverage -- ND vs. BC

It becomes quite obvious when looking for stories about the Notre Dame vs. Boston College game tonight that Boston is not a "college sports town."  There is very little media coverage of tonight's game -- ONLY ONE STORY in each paper.  Here's what I could find:


LINK:  BOSTON GLOBE STORY

LINK:  BOSTON HERALD STORY

LINK:  WORCESTER HERALD STORY

The Odd Couple: Mishawaka Nun & BC Star

This is a wonderful story about Boston College star linebacker, Mark Herzlich, a cancer survivor and Sister Barbara Ann Hallman -- a devout Notre Dame fan from Our Lady of Angels convent in Mishawaka, IN.  Sister Barbara Ann (a colon cancer survivor) began praying for Herzlich after reading about his cancer diagnosis on May 14, 2009.   That same day she sent a letter to the Boston College star -- letting Herzlich know they would "fight this cancer together."  (The content of this first letter is in the Sports Illustrated story linked below).   Thus, the beginning of a unique relationship between a 75 year-old nun and a 22 year-old linebacker. When Herzlich and his Boston College teammates visited Notre Dame this past season, Sister Barbara Ann was there to finally meet Mark in person.  (The photo is from halftime of that game when then Notre Dame Head Football Coach Charlie Weis gave Mark a framed ND football jersey). Earlier this season, Boston College flew Sister from South Bend to Boston for Herzlich's first game back in uniform -- after missing last season to the cancer.  Here's a WNDU story about their friendship:

LINK:  THE ODD COUPLE

LINK:  SI ARTICLE ON HERZLICH & SISTER BARBARA ANN

An Independent "Consortium" for Football

Here's an idea I'd like to float by the Athletic Directors of the following eight schools:  Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma, USC, BYU, Miami, Navy and Army -- and the top executives at NBC and Fox.  FYI:  We launch this in 2015:

The creation of the Consortium of Football Independents (CFI) -- a group of eight college football programs (all independent) that cover each time zone and every top high school recruiting hotbed in the country.  The aforementioned eight schools would have an "allegiance" that would call for the following:

1. They would agree to schedule each other -- on a home and home basis -- every year.
2. They would agree to negotiate their own individual TV contracts with either NBC or FOX -- keeping 100 % of their own revenue.
3. They would all agree to schedule a "13th" game each year  -- a CFI Championship Weekend -- a three day celebration of college football where all eight teams would play.  On Friday night, the #8 and #7 ranked teams in the CFI would play each other.  On Saturday at 1 PM, the #6 and #5 ranked teams would play each other.  At 8 PM the #4 and #3 ranked teams would play each other and then on Sunday evening, the CFI Championship game would pit the #2 and #1 ranked teams.  
4. The revenue generated from the CFI Championship Weekend would be the only revenue the eight schools would ever share in this consortium.  This would become the greatest single collection of games ever in the same city, same facility -- over a 48 hour period -- in the history of sport in America!  Imagine the "rights fees" the CFI could generate from the host city and NBC/FOX.  It would be a bigger "get" than the SUPER BOWL or FINAL FOUR for any US town!
5. Now, if the NCAA wouldn't allow all eight teams to play a 13th game then I'd ask each of the eight schools to play their "rivalry" game on Thanksgiving Weekend -- in the same town, same facility and over the same three day schedule.  (See the proposed "rivalry" game schedule below)  Please note:  The Texas/Oklahoma and ND/USC games would rotate each year from Saturday night to Sunday night if we weren't playing a 13th game.  In this scenario - each of the teams would keep the revenue generated from their specific game -- negotiating their own revenue share with their opponent -- and there would be a revenue share amongst all eight schools on any "over arching" deals that might be packaged for the four game weekend.
6. The CFI would also negotiate an automatic berth in the BCS for the winner (or highest ranked team) and would also secure Bowl deals with the following bowls:  Gator, Cotton, Capital One and Hawaii.
7. Each of the eight teams would keep "100%" of the revenue they generate from earning a spot in a bowl game.
8. The CFI would also establish their own officiating crews -- to handle their games.

Can you imagine a football weekend with the following games in the same city, same facility, same weekend?:

• Friday night at 8PM -- Army vs. Navy
• Saturday at 1 PM -- Miami vs. BYU
• Saturday at 8 PM -- Oklahoma vs. Texas
• Sunday at 8 PM -- Notre Dame vs. USC

The bottom line here is this -- overnight the CFI would become the most powerful voice in college football.

What do you guys think?  All I ask for is 1% of the profits!

A Father and His Son -- The Kelly's

Brian Kelly's Dad -- Paul Kelly sat down for an interview with The Boston Globe this week to talk about his son's rise to the pinnacle of college coaching -- Head Football Coach at the University of Notre Dame.  You'll enjoy the story about the two of them in the Tunnel before Brian's first game in Notre Dame Stadium.  Here's a link:

LINK:  PAUL & BRIAN KELLY

A Family Divided: The Gallup Family

Barry Gallup is a fifth-year senior football player at the University of Notre Dame.  Barry's dad, Barry Sr. -- is the long-time Associate Athletic Director Football Operations at Boston College  Tomorrow's game will be the last time the Irish and Eagles will play each other with the "family-divided."  Here's a link to a story WNDU-TV aired this week on the Gallup's:

LINK:  THE GALLUP FAMILY

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Football Team Charter

Jake Golic, a tight end on the Notre Dame Football team -- just "tweeted" this photo of the team's charter plane to Boston.  Obviously, the team is just now boarding this Delta plane in South Bend.  Got to love the Notre Dame flags flying from the flag poles!

Did ND Fans Catch a Break?

Just saw a promotion on ESPN this morning (during the Ryder Cup delay) that said the Stanford vs. Oregon game and the Notre Dame vs. Boston College game would be on ABC and ESPN2.  When you see this -- it typically means if you're not getting the game on ABC you'll find it on ESPN2.  Now, when I go to the ESPN site and look at their TV schedule for tomorrow's games I only see the Stanford vs. Oregon game being on both networks.  Let's hope ESPN doesn't "stick it" to ND fans and force them to buy a GamePlan package to see the Irish play tomorrow night.  Here's a link to the ESPN TV schedule I'm talking about:

LINK:  ESPN TV SCHEDULE

Notre Dame Athletics Annual Report

The University of Notre Dame's Athletic Department released it's annual report for the 2009-2010 school year yesterday.  Here's a link to where you can view the report online:

LINK:  NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT

Coach Kelly's Press Conference Last Night

Notre Dame Head Football Coach, Brian Kelly met with the media after yesterday's practice -- for the last time prior to the Boston College game tomorrow night.  Here's a link to www.und.com's coverage:


LINK:  BRIAN KELLY PRESS CONFERENCE

Options to Watch the Irish on Saturday

If you've checked out the TV coverage map for the Notre Dame vs. Boston College game on ABC tomorrow night (CLICK HERE) you would have noted that 53% of the households in America won't see the game.  If you live in one of those areas -- blue on this map -- you still have options!  ESPN3 is ESPN's online network which would allow you to watch the game on your computer -- IF, your internet provider is a subscriber to this service.  Here's a list of the ESPN3 Participating Providers.  If you'd rather watch the game on TV, your option would be to subscribe to ESPN GamePlan.  If you don't have a GamePlan subscription you'll need to buy at least a $24 "weekly" subscription.  Here's a link to more information on ESPN GamePlan -- specifically, a list of phone numbers to the various cable services to place your order:

LINK:  ESPN GAMEPLAN

Sorin Society: All Access

The NOTRE DAME GO IRISH BLOG received permission this morning from the Sorin Society and Allen Pinkett (photo of Pinkett at the 1983 Liberty Bowl) to show this video of Allen's talk at the Sorin Society Reception after Saturday's loss to Stanford.  One of the many benefits of being a Sorin Society member is the opportunity to bring a guest to the post game reception (food and drinks) at the McKenna Hall conference center on the Notre Dame campus.  During the event, former Notre Dame All-American and radio analyst for Notre Dame football -- Allen Pinkett talks about the game and takes questions from the crowd.  Here's a link to a video of Pinkett talking Notre Dame football, at the event, and a link to the Sorin Society website:

LINK:  SORIN SOCIETY POST GAME RECEPTION -- ALL ACCESS

LINK:  SORIN SOCIETY WEBSITE

Bid on a Notre Dame Soccer Jersey Today!

The #5 ranked University of Notre Dame Women's Soccer Team will be wearing special Kicks Against Breast Cancer commemorative Adidas jerseys (pictured) in their games next weekend against Seton Hall and Rutgers.  The jerseys will be signed by the IRISH players and auctioned off to raise money for this national soccer initiative to raise money for breast cancer research.  Here's a link to the Auction Site:

LINK:  BUY A NOTRE DAME SOCCER JERSEY FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH!

Muffet Gets Commit From 6' 3" Post Player

Markisha Wright, a 6'-3" post player out of Des Moines East High School (Des Moines, IA) committed to the Irish this morning!  Markisha led East to the Iowa 4-A State Runner-up title last year as a junior.  She's ranked the 20th best at her position by ESPN.  Here's a story about Markisha's performance at the AAU National Championships this summer:

LINK:  ESPN STORY ON MARKISHA

THANK YOU! -- 30,000 Unique Visitors!

The Notre Dame Go Irish Blog went over the 30,000 unique visitors mark this morning!  Launched the last week of January -- this blog has attracted Notre Dame fans from all 50 States and 79 countries around the world!  It's been great fun sharing Notre Dame!  Thanks for making the Notre Dame Go Irish Blog one of your "NOTRE DAME VISITS" each week on the web.

Students Only Pep Rally Tonight at 8 PM EST

The Stepan Center will be rockin' tonight!  The Notre Dame student body will be hosting their own "student only" Pep Rally tonight for the Fighting Irish football team at the Stepan Center.  The doors will open at 6:30 PM and the rally is expected to start at 8 PM.  Go Irish!

Brian Kelly Radio Show -- 7 PM EST TONIGHT!

It's Thursday and that means the Brian Kelly Radio Show will be coming live to you from Legends of Notre Dame.  The show will air from 7 PM EST to 8 PM EST -- and here's where you can watch it or listen to it online:


LINK:  WATCH COACH KELLY'S SHOW ONLINE

LINK:  LISTEN TO COACH KELLY'S SHOW ONLINE

Coach Kelly Going Home...

He was the starting middle linebacker for the Assumption College Greyhounds (photo of Assumption's campus) -- twenty-seven years later -- he's grown up to be the Head Football Coach at the University of Notre Dame.  That's our Coach Kelly, and when he takes his team to Boston College tomorrow for Saturday's game -- he'll be heading home.  Here's a story from today's Worcester Telegram -- about Brian Kelly's return to where he grew up along with a link to the Assumption College website:

LINK:  HE'S AN ASSUMPTION GREYHOUND

LINK:  ASSUMPTION COLLEGE WEBSITE

WSJ Ranks Notre Dame's EMBA Program #6

The Wall Street Journal just released their 2010 rankings of the top Executive MBA programs in the country and the University of Notre Dame's was ranked 6th!  What I found most interesting is the "investment" to get an EMBA these days.  Believe it or not, Notre Dame's total program cost (per student) of $88,000 -- was the second lowest of the schools ranked in the top 10 in the Wall Street Journal's rankings.  Only the #10 ranked University of North Carolina's EMBA program was lower at $87,000. The Wall Street Journal didn't even rank Notre Dame's EMBA program among the top-25 in the country in their 2008 rankings -- another "feather in the cap" of the Mendoza College of Business!  The photo is of Notre Dame EMBA students on a trip to Beijing.  Here's the link to the rankings:

LINK:  THE TOP EXECUTIVE MBA PROGRAMS IN AMERICA

Scout Ranks ND Recruiting Class #2

ESPN's Scout recruiting service just released it's updated recruiting rankings and they've moved Notre Dame up to #2 in the country.  In the past week, the Irish have picked up one of the top DE's in the country (Stephon Tuitt - #74 in picture) and one of the top WR's in the country (Davaris Daniels).  Here's a link to Scout's rankings:

LINK:  IRISH HAVE THE #2 RANKED RECRUITING CLASS

Weather Forecast for Boston College Game

Here's the weather forecast for the Boston area -- looks like the rain will be gone before game time Saturday night.  Here's a link to live National Weather Service Radar for the Boston area:


LINK:  LIVE BOSTON WEATHER RADAR