Domer Update: CBS's The Amazing Race

Thomas Wolfard '02 and his girlfriend Jill Haney -- survived some problems last night "spinning plates" as CBS's globe-trotting adventure race was in St. Petersburg, Russia.  The Domer's team finished in fifth place out of the seven teams still in the race -- meaning they live to move on to next week's show, as the last place team was eliminated from the competition.  Here's a link to a replay of last night's episode:

LINK:  THE AMAZING RACE -- SEASON 17

Notre Dame Grad -- Fighting Human Trafficking

Brigette Carr, a 1998 graduate of the University of Notre Dame -- directs the Human Trafficking Law Clinic at the University of Michigan.  Carr was profiled in a Detroit Free Press story yesterday about her crusade against commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking.  Here is a link to the story:

LINK:  BRIGETTE CARR -- FIGHTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Domer Condoleeza Rice -- Her Memoir

The former Secretary of State -- and Notre Dame grad -- Condoleeza Rice '75, released her memoir this weekend entitled; Extraordinary, Ordinary People.  This weekend, Condi was in her hometown of Birmingham, AL signing copies of her book (photo above).  Here's a link to a video of Dr. Rice signing her new book and a link to where you can buy it online:

LINK:  CONDOLEEZA RICE'S MEMOIR

LINK:  CONDI'S BOOK SIGNING

Two Domers Named Among Top TE's in History

Sports Illustrated's Peter King was given the duty of selecting the NFL's top 10 Tight End's of all-time -- and two former Notre Dame All-Americans made this list;  #5 Dave Casper and #9 Mark Bavaro.  I want to thank ND GO IRISH BLOG regular,  Cappy Gagnon '66, for bringing this story to my attention. Here's a link to the top tight ends of all-time:

LINK:  TOP 10 TIGHT ENDS OF ALL-TIME

Latest Photo of Football Field @ Yankee Stadium

Here's the most recent photo supplied by the New York Yankees of the football field they're constructing inside Yankee Stadium for the November 20th -- Notre Dame vs. Army game.  You'll note they've planted sod over top of the infield dirt.

Paterno's 400 Wins vs. Rockne's 105 Wins

In the wake of Joe Paterno's 400th win at Penn State yesterday afternoon -- I thought it was time to compare his 45-year career as a head coach, versus Knute Rockne's 13-years as a head coach at Notre Dame.  So here we go:

Both are the all-time winningest football coach at their respective schools.  Paterno's 400 wins are the most all-time for a head coach at a FBS school.  Surprisingly, Rockne's 105 career wins are still the most for a head coach at the University of Notre Dame.

Paterno's overall winning percentage is .748 compared to Rockne's .882 -- which is still the all-time record for head coaches at FBS schools.

Both coaches have had five undefeated seasons, Paterno has 5 perfect seasons in his 45 seasons at Penn State while Rockne had 5 perfect seasons in his 13 seasons at Notre Dame.

Paterno has had five losing seasons in his 45 at Penn State.  Rockne had only two seasons where his team lost more than one game in his 13 seasons at Notre Dame -- he never had a losing season.

In Paterno's 45 seasons at Penn State he's won two national championships -- Rockne won five national championships in his 13 seasons at Notre Dame.

Both are members of the College Football Hall of Fame; Paterno was inducted in 2007, Rockne was inducted in the Hall of Fame's charter class in 1951.

Rockne is credited with bringing the "forward pass" and the "shift" to college football.  Paterno is credited for coaching the longest at one school.


So, there you have it -- a comparison of the coach with the most wins in college football history versus the greatest coach in college football history.

Please note -- to be fair, I didn't play the following cards in this comparison: "one had a President of the United States play him in a movie" or "one has his own US postage stamp" or "one had an automobile named after him" -- etc.  Penn State fans -- I truly tried to play nice in this comparison!  Here are the "wiki's" for these two coaches -- you'll enjoy reading up on both:

LINK:  KNUTE ROCKNE -- WIKI

LINK:  JOE PATERNO -- WIKI

Oregon's Novel Approach to Signaling in Plays

Hey, the Irish aren't playing today, so I've decided to talk a look at what's going on with the top "spread offense" on the planet -- the Oregon Ducks -- and the secret to how they play so fast.  IT'S IN THE SIGNS!.  You've got to hand it to Oregon Football Head Coach, Chip Kelly and his unique approach to signaling in plays to his #1 ranked offense.  Whether it's fake, or it's real -- these signs (see photo) are cool and it shows to recruits that they're having fun at Oregon.  And, he's also winning over the "favor" of some of the talking heads at ESPN -- all -- I'm sure have votes in the BCS ranking system.  Here's the story that ESPN is running on the signaling in of the Oregon offense.

LINK:  OREGON'S SIDELINE SIGNALS

What To Do Today -- Cheer for the Utah Utes!

With the Irish not playing today -- it's time to look ahead at next week's opponent Utah -- and their huge game today against TCU.  The ESPN College Gameday crew is in Salt Lake City for what's being hailed as the most important game in the history of the Mountain West Conference.  The #5 ranked Utes are hosting the #3 ranked Horned Frogs in the game of the day today in college football.  Both teams have their sites set on playing in the BCS Championship game -- and the winner will still have that shot.  The game kicks off at 3:30 PM EST on the CBS College Sports Network -- which means it's not on national TV!  And you wonder why Notre Dame fans don't want the Irish to join a conference!  Here's a link to where you can find the CBS College Sports Network on cable today.  What to watch for in today's game (if you can get it on TV):  the Utah offense (the #3 ranked scoring offense in the country) which averages 450 yards and 45 points per game against the TCU defense (the #1 ranked defense in the country) which gives up on average, 217 yards per game.  Unfortunately for Utah -- TCU also has the #8 ranked offense in the land -- averaging  486 yards and 41 points per game.  On offense, keep an eye on Utah QB Jordan Wynn, the 6'-1" sophomore is ranked in the top 50 in total offense this year in the FBS and their two senior running backs Wide and Assiata -- the Utes are averaging 190 yards a game on the ground.  On defense, Utah is led by a defensive line with plenty of depth (Shelby and Cox lead that unit) and a big time safety in Brandon Burton.  It's so unfortunate that only 30 million households will have access to this game today (as a point of reference ESPN is in 100 million households).  WE NEED THE UTES TO BEAT THE HORNED FROGS TODAY -- SO CHEER FOR UTAH!  Here's a link to the CBS College Sports Network website -- maybe you can watch it on the web?

LINK:  CBS COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK WEBSITE

Fr. Jenkins -- A Letter to the Notre Dame Family

University of Notre Dame President, Rev. John Jenkins -- released this letter this afternoon to the Notre Dame family in the wake of the October 27th accident that took the life of Declan Sullivan -- and the on-going media conversation about what Notre Dame should do.  Here's the letter in its entirety:





Dear Notre Dame students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends,


The tragic accident that took Declan Sullivan's life just over a week ago, the Mass of Remembrance in the Basilica, and his family's faith-filled funeral for him this week have given each of us the chance to grieve, remember and pray. Declan was a bright and energetic young man who lived his life with passion. We will miss him, and we believe that he is in the loving embrace of our Lord. 


Over this past week, I have had the great privilege of meeting with and trying to provide some measure of support to Declan's parents, sister, brother and other members of his family. Many Notre Dame faculty, staff and students also have reached out to offer their assistance. Yet the Sullivan family, through their incredible grace and courage, has given us support and an example of how to respond. They ministered to us as we tried to minister to them. 


There is no greater sadness for a university community than the death of one of its students under any circumstances. Yet this loss is more devastating, for Declan died in a tragic accident while in our care. For that, I am profoundly sorry. We are conducting an investigation and we must be careful not to pre-judge its results, but I will say this: Declan Sullivan was entrusted to our care, and we failed to keep him safe. We at Notre Dame - and ultimately I, as President - are responsible. Words cannot express our sorrow to the Sullivan family and to all involved.


I am committed to determining why this accident happened and to ensuring the safety of our students. We have been conducting an internal investigation to examine this accident from every possible perspective and to draw conclusions and formulate recommendations for the future. In order to ensure that our inquiry has been thorough, unbiased and accurate, I have asked Dr. Peter Likins, former President of the University of Arizona, to provide an external review of our inquiry, and he has graciously accepted.


In selecting someone to review our investigation, I sought an individual experienced in higher education, with an impeccable reputation for integrity, intellect and independence. In Dr. Likins, we are fortunate to have just such a man. He brings numerous credentials to this assignment: as a world-renowned engineer; as a university administrator who served as provost at Columbia and president at Lehigh and Arizona; as a highly regarded member of numerous NCAA committees; and as a member of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.


Investigations and external reviews such as this take time, but I assure you that, when complete, we will issue a public report on the outcome, including information on the events of the afternoon of Oct. 27, any institutional ramifications, and recommendations for safety policies in the future. 


Finally, in light of what I believe to be unfounded and unfair commentary and speculation, I want to say something about Coach Brian Kelly. Coach Kelly was hired not only because of his football expertise, but because we believed his character and values accord with the highest standards of Notre Dame. All we have seen since he came to Notre Dame, and everything we have learned in our investigation to date, have confirmed that belief. For those reasons I am confident that Coach Kelly has a bright future leading our football program.


Thank you for your concern, and your prayers. At the darkest moments, the love, and care, and faith of the Notre Dame family shines most brightly.


In Notre Dame,


Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
President
University of Notre Dame

Rudy Ruettiger -- Still Telling His Story

Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger '76 -- was at Lake Erie College yesterday -- speaking to hundreds of students assembled for their Founder's Day celebration.  One of the local TV channels caught up with Rudy after his presentation -- here's a link:


LINK:  RUDY -- BEING RUDY

Yankee Stadium Becoming ND's Home Field

The first football game in Yankee Stadium -- which is two weeks away -- is a "home" game for the University of Notre Dame.  And, the Yankee Stadium crew is busy at work -- turning their new $1.5 billion stadium into the home of the Fighting Irish football team for their November 20th game against Army.  The images above show them putting up a goal post and an artist's rendering of how they intend to fit a football field inside Yankee Stadium.  Looks like some walls and seats will be removed in the process.  It's going to be quite an event!

Montana & Page Named NFL's Greatest!

Former Notre Dame All-Americans; Joe Montana and Alan Page were named by the NFL Network as one of The Top 100:  NFL's Greatest Players.  Montana was ranked #4 on the list and Page was ranked #43.  Here's a link to the list:

LINK:  THE TOP 100:  NFL'S GREATEST PLAYERS

ESPN'S Fixation With Notre Dame Football...

It's become quite obvious this season that there's college football and then there's NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL.  How else do you describe the amount of coverage ESPN is giving a football team that's 4-5 on the season and has lost it's last two games in a row to the Naval Academy and Tulsa?  I rarely peruse ESPN.COM -- but I did last night -- and I found all of these stories on Notre Dame football.  While they're not positive (ESPN enjoys taking shots at the Irish when they're down) -- it just goes to show you how relevant and important the Notre Dame Football brand is today.  And, by the way -- ESPN, you don't have a clue as to what makes Notre Dame -- Notre Dame for us fans.  Here's the links to the stories:

LINK:  ESPN'S COVERAGE OF NOTRE DAME

Coach Kelly Meets With Media Thursday...

I watched Coach Kelly's media session after practice yesterday (linked below) and it's quite obvious that he's not his normal self.  The events of these past two weeks have rocked this man's soul -- as it would anyone in his position -- and it's going to take some time for him to get his "Kelly" back.  I'm quite confident the Notre Dame Family continues to pray for the Sullivan family as they grieve over the loss of Declan -- please add Coach Kelly and his family too.  Here's a link to yesterday's media session:

LINK:  COACH KELLY'S MEDIA SESSION

Irish Football Radio Show Tonight at 6 PM EST

AM 1240 in Youngstown, OH has a weekly Notre Dame Radio Show hosted by "Irish Mike" and Marty McCabe that has bumped up against Brian Kelly's Radio Show each week.  Not tonight!  Coach Kelly's Radio Show is not scheduled tonight since the Irish aren't playing Saturday.  So, to get your ND fix -- here's a link to where you'll find Notre Dame on the radio tonight -- beginning at 6 PM EST and running to 8 PM EST:


LINK:  NOTRE DAME SHOW -- AM 1240

Domer NBA Head Coach -- 4-0 Start to Career!

Former Notre Dame basketball player and now Head Coach of the New Orleans Hornets -- Monty Williams -- has his team off to a 4-0 start.  The best start in franchise history!  The youngest head coach in the NBA, Williams (39) only needs to win the next ten -- to surpass Lawrence Frank's 13-0 start (the NBA record for first year head coaches) with the New Jersey Nets in 2004.  Here's an interview that Monty Williams gave to NBA.COM before the season started:

LINK:  MONTY WILLIAMS, NBA HEAD COACH

Notre Dame Recruiting Video

My Notre Dame alum son -- sent me an email last night with a link to this video.  It's a seventeen minute "recruiting" video put together by the Admissions team at the University of Notre Dame.  It's very well done -- and it's the second time in the last ten months that we've highlighted this video on the ND GO IRISH BLOG.  If you love Notre Dame -- you'll love this...  Enjoy!

LINK:  NOWHERE ELSE BUT NOTRE DAME

Muffet's Irish -- Hang 102 on Michigan Tech!

Ouch...  The 12th ranked Fighting Irish women's basketball team tipped off the 2010-2011 season last night with a 102 - 30 exhibition win over Michigan Tech University.  Notre Dame started off the game on a 17 - 0 run and they never looked back -- as every player scored on their roster.  The regular season starts November 12th when the Irish take on New Hampshire at home.  Here's a link to the South Bend Tribune story from last night's game:

LINK:  IRISH ROLL

Irish LAX -- "Alumni Networking Day"

The junior and senior members of the University of Notre Dame Lacrosse team, along with Head Coach Kevin Corrigan, took a day trip to New York City during fall break for their "alumni networking day."  The day started at the New York Stock Exchage  NYSE where they were official guests of Morgan Stanley, followed by a breakfast hosted by Deutsche Bank -- and the ringing of the NYSE's opening bell.  They then moved uptown to meet with Notre Dame lacrosse alums at Black Rock and at MTV.  The day ended with their visit to NASDAQ in Times Square -- see photo -- where they viewed the closing bell ceremonies.  Sounds like a great day!

Congressional Domers -- All Survive...

The four University of Notre Dame alums in the United States Congress -- all survived their re-election bids last night; Peter King (New York), Joe Donnelly (Indiana), Dan Lungren (California) and Peter Visclosky (Indiana).  Incumbents winning wasn't the norm last night as 51 of their colleagues were defeated.  Here are links to stories on each of their victories:

LINK:  PETER KING '68 -- VICTORY

LINK:  JOE DONNELLY '77 & '81 -- VICTORY

LINK:  DAN LUNGREN '68 -- VICTORY

LINK:  PETER VISCLOSKY '73 -- VICTORY