Muffet McGraw Enters Hall of Fame Tonight!

Notre Dame women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw will be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame tonight -- congratulations Coach!  Here's a link to a Knoxville newspaper story today about Muffet's honor:

LINK:  ND'S HALL OF FAMER!

Phil Steele's Forecast for the Fighting Irish!

Phil Steele just published his take on the 2011 Fighting Irish -- thought you would enjoy what he had to say.  Here's the link:

LINK:  PHIL STEELE -- BULLISH ON THE IRISH

ND Board of Trustee Forced To Resign

Roxanne Martino, a 1977 graduate of the University of Notre Dame resigned this week from ND's Board of Trustees over a Cardinal Newman Society report that she had made donations to a couple of pro abortion rights groups.

Martino runs Aurora Investment Management -- a hedge fund company based in Chicago.  Here's a link to the story:

LINK:  ND BOARD OF TRUSTEE RESIGNATION

My Favorite Incoming Irish Football Player!

The folks at Irish Sports Daily reported this morning that incoming Notre Dame football player Joseph Schmidt turned down a FULL RIDE SCHOLARSHIP from the University of Arizona this past month -- to remain a "preferred walk on" and the honor of paying $208,000 these next four years to wear the gold helmet!


The linebacker out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California is now my favorite incoming freshman football player.  Here's a link to his high school highlight tape.


LINK:  JOSEPH SCHMIDT HIGHLIGHT TAPE

MICHIGAN vs. NOTRE DAME -- THROWBACKS

I like the Notre Dame uniform WAY BETTER than the school in Ann Arbor's!

Here's a link to more views of Notre Dame's "throwback" jersey:

LINK:  I LIKE IT!

"Rudy's" Nephew -- Baseball Star at ASU?

What's up with this?  Rudy's nephew chooses to play baseball at Arizona State University?

Rudy's nephew JOHNNY RUETTIGER wears #23 for the Sun Devils -- and he's one of their better players.  Drafted in the eighth round of the MLB Draft this week by the Orioles, Rudy is a 6'-2" outfielder out of the same high school as his famous uncle (Joliet Catholic).

He's currently on ESPN right now in the NCAA Tournament game against Texas.

LINK:  RUDY'S NEPHEW A SUN DEVIL

Notre Dame's Throwback Jersey Unveiled!

Here it is folks!  I LOVE IT -- WHITE SHOES AND ALL!!!  Here's how adidas describes the uniform design:

Paying homage to the rich football tradition of Notre Dame football, the Irish "Under the Lights" adidas uniform includes a white jersey with Kelly green lettering and two Kelly green shoulder stripes, old gold-colored pants, white socks with green stripes and white shoes. A large shamrock logo appears on the traditional gold helmet for the first time since the early 1960s. The years the Fighting Irish won National Championships are listed inside the bottom hem of the jersey.


Here's a link to a photo gallery:

LINK:  ND'S THROWBACK JERSEY

Tune In At Facebook For Uniform Unveiling!

The adidas Football US Facebook site will be unveiling the "throwback" football jerseys for Michigan and Notre Dame at 8 PM ET!

Adidas / Notre Dame Unveiling Friday Night!

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly "re-tweeted" this afternoon that Adidas would be having a special "unveiling" tomorrow involving Notre Dame.  Rumors persist on the internet that this could be the "throwback" uniform for the Michigan game -- or, a major uniform design change for Notre Dame this season.

Photo of the Day! -- Brian Kelly Tweet Photo

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly "tweeted" this photo this afternoon to promote next Tuesday's FOOTBALL 101 at Notre Dame Stadium.  This second annual event benefits Breast Cancer Awareness and is for women only!

Coach Kelly Named Top 100 Irish American!

The folks at Irish America magazine have selected Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly as one of the top 100 Irish Americans!  Here's a link to the honor:

LINK:  COACH KELLY HONORED!

Not Surprised: Reggie Bush Still With Heisman

USC running back Reggie Bush has yet to return his Heisman Trophy to the Heisman Trust.  Bush, who offered to forfeit his Heisman Trophy before it was stripped from him for his NCAA violations at USC -- has yet to actually give back the trophy.  It's only been nine months....

Here's a link to the story:

LINK:   BUSH STILL HOLDING ON TO HEISMAN

Irish Pitcher Drafted By Nationals Today!

For Notre Dame (graduating) senior baseball player Brian Dupra '11 -- the third time was the charm!

As a high school senior the right handed hurler was drafted in the 36th round by the Texas Rangers back in 2007.  He turned that down to play baseball at the University of Notre Dame.  Three years later in the 2010 MLB Draft the Detroit Tigers drafted him in the 11th round -- he turned the Tigers down to come back to ND for his senior season and to get his degree.  You don't see that every day!!!

Well, this afternoon the Irish alum was drafted in the seventh round by the Washington Nationals.  Congratulations Brian!  Here's a few of the stories:

LINK:  DUPRA DRAFTED BY NATIONALS 

LINK:  ND CAREER STATS

LINK:  DUPRA TAKEN IN SEVENTH ROUND

Nice Interview of Pat Terrell

The former Notre Dame football star was in town last week for the Notre Dame Football Fantasy Camp.  You'll enjoy Pat talking about Brian Kelly, his time aT ND and what he's up to these days.

LINK:  PAT TERRELL BACK HOME

Subway's Chief Marketing Officer is a Domer!

Tony Pace '79, is his name and he's given a great deal of credit for Subway's climb to the largest single brand restaurant chain in the world!  So when you see that next Subway TV commercial -- know there's a Domer behind that brand.  Here's a link to an Observer interview of Tony along with a video interview of former Notre Dame All-American and current NFL All Pro DE of the New York Giants, Justin Tuck during a Subway promotional visit.  You'll enjoy him talking about his time at ND:

LINK:  SUBWAY'S DOMER!

LINK:  JUSTIN TUCK AT SUBWAY

ND's Mike Lee's Next Pro Fight July 9th!

He's 5 - 0 as a pro and he's a 2009 graduate of the University of Notre Dame.  Mike Lee is back in the ring on July 9th on SHOWTIME. 

Rumors still persist that Mike will be be back "HOME" on Friday, September 16th at the University of Notre Dame's Purcell Pavillion -- for his next pro fight -- the night before the Michigan State football game.

LINK:  MIKE'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Photo of the Day: DiCaprio Representin'

Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio is often seen wearing a Notre Dame hat.  Well, he's sportin' the ND Monogram this week in Italy as he hangs with actress and model Blake Lively. 

Three Football Coaches Back at ND Last Night!

Ara Parseghian, Lou Holtz and Gerry Faust were back at Notre Dame last night with Regis Philbin -- as part of the Reunion Weekend this weekend at the University of Notre Dame.  The three ex-coaches were interviewed by Regis in front of a large crowd at Purcell Pavillion.  You're going to love Coach Parseghian's stories about being recognized in town.  Here's a link to Eric Hanson's South Bend Tribune story (special thanks to Philadelphia's Dr. Jim Clancy for making me aware of this story!):

LINK:  PARSEGHIAN, HOLTZ AND FAUST

A Legend Is Leaving Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame's long time Executive Director of their Alumni Association Chuck Lennon is retiring this month after nearly 30 years in this position.  This weekend, Chuck and a number of his classmates from the Class of 1961 will be celebrating their 50th Class Reunion at Notre Dame.  I'm quite sure there will be a "toast or two or three" this weekend for Mr. Lennon.  Here's a link to a South Bend Tribune interview with Chuck:

LINK:  A NOTRE DAME MAN

His Ankles Are Already Turned!

There's an old Irish Blessing  that goes something like this:  “May those who love us, love us; and those who don't love us, may God turn their hearts and if He doesn't turn their hearts may He turn their ankles so we'll know them by their limping."


Well, there's a writer by the name of John Feinstein who must be limping every day.  Feinstein (Duke grad) who's the author of "A Good Walked Spoiled" and "A Season on the Brink" never misses the opportunity to take a shot at Notre Dame.  Here is Feinstein's blog entry this week after hearing the news about Jim Tressel's resignation at Ohio State.
 

I know I do this on occasion but the subject of today’s blog is not going to be The NBA Finals (yawn); The Stanley Cup Finals (I plan to watch it all) or even Jim Tressel (I wrote a column you can read on WashingtonPost.com or on this blog).

I will add one thing to the Tressel column that there wasn’t space for (it will also run in tomorrow’s newspaper) because even though it isn’t directly connected to Tressel, it has some relevance in any discussion of big time college athletics.

I have no sympathy at all for Tressel or for Gordon Gee or Gene Smith who, as I wrote in the column should both be fired too at the very least for complete incompetence.  But I also think we should keep things in perspective a little bit.

Ohio State is getting fried justifiably for allowing its program to run amok and then for trying to cover up clear violations.  But why is it that almost NO ONE around the country is nailing Notre Dame for the cavalier manner in which it handled the death of Declan Sullivan?

Please don’t tell me you buy into Father John Jenkins blanket, “we’re all guilty,” press release. Really?  If everyone is guilty where is the list of those fired or at least disciplined?starting with Jenkins and then going on down to the athletic director (who claimed there was ‘nothing unusual,’ in the weather conditions minutes before Sullivan’s tower came crashing down) to the head football coach who insisted on practicing outdoors on a day when there were wind warnings all over the Midwest; to whoever was responsible for not ordering Sullivan to stay off the tower?even if he was willing, though apparently terrified, to go up there?

No one was fired.  Jenkins should have added a sentence at the end of his statement if he was being intellectually honest about how he felt that said: “Now let’s get back to the important work of figuring out how to beat Navy!”

Jenkins strikes me as a complete fraud. Can you imagine him refusing to meet with the family of the girl who committed suicide shortly after filing a report alleging sexual assault against a Notre Dame football player?  He was acting on the advice of his lawyers.  Where in the vows Jenkins took, I wonder, does it say: “your lawyer’s advice comes before comforting those involved in a tragedy?”  Meeting with the family would not have been an admission of guilt; only an admission that he cared about people who were suffering.

Can’t have that. The lawyers told him so.

I can’t wait for the fall when all the TV apologists will tell us what a wonderful, caring place and nurturing place Notre Dame is.  I will keep an air sickness bag handy should I happen to encounter a Notre Dame game while flipping channels.  You can bet I won’t actually WATCH one. (Go ahead you Irish fans, pile on and tell me how awful I am for criticizing such a wonderful place. Can’t wait.)

I have never purchased a Feinstein book and I know I never will...