ESPN's Outside The Lines -- Ian Williams

Former Notre Dame and now San Francisco 49'er Ian Williams, was the subject of an ESPN Outside The Lines story this morning.  Here's the link to the entire feature.  Notre Dame fans will enjoy watching Ian's journey -- boy, do I want him to make it!

LINK:  IAN WILLIAMS -- OUTSIDE THE LINES

His Nickname is "HERCULES" -- ND's Niklas

During Brian Kelly's meeting with the media yesterday he raved about the exploits of a freshman by the name of Troy Niklas.  Niklas was recruited by USC to play OT, Stanford to play TE and ND to play DE.  Now this 6'-7" 250lb. 18-year old athlete is playing OLB (yeah, he's that big!) and turning heads.

Kelly used the word "extraordinary" to describe Niklas' ability to play in space.  Here's a link to a South Bend Tribune story about the young man they call "HERCULES."

LINK:  TROY NIKLAS

First Week of NFL Preseason -- ND Update

I took a spin around the world wide web this morning to check on a few of our favorite ND football players from the past to see how life is treating them in the NFL after week one of the exhibition season.  Just click on the player's name below to find a story or two about their journey down ROUTE 53 (NFL Rosters have 53 players) -- that's Ian Williams in his new gold helmet:

LINK:  JIMMY CLAUSEN -- SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  JIMMY CLAUSEN -- CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

LINK:  GOLDEN TATE -- SEATTLE TIMES

LINK:  BRADY QUINN -- BLEACHER REPORT

LINK:  BRIAN SMITH -- NFL NETWORK

LINK:  KERRY NEAL -- INDY STAR  

LINK:  CHRIS STEWART -- WASHINGTON POST

LINK:  TOMMY ZBIKOWSKI -- MASN NEWS

LINK:  RYAN GRANT -- PACKERS WEBSITE

LINK:  SAM YOUNG -- BLOGGING THE BOYS

LINK:  KYLE MCCARTHY -- BRONCOTALK

LINK:  KYLE RUDOLPH -- ESPN SPORTSWIRE

LINK:  JOHN CARLSON -- RENTON REPORTER

LINK:  DEREK LANDRI -- BLEACHER REPORT

LINK:  CHINENDUM NDUKWE -- CINCY JUNGLE

LINK:  IAN WILLIAMS -- 49ERS WEBSITE

LINK:  TERRAIL LAMBERT -- THE ADVOCATE

LINK:  RYAN HARRIS -- THE INQUIRER

LINK:  DAVID BRUTON -- DENVER POST

Notre Dame's Award Winning Photographer!

Matt Cashore, ND's award winning photographer -- has a wonderful gallery online -- that Notre Dame fans will want to visit.  He is very, very good at what he does.  Here's a link to the site:

LINK:  MATT CASHORE'S GALLERY

The Offensive & Defensive Line @ Notre Dame

It's the "strength" of the Fighting Irish football program -- our offensive and defensive linemen.  It's been a long time since ND fans could say this!  Here's two UND.COM features on these units:

LINK:  OFFENSIVE LINE

LINK:  DEFENSIVE LINE

Skylar Diggins -- Video Diary with ESPNW

University of Notre All American basketball player Skylar Diggins is preparing right now to lead the USA Women's National Team to play in China at the World University Games.  Always a "media darling," Skylar agreed to do a VIDEO DIARY with ESPNW.  Here's a link to her latest video:

LINK:  SKYLAR DIGGINS

Chicago Sun Times Interview -- Coach Kelly

Well, in the "good cop / bad cop" media coverage of ND Football in Chicago -- also known as the Chicago Sun Times / Chicago Tribune -- the Sun Times published a positive piece this AM on Coach Kelly and his program -- ND fans will enjoy this piece:

LINK:  COACH KELLY GETTING COMFORTABLE

Jimmy Clausen to Start for Panthers Tonight

Former Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen will get the start tonight in the Carolina Panthers first exhibition game against the New York Giants.  The game will be "replayed" tomorrow at 1 PM ET on the NFL Network.  Here's a link to the latest stories on Clausen's QB competition with #1 pick Cam Newton:

LINK:  USA TODAY

LINK:  SUN HERALD

LINK:  ESPN NFL NATION BLOG

LINK:  CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

Top Kicker in Country Interested in Irish

His name is Bryan Holmes and he's a Kicker/Punter at Holland West Ottawa High School (Holland, MI) and he's the #1 ranked kicker in the Class of 2013.  ND GO IRISH BLOG contributor Mike Doyle, spoke with Bryan's Mom and she said "Notre Dame is on his list..."  Here's a link to a video of Bryan kicking and punting at Kohl's Kicking, Punting & Snapping Camp:

LINK:  BRYAN HOLMES -- #1 KICKER IN CLASS OF 2013

North Oldham Little League -- One Game Away!

Notre Dame fans need to root for this team out of North Oldham, KY who's one game away from playing in the Little League World Series.  North Oldham has adopted the University of Notre Dame's "logo style" and color scheme (complete with solid GOLD batting helmets).  Must have been a ND fan who sponsored this team!

North Oldham is playing right now on ESPN against a team from Ohio for the right to advance to the Little League World Series.  Here's a link to the story:

LINK:  NORTH OLDHAM LITTLE LEAGUE

Latest News on Corwin Brown's Situation

Yesterday afternoon, former Notre Dame football coach Corwin Brown was in a seven hour stand-off with St. Joseph County Police at his home in Granger, IN.  Brown ended up shooting himself in the "torso" before being taken away by ambulance to a hospital.  Pretty sad.

Here's the latest news reports coming out of South Bend on the incident -- along with photos from a South Bend Tribune photographer:

LINK:  WNDU-TV -- SATURDAY MORNING COVERAGE

LINK:  WSBT-TV - SATURDAY MORNING COVERAGE

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- SATURDAY COVERAGE

LINK:  SPORTS GRID STORY

LINK:  PHOTO GALLERY FROM SCENE

Notre Dame "COMPLIANCE" Video -- Must See

This video was produced by Notre Dame's Athletic Department -- to educate its athletes that you can't be like OHIO STATE...

LINK:  ND COMPLIANCE VIDEO

Former ND Coach -- Bizarre Situation

Former Notre Dame football coach Corwin Brown was in a standoff with the St. Joseph County Police this afternoon for seven hours -- before leaving his house, in an ambulance, with a self-inflicted wound.  Here's the latest from WNDU-TV and WSBT-TV:

LINK:  WNDU-TV FRIDAY COVERAGE

LINK: WSBT-TV FRIDAY COVERAGE

Kyle Rudolph -- Gatorade / NFL Films Series

Gatorade and the NFL FILMS teamed up to create a web series called "Everything To Prove" -- and former ND football star Kyle Rudoph was featured with fellow Viking draftee Christian Ponder.  FYI - that's Kyle above in his new uniform and number (#82).  Here's a link:

LINK:  KYLE RUDOLPH -- EVERYTHING TO PROVE

Notre Dame Football Update -- UND.COM

The gang at UND.COM did a feature today on the Offensive Line -- one of the more experienced OL's the Irish have had in a few seasons.  Here's a link to the story:

LINK:  UND.COM -- OL UPDATE

ND Coach Kelly on Rome Is Burning Today!

University of Notre Dame Head Football Coach Brian Kelly will be appearing today (August 11th) on ESPN's "Rome Is Burning" -- the show airs at 4:30 PM ET -- on the self proclaimed "sports leader."

Here's a link to the interview:  COACH KELLY ON ROME

ND's 5th Practice Report -- UND.COM

The good folks at UND.COM were out at practice again today under absolutely BEAUTIFUL conditions!  It's the first day of fall camp that the NCAA would allow teams to practice in full pads.  Here's a link to UND.COM's coverage:

LINK:  PRACTICE REPORT -- UND.COM

Coach Kelly Meets With Media After Practice #5

University of Notre Dame Head Football Coach Brian Kelly met with the media after his team practiced in full pads today for the first time during fall camp.  Here's a link to UND.COM's coverage:

LINK: COACH KELLY MEETS WITH MEDIA

ND's 4th Football Practice Report -- UND.COM

 

The Irish practiced in shoulder pads and shorts this afternoon -- for the last time before they put on "all" the equipment for tomorrow morning's practice.  Today's UND.COM feature focuses on the defensive backfield at ND.  Here's a link to the video:

LINK:  ND FOOTBALL PRACTICE REPORT -- UND.COM

NBC To Push Notre Dame Football to VERSUS

This should come as no surprise -- the Salt Lake Tribune broke a story this afternoon that NBC is going to "use" Notre Dame football to assist them in building distribution for their VERSUS network, by moving one to two ND games a year to their cable network.  The story also reported that VERSUS will become the NBC SPORTS CHANNEL in January.

My educated guess is this -- the University of Notre Dame and NBC will also announce a deal with NBC before year's end that will include the following:

• Select Notre Dame basketball (men's & women's) games will be aired on the NBC SPORTS CHANNEL
• Notre Dame hockey games will be aired on the NBC SPORTS CHANNEL
• As will games in every Varsity sport that Notre Dame plays -- they'll all have a select number of games televised on the NBC SPORTS CHANNEL

The NBC SPORTS CHANNEL is going to take on ESPNU, the Big Ten Network and any of the other cable TV carrier with college athletic programming.  This pending deal will also give Jack Swarbrick and the Notre Dame Athletic Department with a "platform" that will promote ALL of their sports on TV -- which is what the BIG TEN NETWORK offers the Big Ten schools right now.

And, it wouldn't surprise me if Notre Dame ends up with an "ownership" stake in this new network -- getting a piece of the subscription revenue that NBC is counting on from this play.

When all is said and done -- I believe Notre Dame will be able to say they have the best MEDIA package in college sports and "higher education" history when they get done with this NBC deal and with what they end up doing in the digital space.

Frankly -- I believe we'll have a NOTRE DAME NETWORK/CHANNEL on cable, on the web and possibly satellite radio before the end of this decade -- with NBC as our partner.  This network will also carry religious programming -- with the potential to become the CATHOLIC CHANNEL as well.  And, I can envision "educational" programming coming out of the academic engine at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame all the time...

It's got to be an exciting time for Fr. Jenkins and his senior management team at ND right now!

Here's a link to the Salt Lake Tribune story:

LINK:  NBC TO LEVERAGE THE NOTRE DAME BRAND