ND Dad -- Dick Vitale Meets Pope Benedict XVI

Just saw Dick Vitale "tweet" about meeting Pope Benedict XVI -- here's a link to the story:

LINK:  VITALE SPEECHLESS

Sports Illustrated Recognizes Aaron Lynch

The folks at SI.COM picked their "Freshman 15" -- fifteen freshmen who will make an impact this fall.  Well, to no surprise to Irish fans -- our #19 Aaron Lynch is on that list.  Here's the story:

LINK:  THE FRESHMAN 15

Lou Goes Back to East Liverpool High School!

Former Notre Dame football coaching legend and College Hall of Fame member Lou Holtz -- spent a day earlier this month at his old high school in East Liverpool, OH talking to their football team.  Holtz graduated from East Liverpool 57 years ago...  Here's a couple of links to the news coverage -- note what he's wearing!

LINK:  LOU HOLTZ GOES HOME

LINK:  LOU'S BACK IN LIVERPOOL

Know Thy Opponent -- USF Bulls

A new series at ND GO IRISH BLOG will be launched today called "KNOW THY OPPONENT" -- it's a primer for Irish Fans that will take a look at what our opponent's local media is saying about their team and their upcoming game with the University of Notre Dame.

Up first:  Skip Holtz's University of South Florida Bulls:

LINK:  HERBSTREIT PICKS USF TO WIN BIG EAST 

LINK:  WIN AT ND WOULD BE HISTORIC

LINK:  HOLTZ NOT THINKING ABOUT COACHING AT ND

LINK:  TIME IS NOW FOR BULLS

LINK:  BULLS EXPECT SPECIAL SEASON

LINK:  DON'T SHAKE ND PLAYERS 

LINK:  SCRIMMAGE UPDATE

LINK:  PHOTOS OF USF PRACTICE FACILITY

Third Week of NFL Pre-Season -- ND Update

After checking in on how our former Notre Dame football stars are doing with their NFL teams this morning -- I'm reminded how important their DEGREE from the University of Notre Dame is!

If I was running the football recruiting operation for Brian Kelly I would be publishing a weekly NFL injury report that would be circulated among the parents of every top high school football player in America.  I would be constantly making the point that the NFL stands for "Not For Long" -- and that "Notre Dame is For Life."

Off my soapbox!

Just click on the player's name below to see the latest news on them:

LINK:  JIMMY CLAUSEN -- CAROLINA PANTHERS

LINK:  GOLDEN TATE -- SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

LINK:  BRADY QUINN -- DENVER BRONCOS

LINK:  ANTHONY FASANO -- MIAMI DOLPHINS

LINK:  BRIAN SMITH -- CLEVELAND BROWNS

LINK:  CHRIS STEWART -- FREE AGENT

LINK:  TOMMY ZBIKOWSKI -- BALTIMORE RAVENS

LINK:  RYAN GRANT -- GREEN BAY PACKERS

LINK:  JUSTIN TUCK -- NEW YORK GIANTS

LINK:  SAM YOUNG -- DALLAS COWBOYS

LINK:  KYLE MCCARTHY -- DENVER BRONCOS

LINK:  KYLE RUDOLPH -- MINNESOTA VIKINGS

LINK:  JOHN CARLSON -- SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

LINK:  DEREK LANDRI -- PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

LINK:  CHINEDUM NDUKWE -- FREE AGENT

LINK:  IAN WILLIAMS -- SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

LINK:  TERRAIL LAMBERT -- NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

LINK:  RYAN HARRIS -- PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

LINK:  DAVID BRUTON -- DENVER BRONCOS

LINK:  JOHN SULLIVAN -- MINNESOTA VIKINGS

LINK:  VICTOR ABIAMIRI -- PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

LINK:  TREVOR LAWS -- PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

LINK:  MAURICE STOVALL -- DETROIT LIONS

LINK:  ARNAZ BATTLE -- PITTSBURGH STEELERS

LINK:  SERGIO BROWN -- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

LINK:  ERIC OLSEN -- DENVER BRONCOS

LINK:  ROBERT HUGHES -- CHICAGO BEARS 

LINK:  DARRIN WALLS -- ATLANTA FALCONS

LINK:  ARMANDO ALLEN -- TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 

ESPN & Michigan Announce GameDay Location

University of Michigan AD David Brandon announced today that ESPN will set up their GameDay set on Michigan's central campus -- the morning of September 10.  It's good to know because ND fans have been losing sleep over where Desmond Howard would be working from that day...

LINK:  ESPN'S COLLEGE GAMEDAY - ND VS. UM GAME

Two ND FB Verbals on ESPNU Today @ 4 PM

ESPNU will be televising the Indianapolis Cathedral vs. Warren Central football game today at 4 PM ET.  The game features two star players who have made a "verbal" commitment to play for the Fighting Irish next season; John Turner who wears #4 for Cathedral and Sheldon Day who wears #91 for Warren Central.  Here's a link to a couple of stories about these two standouts:

LINK:  JOHN TURNER -- INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL

LINK:  SHELDON DAY -- WARREN CENTRAL

First Look @ Weather for ND's Home Opener

The folks at Weather.com are predicting "scattered thunderstorms" for Notre Dame's home opener next Saturday against the University of South Florida.  They're forecasting the chance of precipitation at 60% for this day.  Here's the link to the extended forecast:

LINK:  ND GAME DAY WEATHER FORECAST

Photo of the Day! -- Compton Family Ice Arena

Here's a recent photo of the construction of the "Hockey Cathedral" -- also known as the Compton Family Ice Arena on the University of Notre Dame campus.  The "Compton" will open in mid-October.

Notre Dame's Campaign For Aerial Lift Safety

The University of Notre Dame just launched a campaign on aerial lift safety -- as part of its follow-up response to the Declan Sullivan tragedy.  Barry Sullivan (Declan's Dad) leads off the website's video.  Here's a link to the site as well as a story in the Chicago Tribune:

LINK:  UP RIGHT!

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE STORY

"Our Team Our Story" -- A New Show @ ND

This is a YouTube Video of Mike Golic Jr. and Brandon Newman in their new show "OUR TEAM, OUR STORY."  Now I'm not going to give it a "two thumbs up" -- but, it has potential!  Here's a link to their first two episodes:

LINK:  MEDIA DAY

LINK:  FIRST DAY OF CLASSES

Update on One Time ND Hoops Recruit Hatch

Notre Dame fans may recall the news of June 24th when former Notre Dame basketball recruit Austin Hatch (Fort Wayne, IN) was involved in a plane crash in northern Michigan that took the life of his father and step-mother.  Hatch, the only survivor of the crash, has been in Traverse City's Munson Hospital ever since.  Hatch had committed to play basketball for Michigan -- a week earlier -- picking the Wolverines over the Fighting Irish. 

To read the most recent update on Austin's condition -- click on the link below:

LINK:  AUSTIN HATCH RECOVERY UPDATE

LINK:  ESPN STORY

LINK:  THE ORIGINAL CRASH STORY

Lou Holtz & Phil Steele Talk ND Football

Former Notre Dame Hall of Fame football coach Lou Holtz and football prognosticator Phil Steele were both guests this week on the Dan Dakich Show in Indianapolis.  Here's a link to both of their appearances on the show:

LINK:  HOLTZ & STEELE

Tickets to ND's Game Against USF Go On Sale...

The University of Notre Dame announced today that the University of South Florida has returned some tickets that will go on sale at the ND Ticket Office on Monday.  The Ticket Office typically opens at 8:30 AM ET -- here's the number to call if you're still looking for tickets: 574.631.7356

LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S OFFICIAL WEB RELEASE ON TICKET SALE

The Lou & Skip Holtz Show at USF Dinner!

This is pretty good stuff here...

The University of South Florida hosted a kick-off dinner this week for their football program.  After the dinner was over, Lou and Skip took questions from the audience.  Here's a link to the video:

LINK:  THE LOU & SKIP HOLTZ SHOW

Coach Kelly & Coach Quinn -- Best Buddies

Found this story via GOOGLE ALERTS this evenng -- and boy, am I glad I did!

The Buffalo News published a wonderful story today about the relationship between Jeff Quinn (the head coach of the University at Buffalo football Bulls) and Notre Dame's Brian Kelly.  It's a must read for Irish fans!  Here's the link:

LINK:  COACH KELLY & COACH QUINN

Brian Kelly Interview with Atlanta Radio Station

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly was a guest yesterday on Tony Barnhart's radio show in Atlanta.  Here's a link to the discussion:

LINK:  BRIAN KELLY WTH TONY BARNHART

At First Glance -- I'm Not Crazy About This

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame football program has decided to change the Game Day routine leading up to their entrance to Notre Dame Stadium.  For as long as I can remember, a couple of hours before kick-off, the team would begin their "walk" to Notre Dame Stadium from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.  A great Notre Dame tradition...

Well, so much for that.

Beginning Saturday, September 3rd -- the Fighting Irish will begin a new pre-game tradition that will look something like this:

• Approximately three hours before kick-off the team will arrive on campus by bus behind the Main Building (Golden Dome) -- and the team will make the short walk to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart
• Once Mass is over -- the team will walk back to their buses and board them for a "lap" around the campus through the tailgating lots south of the Stadium and back to the Gug
• They'll then have a quick team meeting inside the Gug 
• Then they'll begin their new walk to the Stadium - which will take them on a path behind the Jordan School of Science to the Library -- where they'll make a left hand turn and walk to the Stadium in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus.  The team is expected to be at the Library around 1:15 PM for a 3:30 PM kick-off.

I've got to believe a NBC exec said -- "it would make for great TV with a shot from the top of Notre Dame Stadium towards Touchdown Jesus with players walking through a mass of humanity -- on a colorful fall day..."

We'll see...

ESPN's Colin Cowherd Has Spoken...

ESPN "talking head" Colin Cowherd spent a few minutes this morning talking about our Fighting Irish.  He's making the claim that we have one of the 'easiest' schedules in college football this season -- as he compares college football schedules to 'pimples..."

He's not a fan of Notre Dame -- but, here's his read on ND today...

LINK:  COLIN COWHERD ON THE IRISH

Yeah, Notre Dame is Irrelevant -- Look At This!

This photo was taken today in NYC's Times Square -- see the news that makes the Dow Jone's board...  Think any other school in America's naming of their QB would get this play in NYC?  Not a chance!