The Best THE SHIRT Ever? Just Might Be!

Folks the 2012 THE SHIRT was just unveiled on the University of Notre Dame campus and I must say it's my all-time favorite!  The goal is to sell 200,000 and they expect to put a huge dent into that number this weekend. 

I've got to believe Golden Tate and Robert Hughes (photo above) - the two stars of THE SHIRT -- were quite thrilled with the honor.  Photo courtesy of ND GO IRISH BLOG regular, Travis Mather.

Here's where you can buy it online!

LINK:  BUY THE SHIRT!

LINK:  THE UNVEILING

Notre Dame Tight End Position in the News

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame have had an incredible run of big-time talent at the Tight End position; Bavaro, Hunter, Fasano, Carlson, Rudolph, Eifert to name just a very few in the past few years.  Word on the street is the IRISH will be using "multiple tight ends" on the field this fall.  Here's what ESPN is reporting:


LINK:  ESPN BLOG STORY ON ND TIGHT ENDS

LINK:  ESPN VIDEO STORY

Photo of the Day: Who Said Bald Is Beautiful?

Didn't see this photo...  I couldn't pass this up!

The MAN in this photo is none other than Notre Dame alum, Timothy O'Connor,  AKA "OAK" -- who agreed to shave his head this week to raise money for childhood cancer research.  Thanks Timmy!

For those of you who don't know -- Timmy is the creative genius behind much of the packaging of the great digital work coming out of the Fighting Irish Digital Media team.  You'll see his handy work along with Eric Runyon and Philip Zastrow in the website linked below concerning the 125th Anniversary of Notre Dame Football:

LINK:  TIM O'CONNOR'S WORK

THE SHIRT: Tomorrow the World Will Know

It's the #1 selling item on any college campus in the world.  This T-SHIRT TRADITION started in 1990 and it's never looked back.


I'll never forget a call we received from our oldest son Jimmy five years ago this month "Dad, I'm on The Shirt!"  The Shirt 2007 -- carried for the first time ever -- photos of actual Notre Dame students inside the Notre Dame Monogram.  Jimmy, an Irish Guardsman's photo is the first you see on the bottom left of the Monogram (see below).  They "only" sold 135,000 shirts that year.

What's cool today is we still see people wearing The Shirt 2007 -- reminding us of that special moment for our son and our family...

Tomorrow afternoon at 3 PM ET -- THE SHIRT 2012 will be unveiled to a LIVE TV audience, the Band of the Fighting Irish, Glee Club, Coach Brian Kelly and other dignitaries.  ONLY NOTRE DAME.

Here's a link to a video of the 2010 unveiling of THE SHIRT:

LINK:  THE SHIRT

ND Football's "Patio Appreciation Party"

The Notre Dame football program hosted women, from all over campus yesterday. at a THANK YOU event on the patio outside of Coach Kelly's office.  Enjoy!

LINK:  PATIO APPRECIATION PARTY

ND Coach Elliott Featured in ESPN Story Today

I learned today that Notre Dame's safeties coach Bob Elliott's life was threatened in the late 90's with a rare blood disorder.  The more and more I read about Coach Elliott -- the more I'm impressed with this Coach Kelly hire.

See for yourself!

LINK:  COACH BOB ELLIOTT

A Tribute to "Uncle Blair" This Saturday...

Notre Dame freshman QB Gunner Kiel will wear the #5 his Uncle Blair Kiel wore as a four-year starter for the IRISH -- this Saturday in the 83rd Annual Blue Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium.

Gunner was assigned uniform #1 this spring -- but, in honor of Uncle Blair (who died a couple of weeks ago) Kiel will run out onto Notre Dame Stadium for the first time in a GOLD HELMET wearing the number five.  A nice tribute to the Kiel family.

Great Notre Dame Stories: Launched Today!

Notre Dame football fans -- you're going to want to click on the link below.  The gang at Fighting Irish Digital Media started their journey (THIS AFTERNOON) to tell 125 great stories -- as part of their 125th Anniversary of Notre Dame Football celebration.

If you click on the link below you'll see three stories -- the first is a story about how and why Notre Dame made the decision to begin flying the football team around the country.  The second story is about the "first game of the century" -- the 1935 game between Notre Dame and Ohio State.  And, the third story is about Notre Dame's upset of then undefeated and #1 ranked Pitt Panthers in 1982.

The fun starts at the link below:

LINK:  THREE GREAT NOTRE DAME STORIES

Photo of the Day: St. Baldrick's Event @ ND

The University of Notre Dame's now "annual" St. Baldrick's Foundation event to fund childhood cancer research took place today at LaFortune.  And, as you can see in the above photo -- the Notre Dame Football team was in the chairs with their classmates cutting off their hair for charity.

LINK:  UND.COM VIDEO FEATURE

LINK:  ST. BALDRICK'S WEBSITE

Last Spring Practice for Notre Dame Football

Today was the 14th and last practice of the 2012 Spring Football season as the IRISH get ready for Saturday's 83rd annual BLUE GOLD GAME.  Coach Kelly announced that Saturday's game will be an Offense vs. Defense scrimmage with the following scoring system:

• Defense will score 7 points if it "turns over" the Offense on the "defensive" side of the 50
• Defense will score 3 points if it "turns over" the Offense on the "offensive" side of the 50
• Defense will score 4 points if it "stops" the Offense on the "defensive" side of the 50
• Defense will score 2 points if it "stops" the Offense on the "offensive" side of the 50
• Defense will score 1 point if it "holds" the Offense to a field goal
• Offense will score like they usually do in a regular game

Here's a link to the UND.COM coverage from today:

LINK:  COACH KELLY WITH THE MEDIA

LINK:  LOUIS NIX INTERVIEW

LINK:  DAVARIS DANIELS & GEORGE ATKINSON INTERVIEW

Intercollegiate Robotics Football This Friday!

Notre Dame fans -- if you're coming to campus this weekend for the BLUE GOLD GAME -- here's something you can see that truly is a NOTRE DAME FIRST!

The University of Notre Dame Robotics Team will be taking on the Polar Bears from Ohio Northern in the first-ever Intercollegiate Mechatronic Blue Gold Football Game.  The kick-off is scheduled for 7 PM ET at the Stepan Center on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.

Here's Coach Kelly talkin' about Friday's big game!

LINK:  FIRST INTERCOLLEGIATE ROBOTIC FOOTBALL GAME!

Men's Basketball -- Celebrates a Great Season!

I received an email from ND GO IRISH BLOG newcomer Kelly Hoferth telling me that I wasn't paying enough attention to the Men's Basketball Team.  She went on to ask why I didn't post the link to AN EVENING WITH THE IRISH.  So, to keep Kelly happy -- here's that link!

LINK:  AN EVENING WITH THE IRISH

9 AM ET Kickoff for FIGHTING IRISH in Ireland

It was announced today that the 125th Anniversary season of Notre Dame Football will kick-off at 2 PM in Dublin, Ireland -- that's 9 AM ET in South Bend and 6 AM PT in California -- on Saturday, September 1st.  

AN IRISH WAKE-UP CALL for the Notre Dame Family!

The Notre Dame vs. Navy game will be televised by CBS with Vern Lundquist and Gary Danielson calling the action. 

IRISH fans who make the trek to Ireland for the game might like the fact that there are 69 bars inside Dublin's Aviva Stadium that can "pour a pint in less than 4 seconds..."

Here's a couple of videos of the stadium:

LINK:  TOUR OF AVIVA STADIUM

LINK:  AERIAL VIDEO OF AVIVA STADIUM

Notre Dame to Award Eleven Honorary Degrees!

 

The list includes a television exec, mathematician, an archbishop, lawyer, soft-drink CEO, oilman, a provincial superior, university president, former ND dean, a humanitarian and a former Irish athlete. 

Here's the official release from the University of Notre Dame of the individuals to receive an Honorary Degree at the 2012 Commencement:

LINK:  HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS -- UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

ND's Bill Scholl '79 Hired as Ball State AD!

Ball State University announced today the hiring of Bill Scholl '79 as their new Athletic Director.  Scholl, the former Deputy Athletic Director at the University of Notre Dame, leaves the IRISH after serving 23 years in its athletic department.  Congratulations Bill!

LINK:  BALL STATE HIRES ND ALUM

LINK:  THE STAR PRESS

Notre Dame QB Update...

The folks at Fighting Irish Digital Media interviewed the Notre Dame football coaching staff about the QB position at ND -- and the players themselves...

LINK:  NOTRE DAME QUARTERBACK POSITION

Natalive Novosel Selected Eighth Overall!

The University of Notre Dame's Natalie Novosel -- who looks quite sharp in her new hair style -- was selected eighth overall today in the 2012 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics.  Natalie is just the third player EVER in ND Women's basketball history to be drafted in the top ten!  Congratulations Natalie!

LINK:  WNBA DRAFT COVERAGE

LINK:  WASHINGTON POST STORY 

LINK:  ESPNW STORY 

LINK:  WNDU STORY

Devereaux Peters Goes Third Overall in Draft!

The WNBA held their 2012 Draft today and University of Notre Dame senior Devereaux Peters went third overall to the Minnesota Lynx.  The highest ever draft position for a ND women's basketball player!  Congratulations Devereaux!  Here's a link to the coverage:

LINK:  VIDEO OF DRAFT SELECTION

LINK:  WNBA DRAFT COVERAGE

LINK:  PIONEER PRESS COVERAGE 

LINK:  WNBA Q&A WITH DEVEREAUX 

LINK:  WNDU STORY

Final Week of Spring Practice @ Notre Dame!

The 83rd Annual Blue Gold Game is just five days away and I've got my fingers crossed that the weather man will cooperate!  Here's a link to a couple of video segments coming from today's practice and Saturdays -- thought you would enjoy.

LINK:  MONDAY'S PRACTICE VIDEO

LINK  SATURDAY'S PRACTICE VIDEO

ND Alum Kuczora '05 Ordained a Priest!

It was a special afternoon yesterday at the University of Notre Dame's Basilica of the Sacred Heart -- when Matt Kuczora (ND Class of 2005) was ordained a Holy Cross Priest. 

The two hour Liturgy of Ordination to the Presbyterate was a special experience for all who attended.  I caught a little video outside of the Basilica as "Fr. Matt" blessed his brothers in the priesthood -- see link below.

Father Kuczora will celebrate his first Mass, a Mass of Thanksgiving, today at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at 11:45 AM ET.  If you'd like to watch the mass online -- LIVE -- click on the link below.

Nothing like stepping up into the "big leagues" on your second day on the job! 


LINK:  ORDINATION TO THE PRESBYTERATE 

LINK:  WATCH FR. KUCZORA'S FIRST MASS -- LIVE RIGHT HERE!