2013 NFL DRAFT -- First Round Begins at 8 ET

Welcome to the "next" longest day of Manti Te'o's life...

In about 14 hours from now, Manti Te'o will learn if he's a "multi-millionaire" and what city he'll call home -- or, maybe not...

It's the 2013 NFL Draft and it will dominate the MEDIA's attention over the next 96 hours.  Notre Dame fans will be tuning in to ESPN tonight at 8 PM ET to see if we will have DOMER #64 and DOMER #65 join the ranks of former Irish football players taken in the NFL Draft's First Round.

Tyler Eifert appears to be a LOCK to go in the first round -- Te'o is on the bubble...

Notre Dame is THIRD All-Time in players drafted in the first round (63).  We trail that school in Los Angeles (77) and that school in Columbus (67)...

Here is a look at a few of the latest MOCK DRAFTS:


LINK:  PETER KING -- SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

LINK:  MIKE MAYOCK -- NFL.COM

LINK:  GARY MYERS -- NEW YORK DAILY

NFL Draft's First Round -- Thursday Night!

24 hours from the start of the 2013 NFL Draft -- and the ND GO IRISH BLOG took a lap around the worldwide web this evening to see what's being said about Thursday night's FIRST ROUND.  Just click on the links below:

LINK:  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS -- MOCK DRAFT

LINK:  FORBES

LINK:  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS -- MANTI TO GIANTS?

LINK:  PHILLY INQUIRER

Jon Bon Jovi's Son to Walk-on @ Notre Dame

Add another "famous Dad" to the Notre Dame football roster...

The New York Daily News published this story today about Jesse Bongiovi's plans to try and walk-on to the Notre Dame football program this fall.  If Jesse makes the team -- Jon Bon Jovi will join this list of famous Dad's who will be cheering on the IRISH this fall:

• Chris Collinsworth -- former college and NFL football player -- now a TV analyst with NBC
• George Atkinson -- former NFL football star
• David Robinson -- NBA Hall of Famer
• Torri Hunter -- outfielder, Detroit Tigers
• Terry Hanratty -- ND football star and NFL QB
• Philip Daniels -- former NFL football star

LINK:  BON JOVI'S SON GOING TO NOTRE DAME

Skylar Diggins Says Good-bye to Notre Dame

The All-American girl from South Bend said good-bye tonight to a Notre Dame that will never forget how she represented HER.  The team's season ending Banquet was held in the Joyce Center and Skylar Diggins had her chance to thank the Notre Dame family for the last time...

Here's a link to WNDU-TV's coverage of tonight's celebration along with a link to Skylar's speech:

LINK:  SKYLAR'S SPEECH

LINK:  SKYLAR'S FINAL FARWELL

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE STORY

Notre Dame Engineering Students Give Back

Austin Rousselow -- a 2-year-old young man from the South Bend area who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, was given a HUMVEE that he could drive -- that was created by students in Notre Dame's College of Engineering...

A wonderful story -- click on the link below:

LINK:  A FANCY RIDE!

Notre Dame Parent -- Detroit Tigers' Closer?

Martin Short -- the proud parent of two DOMERS -- announced today that he has signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers...

LINK:  YOU MUST SEE THIS

Notre Dame Women's Golf -- Big East Champs!

Three of Notre Dame's five team members -- BROKE PAR -- in today's final round!

So much for pressure...

It was the fifth and FINAL Big East Championship for the Women's golf program -- as they will be heading off to the ACC next season.  The ACC better watch out -- the three women who broke par today are freshmen;  Lindsey Weaver (Arizona) and Talia Campbell (Texas) and sophomore Ashley Armstrong (Illinois)...

Weaver and Campbell finished up the tournament at SIX UNDER PAR and were the Co-Medalists!  A record low score for the Big East Women's Golf Championship!!!

LINK:  BIG EAST TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

Bald & Beautiful -- Only Notre Dame!

The students here at Notre Dame held their annual St. Baldrick's Day fund-raiser for cancer research this past week.  You'll enjoy watching this video!

LINK:  BALD & BEAUTIFUL

134 Years Ago Today -- Notre Dame's Fire

It was approximately 11 AM -- this very morning -- 134 years ago (April 23, 1879) that a fire was first spotted in the roof of the University of Notre Dame's Main Building...

Three hours later the Main Building, St. Francis' Home, the Infirmary and Music Hall were in complete ruin.  I'll leave it to the historians to tell the rest of the story -- click on the link below:

LINK:  THE STORY OF NOTRE DAME'S FIRE

Manti Te'o Will Be Glad When This Week is Over

I trust Manti's advisors are telling him to avoid the media this week...

The scrutiny he's under is incredible -- I guess it goes with playing at NOTRE DAME, the biggest stage in college sport.

Here's the latest on Manti:

LINK:  PIONEER PRESS -- MINNEAPOLIS

LINK:  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

LINK:  NEW YORK GIANTS WEBSITE

The STORY Behind the Play: "Irish Chocolate"

FIGHTIN' IRISH fans witnessed the first 355 lb. "Shotgun QB" formation in the 126 year history of Notre Dame football -- when Louis Nix went in to play quarterback in the 4th quarter of Saturday's Blue Gold Game.

Nix won a bet -- over an academic performance issue -- with Coach Kelly.  Here's the story:

LINK:  LOUIS NIX

The Blue Gold Post Game Show -- Replay

If you didn't check in online after the Blue Gold Game to watch the post game show on UND.COM -- here it is all fifty plus minutes of it.

You'll find some content -- unique to this show:

LINK:  BLUE GOLD GAME -- POST GAME SHOW

Strong and True -- Full Replay from NBC

If you missed the one hour TV special "Strong and True" which aired on the NBC Sports Network this past Saturday -- just prior to kick-off of the Blue Gold Game -- you can watch it right here!

This is going to turn out to be a great recruiting tool for the Fighting Irish football program!
 

LINK:  STRONG AND TRUE

Notre Dame Men's Lacrosse Ranked #1 Again!

For the second time this season -- Kevin Corrigan's Fightin' Irish are atop the Nike Division I Top Twenty Lacrosse Poll!

Look for the #1 sign to be lit atop Grace Hall this evening!


LINK:  TOP TWENTY RANKINGS

NBC's Coverage of ND's 84th Blue Gold Game

Here's what I could find this morning at Notre Dame Central on the MSNBC site -- concerning NBC's coverage of the 84th Annual Blue Gold Game:

LINK:  COACH KELLY POST GAME INTERVIEW

LINK:  LOUIS NIX & EVERETT GOLSON INTERVIEW

LINK:  BLUE GOLD GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  KEITH ARNOLD'S BLOG

The Mornin' After -- ND's 84th Blue Gold Game

The ND GO IRISH BLOG took it's regular lap around the worldwide web this morning to see what the media had to say about Notre Dame's Blue Gold Game yesterday afternoon.  Click on the links below:

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- GRACE STORY

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- STOCKTON STORY

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- IRISH CHOCOLATE

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE

84th Blue Gold Game is in the Record Books

31,652 fans braved the 34 degree kick-off temperature and brisk wind -- to watch Notre Dame Football's annual scrimmage.  Here's some of the highlights -- along with the LOUIS NIX's "Chocolate Thunder" two-point conversion play and the post game presser:

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  LOUIS NIX CONVERSION PLAY

LINK:  POST GAME PRESSER

Blue Gold Game Today @ 1 PM ET on NBC

If you're not here in town today -- in our HIGH 30's / LOW 40's weather -- you can watch the 84th Annual BLUE GOLD GAME from the comfort of your living room!  Probably not a bad choice today!

Here's the TV SCHEDULE today on the NBC SPORTS NETWORK:

• NOON ET:  You can watch STRONG & TRUE -- this is MUST SEE TV
• 1:00 PM ET:  You can watch the BLUE GOLD GAME
• 3:00 PM ET:  You can watch the BLUE GOLD GAME POST GAME SHOW -- click here

"THE SHIRT" -- 2013 -- Unveiled @ Notre Dame

The highest selling item on any college campus is THE SHIRT -- and the latest edition was unveiled this afternoon on the campus of the University of Notre Dame by head football coach Brian Kelly (see video below). 

Notre Dame fans will recognize NED BOLCAR on the front, TIM BROWN, ROCKET ISMAIL, JOHNNY LUJACK and JOHN LATTNER on the back.

Quick reaction -- I LIKE!

If you'd like to buy THE SHIRT -- click on the bottom link below:

LINK:  THE SHIRT -- SEE THE STORY HERE 

LINK:  THE SHIRT -- OFFICIAL WEBSITE

LINK:  THE SHIRT -- BUY IT RIGHT HERE!

Notre Dame Helmet Decal -- Honoring Boston

The Fightin' Irish of Notre Dame will take the football field tomorrow afternoon in their GOLD HELMETS for the 84th Annual Blue Gold Game.

On the back of each player's helmet will be a decal (shown on left) that will honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing incident this week.