Ohio State's Prez Announces Retirement

Ohio State University president Gordon Gee -- announced his retirement today, effective July 1st -- just a week after controversial comments from an OSU Athletics Council meeting (this past December) were made public.

He also announced that he would be backing out of a commitment to speak at the graduation of St. Francis DeSales -- a Catholic high school located on the north side of Columbus -- which was scheduled for this Saturday.

The University of Notre Dame and Catholics were a couple of the targets of Gee's comments that led to today's retirement announcement.

LINK:  GORDON GEE TO RETIRE

LINK:  COLUMBUS DISPATCH STORY

I Missed This: Mike & MIKE Reaction to...

A few weeks back, former Notre Dame offensive lineman Mike Golic Jr., signed a free-agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  What I missed was the reaction to the signing by his dad Mike Golic Sr. -- here's the link:

LINK:  GOLIC'S REACTION

Brady Quinn Gets a New Start in Seattle

The number will look familiar to Notre Dame football fans...

Former Irish All-American QB Brady Quinn is in Seattle these days working with the Seahawks and old nemesis Pete Carroll.  It's the fourth NFL team for Brady -- and I'm rooting this will the team that Quinn will finally show the football world his skills...

A reporter from the Seattle Times caught up with Quinn after the Seahawks' OTA's yesterday -- here's the story:

LINK:  BRADY QUINN

12 Bus Loads of Fans Drive to See Skylar

12 bus loads of Notre Dame women's basketball fans made the trek to Chicago yesterday afternoon to see one of its own play her first professional game this close to campus...

Then to top it all off -- Skylar holds a Q&A with the fans "after the game" in a road arena -- think about that!  You've got to wonder what the Chicago Sky marketing team must be thinking.

(The photo above is of Skylar's Q&A session after the game...)

Only Notre Dame!

LINK:  SKYLAR TURNS THEM OUT!

Notre Dame Alum a Bachelorette Contestant

Michael Garofola '02, is currently a contestant on the ABC hit show The Bachelorette.  Garofola, an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida -- is one of the contestants who "got a rose" in the opening show...

If you want to get a look at Mike -- click on the bottom link below:


LINK:  DOMER ON THE BACHELORETTE

LINK:  REPLAY OF PREMIER EPISODE -- LAST WEEK'S SHOW

Former ND Player Named "10 Best in NFL"

Curly Lambeau -- who played football for the IRISH back in the days of Knute Rockne -- was just named the 10th BEST NFL COACH OF ALL-TIME!

The "founder" of the Green Bay Packers led his team to six Championships as its coach -- earning him this recognition:

LINK:  GREATEST NFL COACHES OF ALL-TIME

Missed This: Bettis' Grille 36 Harlem Shake

There is a sports bar in downtown Pittsburgh that bears the name of former Notre Dame football star Jerome Bettis -- it's called Jerome Bettis' Grille 36.  Well, the staff decided to join in the Harlem Shake craze -- see link below:

LINK:  BETTIS HARLEM SHAKE

Further Proof Chicago Missed Not Drafting...

...Skylar Diggins

"FIVE BUSES" of Notre Dame fans are heading to Chicago tomorrow to watch former IRISH star Skylar Diggins and her Tulsa Shock teammates play a WNBA game in the Windy City...

Last season the Chicago Sky finished 10th out of 12 teams in attendance -- selling 5,573 tickets per game. Note:  The Tulsa Shock sold 7,381 tickets in their home opener this season -- compared to Chicago who sold 6,607 in their home opener.  Can't wait to see how many seats Chicago sells tomorrow!

Here's a story in the Chicago Tribune about Skylar and what her life is like these days.

(Photo above -- that's Jay-Z and his star client Skylar)


LINK:  THE LIFE OF SKYLAR

Eifert Earning HIGH PRAISE from Bengals!

Former Notre Dame All-American tight end Tyler Eifert is proving to his veteran teammates that he belongs...

Notre Dame fans will enjoy this story!

LINK:  EIFERT EARNING RESPECT

A Look Back @ 2012 Football Season

ESPN created this video -- recapping the "IMAGES" of the 2012 college football season -- they treated our Fightin' Irish with respect.  Thank you!

LINK:  2012 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON

Golson Looking at JUCO Ball in California?

The internet was wild with speculation, the past 24 hours, that Everett Golson was visiting Riverside City College (CA) this week -- looking to play for their football team this fall.

Well, about 3:00 AM ET this morning the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reported that a writer from the local paper in Riverside, CA spoke with Tom Craft, head football coach of the Riverside City College Tigers and he shot down those rumors.  Here's the story:

LINK:  GOLSON NOT GOING TO RIVERSIDE

Rainbow Over Notre Dame This Evening!!!

Just took these photos from our home in the "Triangle" area just a couple of blocks south of the campus of the University of Notre Dame.

OT: Catholic Identity in Question...

More than 1,200 Georgetown alumni, parents, faculty, etc., signed a petition to have "Catholic" removed from all references referring to the University in protest to "abuses of Catholic identity."

LINK:  A PETITION TO REMOVE CATHOLIC

LINK:  CANON LAW CASE AGAINST GEORGETOWN

Is Malik Zaire "The Guy" at QB for the IRISH

He's been on campus since January -- having enrolled at Notre Dame after graduating early from his high school in Ohio...

Malik Zaire is one of three scholarship QB's on the roster at the University of Notre Dame -- so, oddsmakers would say he has, at best, a "1 in 3" chance to be the replacement for Everett Golson come this September.

Here's a story that ran in today's South Bend Tribune on Malik and his chances to be THE GUY:

LINK:  MALIK ZAIRE

Notre Dame Parent Named Phoenix Coach

Jeff Hornacek, the proud parent of a Notre Dame grad (Ryan Hornacek '10) -- was named the 16th head coach in the history of the Phoenix Suns.  Hornacek played 14 years (his first six for Phoenix) in the NBA.

LINK:  HORNACEK NAMED SUNS HEAD COACH

Fr. Jenkins Accepts OSU President's Apology

An audio tape of Ohio State University president Gordon Gee's inflammatory comments pertaining to Notre Dame and Catholics was released today -- it's linked below.

The University of Notre Dame released a statement this afternoon that Fr. Jenkins has accepted Gordon Gee's apology (linked in Columbus Dispatch story below) for his remarks.


LINK:  OHIO STATE PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS

LINK:  COLUMBUS DISPATCH STORY

Former Notre Dame Spokesman Passes

I never had the honor of meeting Dick Conklin...  Yet, I stare everyday at this quote that hangs in my office at Notre Dame:

"Notre Dame is a place nurtured by myth.  It really cannot be encompassed by the mind alone; much of its meaning is intuited.  It is a place sustained by taking seriously the impoderables.  And at the core of its culture is a belief in the transcendent, that the ultimate meaning of life is found just beyond where reason can take us.

But when Notre Dame people gather, they do not talk about their alma mater's transcendency any more than swimmers converse about water's buoyancy.  Notre Dame people tell stories."

-Dick Conklin '59, Associate Vice President for University Relations

The long-time spokesman for the University of Notre Dame, died yesterday at the age of 77.


LINK:  DICK CONKLIN

Skylar Diggins Rated #17 on "Hottest" List

Complex Magazine (never heard of it) just ranked "The 100 Hottest Women Right Now" in the world and former Notre Dame All-American Skylar Diggins is 17th on that list!  Here's their rankings:


LINK:  SKYLAR RANKED #17

Manti Te'o Earning Respect From Veterans

Can't say this story surprises me...

LINK:  VETERAN PLAYERS RESPECT TE'O

A Full-Ride Scholarship to Notre Dame...

...and, it wasn't from Notre Dame's Athletic Department!

Hillsdale Academy's (Hillsdale, MI)  Shaley Albaugh will be a freshman this fall at the University of Notre Dame.  Shaley's the recipient of the QuestBridge Scholarship -- which will cover all of her college costs!

Here's her story:

LINK:  A FULL-RIDE TO NOTRE DAME