New Turf in Notre Dame Stadium This Week

The grounds crew at Notre Dame Stadium has been busy these past few days stripping off the old turf and putting down some new.  As you can see in the picture above -- the turf is gone!

Notre Dame Stadium's turf has not held up well in the first three home games -- here's hoping it will be ready by October 19th when USC rolls into town.

LINK:  REPLACING THE SOD

ACC Digital Network Previews: ASU vs ND

Here is former Notre Dame defensive lineman Renaldo Wynn working with the gang at the ACC Digital Network -- talking about Saturday's game with Arizona State:

LINK:  ACC DIGITAL NETWORK

Notre Dame Football Arrives in Texas!

Here is a photo of Notre Dame Football's equipment truck getting ready to unload inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.

Jack Swarbrick Addresses Football Post Game

Notre Dame's Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick -- sent a letter this afternoon to the Observer that addressed the football team's policy regarding the Alma Mater after home games.  Here's the link:

LINK:  SWARBRICK'S LETTER

Druckenmiller @ Notre Dame Wednesday Night!

Folks, the man who was one of the first to predict America's last financial crisis -- will be on the campus of the University of Notre Dame Wednesday, October 9th giving a presentation at Washington Hall.

Stanley Druckenmiller has an estimated net worth of 2.9 billion -- making him one of the wealthiest people on the planet.  When he speaks -- investors listen...

So, if you have any interest in our economy, your own financial stability, etc., -- you need to be at this event.  It is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.  Druckenmiller's talk begins at 7 PM -- I would advise you to get their early!

In addition, Notre Dame Trustee Jimmy Dunne '78 and Notre Dame's Chief Investment Officer Scott Malpass '84 will be participating in the panel discussion.  Both are among the very best in the world at their craft -- it's going to be a very special evening.

LINK:  DRUCKENMILLER ON CNBC

Head Coach Brian Kelly With Media Last Night

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media after Thursday's practice to talk about the state of his team -- and Saturday night's game in Texas with Arizona State.

LINK:  COACH KELLY WITH MEDIA

David Robinson Talks Notre Dame Basketball

Mike Brey's Fighting Irish hit the practice floor for the first time this past weekend as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.  Notre Dame fans will enjoy the interviews of David Robinson and a couple of other former Irish hoops stars who happened to be in attendance.  Enjoy!

LINK:  NOTRE DAME BASKETBALL

Domer Leading Detroit Tigers' PR Department

Aileen Villarreal '10, is just three years out of the University of Notre Dame -- yet, she finds herself leading the public relations efforts of the reigning American League Champion Detroit Tigers.

The folks at the Detroit News profiled Villarreal in this story:

LINK:  SHE'S A TIGER

Arizona State Fans Looking Forward to IRISH

It's what we've come to realize as fans of the Fighting Irish -- our opponents look forward to playing against Notre Dame.

Arizona State fans have been talking about the game with Notre Dame -- for months...

LINK:  EXCITED TO PLAY NOTRE DAME

Arizona State Coach Returns to His Roots...

Arizona State head coach Todd Graham will be "going home" to play the IRISH this Saturday night...

LINK:  COACH GRAHAM

Coach Brian Kelly Talks Arizona State Game

Notre Dame's head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media today at noon to talk about the Shamrock Series game this Saturday night against Arizona State.  Click on the link below:

LINK:  COACH KELLY ON ARIZONA STATE

Domer's Dad's Band -- National Champions!

OTN Speedwagon, the company rock band of Ciena Corporation, won the Fortune Magazine Corporate Battle of the Bands at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH on Saturday night.

Notre Dame parent Bob Rodio (that's Bob holding the Platinum record the band received for winning the competition) plays bass guitar in the band. Bob’s son Michael graduated from Notre Dame in 2012 with a music degree.

OTN Speedwagon was voted the best company band in America by a panel of veteran musicians, including Liberty DeVitto (drummer for Billy Joel), Rob Arthur (keyboards for Peter Frampton), Jeff Carlisi (guitarist for .38 Special) and Ricky Byrd (guitarist for Joan Jett and the Black Hearts). Antoinette Folett, the editor-in-chief of Making Music, rounded out the judges’ panel.

Two of Bob’s co-workers took home individual honors at the Rock Hall: Saxophonist Steve Darflinger won “best horn player” and Paul Bullock won “best guitarist.”

Oh, and get this—OTN Speedwagon earned their spot on a wild-card bid, after a different panel of judges chose not to advance the band from the Nashville regional competition. Not sure what those judges were thinking…the “real deal” judges knew who could really play!

LINK:  BEHIND THE SCENES

LINK:  BAND PERFORMING EARLIER THIS YEAR

Adidas vs. Nike -- Helmet & Uniform War...

The Irish unveiled their "all white" jersey and pants -- with their chrome shamrocked helmets that they'll be wearing in Saturday night's game, earlier this summer...

LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S SHAMROCK SERIES GEAR

Well, the Sun Devils of Arizona State will be sporting this look in Texas.

I know which looks better to me!

Notre Dame's "3" Shamrock Series Helmets

Here's a couple of photos "tweeted" by Notre Dame Football Equipment Manager Ryan Grooms -- of the football helmets the Fighting Irish have wore at the last two Shamrock Series games and the helmet they will be wearing Saturday night in Arlington, TX.

Roof to be Closed @ AT&T Stadium Saturday

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame will be playing a "home game" this Saturday night in Texas...

The annual Shamrock Series game will pit the Arizona State Sun Devils versus our Irish in a game in the newly named AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.  Just this afternoon the decision was made to close the roof for the game since the forecast is calling for a 30% chance of rain.

Here's a few links to video tours of the world's biggest football stadium...

LINK:  AT&T STADIUM TOUR

LINK:  VIP TOUR

LINK:  FOX SPORTS TOUR

LINK:  OFFICIAL TOUR VIDEOS

Tyler Eifert's Blog Post on "Made-Man"

Former Notre Dame All-American and Cincinnati tight end Tyler Eifert -- was asked to write a post on a blog called MADE MAN.  Here's a link:

LINK:  TYLER EIFERT

Good Morning America @ Notre Dame Tuesday!

The folks from ABC'S Good Morning America will be on the campus of the University of Notre Dame tomorrow morning -- beginning at 6:20 AM ET -- to promote the kick-off of BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.

You should see LIVE REPORTS from Notre Dame between 8 AM ET and 9 AM ET

If you'd like to participate, they will be shooting in front of the Hesburgh Library "AKA Touchdown Jesus" -- so where your pink!  Coach Brian Kelly and his wife Paqui will be just a couple of the guests scheduled to appear.

LINK:  GOOD MORNING AMERICA -- FROM NOTRE DAME

Stoops Ask Photographer for Special Photo

Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops posed for a photograph on the field of Notre Dame Stadium yesterday with his wife and mother...

A special moment for his Irish Catholic family.

LINK:  A SPECIAL MOMENT

Kiffin Fired Last Night After 62 - 41 Loss !!!

Story just broke -- Pat Haden fired Lane Kiffin last night...

LINK:  ESPN STORY

LINK:  LA TIMES STORY

399 Football Games @ Notre Dame Stadium !!!

Stanley Weber (Tiffin, OH) -- who is 89 years young -- was in the stands at Notre Dame Stadium yesterday for the 399th football game in his life-time!  He has every single ticket stub from those 399 games...

That's Stanley on the left with his great-nephew Joe Fretz.  Joe and Stanley make the three-hour drive from Tiffin to Notre Dame -- every home game Saturday morning. Stanley and Joe's season tickets are in the front row of Section 1 -- on the east side of the TUNNEL entrance.  My wife Susan and I sit a row behind them...

Stanley has missed only one home football game since the 1950 season because he was hospitalized with an aneuyrsm.  The game -- Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech in 1975 when some walk-on named "Rudy" sacked a QB.

His first game at Notre Dame Stadium -- was November 22, 1941.  Frank Leahy was in his first year coaching the IRISH and Stanley saw Notre Dame beat USC 20 - 18.   The Irish went undefeated that season.

Ironically, Stanley's 400th game in Notre Dame Stadium will be October 19th against USC!

Stanley and his wife Anna are the proud parents of Tom Weber, a member of Notre Dame's Class of 1966.  Anna stopped coming to games with Stanley eight years ago because she didn't like the long walk "up and down the steps" to and from their seats.  They have been married 70 years!

This man has had a "front row seat" to college football history -- imagine the stories he can tell.  I'm looking forward to shaking Stanley's hand and asking to have my picture taken with him at game #400.  Pretty incredible.