"Why Notre Dame Plays Navy" -- Fr. Hesburgh

If anyone ever questions you why Notre Dame plays the Naval Academy every year -- this is the 87th in a row today -- here's why!

The photo above is from the 40's when the Navy trained officers at Notre Dame -- recognize South Quad?

LINK:  WHY NOTRE DAME PLAYS NAVY

Fighting For the Ethical Use of Technology

The University of Notre Dame's award winning "WHAT WOULD YOU FIGHT FOR" TV commercials -- focuses today on the ethical use of technology. 

Here's the TV spot:

LINK:  FIGHTING FOR!

The Admiral and His Notre Dame Son...

How often do you think the NBC cameras will be on David Robinson this afternoon while his son Corey's Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on his alma mater the Naval Academy?  And, what hat will he have on?

You just have to know that Dan Hicks will be "waxing poetically" about this family dynamic...

Here's the media's spin on this so far:

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE STORY

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES STORY

LINK:  ESPN

Brian Kelly Talking Today's Game With Navy

Here's Brian Kelly talking about Notre Dame's game today with the Naval Academy -- over the past five days.  Click on the links below:

LINK:  FRIDAY NIGHT PEP RALLY

LINK:  FRIDAY FOOTBALL LUNCHEON

LINK:  THURSDAY NIGHT RADIO SHOW

LINK:  THURSDAY PRESS CONFERENCE

LINK:  TUESDAY PRESS CONFERENCE

Media's Take on Navy vs. Notre Dame Today

Took a lap around the worldwide web this morning to see what's being said about today's  87th meeting on the football field between the Naval Academy and the University of Notre Dame.  Here's what I found:

LINK:  BALTIMORE SUN

LINK:  CAPITAL GAZETTE

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

LINK:  NBC SPORTS

LINK:  SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

"Parents Day @ Notre Dame Stadium" -- NYT

The New York Times published a story today about Jon Bon Jovi and a number of the "famous parents' of football players at Notre Dame...

They talk about the need for "red carpet" -- at Notre Dame it's called the GOLD CARPET!

They also profiled Bon Jovi's son Jesse -- a freshman "walk-on" football player for the Fighting Irish.  Enjoy!

LINK:  NEW YORK TIMES

Mike Brey Goes "Flint Tropics" @ Pep Rally!

Notre Dame men's basketball coach Mike Brey showed up at tonight's pep rally -- a day late for Halloween -- dressed as Will Farrel's character Jackie Moon...  Got to love it!

LINK:  REPLAY OF PEP RALLY TONIGHT!

Photo of Father Ted With the Blue Angels!

Father Ted Hesburgh, C.S.C., was the appropriate individual at Notre Dame to have his photo taken this afternoon with the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels.  Fr. Ted was named a honorary Navy Chaplain this past April -- see link below.  The tall pilot standing to the right of Fr. Ted is Notre Dame alum John Hiltz '02.

The photo was taken by Notre Dame's award winning photographer Matt Cashore -- an hour after the Blue Angles "test" flight over campus today.

LINK:  HONORARY NAVY CHAPLAIN

Video: Blue Angels Fly Over @ Notre Dame!

The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels made a practice run this lunch hour over the campus of the University of Notre Dame. You're going to love the video shot by the University Communications video team!  Great work!

The photo above was shot by my wife Susan -- from her iPhone -- as they were flying directly over our house.  She thought it was appropriate that "the Blue Angels flew over Notre Dame on All Saints Day!"

LINK:  BLUE ANGELS FLY OVER!

The Notre Dame Pep Rally Today @ 5:45 PM ET

If you'd like to see the "first ever" Notre Dame Pep Rally held in the Compton Family Ice Arena -- just click on the link below!  The fun begins at 5:45 PM ET!

LINK:  WATCH THE NOTRE DAME PEP RALLY

Weather Permitting: BLUE ANGELS FLYOVER!

If you're going to Saturday's Notre Dame vs. Navy football game you could be in for a special treat.  The world-famous NAVY BLUE ANGELS are here in town and are scheduled to do a pre-game fly over Notre Dame Stadium -- in their DELTA formation shown above -- should be awesome!

Flying in Jet #2 for the Blue Angels is Right Wing Pilot Lt. Cdr. John Hiltz (photo above), a 2002 alumnus of Notre Dame.

Here's a couple videos of the BLUE ANGELS to get you ready for Saturday!

LINK:  STADIUM FLY OVER

LINK:  BLUE ANGELS VIDEO

Notre Dame's Men's Hoop Team Ranked #21

The Fighting Irish's Men's Basketball Team was ranked #21 today in the just released Associated Press pre-season rankings of college basketball teams.  Notre Dame, playing for the first time in the Atlantic Coast Conference, is the fourth highest ranked team in the ACC:

1. Duke (#4)
2. Syracuse (#8)
3. North Carolina (#13)
4. NOTRE DAME (#21)
5. Virginia (#24)

LINK:  PRE-SEASON RANKINGS

A "Perfect Start" for Taya Reimer Tonight!

The reigning McDonald's High School Player of the Year started her college career tonight with a PERFECT SHOOTING NIGHT!   Taya Reimer (pictured above), playing in a Notre Dame jersey for the first time had this stat line in only 20 minutes of playing time:

• 11 for 11 from the field
• 5 for 5 from the foul line
• 27 points
• 6 rebounds
• 3 blocked shots

By the way -- the IRISH won the game 118 to 49 over California (PA) a NCAA Division II program.  Here is a link to Coach McGraw's post game press conference:

LINK:  COACH MCGRAW'S PRESSER

Video Tour of Brian Kelly's Office @ Notre Dame

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly welcomed the crew from Fighting Irish Digital Media into his office this week for a tour of his "digs."  Pretty nice!

LINK:  COACH KELLY'S OFFICE

Muffet's #7 Ranked Fighting Irish Play Tonight

In about an hour from now "basketball without Skylar" begins at the University of Notre Dame as the #7 ranked Fighting Irish kick-off the 2013 - 2014 season with an exhibition game vs. California (PA).  Muffet "tweeted" earlier today that her "three senior starters" would not play this evening because of injuries -- so we'll probably be looking at a starting line-up that looks like this:

• Jewell Loyd 
• Michaela Mabrey
• Madison Cable
• Lindsay Allen
• Taya Reimer

Allen and Reimer are both freshmen who come in with big-time credentials.  Should be fun!

LINK:   WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RANKINGS

Brian Kelly's Navy Game Press Conference

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media today to talk about Saturday's game with the Naval Academy.  Click on the link below:

LINK:  BRIAN KELLY PRESSER

Everett Golson's Sports Illustrated Interview

Everett Golson agreed to talk with Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples.  Here's a link to the on camera interview:

LINK:  EVERETT GOLSON

Domer Chris Quinn Takes Northwestern Job

Former Irish student-athlete Chris Quinn '06, was named Director of Player Development for the Northwestern Wildcats basketball team today.  Quinn played six seasons in the NBA. 

Congrats Chris!

LINK:  DOMER TO NORTHWESTERN

Notre Dame Bowl Options: Orange or Pinstripe?

The South Bend Tribune's Eric Hansen updated Notre Dame's bowl options today -- and it looks something like this:

• Win the rest of the games and play in the Orange Bowl against Florida State
• Win all but one of the games left and play in the Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers

Sun or Snow...

LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S BOWL OPTIONS

Golden Tate's 80 Yard TD Catch on MNF!

Former Notre Dame All-American wide receiver and now Seattle Seahawk Golden Tate -- caught an 80 yard TD catch on Monday Night Football in a game against the St. Louis Rams.  The Seahawks held off the Rams 14 - 9 with a last second goal line stand. 

Here's a link to the video of the TD catch.

LINK:  GOLDEN'S TD CATCH ON MONDAY NIGHT