49 Hours to Kick-Off -- Media Thinks Squeaker

The Fighting Irish are 7 - 2 and the Pitt Panthers are 4 - 4 -- yet, a few in the media think Notre Dame will lose Saturday's game...

We're not getting the respect due a team that is 19 - 3 its past 22 games.

LINK:  ESPN BLOG

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE #2

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE

Domer Dad Wins AL Silver Slugger Award!

Torii Hunter Sr., -- father of Notre Dame wide receiver Torii, Jr. -- was awarded the SILVER SLUGGER AWARD as one of the top three hitting outfielders in the American League.  Hunter, who plays right field for the Detroit Tigers hit .304, with 17 home runs and 84 RBI.

Congratulations Torii!

LINK:  SILVER SLUGGER AWARD

Photo: Pitt Panther's Football Practice Today

Folks, you won't believe where this photo was taken...

The Pitt Panthers had one of their student managers dress up in a Leprechaun suit at their football practice today -- as they get ready for Saturday's game with our Fighting Irish.

OT: Looking For a New Place to Call Home?

Michael Jordan's 56,000 square foot home in the suburbs of Chicago will be sold via an "exclusive auction" set for November 22nd.  Here's a link to the promotional video...

LINK:  MICHAEL JORDAN'S HOME

OT: Nike Helping Promote Michigan State

The folks at Nike have put together a promotional video for the Spartans of Michigan State -- and wouldn't you know it, they had to be sure Notre Dame was included.  They just forgot to show the scoreboard!

LINK:  THE SPARTANS

Pitt Week -- Coach Kelly Press Conference

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media -- as he does every Tuesday during the football season -- to talk about the upcoming game.  Today's topic, the Pitt Panthers.

LINK:  COACH KELLY PRESS CONFERENCE

OT: Most Successful Football Play of All-Time

Folks, you have to watch what a middle-school football team did for a teammate in Olivet, MI.  Get your Kleenex out!

LINK:  MOST SUCCESSFUL FOOTBALL PLAY OF ALL-TIME

Jeff Samardzija Trade Rumors to Arizona

Word on the street is the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks are discussing a trade that would involve former Notre Dame All-American wide receiver Jeff Samardzija. 

Samardzija finished 9th in all of Major League Baseball for strikeouts in 2013 -- with 214 in 213.2 innings pitched.

Here's the story:

LINK:  SAMARDZIJA ON TRADING BLOCK

Notre Dame Football "Livin' on a Prayer" Video

The gang at Fighting Irish Digital Media convinced a number of Notre Dame football players to perform in a music video for the song "Livin' On a Prayer."  You'll want to watch this.

Suffice to say -- don't give up your athletic scholarship!

LINK:  LIVIN' ON A PRAYER MUSIC VIDEO

Domer Dating Former ABC Bachelor Contestant

 

Notre Dame alum Michael Garofola '02, is back in the limelight.  The attorney out of southern Florida -- who was on the last season of ABC's The Bachelorette -- is now dating a former contestant on ABC's The Bachelor -- AshLee Frazier.  Here's the People magazine story:

LINK:  GAROFOLA BACK IN THE NEWS

CBS "Bowl Expert" Has Notre Dame in Dallas...

CBS's BCS Expert Jerry Palm has the Fighting Irish playing on New Year's Day in Dallas, TX against the Rice Owls in the "Heart of Dallas" Bowl...

The game is played outdoors in the Cotton Bowl -- a venue the Irish know well on New Year's Day!

LINK:  HEART OF DALLAS BOWL

Pitt's Coach Paul Chryst Talks Notre Dame

The Pitt Panthers head football coach Paul Chryst met with the media today to talk about Saturday's PRIME TIME showdown with the Fighting Irish.  Here's a link to a transcript of his media session:

LINK:  CHRYST TALKS NOTRE DAME

All-Time Winning Percentage -- Race to #1

The University of Michigan and the University of Notre Dame are the two winningest football programs in college history.  At this very moment the all-time records are as follows:

• Michigan:  909 - 317 - 36 (.7307 %)
• NOTRE DAME:  872 - 303 - 42  (.7291%)

So, here's the gap -- to overtake Michigan at season's end -- here's what Notre Dame must do its last four games -- including a bowl game:

• Notre Dame goes 4 - 0  / Michigan goes 2 - 3 /  Notre Dame takes over all-time winning %

Notre Dame's Game vs. Pitt on ABC @ 8 PM ET

The folks at ABC announced yesterday that they will be televising Notre Dame's game this Saturday against Pittsburgh in "prime time" at 8 PM ET. 

No other team plays on national television as much as Notre Dame...

LINK:  ABC TO TELEVISE SATURDAY'S GAME

Brian Kelly's Halftime and Post Game Speech

The folks at Fighting Irish Digital Media -- once again -- provides us fans with the "inside look" at the Notre Dame football program.  THANK YOU!

Here's a link to this week's episode of ICON.  Enjoy!

LINK:  NOTRE DAME BEATS NAVY

NFL Video of Kyle Rudolph's TD Catch Today

Former Notre Dame tight end and now Minnesota Viking -- Kyle Rudolph -- caught a 31 yard TD catch today against the Dallas Cowboys.  Unfortunately, Kyle broke a bone in his foot on the play...

LINK:  RUDOLPH TD CATCH

Keough Hall Wins on Fumble Return for TD!!!

Keough Hall's Will Fields picked up a QB fumble and ran it into the endzone for a TD with just over a minute left in the game to give the Kangaroos a 8 - 0 win over O'Neill Hall in Notre Dame Interhall football.  The win puts Keough at 3 - 1 on the season and clinches them a spot in the upcoming playoffs for a trip to Notre Dame Stadium for the championship.  I apologize in advance for the quality of the video of the TD -- my iPhone let me down!

The first video is of a catch you won't believe -- A ONE HANDER! -- better than any catch you'd see from Calvin Johnson on Sundays!

LINK:  VIDEO OF "CATCH OF THE YEAR" 

LINK:  VIDEO OF FUMBLE RETURN FOR TD

Irish Move Up One Spot as Michigan Falls Out

The Associated Press just released their Top 25 after week 11 of the college football season -- and our Fighting Irish moved up a spot to #24.  And yes, Notre Dame is still ranked behind the team they beat (who has the same record) a few weeks ago -- Arizona State;



LINK:  COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

NBC's Full Replay of Notre Dame 38 - Navy 34

Here is a link to the full game replay of Notre Dame's win over Navy yesterday afternoon.

LINK:  NBC FULL GAME REPLAY

The Media the Mornin' After ND Beats Navy

Got to "sleep in" an extra hour here in the shadow of the Golden Dome -- I needed it after the game yesterday with Navy.  Thank goodness we made that fourth down stop!!!

As I always do the morning after Notre Dame plays a football game -- I took a lap around the worldwide web to see what the media is saying about the win over Navy.  Just click on the links below:

LINK:  WASHINGTON POST

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE

LINK:  CSN CHICAGO -- TONY RICE

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- ERIC HANSEN

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- AL LESAR

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- AL WIENEKE

LINK:  WNDU-TV