Revisiting ND's Last Three National Titles !!!

As we await tonight's BCS National Championship game -- I thought the Notre Dame nation would enjoy a trip down memory lane.  Here's a look at the highlights of the Fighting Irish's last three National Championships in football.  Enjoy!

LINK:  1988 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP -- FIESTA BOWL

LINK:  1977 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP -- COTTON BOWL

LINK:  1973 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP -- SUGAR BOWL

Tuitt Tells Sports Illustrated He's Headed to NFL

Notre Dame student-athlete Stephon Tuitt told Sports Illustrated's Brian Hamilton that he is going to make himself eligible for the upcoming NFL Draft.  Here's the story:

LINK:  TUITT TO THE NFL

Must See: Coach Brey With Team After Duke !!!

The folks at Fighting Irish Digital Media provide great coverage ALL THE TIME of our athletic teams here at the University of Notre Dame.  Yesterday's win over DUKE was no exception.  You must watch the locker room celebration.

LINK:  TEAM CELEBRATES WIN

The Media the Mornin' After Beating Duke

Took a lap around the web to see what the media had to say about Notre Dame's 79 - 77 win over #7 ranked Duke.  Just click on the links below:

LINK:  ESPN COLLEGE BASKETBALL BLOG

LINK:  CBS SPORTS RECAP

LINK:  THE HERALD-SUN

LINK:  ASSOCIATED PRESS

LINK:  NEWS OBSERVER

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

Mike Brey's Post Gamer Presser After Duke Win

Mike Brey's Notre Dame teams are now 13 - 6 against TOP TEN RANKED TEAMS when they play at Purcell Pavilion.  Duke was the latest top ten team added to the win total.

Word on the web this morning is -- THIS IS THE FIRST TIME DUKE'S "COACH K" HAS LOST A GAME TO A TEAM COACHED BY ONE OF HIS FORMER ASSISTANTS."

Here's what Coach Brey had to say after the game:

LINK:  NOTRE DAME BEATS DUKE

Notre Dame Beats Duke in First ACC Game!

Mike Brey's Fighting Irish beat the #7 ranked team in the country this afternoon 79 - 77!  A true team win as all nine Notre Dame players who played in the game scored.  Notre Dame is now in a FIRST PLACE TIE in the Atlantic 10 Conference -- a game ahead of Duke.

LINK:  ESPN RECAP

LINK:  CBS SPORTS

SHE is a Domer Coaching Boxing in Chicago

Kimberly Hickey is a Notre Dame alum coaching boxing at Chicago's Leo Catholic High School.  Found this story at the DAILY DOMER -- it's a must see, must read story.

LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S FIGHTING IRISH

Notre Dame on TV Today -- MUST SEE TV !!!

The University of Notre Dame's men's basketball team and hockey team will be playing marquee games today against Duke and Boston College respectively.

First at 4 PM ET -- Mike Brey's Fighting Irish welcome the #7 ranked Duke Blue Devils to Purcell Pavilion for the first time in eighteen years.  The game will be televised on CBS.

Then at 7:30 PM ET -- Jeff Jackson's #14 ranked Fighting Irish will take the ice at FENWAY PARK (yes, Fenway Park) to play #6 ranked Boston College.  The game will be televised on the NBC Sports Network.

Should be a great pre-lude to the winter storm most of us in the Midwest will be facing this evening and tomorrow...

GO IRISH!

LINK:  DUKE vs. NOTRE DAME

LINK:  BOSTON COLLEGE vs. NOTRE DAME

Former ND Football Coach Headed to Texas?

That's the story running throughout the media this morning...

Charlie Strong, a former defensive line coach (1995 - 1998) at Notre Dame and now the head coach at Louisville is rumored to have been offered the head coaching job at the University of Texas.

I can see the t-shirts now:  TEXAS STRONG

LINK:  TEXAS-STRONG

NOW 3/4 of a MILLION UNIQUE FOLLOWERS!!!

Unique follower #750,000 -- a Notre Dame fan from Manhasset, NY -- visited the ND GO IRISH BLOG at 10:56 PM ET this evening!  

THANK YOU NOTRE DAME FANS!!!

As I always do when the site reaches a new milestone -- I pick out where the ND GO IRISH BLOG would rank in the United States if it were its own city.  Well here's the rank -- the 18th largest !!!

At the 750,000 mark the ND GO IRISH BLOG just passed my former hometown of DETROIT -- and it's now just behind our oldest son's former hometown of Charlotte, NC.  Here are the rankings:

#15:  Columbus, OH -- 809,798
#16:  Fort Worth, TX -- 777,992
#17:  Charlotte, NC -- 775,202
#18:  ND GO IRISH BLOG -- 750,000
#19:  Detroit, MI -- 701,745
#20:  El Paso, TX -- 672,538

OT: Rose Bowl Replaces Field for BCS Game

A sod farm near Palm Springs, CA has been growing three grass football fields for the Rose Bowl the past few months.  The first was installed after the last UCLA home game in November -- for Wednesday's 100th Rose Bowl.  The second, was installed hours after Wednesday's game -- they actually placed the new turf -- over top of the old turf (see photo above) for Monday's BCS National Championship game.

The third field was grown -- as a back-up plan...

You have to read these stories.

LINK:  PERFECTION

LINK:  THE PERFECT FIELD

The Duke Blue Devils Come to Notre Dame

ACC Basketball begins tomorrow when "Coach K" brings his #7 ranked basketball program to Notre Dame for the first time in eighteen seasons.  Duke features arguably the #1 freshman in the country Jabarri Parker (photo above) out of Chicago's Simeon High School.  Should be quite a challenge for the Fighting Irish!

LINK:  COACH BREY TALKS DUKE

LINK:  HERALD-SUN STORY

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

Revisiting; Notre Dame 17 -- Michigan State 13

Over the next few months if you run into any Michigan State fan or any college football fan who doesn't love our Fighting Irish -- you're sure to hear the following:

"Michigan State should not have lost to Notre Dame -- there were a number of bad calls made by the referees that led to ND's victory.  Michigan State got "HOMERED" by Notre Dame."

Well, it's time to COUNTER this misinformation with some FACTS from the game:

1. The referees who worked this game were from the Big Ten Conference.  Last I checked, Michigan State was still a member of the Big Ten Conference.  The Spartans brought their own officials with them to Notre Dame Stadium that day.
2. Michigan State's offense generated 254 yards of total offense in the game and scored only 13 points -- their lowest offensive output for the season and their lowest scoring game of the season. 
3. Both teams were called for a number of penalties; Michigan State had 10 penalties in the game for 115 yards -- Notre Dame had 8 penalties for 86 yards.   Please note:  MSU also had 10 penalties called on them by Big Ten officials (just a couple of weeks later) at a home game against Indiana.  They won that game 42 - 28.  Notre Dame's 86 penalty yards were the most against the IRISH all season!

ND the "Gold Standard" for Attendance Records

Just take a look at these attendance records as you watch the highlights of the majority of the bowl games this season and see all of the empty seats.  Notre Dame is truly the "gold standard" when it comes to drawing fans to games.  Take a look at these attendance records:

• New Era Pinstripe Bowl -- largest crowd ever (Notre Dame vs. Rutgers)
• Michigan Stadium -- largest crowd ever (Notre Dame vs. Michigan)
• Sun Life Stadium -- largest crowd ever (Notre Dame vs. Alabama)
• Hyundai Sun Bowl -- largest crowd ever (Notre Dame vs. Miami)
• Spartan Stadium -- largest crowd ever (Notre Dame vs. Michigan State)
• Los Angeles Coliseum -- largest crowd ever (Notre Dame vs. USC)
• Soldier Field -- largest crowd ever (Notre Dame vs. USC)
• LaVell Edward Stadium -- largest crowd ever (Notre Dame vs. BYU)
• Oklahoma Memorial Stadium -- largest crowd ever (Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma)

Skylar Diggins' in Nike Cross Fit TV Spot

Former Notre Dame All-American Skylar Diggins has been cashing in on her hard work...

LINK:  NIKE CROSS-FIT TV SPOT

A Nice Video Profiling San Diego's Manti Te'o

The former Notre Dame All-American is featured in this video shot this past Sunday during San Diego's big win over Kansas City.  Enjoy!

LINK:  MANTI TE'O

Domer Hannah Storm -- Tournament of Roses

ABC's coverage of the 125th Tournament of Roses Parade will be hosted by Notre Dame alum Hannah Storm '83.  The show begins at 11 AM ET this morning!

LINK:  STORM TO HOST

A Slate Floor for Basilica of the Sacred Heart

The University of Notre Dame's Basilica of the Sacred Heart is getting a major makeover these next few weeks as a slate floor is being installed -- in replace of the carpet.  See the photos above.

Tyler Eifert's Two NFL TD's in 2013 Season

The former Notre Dame All-American had a very nice rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals -- reaching the end zone on two occasions.  Here's the video proof!

LINK:  vs.  DETROIT LIONS

LINK:  vs.  PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Golden Tate's Five NFL Touchdowns in 2013

Here's a video recap of the five times former Notre Dame All-American wide receiver Golden Tate reached the end zone this season for the Seattle Seahawks during the 2013 season.  Here's hoping it will happen a few more times in the Playoffs.

LINK:  vs.  INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

LINK:  vs.  ATLANTA FALCONS

LINK:  vs.  ST. LOUIS RAMS

LINK:  vs.  ST. LOUIS RAMS

LINK:  vs.  ST. LOUIS RAMS