Happy Father's Day to My Dad & All the Dads!

This is a photo of my Dad (in the middle) celebrating the news, with four of his teammates, that he had just become a Dad for the first time!

He was a professional baseball player and in the middle of a road trip when word got to the team that I was born.  Back in the "good old days" baseball teams didn't allow you to stay home for the birth of a child.  Thankfully, those days are in the past...

I've been very lucky to have a wonderful Dad in my life -- who is as big of a Notre Dame fan as me!

Happy Father's Day -- DAD!

On a side note -- I had never seen this photo until a week ago.  My Aunt Barb found this in a box and gave it to my cousin Mike Doyle to text it to me to see if I could identify who was in the photo with my Dad. 

Mike McGlinchey and Joe Staley's "Bromance"

The two offensive tackles share a common bond in San Francisco -- they both played for Brian Kelly...

LINK:  STORY

OT: FSU Bulldog Super Fan in Tennessee!

I received a text this morning from my cousin Patrick Doyle (like me, a huge Notre Dame fan) with a photo of a young man named Dan DelGrosso (pictured above) sporting a Ferris State Bulldogs National Championship T-shirt at Two Rivers Ford in Mt. Juliet, TN.

Our Ferris State Bulldogs won the NCAA Division II National Championship in basketball this past April!

Dan, a 1973 Ferris grad, grew up in Dearborn, MI -- but now calls the Volunteer State home.  Pat's son Dustin (he's my cousin but, I think of him as a nephew) works with Dan in their Commercial Sales Department.

I loved seeing Dan representing the "crimson and gold" of Ferris (my alma mater and Pat's too!) in an area fond of the color orange...

When was the last time they won a National Championship in Tennessee?

Thanks Dan!

Go Bulldogs!

Zack Martin -- Biggest NFL Contract in History!

In the last 24 hours, former Notre Dame All-American Zack Martin signed a contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys for six years and $84,000,000.  The largest contract in NFL history for an Offensive Guard!

The link below is of a TV interview he did today...

LINK:  RECORD SETTING CONTRACT

LINK:  DALLAS MORNING NEWS STORY

Kelly Cares -- Notre Dame Football 101

Domer Jimmy Dunne -- Golf Channel Story

Getting the ND Football Gear Ready...

Notre Dame Football vs. The Force

ESPN's "Way to Early Top 25" CFB Rankings

I was surprised to see the Fighting Irish ranked this high.

LINK:  RANKINGS

"Triple Crown Effect" on College Football's Best

Here's a look at the NINE WINNINGEST TEAMS in FBS college football history -- and how they fared in years when a race horse won the TRIPLE CROWN:

1. NOTRE DAME:  107 - 11 - 5
2. Alabama:  102 - 18 - 12
3. Oklahoma:  93 - 24 - 7
4. Michigan:  88 - 23 - 4
5. Penn State:  86 - 28 - 4
6. Texas:  83 - 37 - 5
7. Ohio State: 81 - 27 - 7
8. USC:  80 - 42 - 5
9. Nebraska:  63 - 49 - 8

GO IRISH!

Triple Crown Winners a Good Omen for ND!

There are now 13 Triple Crown Winners in the history of horse racing -- and you know what -- in the football season that follows, Notre Dame Football has won 87% of its games and 5 National Championships!

• 1919:  Sir Barton wins Triple Crown / Notre Dame: 9 - 0
• 1930:  Gallant Fox wins Triple Crown / Notre Dame: 10 - 0
• 1935:  Omaha wins Triple Crown / Notre Dame: 7 - 1 - 1
• 1937:  War Admiral wins Triple Crown / Notre Dame: 6 - 2 - 1
• 1941:  Whirlaway wins Triple Crown / Notre Dame: 8 - 0 - 1
• 1943:  Count Fleet wins Triple Crown / Notre Dame: 9 - 1
• 1946:  Assault wins Triple Crown / Notre Dame: 8 - 0 - 1
• 1948:  Citation wins Triple Crown / Notre Dame: 9 - 0 - 1
• 1973:  Secretariat wins Triple Crown / Notre Dame: 11 - 0
• 1977:  Seattle Slew wins Triple Crown / Notre Dame: 11 - 1
• 1978:  Affirmed wins Triple Crown / Notre Dame: 9 - 3
• 2015:  American Pharoah wins Triple Crown / Notre Dame: 10 - 3 
• 2018:  Justify wins Triple Crown / ???

Triple Crown Years / Notre Dame Football Record:  107 - 11 - 5

The years that are BOLDED -- Notre Dame won the National Championship!

This fun fact is courtesy of Tim Bourret '78 -- a Notre Dame alum who just retired after spending 40 years as Clemson's Sports Information Director.  Tim was inducted into the SID Hall of Fame.

Domer Mike Lee '09 Wins NABO TITLE!!!

 

Despite breaking a rib in the first round -- Notre Dame alum Mike Lee (on right in photo above) defeated Jose Hernandez in a unanimous decision last night winning the NABO Light Heavyweight Title!

LINK:  STORY

The Most All-American Centers in College FB!

Over the last 50 years -- no one in college football has produced more All-Americans at the center position in college football...

LINK:  NOTRE DAME

Notre Dame is Statistically "Offensive Guard U"

50 years of research by John Baranowski -- led to his selection of "Offensive Guard U..."

LINK:  OFFENSIVE GUARDS

Notre Dame is Statistically "Tight End U"

John Baranowski looked at every position group in college football over the last 50 years...

LINK:  TIGHT END U

Notre Dame Statistically is "Offensive Line U"

Sports historian John Barnowski has looked at the last 50 years of college football "position by position" -- and you know what he learned...

Notre Dame is the #1 producer of offensive line talent in college football.

LINK:  OFFENSIVE LINE U!

Updated Photos of Football Practice Facility

Took a spin over to campus today...

Skylar Goes for 35 Points and 12 Rebounds!

A WNBA career night -- for Notre Dame all-time great Skylar Diggins-Smith -- as she returned home to Indiana...

Skylar is currently the 2nd leading scorer in the WNBA -- averaging 23.0 points -- and 3rd in assists at 6.0 per game.

LINK:  BIG NIGHT

Notre Dame a "Common Thread" in Ranking...

ESPN looked at the toughest "non-conference" schedules of Power 5 Conference teams this upcoming season...

Look at what school pops up the most.

LINK:  TOUGHEST SCHEDULES

Domer Mike Lee '09 Fights Again Friday Night

He's 20 - 0 as a professional boxer -- the former three-time Bengal Bouts Champ goes for professional win #21 tomorrow night.

That's Mike Lee on the left in the photo above.

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE STORY