Irish Begin 2011 Football Practice -- Aug 6th!

The Fighting Irish will begin what many pundits believe will be one of the more promising football campaigns in South Bend in the last 15 years on August 6th!  Here's three key dates released today by ND:

1. Brian Kelly's Opening Press Conference:  August 5th 
2. First Practice:  August 6th
3. Media Day:  August 16th

ND Hoops Fans -- Check Out This New Website!

The Notre Dame women's basketball team just launched their own website -- thought you'd enjoy this!

I really like this!

LINK:  ND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SITE

ND's Aaron Lynch -- Getting Some Love!

The gang at ESPN.COM just came out with a list of ten incoming freshman stars ready to emerge in college football this fall.  University of Notre Dame freshman DE Aaron Lynch is on that list.  Here's a link to the story:

LINK:  AARON LYNCH -- ONE TO WATCH!

Tom Lemming Talkin' ND Football Recruiting

Football recruiting expert Tom Lemming spent some time with the folks at the South Bend Tribune to give his "two cents" on how Brian Kelly & Company are doing with recruiting.  Here's the link:

LINK:  ND FOOTBALL RECRUITING

Team USA's "Domer" -- World Cup Tomorrow!

Shannon Boxx '99 is a starting "central midfielder" for our Women's National Team in their match tomorrow with Japan for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup championship!  Shannon was a member of Notre Dame's 1995 National Championship team.

Boxx will be wearing #7 for the red, white and blue Sunday as the Americans go for their third world championship in women's soccer!  The fun begins at 2:30 PM ET on ESPN.  Here's a link to a UND.COM story on Shannon, a link to a recent interview and a link to a video profile of Shannon.  GO USA!

LINK:  ND'S TEAM USA STAR

LINK:  INTERVIEW WITH SHANNON BOXX

LINK:  TEAM USA VIDEO PROFILE OF SHANNON

USC Football Player a TMZ Subject -- Uh Oh!

Surgeon General's Warning:  You may not want your kids to click on this video link.

The folks at TMZ -- television's "gossip rag" equivalent -- caught up with USC running back Marc Tyler, who was out on the town with a couple of his buddies this past week in Los Angeles.  Tyler, who was a high school teammate of Jimmy Clausen's -- was a little "under the influence" during his cameo appearance on TMZ.  It's just a guess, but USC's AD Pat Haden might not be happy about this!

I kept looking for USC Head Coach Lane Kiffin in the background!  :)

It will be interesting to see if anything comes from this...

LINK:  USC RUNNING BACK ON TMZ

Domer's "Spouse" to Call ND's Opener on NBC!

NBC Sports' Dan Hicks -- who's married to Notre Dame alum Hannah Storm '83 (ESPN) -- announced today that he will be handling the "play by play" with Mike Mayock doing the "analysis" in the opener against the University of South Florida.  If you're like me -- a Notre Dame game without Tom Hammond at the microphone is a good thing!  Apparently Hammond has a conflict that weekend.

Golden Tate Taking Some Flap for "Tweet"

Former Notre Dame football star Golden Tate -- "tweeted" during the ESPY's the other night that he wondered why NASCAR's Jimmy Johnson was up for Male Athlete of the Year -- since NASCAR drivers can't be athletes...

Well, it didn't take long for Mr. Tate to take some heat.  Here's a link to the Yahoo! Sports story:

LINK:  TO TWEET OR NOT TO TWEET

Irish Still Looking For a Hockey Conference

Found this article today from the Kalamazoo Gazette -- where Western Michigan University's AD admits that she's been talking with Notre Dame about the changing landscape in college hockey.  Yesterday afternoon the National Collegiate Hockey Conference was unveiled with the announcement of six schools founding this conference:  University of North Dakota, University of Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Colorado College and Miami University.

Rumors persist that the Irish are talking with Hockey East and many believe that's where they'll end up.  Maybe with the WMU Broncos as a package deal?  Here's a link to the story:

LINK:  IRISH HOCKEY'S FUTURE HOME

NBC's Keith Arnold Analyzes ND Recruiting

Notre Dame Central's Keith Arnold, posted a story today analyzing the football recruiting since Brian Kelly took over the reigns of the Fighting Irish program.  You'll enjoy his perspective:

LINK:  NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL RECRUITING

Former Blue-Gray Sky Editor's Latest Work!

I just learned of this new annual publication by Maple Street Press called IRISH KICKOFF 2011 -- and it's produced by Pat Misch who authored the popular blog called Blue-Gray Sky.  If this magazine is half as good as Pat's work at BGS -- this is a must buy for Notre Dame fans.  Here's a link to their promotional website:

LINK:  IRISH KICKOFF 2011

Will the NCAA Buy This Domer's Story?

Former Notre Dame football player Gene Smith '77 -- who's best know these days as the embattled Athletic Director at that school in Columbus -- is doing his best these past few days defending the Ohio State University's "self imposed" sanctions in response to pending trouble with the NCAA.

Ohio State offered to "vacate" all of their victories last years and to go on probation for the next two years.  But, they would not give back any of their bowl money from last year's Sugar Bowl.
 
Here's some of the media coverage the past 24 hours on the troubles facing the Buckeyes -- you'll note the different perspectives:

LINK:  HOMETOWN PAPER -- COLUMBUS DISPATCH 

LINK:  HOME STATE PAPER -- CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER 

LINK:  FORBES

Notre Dame Comments on $2 Billion Campaign

The University of Notre Dame put the finishing touches on the seven year campaign entitled THE SPIRIT OF NOTRE DAME this past month.  Well, it can best be summed up that there's plenty of SPIRIT in South Bend these days!

For the first time ever, an American college or university -- without a medical school -- has raised more than $2 billion in a seven year campaign.

WOW!

The Chicago Tribune reported on the significance of this achievement in the article linked below:

LINK:  $2 BILLION -- THE SPIRIT LIVES!

ND "Verbal" Commit Catches Winning TD!

University of Notre Dame football "verbal" commitment Justin Ferguson caught the game winning TD at THE OPENING a Nike sponsored football showcase in Beaverton, OR this weekend.  In fact, he caught both TD passes in his team's championship win!  Ferguson is rated the 11th best WR in the country by ESPNU.  Here's a link to the ESPN.COM story:

LINK:  FERGUSON CATCHES GAME WINNER!

Darby Leads Off USA's World Record Relay!

Notre Dame football "verbal" commit Ronald Darby ran the lead-off leg this afternoon for the United States of America in the Medley Relay at the 2011 World Youth Track & Field Championships in Lille, France.  The USA team beat the previous youth world record (set back in 2001) by nearly one second!  Here's a link to the video of the race -- ND fans will enjoy this!  The four members of Team USA"s world record setting relay (in the order they ran): Ronald Darby, Aldrich Bailey, Najee Glass and Arman Hall.

LINK:  DARBY LEADS OFF WORLD RECORD!

Darby Finishes Third @ World Championships!

Notre Dame Fighting Irish football "verbal" commit Ronald Darby finished third in the 200 Meters today at the 2011 IAAF World Youth Track & Field Championships in Lille, France!  Darby's time of 21.08 (the same exact time he ran in the Semi-Finals yesterday), though not his personal best, is still one of the fastest times in the world this year for high school sprinters.  As a point of reference, Usain Bolt (current world record holder in the 200 Meters) ran a 20.40 at this same event in 2003.


Darby's "reaction time" of 0.137 was the fastest among the eight sprinters in the Finals -- Coach Kelly will be glad to see this -- and one of the fastest reaction times at the World Championships!

Congratulations Ronald!  Here's a link to the official results along with a link to the PHOTO FINISH photo!

LINK:  DARBY THIRD IN THE WORLD!

LINK:  OFFICIAL PHOTO FINISH

Lee Wins Fight! -- Goes to 6 - 0 with KO!

Notre Dame alum Mike Lee '09 added to his undefeated streak as a professional last night with a KO in the third round of his fight at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA.  Lee probably thought the fight was over in the first when he knocked Mike Birthmark to the canvas with an overhand right to the head. Unfortunately for Birthmark, he got up!  It only took Lee two more rounds to finish off his opponent.  See the news coverage below.

Mike Lee's next fight is Friday, September 16th at the University of Notre Dame's Purcell Pavillion.  It will be the first professional fight on campus -- and it falls on the eve of the Irish's game with Michigan State.  Should be great fun!  Look for tickets soon at the Notre Dame Ticket Office.

LINK:  LEE WINS WITH KO!

Rockne's Irish Team Recruited a DE Yesterday

Former Notre Dame All-American Pete Duranko, who battled ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) since 2000, died last night.  A member of Notre Dame's 1966 National Championship team, Duranko later went on to a career in the NFL with the Denver Broncos.  He is survived by his wife of 43 years Janet and their two sons Greg and Nick.  RIP -- Mr. Duranko!

LINK:  PETE DURANKO -- A NOTRE DAME MAN

LINK:  DENVER POST STORY

LINK:  ALL THINGS BRONCOS

Darby Runs 21.08 @ World Championships!

University of Notre Dame football "verbal" commit Ronald Darby ran a 21.08 in his Semi-Final heat this afternoon at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Lille, France.  This places him as the second fastest qualifier going into tomorrow's Final Heat (six hundredths of a second behind the top qualifier from Jamaica).  Darby's Personal Best is 21.05 which he ran last month (fifth fastest among high school juniors in the country).  Here's a link to the results as well a link to the PHOTO FINISH of the race and the USA High School 200 Meter Rankings:

LINK:  WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS -- 200 METER SEMI-FINAL

LINK:  PHOTO FINISH -- 200 METER SEMI-FINAL 

LINK:  USA TRACK -- JUNIOR CLASS RANKINGS 200 METERS

Domer's First MLB Start for Red Sox Sunday!

Kyle Weiland was drafted by the Boston Red Sox out of the University of Notre Dame in 2008.  Three years later, the 24 year-old "Domer" will be getting his first major league start tomorrow against the Baltimore Orioles -- replacing John Lester who was put on the disabled list this week.  Here's a link to a few stories about Kyle's first start!

LINK:  MLB.COM STORY

LINK:  BOSTON GLOBE

LINK:  BOSTON HERALD