National Champs in the Classroom -- Again!

The University of Notre Dame's student-athletes once again were named NATIONAL CHAMPIONS in the classroom -- with SEVENTEEN sports teams receiving 2012 Academic Progress Rate public recognition from the NCAA!  Here's the top five:

#1:  University of Notre Dame  (17)
#2:  Duke  (13)
#3:  Boston College  (10)
#3:  Northwestern  (10)
#3:  Stanford  (10)

LINK:  NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!
 

Beth Cunningham, Back Home @ Notre Dame

Notre Dame women's hoop legend Beth Cunningham has come back home...

Cunningham, Notre Dame's all-time leading scorer and two time All American was the head women's coach at Virginia Commonwealth University the past nine seasons.  She's joining Muffet's staff as Associate Coach, working with wing players, conducting game strategy and scouting reports.

The gang at Fighting Irish Digital Media caught up with Beth -- here's the link:

LINK:  CUNNINGHAM'S BACK HOME

Notre Dame's at the BCS Table in Chicago!

Notre Dame Athletic Director, Jack Swarbrick was in Chicago today meeting with his peers in the BCS to talk about a Playoff system for college football.  Speculation has run rampant that the IRISH might be forced to give up its independence to ensure it could play for a national championship...

After today's meeting, Swarbrick was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune -- and the tone was quite positive as you'll see in the story linked below:

LINK:  WILL INDEPENDENCE BE AN OPTION!

Domer Vaulting for U.S. Olympic Team Spot!

Mary Saxer, a 2009 graduate of the University of Notre Dame will be competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials later this month for a spot on the 2012 United States Olympic Team -- and she's got a great shot!

Saxer's a pole vaulter and she's just "inches" away from a height that has MEDALED at the last Olympic games.

Keep an eye out for Mary's name when NBC broadcasts their coverage of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials between June 22 and July 1.

LINK:  SHE COULD BE AN OLYMPIAN

Tuck's Latest Facemask Fashion Statement!

Former Notre Dame All-American Justin Tuck will be wearing a new facemask this upcoming NFL season (see photo above) with the New York Giants.  Tuck is trying to avoid offensive lineman grabbing his mask and twisting it - causing injury to his neck.  It's pretty cool!

LINK:  TUCK'S NEW FACEMASK

"Irish Chocolate" Goes Grocery Shopping...

Notre Dame's Louis Nix "Irish Chocolate," Sheldon Day and Kendall Moore went shopping for groceries and surprise, surprise -- a video was shot of this experience...

I will admit right now -- I want Louis Nix to make it big in LIFE!

Enjoy this video -- you will smile, I promise!

LINK:  SHOPPING WITH BIG LOU

Vegas Favors the Irish in All But Three Games!

The Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas unveiled its 111 Games of the Year in College Football in 2012 and ten of the games included our Fighting Irish.  Here's a list of the games and the opening point spreads -- see below.  

Based on this, the "Vegas Gang" has ND going 9 - 3 this season against the toughest schedule in college football.

GAMES THE IRISH ARE FAVORED:

• Navy -- Irish a 13.5 point favorite
• Michigan -- Irish a 1 point favorite
• Miami --  Irish a 9.5 point favorite
• Stanford -- Irish a 5 point favorite
• Boston College -- Irish a 12 point favorite
• BYU -- Irish are a 9 point favorite
• Pitt -- Irish are a 12.5 point favorite

GAMES THE IRISH ARE NOT FAVORED:

• Michigan State -- Irish are a 3.5 point underdog
• Oklahoma -- Irish are a 12.5 point underdog
• USC -- Irish are a 13 point underdog

GAMES WITH POINT SPREADS NOT RELEASED YET:

• Purdue
• Wake Forest

LINK:  GOLDEN NUGGET'S GAMES OF THE YEAR

OT: Proof You Don't Mess With Mother Nature!

Folks, four days ago THREE FEET OF HAIL fell in Denver the other day on a 90 degree day (top photo).  In the past 24 hours TWENTY INCHES OF RAIN fell in the Florida Panhandle area -- and currently in the Fort Collins, CO area -- 22 SQUARE MILES OF FIRE...

Notre Dame's Connection to the Triple Crown

The news the past 36 hours centered on "I'll Have Another" and his retirement from the sport, quelling his quest to win horse racing's TRIPLE CROWN at Belmont Park yesterday afternoon.

The University of Notre Dame has a connection to the TRIPLE CROWN as well -- the triple crown in baseball that is.

Forty-five years ago, Carl Yastrezmski (who before signing with the Boston Red Sox was a student-athlete at the University of Notre Dame) won the triple crown in baseball!  Yaz led the American League in 1967 in home runs (44), runs batted in (121) and batting average (.326) -- the last time it's been done MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL!

FACT:  There have been FIFTEEN TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS in the 143 years of Major League Baseball -- and there have been ELEVEN TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS in the 137 years of horse racing in America. (Cover on right of Affirmed winning the last Triple Crown in horse racing in 1978)

LINK:  YAZ TRIBUTE VIDEO


LINK:  AFFIRMED TRIBUTE VIDEO

Fake Classes for North Carolina Athletes!

It's going to be interesting to see how the NCAA responds to the latest news out of North Carolina...

It's now being reported by The News Observer that academic advisors assigned to the  University of North Carolina's athletic department are under criminal investigation for enrolling athletes into classes that did not exist.   

The four-year investigation has led so far to the resignation of the Tar Heels football coach (Butch Davis) and retirement of athletic director Dick Baddour.

"Double Domer" Bubba Cunningham '84 and '88 (pictured above), who accepted the Athletic Director's job at North Carolina this past October, has walked into a mess...

Here's a link to the story:

LINK;  TAR HEEL TROUBLE

Update: Day 18 of Dean Crawford's Bike Ride!

Notre Dame's dean of the College of Science -- Greg Crawford is pedaling through the state of Nebraska today on his bike ride from Boston, MA to Pebble Beach, CA.  The purpose of Greg's journey is to raise awareness for Niemann-Pick Type C disease.

As you'll see in his blog entries from the past couple of days he's run into some bike trouble.

LINK:  DAY 18 OF THE ROAD TO DISCOVERY

Must Watch: "Mike & Mike" -- Notre Dame Style

Notre Dame fans will enjoy this video clip of ESPN's Mike Golic and his son Mike Golic, Jr. -- talking Notre Dame Youth Sports Camps.


I can see Mike Jr. with a microphone in his hands after his playing days are over.


LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S "MIKE & MIKE"

Notre Dame Football Back In South Bend!

As you'll see in this report from Fighting Irish Digital Media, the Notre Dame football team is back on campus "going to class" and serving the South Bend community.  Enjoy!

LINK:  BACK AT SCHOOL

Mike Lee Remains Undefeated as Pro Boxer!

University of Notre Dame alum Mike Lee '09, was back in the ring last night at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas -- winning a six-round unanimous decision over Eliseo Durazo.  Lee, the three-time Notre Dame Bengal Bouts Champion -- is now 9 - 0 a a professional!

Congratulations Mike!

LINK:  NEWS STORY

LINK:  WEIGH-IN

Coach Kelly Recovering From Back Surgery

University of Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly is recovering from back surgery yesterday to repair a herniated disc.  He's expected to leave the Philadelphia area hospital this weekend.

Good Luck Coach Kelly!

LINK:  COACH KELLY'S BACK SURGERY

OT MUST SEE: "Uncle Drew" Puts On a Show!

The folks at Pepsi Max just produced a video where NBA rookie sensation Kyrie Irving is made up to look like an 80 year-old man...  And, he shows up to play at a neighborhood pick-up game in New Jersey.  Special thank to ND GO IRISH BLOG regular contributor Ken Devine for alerting me to this story!

This you have to see!!!!

LINK:  UNCLE DREW

The IRISH Heading Back to Yankee Stadium?

United States Military Academy Athletic Director Boo Corrigan '90, let the word out yesterday that Army and Notre Dame are in talks about scheduling a number of games against each other...

Corrigan, a 1990 graduate of the University of Notre Dame is a brother of current Notre Dame Lacrosse coach Kevin Corrigan and son of Gene Corrigan -- a former Athletic Director at ND.

There's plenty of buzz on the web, in the last 18 hours or so, that a game in Yankee Stadium in 2013 could be announced soon.  Stay tuned!

Here's a link to what it was like the last time these two teams hooked up in the "HOUSE THAT RUTH DIDN'T BUILD" during the 2010 season.


LINK:  NOTRE DAME AT YANKEE STADIUM

LINK:  ND AND ARMY TALKING

Two Domers Qualify for Women's US OPEN

 

Becca Huffer '12, who was just coming off of her pro debut in Denver -- won the U.S. Open qualifier at the Broadmoor with scores of 70 & 75.  And, incoming Notre Dame freshman Lindsey Weaver won the qualifier at Terravita Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ with rounds of 71 & 69 (four-under par).  (that's Becca in the photo in the ND green!)

Congratulations ladies!

LINK:  HUFFER WINS US OPEN QUALIFIER

Future Domer: Only the Second 59 in History!

Her name is Lindsey Weaver and she just might be the NEXT BIG THING to hit women's golf -- and she'll be calling Notre Dame home this fall.

Lindsey shot a 59 earlier this year in a tournament -- the second 59 ever shot by a woman in the history of the game of golf!  Think about that!!!  She joins LPGA all-time great Annika Sorenstam in that elite club!

Lindsey is currently the 19th ranked junior golfer in the world!

LINK:  LINDSEY WEAVER SHOOTS A 59

LINK:  SECOND WOMAN IN THE HISTORY OF GOLF! 

LINK:  GOLFWEEK JUNIOR WORLD RANKINGS

Great Story: Daddy / Daughter ND Weekend!

I received a story this past week from a Notre Dame fan who thought I would enjoy the "reflections" of one Sharon Tracy -- who wrote about the ND / USC football weekend she spent this past October with her Dad, Jay Dillon '66.  (photo above of Dad and daughter)

I liked the story so much, I sent a note off to Jay seeking permission to share this story with the entire Notre Dame family.  Jay was kind enough to say "YES."

As you'll learn when reading this story, Sharon did not attend her Dad's alma mater.  She and her two sisters "the Dillon girls" each attended Miami of Ohio.  And, as Sharon readily admits, she was not a Notre Dame fan going into this weekend with her Dad.

Well that changed, as you'll see in this wonderful document that captures a great relationship between a Dad and his daughter and Jay's sharing the "gift" of Notre Dame with one of his girls...

Thanks again to Sharon and Jay for allowing me to share this with all of you.

Enjoy!

LINK:  REFLECTIONS FROM A NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL WEEKEND