Kevin Warren '90 J.D., takes control of the Big Ten Conference today!
Friday, January 3, 2020
Notre Dame Law Grad Now Leads the Big Ten
Kevin Warren '90 J.D., takes control of the Big Ten Conference today!
Thursday, January 2, 2020
My Favorite Story with the NBA's David Stern
I was saddened to learn last night that the legendary Commissioner of the National Basketball Association -- DAVID STERN -- had passed away after suffering a brain hemorrhage a couple of weeks earlier.
I had the great honor (it was an honor) of working with David Stern for a few years.
My David Stern story began with an idea I had to create a magazine for disadvantaged youth in the inner cities all over America. I had been observing horrid high school graduation rates among kids in the Detroit Public Schools -- and I thought that famous athletes (who graduated from high school and went on to college) could reach these kids by telling their stories and motivating them to stay in school and get an education.
So, I created a magazine mock-up that I named WINNERS -- that would profile famous athletes who had "walked in the same shoes" as these kids in these inner-city public schools across the country. I first pitched this idea to execs at Nike and Reebok -- the two dominant shoe brands of that era -- unfortunately, I got nowhere with this effort...
Not one to quit easily -- I decided to reach out next to the NBA's David Stern. He was the "big thinker" in professional sports at the time and I thought he might like this idea if I could get in front of him.
Unfortunately, I knew absolutely no one with the NBA. So, I decided I'd start with the home team Detroit Pistons. Their president at the time was Tom Wilson -- I had never met Tom before, but I thought I'd give him a call to see if he would be kind enough to give me an introduction to David Stern.
Tom agreed to meet and a few days later I was sitting in his office at the Palace of Auburn Hills with my magazine mock-up (WINNERS) and a story. When I was done Tom asked "all you want from me is an introduction to David Stern?" -- my reply "that's all I want."
Well, wouldn't you know it -- the following week I was in a conference room in the NBA's Olympic Tower offices in Midtown Manhattan with that same magazine cover mock-up and story -- pitching it to the one-an-only David Stern!
Stern liked the idea, so much so, that he told me in this meeting "I want to do this -- I just don't know if I want to do it with you, when I can go down the street and work with Time Inc., Hearst or Hachette (the world's largest magazine publishers at the time).
Then he looked me straight in the eye and said "so, why would I want to do this with you?"
I confidently replied, "because I'll be more passionate about this than they will..."
Well, about six months later we published our first issue of what would forever be called NBA INSIDE STUFF. David Stern liked this name better than WINNERS and so did I...
NBA Inside Stuff was sold on newsstands all over the country and distributed FREE to kids in public schools in NBA cities. NBA Inside Stuff then became a NBC Saturday morning TV show -- starring Ahmad Rashad and Willow Bay...
But, that's not my favorite David Stern story -- this is...
NBA Inside Stuff had been rolling along nicely when one day my phone rings and it's David Stern. He says; "Jim, I'm tired of walking into bookstores and only seeing books about baseball. football and golf -- and no books about basketball... Have you ever published a book before?"
Well that call led to our team creating a book titled; NBA JAM SESSION A Photo Tribute to the NBA Dunk.
Once the book was finished (we had yet to publish it), Stern called and asked me to come to New York to meet with him. This meeting is one I will never forget...
We met in his spacious office on Fifth Avenue -- Stern asked me to move to a smaller round table in his office. Once we sat down he says this to me, "I'm going to share with you my business plan for the NBA... (long pause) -- MULTIPLE REVENUE STREAMS. I don't start anything or get into any business that does not have multiple revenue streams."
Then Stern throws a pen on the table that bounces up and hits me in the chest and falls back on the table. He then says "there is my business plan" -- as he looks down at the pen. Then he looks up at me and says "You don't f----ing" get it, do you?"
A little startled -- I looked back it him and said; "no, I don't"
And then Stern proceeds to give me a little lesson on multiple revenue streams and how it manifests itself at the NBA...
"If we were going to make a pen at the NBA, (as he picks up that pen from the table) -- I would ask my team to leave the room and not come back until they had at least ten more revenue streams that we could create from a pen..."
"Now, they might only come back with three or four (revenue streams) -- but, it's more than one -- and I will not get into a business that has only one revenue stream."
"So, now -- you and I are going to come up with at least ten ways we can take this NBA JAM SESSION book and create revenue streams from it for the NBA..."
What a lesson.
Within 29 minutes -- the two of us created 13 additional revenue stream ideas from the content we had created for the NBA Jam Session book; trading cards, posters, t-shirts, etc., -- even a CD and a Bobby Brown song and music video...
With these additional revenue streams in place -- Stern gave me the go ahead to publish NBA Jam Session and put it into bookstores -- and the NBA Jam Session brand was off to the races.
David Stern was brilliant, tough and intimidating -- a man who saw opportunities before others...
I have many more David Stern stories that I'll leave for my own book someday;
- Stern introducing me to Gary Bettman
- Mark Cuban asking me to introduce him to David Stern -- which I did...
- Etc.
David Stern -- I'll never be able to thank you enough for sharing your time, intelligence and experience with me. You taught me much. You left a trail.
Rest in peace.
Notre Dame's Latest Football Commit
Ben Skowronek (Fort Wayne, IN) announced last night that he will play his final year of eligibility -- as a graduate transfer -- for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Skowronek played the last four years for Northwestern.
LINK: SKOWRONEK BIO
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Let's Play the "We Beat Them By More" Game
So, here's how the Notre Dame opponents fared this season -- against teams ranked ahead of the Fighting Irish. And, how these teams (ranked ahead of the Irish) fared in their bowl games:
USC
- Beat #11 Utah by 5 points
- Lost to Notre Dame by 3 points
Virginia
- Lost to #9 Florida by 8 points
- Lost to Notre Dame by 15 points
Georgia
- Beat Notre Dame by 6 points
- Beat #9 Florida by 7 points
Iowa State
- Lost to #16 Iowa by 1 point
- Lost to #7 Baylor by 2 points
- Lost to #4 Oklahoma by 1 point
- Lost to Notre Dame by 24 points
I'm hopeful the 11-2 Fighting Irish will move up in the final rankings -- here's how the teams ahead of us have fared so far in the Bowl Season, that we might overtake:
#4: Oklahoma -- lost to LSU (63 - 28)
#11 Utah -- lost to Texas (38 - 10)
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Iowa State Beat Writers Talk Loss to IRISH!
Took a lap around the worldwide web to see what the good folks in Iowa and Orlando had to say about Notre Dame's complete win over Iowa State today in the Camping World Bowl.
LINK: DES MOINES REGISTER
LINK: AMES TRIBUNE
LINK: ORLANDO SENTINEL
Friday, December 27, 2019
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Des Moines Register Writer Talks Notre Dame
Here's a few stories posted this week by the Iowa State beat writer at the Des Moines Register...
LINK: OL SHUFFLING?
LINK: ND COULD BE LAUNCH PAD FOR QB
LINK: LOYAL FANS
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Notre Dame Athletics: Merry Christmas!
The folks at Fighting Irish Media -- "knocked it out of the park" with this storytelling!
Notre Dame Wishes You a Merry Christmas!
Notre Dame student-athletes gathered to wish us all a Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Silent Night, Holy Night -- from Notre Dame!
The gentleman on the left --"doubles" as the Notre Dame Leprechaun!
Monday, December 23, 2019
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Friday, December 20, 2019
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
National Signing Day for Notre Dame Football
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
SPECIALIST
Here's a link to the BIO's of the entire Notre Dame Football 2020 recruiting class -- CLICK ON THIS
DEFENSE
SPECIALIST
Here's a link to the BIO's of the entire Notre Dame Football 2020 recruiting class -- CLICK ON THIS
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
OT: Rich Eisen Says Good-Bye to His Dad...
Yes, he's from that school in Ann Arbor -- but, I thought what he said today was worth sharing to all...
Domer Mark Baldwin Earns Back His Tour Card
The former Fighting Irish golf star -- shot a fifteen under (-15) score over the final four rounds of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying event in Winter Gardens, FL. Mark's score was good for a 13th place finish -- earning him starts in eight Korn Ferry Tour events in 2020.
Congrats Mark!!!
Here's a video of Mark making an eagle, earlier this year at the PGA Tour's 3M Open.
LINK: GREAT SHOT
Monday, December 16, 2019
The "Un-Talked About" Story on Recruiting...
It's a term called "over-signing" and some college football programs are willing to do more of it, than others...
Remember -- the NCAA limits FBS teams to 85 full scholarships on their football roster.
Here's a look at the last four signing classes (2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019) for the teams going into this year's College Football Playoff -- compared to Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and USC.
I've also added in a comparison of total wins over the last three football seasons (including bowls / playoffs):
LSU:
- 2016: 27 -- 2nd ranked class
- 2017: 24 -- 7th ranked class
- 2018: 22 -- 15th ranked class
- 2019: 25 -- 5th ranked class
- Total / Avg: 98 signed -- 7.25 average class rank
- Total wins -- last three seasons: 32
OHIO STATE:
- 2016: 25 -- 4th ranked class
- 2017: 21 -- 2nd ranked class
- 2018: 28 -- 2nd ranked class
- 2019: 17 -- 14th ranked class
- Total / Avg: 91 signed -- 5.5 average class rank
- Total wins -- last three seasons: 38
CLEMSON:
- 2016: 21 -- 11th ranked class
- 2017: 14 -- 16th ranked class
- 2018: 17 -- 7th ranked class
- 2019: 29 -- 10th ranked class
- Total / Avg: 81 signed -- 11.0 average class rank
- Total games won -- last three seasons: 39
OKLAHOMA:
- 2016: 21 --19th ranked class
- 2017: 28 -- 8th ranked class
- 2018: 23 -- 9th ranked class
- 2019: 24 -- 6th ranked class
- Total / Avg: 96 signed -- 10.5 average class rank
- Total games won -- last three seasons: 36
ALABAMA:
- 2016: 25 -- 1st ranked class
- 2017: 29 -- 1st ranked class
- 2018: 22 -- 5th ranked class
- 2019: 27 -- 1st ranked class
- Total / Avg: 103 signed -- 2.0 average class rank
- Total games won -- last three seasons: 37
GEORGIA:
- 2016: 23 -- 6th ranked class
- 2017: 26 -- 3rd ranked class
- 2018: 26 -- 1st ranked class
- 2019: 25 -- 2nd ranked class
- Total / Avg: 100 signed -- 3.0 average class rank
- Total games won -- last three seasons: 35
USC:
- 2016: 21 -- 10th ranked class
- 2017: 24 -- 4th ranked class
- 2018: 18 -- 4th ranked class
- 2019: 25 -- 20th ranked class
- Total: 88 signed -- 9.5 average class rank
- Total games won -- last three seasons: 24
MICHIGAN:
- 2016: 28 -- 8th ranked class
- 2017: 30 -- 5th ranked class
- 2018: 19 -- 22nd ranked class
- 2019: 26 -- 8th ranked class
- Total: 103 signed -- 10.75 average class rank
- Total games won -- last three seasons: 27
NOTRE DAME:
- 2016: 23 -- 15th ranked class
- 2017: 21 -- 10th ranked class
- 2018: 27 -- 10th ranked class
- 2019: 22 -- 16th ranked class
- Total: 93 signed -- 12.75 average class rank
- Total games won -- last three seasons: 32
Sources: 247Sports for Recruiting info and ESPN for season wins
A Notre Dame Family's Tribute to Eli Manning
John and Mary Beth Wilcox (Long Island, NY) parents of three Domers; Alex '16, Christopher '20 and Julia '23 -- are lifelong fans of the New York Giants.
They're also big fans of Eli Manning, who likely made his last home start for the Giants. To show their appreciation for Manning -- the Wilcox's brought their home made signs to MetLife Stadium yesterday for the Giants win over the Dolphins.
That is John and Mary Beth holding up their signs for Eli on the cover of today's New York Daily News. (John and Mary Beth are furthest left in the image above).
Got to love devoted fans like this!
Notre Dame's Recruiting Class -- Hype Video
The early signing period for Notre Dame Football begins this Wednesday, December 18th!
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Saturday, December 14, 2019
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