Photos of Manti Te'o Draft Celebration Party

This shirt could become a HUGE SELLER -- I know I'd buy one if Notre Dame were to license it!

Coach Kelly at NFL Draft Talks Manti Te'o

The folks at the NFL Network interviewed Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly right after San Diego selected the Irish All-American with the #38 pick.  Here's a link to the interview:

LINK:  COACH KELLY ON MANTI GOING TO CHARGERS

Te'o & Toma Welcome Home Parade Saturday

Former Notre Dame football players Manti Te'o and Robby Toma will be honored with a PARADE this Saturday by the city of Honolulu.  Here are the details:

LINK:  PARADE SATURDAY FOR MANTI & ROBBY

Video of Manti Te'o & Family Celebrating Pick!

The local Hawaiian TV stations had cameras rolling on Manti and his parents when it was announced that Te'o would be taking his talents to San Diego!  Great moment for this family -- even though it came 22 hours late...

The top photo above shows Manti Te'o taking the phone call from the San Diego Chargers...
 

LINK:  VIDEO OF TE'O  FAMILY REACTION

LINK:  KITV-ABC

Manti Te'o Drafted by the San Diego Chargers!

The wait is finally over for the most decorated defensive player in college football history...

Notre Dame All-American Manti Te'o was just drafted #38 overall in the Second Round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers -- who traded up to get him.

Congratulations Manti!


LINK:  SAN DIEGO SELECTS MANTI

LINK:  SAN DIEGO ABC-TV

Mel Kiper Talks Manti Te'o Not Being Drafted

ESPN's NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper was on the Mike & MIKE show this morning...

One of the subjects was Manti Te'o -- here's what he had to say -- along with these other guests on today's show;  Eric Mangini, Bill Polian and John Clayton.


LINK:  KIPER ON TE'O

LINK:  MANGINI ON TE'O

LINK:  POLIAN ON TE'O

LINK:  CLAYTON ON TE'O

The Next Longest Day in the Life of Manti Te'o

Folks, I just can't believe (check that, I don't want to believe) there are 32 football players in America better for a NFL franchise than Manti Te'o.

It had to be a long night in Hawaii for Manti and his family and today can't be much better.  Hopefully, his phone rang last night or early this morning from a NFL GM who told him "we'll be drafting you at ---."

Here's the latest on Manti:


LINK:  NFL NETWORK 

LINK:  CBS SPORTS

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  BUSINESS INSIDER

LINK:  AOL SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  CBS-TV -- DC

Tyler Eifert Goes to CINCINNATI in NFL Draft

Notre Dame All-American tight end Tyler Eifert was just drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals  -- as the #21 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.  Tyler is the 64th player in the 126 year history of Notre Dame football to be drafted in the First Round of the NFL Draft.

The #21 pick last year signed a four-year contract worth $8,170,000 -- not sure how much of this was guaranteed.

Congratulations Tyler!


LINK:  CINCINNATI BENGALS -- OFFICIAL WEBSITE

2013 NFL DRAFT -- First Round Begins at 8 ET

Welcome to the "next" longest day of Manti Te'o's life...

In about 14 hours from now, Manti Te'o will learn if he's a "multi-millionaire" and what city he'll call home -- or, maybe not...

It's the 2013 NFL Draft and it will dominate the MEDIA's attention over the next 96 hours.  Notre Dame fans will be tuning in to ESPN tonight at 8 PM ET to see if we will have DOMER #64 and DOMER #65 join the ranks of former Irish football players taken in the NFL Draft's First Round.

Tyler Eifert appears to be a LOCK to go in the first round -- Te'o is on the bubble...

Notre Dame is THIRD All-Time in players drafted in the first round (63).  We trail that school in Los Angeles (77) and that school in Columbus (67)...

Here is a look at a few of the latest MOCK DRAFTS:


LINK:  PETER KING -- SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

LINK:  MIKE MAYOCK -- NFL.COM

LINK:  GARY MYERS -- NEW YORK DAILY

NFL Draft's First Round -- Thursday Night!

24 hours from the start of the 2013 NFL Draft -- and the ND GO IRISH BLOG took a lap around the worldwide web this evening to see what's being said about Thursday night's FIRST ROUND.  Just click on the links below:

LINK:  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS -- MOCK DRAFT

LINK:  FORBES

LINK:  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS -- MANTI TO GIANTS?

LINK:  PHILLY INQUIRER

Jon Bon Jovi's Son to Walk-on @ Notre Dame

Add another "famous Dad" to the Notre Dame football roster...

The New York Daily News published this story today about Jesse Bongiovi's plans to try and walk-on to the Notre Dame football program this fall.  If Jesse makes the team -- Jon Bon Jovi will join this list of famous Dad's who will be cheering on the IRISH this fall:

• Chris Collinsworth -- former college and NFL football player -- now a TV analyst with NBC
• George Atkinson -- former NFL football star
• David Robinson -- NBA Hall of Famer
• Torri Hunter -- outfielder, Detroit Tigers
• Terry Hanratty -- ND football star and NFL QB
• Philip Daniels -- former NFL football star

LINK:  BON JOVI'S SON GOING TO NOTRE DAME

Skylar Diggins Says Good-bye to Notre Dame

The All-American girl from South Bend said good-bye tonight to a Notre Dame that will never forget how she represented HER.  The team's season ending Banquet was held in the Joyce Center and Skylar Diggins had her chance to thank the Notre Dame family for the last time...

Here's a link to WNDU-TV's coverage of tonight's celebration along with a link to Skylar's speech:

LINK:  SKYLAR'S SPEECH

LINK:  SKYLAR'S FINAL FARWELL

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE STORY

Notre Dame Engineering Students Give Back

Austin Rousselow -- a 2-year-old young man from the South Bend area who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, was given a HUMVEE that he could drive -- that was created by students in Notre Dame's College of Engineering...

A wonderful story -- click on the link below:

LINK:  A FANCY RIDE!

Notre Dame Parent -- Detroit Tigers' Closer?

Martin Short -- the proud parent of two DOMERS -- announced today that he has signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers...

LINK:  YOU MUST SEE THIS

Notre Dame Women's Golf -- Big East Champs!

Three of Notre Dame's five team members -- BROKE PAR -- in today's final round!

So much for pressure...

It was the fifth and FINAL Big East Championship for the Women's golf program -- as they will be heading off to the ACC next season.  The ACC better watch out -- the three women who broke par today are freshmen;  Lindsey Weaver (Arizona) and Talia Campbell (Texas) and sophomore Ashley Armstrong (Illinois)...

Weaver and Campbell finished up the tournament at SIX UNDER PAR and were the Co-Medalists!  A record low score for the Big East Women's Golf Championship!!!

LINK:  BIG EAST TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

Bald & Beautiful -- Only Notre Dame!

The students here at Notre Dame held their annual St. Baldrick's Day fund-raiser for cancer research this past week.  You'll enjoy watching this video!

LINK:  BALD & BEAUTIFUL

134 Years Ago Today -- Notre Dame's Fire

It was approximately 11 AM -- this very morning -- 134 years ago (April 23, 1879) that a fire was first spotted in the roof of the University of Notre Dame's Main Building...

Three hours later the Main Building, St. Francis' Home, the Infirmary and Music Hall were in complete ruin.  I'll leave it to the historians to tell the rest of the story -- click on the link below:

LINK:  THE STORY OF NOTRE DAME'S FIRE

Manti Te'o Will Be Glad When This Week is Over

I trust Manti's advisors are telling him to avoid the media this week...

The scrutiny he's under is incredible -- I guess it goes with playing at NOTRE DAME, the biggest stage in college sport.

Here's the latest on Manti:

LINK:  PIONEER PRESS -- MINNEAPOLIS

LINK:  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

LINK:  NEW YORK GIANTS WEBSITE

The STORY Behind the Play: "Irish Chocolate"

FIGHTIN' IRISH fans witnessed the first 355 lb. "Shotgun QB" formation in the 126 year history of Notre Dame football -- when Louis Nix went in to play quarterback in the 4th quarter of Saturday's Blue Gold Game.

Nix won a bet -- over an academic performance issue -- with Coach Kelly.  Here's the story:

LINK:  LOUIS NIX

The Blue Gold Post Game Show -- Replay

If you didn't check in online after the Blue Gold Game to watch the post game show on UND.COM -- here it is all fifty plus minutes of it.

You'll find some content -- unique to this show:

LINK:  BLUE GOLD GAME -- POST GAME SHOW

Strong and True -- Full Replay from NBC

If you missed the one hour TV special "Strong and True" which aired on the NBC Sports Network this past Saturday -- just prior to kick-off of the Blue Gold Game -- you can watch it right here!

This is going to turn out to be a great recruiting tool for the Fighting Irish football program!
 

LINK:  STRONG AND TRUE

Notre Dame Men's Lacrosse Ranked #1 Again!

For the second time this season -- Kevin Corrigan's Fightin' Irish are atop the Nike Division I Top Twenty Lacrosse Poll!

Look for the #1 sign to be lit atop Grace Hall this evening!


LINK:  TOP TWENTY RANKINGS

NBC's Coverage of ND's 84th Blue Gold Game

Here's what I could find this morning at Notre Dame Central on the MSNBC site -- concerning NBC's coverage of the 84th Annual Blue Gold Game:

LINK:  COACH KELLY POST GAME INTERVIEW

LINK:  LOUIS NIX & EVERETT GOLSON INTERVIEW

LINK:  BLUE GOLD GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  KEITH ARNOLD'S BLOG

The Mornin' After -- ND's 84th Blue Gold Game

The ND GO IRISH BLOG took it's regular lap around the worldwide web this morning to see what the media had to say about Notre Dame's Blue Gold Game yesterday afternoon.  Click on the links below:

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- GRACE STORY

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- STOCKTON STORY

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- IRISH CHOCOLATE

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE

84th Blue Gold Game is in the Record Books

31,652 fans braved the 34 degree kick-off temperature and brisk wind -- to watch Notre Dame Football's annual scrimmage.  Here's some of the highlights -- along with the LOUIS NIX's "Chocolate Thunder" two-point conversion play and the post game presser:

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  LOUIS NIX CONVERSION PLAY

LINK:  POST GAME PRESSER

Blue Gold Game Today @ 1 PM ET on NBC

If you're not here in town today -- in our HIGH 30's / LOW 40's weather -- you can watch the 84th Annual BLUE GOLD GAME from the comfort of your living room!  Probably not a bad choice today!

Here's the TV SCHEDULE today on the NBC SPORTS NETWORK:

• NOON ET:  You can watch STRONG & TRUE -- this is MUST SEE TV
• 1:00 PM ET:  You can watch the BLUE GOLD GAME
• 3:00 PM ET:  You can watch the BLUE GOLD GAME POST GAME SHOW -- click here

"THE SHIRT" -- 2013 -- Unveiled @ Notre Dame

The highest selling item on any college campus is THE SHIRT -- and the latest edition was unveiled this afternoon on the campus of the University of Notre Dame by head football coach Brian Kelly (see video below). 

Notre Dame fans will recognize NED BOLCAR on the front, TIM BROWN, ROCKET ISMAIL, JOHNNY LUJACK and JOHN LATTNER on the back.

Quick reaction -- I LIKE!

If you'd like to buy THE SHIRT -- click on the bottom link below:

LINK:  THE SHIRT -- SEE THE STORY HERE 

LINK:  THE SHIRT -- OFFICIAL WEBSITE

LINK:  THE SHIRT -- BUY IT RIGHT HERE!

Notre Dame Helmet Decal -- Honoring Boston

The Fightin' Irish of Notre Dame will take the football field tomorrow afternoon in their GOLD HELMETS for the 84th Annual Blue Gold Game.

On the back of each player's helmet will be a decal (shown on left) that will honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing incident this week.

ESPN is LIVE @ Notre Dame All Day -- Tune In

The folks at ESPN are broadcasting LIVE -- all day long -- from Notre Dame Stadium.  It's their COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE -- SPRING BUS TOUR...

Here's the schedule they are promoting -- all ET:

• 10:40 AM:  Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer on Sports Center
• 12:20 PM:  Everett Golson on Sports Center
• 1:30 PM:  Brian Kelly on Sports Center
• 3:00 PM:  College Football Live -- from Notre Dame

Todd McShay Talks Manti Te'o on Mike & MIKE

ESPN's Todd McShay talks about the upcoming NFL Draft and our man Manti Te'o...


LINK:  McSHAY ON MANTI

Must See TV -- This Saturday on NBC at Noon!

The gang at NBC Sports Network will be televising a TV Special this Saturday at NOON ET -- just prior to their coverage of the 84th Annual BLUE GOLD GAME!  To get you fired up -- watch this!

Folks, I got the opportunity to see a sneak preview of the entire show this morning -- it is FANTASTIC!  If you can't watch it at noon ET tomorrow -- DVR this!!!

LINK:  STRONG AND TRUE -- THE TRAILER

Video of Jack Cooley's Proposal at Banquet

The Notre Dame Men's basketball team held their annual season ending banquet last night and senior power forward Jack Cooley stole the show...

LINK:  COOLEY'S MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE STORY

OT: FBI Releases Photos of Bombing Suspects

The FBI just held a news conference where they released the following photos (above) and video of two suspects they believe planted the bomb devices in Boston.

If you know who these individuals are -- you are asked to call the FBI TIPLINE:  1.800.CALL.FBI


LINK:  VIDEO OF BOMBING SUSPECTS

LINK:  MORE PHOTOS OF SUSPECTS 

Notre Dame & NBC -- Deal Extended to 2025!

It was thee "landmark" television deal in college sports history when Notre Dame and NBC began their partnership back in 1991...

Today's announcement -- extends this relationship to 35 years!

There are a number of details in this agreement that I'll leave to the link below -- WOW!


LINK:  NOTRE DAME & NBC -- DEAL EXTENSION

Blue Gold Week: Coach Kelly With Media

It's BLUE GOLD WEEK here at Notre Dame and Coach Kelly met with the media this morning after Wednesday's practice.  Here's the video:

LINK:  COACH KELLY WITH MEDIA

Notre Dame QB Everett Golson at the Piano

Notre Dame fans will enjoy this video today of QB Everett Golson -- at the keys of a piano...


LINK:  GOLSON ON THE PIANO

Zibby is Back Home With the Chicago Bears!

Former Notre Dame All-American safety -- Tommy Zbikowski will be playing for his "home team" this upcoming season and he couldn't be happier...

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE STORY

The Moment -- A Reality Show at Notre Dame!

The Moment a new reality show on the USA Network will air an episode shot at Notre Dame on May 2nd at 10 PM ET.  In this show -- a young man looks to earn a job on the Notre Dame football staff.  Here's a link to the video:

LINK:  THE MOMENT

Tulsa Shock Fans React to Drafting Skylar!

Thought you would enjoy the stories published today about the WNBA's Tulsa Shock drafting Notre Dame All-American Skylar Diggins third overall last night.  Here are the links!

The Notre Dame Club of Tulsa has to be excited!

LINK:  TULSA WORLD 

LINK:  SKYLAR INTERVIEW 

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

A Notre Dame Family's Inspirational Son...

John Jessup's story is one you typically read in a book or see in a movie.

The son of Scott and Janet Jessup (both Notre Dame grads) and a Marian High School senior -- had to make a decision you'd never wish upon anyone you know...

I'll let the folks at the South Bend Tribune tell John's story.


LINK:  JOHN JESSUP

Skylar Diggins Drafted by the TULSA Shock!

Notre Dame All-American Skylar Diggins was just drafted THIRD OVERALL this evening by the Tulsa Shock in the 2013 WNBA DRAFT!

Congratulations Skylar!

Diggins joins a Shock team that was 9 - 25 last season -- she will make them better!


LINK:  SKYLAR GOES THIRD TO TULSA

Video of Notre Dame "Walk-off" Home Run !!!

The Fighting Irish Women's Softball team scored 7 RUNS in their final at bat on Sunday in their game with Rutgers to win 8 - 6!

The last three runs came with two outs -- as Cassidy Whidden (photo above) hit a three-run walk-off homer!  Whidden hit a 'grand slam' the day before...


LINK:  WALK-OFF HOME RUN!

Dan Hicks Named Next ND TV Voice on NBC!

The husband of Notre Dame alumna Hannah Storm (ESPN anchor) -- Dan Hicks -- was named the VOICE OF NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL today by NBC.  Hicks will be a popular choice among ND football fans.  His first assignment -- Saturday's BLUE GOLD GAME.

You'll enjoy the Sports Illustrated story below:


LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE STORY

LINK:  SPORTS ILLUSTRATED STORY

WNBA Draft Tonight on ESPN2 at 8:00 PM ET

"Former" Notre Dame All-American Skylar Diggins will learn this evening what basketball uniform she'll be wearing next...

Skylar is expected to go third in the WNBA Draft to the Tulsa Shock -- though there are rumblings that the Chicago Sky may decide to pick the "DOMER" with their second pick.

Fans of Skylar will enjoy tonight's DRAFT -- because you know they'll be telling her story often.

Skylar is attending the WNBA DRAFT which is being held in a studio at ESPN's Bristol, CT headquarters (as you can see in the photo above, she's already there).  Here's what the media has to say about Skylar's draft position:


LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  TULSA WORLD

LINK:  SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

LINK:  YAHOO SPORTS

ND Football Spring PractIce #12 Report

Approximately 1,000 football coaches descended on the campus of the University of Notre Dame these past couple of days for a coaching clinic.  They were able to view a couple of practices and hear from a number of NFL and college coaches (photos above) and the Fighting Irish staff about their craft.

Here is a look inside yesterday's scrimmage and Coach Kelly's post game press conference:


LINK:  SCRIMMAGE VIDEO

LINK:  COACH KELLY PRESS CONFERENCE

Father Ted to be Named a Navy Chaplain!

Father Ted Hesburgh will finally receive an appointment he's wanted for a long time...

LINK:  A NAVY CHAPLAIN

Notre Dame's Relay For Life Ends This Hour

More than a thousand Notre Dame students, faculty and staff spent last night inside the Compton Family Ice Arena -- walking to raise money for cancer research.  They started at 6:30 PM ET and they'll end in approximately 20 minutes at 9:00 AM ET.

Here's the media coverage:

LINK:  WNDU-TV