Monday, September 2, 2013

Watch Coach Kelly's Press Conference LIVE


Tuesday at NOON, ET -- Notre Dame's Brian Kelly will be answering questions from the assembled media.  You can bet there will be a "follow-up" question about his comments concerning the rivalry between Notre Dame and Michigan -- I completely agree with his view on the subject.

You can watch it LIVE -- at the link below:

LINK:  COACH KELLY PRESS CONFERENCE

"Pure Michigan" At Its Best -- Brady Hoke...


If you listen to the "pure Michigan" media -- you'll here stuff like this...

LINK:  BRADY HOKE GETS IT RIGHT...

Jonas Gray and Jamoris Slaughter Back in NFL


The Baltimore Ravens signed former Notre Dame running back Jonas Gray today to their practice squad -- as did the Cleveland Browns with former Irish safety Jamoris Slaughter!  Great news!

Both suffered serious injuries during their last football season at Notre Dame.  Glad to see they are on NFL teams:

LINK:  JONAS GRAY

LINK:  JAMORIS SLAUGHTER

New York Jets Sign Brady Quinn Today!

Well, I'm not surprised...

Former Notre Dame All-American Brady Quinn signed a contract today with the New York Jets -- a team having big-time QB troubles right now.

Congrats Brady!

LINK:  JETS SIGN BRADY QUINN

A Proposal For the NCAA's Consideration


Much has been discussed these past few years about the "paying of student-athletes" -- and the proposed solutions have been all over the board.  The latest -- paying each athlete a stipend of $3,500 has yet to gain much traction -- so I've decided to throw out an idea for the NCAA to consider.

IT IS LABOR DAY after all...

It's simply this -- create a "pension program" for all NCAA Division I scholarship athletes.  It would look something like this:
  • The NCAA would create a pension program that they and each of the 340 Division I member institutions would agree to contribute to -- out of television and licensing revenues each year.
  • Eligibility:  Every NCAA Division I "student-athlete" -- who signed a National Letter of Intent out of high school with their original school, was on this team's roster a minimum of four academic school years and received a (four-year) college degree from that same institution. 
  • Pension Benefit Payments would be available to the qualified student-athlete once they reach the age of 65.

Here's what this proposed program does for college athletics:
  1. It requires student-athletes to remain in college all four-years and earn a degree.
  2. It puts some 'monetary value' in remaining at the school you signed your original National Letter of Intent with.
  3. And, it treats "every scholarship student-athlete" the same -- no matter what school you played for or sport you played.

For those who feel the requirements are too severe -- the NCAA could easily pay out a "lesser percentage" to those who transferred to another school, failed to play all four years or graduate...
What do you think?

Michigan Week: Monday's "Pure" Reporting


Since it's the last time the IRISH will be playing in Ann Arbor for the foreseeable future -- the media in "Pure Michigan" will be writing about this game all week long.  Here's what's being said today on Labor Day:

LINK:  DETROIT FREE PRESS

LINK:  DETROIT NEWS 

The Last Time Michigan Beat a Team by 50 pts.


They lost the next week to the University of Notre Dame...

Michigan beat UMASS 63 - 13 a year ago -- then lost the next week to Notre Dame 13 - 6.

OT: Miracle Last Second TD -- Texas HS


If you haven't seen this winning kick-off return in a Texas high school football game Friday night -- you must!  Copperas Cove had just kicked a "winning" field goal with one second left in the game -- that was until this happened...

LINK:  MUST SEE!

LINK:  STORY

I Had No Idea It Was This Bad In Kansas...

I just read a story about the upcoming season for the Kansas Jayhawks football team and I saw this astonishing fact:

THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS' WIDE RECEIVERS DID NOT CATCH A SINGLE TOUCHDOWN PASS LAST SEASON.

This is hard to believe -- especially with what we saw out of Coach Charlie Weis '79 and his offense at Notre Dame...  YIKES!

LINK:  THIS CAN'T BE

What Though the Odds be Great or Small...


The Fightin' Irish are a 3.5 point underdog to the Michigan Wolverines -- so says the odds makers in Las Vegas.  Prior to the season this game was a "pick-em" -- but, after Michigan's 50 pt. win over CMU they are the favorites of the betting public...

LINK:  MICHIGAN FAVORED

Brady Hoke Expects "Electric Atmosphere"


I guess when you use your lights for a night game in Ann Arbor you fill the atmosphere with electricity...

Next Saturday's game with Michigan will be the second game in Michigan Stadium's history played under the lights -- the first was also against Notre Dame.  The gang from ESPN'S COLLEGE GAMEDAY will be in attendance.  And, this will be the last time the maize and blue region will see real GOLD HELMETS in their stadium for many years...

Yeah, it's a big game.

LINK:  BRADY HOKE ON GAME WITH NOTRE DAME

This Is "Bulletin Board Material" -- Really?


Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly does not feel the Michigan game is a "historic rivalry" for the Irish and he said so in a teleconference yesterday with the media.  Well, the "Michigan media" picked up on this story...

LINK:  BULLETIN BOARD MATERIAL

Sunday, September 1, 2013

New England Patriots Sign Braxston Cave!


The former Notre Dame football player was released yesterday by the Browns and 24 hours later he's signed by the New England Patriots to their 53 man roster.  Time will tell if he remains on this list or is moved to the practice squad.  Congrats Braxston!

LINK:  CAVE SIGNED BY PATRIOTS

Tommy Rees #2 in QB Rating After Week 1


Notre Dame QB Tommy Rees has a QB rating of 239.0 after yesterday's opener against Temple.  His 349 yards passing (16 for 23) and 3 TD's was one of the best performances of the day!

Here's how this performance stacked up against all QB's in the FBS:
  • Yards per attempt: 15.0 yards -- #1 in the country
  • TD passes:  3 -- #9 in the country
  • Total yards passing:  346 yards -- #12 in the country
 
LINK:  QB RATINGS -- RANKINGS

LINK:  YARDS PER ATTEMPT -- RANKINGS

LINK:  TOTAL YARDS PASSING -- RANKINGS

LINK:  TD PASSES -- RANKINGS

21 Wins in the Last 23 Regular Season Games


This is Notre Dame's record in their last 23 regular season games -- spanning the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons.  Not bad!


Notre Dame Opponents -- Coaches' Post Game


Here's how Notre Dame's NEXT FIVE opponents fared in their opening games this week -- along with a link to their coaches' post game press conferences or the media's take on their performance. 

GO IRISH!

LINK:  MICHIGAN 59 - CMU 9

LINK:  CINCINNATI 42 - PURDUE 7

LINK:  MICHIGAN STATE 26 - WMU 13

LINK:  OKLAHOMA 34 - LOUISIANA-MONROE 0

LINK:  USC 30 - HAWAII 13


Watch ND's IRISH CONNECTION

The gang at Fighting Irish Digital Media do a great job in covering all that is Notre Dame football...

You'll see a "surprise visitor" to the Notre Dame locker room who gives Coach Kelly the game ball from the 200th victory of his career.

LINK:  IRISH CONNECTION

Philly Media Talkin' About Notre Dame's Win


The Philadelphia media and fanbase can be some of the most critical in sport.  So, I just had to take a look at what was being said this morning about Notre Dame's win over Temple.  The first link is the transcript from Temple Coach Matt Rhule's post-game press conference:

LINK:  TEMPLE HEAD COACH

LINK:  PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

LINK:  PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER #2

LINK:  NBC PHILADELPHIA


Notre Dame Players' Post Game Interviews


Here's what a few of the Notre Dame football players had to say about yesterday's opening win against the Temple Owls:

LINK:  DAN FOX

LINK:  AMIR CARLISLE

LINK:  TOMMY REES -- MATHIAS FARLEY -- T.J. JONES

The Mornin' After Notre Dame Beats Temple


As has become tradition here at the ND GO IRISH BLOG -- the morning after a Notre Dame football game -- I take a lap around the worldwide web to see what the media is saying about yesterday's game.  Just click on the links below:

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE #1

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE #2

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  ESPN NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  NBC NOTRE DAME CENTRAL #1

LINK:  NBC NOTRE DAME CENTRAL #2

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #1

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #2

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #3