Sunday, April 13, 2014

Media's Talkin' Notre Dame's Blue Gold Game


As we always do here at the ND GO IRISH BLOG -- I took a lap around the worldwide web to see what the media has to say about the 85th Annual Blue Gold Game at Notre Dame.  Just click on the links below:

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #1

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #2

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE -- ZAIRE INTERVIEW

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE -- JAYLON INTERVIEW

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Stanford Fans Came Dressed as "Empty Seats"


This is the fan turnout in Palo Alto, CA today for Stanford's Spring Game -- looks like a "few hundred" friends and family members of the players...

ESPN Player Interviews After Blue Gold Game

 

ESPN's Matt Fortuna caught up with a couple of Notre Dame players after today's Blue Gold Game.  Just click on the links below to watch the interviews:

LINK:  KEIVARAE RUSSELL

LINK:  JOE SCHMIDT

Photo of the Day: Kyle Rudolph's Golf Grips


Minnesota Vikings' Kyle Rudolph is "reppin" his alma mater with these green and gold golf grips...

Notre Dame Football Players Back Home...


Notre Dame's Jack Nolan caught up with a number of the former Fighting Irish football players during today's Blue Gold Game:

LINK:  BACK HOME

Rockne is SMILING: ND's New Playing Surface


Folks, Notre Dame football (as far back as 80 years ago) was known for winning and for INNOVATION.  If synthetic playing surfaces had been around in Rockne's days -- Notre Dame would have been playing on it...

Well, that day has come.  After today's Blue Gold Game -- Notre Dame's Athletic Director announced that a synthetic playing surface would be installed in the "House that Rock Built."  Here's the announcement:

LINK:  NEW PLAYING SURFACE

LINK:  NBC'S INTERVIEW

LINK:  GOLSON ON FIELD TURF

LINK:  ESPN'S FORTUNA

Zaire Throws for 292 -- Offense Beats Defense


On a day when we learned that this was the last game in the 127 year history of Notre Dame football that the Fighting Irish would play on grass in South Bend -- Malik Zaire backed up his talk that he would be the starting QB come August 30th throwing 2 TD's and for almost 300 yards in the 85th Blue Gold Game.

LINK:  COACH KELLY POST GAME

LINK:  BLUE GOLD GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  OKWARA INTERVIEW

LINK:  RUSSELL INTERVIEW

LINK:  NBC SPORTS STORY

What to Watch For: ND's 85th Blue Gold Game


Took a lap around the worldwide web this morning to see what the experts are saying about Notre Dame's Blue Gold Game -- here's what I found:

LINK:  IRISH CENTRAL -- NBC SPORTS

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

Blue Gold Game on NBC Sports Network Today


I've received some emails wondering where to watch Notre Dame's Blue Gold Game today -- well it's on the NBC Sports Network and it begins LIVE at 12:30 PM ET. 

Game time temperature is expected to be 70 degrees!  Perfect weather for us fans!

Friday, April 11, 2014

Notre Dame Unveils "THE SHIRT 2014 " Today!




Just got back from the annual unveiling of THE SHIRT 2014 at the University of Notre Dame.  The photo above shows The Shirt Committee posing for a photo -- wearing The Shirt -- with the GOLD MEN.

LINK:  THE SHIRT PROMO VIDEO

LINK:  THE STORY BEHIND "THE SHIRT"

LINK:  BUY "THE SHIRT" RIGHT HERE!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Domer Talks About His Career at NASCAR

Jimmy Small '08, was interviewed by the show "CARS FOR A LIVING" where he was asked how he got his job and how he has moved up inside the NASCAR organization.

If you're looking for a career in sports marketing -- it's a worthwhile listen...

LINK:  WORKING AT NASCAR

Samardzija Tied for Ninth in NL with 1.29 ERA

Former Notre Dame All-American wide receiver Jeff Samardzija is currently ninth in the National League with an ERA of 1.29 after his first two starts this season for the Chicago Cubs.

LINK:  ERA LEADERS

Cleveland Indians' Domer Leads MLB in Saves


Former Notre Dame pitcher John Axford, who led the National League in saves in 2011 -- is off to a fast start with his new team the Cleveland Indians!  Axford is "four for four" in save situations for Cleveland -- leading all of Major League Baseball!

LINK:  JOHN AXFORD

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Coach Kelly Talks Saturday's Blue Gold Game


After today's practice OUTSIDE at the Labar Practice Complex -- Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media to talk about Saturday's game format and today's practice.  Enjoy!

LINK:  COACH KELLY

Notre Dame Returns Home from Final Four


Muffet's Fighting Irish returned home to the Notre Dame campus during the lunch hour.  The welcome included a "water cannon" salute at South Bend Regional Airport and a police escort back to Purcell Pavilion.  Here's a couple of short video clips of their return:

LINK:  WATER CANNON SALUTE

LINK:  POLICE ESCORT TO CAMPUS

Louis Nix -- Latest Video On NFL Draft Prep


Former Notre Dame student-athlete Louis Nix is the subject of this latest video over at CBS SPORTS...

LINK:  LOUIS NIX

The Mornin' After a Loss for the National Title...


Well, it doesn't feel any better this morning than it did at approximately 10:30 PM ET last night.

UCONN was the better team last night -- no question.  Now, would it have been different with Natalie Achonwa's leadership, size and tenacity along with her 20 points and 10 rebounds a game during the NCAA tournament?

It would have been fun to see their best against our best.

Notre Dame fans, we should be very proud of this team.  A season where the pundits barely had us ranked in the pre-season TOP TEN -- ended up with a fourth straight trip to the FINAL FOUR and the most single season wins in Notre Dame basketball history.

I took a lap around the worldwide web this morning to capture some of the post-game reaction from the FIGHTING IRISH's point of view -- just click on the links below:

LINK:  WSBT-TV

LINK:  WNDU-TV

LINK:  POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

ESPN Coverage Begins at 7:30 PM ET Tonight


If you're not in Nashville watching the game in person -- you can begin your TV experience at 7:30 PM ET as ESPN tips off their pre-game coverage at that time.  The game should begin shortly after 8:30 PM ET -- also on ESPN.

Here's the latest coverage from Nashville:

LINK:  THE GAME IS WHAT MATTERS

How Notre Dame Wins the National Title Tonight


The "undefeated" meet tonight in Nashville for the National Championship.  The heavily favored 39 - 0 UCONN Huskies take on our 37 - 0 Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.  It's the first time in NCAA history that two undefeated teams have met for a women's basketball National Championship.  ESPN is loving this -- they are calling tonight's game "one of the most anticipated moments in women's sports history..."

The oddsmakers in Vegas have UCONN as a 7 point favorite.

Here's how we beat UCONN -- and it starts early -- before the second media timeout (eight minutes into the game);
  • Kayla McBride and Jewell Loyd each hit two of the first four shots they take
  • Notre Dame has five offensive rebounds leading to a minimum of 6 points -- conversely, UCONN doesn't have any "second chance points"
  • One of UCONN's "big-three" of Stewart, Dolson or Mosqueda-Lewis has 2 fouls and sitting on the bench for the rest of the half.

Muffet made a major point at her press conference yesterday about the "lack of fouls called against UCONN this season."  Keep an eye out for this in the first half.  Notre Dame must get to the "bonus" free throws before UCONN.

LINK:  ESPN'S KEYS TO THE GAME


Digger Announces Retirement from ESPN


Richard "Digger" Phelps -- the winningest coach in Notre Dame basketball history -- announced his retirement from ESPN last night prior to the National Championship game.  Digger spent 20 years working for ESPN -- here's a link to his announcement and ESPN's tribute video:

LINK:  DIGGER'S GOOD-BYE