A Notre Dame Fan Left This Note at the Grotto

Chris Walsh '87, a colleague of mine at the University of the Notre Dame -- found this note today on campus at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes...

Thanks for sharing Chris!

GO IRISH!

Late Sunday Night South Bend Media Coverage

Here's what the South Bend TV stations were reporting last night from the Music City Bowl -- as well as the South Bend Tribune -- as Notre Dame begins to wind down preparation for Tuesday's game against LSU.

LINK:  WNDU-TV #1

LINK:  WNDU-TV #2

LINK:  FOX28-TV

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- AL LESAR

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- ERIC HANSEN

Kelly "Having Fun" With Reporters Over QB's...

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly had some fun "messing" with the reporters working the Music City Bowl...

LINK:  THE TENNESSEEAN

Third Practice Report: Music City Bowl

The Fighting Irish practiced "indoors" today in the Tennessee Titans practice facility.  You'll see Notre Dame warming up inside the "bubble" along with video from last night's Singing / Songwriting Competition and the Hot Wings Eating Competition...

LINK:  PRACTICE REPORT #3

Week 17 -- Notre Dame in the NFL Touchdowns!

Here you go -- take a look at these two former Notre Dame football stars scoring TD's today in the final weekend of the 2014 NFL season:

LINK:  MICHAEL FLOYD

LINK:  THEO RIDDICK

LSU's Local Media Coverage from Nashville

Here's what LSU's local media is reporting this morning from the Music City Bowl:

LINK:  THE ADVOCATE

LINK:  NOLA -- COM

Nashville Media Coverage of Music City Bowl

Here's what I could find this morning from the Nashville media on Tuesday's Music City Bowl between LSU and Notre Dame:

LINK:  WKRN-TV

LINK:  FOX17-TV

LINK:  THE TENNESSEAN

South Bend Media Coverage From Nashville

The South Bend media arrived in Nashville yesterday -- here are their first reports on Notre Dame from the Music City Bowl last night...

LINK:  WSBT-TV

LINK:  WNDU-TV

LINK:  FOX28-TV

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

The ND GO IRISH BLOG's Newest Staffer...

My daughter Kara and son-in-law Conor -- adopted a puppy named "Bailey" five weeks ago...

Well, tonight -- Bailey offered up some help as I was updating the ND GO IRISH BLOG.

Nashville NBC Reporter: "LSU Fans Go Home"

WOW -- this isn't going over well with the LSU crowd in Nashville for the Music City Bowl...

LINK:  LOCAL NBC REPORTER

Second Practice Report: Music City Bowl

Here's a look at DAY #2 from Nashville as Notre Dame gets ready for Tuesday's Music City Bowl game against Louisiana State University...

LINK:  PRACTICE #2

Saturday Night Fun at the Music City Bowl!

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and the LSU Tigers are on the General Jackson Showboat having dinner tonight -- here's some of the fun going on...

Notre Dame's "Hot Chicken Wing Eating Team" won the Music City Bowl Championship -- devouring 25 wings to 19 for LSU -- see photos above.

LINK:  SONG WRITING COMPETITION

LINK:  HOT CHICKEN WING EATING COMPETITION

New Under Armour Shoe for Notre Dame FB!

The Fighting Irish will be wearing these new "kicks" for Tuesday's Music City Bowl game...

The Les Miles Show: Music City Bowl Edition

LSU's Les Miles held his radio show last night -- as his team gets ready to take on Notre Dame this Tuesday afternoon in the Music City Bowl...

Please note -- it's a radio show -- you won't see any video.

LINK:  LES MILES SHOW

Brian Kelly Media Session #1 -- Music City Bowl

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media last night after their first practice at Nashville's Father Ryan High School as the Fighting Irish prepare for Tuesday's Music City Bowl.

LINK:  COACH KELLY

First Practice Report From the Music City Bowl

The Fighting Irish held a practice this afternoon at Father Ryan High School in Nashville, TN -- as they prepare for the Music City Bowl game against LSU.

Here's the report from practice:

LINK:  PRACTICE & COACH KELLY

Notre Dame Practicing at Father Ryan High

Nashville's Father Ryan High School is hosting the "real" Fighting Irish for football practice these next few days -- leading up to next Tuesday's Music City Bowl.  Here's a couple of photographs from this afternoon's first practice session -- along with photos of the team's arrival at Nashville International Airport and the first team meeting...

Father Ryan High was founded in 1925 as the Nashville Catholic High School for Boys.

Golson & Zaire on Notre Dame QB Competition

Here's Notre Dame QBs Everett Golson and Malik Zaire -- talking about the competition:

LINK:  EVERETT GOLSON

LINK:  MALIK ZAIRE

Coming to a Shamrock Series Game Near You?

Got to love the creativity in the Under Armour All-America Game "gear" -- helmet, uniform, shoes, gloves and base layer -- the top high school players will be wearing next week in Orlando...

Can't wait to see what Under Armour will do for Notre Dame at next year's Shamrock Series Game -- with a year to plan.

Notre Dame Football Headed to Nashville Today

The Fighting Irish will be arriving in Nashville today for the Music City Bowl -- from all over the country.  The official travel party is boarding a Delta 747 this hour (photo above) in South Bend -- and the players will be arriving at Nashville International Airport on flights from their hometowns all morning long...

The IRISH will hold their first practice in Nashville today at 4:30 PM CT

Merry Christmas From Notre Dame!

Thought you'd enjoy hearing Katherine Jenkins and IL DIVO perform OH HOLY NIGHT -- one of my favorites!

Merry Christmas!!!

LINK:  OH HOLY NIGHT

OT: Pretty Cool Moment With Tennessee FB

Butch Jones -- who is a fellow Ferris State alumnus -- surprised a member of his Tennessee Volunteer football team with a great Christmas present...

LINK:  WATCH THIS

Who Doesn't Belong In This Photograph...?

The guy in the red jersey -- Aaron Lynch, who left Notre Dame after his freshman season...

Here he is posing for a photo of Notre Dame alumni playing in the NFL; Trevor Robinson, Ian Williams and Manti Te'o -- missing from the photo is Chris Watt who was injured earlier in the game...

Manti Te'o to 49er: "Find a New Joke..."

Former Notre Dame All-American Manti Te'o -- is tired of hearing about the "girlfriend..."

LINK:  FIND A NEW JOKE

Notre Dame Football Hires UCLA RB Alum...

Jonathan Franklin, who gained more than 4,000 yards for the UCLA Bruins -- has been hired by the Notre Dame Athletic Department to work with Student Welfare and Development...

LINK:  THE REAL GOLD HELMET

Zack Martin '13, Named to the NFL Pro Bowl!

Guess who is the only rookie offensive player named to the NFL Pro Bowl...

Former Notre Dame football captain and first round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys -- Zack Martin '13, was the lone offensive rookie named today to the NFL Pro Bowl!

And, the eighth Cowboy rookie of all-time to earn this honor -- and their first ever rookie offensive lineman.

Congratulations Zack!

LINK:  NFL PRO BOWL

USA Today Story On Under Armour's CEO

Kevin Plank had quite a year...

LINK:  USA TODAY STORY

Les Miles Meets With the Media After Practice

LSU head football coach Les Miles met with the media after Monday's practice.

He spoke on a variety of subjects; Christmas, Forbes's value of his football program, coaching vacancies and he even fielded a question about Notre Dame.  LSU will arrive a day after Notre Dame in Nashville...

You get the sense the local media thinks they will roll over the IRISH...

LINK:  LES MILES

Brian Kelly Previews Music City Bowl Game

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly sat down with Jack Nolan yesterday to talk about the Music City Bowl game against LSU...

LINK:  INSIDE NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

Celtic Women in South Bend This Evening...

Here's a couple members of Celtic Women being interviewed on local TV in South Bend.  They're performing a Christmas concert tonight at the Morris Performing Arts Center.

LINK:  WSBT-TV INTERVIEW

LINK:  VIDEO OF PERFORMANCE

Manti Te'o -- An "Every Down" NFL Linebacker!

For the first time in his NFL career -- Manti Te'o played all 74 defensive snaps -- never leaving the field...

LINK:  MANTI STAYS

Notre Dame Men's Hoops Moves Up to #16!!!

The surprise team in all of men's college basketball team has to be the FIGHTING IRISH of NOTRE DAME!

Notre Dame's great start has taken them from 'un-ranked' to now #16 in both major basketball polls.

LINK:  COLLEGE BASKETBALL POLLS

Suspect Captured In One of Notre Dame's Lakes

In the "you can't make this up" category...

A suspect, after fleeing Mishawaka police -- ended up in Saint Mary's Lake (just behind Notre Dame's Grotto) in water up to his neck a little after noon today -- before his capture and arrest.

The suspect, claimed to have a gun -- but no gun was found on him.

The Notre Dame campus was placed on "lock-down" during the chase.

You're going to want to read this story.

LINK:  WNDU-TV STORY

LINK:  WSBT-TV STORY

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE STORY

LINK:  FOX-28 STORY

LINK:  PHOTOS

MUST SEE: First Game at Notre Dame Stadium

Alliyah and Felisha, two friends and guests at South Bend's Center for the Homeless -- attended their first Notre Dame football game this Fall. 

You must see this!

LINK:  FIRST TIME FANS

In the ND Locker Room and On the Sidelines

Notre Dame fans -- if I told you I saw this coming, I'd be lying...

We have a basketball team!

LINK:  ND THUMPS PURDUE

Domer Highlights Today -- Week 16 in the NFL

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame were well represented today in the National Football League...

Former Irish QB Jimmy Clausen (that's Jimmy after the game kissing his fiance) threw two TD passes today in the Bears 20 - 14 loss to the Detroit Lions -- key fact:

These are the first TD passes thrown by a ND QB in the NFL in more than two years (the last was thrown by Brady Quinn for the Kansas City Chiefs on December 2, 2012).

Here's a look at some of the highlights today from a number of former Notre Dame student-athletes now in the National Football League:

LINK:  CLAUSEN HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  JIMMY "THE FIGHTIN' IRISH" CLAUSEN

LINK:  HARRISON SMITH INTERCEPTION

LINK:  JONAS GRAY -- GAME WINNER

LINK:  GOLDEN TATE'S GREAT CATCH

Brian Kelly's Post Practice Media Session

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media today after the Fighting Irish's practice for the Music City Bowl.  Here's a link as to what he had to say:

LINK:  COACH KELLY

#21 Notre Dame Routs Purdue by 31 in Indy!

Mike Brey's Fighting Irish are on a roll...

Purdue held an early lead -- then it was over.  As the Irish hammer the Boilermakers by the score of 94 - 63.  Here's the highlights:

LINK:  BIG WIN FOR ND

One Guess As To The "Game of the Year"

All I will say is it involved a penalty flag...

LINK:  GAME OF THE YEAR

Aerial Photo of Crossroads Construction at ND

If you lived in close proximity of the Notre Dame campus -- you've never seen so many dump trucks in all of your life...

Here's a look at the West side of the Stadium -- the East side looks similar.