Saturday, June 18, 2016

How Many Notre Dame Stars Can You Name?


Here's my guess...

L to R:  Tony Rice, Ricky Watters, Chris Zorich, Lou Holtz, Rocket Ismail, ? , Joe Montana, ?

Send me an email with the names of the two I'm not recognizing at: jim.small@nd.edu

In the "reddish pink" shirt is none other than Michael Stonebreaker -- still waiting on confirmation of the man's name next to Rocket...  THANKS TO A NUMBER OF ND GO IRISH BLOG regulars for emailing me about Stonebreaker.

I've been given "Nick Eddy" as the guy next to Rocket -- I don't think that is Nick...

Comparing Five Preseason College FB Polls


This is an interesting way to look at a number of the preseason rankings of the top college football teams in the country:

LINK:  RANKINGS

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Two "Loyal Sons" Return to Notre Dame!


Randy Ayers and Ryan Humphrey have returned home -- joining the Notre Dame men's basketball coaching staff!

Don't forget -- only one men's college basketball program can claim back-to-back "ELITE EIGHT" appearances these last two seasons -- NOTRE DAME BASKETBALL!

LINK:  RANDY AYERS

LINK:  RYAN HUMPHREY

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

College Football's "X-Factor" -- Notre Dame!


A good read about Notre Dame's strength of schedule -- as Brian Kelly says; "my 12 against their 12..."

LINK:  THE NOTRE DAME HEADACHE

Monday, June 13, 2016

Pittsburgh Penguins & Domers Arrive Home!



Domers Ian Cole and Bryan Rust -- returned to Pittsburgh this afternoon after last night's Stanley Cup clinching win for the Penguins over the San Jose Sharks!

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Domers Rust & Cole Hoisting the Stanley Cup!


Replay: Domers' Stanley Cup Champion Goals!

IAN COLE -- former Notre Dame defenseman

BRYAN RUST -- former Notre Dame winger

Broadway's Hamilton -- Patrick Vassel '07



Hamilton won 11 Tony Awards tonight -- further proof of the greatness of this Broadway show.

Notre Dame alum and Associate Director of Hamilton -- Patrick Vassel '07 is interviewed here by fellow Domer Anne Thompson (NBC News) during our recent Notre Dame Day broadcast...

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Biggio Drafted by Blue Jays -- Not the Astros...


I was hoping the Houston Astros would have drafted Notre Dame's Cavan Biggio -- son of Baseball Hall of Famer Craig Biggio -- but the Toronto Blue Jays beat them to the punch, taking Cavan in the Fifth Round yesterday...

LINK:  BASEBALL'S BIGGIOS

ND Football Players With the Fantasy Campers


What Happens at ND Football Fantasy Camp...


A Young Irish Fan Gets a Notre Dame Helmet!


Friday, June 10, 2016

Michigan vs. Notre Dame -- Sooner Than Later


Notre Dame's Brian Kelly spoke with a Sports Illustrated reporter about efforts to renew the rivalry with Michigan...

It has been 1,008 days since Michigan last scored a point against Notre Dame.

LINK:  MICHIGAN vs. NOTRE DAME

My Friend David and His Friend Muhammad Ali


David Chaudoir grew up playing in the backyard at Muhammad Ali's long-time home in Berrien Springs, MI -- just 29 minutes from the University of Notre Dame.  He later worked 12 years for Muhammad Ali Enterprises as their Director of Marketing.

That's David a number of years ago with Ali -- please know it pains me to post a photo of Ali wearing this shirt...

For the last three years -- David has been my teammate here at the University of Notre Dame.

Today -- David is in Louisville with Ali's family and former colleagues celebrating the life of his friend.

David wrote this reflection -- the night of Ali's death.  He's allowed me to share this with all of you today.


“After me, there will never be another.”

One of Muhammad Ali’s famous lines. He had an endless supply of them. He had an endless supply of everything: fun, talent, mischief, justice, audacity, humor, peace, energy, faith, and most of all, love.

When I first met Muhammad in the mid-1980s I had no understanding of who he was beyond the fun guy with a playground in his backyard down the street. A decade later, I went to work in his office when I started college and for years beyond. Only then did I come to realize the magnitude of his impact.

Muhammad’s awe and appreciation of the world and people around him was met only by his ability to harness them for good. This was due both to his abiding faith in God and his authenticity as a human being living out that faith.

Muhammad was a supreme athlete, an activist, a trickster,  an iconoclast, a humanitarian, a titan, but I knew him as a confidant, a mentor, a calming presence. He was a philosopher-poet who lived in the real world, shaking and brightening it along the way. His uncanny ability to sense people’s moods extended from society in general to the few of us who worked with him every day.

He was aware of his effect on people which accounts for so many missed airplanes and appointments—from the beginning of his career and for as long as he was able to, he would stop for photos, autographs, hugs. He loved to surprise people; even on the highway he’d roll down the window and stare at unsuspecting drivers. It seems anyone you meet has a Muhammad Ali story. There are literally millions of them.

Muhammad treated everyone with the same level of dignity: celebrity, president, king, sheikh, the people who worked with him. He didn’t give preferential treatment to anyone. He loved his family. He loved his friends. In the same hour he could give you a belly laugh and say something inspirational that would reduce you to tears. Muhammad was a happy person and a perpetual source of joy for everyone who knew him and for the millions who only knew him from the media. Such was the range of his aura.

This man was comfortable anywhere and everywhere. Yet small-town Michigan was his home for nearly thirty years after he retired from boxing. I was so fortunate and blessed to have spent many of those years with him. A boy from Berrien Springs who was able to walk this earth in his company, bearing witness to untold moments of grace and compassion the likes of which I will surely never see again.

Muhammad Ali was and is exactly who he said he was: The Greatest of All Time.

Muhammad, you were the King of the World and the Prince of our Hearts.

There will never be another.

-- David Chaudoir


LINK:  LIVE TV COVERAGE FROM LOUISVILLE THIS AM



Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Good Stuff: Broadway Car Pool Karaoke



Notre Dame alum Patrick Vassel is the Assistant Director of Broadway smash hit Hamilton -- look for him on stage this Sunday night at the Tony Awards!

Another Day With "The Program" for ND FB!










Wednesday with THE PROGRAM for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame!