So ND just spammed me about the new “The Shirt” for 2008 and I have to say,  Wow.

WOW.

I mean, I am excited.  Most years we have some horribly ugly and gaudy thing with some lame configuration of 9 different images all jammed into the back with a pithy saying like “shake down the thunder”.  Don’t get me wrong - I like the tradition of The Shirt and that designs are based in long-loved and storied ND traditions.  I love the ND pride inherent in The Shirt and the philanthropic nature of the project. 

But most designs are just plain ugly, and after wearing it to 1-2 games in a season, they all end up in my ‘only wear to sleep’ drawer.  

Not so with 2008!  This thing is beautiful in its simplicity.  And while it does add another color (white) to the ND stable that already contains Blue, Gold, and every shade of Green you can imagine, I am sold. (Side Note:  Can’t we all just settle on a single color for everyone to wear to every single home game ever people?!!???!?!?!?!?!!)

Pre-order yours today!

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That didn’t sound right.

Anyway, we’ve modified the shirt design for those who don’t want to be a walking billboard for HLS.

You can fight evil by purchasing them here.

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Ready! OK!

Sorry, that was lame. I’d intended to make this post with a pic of Will Ferrel cheering from that SNL skit, but I couldn’t find one.
Anyway, what is very not lame, is this:

HLS is having their first ever readers’ contest. What’s even more very not lame is that the good folks a A&E Home Video have provided us with actual, desireable items that people, like you, might actually want! And all this just in time for Christmas!

I wont waste your time. You don’t really care about the actual nature of the contest (in other words, the rules) until you know if the contest is worth your while. So what, exactly, will the 2 winners of Her Loyal Sons’ first ever contest get?

This:

The University of Notre Dame: Fighting Irish Collector’s DVD Set

Oooooh…. Ahhhhhh…. Ohhhhhh…..

Featuring:

1977 “THE GREEN JERSEY GAME” vs. USC
1978 COTTON BOWL vs. TEXAS
1979 COTTON BOWL vs. HOUSTON
1988 REGULAR SEASON GAME vs. MIAMI
1989 FIESTA BOWL vs. WEST VIRGINIA
1992 “THE SNOW BOWL” vs. PENN STATE
1993 REGULAR SEASON GAME vs. FLORIDA STATE
BONUS: 1966 REGULAR SEASON GAME vs. MICHIGAN STATE

What, I ask, could be a better gift for that special Irish Fan in your life? And what, I ask, could be better, than winning Her Loyal Sons’ first ever readers’ contest, thus achieving international fame and possession of a copy of this wonderful set?

All you have to do is follow this link and follow the rules! And win.

And, if you find yourself winless (?) then just hop on over to A&E’s own store and buy this set just in time for Christmas!

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SOUTH BEND—Due to the high volume of sales of the Notre Dame-themed Wheaties box, General Mills has decided to release a Notre Dame-themed series of the popular orange boxes best known for immortalizing prominent figures in sports history.

“We wanted to do something a little bit different and step away from the sports motif a little bit,” GM spokesman Tom Addle said. “We also saw the crazy number of boxes we sold by slapping Notre Dame on the front of them. Did you know I once sold some lady a corn remover for $50 because it had an interlocking ND on it? Of course not. How could you know that? Anyhow, we figured we could capitalize on Notre Dame’s success.”

Or lack of success, as the convenient segue may be. Addle also mentioned that the popular Wheaties slogan, “Breakfast of Champions,” would be modified during the series to read, “Breakfast of 9-3 Teams.”

Wheaties seems reluctant to step entirely away from its sports theme, however. The first box will picture a quarter dog in jogging shorts breaking the tape to cross a finish line. “We expect to draw in a lot of people who long for a hot-dog-flavored breakfast cereal,” Addle explained.

Some of the boxes will pay honor to the students of Notre Dame. One will depict a Notre Dame freshman boy trying to convince a girl that walking to class together does not constitute dating. The box will include a novella explaining the ambiguous and awkward scene. Another box will depict the entire text of Du Lac, the student handbook which frowns upon sexual intercourse and co-educational mingling.

In conjunction with the student-themed boxes, Wheaties will include an S.Y.R. gift prize inside of each box. The gifts will range from Nerf dart guns to entire sets of dining hall utensils.

Other boxes in the series will depict famous scenes in Notre Dame history, such as the Freshman 1000-Yard Dash from Bridget McGuire’s to Campus, the Sextannual Keg Toss and Subsequent Egg “Toss”, and the ever-popular “Dress Up Like Your Fake ID” Halloween Party.

The first box depicting the quarter dog will be released on November 17, 2006, at midnight, retailing in most stores for a quarter. In the Notre Dame Bookstore, it will sell for $8.99.

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So you’re a large food products company and want to capitalize on the ND hype…what do you do?? Well if you are General Mills you release a Wheaties box with the Notre Dame plastered all over it. The official unveiling took place last Friday in front of the bookstore. My favorite part of all this is the bookstore is marking up the price of the boxes to $5.99! Bastards…I never forgave you when you started charging more than $0.99 for ND shot glasses. My advice skip the bookstore, go to Martin’s and pick up your cereal and a jar of CJs sauce.

So what’s the administrations take on all this??

“This is a unique privilege for a football program that has worked very hard over the years to reach the pinnacle of success in collegiate sports,” said Chuck Lennon, Notre Dame’s Associate Vice President for University Relations and Executive Director of the Alumni Association. “The front of a Wheaties box is an accomplishment the entire school and all our alumni, as well as Notre Dame fans everywhere, can celebrate together”

I think another National Championship would also be a an accomplishment we can celebrate together…but the Wheaties box will do in the meantime.

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The folks over at Team Baby Entertainment have answered that age-old question - What happens when you mash “Baby Einstein” with “Rudy“? Well apparently Baby Irish is born. The company describes it best:

“Baby Irish uses officially licensed footage of Notre Dame sports, mascot, marching band, and campus attractions to expose children to the University of Notre Dame in an exciting and playful manner. “Raising Tomorrow’s NDTM Fan Today” features the music of The Band of the Fighting Irish as well as original footage of the “Baby Irish Kids” enjoying the sites and sounds of the school you love.”

These DVDs seem like such a simple and wonderful way to get those toddlers stared down the path to eternal salvation early in life. Just think how proud you will be when you get that first call from daycare saying little Billy has just beat up that child wearing a USC shirt.

Added bonus - your child will learn to recognize leprechauns without having to endure Leprechaun 1-6.

Some other ND baby related ideas that are long overdue:

• Quarter dog and YoCream flavored baby food.
• “Michigan Sucks” onesies.
• Golden Dome bottles - think gold colored bottle nipple (bonus points for working nipple into a post)

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