In the constant tug-of-war for the attention of high school student-athletes, Brian Kelly and Jim Harbaugh are currently deadlocked. Brian Kelly and his staff have convinced 21 student-athletes with Michigan offers to commit to Notre Dame, while Jim Harbaugh and his group have persuaded the same number to forgo Notre Dame offers and come to Ann Arbor, according to Her Loyal Sons research. Michigan and Notre Dame have historically battled for outstanding players in midwestern states, although ...
Catching Up With Matt Fortuna (Part 2)
Matt Fortuna spent six years covering the Notre Dame football team up close for ESPN. In part one, we talked to Fortuna about his departure from the cable sports network and his future. In this final part, Fortuna discusses his interview with Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick, his impression of Irish fans and his bold fashion choices. One of your biggest "gets" was the mid-season interview with athletic director Jack Swarbrick this year. Take us behind the scenes a bit. What was your ...
Catching Up With Matt Fortuna
Matt Fortuna spent six years covering the Notre Dame football team up close for ESPN. His tenure at the World Wide Leader ended Dec. 31, but the future remains bright for this 2011 Penn State graduate. We caught up this week with Fortuna to discuss his story so far - and his road ahead in sportswriting. This is the first of a lengthy two-part interview. The second installment will appear tomorrow. First, tell us a bit about yourself. Where did you grow up? Where is home nowadays? What do you ...
Expert: Letting Denbrock Go Is “Huge, Huge Mistake”
Eric Hansen didn't mince words Wednesday when he learned that Notre Dame assistant head coach Mike Denbrock was considering accepting the offensive coordinator position at Cincinnati. "If Brian Kelly lets Mike Denbrock slip through his hands, it's going to be a huge, huge mistake," the football insider for the South Bend Tribune told Weekday Sportsbeat 96.1 FM / 960 AM listeners. Hansen said Denbrock would not be given an opportunity to call plays for the Irish offense in 2017 and said ...
Max Redfield Needs A Mentor
Max Redfield is pissing away a promising future by continuing to use illegal drugs. It's time for some tough love - a mentor who will focus the 21-year-old on what is truly important and what is not. A Fulton County judge today rejected a plea agreement made on Redfield's behalf after the prosecution revealed the former Irish safety had failed a drug screening. Redfield had pleaded guilty Nov. 10 to misdemeanor gun and marijuana possession charges. Redfield will be re-sentenced in January. ...
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
There is something truly terrible going on in South Bend. Important people are ignoring that a culture has changed for the worse and few seem inclined to do anything about that fact. It's time to confront this problem head on by contributing to a cause that seeks to eradicate this scourge once and for all. There is a group of well-intentioned Notre Dame alumni and fans of the football program who are raising funds for this important cause. I've donated - and I want you to too. I am, ...
ND vs. Army ’16: A Twitter Summary (#HLSRecap)
Good morning! I was thinking today again about Saturday. Boy, that was fun! We haven't been able to experience that winning feeling two weeks in a row. Virginia Tech is a good team, but they certainly struggled against Georgia Tech's option offense last Saturday. But before we jump ahead, let's look back one more time at the tweets that made us laugh, cheer and think, written by Notre Dame fans and media members during the blowout win over Army. ...
#HLSRecap: ND vs. Navy ’16: A Twitter Summary
When the Irish lost yesterday, something sort of strange happened. I didn't feel shaken, depressed and inconsolable as I had in that moment after C.J. Sanders bobbled that punt return against Miami. I just questioned my sanity. Why do I continue to dedicate four hours on a Saturday to watching this team when I know they have the ability to affect my happiness? It's a sickness, man. It's a weird dedication that makes both no sense and perfect sense, depending on who you're talking to. I'm ...
Notre Dame vs. Miami ’16: A Twitter Summary
The #HLSRecap will never die.* It's just sometimes a little later than its author would prefer. Relive all the joyous - and then horrifying - then joyous moments of the Notre Dame - Miami game from this past Saturday, as witnessed by the Notre Dame fans who were watching and tweeting during the back-and-forth tilt. (*I can't actually guarantee that. I'm just a caretaker here.) ...
#HLSRecap: Notre Dame vs. Stanford – A Twitter Summary
As the whistle blew dead the last gasp effort of DeShone Kizer and the Notre Dame Irish, my wife must have seen the blood drain out of my face. She put her face in between mine and the television and said, "I'm sorry about your team. But your boys still love you. And I still love you." And I knew she was giving me a sense of perspective, but I still needed time to be bummed. It's a week later. I'm less depressed today than I was that night, but I'm also relieved I don't have to sit through ...