fighting irish

When it comes to the blue and gold, NBC is enduringly loyal. The network has agreed to a new five year deal with The University of Notre Dame to televise the college football games from the venerable college team, even though the Fighting Irish have not been a winning powerhouse for the past few years.

In fact, the Irish have been getting its butt kicked by the likes of USC, Michigan, Ohio State and the entire SEC regularly of late. Nevertheless, when it comes to Nielsen ratings, pleasing the advertisers and making the legion of Notre Dame fans happy, NBC steps up.

The new five-year agreement will give NBC the rights to televise all Irish home games through 2015. That's seven from Notre Dame Stadium and an extra home game not from the ND Stadium to air in primetime.

(S01E17) We learned many important things from 30 Rock this evening.

1. When you have to break bad news to someone, fake them out with something cute or distracting first. Whoa, holy crap, what's that? A baby panda sneezing!

2. Name your fists. St. Michael and St. Patrick. Tip O'Neill and Bobby Sands. Bono and Sandra O'Connor. Whatever works.

3. Catholicism, while it comes with the confession thing, also comes with crushing, crushing guilt. You could be eating tacos alone in a park, and boom, there's the guilt. As someone raised by an Irish Catholic family with more than one priest in its ranks and educated at Catholic schools, let me personally confirm that one. I feel guilty right now... for no apparent reason. It's just there - always crushing.

This episode didn't reach the farcical highs of "Black Tie." It was more standard sitcom fare than goofy bliss, but it wasn't bad. How wrong can you go cataloging Tracy's possible religious options, meeting Jack's family and seeing Liz embrace her role as the decider?