Sept. 17
I must be a glutton for punishment! Last Thursday, I allowed a number of personalities from the world of sports to roast me at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., for charity (The Life Treatment Centers, which helps people battle drug and alcohol problems.)

I was totally shocked when Irish coach Tyrone Willingham called for me to come up to talk at the Notre Dame pep rally.

It was a beautiful night, with over 500 people in attendance, raising major dollars for a worthy cause. My ESPN buddy Digger Phelps, Notre Dame coaches Mike Brey and Muffet McGraw, Rudy Martzke of USA Today, Sonny Vaccaro of Adidas fame, New York Liberty coach Richie Adubato, former Notre Dame and New York Giants football player Tom Longo, and former Irish quarterback (and my son-in-law) Thomas Krug took their shots at me in person.

A number of roasters also appeared on video. Former Notre Dame and Redskins quarterback (and current ESPN analyst) Joe Theismann, Robert Montgomery Knight (who provided his interpretation of me as a one-eyed analyst), and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski (who said I allowed myself to be roasted to get two free tickets for the Michigan-Notre Dame game) all fired their barbs.

A number of other ESPN personalities also responded -- Chris Berman, John Saunders, Stuart Scott, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic of ESPN Radio (whom I appear with on Monday mornings), and the PTI guys, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon. All dazzled the audience in their own unique way. What a special night for a great cause.

Yes, I got in my share of shots too. I told Martzke I was surprised CBS gave him the night off to attend the roast ... and I mentioned to Digger that McGraw had a championship ring, something he couldn't bring to Notre Dame!

The next night, I was attending the Notre Dame pep rally with my family. I was totally shocked when Irish coach Tyrone Willingham called for me to come up to talk to the crowd. I was playing with my little 1-year-old granddaughter, Sydney, when my son-in-law Thomas told me that Willingham was calling for me to come up.

I made my entrance and said to the team that I was here as a dad and a fan and not as a broadcaster. I told them that as a fan, living vicariously through my girls (both played tennis at Notre Dame), that if they played with the same passion, heart and enthusiasm as Willingham did as a 5-foot-6 walk-on at Michigan State, there was no doubt that eventually a national championship banner would fly soon in South Bend.

I closed by saying that they represented all the greats that ever played in South Bend, the Johnny Lujacks, the Leon Harts, Joe Theismanns, Joe Montanas, etc. The tradition is worthy of pride -- think about all the great players who wore the uniform in winning seven Heisman Trophies and 11 national championships.

Naturally, the 14,000 in attendance loved hearing those comments. The night was finished off with a party at Parisi's Italian Restaurant in South Bend. We had a blast, and it was topped off by the excitement of the Notre Dame-Michigan game. What a fun time in South Bend, baby!