It was a terrific opening college football weekend in South Bend, where a new era began under the helm of Brian Kelly.  The Irish looked impressive in their opener versus Purdue and I know all the fans and ND supporters are hoping Kelly can bring the Irish back to the level they belong.  There is nothing like fall college football games with all the school spirit and pageantry.  Notre Dame weekends are truly one of my favorites, with the quarterback luncheon and pep rally on Friday, and all the tailgating before the game. It is always a special time!!

I had a great evening in a suite at Tropicana Field watching the Rays pull out a close victory over the Blue Jays.  I was joined by Patrick and Holly Wright, recording artist David Nail, Vincent Dolan, President and CEO of Progress Energy, and John Heltzer.  The game was auctioned off at a fundraiser a few months ago for the Payton Wright Foundation for Cancer Research, which is very near and dear to my heart.  Country star, David Nail, has become close friends with the Wright family after hearing about their tragic loss of their 4 girl old daughter, Payton, to cancer.  David performed at a fundraiser for the Wright Foundation and joined us in the box for the Rays game!  It was a terrific evening and I can't thank Vincent and the generous people at Progress Energy enough for their support!  

I had a great meeting with V Foundation CEO, Nick Valvano, the Dick Vitale Gala Coordinator, Mary Kenealy-Barbetta, and Gala Co-host, Joe Barbetta.  We are working hard on next year's event honoring Roy Williams and John Calipari.  Reserve your tickets now - May 20, 2011.  It will be a SELL OUT, just like previous years!

I had a great time in Boston for two days.  My wife and I took in all the wonderful sights of this terrific city!  I always enjoy spending time in Boston and of course, I had to make a stop at Fenway Park to see the Red Sox.  We shared time with Larry Lucchino, CEO and President of the Red Sox.  I also had the chance to catch up with Mark Herzlich, All-American football player from Boston College, who is a cancer survivor.  Mark was honored at my gala for the V Foundation in May.  He is a terrific guy!  My good friends, Howie Schwab and Mike Soltys, from ESPN met us at the games and we saw the Red Sox battle the Angels.  We had a terrific dinner at the EMC Club, arranged by Jon Dienstag of the Red Sox.  Fenway is such a special place to watch a game - a true baseball lovers ballpark!

After visiting Cooperstown, we drove to New York City for three days.  We had a great time taking in the sights and sounds of the big city.  We spent a day at the Statue of Liberty, which was very educational for the grandkids.  We also had the chance to see the Yankees play host to the Rays.  Rob Blum of the Yankees was kind enough to give us a tour of the magnificent stadium.  Monument Park is so special and really reflects the incredible history of the Yankee organization and the players who have played for them throughout the years.  The stadium is truly one of a kind and is a museum to all the special memories in Yankee history - which is many.  My wife and I also had the chance to see Harry Connick Jr. perform live on Broadway.  He was spectacular!!!  After the show we got the chance to talk to him and he could not have been any nicer.  It was a fantastic trip and filled with wonderful memories for me and my family!!!!

What a thrill it was to visit Cooperstown, NY and the Baseball Hall of Fame.  It was my first trip to Cooperstown and I went with my wife and my daughter, her husband, and their three children.  Cooperstown is truly a beautiful city and undoubtedly the homeland of baseball.  We spent two days touring the Hall of Fame.  We had the unique opportunity to go into the basement where some of the Hall's most precious items are held.  We got the chance to see and hold Ted Williams' bat that he hit a homerun with in his final at bat.  Ted Williams is my grandson, Connor's favorite player, so that was a thrill I know he will never forget.  We also saw and held one of Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle's bat.  The Hall is filled with unique and historic baseball artifacts, and being a baseball fanatic, I loved every minute of it!  We also toured Double Day field, the first baseball field.  Sharing my experience of the Hall of Fame with my grandkids was so special for me and my wife.  I recommend visiting the Hall of Fame to any sports fan!  

I had a great time in Las Vegas with my wife and my daughter, Terri, her husband and her two children.  We were visiting Las Vegas for the Kenny Chesney concert.  At the Dick Vitale gala in May, Kenny allowed us to auction off tickets to his show in Vegas and the opportunity for the winners to meet him backstage before the show and receive an autographed guitar.  Mike Conway and Debbie Benson each bid $30,000 for this incredible package.  We went to the show with Debbie Benson, her daughter, her son and her son's friend, along with Mike Conway and his wife.  As usual, Kenny rocked the house with all of his hits!  I can't thank him enough for spending quality time with the auction winners and providing each of them a signed guitar.  Kenny is an incredible performer, but more importantly, he is a very generous and caring person.  

My wife and I had a great time in San Diego where I was the guest speaker for First Allied Securities. Joel Marks, CEO of First Allied Securities, treated my wife and I like royalty.  I truly enjoyed speaking to the people with First Allied and meeting all the wonderful people at the event.  It was first class!  My wife and I then spent a few days relaxing and taking in the beautiful scenes and sights of the Dan Diego area.  We visited Coronado Island, The Padres Stadium, and La Jolla.  The weather was gorgeous and it was a terrific few days.  From San Diego, my wife and I flew to Los Angeles.  We enjoyed a few days of star-gazing in Beverly Hills as we ran into Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow, Larry King, Warren Beatty and Annette Bening.  We hit hot spots such as Nate and Al's for breakfast, The Polo Lounge and the shops on Rodeo Drive.  We also had the opportunity to see the Angels play the Rangers.  I got to spend some time with friend, Mike Scioscia, before the game, as well as many of the players, including Josh Hamilton.  I also toured the Getty Museum with my wife and visited Ben Howland at his offices on the beautiful campus of UCLA.  My wife and I had a blast in Beverly Hills/LA - it was a terrific trip!

I had a great time speaking and appearing for Prudential in Miami, FL. There were over 300 people in attendance for the Prudential sales meeting in South Beach.  I have a wonderful relationship with Prudential and its executives.   Bruce Ferris led and organized the conference, along with his associate Tim Seifert.  My wife and I stayed at the recently renovated Fountainebleau Hotel.   It was absolutely spectacular and it was celeb galore poolside while we were there.  On the premises were Floyd Mayweather, Kim Kardashian, Christina Aguilera, and many others.  The paparazzi was out in full force!   While in Miami, I got a chance to see the Marlins play the Rangers, which was a load of fun.  It was a great few days of relaxation, fun, and work in the South Beach sun!

I may be 71 but I certainly still act 10!  It's hard to believe another year has passed.  I have been so blessed with good health, a wonderful family, and a terrific job.  My life has certainly exceeded all of my expectations, that is for sure!  I had a wonderful birthday, celebrating with my entire family.  We enjoyed a terrific dinner at the Concession Country Club. Sean Murphy, owner of the prestigious Beach Bistro in Ana Maria Island, recently took over the restaurant at the Concession and I can tell you the food is first class!  It was a perfect evening to celebrate another amazing year in my life!