Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the Notre Dame football game against the Oklahoma Sooners. I had a fantastic host in the New Yorker had attended the university a few years ago. I always find it fascinating how different college campuses are. My gracious host gave me a tour of the beautiful campus and I now possess knowledge about the campus that most ND students don't even know. But I'll save those facts for when I need to impress someone. Notre Dame has pride and tradition that I have never seen elsewhere. And there is no better place to experience that Fighting Irish pride than at their football games.
There is an old-school feel to their football experience. May it's the wooden benches that were made for smaller people decades ago or maybe it's the lack of a replay screen. But there is no wonder why the traditions live on; they are simply captivating and replays in your head for hours and hours. (Though I must say that Michigan's The Victors fight song is much more catchy and majestic than Notre Dame's Victory March.)
Maybe because I've been underwhelmed through UConn Football (even though it gave me opportunities to travel to other stadiums), Notre Dame had a spirit that seemed special because of its history. While they may not have the "That's another UConn FIRST DOWN!", they have finger waving during a kickoff and the awesome looking Celtic Chant (looks like a fighting leprechaun, here is a video). OH yeah, they don't do the awfully terrible "Take out your keys" for a key play. Let it be known, I never partook in that tradition; I just yelled with my extremely loud voice.
While I admire all the traditions and pride that Notre Dame has (as a fellow Hoosier), I'm still only a Husky at heart. The UConn football team is certainly not making it easy to take pride on a Saturday afternoon.
Tommy Rees definitely made me feel at home with his awful QB play that resembled that of UConn's. But I was extremely disappointed when a quarter of Notre Dame's team left the field before joining arms with their fellow Fighting Irish in singing their Alma Mater. This is what I respected most about the team; they do this whether they lose or win. I lost some of that respect to those players who left that field. I'm glad the young UConn Football program started to do that at the end of my tenure and hope they have been continuing that tradition.
(Update: Notre Dame's Policy changed two years ago so that players would not stay for the Alma Mater after a loss. Fans booed the players that left the field early. No one knew of this policy change since they did not lose a game at home last year. Personally, I think this a revolting policy change.)
"This is the most beautiful sight these eyes have ever seen!"
