Oh God, It's Notre Dame.....

OK, I've been procrastinating.....I really haven't wanted to write this post. It's hard to admit things sometimes even when you know that they are true. The words form but you just can't spit them out....

The Notre Dame Football team is going to the Sun Bowl! There, I did it, bitter as it may be. And they basically get a good match up against "The U" ( University Of Miami, FL) so this game will garner a ton of press and fan attention. Which in the world of big time college football means (They look good to the best recruits)....as if that program needed any more help recruiting.










I know, I'm a bitter old Purdue Boilermaker Fan, I cop to that. I don't like to see teams we play regularly do well but in this case it's not that cut and dry. Why, you ask? Because I believe college football truly needs the ND Football program to be successful. They are part of the historical fabric of the game, whether fans like it or not, it's true.

If you are a fan of another team and you disagree I'll ask you one question. Have you ever been to South Bend for a game, against YOUR Team? If you have I would imagine you might agree with me. No matter what opinion of them you may have had going in to it, the place is absolutely magical on a game day in the Fall. I've been there 6 or 7 times and it's the same every time.

It's more then Touch Down Jesus, The Golden Dome....it's looking at the long line of people going into the Chapel on campus before game time and knowing that every one of them is lighting a candle and praying for an Irish victory. It's the grass, greener then any where else I've ever seen. The traditional uniforms with Golden Helmets and just the  overwhelming sense of history. The Statue Of Knute Rockne and his Gipper Speech...It's walking in to the stadium and the ushers wishing your team good luck and welcoming you to Notre Dame (every single time I've been there). And those same ushers congratulating you on your team's win (only has happened to me once but we've only won once so it's fair!) as your leaving the stadium.

Geez, I sound like freaking Rudy here but these things are unfortunately true...actually I would say for the sake of the future of big time college athletics, it's a fortunate thing really. This is what makes college football special in my eyes. I've had the good fortune to go to many college football games in my life time: At the "Shoe" during the Woody Hayes Era (I grew up in Columbus and a neighbor had  2 extra season tix on the 45 yard line he sold to my dad) and after, many games at the "Big House", I've been To happy Valley at Penn State during Drew Brees Senior Year, MSU Games in East Lansing, and the kicker: We went to the Rose Bowl in 2001. I've been a Purdue Season Ticket Holder for two decades and have gone to  Boiler games with my dad since I was 4 or 5 yrs old. I love this game more then any other....

That's why we need ND to be successful, we need to be able to "love to hate" the freaking Irish on any given Autumn Saturday. College Football has NOT been the same since the Notre Dame Football Team has been less successful. It's hard for me to admit, even harder to swallow. But yes, even I need ND....