Saturday, September 04, 2010

Gameday!!!

Today is my favorite day of the year.  More than New Year's Day, Halloween, Christmas morning and my birthday combined, today is my favorite day.  Today is the day where I truly allow myself to dream.  I don't just remember the fond naiveté of childhood, I actually live it.

While the past 13 seasons have brought heartache after heartache, each season when this day arrives I truly believe.  I believe in the spirit of Notre Dame and the ideal that it represents.  I believe in triumph against all odds without the sacrifice of your own integrity.  I believe in the stubborn refusal to yield to the pressure to give in to temptation.  I believe that a tiny little school from the middle of nowhere Indiana can grow to be one of the finest institutions of education in the entire land, while still maintaining a steadfast commitment to it's Catholic heritage.  I believe in that we will wake up the echoes, and the entire world will bear witness to our triumphant return to glory.

Today I forget about depth charts, injuries, transfers, 40 times and coaching resumes.  I don't care about past failures.   All that matters is today.  This is the day, and this is the team.

And the moment I see those golden helmets glistening in the sun as they march out onto the field with their brother and sisters from the student body standing as one together, I feel truly home.  I may have never met the 80,000 strong standing at my side or the millions watching at home, but at that moment, we are one.  We are Notre Dame.

We will fight.  And we will win.

Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame,
Wake up the echoes cheering her name.
Send the volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky.
What tho' the odds be great or small,
Old Notre Dame will win over all,
While Her Loyal Sons are marching
Onward to victory.

GO IRISH!  BEAT BOILERS!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Agreed 100%. But FWIW you have an improper apostrophe in your second paragraph ("its", not "it's"). Nice win today; the D in particular showed improvement, and 8.3 YPC for Wood is halfway to scary.