“Outlined against a blue-gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore, they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction, and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley, and Layden.”
If I wasn’t completely enamored with Notre Dame football and everything about it, I am now. All it took to complete my circle was crossing perhaps the number one item off my sports bucket list, a trip to South Bend and a game at Notre Dame Stadium. It’s been decades since I learned about the Irish though the Sunday Lindsey Nelson highlights, and with the help of a very understanding family, also ND fans of course, the dream came true two weekends ago.
We left on a Friday afternoon with my road rage daughter at the wheel, the wife riding shotgun, and myself in the back seat, soon to be sawing logs. I should preface by saying that my daughter’s boyfriend is a graduate student at Notre Dame, with an apartment right across the street from the campus tennis courts. After checking into our own hotel about 25 minutes from South Bend, our first stop was of course, a restaurant called O’Rourke’s Pub, good Irish name there. After a long wait on what was already a crowded campus, I made my first steps on to the hallowed ground of Notre Dame. It was night and the lights were mesmerizing as we made our way to the Golden Dome and Touchdown Jesus, both lit up in brilliance.A little more walking brought us upon Notre Dame Stadium at night, aglow and with the soundtrack from “Rudy” playing inside on the jumbo screen. Perfect.
After not much sleep, we headed for campus early Saturday morning, with a long list of things to do and see pre-game, many of which we found out were impossible to find, even after walking what felt like nearly 100 miles. We did catch the Notre Dame Bagpipe Band, a perfect Irish tradition and made our way in and quickly out of the campus bookstore. Way too many people to deal with there.
As we were waiting outside to enter the stadium, we got another special treat. Adding to the mystique of the weekend was the fact that the Notre Dame opponent was Navy., meaning midshipmen in uniform and the Navy band, which stopped right in front of us and played a brief concert. Then came the moment I had been waiting for, my entry into Notre Dame Stadium. I had been planning to recreate the scene from “Rudy” where his father walks in for the first time and says, “This is the most beautiful sight these eyes have ever seen.” Ned Beatty was right. I was a little too emotional so that scene never happened and I actually held back the tears that I knew would come until the marching band came on the field and played the Notre Dame music, the first marching band in college football I might add.
On television for years, I made sure never to miss when the NBC announcers proclaim, “Here Come the Irish” but that’s nothing at all like experiencing that moment in person. To say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. The game, a 34-6 Irish win, was almost anti-climactic after all the pre-game. With my eyesight problems, some of the action was tough to see but I could have cared less, I was in the perfect spot. Plus the giant replay screen was right behind me.
When the game ended, we saw an exhibition of class and respect that is always associated with the Notre Dame-Navy rivalry. Each team joined the other in front of their student sections and sang the two school’s Alma Maters. Amazing, and quite possibly the most intelligent group of college athletes ever assembled in one spot. I really didn’t want to leave the stadium but all good things must end. postgame dinner at South Bend Brew Works, back to the hotel with some very tired and achy bodies, then back to Ohio the next day with a pocketful of incredible memories.
I know there are many of you readers who despise everything I’ve talked about and that’s fine by me. It’s all about honor, respect, and tradition- God, country, Notre Dame. This year’s Irish squad is a fun team to watch and they have gotten better after a slow start. They could very well finish the regular season at 11-1 and with a few chips falling into place, sneak into the fourth playoff spot, which may not be a good thing if Georgia stays in the first spot. Irish fans actually have to swallow their pride and root for Ohio State the next two weeks, two Buckeye wins and two ND wins might mean a leapfrog in the rankings for the Irish. Either way, I’m good with a trip to a bowl game anywhere and a win and a 12-1 season. As it is, I will be looking forward to hopefully making another trip to South Bend with my ND family on tow. Trained ‘em right!
Notre Dame, our mother,
Tender, strong and true,
Proudly in the heavens
Gleams thy gold and blue.
Glory’s mantle cloaks thee,
Golden is thy fame,
And our hearts forever
Praise thee, Notre Dame;
And our hearts forever
Love thee Notre Dame.
