I was pretty anxious seeing Rees warming up on the sideline as well, but this was from home. When you are at the stadium, mob mentality is a big part of the game, for better and for worse. I appreciate your response, because it puts into perspective that football is as much a game of emotion as it is ability, preparation, and execution. I was more disappointed in hearing the boos because we (as fans) demand so much of our players and coaches, yet when they need us the most, we turn on them in the blink of an eye.
Honestly, it's somewhat of a relational problem to being a fan of Notre Dame football. With all the tradition and mystique partnered with the highs and mostly lows of our past 20 years, we have developed somewhat of an overinflated sense of expectation that sucks the life out of some of these games. Instead of viewing a very tough matchup with a respectable opponent, we assume we should be knocking the socks off every team. It just doesn't work that way. Sometimes a team has to gut out a win.
The team did that. The majority of fans did that. Hopefully, the remaining get their attitudes up. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, but these games should be fun and exciting. When Coach Kelly said the players were treating the stadium like the Basillica, it made sense from a fan's experience as well. Some people need to stop bringing all the "sins" of the past to the game, and just enjoy the opportunity to watch our PRESENT players duke it out. This apocalypse **** needs to stop.
With that said, hopefully, other fans are as honest with themselves as you are. We all have our moments. Unfortunately, we have quite a few arrogant psuedo-fans that are permanently sucking rotten eggs. Every fan base has 'em. The best thing to do is make them ineffectual by cheering even louder and being unashamed of the school you love. If being loyal is being a homer, at least a homer lives the proud and not the loser.
