Players Skipping Alma Mater

[returnofthemack]

The alma mater isn't a victory song. You either go over to the student section and do it, or you don't. But you don't just do it when you win. It means more than that.

My point exactly. I prefer that they do it all the time, because I think it's a cool tradition and is something special, but if you're only going to do it after a win, then don't do it at all.

Precisely.

 

[kmoose]

What a pile of crap. Where did I ever say I didn't want ND to win right? And I think I understand ND pretty well, given that my Dad started for Leahy on the 1949 NC team and I graduated from ND in 1981. Between both my Dad's and my generation ND won AND won the right way. What they didn't do is sway like nuns after the game. The mystique did not include swaying pal. Now, we have no mystique and lots of touchy feely nonsense from people like you. Sorry, but go find somebody else to go all Dr. Phil about ND football.

Gotcha.......... you and your dad? You two are REAL MEN, unlike the rest of us Nancys. Its not about swaying and singing kumbaya. As NDTH pointed out........... don't pout like a little girl when you lose, and act like a prom queen when you win.

 

[Irishman77]

What a pile of crap. Where did I ever say I didn't want ND to win right? And I think I understand ND pretty well, given that my Dad started for Leahy on the 1949 NC team and I graduated from ND in 1981. Between both my Dad's and my generation ND won AND won the right way. What they didn't do is sway like nuns after the game. The mystique did not include swaying pal. Now, we have no mystique and lots of touchy feely nonsense from people like you. Sorry, but go find somebody else to go all Dr. Phil about ND football.

Love it! Preach on!

 

[palinurus]

I'm not an alumni, but I have loved ND since I was 8 years old. That's a long time, I assure you. Regardless of who started it, regardless of how good teams were back in the day or how bad they are now, the real question is: Does the team joining the student body for the singing of the alma mater (swaying aside) help or hurt the school and the team?

If it is based on a genuine connection of respect and love from team to student body and vice versa, and from it comes a greater love by both team and student body for the university, then I am for it.

I say this as one who only wishes he could have gone to Notre Dame.

 

[irishog77]

ND Nation called. They want their thread back.

 

[returnofthemack]

According to Fortuna, after the students started booing the hell out of them for leaving without singing the Alma Mater, Carlo was the one that got them to come back. Good for him.

 

[BurningRiver]

I was in the student section. As the fourth quarter got more and more out of hand, all my friends and I wanted to do was leave, but we stayed because we knew how important the Alma Mater is. I'm not blaming the players, necessarily. They were just following directions. But I am blaming the coaches or whoever imposed this new rule. It's ridiculous. We stay through the game, cheer to the end, chant "let's go Irish" when we're down 14 with a minute left. We stay through a ****** fourth quarter. We deserve the players to act like members of the freaking student body.

 

[frankygoes69]

.

 

[sparkyND]

I didn't/couldn't go to today's game. But this sort of direction from coaches, if true, is unbelievable and unacceptable. You sing the alma mater with the students until the very end regardless of the result on the pitch. The players represent ND on the field but the students are the heart and soul of the university. I am going to wait until I hear an appropriate response from the coaches, especially BK, but I except to hear a good excuse and explanation. As a current student of ND, this is one of the most absurd things I've heard in a long while and a great disrespect to the tradition of ND.

 

[frankygoes69]

Stay for the Alma Mater! Good L@rd Almighty!

 

[bigedefense]

I don't think it is that big of a deal considering the whole University of Notre Dame asked EVERYONE to wear green.

I seen students, residents, and visitors wearing NO green at all. Why should the players stick around for the fans if the fans won't stick with the players?

Too much is put on the players and coaches but when the coaches and players ask something from the fans, they are "Too Good" for it.

Sorry I see nothing wrong with the players reactions.

I love this team, university, and tradition to death and will defend it to mine.

My family & I all had our green "The Shirt 2013" shirts on, sitting in our living room. In the middle of the 4th, I added more green. I was yelling at the tv while I had a dip of smokless tobacco (It's mandatory in MS that all men "dip" while watching sports)& SWALLOWED the whole dam thing! Whew, my face was greener than the shirt!

 

[BGIF]

Yeah, I am against it. Notre Dame football isn't about "building a sense community" it is about being the baddest football team in the land that will stomp your butt into submission. That is what built ND, not your pussyfooting nonsense. ND never did it until that fat a$$ Weis started it. It needs to end. The sooner the better.

Really? Weis started this "pussyfooting nonsense"?

The Team singing the alma mater together with the student body was lauded by Keith Jackson decades ago. Mussberger extolled the relationship a decade or two ago.

I don't know when it started but it was in place for a home loss to BYU in '94 under Holtz. Holtz announced his departure from ND in such a venue in '96. I experienced it first hand again after a win in Davies' first game against GT in '97. Later that year after Davies Signature Game against #11LSU in Death Valley, LSU turned out their stadium lights while the players and the ND fans sang the alma mater together. We swayed in the dark.

I experienced it again sitting with the Getherall's, Ching's, Brennan's, Rosenthals's and other players's families in the Coliseum after a 10-0 loss to the Trojans. I reveled with the Team singing the Alma Mater after Willingham's '02 win in Tallahassee after WE had silenced the FSU Tomahawk Chant in the 3rd Quarter at Doak Walker Stadium just as WE had done in '97 in Death Valley.

Weis didn't start the tradition but he did respect it. I remember after one game he started to walk over to the student area to sing with them and the players. Alex Flanagan grabbed him by the arm for and interview. He begged to be excused to accompany the students and players. Alex grasp got tighter and she leaned into his face with her mike firing off post game questions. Weis took her hand off his arm and politely but firmly noted, "I realize this is important but the alma mater post game is tradition. I'll see you right after we're done." He walked over to the student area and everybody on the NBC crew shut up as the Students and Players sang together. When they were done one of the male announcers commented on the bond between the Students and Team he made mention of the gladiators saluting Caesar but added in this case it was more the student and players saluted each other. When Weis rejoined Alex after the alma mater, she issued a quick apology for her interruption.

Since Kelly arrived NBC comes first and he and Alex talk over the alma mater. That's rude and disrespectful. NBC could go to commercial and do the interview after.

 

[bigedefense]

I respectfully disagree with you. I believe that Notre Dame football represents the University of Notre Dame. I would love to stomp other teams into submission. I really would. But if it at the cost of abandoning the values of the University, then I would rather lose. If you would rather see the team become a scummy bunch of classless cheaters, that is your choice, and you may do as you wish.

I believe you meant to say, A typical SEC school

 

[Eddie.Smith Irish]

I've been to many games, many involved Navy, Army, etc... Never saw them run into the tunnel, wipe the tears away and then come back out after having cookies and milk. They walked straight to their fan base/band, head held high and saluted their traveling party. Just sayin'

 

[BurningRiver]

For those of you saying that it's not a big deal, it IS a big deal. You should've seen the student section's reaction to the players heading into the locker room. There would've been a riot if much of the team hadn't decided to stay

 

[ThePiombino]

ND Nation called. They want their thread back.

lol

 

[Old Man Mike]

I'm trying to put my mind into Kelly's on this. What makes sense to me is that he had an idea that was good at one level, but upon judging the whole logistics turns into a bad fiasco.

Kelly tries {this time too hard} to systematize everything in order NOT to embarrass the players nor the University. He surmised that if we lost a home game, particularly an excessively disheartening one, the immediate emotional responses by the players could be "inappropriate" in a variety of ways to be scrutinized by the panning of national TV cameras during the alma mater.

His "solution": take the team "in" [many coaches do such things before letting media get their shots at them], and have a few words to calm them down and get them re-focussed and "presentable". So far: wise.

The trouble was that not everyone's a Spockian Logic Machine like Kelly, AND the expectations of what exactly would happen post-game [and at what PACE they'd happen] weren't in everyone's awareness [by a long shot]. The emotional chaos of game's end could NOT allow Kelly's scheme to work [no matter how appropriate for what he was trying to do], and he, for once, blew it as far as thinking the complexity all the way through. {He could have saved the plan by going to the microphone and telling the fans that the team needed to take a moment, and would the band leader please wait for them to return?}

This scenario SHOULD improve people's view of what TJ, Lou etc were doing. THEY remembered what the coach had said and were doing the team policy. It would not be their job to go against what their HC thought was best.

 

[BGIF]

I'm trying to put my mind into Kelly's on this. What makes sense to me is that he had an idea that was good at one level, but upon judging the whole logistics turns into a bad fiasco.

Kelly tries {this time too hard} to systematize everything in order NOT to embarrass the players nor the University. He surmised that if we lost a home game, particularly an excessively disheartening one, the immediate emotional responses by the players could be "inappropriate" in a variety of ways to be scrutinized by the panning of national TV cameras during the alma mater.

His "solution": take the team "in" [many coaches do such things before letting media get their shots at them], and have a few words to calm them down and get them re-focussed and "presentable". So far: wise.

The trouble was that not everyone's a Spockian Logic Machine like Kelly, AND the expectations of what exactly would happen post-game [and at what PACE they'd happen] weren't in everyone's awareness [by a long shot]. The emotional chaos of game's end could NOT allow Kelly's scheme to work [no matter how appropriate for what he was trying to do], and he, for once, blew it as far as thinking the complexity all the way through. {He could have saved the plan by going to the microphone and telling the fans that the team needed to take a moment, and would the band leader please wait for them to return?}

This scenario SHOULD improve people's view of what TJ, Lou etc were doing. THEY remembered what the coach had said and were doing the team policy. It would not be their job to go against what their HC thought was best.

Not buying a lick a lick of it, Mike. Coach Purple Rage has gotten touchy freely about players looking embarrassed on national TV?

Spock was stoic, emotionless. Kelly is a boiling cauldron. Kelly doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve. He telegraphs them with his face.

If the camera and the only cameras at a home game are NBC's aren't supposed to show the emotion after a loss until the coach has dried their eyes with his hanky in the locker room than he better ban those sidelines shots after an interception, fumble, or missed assignment.

Perhaps concerned about an awkward interview, why? It's an NBC broadcast. Alex is the only one with a live mike and a camera. Have the S.I.D. advise NBC or a hack reporter from Chicago what the policy is and violators will be banned from the field in the future.

NBC and others learned to "respect" the alma mater interlude under Weis. They could do so again if we had a coach who respected it.

I get it. They didn't do that at Grand Valley St.

 

[anarin]

This thread made me chuckle a bit. Thanks!

 

[GoIrish41]

Can we for once not jump to conclusions and/or conjure up rumors?

Thought the same thing.

 

[Folsteam_Ahead]

so many panties in a bunch

 

[Irishman77]

I've been watching since 1965. I don't know who started the stupid tradition of swaying after the game, I know it wasn't Ara or Devine and don't recall Holtz doing it, but I hope Kelly stops it.

Quote:

Yeah, I am against it. Notre Dame football isn't about "building a sense community" it is about being the baddest football team in the land that will stomp your butt into submission. That is what built ND, not your pussyfooting nonsense. ND never did it until that fat a$$ Weis started it. It needs to end. The sooner the better.

#endtheswaying

 

[Irish Insanity]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>And we all have to take a lap. RT <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNotreDame">@ESPNNotreDame</a>: Kelly: No alma mater after home losses <a href="http://t.co/aAflZTJGbQ">http://t.co/aAflZTJGbQ</a></p>— Jack Swarbrick (@FakeSwarbrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/FakeSwarbrick/statuses/384382786024796160">September 29, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[EuropeanDomer]

Lack of respect. Go home Kelly

 

[JughedJones]

Lack of respect. Go home Kelly

And so it begins huh?

One successful coach changes the policy of another failed coach and it's off with his head.

This thread is diseased.

 

[irishff1014]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>And we all have to take a lap. RT <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNotreDame">@ESPNNotreDame</a>: Kelly: No alma mater after home losses <a href="http://t.co/aAflZTJGbQ">http://t.co/aAflZTJGbQ</a></p>— Jack Swarbrick (@FakeSwarbrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/FakeSwarbrick/statuses/384382786024796160">September 29, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I don't c are much for this at all. I personally don't think it shows a good sign. Its good to honor the school when you win but not when you lose. kinda touchy.

 

[JughedJones]

I happen to think it was an awkward 'tradition' to being with.

The kids go through two days of Notre Dame Pomp and Circumstance going into the game, then if they lose, they have to sit there and sing with the crowd?

They've done plenty for the school and her fans, let them go back to the locker room and lick their wounds and figure out next week.

 

[GoIrish41]

I like the alma mater at the end of the game. I don't think it should be just after wins at home. That said, I think of all the problems this team has right now, this is way, way down on the list of what to care about.

 

[goldandblue]

I like the alma mater at the end of the game. I don't think it should be just after wins at home. That said, I think of all the problems this team has right now, this is way, way down on the list of what to care about.

Speaking the truth right here...

 

[Irishman77]

I happen to think it was an awkward 'tradition' to being with.

The kids go through two days of Notre Dame Pomp and Circumstance going into the game, then if they lose, they have to sit there and sing with the crowd?

They've done plenty for the school and her fans, let them go back to the locker room and lick their wounds and figure out next week.

Right on. Cease the swaying...it's awkward IMHO