Players Skipping Alma Mater

[stlnd01]

Nice to see the quality of this thread continues to improve.

All I'll say is this. I was a freshman in Bob Davie's first year. Obviously I never missed a home game as a student (or the two seasons after when I still lived nearby). Since then I've made it to a game or two every year. Plus my share of road games over the years. Which is a long way of saying I've sat through some Godawful losses, games much worse than yesterday.
That has taught me two things.

One is that you don't leave early. Certainly not at home (I will admit to having left the 2008 BC game early, in the rain, down 20-0 and knowing that taking the T home from a BC night game is nearly impossible. But that's the only time). Staying until the end, until the alma mater is played, sometimes it sucks. But it's good for the soul. **** your commute.

Two is that the students always have the players' backs. Always. There's no student body like it in college football. And in my experience the players know that and appreciate it. All that business about how Notre Dame football players live in dorms and go to regular classes and are more like regular students than they are at most places? That's all real. And it matters. And the respect it generates is mutual. To the students, Notre Dame football isn't a piece of steak you send back if it's not good. That's what the alma mater after the game is about. They ought not mess with it.

 

[Folsteam_Ahead]

it would be nice for everyone to use this as an exercise in forgiveness instead of stoking the flames to implode the relationships between the team, fans, and students. geez

 

[wizards8507]

Nice to see the quality of this thread continues to improve.

All I'll say is this. I was a freshman in Bob Davie's first year. Obviously I never missed a home game as a student (or the two seasons after when I still lived nearby). Since then I've made it to a game or two every year. Plus my share of road games over the years. Which is a long way of saying I've sat through some Godawful losses, games much worse than yesterday.
That has taught me two things.

One is that you don't leave early. Certainly not at home (I will admit to having left the 2008 BC game early, in the rain, down 20-0 and knowing that taking the T home from a BC night game is nearly impossible. But that's the only time). Staying until the end, until the alma mater is played, sometimes it sucks. But it's good for the soul. **** your commute.

Two is that the students always have the players' backs. Always. There's no student body like it in college football. And in my experience the players know that and appreciate it. All that business about how Notre Dame football players live in dorms and go to regular classes and are more like regular students than they are at most places? That's all real. And it matters. And the respect it generates is mutual. To the students, Notre Dame football isn't a piece of steak you send back if it's not good. That's what the alma mater after the game is about. They ought not mess with it.

Things like that were some of BK's first changes. The players now eat dinner at the training table, not the dining hall, and almost all of their free time is spent in the Gug.

 

[greyhammer90]

Things like that were some of BK's first changes. The players now eat dinner at the training table, not the dining hall, and almost all of their free time is spent in the Gug.

Holy ****, you mean they eat at the training table???


Well there you go guys, I think its safe to say that Kelly is officially not a ND man.

 

[stlnd01]

Things like that were some of BK's first changes. The players now eat dinner at the training table, not the dining hall, and almost all of their free time is spent in the Gug.

Yes, the training table is new, and it probably makes sense even if it means the linemen aren't eating the same mediocre stir-fry as you and me. But do they not still live in dorms and take regular classes/majors and have a life more attached to the rest of the university than most places?

 

[wizards8507]

Yes, the training table is new, and it probably makes sense even if it means the linemen aren't eating the same mediocre stir-fry as you and me. But do they not still live in dorms and take regular classes/majors and have a life more attached to the rest of the university than most places?

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but "better than most places" doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies. I've always been exceptionally proud of the "ND does it right" type things and I see us evolving more towards "yeah we do the same stuff as the other guys but not as blatant" while still claiming to be different.

 

[kmoose]

I'll bleed for the team when THEY bleed for the university. Sound fair?

I love this school more than just about anything in the world. That's why this makes me furious. The team is supposed to serve the University, not the other way around.

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[kmoose]

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but "better than most places" doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies. I've always been exceptionally proud of the "ND does it right" type things and I see us evolving more towards "yeah we do the same stuff as the other guys but not as blatant" while still claiming to be different.

ND has not changed what has been the core of their outlook on Athletics: that athletes are students first, athletes second. Athletes at ND still take regular classes, live in the same dorms as physics, education, and theology majors, are monitored for adequate academic progress, and are expected to graduate in 4 years. The funny thing is that the standards have actually gotten tougher, since the first teams. Rockne regularly had a bunch of borderline criminals and thugs on his teams. But he held firm to the ideals of the University, and helped the school mold those young men into men that made others proud to have known them. As recently as the 80s, Lou Holtz got some guys in that probably shouldn't have qualified academically (Tony Rice and Chris Zorich). Holtz guaranteed the establishment that he would see to it that these kids graduated on time, and without major incident. He was successful in that. Maybe you aren't "old fashioned". Maybe you are just glamorizing a vision in your head of how ND is "supposed" to be, and not basing it in any kind of reality? It's a trap that many of us have, and continue to, fall into from time to time.

 

[returnofthemack]

I understand Kap's frustration, but it's completely wrong of him to lump the students in with the fans who left. During the 2007 season, the only game where a lot of students left early was when USC smoked us 38-0. every other game most stayed till the end. As far as marshmallows getting thrown, we throw them at each other, why would they get mad? Most students become diehard fans and in many instances only stay during ugly losses to sing the Alma mater with the team. This was a dipshit move by Kelly. I guarantee you a large portion of the student section wanted to leave early and get flank steak at the DH, but they stayed.

 

[koonja]

Next home loss, post-game:

 

[palinurus]

Kap's tirade makes no sense. The question isn't whether some fans, even students, leave early, or whether they should. It's not about the character of frontrunning fans and students. The question is whether the team should join the student body for the alma mater after a loss. Is he saying that it's fine for the team to punish the loyal fans (they're still there after the loss, waiting to sing the alma mater, see, Kap?) by bugging out, because the disloyal ones, who have probably left already, left already?

I went to one ND game in Pittsburgh as a kid, another as a teen, and since then maybe one game a year in South Bend or on the road, every third year or so. (It's a 10 or so hour drive for me so not an easy trip.) So going to an Irish game is pretty special to me, as is that campus, as is that school.

I never leave before the alma mater. I don't leave before the band does. And I am just a lifelong dumb*** subway alumni. Honestly, sometimes I think people who never went to Notre Dame understand it and love it better than a lot of people who did (and do).

 

[koonja]

When you have that many players, coaches, and especially fans upset after a loss, it's illogical IMO to expect the song to go smoothly every time after a loss.

If you do it after losses, you're just asking for trouble IMO. Something bad will happen eventually.

 

[palinurus]

When you have that many players, coaches, and especially fans upset after a loss, it's illogical IMO to expect the song to go smoothly every time after a loss.

If you do it after losses, you're just asking for trouble IMO. Something bad will happen eventually.

Well, something bad has happened because they didn't do it after a loss.

 

[koonja]

Well, something bad has happened because they didn't do it after a loss.

Yeah but I'll take this minor issue if it saves us from having something really stupid from happening down the road.

 

[aubeirish]

Next home loss, post-game:

This has been going on a lot lately lol. If only it was just football. Would be much easier.

 

[IrishLax]

The only thing more silly than fans bitching about players is players whining about fans.

 

[BurningRiver]

I don't know what Kap was talking about. The student section, almost all of it, stayed until the last seconds ticked off the clock. Did we all want to leave? Hell yeah. But we stayed and chanted "let's go Irish" to the end because we knew it was right to be present and support our football team. And we were rewarded with half the team running into the locker room without acknowledgement. We weren't any less upset about the loss than the team was.

 

[Buster Bluth]

On the alma mater: It's a tradition that's less than ten years old, so we can simply tone any possible butthurtness way down.

On skipping the alma mater after a loss: I don't know about you, but I'd want to get the team into the locker room as fast as possible. I think staying out on the field sorta sterilizes the atmosphere and emotions. It lessens the initial hate for loss, in my opinion. "Oh geez we just majorly underperformed, welp let's go sing the alma mater!" I don't think I've ever been a hug fan of that.

End result: If Kelly doesn't want to do it after a loss, I'm totally okay with that. If he gets overruled and they do it from now on, okay. It's not like it was a hundred-year old deal and Kelly just seriously dropped the ball or insulted the university.

 

[chubler]

Honestly, you can talk until you're blue in the face about too much or too little tradition, but if you ask me, this tradition might be the one that reflects our conception of ourselves as a student body, a team, a university, a community most powerfully. Where else do students get to games so early and leave so late? We support our friends on the team precisely because they are our classmates, roommates, and friends. That's something, I think, that's valuable- Oregon's players might as well be on an NFL team for all their interaction with the student body.

I think people are right to be upset, but if you're gonna complain about if on the internet, at least be productive about it and tweet at Brian Kelly, ND Football, or someone who can convey the message where it needs to go.

 

[IrishMoore1]

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<div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=369460409853118&id=282648965200930" data-width="550"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=369460409853118&id=282648965200930">Post</a> by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/ND-Confessions/282648965200930">ND Confessions</a>.</div></div>

ND Confessions
5 hours ago
#1045: Coach Kelly told us not to stay for the alma mater if we lost the game. As a member of the team, I'm proud to say that I and most of my fellow teammates did not listen to his order. Win or lose, we bleed gold and blue and I promise you will always be there. Our hearts forever; love thee Notre Dame.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Of course the Confessions page could just be literally anyone saying they are a player. Just submit whatever you want and they'll post it. Say you are a player and you were hungover for that game. They'll post it. Say you're a player and you are glad ND lost because you want Kelly to be fired. They'll probably post it.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

On the alma mater: It's a tradition that's less than ten years old, so we can simply ton any possible butthurtness way down.

On skipping the alma mater after a loss: I don't know about you, but I'd want to get the team into the locker room as fast as possible. I think staying out on the field sorta sterilizes the atmosphere and emotions. It lessens the initial hate for loss, in my opinion. "Oh geez we just majorly underperformed, welp let's go sing the alma mater!" I don't think I've ever been a hug fan of that.

End result: If Kelly doesn't want to do it after a loss, I'm totally okay with that. If he gets overruled and they do it from now on, okay. It's not like it was a hundred-year old deal and Kelly just seriously dropped the ball or insulted the university.

Pretty much my feelings. I'd rather have the coaches and players be so disappointed that they can't stand being on the field any longer than to say, oh well, let's sway. Either way, I don't really care what the team does after a loss. I am pretty much in a huge minority there.

 

[returnofthemack]

On the alma mater: It's a tradition that's less than ten years old, so we can simply tone any possible butthurtness way down.

On skipping the alma mater after a loss: I don't know about you, but I'd want to get the team into the locker room as fast as possible. I think staying out on the field sorta sterilizes the atmosphere and emotions. It lessens the initial hate for loss, in my opinion. "Oh geez we just majorly underperformed, welp let's go sing the alma mater!" I don't think I've ever been a hug fan of that.

End result: If Kelly doesn't want to do it after a loss, I'm totally okay with that. If he gets overruled and they do it from now on, okay. It's not like it was a hundred-year old deal and Kelly just seriously dropped the ball or insulted the university.

If I understand you correctly, you think the team standing before the students after a loss and singing the alma mater together will make them forget how much they hate losing - yeah, OK. If you have played sports, you've probably lost more than a few times. When you see your family after the game and they try to console you, do you hate losing less? But greeting your friends and family is a recognition of the unconditional love between you and your friends and family. Regardless of what students say, there is unconditional support for the football team, as evidenced by the students staying until the end. The singing of the Alma Mater is an affirmation of the unconditional bond between students, athlete or otherwise, and between the students and the University. So yes, Kelly did insult the student body.

 

[returnofthemack]

Mallory Enjoys ND Trip. This is a quote from a recruit who was at the game: "He was also impressed with the fact that the students didn’t quit on the players even after the loss, calling them back out to sing the alma mater. 'I thought that was a cool thing,' he said. 'I thought it was cool how all of the fans support the team so much and how big their student section was. I thought that was awesome.'" But no Buster, we're just butthurt.

 

[NDohio]

<
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>and two head coaches. And we didn't quit or give up. You circle the wagons and BALL OUT. the football team should just do the alma mater</p>—>

For those of you banging on Kap about not staying out for the Alma Mater, see the bold.

I do believe many are blowing this waaaay out of proportion. All fanbases sometimes over glamorize traditions and think certain traditions are theirs and no other teams do them. It's just not true. There are certain things that do make Notre Dame different, this is not one of them.

 

[Irish#1]

Are ND fans really that naive? The guys don't give a damn about school, the students, or the fans, with very few exceptions. At best, the "character" guys care about the team and the rest are thinking about themselves and their draft status. They want to win, sure, but it's not for you or me or Our Lady's University.

I can't believe you really said that. I started to say more, but stopped. I don't want to get banned.

 

[irishpat183]

Yeah.

Players can't go to church anymore. It's another one of those awful things that Kelly has done.

He hates Jesus.

Just get off this thread. You last few comments mirror that of a 15 year old who's parents just took away his car. And that's coming from me.


Go join the cheerleading squad if you want to play rah-rah all the time.

 

[irishpat183]

There is a Facebook page called "ND Confessions" where students anonymously post their secrets. This was just posted there...

"#1045: Coach Kelly told us not to stay for the alma mater if we lost the game. As a member of the team, I'm proud to say that I and most of my fellow teammates did not listen to his order. Win or lose, we bleed gold and blue and I promise you will always be there. Our hearts forever; love thee Notre Dame."

Told you. Kelly is losing this team.


The magic has run out. Too much garbage in the offseason.


Jacksonville is calling....

 

[Grahambo]

So, to catch up, fans are pissed about a team not singing a song after losing a big game?

 

[irishpat183]

Why should fans stay for four quarters if the product on the field is garbage? I'm not talking about Oklahoma because we had a chance the whole game but I'm not sticking around if we're down by 30 after 3. I don't owe the players a damn thing. I'm a paying customer. If my steak is undercooked, I send it back. If my Amazon package arrives broken, I return it. Since when are fans obligated to stand by an inferior product?

THANK YOU!!


These players dont have a chance to play without fans and alum paying for tickets, buying merch, watching on TV...etc.


Players need to be kissing OUR asses, not the other way around. Sorry, but at the end of the day...You play a ****iing game and are getting a top notch education because you can toss a pigskin around.