Transcending SDSU

[SteveM]

I'm creating a new thread that transcends the ballgame.

The only thing I will say is that JC threw a couple of really nice balls for those last 2 TDS.

OK, that's it about execution. I'll take the "W" and leave the boxscore at that.

Now let me amplify something that Lags24 touched on in his game post:

"There was no nastiness what so ever."

Which is really perceptive from a global, season-wide perspective. And by that, I mean the last TD drive explicitly. I played ball and I know what "hungry" is. When ND got inside SDSU's 30 they should have been busting in and out of the huddle. I mean really hungry and angry as hell, just wanting to just stuff SDSU so bad, they couldn't contain themselves. Especially the OL. Talk to a cohort of O-Lineman who have synergistic "Flow" going and just want to steamroll till tomorrow and you'll know exactly what I mean.

But I saw none of that "This is our house! Take no prisoners!" attitude and energy today while the boys were actually trying to get it done.

When push comes to shove, football is a cathartic, mean business. Right Lags, I felt no catharsis nor meaness out there today. "Relief" as an emotional response against an SDSU is not enough to sustain a season.

SteveM

 

[Dizzyphil]

"There was no nastiness what so ever."



But I saw none of that "This is our house! Take no prisoners!" attitude and energy today while the boys were actually trying to get it done.

When push comes to shove, football is a cathartic, mean business. Right Lags, I felt no catharsis nor meaness out there today. "Relief" as an emotional response against an SDSU is not enough to sustain a season.

SteveM[/QUOTE]

I totally agree with your statements on this. We looked like we were throwing pillow fights at times out there. Grid-iron means tough and if you look at a post I have across the street, I gave the coaches a D. This is were they and the seniors need to step up. The stadium was so quiet at time, it made me crappy.

 

[IrishinTN]

The announcers noticed that, too. At one point, I recall the quotes-
Pat - "This place is a quiet as a library."
Tom - "I have been to libraries that were louder than this, actually."

 

[JeremyND07]

The announcers noticed that, too. At one point, I recall the quotes-
Pat - "This place is a quiet as a library."
Tom - "I have been to libraries that were louder than this, actually."

You have to give the crowd something to cheer about...I was glad to finally here some boo's after the HORRIBLE play calling!!!!!! The OL played with no heart and passion how is the crowd supose to act?

 

[MirageSmack]

You have to give the crowd something to cheer about...I was glad to finally here some boo's after the HORRIBLE play calling!!!!!!

Chicken, or the egg?

 

[Junkhead]

The announcers noticed that, too. At one point, I recall the quotes-
Pat - "This place is a quiet as a library."
Tom - "I have been to libraries that were louder than this, actually."

ND stadium always seems quiet to me. I've been to quite a few games, and unfortunately, there are way too many old farts there that never get off their Metamucil eating butts. If you are going to go to the game and zone out, do it at the damn nursing home, and give your tickets to someone with a pulse.

 

[Bubba]

ND stadium always seems quiet to me. I've been to quite a few games, and unfortunately, there are way too many old farts there that never get off their Metamucil eating butts. If you are going to go to the game and zone out, do it at the damn nursing home, and give your tickets to someone with a pulse.

That's too bad. It's a college campus for Christ's sake. It should be rowdy. It should be loud. Save the quiet for Mass before or after the game. Let this team and it's fans have some damn fun!!

OK, I'm done.

 

[phork]

Sounds like Michigan Stadium, heh.

 

[SteveM]

Louder than Bombs?

Louder than Bombs?

I've never been to ND stadium, (sigh...) So can't do a compare & contrast. But is there somebody on this site that can provide a now vs legacy (e.g., Lou) crowd energy comparison without his assessment being clouded by too much nostalgia?

I pose the question because ND being a much smaller school than a Michigan or Penn State has 10's of thousands fewer testosterone-driven, alcohol-fueled students packing the stands to really get the place hopping.

So can an a crowd attitude change be effected with the right on-field vibe, or is the crowd somnolence a function or the immutable demographics?

Comments?

SteveM

P.S. I got too much time on my hands...

 

[BestBIrish47]

Well I will give you an example...I went to the game and took three of my buddies, two of which are Texas A&M alumni. During the game we were all standing being loud and people behind me were like can you sit down so we can see the game. I have been going to games for years and never has that happened. I feel like when the stadium held 59000 tickets were harder to come by and the crowd was rowdy. Now it holds 80 000 I feel like too many casual fans get tickets now. My buddies from a&m told me pregame atmosphere and all was amazing. Tail gate was awesome, Linebacker was top notch after the game....during the game fans were awful. Too many old farts, too many soccer moms and stock brokers, we need hungry hammered irish fans.

 

[IrishAlum1997]

This is an annual debate on this site. You cannot use the 'old farts' comment, as you will offend some of the members of the site.

I've been going to games since my freshman year in '93. I agree with previous posts that indicate when there is something to cheer about, the place can be electric. But when there is not, it is a morgue. It's been that way for as long as I can remember.

 

[BestBIrish47]

I have a hard time the give us something to cheer about argument. I will put it in perspective though, a weak opponent, an awful 3 qtrs of play coming off a 3-9 season so yea I can see the dead stadium problem. Here is my argument, at Notre Dame the fans used to be part of the game. If you look at the games from 88-93, the home field advantage was clear cut. If you played in South Bend, you were going to have a hard time. Now our fans have gone from assets, to liabilities. Here is why, like most of you that have played in college, I remember playing in stadiums where when the crowd went mute, the opposing team got a boost. "Listen to this place, we took the air from it" is something that was probably mentioned on the SDSU sideline. Instead of being uncomfortable and shaky...this lets a team settle down and feel like they can win. So fans need to be a part of the game, not just spectators. This past week, most of the non student fans were part of the problem, not the answer. If you go to an Irish game, don't be the stereo typical Irish fan, I have seen better, or the come on Charlie guy. I wanted to punch a guy behind me that was saying... this is the same thing from last year... anyone want to buy my season tickets. I flew in from Texas with 3 guys that had never been to an Irish game, and they were so excited to see a game in our stadium. If you don't want to support the team and help it win, give your tickets to someone that will. I know 3 people that were with me saturday from Texas that can't wait to see another game in South Bend. If a UT alum and two Texas A&M alums can appreciate the gift that we over look, why can't we?

 

[Irish52]

Could the lack of fan noise and emotion reflect the disappointment of team performance and coaching failure? I think we expected to win by 40 and were disgusted with the play of the offensive line which opened few holes for our great running backs. But the thing that really stood out, as previously posted, was the complete lack of esprit de corp of the team......no hustle to and from the huddle. no enthusiasm, no ND spirit, etc.

 

[BestBIrish47]

I am not happy with the way we played either, but for me, I have been going to games my whole life and feel like it is a two way street. Players feed of the energy of the crowd more than we think!!

 

[PADOMERNUT]

I was at the game, and I actually saw alot of energy and passion from the defense, especially towards the end of the game. Hopefully that permeates through the rest of the team. Also I go to at least one game every year, for the most part, ND Stadium is quiet, with a few exceptions (USC '05)

 

[PADOMERNUT]

Also, no offense, but anyone who thought we would win by 40 is off of their rocker. We were dead last in total offense last year. DEAD LAST. We arent going to go from that to a team that puts up 40 points overnight. I dont care who we are playing. It is going to take some time....

 

[BestBIrish47]

The avg age of the Irish Fan now seems to be in the 50s if you take the students out. I am 29 and Bleed Blue and Gold, I get frustrated when out of our entire section, there were about 4 of us standing and yelling on 3rd down.

 

[SteveM]

Lights Out!

Lights Out!

Let me acknowledge the remarkable insights contributed by the erudite crew here and return to my original observation, re: "hunger" on that last TD drive.

Why was that important? Because without it, an SDSU comeback score wins the ballgame from them. And that would have been an absolute season wrecker. We'd be wallowing in the morass of athletic iniquity with Temple and Syracuse.

If I'm an ND O-Player in that position at that point in time, I'm thinking,

"Let's crush these guys!"

"I wanna knock out their f'ing lights so the idea of a comeback is totally alien to them!"

"I wanna knock them into next week so that Michigan knows we are on fire!"

Nope, instead they played it out like "Well it would be nice to score, but if we don't, what the heck? Stuff happens... Let's go home and bake some cookies and read poetry."

That won't do.

SteveM

 

[GO IRISH!!!]

I am not happy with the way we played either, but for me, I have been going to games my whole life and feel like it is a two way street. Players feed of the energy of the crowd more than we think!!

I totally agree. As a player, the fans can bring you out of some doldrums and get you pumped up. You might be completely gassed, but if the crowd starts rocking, you find energy you didn't think you had. That's the whole 12th man concept. I think a lot of Notre Dame fans have forgotten the fans ARE a part of the team and can definitely influence the outcome of games. I really feel it is the regular fans that go to a bunch of home games that have forgotten this concept. For those of us that don't get to games very often, I think we still have that fire. I was at the UCLA game last year in LA and I go to games at Stanford whenever I can and, in both instances, the ND fans are WAY louder than the other teams' fans. I think that has to do with the fact that most of the ND fans that go to games in other parts of the country are fans that can't get to games very often and we make the most of it. I completely blew my voice out last year at UCLA. We were not playing that great, but the fans were going nuts the whole game.

I think fans that are season ticket holders or go to a lot of games in South Bend have adopted this "what have you done for me lately" attitude. I think, as a stereotype, they take being able to go to the games for granted. They put all their effort into the tailgate or entertaining and being "seen" rather than being intent on helping the Irish win.

I think the chardonnay and foie gras crowd might be starting to outnumber the Nattie Light and brat fans.

Just my opinion and observation.

Go Irish!!!

 

[JeremyND07]

I have to agree with everyone one on here. ND stadium is full of a bunch of people that look and act like they came to a tea party not a football game. In contrast I was at the Browns game last night and we were down 28-7 and the crowd was still roaring on 3rd downs. The 3 games I have been to at ND have not reflected any passion in the fan base like I see on this website!!!!

 

[SteveM]

Genesis of Hunger

Genesis of Hunger

Let me say something as an ex-player. That hunger is inside out, not outside in from crowd noise. If you are hungry, it does not matter if you are playing in a pasture in front of a herd of cows.

I mean active, loud fan-dom is great. And energy transfer is indeed synergistic. But the primal energy those players need comes from the locker room, not the stands.

But I ain't making judgments just yet, merely observations.

SteveM

 

[alleycat9]

I'm creating a new thread that transcends the ballgame.

The only thing I will say is that JC threw a couple of really nice balls for those last 2 TDS.

OK, that's it about execution. I'll take the "W" and leave the boxscore at that.

Now let me amplify something that Lags24 touched on in his game post:

"There was no nastiness what so ever."

Which is really perceptive from a global, season-wide perspective. And by that, I mean the last TD drive explicitly. I played ball and I know what "hungry" is. When ND got inside SDSU's 30 they should have been busting in and out of the huddle. I mean really hungry and angry as hell, just wanting to just stuff SDSU so bad, they couldn't contain themselves. Especially the OL. Talk to a cohort of O-Lineman who have synergistic "Flow" going and just want to steamroll till tomorrow and you'll know exactly what I mean.

But I saw none of that "This is our house! Take no prisoners!" attitude and energy today while the boys were actually trying to get it done.

When push comes to shove, football is a cathartic, mean business. Right Lags, I felt no catharsis nor meaness out there today. "Relief" as an emotional response against an SDSU is not enough to sustain a season.

SteveM

this is EXACTLY my issue with this program right now. i saw it a little the year before last and it was prevalent last year. i had hoped that it was because there were so many new kids that there was no fire, no anger, no old school notre dame we are going to kick you straight in the teeth, we are going to run the play right at you and even though you are setup to stop it we will execute and crush you at the point of attack.

i am a big charlie weis fan, have been since he was with parcells years ago but this is his fault in my eyes and this is the reason on saturday i realized that he is not the coach that we need in south bend. even when notre dame used to be bad they still played hard and were tough, you always knew you were in for a game. now i just dont see it anymore it doesnt exist anymore and someone needs to put that life back into this program.

hopefully lou holtz coming and talking to the team before the game will get charlie to realize what needs to be done on saturdays.

i remember reading an article last year or the year before where they were talking to one of the players that played for holtz and he said that lou would not let them audible, his reasoning was that even though they are setup in the perfect defense to stop this play we will execute it properly and make yards anyway. he instilled that confidence into those teams that they will not, they cannot be stopped. and that no matter what they would succeed. while i thought at first this attitude was a little odd and its better to audible out and get a better play after thinking about it that is why he was so great and those teams were so great, they learned through the teachings that they were better and they would overcome those obstacles.

 

[Folsteam_Ahead]

the chicken and egg reference was perfect. there's a connection between the fans and the team. who builds up whom?

i'm seeing the common theme on both sides being the attitude of the players. when the players strut around motioning for the crowd to cheer, making big plays, celebrating in the backfield, etc. the crowd goes nuts. i feel the lull of energy at ND when we're down and playing badly, but when you look at other powerhouses the players on the field have that "pump this up" attitude. i saw that some last saturday. esp with the defense. i want to see that.

i hope that some of the players read this thread and know that their confidence will be reflected by the crowd. have the presence of a champion. if a big play is coming, pump up the crowd. motion for everyone to stand and cheer. then none of the debbie downer fans will be able to deny others of getting into it, and i mean INTO IT! i want to be forced to turn down the volume on my tv this saturday. let's see some swagger out there