I'm going to give the crowd
I'm going to give the crowd
the benefit of the doubt.
To look out on the majority of the crowd at the ND-USC pep rally, it is difficult to not be a little disheartened. I want to get on the microphone and ask, "What's wrong? Is it you or is it me? Is it the years of having expectations crushed under the the reality of losing that has ripped out your heart?"
Observing this exchange is like being in a relationship that is struggling to stay together, with one party unhappy with how things have been going and time having jaded the faith that things can get back to the way they used to be. (I'm laughing as I type this)
Yet, while the people look zombie-like, I still have to give them the benefit of the doubt. There is uncertainty that can only be cured by winning. New generations have to love this school as much as those who have come before, and this doesn't happen overnight. And while the people in the crowd might look awkward and almost disinterested, there is still hope. After all, it is South Bend, Indiana. I imagine it's cold. The people aren't flashy. They work their asses off and take most things very seriously. They live in a city that the nation perceives as dying. It's hard not to internalize things when you live in Indiana.
Yet, there they are, standing faithfully in spite of everything. The crowd is deep, just more hesitant than the glory days of past. ND football has become more like church, where people stand in reverence secretly questioning if their faith has meaning anymore, but standing as a symbol of faith nonetheless. In the ritual, signs are needed to strength belief, and tomorrow another sign will help shed the stigma of defeat.
And hopefully, get this crowd believing again!
GO IRISH!!
