How is ND your team?

[sblxdoc]

Just curious on everybody's personal story on how ND became your team. Was it your an alumni? Or is it a certain game you watched? Or maybe a family member got you interested?

My story is simple. I was born and raised in South Bend. What about everybody else out there?

 

[irishfox]

Uncle is from Ireland and had a room full of Notre Dame stuff so it was basically the first team logo I saw. Then I started watching them on tv at a very young age and to seal the deal I attended my first game when FSU came to town in 1993. I was the tender age of 11. Since then I have planned Saturdays around Irish games. I can't remember the last game I have missed.

 

[irishlaw77]

I've followed them forever, and went to law school at ND.

 

[CharlotteND]

Grandfather and both parents were alumni, and so I grew up in the '80s watching the games every Saturday. Went there myself during the Davingham years.

 

[AZIRISHFAN]

Born "under" the Golden Dome in Mishawaka. Family moved to AZ when I was young but still have memories as kid with my friends & family talking about the games. Never was lucky enough to attend school at ND but have made several road trips to watch them play. Cheer all things ND have gone to see the Hockey and Girls Basketball (sweet 16 & Elite 8 games during their Championship run) teams play when they were nearby.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Just curious on everybody's personal story on how ND became your team. Was it your an alumni? Or is it a certain game you watched? Or maybe a family member got you interested?

My story is simple. I was born and raised in South Bend. What about everybody else out there?

Got my ND-MBA in 1997...been a fan since my first game in 1995.

 

[luckofirish8]

My father is from Chicago and is Catholic. When he moved to Nashville ND football followed him here. As a child I wanted to watch sports on TV all the time and he allowed me to watch...as long as it was the Fighting Irish, White Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks, or Da Bears. Every since I was little, I have been a fan of the above teams. Although, I will say, i haven't been that great of a Blackhawks fan. Who can blame me?

 

[NDgettysburg]

Had a 2nd grade (guess it must have been 1971 or '72) teacher named Mrs. Regan ask me who my favorite college team was. Told her I didn't have one. She said, "well, you're Irish like me so you should be a Notre Dame fan". And so it was simple as that....just worked out well that I'm also Catholic I guess.

 

[tgolden]

Two uncles and mom went there. both godparents and sister's godfather went there. went up for games since as far back as I can remember (although I didn't actually get into the stadium until the year before the expansion). My brother's there, and I'm now a student.

Family stories say I was cheering for ND before I can even remember. I used to run around the house yelling Go Rocket! That would have made me 1 or 2 years old.

 

[punishment]

I didn't become an ND fan until I attended my first game during my first year of law school. That was against Texas AM in 2000. I grew up a die-hard Canes fan, even though I am from Cali. (This was pre-USC bandwagon.) Miami was my dream school, but my mom didn't want me to go out of state for college. When I was applying to law schools, I had made up my mind that I was going out of state.

So, while I still root for Miami, I became a diehard ND fan on that fateful day on September 2, 2000.

My law school choices ultimately came down to ND, Miami and USC.

 

[onenybrother]

Was No Big Time Schools close to New York City. Notre Dame was one of the few teams that was played in our region area every week Penn State , Ohio State ,Michigan Alabama and U.S.C was the others. One afternoon my brothers and I was watching the game's and we decide to pick a team that played that afternoon. I chose Norte Dame ,my middle brother chose Alabama ( piss my pops off his black kid rooting on Alabama lol) and we made my little brother pick the Trojan. Been our teams every since . Brings back alot of memories .

 

[nayers]

i have been a fan since 2005, lol j/k...me and my brother were raised as ND fans, with the kiddie pj's to prove it...everything related around ND for us, its just how we were raised

 

[Óglaigh_na_hÉireann]

Irish-Catholic with deep Republican ties.. was also raised as an ND fan.

 

[knute]

Grew up in Granger, IN. My mother worked for the University and I got a break on tuition (and admission). Wasn't really a fan until my Sophmore year, 1992. Undefeated season, #1 vs. #2 when FSU and Charlie Ward rolled into town. I still remember 80,000 people at the end of the 3rd quarter yelling:

WEEEEEE!!!!

ARRRRRE!!!!

NNNNNNN!!!!

DDDDDDD!!!!



WEEEEEE!!!!

ARRRRRE!!!!

NNNNNNN!!!!

DDDDDDD!!!!



WEEEEEE!!!!

ARRRRRE!!!!

NNNNNNN!!!!

DDDDDDD!!!!


...for about 2 minutes during the TV break. Awesome. I still remember the next weekend, too. Not quite so fondly. That was the last great year of ND football until 2005.

 

[Famboo28]

Ever since I can remember I've been a Notre dame fan. There are pictures of me when I was 2 years old decked out in Notre Dame apparell. My dad, uncle, older brother, and older sister (just graduated) went to Notre Dame and I'm only a junior in high school but I hope to continue the tradition.

 

[gallup21]

first home game i went to was in 2002 (5th grade) ND.vs.Michigan which was a thriller 25-23, then you get this year barry gallup jr coming out of my home town which has given me a real favorite player to root for, also want to be a sports journalist so ND gives me a good team to write about (not one yet, just hope to be one one day)

 

[irish9331]

I am the product of an Irish Catholic household and school, so it was just a natural fit. When I was a kid I liked the color of the uniforms, I just thought that the gold helmets were really sharp looking. As I got older I realized that Notre Dame's football program was something that you could really believe in because they do it the right way.

 

[Easton Pa ND Fan]

Very early tv memories...

Very early tv memories...

Dad in his chair, sis playing with her dolls on the sofa, I on a footstool and mom bringing in refreshments on a tray. We had a black and white tv and I didn't know that ND had gold helmets. I only knew that on Saturday afternoons, there was a football team that had "grey" helmets, a fight song that I liked to hum and a winning tradition.

It was quality family time, the only problem was that, at that age, I didn't understand why sometimes they wore "black" uniforms and at other times "white" uniforms...Tom

GO IRISH !!!

 

[Irish Legend]

Irish-Catholic with deep Republican ties.. was also raised as an ND fan.

Ditto....

 

[Irish Legend]

Dad in his chair, sis playing with her dolls on the sofa, I on a footstool and mom bringing in refreshments on a tray. We had a black and white tv and I didn't know that ND had gold helmets. I only knew that on Saturday afternoons, there was a football team that had "grey" helmets, a fight song that I liked to hum and a winning tradition.

It was quality family time, the only problem was that, at that age, I didn't understand why sometimes they wore "black" uniforms and at other times "white" uniforms...Tom

GO IRISH !!!

I thought it was "Notre Game" till I was like 5 or so!

 

[tmacirish]

I grew up in a ND family. 2 cousins went there, we all bleed blue and Gold. but the biggest reason why is when i was 13 my father passed away and we used to watch all the games together. it was our thing, just his and i's. It really reminds me of him and is kinda of all ive got let of him bc my mom remarried or whatever and she kinda got rid of alot of things. I feel like hes really close to my heart then, and i can kinda feel like hes sittin next to me watchin the games with me. it the one thing that nomatter what, noone can take away. God he loved Notre Dame.

 

[Win4Gipper]

I grew up in North Dakota and watched more pro sports and didnt pay too much attention to college sports. I went to a small NAIA school south of Chicago and my roomate was from Mishiwaka(SP). He took me to the moonlight madness when Pat Garrity was still there. I walked all over campus and was amazed. I still have my Team photo that was signed by the whole team.

 

[Vince Young]

My father worked his way through Notre Dame in the 70s and watched Joe Montana play. As far back as I can remember Dad was a Notre Dame fan, and I still remember the hope and excitement he felt when Lou Holtz came in to replace Jerry Faust, even with Holtz's first year not being all that good. So, I couldn't help but pick it up from him, and I'm sure my kids will pick it up from me whenever I get around to having any kids.

 

[shark83]

Well I'm irish born & bred here & when i first started following American Football it just seemed like the right fit

 

[iloveirish_12]

My Grandpa always liked them, so everyone in my family became fans.

 

[dankus]

Born in South Bend, along with my parents and my sister.

Had a grandparent from both sides retire from Notre Dame and numerous family members attend. Also, my grandmother and her brother-in-law own/live in two homes on Palmer St. right by campus.

So basically I'm trying to illustrate that there was no opportunity for another team. I was conceived as an Irish fan.

 

[sblxdoc]

I grew up in a ND family. 2 cousins went there, we all bleed blue and Gold. but the biggest reason why is when i was 13 my father passed away and we used to watch all the games together. it was our thing, just his and i's. It really reminds me of him and is kinda of all ive got let of him bc my mom remarried or whatever and she kinda got rid of alot of things. I feel like hes really close to my heart then, and i can kinda feel like hes sittin next to me watchin the games with me. it the one thing that nomatter what, noone can take away. God he loved Notre Dame.

That's awesome man. God Bless.

 

[donjuan]

I was born at St. Joe's while my dad was studying Architecture at Notre Dame. My grandfather was a professor of Business there as well. On a side note; those experiences got my feet wet, but you have to have that "feeling". I can't explain it, but I got it at the fredo/ND game back in 1993. Now I'm a nut. "If only you cared so passionately about me!". Sound familiar to anyone? Once again, Notre Dame is a special place. I cant explain the passion that I or the rest of my family has for ND. And I'm sure there're people reading this in the same fanatic way! We are Notre Dame, we are The Irish! That's why we are different! -Don

 

[SBhomer]

Been a fan ever since I saw the jets fly over my house for the Air Force home games in the early 90's...that was always an event!

 

[irish4life99]

Don't really remember. I was born and raised in a house not even a half mile from the stadium. In the fall I used to open the window and the crowd noise was louder than the TV. I'll never forget my first game in 77 when I was 10 years old. (oops, just told you my age). I remember that year and 88 champions and and have been on the sidelines of many of great games. I'm not an alum, but I have many ties to the school. I've been called a "homer" many of times and I accept that as a compliment. Now I'm rasing another generation of ND homers.