This seems like a good thread for my preliminary report. I, too, feel good. I had a great weekend – I was at the game. I took my son (23) for his first visit to Notre Dame and his first home game. I took him to a Stanford game in Palo Alto when he was about 12 but it's not the same --- good, but not the same.
We left Minneapolis at three (CST) Friday afternoon, drove eight hours and hit South Bend at midnight (EST) to spend the weekend at the home of one of his college buddies and his very gracious family. It turns out that this kid's father lived in the same dorm (Holy Cross) as I did though eight years later than my time there. We two dads hit it off immediately.
Late Saturday morning we hit the campus – it's tough for us old farts (I'm 57, he's 49) to get an early start after staying up till three in the morning shooting the ****, though we were up by 8 AM while our 23 year-old sons slept till 10; and they crashed an hour before us.
I got to show my son around a campus where I spent four years. We went to the spot where my dorm USED to be, the Grotto, the Basilica, the administration building/Golden Dome, the Huddle and generally wandered. For once he didn't seem bored with my stories. We watched the team walk to the stadium. I chatted briefly with some of the many Utah fans wishing them a pleasant visit at ND, offering the Utes a "good luck, I hope it's a good game" and admitting that I thought we were going to get our asses handed to us – I actually tone down my usual "colorful" language lest I offend anyone. The other Dad offered to take photos of Utah groups so that they were ALL in the shot and the "designated clicker" was left to be photo-shopped in later. We were good ambassadors for the spirit of Notre Dame. I think. I hope.
We spent a little time in one of the tailgate areas. Only enough time for one beer. Damn! We watched the band march to the stadium. Then it was into the stadium for the game. Our seats were in section 5, row 23. Across from the student section, behind the band in the east corner of the North end zone. I think. It was hard to get oriented since the Sun was obscured by clouds and I couldn't see Touchdown Jesus.
There was a light rain until the middle of the 3rd quarter which was no fun, but tolerable. I was discouraged by the start: win the coin toss, take the kickoff, get nowhere, punt, allow the Utes to move down the field. Well, at least we held them to a field goal.
The blocked punt taken in for a TD lit a torch! In spite of some worrisome moments we outscored Utah 28 zip following their field goal early in the game.
Very, very few people left, and even then it wasn't until there were about two minutes left in the game. I stood and shouted (though I reduced the volume a bit so that I had some voice left today) and was never once asked to sit down. I think that the noise level was pretty damn high and that we non-students held our own with the student section.
As the game was about to end an announcement was made: "Do not run onto the field!" HAH!!! Fat chance! "twas a thing of beauty! I had a great view of the student section across the field. A number of students started to jump down to the field. The security crew initially tried to stop them. In no time it looked like lemmings streaming over a cliff. The student section looked like sand draining from the top to the bottom of a just overturned hourglass. The security personnel then turned their attention to getting the students to use the safer ramps and tunnels rather than jumping. It was a damn gorgeous mosh pit of students and the team on the field!
The band was on the field. The team didn't need to look up to the student section while singing the Alma Mater – all they need do was look to their left and right; to their front and back. And then the student body set about running and dancing throughout the ranks of the band.
It was so, so, so good to see spirits lifted so high in both the team and the students. I was hoarse and my son was thoroughly impressed.
I'm back in Minneapolis after another 8 hour drive – and 12 inches of snow here Friday night and Saturday which required shoveling. Sorry this is so long, but ... life is good ... I FEEL GOOD!
There's another side story but I'll save it for later.
