Why Notre Dame?

[JeremyND07]

When I was young my uncle was the only non-ohio state fan and he loved Notre Dame. I have been routing for them ever since. I converted my brothers over to the dark side which they remind me of every Saturday when they have to watch Notre Dame lose another close one or their hopes are dashed after the first game.

 

[lookingdeadred]

Always been a fan of the Irish

Always been a fan of the Irish

My father was Irish Catholic native of Chicago. He was a huge fan of ND. He was accepted to go to ND but enlisted in the army instead (it was 1943). After the war he was married and had a child, so going to college was not an option, but he remained a loyal fan of the Irish, which rubbed off on me.

 

[FrankMA]

I grew up in a Catholic home in MA and everybody I knew was Catholic and a Notre Dame fan. As a young kid I couldn't understand someone who wasn't an ND fan. My father was a big ND fan all his life. Kind of like Brian Kelly's family background. The same area of the country. Besides that I attended an Irish Catholic school for 12 years and went to an Irish Catholic church where the priest would give a thumbs up on Sunday morning if ND won and a thumbs down when they lost. I have no choice-I am an ND fan for life.

 

[tko]

full ride

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Irish Catholic from Chicago.

Actually chose the Wolverines first.

I was 6 and a big comic book (X-men) fan.

Grandma quickly straightened me out.

 

[GoingGreen]

My dad is a pretty big Notre Dame fan, so I always rooted for Notre Dame (but never really followed them closely). One day I watched Rudy with him, and after that I started watching ND football with him all the time. I don't watch ND with my dad anymore (he lives 1,500 miles away from me), but my knowledge of ND and fanhood grew every season, to the point where I was a diehard, and I've been that way ever since.

 

[mrmiller8]

Just like the rest of you, I grew up 40 minutes from South Bend with %99 of my family graduating from Mishawaka High School. Never knew anything better and can honestly say that I have ever really rooted for anyone else. Yeah I have my favorites for each week but know one breaks my heart like Notre Dame. Not even my girlfriend who just dumped me. She thought I was upset about her dumping me. Little did she know Notre Dame just lost. Let say it was a good thing she was an Ohio State fan anyway. Not a big loss.

 

[irishtrain]

I'm a protestant from western Penna. The first time I saw the helmets shinning in the sun at Pitt Stadium in the mid '60's I was on board. As an adult it now means more because of the way the school tries to do it. Its still college pure and simple.

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

The first super bowl I watched was Joe Montana smashing the Denver Broncos. I was a HUGE Joe Montana fan and once I found out he went to Notre Dame, I was HOOKED.

I have only had the luxury of seeing 2 REALLLY good seasons of ND, '92-'93 and even then I was only 12/13.

While its always "hot" questions "why are you a Notre Dame fan??", I love getting into the debates about how much this program means to the CFB landscape. People literally HATE, and I do mean HATE, Notre Dame, and I love to argue with them

 

[TDHeysus]

Tim Brown was an exciting player for me when I was a child. that exposed me to ND. I played youth football growing up and that lead to me having favorite college/pro players. My favorite player during this time was Chris Zorich. I played nose guard, he played nose guard; he went catholic ND, I went to a catholic HS. all of that was enough for me to decide that ND was better than USC.

Up until my ND epiphany, I liked USC. but in my defense, i'm a SoCal kid; who all my family always liked USC, back then USC was a respected university. Rodney Peete was my favorite SC player. I was railroaded into being a USC fan as a child.

The type of person I am, or the way I was raised, or im not really sure why, but im a very loyal person, some might say stubborn. My 2 favorite teams are OAK Raiders and ND Irish. Both havent done good in quite some time, but I never even considered jumping ship, or going to other teams because I could not 'put down' the ND or the Raiders 'thing' for that matter.

I must admit, when Weis was fired, I joked with friends that I was going to take a year sabbattical from being a ND fan. That I couldnt go thru all this again. I stayed away from the boards for about a month, but in the end I just cant stay away.

its those few precious exhilirating moments that keep me coming back, it has it claws in me and wont let go. Stuff like 91 orange bowl(no clip), the bettis game vs FLA, the penn state snow bowl, catholics v convicts (all of them), derek brown, 1993, kevin mcdougal, etc, etc.

 

[GreatGolson]

Color TV came out when I was little.

TV Came out when i was little (just milking it to see what Old Man Mike or Sir Dshans will say)

 

[eNDzone]

My brother turned the whole family on to ND when I was a wee one. I can't say it was the colors of the uniforms because we watched the games or the Sunday highlights on a 19 inch black and white TV. I grew up in New Haven a small town outside of Fort Wayne In. It was just far enough away from South Bend that alot of the media and alot of the people around there thought that Purdue and Indiana were the Indiana university. To me ND has always been the Indiana university and the American university too. Never attended ND but when I'm there I feel home. Not a bad seat in the stadium. When I was young they had winning teams And I'm sure they will soon. Looking back I guess one of the things that drew me to ND is its commitment to excellence.
Now I get to see all the wonderful colors of the game every Saturday on my HD TV. There are advantages to modern technology.

 

[Fan of the Irish]

My Great Grandfather went to Notre Dame and my Grandfather grew up right outside of South Bend, so I have been raised my whole life loving the Irish.

 

[ND22SB]

Besides being born in SB and still live and work here, it was mandatory to be a ND fan with the law laid down by my dad (lol). Growing up and watching the games with my dad get as frustrated as I do now. Getting to watch the taping of Rudy at the bus station in SB. Wanting to go and visit my mom at work (ND) to try and get a glimpse of players.

Losing to scUM and hearing friends have their fun was horrible. Then MSU came around and I was speechless for 15 minutes staring at the 5 or so replays as if something was going to change. Stanford then rolled into town only to dominate and there I was in the stands. After the BC I told myself the team is up and down not sure I can handle this anymore.

The past few years have been a struggle to watch and enjoy and I kept telling my wife this is it I'm done tailgating every home game and not spitting season tickets with my brother. But, every year the tickets are renewed and the car gets packed for tailgating...why ND....why not?

 

[jason_h537]

Reps to military-irish. I really enjoy reading everyone's responses, great thread

 

[military_irish]

Decided to bump this thread for anyone that is new, and it's the end of the season. So it is a good topic.

I also just like to hear why people are ND fans from all over, Alum or not.

So feel free to join the discussion if you like

 

[MyBrothersSchool]

As my screen name implies my brother went to Notre Dame. He is 4 years older, so while he was at ND I was in high school. Since my family lived in Chicago at the time we were close to South Bend so I went to a lot of football games and this was the start of the Ara Parseghian era. It was a great time to follow Notre Dame football.
When my time came for college I went to Southern Illinois University, football wasn't very big there so nothing replaced Notre Dame for football.
Basketball was a different story, that was the year after Walt Frazier lead SIU to the NIT championship (1967 it was a big thing) so for basketball it's SIU, but football all Notre Dame. Besides living in Los Angeles now it's fun to be a Notre Dame fan.

 

[PatsandBostonfan1975]

I was a tough Irish kid from a tough Irish family and there was a team called Fighting Irish with a leprechaun in a Jack Dempsey boxing stance. I think that was all it took A pissed off leprechaun and I was sold.

 

[PapaIrish37]

My Mother Told Me So

My Mother Told Me So

My older brother was an All State High School running back in upstate NY. Unfortunately it took him 5 years to complete the academic side of high school (had a perfect 4.0 in college after his return from the military in the Viet Nam era). His games were a family event. One afternoon I was home sick instead of being able to go to his game. My mother stayed home and was cooking for the whole gang.

It was 1965 (I think) and ND was playing Cal (not SC). I was watching as a poor substitute for a live high school game on our old black and white. My mother innocently asked who was playing and I told her and said that I liked Cal because I thought the "Golden Bears" was a neat mascot.

My mother, all 5'0" of her became enraged as all get out. I was in no uncertain terms told that in our household we ALWAYS rooted for ND. It was "Our Lady's University." I had never seen her so upset and only one other time after that would I see her this enraged. I am the youngest of 7 in an Irish Catholic family that had two pictures over my father's easy chair - JFK and John XXIII. I knew then to preserve life and limb I was all IRISH.

Later it became the love of a school that stood for something special. When it came time for me to be the first of my family to go directly to college after high school I was neither rich enough, smart enough or athletic enough to attend Our Lady's University. I did okay at a small liberal arts school in Upstate NY but remained an Irish fan through and through (I have a hard time when the two schools play each other in hockey). I even stayed home to watch ND crush Texas in the Cotton Bowl in 1978 with my brothers and father and returned to school late for classes. This was against all the admonitions my folks had given me when I went off to school but there were no questions asked.

I am blessed that we have one daughter who has graduated from Our Lady's University (best $200K+ investment I have ever made). Hopefully our younger one has the same opportunity.

GO IRISH!

 

[NCDomer]

Parents and a lot of my family are PSU fans. At some point, I liked to root for the hated teams to make it interesting. Then, I attended, so I have to root for them. I'm a Duke fan too for similar reasons.

 

[tadman95]

1966, no cable TV, and it still seemed like Notre Dame was on TV all of the time and they won a lot, especially that year. (3 channels in those days)

For a 9 year old, they were huge, storm trooper-esque, you know we're gonna run and you can't stop us, just badass/kickass Notre Dame.

Growing up in North Carolina (Mayberry), a Methodist, basketball country, and I'm already hooked as best I could be. Without cable and internet, coverage was still a little spotty.

1975, Holtz speaks at my high school sports banquet. I enroll at N.C. State, Holtz is becoming a legend at State, then he leaves. Damn! Follow his movements then BAM, he's at Notre Dame and I'm all in.......

Always will be.....

 

[k1ssme1m1r1sh]

I'm a third generation fan. It just doesn't feel right cheering for anyone else, and I love the campus and all the tradition.

 

[ryno 24]

I'm Catholic and American it is my right... im just not a notre dame football fan but I still love the school... Ive been denied for the entrance but I still love the school and everything it stands for the Grotto the basillica the people it is the number one symbol of the Catholic faith in America... I dont just root for Notre Dame it is a part of my life.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

I don't have the Irish Catholic background like so many others on here, in fact I am a German Lutheran, but when I first turned down ND Ave for a campus tour and saw that dome I was hooked. While you are there you form a special bond to the campus, the stadium, and to the students and players, and it is something I will never lose. I am proud to claim her as my alma mater and cheering her sons to victory is only an added benefit.

Btw Here Come the Irish as somone mentioned above is THE BEST SONG!
Live performance of the song at ND...
Here Come the Irish (song about Notre Dame) // Video Channel // University of Notre Dame

 

[IrishLax]

I never had a chance. Both of my parents went to Notre Dame, my whole family is Catholic and my first football memories are watching Notre Dame play in the Meadowlands as a child. As a third grader they made us write a letter to ourselves saying what we wanted to be when we grow up. I said "the quarterback for Notre Dame." I loved Notre Dame so much that I turned down Dartmouth, Cornell, UVa and a full ride to Georgia Tech to go there.

And that all still pales in comparison to my girlfriend who is a 4th generation Domer. Her great-grandfather went to Notre Dame and was the Master Builder of the Rockne Memorial, her grandfather went to Notre Dame and her grandmother went to St. Mary's (she was also one of the first women to get a degree from Notre Dame, getting a master's in something after she graduated), and her mother went to Notre Dame. That's pretty epic.

 

[alleycat9]

my mom.

irish catholic from new york and can remember sitting watching notre dame with her from the early 80s, went through a few tough years but always admired how tough the team was.

became a huge fan because of how tough they always were, they were disciplined, in your face, no talk just action, no names on the jerseys, no fancy uniforms, just football. tough, disciplined and hard nosed.

notre dame was everything that was good about football when i was growing up.


this is part of the reason i am so down on the new offensive philosophy. i want that same hard nosed line up and hit you in the face team back. its been almost 20 years since we had a team that was really like that and i dont know when i will ever see it again.

 

[irishmarine]

I grew up in Maryland and was the grandson of an Irish catholic who came over on the boat. She taught me the history of the Irish and of the university and though there were times when nobody liked us or wanted to help us whenwe needed it, we stayed proud and strong and became great. I've used the schools history to help shape my life. I've never been to tge campus but I hope to one day get there with my son. We do things the right way even when it's tge hardest thing to do. We do it with class and integrity and hold our values true.

 

[jakerbluegold]

I'm 1/4 Irish, and Methodist.

My two best friends in the entire world are Catholic and huge Notre Dame fans. The grandfather of one was a huge Irish fan, and lived in South Bend, taking his one and only son to many games growing up. The first Irish game I ever watched with his grandfather was the ND/FSU game in 03. Automatically cemented my true appreciation of the football program.
Since then, my friend and I have gone to a few games. The first being the 2007 ND/Duke game. I bought the tickets before the season started on Stubhub for $150 a piece. On the way to the game, I saw people selling them for $5.
The Irish won. It was beautiful. I remember Zibby taking snaps at QB and the flashbulbs a popping. After the game the players made their rounds about the stadium, and the few who suffered through the rain and misery enjoyed a win on senior day.

Sometimes over the years, I've felt that I needed to join a twelve step program.

The fact is, there is something about the feeling of the game. It's different than any other campus in the world. I appreciate the University for the difference they make in the world, and hope that someday my children will be privleledged enough to attend the University. I truly feel it's one of the things right with the world today.
If I spent half the time on Notre Dame football that I did on anything else in life, I'd probably be a lot more successful!

Sorry about the long-winded spiel, but dammit, I love Notre Dame.

 

[HawaiianIrish]

God Bless u Grandpa. You are the reason that i am a fan of the greatest College Football team of all time, the Notre Dame FIghting Irish.

I am 33 years old and have been blue and gold since the 80's.

Love the school, the student athletes they produce, the legends, the myths, the traditions, the sickest, dopest uniforms in the country, and my fellow fighting Irish fans.

I Love you Gramps. Enjoy the games from your press box in the heavens above...

GO IRISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[startthegolics!]

dad was a fan, my first game was the 1983 vs Air Force that became a classic (but sadly a loss on a shanked field goal)

I have pictures from a blue gold game with Mark Bavarro holding me like a Christmas Turkey. He just picks me up under my armpits and holds me a foot off the ground. It was odd.

I remember Milt Jackson giving me a autograph as a Freshman and just sucking it all up and loving the fact people wanted his autograph.

I remember CBS cutting away and returning to Lou Holtz beating SC his first season after the kick already was made. Me and my dad wondering WTF just happened lol.