I want to be Irish!! Notre Dame Fighting Irish, that is...

Okay, it may be a little late, but I am reconsidering my commitment to attend the University of Washington. The Huskies are okay & all, but I want to be IRISH!!! Notre Dame Fighting Irish, that is. Maybe I can go there for a master's in something like "leisure studies" (e.g. National Lampoon's Van Wilder). It would be worth it just for the football tickets!!

While in Indiana on business the last 2 weeks I had the totally one-of-a-kind, quintessentially American experience of going to a football game at Notre Dame University. It was the Fighting Irish vs. the Purdue University Boilermakers. Purdue is a few hours down the road in West Lafayette, Indiana, maybe not a huge matchup but a great highway rivalry. No one gets on your nerves like your neighbors, right?

The day was beautiful & warm, summer turning into autumn, & the campus was just GORGEOUS. I wandered down stately tree-lined streets, admiring the famous golden dome, the Sacred Heart Basilica, huge winding oaks, & maple trees dappled with gold and red. It was so pretty that I almost forgot to go to the game.

In front of the Dome I watched the marching band form up for the game. The drumline struck up & started to play, & the band made a loud & stately procession down to the stadium. At the start of the game the band played the national anthem, & as the last note faded away, a Navy fighter jet flew RIGHT over the stadium!! I have no idea how they did it, but the timing was perfect, & the jet was unbelievably close and LOUD. Then the band played an Irish jig, & fans danced on the bleachers. Pretty exciting start, hunh?

My seat was in the North end zone about 25 rows up, just about where the football goes through the uprights. I hadn't sat on the end before but it turned out to be a good viewpoint. In the first quarter Purdue scored first, so at first it was looking like another loss & another bad season... The Notre Dame defense was playing really well, but their offense looked just awful.

Just as things were starting to look really bad, one of the Notre Dame defensive backs intercepted the ball & ran w/it for a touchdown. That seemed to change the momentum of the whole game--ND got on the scoreboard & felt a little more confident, started to step it up, & by the 3rd quarter they were kickin' butt & taking names. The Irish won it handily, 38-21, by two touchdowns & a field goal, & I have never had more fun in my entire LIFE.

After the game ended the players all gathered up in front of the student section, with the band behind them. The band played the school song(at least I think that's what it was), & everyone sang, players, band & fans. It was sooooo cool! Then, the cathedral bells rang announcing mass at the Basilica! (I love that they have a mass on campus before & after the football games--I can just hear the liturgies: Hail Mary, full of grace, our sacred lady of football, blessed art thou among women; may our passes be swift and complete, our penalties & turnovers be few, and our receivers not fumble the ball...)

One funny thing I noticed, everybody in the WORLD seemed to be standing on the sidelines during the game. Not just players & coaches, but ushers, policeman, state troopers, about 30 cameraman, the jet pilots, cheerleaders, drum line, & people who seemed to have just wandered in off the street... It's a wonder how more people don't get injured like coach Charlie Weiss did a few weeks ago (complete ACL blowout) when he was accidentally hit from behind by one of his own players. Also, everything at the snack bar was prefaced by the words "Fighting Irish"--so instead of nachos they had Fighting Irish Nachos, Fighting Irish Peanuts, etc. At the bookstore on campus, which is really almost a small shopping mall w/a Starbucks & Gelatteria, they were selling Fighting Irish everything--golf balls, towels, gift wrap, snow globes, even doggie bandanas.

Anways, I have the pictures up on FLICKR at http://www.flickr.com/photos/11346477@N04/sets/72157604984251353/ if you are interested. In the meanwhile, wishing you a beautiful, football-filled autumn!!

Layla