I did not grow up in a "Notre Dame home," nor had I ever attended a Notre Dame football game before I was accepted into this University. I became an ardent football fan watching my first Super Bowl for the 1988 season, and I had been to a few major college football games before my first day of class as a collegian, including a prominent bowl.
So even before moving into my hall freshman year I was extremely excited about being part of such a football crazed school. However, after talking with my fellow classmates and attending several games, I was quickly disappointed in the lack of product on the field, but more importantly the so-called passionate student body surrounding the games. In talking with my incoming class, it seemed many had never been football fans until they could call themselves a Domer, and it was very apparent as a majority of the student body cheered loudly every time our offense had a 3rd and long (which was quite common back then).
Nonetheless, over the years I persisted and kept the faith in Notre Dame Football. It was difficult since Notre Dame gave me little to cheer about with Davie at the helm, the terribly embarrassing scandal with O'Leary (a Yankees fan), signing of poor recruiting classes, the transferring of quality players, the firing of Willingham, and of course, the blindly arrogant assumption of landing Urban Meyer.
Still, as a soon to be grad, I keep the faith, and my point to the incoming newly baptized football fans of Notre Dame is this: Wrap yourselves in the Notre Dame spirit, but please, by all means, educate yourself about football, and that means leaning about other places and football teams besides our beloved Irish. Separate the rhetoric and think for yourself so the next time a USC fan says something to you, you will be able to respond with something other than the fight song - you will be doing your University and Our Lady proud. Good luck Charlie Weis.
Daniel Tarsha
senior
off campus
April 26
