I've been going to Notre Dame basketball games since I was seven years old and have been a season ticket holder almost since I graduated. There's nothing I like more than seeing a raucous crowd at the Joyce Center and there's no doubt in my mind that the crowd - especially the students - helped Notre Dame to their big win over Marquette on Saturday that kept the big home win streak alive.
That said, I saw on Saturday what seems to be a recent tradition in the student body. I've seen it at a couple football games as well (including the Navy game this past fall) and it's one I wish they'd reconsider. I refer to the addition of the "Suck it, [opponent]" phrase to the "Go Irish Go" cheer. Besides being unoriginal and not very clever, it's the kind of crassness we usually expect to see from some of our opponents' student bodies. "!@#$ the Irish" is a routine chant leveled at us at road games and I've never met a Notre Dame fan yet who finds that in any way interesting or believes it reflects well on those students.
This relatively new cheer puts us on that slippery slope. I was embarrassed for the man sitting behind me at the game who had brought his four-year-old son to the game and had to listen to that. It's not a question of being "tough" or trying to sound intimidating, and it's also not a question of this being something "young people do." It's a question of acting like the men and women Notre Dame students are supposed to be. It's possible to create an intimidating environment to support the team through your noise without resorting to the crass, juvenile behavior that is supposed to be beneath us.
Folks, let's reconsider this one. Notre Dame students are among the best out there. There's got to be something more clever you can come up with.
Mike Coffey
alumnus
Class of 1991
Feb. 10
