It's 4:50 PM on Sunday, Sept. 22. I receive an email informing me that it was my turn to provide an article for the inside column. As the brand new multimedia editor I was unaware of this responsibility. Our weekly Sunday Editorial Board meeting ended at 5:29 PM. Articles are due at 6:00 PM. The time was ticking away for me to complete the column on time, and I still didn't have an idea.
What could I possibly write about in a matter of 31 minutes? It had to be a subject on which I was already well informed because research at this point was out of the question. With another successful weekend for the Irish football team just finishing up, what could be more appropriate than a column about my top three reasons for loving Irish football?
1) Fans. Recognizable everywhere because of their green and gold attire, passionate cheers and incredible tailgating expertise, Irish fans are some of the best college football supporters in the country. Loud, excited, prideful and sometimes a little obnoxious, the Irish fan base spans the nation. They can be found in New York, Hawaii and everywhere in between. Old or young, alumni or not, the Irish fans are a breed entirely their own. I am willing to bet that if you proudly yell "Go Irish" in a crowded room anywhere in the country (with the exception of USC's campus), at least one person will respond with a "Go Irish" of their own.
2) Tradition. It goes without saying that Notre Dame football is rich with tradition. From Touchdown Jesus to the team's golden helmets and the "greatest of all University fight songs," you don't have to be well acquainted with Notre Dame to be familiar with these iconic symbols. We might not have a Jumbotron in our stadium, but fans (and haters) from all over flock to South Bend just to be a part of the magic that is Game Day at Notre Dame. Lou Holtz described it best when he said, "If you were there, no explanation is necessary. If you weren't, no explanation is satisfactory."
3) The Alma Mater. I know this goes along with tradition, but in my book it deserves a category all its own. There is little else that can give me goose bumps the way a post-football singing of the Alma Mater can. A stadium full of people all standing together, united as the Notre Dame family makes me feel like a part of something bigger than myself. When those powerful words echo through the air, it is truly enchanting.
It is for these reasons (and many more) that my heart forever will "love thee Notre Dame."
