Small Beans for Irish

[Guest SirJohn]

Ok guys before you jump on me this is nothing.

 

I'm looking at Coach Weis printed play book where he wants every guy to be in the same spot in a huddle, a huddle diagram. Small Beans? No You do what your supposed to do,,, and that cuts down on the stupid flag of 11 or 12 on the field. Details.

 

See? Tiny matter. You don't even think of the huddle do you? I want all the ND fans in the stands.

 

Push this to the fan.....................

 

 

 

IDENTIFY YOURSELF

 

 

I’m sure that any reader at first hand thinks this will be a tiny issue not worth a hill of beans. But if it’s a love affair with some and an antagonistic thorn in the side of others then it should be discussed.

 

Currently I have been studying the student’s reactions, posts and Observer on campus over what seems to be another ‘tiny issue’ “The Shirt.”

 

The complaints range from the color, more yellow then gold and to the ‘hokey’ slogan on back. It’s even called the Pee Shirt.

 

Again it’s all a small matter on the surface.

 

Change the slogan next year or year to year, I don’t care. But settle on a single color.

 

It was delightful to see on television chunks of the stadium in gold-yellow. My only concern would be against Tennessee whose fan’s where a similar color but that game wil lbe played in a frosty November. I’m sure there will be some students with shirts off painted bodies blue and gold and soon writing home to Mom to help pay for the medical bills for their severe colds.

 

Which brings me to games like Tennessee where fans have a similar color, if your watching it appears everywhere you look is a sea of yellow. Watch Ohio State and it’s a sea of red.

 

Now nobody can order someone to wear a color. Fans choose what to wear, but with those two schools administration I just mentioned they settled on a color and are easily identified.

 

(Apologies to Lep here but not everyone wants to dress fan wise that way. Smiling.) So some sort of shirt is necessary.

 

At Notre Dame we shift these shirt colors around. Our colors are really Blue-Gold. Somehow Irish green crept in. Every year we tend to shift to another color. Just recently above we had a sea of gold in a small crowd shot on television. Back up the camera and you can’t tell who may or may not be a Notre Dame fan. Yes, that’s one’s individuality in action but who’s who?

 

There are even some complaints that older Notre Dame fans, alumni really don’t get into the crowd noise.

 

Those people brought a ticket and have every right to sit quiet or scream their heads off wether or not we like it as behavior. At least we do not throw bottles. Something like that you can’t really do much about except settle upon some standard cheers. There’s some talk about “Here Come the Irish” and other cheers.

 

Here we get into the psychological lift, a team will get seeing a sea of fans in their school colors. Conversely the opponent not seeing very many people in their colors.

 

Now I KNOW you’re a loyal Notre Dame fan. I know I am one. I know we all have pride in our team.

 

Right here I am looking at it through the eyes of someone simply turning on the TV, who has little or no knowledge of ND to watch the game. They see our team but where are the fans? Which ones are our fans on game day? Now one of these viewers can simply be a kid in HS making a decision.

 

We know the games are sell outs and have an extensive NBC, Television contract. I turn it on to see the TEAM play ball and win. Also, to see an avid stadium of screaming fans cheering on Notre Dame. It is television and background shots will show those fans in the seats or shots from a blimp overhead. If you don’t think television or viewers opinions are important then don’t look for any NBC contract in the future.

 

Jenkins-Weis have made so many large and small changes it is truly amazing. Is it too difficult to settle on a school color? Be it either, green, gold or blue, just make a decision. Change it every five years or so if you wish. Change the logo on front or back every year, but keep a standard color.

 

I can walk out my door going three blocks and find four people in 10 minutes either wearing U of K blue and white or U of L red. Yes they are REGIONAL teams and not national like Notre Dame. You would have to get up close to me to even figure I was a Notre Dame fan. (Then they usually back away like I had a contagious disease.)

 

So far it appears Coach Weis has regulated green jerseys to mothballs and some practices. Switching jersey colors is Mickey Mouse and as Coach Weis has said that sort of emotion lasts only a short while. That’s his decision and I back it. I’m concerned with the fans and identifying a fan at the game and on the street corners in my own city. Strangers having a common bond.

 

Some of us simply can’t afford a trip or even a ticket to a South Bend game. EVERY reader of this knows the winds of change have come and the Giant that’s Notre Dame awoke. All the great changes going on are wonderful and we share them here at DD and other fan sites. The problem is for instance where I am located once past my three daughters I couldn’t identify a Notre Dame fan on the street if I fell over him/her.

 

I personally have a green ND shirt, a 3/4 green sleeve, gray-bodied shirt and a blue shirt you would have to get up close to even see if it says Notre Dame or Joe’s Burgers or visit Rock City Tenn.

 

Again it doesn’t matter? It’s hard to tell from my shirt I am a ND fan and get that little smile or thumbs up gesture if a stranger can bond. It’s the same feeling and smiles or thumbs up, whenever I wear a “Proud to be an Air Force Dad” shirt.

 

Ara told Coach Weis at a Pep rally, Charlie, your coast to coast. We are spread out and need now some identifiable system of finding each other across 50 states.

 

GO IRISH!

[Guest domehead]

well sir..I have decided to take it a step furthur and "brand" myself with our team logo(interlocking ND) tattoo..upper arm ..nothing to big about 3 x 4 inches..but on there for life... I bleed for the IRISH..and amzinly enough after 3 years since I have gotten this done..I have just now stopped crying because of the pain it brought having it done I can take repeated rubber band blasts but needles..well..lets just say my skin is sensitive. God Bless the IRISH