Being an Irish fan where you live....

[retch10 121]

1 minute ago, InLikeFlynn said:

Thats awesome.  I would love to be that close to South Bend myself.  7 Hour drive is well worth it.  Only one airport in my area has a flight to South bend so its a bit tricky.   The only game I got to see at the stadium was against Pitt in 2018

Its become the best weekend of the year.  Family from all over the country converges on that weekend.  Father (Fla), brother (Tenn), cousins (Chicago, Buffalo, Olean, NY (where I'm from). One of my cousins has a cottage on the lake in Long Beach and we all go there on Thursday, hit up the campus for Football Friday and then the game on Saturday.  Its the only time I see most of them all year.  We do an annual t-shirt.  Just awesome. We're doing the Central Michigan game this year. 16 tix is the biggest turnout yet.

I have Browns season tickets so I either go to the game in Cleveland on the way back if we're at home or stop at a Browns Backers bar in Ohio to catch the game if we are on the road.  Football heaven.

 

[jessemoore97 1,295]

2 hours ago, InLikeFlynn said:

I feel your struggle about being a grump.  Took me some years to weather that storm....

Yeah the older I get yadda yadda lol.  Just had to realize nothing I do influences the outcome, so don't worry be happy.  Plus my overall give a crap about lots of unimportant things.  When you almost lose your wife to a medical event, your perspective gets better on what really matters.

[InLikeFlynn 261]

1 minute ago, jessemoore97 said:

Yeah the older I get yadda yadda lol.  Just had to realize nothing I do influences the outcome, so don't worry be happy.  Plus my overall give a crap about lots of unimportant things.  When you almost lose your wife to a medical event, your perspective gets better on what really matters.

I hear that 100%.  Sorry to hear about that close call with your wife bud.  My wife and I actually got divorced back in 2018(  Not ND related 🙂 or football related) but have since re-married (2020, just before Covid madness).  My perspective on life is very different.  Like you said, when you lose or almost lose something that close, focus shifts!

[retch10 121]

24 minutes ago, jessemoore97 said:

Yeah the older I get yadda yadda lol.  Just had to realize nothing I do influences the outcome, so don't worry be happy.  Plus my overall give a crap about lots of unimportant things.  When you almost lose your wife to a medical event, your perspective gets better on what really matters.

In my case, while I certainly get upset about losses..the fact that my fandom is also tied to family/friends gives it an element that goes beyond wins/losses. Its shared experience. Its shared hope/dreams.

My relationship with my brother centers around the Browns.  My other brother I ONLY see at Notre Dame.  We can celebrate just BEING fans, making the wins/losses less "important".

That said, the celebration of wins become the best times.  What you have to watch for is making the losses go beyond the football realm. Gotta let it go and not let it effect relationships.

[ND_JACK 321]

I also live in New York, central New York,Syracuse to be exact. Sounds like It’s much different here ……. of course Syracuse University is clearly the big dog, Notre Dame I would say comes in second place. I always get a lot of hello or go Irish when wearing a ND shirt. A local popular radio station carries all ND football games.

[NYGoldenDomer 2,046]

Wow a lot of NYers here.  I'm down on Long Island.  Even worse of a college football dead zone.  We have Stony Brook, who actually played someone big last season but I forgot who.  Oregon maybe?  Regardless, they're not a football school whatsoever.  Rutgers is just across the Hudson River in NJ.  Syracuse upstate.  A coworker of mine grew up in Iowa so he's a huge Hawkeye fan.  We have shared hatreds of OSU and Michigan so we get along well.  Aside from him, very few of my friends watch college football, let alone Notre Dame.  All of my ups and downs as an Irish fan are spent alone on my couch lol.

[NYGoldenDomer 2,046]

On 8/10/2023 at 10:10 AM, Baldy said:

Especially with me being former military, and having spent some time overseas, but mostly stateside.

It was my military family that gave me the most hate, which is to be expected, with having people from all over the country. 😂 I worked with and were friends with people that were fans of just about every team, Notre Dame included, of course. 😁 We used to always get together to watch games, and we’re mostly just fans of college football really! Good times for sure!

And there it is.  Now I know why you were the only one to react to, let alone respond to, my comments about Hartman looking like a Greek God.  Your sense of humor has also been tainted by the military and just can't pass up a good quality gay joke.

[retch10 121]

On 8/10/2023 at 1:39 PM, ND_JACK said:

I also live in New York, central New York,Syracuse to be exact. Sounds like It’s much different here ……. of course Syracuse University is clearly the big dog, Notre Dame I would say comes in second place. I always get a lot of hello or go Irish when wearing a ND shirt. A local popular radio station carries all ND football games.

If we were to take a count..Notre Dame would surely come in at #1 in my hometown.  Its no different than any other place like ours across the country where there is no clear "home" team...ND is on TV's, there are a lot of Irish catholics, etc, etc.  

BTW, now that Beoheim is out in Syracuse, do you think that the Orangemen will finally stop being scared of playing the Bonnies in the Reilly Center here in Olean??😉

[Baldy 1,268]

3 hours ago, NYGoldenDomer said:

And there it is.  Now I know why you were the only one to react to, let alone respond to, my comments about Hartman looking like a Greek God.  Your sense of humor has also been tainted by the military and just can't pass up a good quality gay joke.

Yes, Sir! 😆 As soon as I saw you were a marine, I was like, and that’s why this guy gets me! 😂

[NYGoldenDomer 2,046]

39 minutes ago, Baldy said:

Yes, Sir! 😆 As soon as I saw you were a marine, I was like, and that’s why this guy gets me! 😂

[Baldy 1,268]

22 minutes ago, NYGoldenDomer said:

[NYGoldenDomer 2,046]

4 minutes ago, Baldy said:

[ND_JACK 321]

11 hours ago, retch10 said:

If we were to take a count..Notre Dame would surely come in at #1 in my hometown.  Its no different than any other place like ours across the country where there is no clear "home" team...ND is on TV's, there are a lot of Irish catholics, etc, etc.  

BTW, now that Beoheim is out in Syracuse, do you think that the Orangemen will finally stop being scared of playing the Bonnies in the Reilly Center here in Olean??😉

Go Bonnie’s !!!! 3rd floor of Dev Hall west here.  We were known as the Beavers….lol. Only there for a year but boy did I have a great time. The stories that I have people would not believe them. That little catholic college in Orlean surrounded by forests….boy did they know how to have a good time. Great memories….dating myself but Earl Belcher was in my high school class. Earl actually was a nice guy. Earl and Marty Head (SU, Boeheim called the best shooter he ever coached) were both in my high school class. Needless we had one of the best teams in the state of NY.

[JeffV 332]

I'm out here in Colorado with you, Baldy.  I have a couple of big game friends that will bring the steaks or the beers.  I'm very lucky to have family and a vacation place to stay 1 hour from South Bend, so we get back to 2 or 3 games every year.  As the kids have gotten older, I started making one game a family trip.  It's hard not to get stressed on the big games, but I appreciate the perspective from some of you guys.  It's only fun if you let it be fun.

Looking forward to a great season, though!

[Baldy 1,268]

1 hour ago, JeffV said:

I'm out here in Colorado with you, Baldy.  I have a couple of big game friends that will bring the steaks or the beers.  I'm very lucky to have family and a vacation place to stay 1 hour from South Bend, so we get back to 2 or 3 games every year.  As the kids have gotten older, I started making one game a family trip.  It's hard not to get stressed on the big games, but I appreciate the perspective from some of you guys.  It's only fun if you let it be fun.

Looking forward to a great season, though!

Oh, very nice! We’ve only been here a year, so it’s normally just the wife and I watching games. Haven’t found any true Notre Dame friends yet. Hopefully soon! But that’s really cool you have a place to stay close to South Bend for games. My wife has been to a couple games with her family, and funnily enough, both against Navy. I still haven’t been to one yet, but one day soon! 🤞🏼

[Rocketsan 773]

Back in the 90's, Navy was a sure ticket and a cheap one. Also a guaranteed win - well worth the 20 hour drives it would take to get there...

[Baldy 1,268]

6 hours ago, Rocketsan said:

Back in the 90's, Navy was a sure ticket and a cheap one. Also a guaranteed win - well worth the 20 hour drives it would take to get there...

Oh, I’ll bet.

[jimbo 377]

Watching games here in Thailand is a challenge due to the time difference, about 12 hours. Pretty much eliminates watching any day games. Waking up early to catch a big game is really only worth it if your team wins! Night games are 'breakfast' games for us. Super bowls are usually a breakfast buffet and Bloody Marys (at least to start with).

I watch many ND games after the game is finished via a replay, often, thanks to Faith for supplying the link. The great thing about the replay is all the commercials are cut out, it is solid football.

Not many ND fans to be found, though on occasion you run into someone sporting some ND gear. The college football watching community in general is pretty sparse. 

More Europeans and Aussies around these parts, the pubs get packed when there is rugby or the English Premier League on. Rugby is good to watch because it is non-stop action. And rugby fans are really in to it...

[InLikeFlynn 261]

On 8/10/2023 at 1:39 PM, ND_JACK said:

I also live in New York, central New York,Syracuse to be exact. Sounds like It’s much different here ……. of course Syracuse University is clearly the big dog, Notre Dame I would say comes in second place. I always get a lot of hello or go Irish when wearing a ND shirt. A local popular radio station carries all ND football games.

I grew up in Westchester county, not much college football talk at all other than the one year...and there was Rutgers for a little bit.  Maybe I dreamt that?  🙂

[retch10 121]

On 8/12/2023 at 7:34 PM, ND_JACK said:

Go Bonnie’s !!!! 3rd floor of Dev Hall west here.  We were known as the Beavers….lol. Only there for a year but boy did I have a great time. The stories that I have people would not believe them. That little catholic college in Orlean surrounded by forests….boy did they know how to have a good time. Great memories….dating myself but Earl Belcher was in my high school class. Earl actually was a nice guy. Earl and Marty Head (SU, Boeheim called the best shooter he ever coached) were both in my high school class. Needless we had one of the best teams in the state of NY.

Bona's is a special place...and yes, they certainly know how to have a good time!

I remember watching Belcher in the Reilly Center...My current seats up in the reds are directly across from his retired number in the rafters.