Being an Irish fan where you live....

[NYGoldenDomer 2,046]

13 hours ago, jimbo said:

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...

How'd you end up in Thailand?

[jimbo 377]

17 hours ago, NYGoldenDomer said:

How'd you end up in Thailand?

Short story is I've been working in SE Asia for the past 25 years or so, building golf courses in the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and yes, Thailand. I retired this year in January and we just completed our retirement home in Hua Hin, Thailand.

[ND_JACK 321]

On 8/14/2023 at 9:39 AM, retch10 said:

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.

One last memory…..Bob Lanier’s sneakers. At 18 I was mighty proud of my size 13 sneakers until I saw Lanier’s sneakers I don’t remember the exact size but they made me feel like a midget…..lol  a life time impression 

[retch10 121]

2 hours ago, ND_JACK said:

One last memory…..Bob Lanier’s sneakers. At 18 I was mighty proud of my size 13 sneakers until I saw Lanier’s sneakers I don’t remember the exact size but they made me feel like a midget…..lol  a life time impression 

My wife is the Bona alumni director...The 1967-68 undefeated regular season team was celebrated at this year's reunion a few weeks ago and they requested a space on campus just for them to watch old game film. She needed a "volunteer" to to sit with the team and operate the DVD player so I gladly said I'd do it. They were all there, except for Lanier who passed about a year ago.  The team manager (a student then) was also there and he brought the sneakers that Lanier  ripped out of in the first half of a big game(it was Lanier's sophomore year) at Boston College. So I held those shoes in my hands! They were enourmous..size 22's. 

It was quite a night and a great experience.

From the "Panel" earlier in the day...the story of the sneaker is at the 1:05:08 mark.

https://video.ibm.com/recorded/132850784

St. Bonaventure and Notre Dame are a lot alike.  There is a definite "spirit" that lives in both places.

Edited August 15, 2023 by retch10

[JeffV 332]

On 8/12/2023 at 8:30 PM, Baldy said:

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! 🤞🏼

Make the pilgrimage! 

We've been seeing the ROUND TRIP flight to Grand Rapids from Denver UNDER $100 with no bags (small day pack).  If you can find a couple game tickets at a reasonable price, you'd be welcome to rent the house (South Haven, MI) @ cost/cleaning.  We're going to a couple games, but Ohio State, Pitt & Wake Forest home weekends it's still available.  Hit me up.

For a small group (2-4) it's not that hard to find tickets last minute for the lower demand games.  And wearing Irish gear you can get in real cheap if you're willing to miss kickoff.  Even the scalpers go on fire sale after kickoff.

[NYGoldenDomer 2,046]

6 hours ago, jimbo said:

Short story is I've been working in SE Asia for the past 25 years or so, building golf courses in the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and yes, Thailand. I retired this year in January and we just completed our retirement home in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Congratulations on your retirement!

[NYGoldenDomer 2,046]

1 hour ago, JeffV said:

Make the pilgrimage! 

We've been seeing the ROUND TRIP flight to Grand Rapids from Denver UNDER $100 with no bags (small day pack).  If you can find a couple game tickets at a reasonable price, you'd be welcome to rent the house (South Haven, MI) @ cost/cleaning.  We're going to a couple games, but Ohio State, Pitt & Wake Forest home weekends it's still available.  Hit me up.

For a small group (2-4) it's not that hard to find tickets last minute for the lower demand games.  And wearing Irish gear you can get in real cheap if you're willing to miss kickoff.  Even the scalpers go on fire sale after kickoff.

Grand Rapids isn't an airport I researched prices for.  Interesting.  Looking at Google Maps, do you usually take 131S straight down to I80/90W into South Bend or do you take I196S to I94 to 31 into South Bend?  And how long is the drive?

[JeffV 332]

1 minute ago, NYGoldenDomer said:

Grand Rapids isn't an airport I researched prices for.  Interesting.  Looking at Google Maps, do you usually take 131S straight down to I80/90W into South Bend or do you take I196S to I94 to 31 into South Bend?  And how long is the drive?

We typically come in on Friday, stay in South Haven (50 minutes from airport), then head to South Bend in the morning (1 hour, park N or W side - Dorr?), TBD kickoff time.  Same play coming back.  Grand Rapids is just way easier than Midway/O'Hare - especially for our route.

[JeffV 332]

In years past you can occasionally find a decent flight direct into South Bend, but accommodations are the harder part then.  Blue Chip Casino is about 45 min away, and very near the train route right into South Bend.

Edited August 15, 2023 by JeffV

[NYGoldenDomer 2,046]

25 minutes ago, JeffV said:

We typically come in on Friday, stay in South Haven (50 minutes from airport), then head to South Bend in the morning (1 hour, park N or W side - Dorr?), TBD kickoff time.  Same play coming back.  Grand Rapids is just way easier than Midway/O'Hare - especially for our route.

Oh I see it, right on the lake, nice.  So you take I196 to South Haven, obviously, and I assume I94 to 31 into South Bend.  I'll look up prices to Grand Rapids just for shits and giggles.

[JeffV 332]

Yep.  31 is the way (depending on game time and traffic - and you stay clear of most of the campus traffic staying west.  

Let me know, though.  Happy to help out the ND network if I can.  Better for me to have someone stay at the house and check on things than have it sitting vacant; so happy to work out accommodations with you if the itinerary comes together.  It's 3 bedrooms, very comfortable.  Baldy should have dibs though, first game and all.  Ha ha.

I think the Frontier flights are particularly ridiculous here as both GR and Denver are a good-sized hub for them.  They make their money on baggage, but you don't need much for a 2 day trip.  Plus you gotta get hit the bookstore for a souvenir anyway.

[Baldy 1,268]

5 hours ago, JeffV said:

Make the pilgrimage! 

We've been seeing the ROUND TRIP flight to Grand Rapids from Denver UNDER $100 with no bags (small day pack).  If you can find a couple game tickets at a reasonable price, you'd be welcome to rent the house (South Haven, MI) @ cost/cleaning.  We're going to a couple games, but Ohio State, Pitt & Wake Forest home weekends it's still available.  Hit me up.

For a small group (2-4) it's not that hard to find tickets last minute for the lower demand games.  And wearing Irish gear you can get in real cheap if you're willing to miss kickoff.  Even the scalpers go on fire sale after kickoff.

That sounds awesome, so I’ll have to tell the wife to see what we can do and I’ll let you know.

[NYGoldenDomer 2,046]

1 hour ago, Baldy said:

That sounds awesome, so I’ll have to tell the wife to see what we can do and I’ll let you know.

I just booked my flight.  I'll meet you at Jeff's.  Tell your wife she gets the spare bedroom though.  I need my snuggles the night before gameday

[JeffV 332]

That's gonna be weird considering there are 4 queen beds and 1 king. 

[FaithInIrish Forever 4,738]

Found one of me with Knute. @Mike could this be like my cover photo

[jessemoore97 1,295]

1 hour ago, JeffV said:

That's gonna be weird considering there are 4 queen beds and 1 king. 

Sounds like a couple queens are covered...🤣

[jessemoore97 1,295]

14 minutes ago, FaithInIrish Forever said:

Found one of me with Knute. @Mike could this be like my cover photo

Giants in Notre Dame football lore right there.🤩

[NYGoldenDomer 2,046]

20 minutes ago, jessemoore97 said:

Sounds like a couple queens are covered...🤣

[Mike 687]

54 minutes ago, FaithInIrish Forever said:

Found one of me with Knute. @Mike could this be like my cover photo

That's amazing, and of course! You should be able to change it on your profile page, but let me know if you need a hand and I'll take care of it. 

[Baldy 1,268]

3 hours ago, NYGoldenDomer said:

I just booked my flight.  I'll meet you at Jeff's.  Tell your wife she gets the spare bedroom though.  I need my snuggles the night before gameday