I always chuckle when I hear the “smart” sports guys on TV and radio asks this question. “Gee Mike, do you think Notre Dame is still relevant in college football?” Apparently the real thinkers in the sports world need a history lesson, like many Americans these days in general. The argument I hear most often interjected to degrade Notre Dame is “oh they haven’t won a Championship in football since 1988”.
It is a bit humorous and downright disingenuous argument that a fan who doesn’t care for a particular team and whose team has recently won a Championship will throw out to denigrate a team with tremendous history like Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a lot like the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys in that they are their sports most popular and unpopular teams at the same time. No team has as many fans as Notre Dame and no team has as many haters as Notre Dame which is my first reason to state unequivocally that Notre Dame is still relevant. When a team is mentioned and someone just shrugs their shoulders, think Kansas City Royals, you know you have reached the irrelevant stage. When a team is mentioned and regardless of the reaction, love or hate, you get one reaction or the other, think Yankees, Cowboys and Notre Dame then they are definitely relevant.
The other day a good friend of mine asked when the last time my beloved Dallas Cowboys had won a Super Bowl Title and I said it was the 1995 season to which he replied “wow, 15 years” with a smile. However, after I reminded him that it was 26 years between Super Bowl victories for his Black and Gold Steelers (1979 to 2005), the smirk quickly disappeared. Matter of fact, let’s put this whole issue of Notre Dame not winning a title for 22 years to rest, here is a quick history lesson. First we’ll start with college football, when Texas won their Championship in 2005, it was 35 years since their last title, 1970. Ohio St. went 34 years between titles (1968 to 2002), USC 25 years (1978 to 2003). In baseball, the Yankees went 18 years (1978 to 1996), the Cardinals went 24 years (1982 to 2006), the Dodgers are in Notre Dame’s shoes- 1988 and still waiting. In football, the Miami Dolphins are definitely a team that many people follow right; well they haven’t won a title since 1973- 37 years for you people who struggled in math.
My point is simple, the whole issue with claiming Notre Dame is irrelevant due to the recent lack of success is not only a meritless argument but lacks any substance when put in context with other prominent sports teams. Unfortunately we live in a “what have you done for me lately society” which puts a lot of emphasis on right now and in doing this pushes history to background in favor of the newest and best thing. This is how a team that nobody followed in the 60s and 70s, the New England Patriots, can become one of the league’s most popular teams, it is how a guy named Barrack Obama becomes President. History is very important, it is what ties this generation to the previous one and ties the next generation to us. Our history, in sports and as a nation is what makes us who were are.
Notre Dame is an integral part of the history of college football; many of the sports greatest games and moments involved the Fighting Irish. For one to suggest that Notre Dame isn’t relevant in college football speaks volumes to their ignorance regarding the game’s history as well as their utter disdain for Notre Dame. (Remember, my last blog when I gave the disclaimer that I am a big-time USC with a liking also for Texas as well thus none of this is coming from a Notre Dame lover) What the hell, this team has enough interest in it to basically have their own network on NBC Sports which shows all their games including the ones vs. opponents nobody cares about. The aforementioned fact alone speaks volumes to the type of following and support that Notre Dame still drums up nationally.
We live in a world where we can watch football on our cell phone, communicate constantly with one another at any time thus we have lost our ability to be patient and live in the moment. It seems that along with the preceding fact, we have also lost much of our appreciation of history and lineage. That Championship from 1945 that you denigrate today as being old and outdated with the fan of a team that holds said championship will be the same championship your team earned in 2001 that some young kid is telling you doesn’t matter for your team in 2035.
I can only leave you with this thought as I try to help the “haters” understand why Notre Dame is as relevant today as they always have been in the college football world. In 1965 Rachel Welch was probably the best looking woman to walk the planet; today she is a 70 year old woman. (Albeit a very good looking 70 year old woman) If I put a movie on with Megan Fox in it, you may tell me that Ms. Welch couldn’t hold a candle to Megan Fox- 30 years from now Megan Fox will be old too.
2 comments:
The conclusion says it all. There are few people who pause even for a second to consider perspective, to imagine what's around the next turn or the turn after that.
The same is true for the past. What matters only is now while what came before gets a passing mention or fleeting thought at best.
Circumstances are not often enough tied to the variety of possible consequences. It's not just a matter of "no time" to look back or to look ahead. It simply doesn't occur to many to do so.
See: tattoos and ear gauges. lol
Well said John, thanks for chiming in on the conversation.
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