So I Like Notre Dame, Big Deal

My name is Nick Barrale…and I am Notre Dame Fan. I feel like I should stand up and make that announcement in front of a group of people or during an intervention.

If you are the type of person that has a hard time meeting new people, just go out in public wearing a Notre Dame shirt or anything Notre Dame related for that matter because you will have all sorts of people coming up to you, at least I do.

Whether I am wearing my Irish ball cap, or my Notre Dame hoodie, I have had more people come up to me over the last month and half to just shoot the breeze with me.

From, “are you really a Notre Dame fan” to “that Irish team is sure not doing well” to “Notre Dame Sucks!” The last one is my favorite because it takes so much thought.

So to answer your questions, yes I am a Notre Dame fan, yes that Irish team is sure not doing well and they do suck. Loosing to Syracuse was especially hard to watch.

I have been there ever since I can remember.

I have watched all nine straight bowl loses, or at least enough of them because sometimes it just got to ugly to watch.

I have witnessed the Lou Holtz, Bob Davie, George O'Leary, Ty Willingham and now Charlie Weis eras.

I watched Willingham guide Notre Dame to an 8-0 record in 2002, only to see his team self destruct at home against Boston College while donning the Green Jersey’s. Willingham’s career never rebounded.

(side note…I hate the Green Jersey and think it should be permanently retired, its bad luck)

I was riding high when Weis guided Notre Dame to a 9-3 mark in 2005 and was on the edge of my seat when it looked like Notre Dame was going to knock off #1 USC until the legendary “Bush Push.” Of course nobody mentions the fourth down play USC converted to set up that play and a 34-31 win, also done while Notre Dame wore the green jersey.

Then the 2005 season was followed up with a 10-2 regular season mark in 2006 only to be destroyed by LSU in the Sugar Bowl, 41-14.

What I seem to not realize, is in this day and age, being a Notre Dame fan is a bad thing.

So what I root for a team that has had a bad 20 years. The Cubs have been bad for 100 years and counting.

So what I watch Notre Dame falter year after year and under perform.

So what I proudly wear my Notre Dame gear out in public.

One day the Irish will be on top again, and that is when everyone is going to jump right back on that bandwagon but I stuck with them through the bad time and even worse times.

So thanks for pointing out that Notre Dame is bad, over and over again.

I don’t think Weis should be fired, I didn’t think Willingham should have been fired. Just look at the top teams in the country, the coaches all have been there for 10 years or more, with the exception of Urban Meyer of course.

My hope is Notre Dame will figure it out sooner rather than later and it doesn’t take 10 years, which is how long of a contract Weis has.

Maybe it will start with the Aloha Bowl….

All I want for Christmas is an end to this NCAA record of nine straight bowl losses.