Peter FitzSimons tells the great story about watching a Bledisloe Cup Test with a kid sitting beside him wearing a Wallaby jersey.
The Wallabies were being walloped and at halftime the kid disappeared for a few minutes and then reappeared – wearing an All Blacks jersey!
Fair weather supporters like this don’t rank in my opinion. You have to embrace a team and then support it, come what may, through good times and bad times.
And this is my attitude to the Notre Dame side that plays Alabama over the weekend for the title of number one US College gridiron side for the 2012/2013 season.
Why Notre Dame? It all goes back to my days boarding at a convent primary school, Star Of The Sea in Wellington, New Zealand.
On Saturday nights, the nuns would often have a film evening. The novices in their white gowns would sit in front, the boys (about 60 of us covering all the primary school classes) behind them in rows and then the teaching nuns in their black habits and white starched front pieces looking like huge, immobile penguins, sitting stiffly at the back.
The films we saw were invariably biographies. Madame Curie, George Gershwin, the young Lincoln, uplifting movies like this, with little romance in them. If there was any kissing, the nun running the movie would put her hand across the lens and the picture would be blocked and only the words would be heard.
Not that we youngsters had a clue about what the kissing was all about. I think the concern was for the novices and to save them from confronting the pleasures of the flesh they were giving away.
A favourite film was ‘Knute Rockne: All American’, a movie about a legendary Notre Dame gridiron coach who took a relatively obscure Catholic university and made it a College gridiron colossus.
The beauty of the film, as far as the nuns were concerned, was that there was no kissing or much romance involved (although Rockne was happily married). As well, Notre Dame was a Catholic university. So there were many scenes with priests playing a leading role in the action.
Pat O’Brien played the charismatic Rockne, a coach who developed the Four Horsemen backfield, with choreographed moves that he had developed after seeing the Rockettes at Radio City in New York.
Ronald Reagan played the key role of George Gipp, the gifted ball-runner and a playboy (rather like another Notre Dame golden boy decades later, Paul Hornung), who contrives to play one last game while being seriously ill.
On his death-bed, a scene Reagan plays for all it is worth, ‘the Gipp’ tells Rockne that if ever Notre Dame needs to win a game he must ask the team to “win one for the Gipper”.
“Rocke, sometimes when the time is up against it and the breaks are beating the boys, tell them to go out there and with all they’ve got to win one for the Gipper.”
And, of course, in the film a game against their great rivals Army becomes a pivotal scene when, with Notre Dame down and out at half-time, O’Brien/Rockne tells his boys the story of the Gipper and begs them to win one for him.
The team rushes out of the changing room after the speech with tears cascading from their eyes and proceed to rip Army apart.
The film gave me an insight at an early age to the power of the coach in big time sport, how you could construct winning plays and how emotion can play its part in achieving a victory.
These were insights I brought into my thinking about how rugby should be played.
My first major essay on rugby, which is included in ‘After The Final Whistle’ (published in 1979), described how in gridiron every attacking play is the equivalent of a set move and that it would only be a matter of time before rugby coaches had plays that ran in sequences when their teams were in possession.
This notion, that when you had the ball you could control its progress up the field in a series of organised plays, was at the heart of the revolution of the ‘continuity game’ devised by Rod Macqueen.
When I studied at a university in Washington D.C. in the 1960s, Notre Dame were a major power still. This was the era of Ara Parseeghian, a latter-day Rockne, in Notre Dame mythology.
I used to watch their games during winter Saturdays on my portable black and white TV set. But there was a rising team in the South – Alabama, coached by a new Rockne-like coach, Bear Bryant.
Bryant’s teams were full of tough, white (no blacks played for Alabama in those days) good old boys from the tough small towns of the South. They played a swarming, irresistible, surging style that just swept away slower and less passionate opponents in a manner that gave rise to the team’s nickname, the Crimson Tide.
Through the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, Notre Dame lost its status as the invariable power house. There were glory days but few glory seasons.
Lou Holtz was the number one coach in 1988 and Charles Weis again in 2000. Notre Dame were unbeaten in 1988 and the number one team in the nation, for the last time, in 1993.
But generally it was lean pickings for the fans. Devoted supporters around the world, though – like myself – never gave up the dream.
But this season, glory be, ‘the Fighting Irish’ have stormed back into contention as the number one side. Their opponents for the national title are Alabama, a side that still plays with the Bryan-induced energy, enthusiasm and hard-shoulders, but now with a squad loaded with black stars.
So it’s the Crimson Tide against the Fighting Irish, with the experts picking Alabama to take away the victory and the national championship by a 10-point margin.
If ever Notre Dame needs to ‘win one for the Gipper,’ this is the game.
ThelmaWrites
Guest
Thanks for the info, Chris! I watched the game at my daughter's service apartment. With Bama 28-0 in the first half, I really felt ill and had a lie-down. But they played magnificently, probably one of the the most polished teams I've watched in the 40+ years I've been watching college football (off and on, depending on where in the world I was living).
Kevin
Guest
So is the Gipper being cremated?
oikee
Guest
http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/east/cannon-hills-jesse-williams-wins-second-bcs-gridiron-title-with-alabama-after-notre-dame-blowout/story-fn8m0sve-1226549694296 The sky is the limit now for Jesse, and probably his younger brother. It will open the doors for more players, maybe T-Rex, Dogzilla, The Coaltrain and Tamou, Inglis, Thaiday and a whole heap more. To play in the biggest most powerful sporting orginisation in the world much be motivation, hey Spiro. These guys would take the NFL by storm.
oikee
Guest
Figthing Irish felt the full force of southern hospitality. The silver tongues could not dance their way out of a good thrashing, the Leprechaun let them down again, no four leaf clovers, not a one to be had,,, to be sure.
oikee
Guest
Never watched a full game of Gridiron. Jesse being a Brissy boy, a Cannon Hill boy, so my last haunt in Brissy and one of the best suburbs as well ;) you would have to go for the southern hospitality over any Irish mob. He also has a younger brother who looks likely to follow his footsteps. 90 thousand crowd average this season, i think i have found my team. The crimson tide flows like claret and is 'dam' close to the 'color' (American version, i am getting into the spirit here) Maroon. Plus i have only ever agreed with Spiro a couple of times so... just so. Roll tide. ? :) Bring it home Jesse Ya Monstar.
Worlds biggest
Guest
Brilliant Spiro, I have written a couple of pieces on the Roar regarding Notre Dames season and can't wait fo the Big Dance. As Chris mentioned Rudy was a great movie. The coach when Rudy played was Dan Devine who succeeded Ara. Devine, Ara, Lou Holtz and Frank Leahy won there first titles in there 3rd years as coach. Brian Kelly is in his 3rd year so hope this tradition continues. Bama will be very physical particularly there massive O-line. This game will be won in the trenches. Aussie Jesse Williams is going for consecutive titles before going pro. Come on ND, win one for the Gipper and all Fighting Irish fans !
Terra Dactyl
Guest
Great stuff Spiro. Never tire of hearing that jersey story.
Tatah
Guest
Spiro, I don't know if you follow the professional stuff in the US, but I support the New York Jets. Remarkably similar team to the Waratahs in so many ways. It's been a long sporting year......
Chris Chard
Expert
Hi Thelma Game is being shown on Foxtel, ESPN Live at 12:30pm on Tues Replayed on ESPN 2 at 7:30pm Tues Hope that helps Kind regards Chris
Chris Chard
Expert
Great stuff Spiro, should be a cracking game and I for one can't wait to see Teo and Jesse Williams do their thing. I was surprised to not find at least one 'Rudy' reference in your article though! Time to Play like a champion today and Cheer cheer for old Notre Dame... CC
Kevin
Guest
The Irish have been given a very easy ride in their days, by refs, broadcasters ( direct CBS deal i think) who they play ( no conference). and in general their bloated ranking, but I sincerely believe this year they are truely entitled to be in the championship game , although the ducks do play some mighty football and were stiff not be here too, they got stitched up vs Stanford
ThelmaWrites
Guest
I'm visiting in Sydney. I have searched the TV guides and asked family, but no idea when the game will be broadcast or on which Foxtel. Will someone please give me the information? Many thanks.
stu wilsons gloves
Guest
At least Notre Dame makes its players adhere to the general academic excellence of the college at large, Bama and other SEC schools, not so much. Like Spiro I support Notre Dame becuase of my catholic roots, we had an exchange teacher who was a recent grad come out to St Pat's Silverstream (Spiro's alma mater) for a year to teach, hence my support. Go Irish! Go Manti Te'o! Go Rudy!
Sprigs
Guest
I like the story of the kid who changed his jersey at half-time. If the ABs were putting on a great display of rugby, why not show appreciation? It is a welcome antidote to the silence that these days usually greets outstanding play by visiting sides. In the good old days, visiting teams would be applauded as they took the field and if they scored great tries. Nobody booed if their kicker was concentrating on his shot at goal. Amid the intense parochialism that commercial sponsorship and national chauvinism produces, that kid showed his admiration in a very creative, humorous and healthy way. Here is some Biblical endorsement the Nuns may have provided for his action: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Rugby Union, the game they play in heaven).
RebelRanger
Guest
Of greater interest here amongst the Polynesian population in Australia/ NZ is the ND/ Bama game which has an actual Heisman worthy player in Manti Te'o at MLB.
Untimely
Guest
I much prefer Reagan as Drake McHugh in the '42 movie of King's Row. "Where's the rest of me?" he famously asks when he discovers both his legs have been amputated. The Knute Rockne movie is a risible piece of sentimental ordure, and soon after the end of the war in 1945, "Win one for the Gipper" became an eye-rolling catchphrase denoting unctious corn. Perhaps the biggest reason why Notre Dame's football team is so unpopular with so many people is not because the university is a Jesuit school - huge controversy when Obama was invited because of his position on Right to Life - but because the team was shown unreasonable favouritism by many a referree. Also, the school was most obdurate when it came to giving back several wins which everybody knew had been actually losses. Of greater interest for a lot of fans is tonight's game here in the States between the Sooners and TX A & M which has Heisman winner Johnny Manziel at QB.
waterboy
Guest
Nice article Spiro and it is a great film. Very similar to another film of the same era Jim Thorpe - All American starring Burt Lancaster. Now there is a subject for a future article for you Spiro in the slow off season. Thorpe maybe the greatest athlete to ever live. Part American Indian, he played professional football, baseball and won an Olympic decathalon gold medal. Rockne must have been a lateral thinker. In addition to the 'shift' which you already mentioned, he also developed the forward pass in American football. I presume before that the teams relied essentially on running games.
Marc Johnstone
Guest
Too many factual errors again Spiro, as there always seem to be. Maybe the Nuns weren't tough enough with the ruler on the fingers. Irish were NOT ranked #1 in 1993 (one selector voted them 1 from the panel) and Charlie Weis was head coach 2005 - 2009 not 2000. He was a major bust as a coach, despite being an alumnus (1958). -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download it now [http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/the-roar/id327174726?mt=8].