Every athlete who ever played at a high-level always respects their opponent.... unless, of course, it is Michigan which deserves none. Teams that do not deserve none also. Teams who have a high regard for every opponent and Welcome the challenge of high competition almost always perform at a high-level. Those are the kind of guys I want to play with and against. Teams that Welcome the challenge of high competition almost always perform at a high-level. Those are the kind of guys I want to play with and against What many fail to understand is that almost every Notre Dame opponent respects Notre Dame and cherishes the challenge which leads to almost every opponent playing at some level much higher than their Standard performance. This is not profound but happens virtually every day. The Irish are challenged even more so than other teams to match that elevated focus, effort, and execution. I seldom use the term never but as long as Notre Dame seeks To win national championships that will always be the case. It is amazing to me the number of self-proclaimed intelligent people never grasp that fact. I have come to understand that the vast majority of Notre Dame fans do understand this but are in fact content with their role in the silent majority. Unfortunately, most of those who don’t understand are avidly ensconced with online message boards.