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the years.

I remember a time (barely) in which I expected ND to win every Saturday. And if we didn't win, I knew ND would give everything they had to win.

The Lou Holtz years.

I remember being absolutely heartbroken in 1992 when we lost to Bill Walsh & Stanford. Even to this day, the loss to Stanford & even the tie to Michigan seems improbable considering the amount of talent we had. Someone can check me on this but I'm almost positive every starter on that 1992 ND team played in the NFL at some point. Not to mention we had once in a lifetime players like Jerome Bettis, Bryant Young & Bobby Taylor.

I was even more heartbroken by the BC loss just one week after dismantling a supposedly unbeatable opponent in Florida State in 1993.

We've never recovered.

We have never recovered but it's not because of some stupid curse or anything like that. It's because of total & absolute incompetence going all the way up to the President & the Board of Trustees.

Hiring coaches with no HC experience: Davie, Weis & now Freeman

Hiring underqualified coaches in Willingham & Kelly

Making changes like FieldTurf & the stupid woman screeching before the home games or the generic smoke when players run onto the field, piped in music, Crazy Train, etc.

The Jumbotron wouldn't upset me if it were used properly.

Oh & don't get me started on the schedule (Tennessee State, Miami (OH), Cincinatti, Marshall & NIU...really?)

And we lost to Cincinatti, Marshall & NIU.

Really.

I remember a time that I'd lose my mind if we lost to a team like Michigan State or Purdue or Stanford

When we lost to NIU a few weeks ago, I almost chuckled thinking to myself...same ol' same ol'

Unfortunately, underperforming has become the new ND tradition.

That said, I was ABSOLUTELY thrilled we beat Louisville yesterday as Louisville is the city I was born in, grew up in & still live in & UL fans have been obnoxious for as long as I can remember. Even when I was a kid, I was made fun of when people asked me if I was a Louisville fan or a Kentucky fan & I would reply, I'm a Notre Dame fan.

After that monstrosity of a football game vs Louisville last October, the past 11 months have been trying to say the least.

Payback is a dish best served cold.

In conclusion to my rambling: until ND gets serious about winning instead of trying to constantly milk the past to get as much $$ through TV deals, merchandise, etc don't expect us to seriously compete w/ the Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State or even the Michigan's of the CFB world.

12 team playoff or not.