I have no idea how old guys are on here. (It’s under their profile - but I’m not looking it up - accept Curly - he’s an anomaly to my theory). If you’re under 45 - so you were 15 in 1995 - do you accept this crap because you don’t know any different. If your over 50 (I’m 60) - so you were 15 in 1990 - and know how good the Irish can be and are sick of this crap.
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.
I'm the same age and remember 1987-1993 like it was yesterday.
Worden,Lattner later in 50s, Williams,Pietrosante, lynch
And yes, we were 5-6 that year (with five losses by a combined 14 points), but the electricity that he brought in his first year was undeniable. There was no question that great things were coming.
There are many things about ND football that I don't like these days. I DESPISE the field turf. I wasn't sold on the big screen but we have thankfully exercised discretion with its use (that is, until I saw the 'racing coaches' nonsense and nearly puked). The shrieking sideline reporter chick could not possibly be more annoying.
All that said, there are so many more things that I love about ND football. I still believe that we can compete for a natty, but our margin of error is small. We simply don't play by the same rules as most others, and thank goodness for that.
Love thee....GO IRISH
like every week ND was playing a high ranked team…….and ND beat them all!!!
If you think that Zion Williamson flipped to Duke - when we know the money he was offered elsewhere - while Duke was so pure, well...I don't know what to tell you.
It was not legal then. Today it is. But you already knew that.
Agree age and experience has a lot to do with the board dynamics. Old versus young. Alum versus fan.
at least got things turned around but he wasn’t without his own flaws, but have to give him credit for making the program relevant again. I still believe that ND can win a national championship. It might be a little harder than some other schools but believe with the right guy who is a great coach and great recruiter, I still think it can be done. We’ve been close but haven’t been able to kick the door down mostly due to lacking some game changing QB’s and WR’s. To me it’s this simple. When ND makes dumb hires like guys whose first HC job is ND, we tend to suck or be average at best. When ND hires an experienced guy that has been a HC before, the program does much better. Money should not be an issue for ND. I would like to see them quit screwing around and go out and get the best HC they can.
It became clear it was all about promoting himself. Never felt the love and devotion to ND & Our Lady
ND football team is great overall for college football. I just wish the powers to be understood that.
Chicago Tribune - Ara - For years, the Chicago newspapers had blamed the Notre Dame decline on a breakdown in the pipeline between the Windy City and South Bend. They wrote that the top prospects were choosing the bigger state schools that welcomed females and did not turn out the dorm lights at 10:00 pm. Many of the highly ranked recruits were going where they could drive a convertible across campus with a pretty coed in the passenger seat. To the contrary, Notre Dame was fairly well-stocked. You could still count fifteen Chicago players on the roster. The biggest surprise to Parseghian was the quality of the sophomore class, the ones recruited by Devore. They new head coach was already counting on three or four from that group to be starters in 1964, and a few others would play key roles.”
divide though.
I'm too far in to give up now. That's all I can say as to why waterboarding myself every Saturday makes any sense.
televised ND game. They beat Oklahoma; Backfield was: Guglemi, Lattner, Heap, and Neil Warden. That pretty much started it for me, and Hope spring eternal despite all the questionable coaches they have hired
it's standards and admit players that the SEC and a couple of the B10 schools do. I am not an Alum but I attend home games regularly through the courtesy of my cousin who is a former player. I love ND and would love to see another NC! But under today's conditions I guess a top 15 ranking and a decent Bowl is all we can hope for...
Notre Dame does not have the talent it had access to in the 80's and 90's. Those days are not coming back.
I am grateful we currently do not have the Davie or Weis years.
I agree, we do not have access to the talent we had then. I hope the University never sells it's soul to be a football team with a school. I believe we can have a championship, but the road is harder now. I believe Freeman understands what it will take and is working towards building a championship team.
I still think it will not make a difference. Kids are staying home more than ever the past twenty years, and ND's local talent base of almost non-existent. It has really made it hard to recruit the best.
You guys could never work here !!!
I think most of the comments on here make sense. Yes, the school wants student athletes, so its tougher for ND, but optimistically they'll get there again. The defeatest comments of - oh well, ND can't compete anymore, they'll never be good again - are disappoining to say the least.
There is talent on offense it’s just not being properly utilized starting with keeping RL at QB1. That is truly a joke.
Offensive future - the OL has issues this year but going forward they should be good; the QB recruiting has been good; the TEs are good; the RB's are good. They just need to recruit WRs
Defensive future - the secondary looks good, the LB's look good. They need to recruit DL's
I'm not giving up on this year - I'm still an optimist - but looking ahead, if they can recruit DL's and WR's. Things look good.
and yes - the RL decison is mind boggling.
and I'll admit - I was flying home from the ND/UL game - so I might have had a scotch or two in me - Ha Ha!!
playoff gag as usual.
It’s the crotchety old subway members who are entirely obsessed with the team
ND is not what older alum remember. Its. It what I experienced either. That does not mean I don’t love the school but I love my experience at the school.
I grew up in a family that loved ND and ND football but am the only one that attended.
Not sure what u can take from that but my experience at ND was unique to me and to this day is the one thing other than my family that I am most proud and satisfied that I have done.
Not sure that makes me a crotchety old man. But my ND football experience is really rooted in the holtz years.
Been following ND since about 1975. Didn’t really follow the football team till I started thinking about going there. To me the school comes first. Football is a very close second. But I don’t obsess over the team because they’ve let me down almost everybody year since 1988 with exception of 1993.
Had very high hopes for this year, and publically stated that. Praying they can win out so this isn’t another disappointment.
ND football is my favorite sports team by far. Not even close. I won’t say I live and die by ND football but I do invest a lot of passion. Used to watch the games with my dad and now with my family and text my son as we live pretty far apart.
Not sure the school that I loved exists anymore. But that’s ok. It will always be what it was to me. Helped shape me into the person that I am. I think I loved the Grotto and the campus as much as I love the university. And the evening view out my dorm room at st joes hall over the lake to the flickering moon light on the dome with Mary and the basilica next door. Best seat in the house from my room. Many a night I woke up and just looked out the window amazed I was there.
Also the grad school experience is different than the undergrad. There are still moments I find it hard to believe I am fortunate enough to have a degree from ND.
Got my BS and then went into Air Force who sent me back after two years to get my MS. Was being paid to go to school and it made for a totally different experience. Was also married. Absolutely love the school, the campus but South Bend not so much. We lived in apartment complex about 2 miles NE of campus and that area was pretty nice. Wish we lived closer and could get back more often.
Reminds me of people who say we can’t support Ukraine with our own Southern Border issues. This is US - do both. This is ND - do both!!!
