If you've been reading this blog lately, especially through the tumult of conference realignment, you may have surmised that I hate Notre Dame. My desire for a Big East ultimatum and liberal use of my favorite gif ever when referencing them probably seem to be evidence of that. So you may be surprised to learn that no, I don't hate the Fighting Irish.
True enough, I recognize that they are fully hatable. They fit the mold of such hatable teams as the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Duke Blue Devils. But while I make the trendy pick and hate all of those teams, it is not just because it's the in thing, I have a reason for each: I'm an Eagles fan, a Red Sox fan, a Sixers fan who still isn't over 2001, and a part-time Terps fan. When it comes to Notre Dame, though, I really don't have much reason to hate. Except one.
The fact that allegiance to Notre Dame holds the Big East hostage while other conferences are expanding gets under my skin just a little. And I know that the prestige and following they bring makes it hard for the conference to sever that relationship. So I'm not going to lie, I'd love to see them fall on their face just a little for that fact alone. Still, something about a successful Notre Dame--even though it hasn't taken place to its once storied levels since I've really been a football fan--makes the college football world seem right.
This and more puts me in a strange place when looking at Notre Dame's 2010 iteration. Brian Kelly, formerly of Cincinnati, has taken the helm. Despite the fact that he handed USF our asses a couple of years running, I actually do want to see him succeed at his current post. This does, however, run at odds to my desire to see the Irish fall on their face. There's no way to have it both ways. Still, I wish Coach Kelly the best, especially since his best won't involve USF taking an L.
True enough, I recognize that they are fully hatable. They fit the mold of such hatable teams as the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Duke Blue Devils. But while I make the trendy pick and hate all of those teams, it is not just because it's the in thing, I have a reason for each: I'm an Eagles fan, a Red Sox fan, a Sixers fan who still isn't over 2001, and a part-time Terps fan. When it comes to Notre Dame, though, I really don't have much reason to hate. Except one.
The fact that allegiance to Notre Dame holds the Big East hostage while other conferences are expanding gets under my skin just a little. And I know that the prestige and following they bring makes it hard for the conference to sever that relationship. So I'm not going to lie, I'd love to see them fall on their face just a little for that fact alone. Still, something about a successful Notre Dame--even though it hasn't taken place to its once storied levels since I've really been a football fan--makes the college football world seem right.
This and more puts me in a strange place when looking at Notre Dame's 2010 iteration. Brian Kelly, formerly of Cincinnati, has taken the helm. Despite the fact that he handed USF our asses a couple of years running, I actually do want to see him succeed at his current post. This does, however, run at odds to my desire to see the Irish fall on their face. There's no way to have it both ways. Still, I wish Coach Kelly the best, especially since his best won't involve USF taking an L.
Comments