In the past 48 years, the team I have seen second most in person are the Trojans of USC(ucks)... It was Student Body Left and Student Body Right while OJ was running... Skip to 1973 and it was the first "big game" I had ever attended. We walked on photocopies of a collage of Davis on his knees doing his stupid "TD kneedance" six times from 1972... It was sitting in class on Friday early afternoon and hearing buzzing out the window - and realizing it wasn't maintainence mowing, it was the drone of the motors from the Goodyear Blimp circling around... It was the giant banner made from bed sheets string between Flanner and Grace Halls proclaiming it was time to "Scratch the Seven-Year Itch", in reference to the seven year drought since the last time the Irish had won against the hated Trojans... It was Anthony Davis being hung in effigy in front of Sorin College... It was Willie Townsend proclaiming at the Pep Rally - that had been moved from inside Stepan Center to outside because of the size of the crowd and to accommodate ABC -that "The Time Is Now! God Made Notre Dame Nunber One!"... It was standing on the sideline close enough to hear LB Greg Collins jump up after stuffing Anthony Davis and yell "Welcome to South Bend." It was losing my mind on the sideline when Eric Pennick broke lose in front of me on the sidelines... It was watching Lynn Swann stretch comepletely parallel to make the best catch I had seen in my life up to that point... It was tearing down the goal posts... It was hearing John McKay humming the Notre Dame Victory March walking of the field while saying "It was the only song to play that day"... It was leading 24-0 with only a few seconds left before halftime and trailing 55-24 two minutes into the 4th Quarter at the Colleseum in 1974. It was hearing Ara make his famous comment about "hating that damned white horse" constantly parading behind the Irish bench. It was being in the locker room in 1974 and seeing what really happened in the alledged "race fight" at halftime, which some used to "explain" why Notre Dame comletely lost it in that game... It was being in the tunnel when the Trojan Horse was rolled on to the field in 1977 for the infamous Green Jersey game... It was taking my Mom (may she rest in peace) to her only game in South Bend... And taking my oldest nepher a few years later... It was the phantom touchdown in the 80s... It was the Bush Push... It was that damned constant drumming and ditty the USC(ucks) band constantly belts out... It was Tony Rice stepping up and leading the Irish to the famous 10-0 win... It was the incredible winninhg streak against the Trojans...
One new special memory happened in November 2019, just before pandemic quarantine... It was not a USC weekend but it was USC-related... Our fearless leader and my friend Lou Somogyi dropped by my hotel to say Hi -- And the smile on his face when I produced and gifted him a game-used football from the 1973 USC game. In typical Lou style his face grew wide with appreciation and asked "This isn't the Penick ball is it?" and then proceeded to tell me the stories he had heard about that particular ball... And the short "hello" turned into an impromptu dinner at one of his favorite restaurants in Grainger... The last time I was privileged to spend time with a wonderful reporter and friend...
I have seen about 20 Irish-Trojan matchups over the years -- It is my favorite week of the football season... It evokes memories that only a true "Notre Dame Man or Woman" can understand. So to quote Willie Townsend -- THE TIME IS NOW!!!
We Are!!!
One new special memory happened in November 2019, just before pandemic quarantine... It was not a USC weekend but it was USC-related... Our fearless leader and my friend Lou Somogyi dropped by my hotel to say Hi -- And the smile on his face when I produced and gifted him a game-used football from the 1973 USC game. In typical Lou style his face grew wide with appreciation and asked "This isn't the Penick ball is it?" and then proceeded to tell me the stories he had heard about that particular ball... And the short "hello" turned into an impromptu dinner at one of his favorite restaurants in Grainger... The last time I was privileged to spend time with a wonderful reporter and friend...
I have seen about 20 Irish-Trojan matchups over the years -- It is my favorite week of the football season... It evokes memories that only a true "Notre Dame Man or Woman" can understand. So to quote Willie Townsend -- THE TIME IS NOW!!!
We Are!!!
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