Notre Dame – Tom Colton

How Notre Dame came to be known as the Fighting Irish

You may be wondering how Notre Dame athletics came to be known as the Fighting Irish. To know the reason behind it, we’d have to go back in time and look at the glorious past of the school and its sports tradition. We’d also have to look at some historical figures.

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Image source: nd.edu

Firstly, the term “Fighting Irish” is most associated with Éamon de Valera, an Irish freedom fighter who arrived in the U.S. in 1919, soliciting aid for his national cause. De Valera was initially imprisoned and sentenced to death but was given amnesty before getting arrested anew by the English. He managed to escape and found himself on American shores.

The future president of Ireland was welcomed as a hero by the Irish-priest-founded Notre Dame, and the campus was quickly swayed into using the Fighting Irish moniker because of the said visit. But the naming would not be embraced by everyone in the university initially, with some alumni criticizing the fact that the school is not even based in Ireland.

By the 1920s, the phrase caught on, having been picked up by the press to refer, of course, not to the fact that the athletes need to be Irish, but due to the distinct never-say-die characteristic of Notre Dame’s sports teams. Come 1927, then-university-president Rev. Matthew Walsh finally decided that the term is the worthiest of all nicknames being given to the school’s varsity teams, and that the administration is agreeing to the ideals the term represents.

Hello, there. I’m Tom Colton and I’m currently pursuing my studies at the University of Notre Dame. I’m a huge fan of our Fighting Irish football team. For similar reads, visit this blog.

The legend of the Fighting Irish

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Image source: Indystar.com

Those who are fans of the University of Notre Dame’s sports teams are quite confused about the origin of the term “Fighting Irish.” After all, Notre Dame is originally a cathedral in France. Why turn Irish all of a sudden?

There are many legends about the origin of the “Fighting Irish.” Some people claim that the nickname was taken from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union’s Irish Brigade. On the other hand, some accounts say that the nickname was first used in 1909 when a player’s speech during a football halftime to his teammates of Irish descent led a reporter to call the team the “fighting Irishmen.”

Another version of the legend talks about using the term to stereotype against the Irish and Catholics, which makes up most of the university’s population. But despite associating the term with war and violence, the victory of the university’s football team starting giving the “Fighting Irish” a positive connotation. As the years went on, sportswriters began to use the name to describe the team until it stuck.

As Notre Dame sports teams began amassing fans from different parts of the country, university officials started to become more accepting of the nickname. Being called a “Fighting Irish” was no longer an insult but a testament to a player or a team’s willingness to win. In the world of sports, especially collegiate football, that is a sure way to hype the team and its fans. In the years that followed, Notre Dame grew stronger and went on to win several championships. Times have changed, but even up to this day, fans still cheer on the never-say-die “Fighting Irish.”

Hello, I’m Tom Colton, and I’m currently a student at the University of Notre Dame. For updates on the Fighting Irish, visit this page.

The Fighting Irish’ Opening Match Against Michigan Is a Must-Win

A lot is at stake in the Fighting Irish’s first match of the 2018 NCCA season, with the team taking on rival Michigan. Many experts predict that the outcome of this match will greatly affect the success of Notre Dame throughout the rest of the season.

The good news is that the Irish will have homecourt advantage in the September match. But that’s no reason for the Irish to be complacent. The Wolverines will come out in full force, especially as they look to have revenge for their embarrassing 31-0 defeat at the hands of the Irish in their last meeting in 2014.

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Moreover, Notre Dame simply cannot afford to start the season with a loss. College football history is not in favor of teams losing their initial matches: in fact, no team has gotten to the national championships after starting with a 0-1 record since the onset of the Bowl Coalition Era in 1992. And no such team has won the title since 1983.

The players to watch are transfer QB Shea Patterson, who is a hard-to-scout wild card, as well as Wolverines’ defensive line standout Rashan Gary. Also, many analysts think that despite Michigan’s tough schedule this season, the team is a likely 10-win team. And if Notre Dame is to really build a good momentum moving forward on its own challenging sked, it must not let the Wolverines claw their way into this opening game.

Image source: upi.com

Hello, my name’s Tom Colton, a student at the University of Notre Dame. I’m a huge fan of our Fighting Irish football team. For more Notre Dame football reads, visit this blog.

Dan Devine’s big challenge

Dan Devine had some big shoes to fill. He arrived at Notre Dame as the replacement of the great Ara Parseghian, one of the most successful coaches in Fighting Irish history. But by all accounts, Devine did what he could with what he had. He would guide Notre Dame to a 53-16-1 record with 3 bowl wins.

One of his most memorable victories came in 1977 when he and a young Joe Montana led the Fighting Irish to a national championship. In the 1978 Cotton Bowl Classic, Notre Dame demolished Texas and Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell, 38-10.

Devine was also a coach of much controversy, changing the traditional navy blue and white team jerseys to Kelly green and gold in a game against the USC Trojans. Notre Dame ended up crushing the Trojans 49-19, and as a result, the Irish would wear green for Devine’s entire stay.

However, even with his achievements, many sports writers and football experts observed that Devine was never really accepted by Notre Dame. Whether it was because they had gotten used to Ara Parseghian or for other reasons, the Fighting Irish community was cold to Devine.

But any way you look at it, love him or hate him, Devine did deliver wins and titles. And that is a testament to just how competent he is as a coach.

Hello there, my name’s Tom Colton, and I’m currently studying at the University of Notre Dame and I’m a huge fan of the Fighting Irish. For more writings on Notre Dame football, drop by this blog.

Terry Brennan, De-Emphasis, And Hard Times For Notre Dame

The years that followed Frank Leahy’s departure from Notre Dame were some of the most dismal in the distinguished football program’s history. Many sports analysts described the period as one of de-emphasis. And boy did incoming head coach Terry Brennan have it tough.

Brennan was only 25 years young when he was named the Fighting Irish’s head coach. He played under Leahy and was also a coach for the Mount Carmel High School football team. He enjoyed a measure of success in his first two years, with Notre Dame winning 17 games in both ’54 and ’55. However, for the next three seasons, he would get 15 wins against 15 losses.

The 1956 season was a bad year for the Fighting Irish, with the team winning only two games. It was one of the worst in fact, in Notre Dame history.

The only thing fans looked forward to was Paul Hornung, who won the Heisman Trophy. Hornung would then leave Notre Dame and continue to have a stellar career with the Green Bay Packers. Hornung has the infamous distinction of being the only Heisman Trophy winner to win the award while playing for a team with a losing record.

The next two seasons would be better, as Brennan coached the Irish to 7-3 and 6-4 seasons, which weren’t nearly enough for him to keep his job. He was fired mid-December.

Brennan had always mentioned the de-emphasis of Notre Dame as the main reason for the downturn in Fighting Irish football during his era.

Hello, I’m Tom Colton, a student at the University of Notre Dame. I’m of Irish descent; it almost comes naturally that I’m a fan of our Fighting Irish varsity teams. For more on my hobbies and interests, check out this page.