[Rhodes22-list] Navy vs Notre Dame Football

[brad haslett]

This letter is from the Notre Dame student newspaper
about last weeks Nave/ND football game.  Thought some
of you might enjoy it.

Brad



The loudest silence
By: Observer Viewpoint
Issue date: 11/14/05 Section: Viewpoint
Article Tools: Page 1 of 1 

It was another Notre Dame-Navy game this past weekend,
an affair that these days seems to be as fresh as
Grandma's ubiquitous fruitcake. We all know the
routine; these two teams face each other, Notre Dame
wins, Navy loses, dance a jig, yadda yadda yadda. It's
been that way for 42 years now, and Saturday's game
was no different. Save a 7-7 tie in the beginning of
the game, the Irish had their way with Navy, to the
tune of a 42-21 final score. The weather was
beautiful, the team looked great, and the home crowd
at Notre Dame Stadium had plenty to cheer about on
Saturday.

However, the most impressive event in that stadium was
when 80,795 people did no cheering at all. No yelling,
no talking, not even an odd sneeze. Dead silence.
That's what the Navy band received at the end of the
game while they played their alma mater.

Well, it wasn't entirely silent where I was standing
for the game. Just a few rows behind me, a couple
Knievelesque Navy fans had made it into the student
section with the help of some erroneous ticket
booklets and a Notre Dame senior. And while Navy
played their alma mater, one of their fans sang along.
An opposing student, singing his alma mater in our
student section. Surely he must have a death wish. But
on this day, no jeers, insults, or contentious voices
were heard; thousands of opposing fans simply listened
as a solitary voice in a crowd of thousands rang out
and sang for the Navy Blue and Gold. That silence,
that voice and the goose bumps on my arm after it was
all said and done is what makes this rivalry special.

It's easy to overlook the annual Notre Dame-Navy game.
When one team wins 42 times in a row, there's not a
whole lot of drama reserved for the football field.
However, this historic match-up goes far beyond
anything that could happen between the sidelines. The
game is more of a ritual than anything else, an
opportunity for each team to show their respect for
the other. Notre Dame is forever grateful to Navy for
supporting the University through tough times during
World War II, and the Irish pay back the Middies by
playing them year in, and year out. It's our way of
saying "thanks" for something done half a century ago,
and playing the game is all that matters, not who wins
or loses. Of course, that's easy to say when you're on
the winning end of 42 years of games, but I digress.

Remember when we were looking for a football coach,
seemingly eons ago? One of the things that is always
listed in the job requirements is a guy who gets Notre
Dame. He has to get "it." Notre Dame may not be able
to describe in words what "it" is, but the coach has
got to have "it." If people weren't convinced yet, the
end of Saturday's game proved Charlie Weis has "it"
coming out of his ears. After convincingly crushing
the opponent, Charlie led the team over to Navy's
corner of the field to sing their alma mater. Just
minutes before, these two teams walked on that grass
as dire enemies, but now they walked across as one.
Hopefully next year Charlie can show Michigan State
how a real team celebrates a victory.

With no time left on the clock and the outcome
decided, this respectful gesture wasn't about Navy's
football team; it was about Navy. It was a sobering
reminder that what we just poured all of our energy
into was just a game. Many times that's easy to forget
at Notre Dame, where football lies in the hierarchy of
priorities somewhere between inhaling and exhaling.
While we can spend countless hours worrying about
Sagarin rankings, passing efficiency, and Mark May,
Navy has bigger fish to fry. We may claim that we must
protect this house, but Navy must protect something
way bigger.

Sure, the last time Navy beat us, the twinkles in our
parents' eyes weren't even us, but rather a Barbie
Doll or a G.I. Joe. And sure, with Charlie at the
helm, a loss to Navy doesn't seem forthcoming in the
near future. Lee Corso will never come to a Notre
Dame-Navy game. Nonetheless, I know I'll be looking
forward to this matchup for years to come. I'll look
forward to being able to cheer for everybody, clap for
both fight songs, and enjoy a game for what it is, a
game. Thank you, Notre Dame football players, for
showing respect to an opponent who rightfully deserves
it. Thank you, Charlie, for leading the team in that
gesture. But most of all, thank you, Navy, for nothing
football-related whatsoever.


Peter Schroeder is a senior English major. He can be
reached at pschroed at nd.edu. He hopes you're having a
good day.

The views expressed in this column are those of the
author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
 



	
		
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