Golden (Dome) Memories

As college football season rapidly approaches, the recent topic around the dinner table has been some of our greatest trips to South Bend. Having been Notre Dame fans all our lives, I had had the opportunity to see a few games in South Bend traveling from Pennsylvania (this was rare but looked forward to experience). Having moved to Michigan in 2001, that put the miles between myself and the promised land a lot closer.

In 2006, I had the opportunity to bring my mother on the trip, just her and I. She had never been to a game before; she is more comfortable watching on television from the comfort of her living room. While we were in the car, she kept asking me questions about the upcoming weekend. I had to give her a Lou Holtz quote:

"If you've never been to Notre Dame I can't explain it, if you have been I don't have to."

I told her that she will be able to answer it on her own after the week end was over. It seems cold but it was the truth.

Early Friday afternoon, we checked into the hotel and headed right to campus; the Good Year blimp was making a practice run over the stadium. We took a slow walk to the other side of campus and prayed at the Grotto for a few minutes. I showed her the Basilica and the old Chapel, and naturally the book store. In order to see the Pep Rally that evening, we went to the Joyce Center to watch a women's volleyball match, complete with ND Volleyball rally towels.

The Pep Rally was one of the better ones that I have been to with Irish step dancers (I believe from St. Marys). Rocket Ismail was the guest speaker. I had known Rocket back in high school, and it was great to see him all these years later. When the rally ended, we made our way over to the bar to see the end of the Tigers/Yankees game, (the ALDS was in full swing).

Waking up in a hotel full of Notre Dame fans is always a great feeling for someone like me that is constantly surrounded by Michigan and Michigan State fans. After parking at St. Marys and taking a slow walk by the lake and the cemetery, where so many legends are buried, it was back to the Grotto to pray again, then to the Rockne Memorial to rub the nose of the legend. I had done all this many times, but to have my mother with me experiencing this for the first time and to see the smile on her face was amazing. Next on the agenda was a couple of steak sandwiches from one of the fraternities, and support the sororities by buying some shirts.

It was a morning of bag pipers and drum teams; it was heaven. We watched the players leave Mass and head to the stadium. When my mother slapped hands with Brady Quinn I thought it was the second coming of the Beatles. After a good cookout at Mendoza school of business, we headed into watch the game.

We saw a great game our No. 12 Irish handled Stanford 31-10, but what stood out to us was the fact that every time the PA announced that the Tigers were beating the Yankees, the crowd erupted. After the game we headed to Fatima house for some food and conversation - what an awesome feeling to be around so many Irish fans.

After Sunday Mass at the Basilica the weekend was over, the three-hour trip home began. I get back at least once a year, but the time I took my mother with me was the best; I plan on bringing her with me this year. The campus of Notre Dame is a place where things that seem ordinary to other people have a life of their own, and even the most simple things can seem extraordinary.