Love your team? Hate the other? How about a little respect?

Before hating on Notre Dame, please go to the Notre Dame Athletics site and click on the football link. You will find many links. I think if you take a few minutes and try to learn about the school and the athletic program, you will find how easy it is to cheer on the Irish.  I was born an Irish fan, just like many of my friends were born Gamecock fans, or Georgia fans or whatever the local tradition would indicate.  However, when I hear people use the word HATE describing a school that they know nothing about, it makes me cheer that much harder against that person and his school. This is human nature, but it sets up a culture of hate and anger in sports that I am not in favor of.  We recently ran into a guy who went to that "other" USC in California.  We joked about the argument between who is the "real" USC.  He commented that in California, the fans respect ability and skill and there is not such a culture of hate surrounding rival teams.  We have found the same to be true in the Big Ten.  Why is the use of the word "hate" to describe other football programs so common here? Click on to stories about Manti Te'o…if you read and listen to him, maybe it will make you stop and think before you use that word HATE, or perhaps it would make you a little more open-minded. When I am down or I allow myself to get too caught up in who wins or loses, I try and read about positive things in sports, which I LOVE!!  Here are some links we suggest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyEGgHpHTqM

http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/nd-m-footbl-body.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVSbzWTg--I&list=PL113A40801074BD17&index=42

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcWEZiVOE2o&list=PL113A40801074BD17&index=9

I will be front and center on Monday night, watching my favorite team play. I will be proud not only because of their successful football season, but because they play hard, clean and in the way we all can be proud. Will you see any ND player taunt another player? I don't think so.

Enjoy the game, and I hope and pray Notre Dame wins.  They have great tradition, players who carry themselves with dignity and respect for others, an academic atmosphere that has no rival, and a spirited student body, but I truly believe Alabama will win the football game.

John