Johnny Irish

Thanks For Playing!

Thu, 11/22/07

Greetings, Irish Fans. I hope that this column finds you well. Hopefully, you’re not reading this because you simply can’t stand to be in a room with your family for another minute. Or stumbling across this as you search frantically for fantasy football stats on Brett Favre, Terrell Owens and Tony Romo.

Anyway, no matter what brings you here, my message to all of you is the same:

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m sure you guys saw that Coach Weis called Thanksgiving one of his favorite holidays during his Tuesday press conference, and you know what? I have to agree with the man here (and that hasn’t always been easy to do this season). Not only does this uniquely American holiday give us the opportunity to stuff our faces with all sorts of delicious foods, but it also allows us to take a paid day off of work AND watch football all day. Now how could you NOT love that?

But Thanksgiving really is about so much more. It’s about stopping to reflect on all the gifts we have in our lives. And it’s about spending time and connecting with family. As all of you guys know, Notre Dame is all about family. And even though the football hasn’t been too hot this season, the ND family has shown its strength, support and passion maybe more than any year I can remember.

So, while I may not have as much to be thankful for as the University itself (seeing Forbes.com value your football program at a national-high $101 million has to feel pretty freaking good) I wanted to take a moment to express my thanks through this forum.

This year, Johnny Irish is thankful for …

– The fact that there is only one game left. Sorry, Coach Weis, but I just can’t stand to watch much longer. This season has been ugly from the beginning, with more defections, blowouts and poor decision making skills than five seasons’ worth of The Surreal Life. Sure, I’ll tune in for the Stanford game Saturday, like I always do. And I’ll cheer as hard as I always do whenever the Irish do something right. But you’ll forgive me if I also take a moment to cheer when the final second ticks off the clock. After all, there’s only so much one man can take!

– Trevor Laws. Most of Notre Dame’s upperclassmen have disappointed this season, but this dreadlocked, driven fifth-year senior defensive end has simply dominated. Refusing to take a single play off and racking up a mind-numbing triple-digit tackle total to lead the team as AN END IN A 3-4 (?!), Laws has shown that the heart of a champion can beat just as strong in defeat as it does in victory. Thank you, Travis. Your final college season, and your entire Notre Dame career, will never be forgotten. And your reward awaits on NFL Draft Day!

– UCLA. As all six of you know, Johnny Irish had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to trek west and take in the Notre Dame-UCLA game this season. And the trip was everything I expected it to be and more, thanks to picture postcard perfect weather and an ugly but edifying 20-6 upset of the brutal Bruins. So thank you, Karl Dorrell and UCLA, for not living up to your preseason hype. Again.

– The freshman class. Jimmy Clausen didn’t always make me happy at quarterback, but it’s impossible not to admire his (surprising) grit and moxie. Duval Kamara has dropped a lot of catchable passes, but he’s also set a freshman record with four TD grabs. Kerry Neal and Brian Smith have shown flashes of brilliance at outside linebacker. Robert Hughes has fought through unimaginable personal tragedy to post a 110-yard rushing day. Golden Tate dazzled with three monster catches at Purdue. And, of course, Armando Allen has led all Irish players in total yardage and showcased the type of speed we haven’t seen around these parts since the days of Rocket Ismail. Simply put, these kids can flat-out play. So a big thanks to them for giving us hope for next year … and beyond.

– The chance for the freshmen to play. Would I rather those above-mentioned guys sit the bench while upperclassmen lead the Irish to victory? Of course. But if this disaster of a season has led to anything of immediate value, it has been the abundance of playing time that all those first-year guys have received. NOTHING can begin to replicate or emulate in-game experience, and the ceiling for this soon-to-be sophomore class is higher than the one in the Dome.