Good Fridays w/Padre: Clash of Civilizations

A lot of chins are wagging and ink is being spilled making comparisons between our lads and the Michigan State thugs squad in advance of tomorrow night’s game. Both teams have two wins and no losses. Both are working with quarterbacks who were brand-spanking-new at the start of this season. And both are among the top 20 teams in the country (with Michigan State being number 10, if you believe those witchdoctors, which I do not).

Taking the long view, as I am wont to do, there really is no comparison between these two teams, these two universities, or even the cultures from which they draw their inspiration. Shall we have some examples – yes we shall:

Sparta: An ancient ruin visited by tourists interested in the very distant past

Ireland: A a thriving, vibrant island peopled by the joyful, the witty, and the charming, where a certain football team has never lost a game

Sparta: Was a civilization

Ireland: Saved civilization

Sparta: Distinguished by a color somewhere between ‘harbor slime’ and ‘bile’

Ireland: Distinguished by the color of the precious emerald and no fewer than 40 shades of green

Sparta: Wine drinkers

Ireland: Whiskey drinkers…and porter and stout and cider…

Sparta: Sent 300 soldiers to join with 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans in their most famous battle – and still lost

Ireland: Sent thousands of soldiers to join with Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and the United States in two global conflicts – and remain undefeated in World Wars

Sparta: Conquered by Rome in 146 bc

Ireland: Never conquered by Rome

Sparta: Pagan

Ireland: Saved by the Lord, loved by His Mother

Sparta: Massacred by their archrival and turned on their neighbors

Ireland: Massacred, subjugated, occupied, and starved but still survived everyone from the Vikings to the English…and even lets the Queen visit on occasion

Sparta: Wrestled in the nude

Ireland: Did no such thing

Sparta: Best known for being tough, disciplined, and losing

Ireland: Best known for being crafty, scrappy and – somehow – always winning in the end

Sparta: Associated with a despicable team that has lost to Notre Dame 46 times

Ireland: Associated with, loves, cherishes, and honors Notre Dame

Sparta: Hasn’t been relevant since 371 bc

Ireland: Has never stopped being relevant

EFS CSC

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Father Sorin

University Founder
Son, in 199 years of religious study, I have only come up with two hard, incontrovertible facts: There is a God, and I'm pretty tight with Him.

Now I’m going to tell you a whole lot of things I’ve kept to myself for years. None of you ever knew me. I was along before your time, but you all know what a tradition I am at Notre Dame. And one of the most important things I ever said was, “Friends, sometime when my University is up against it and the breaks are beating the students, tell them to go out there with all they’ve got and win at everything for Padre. I don’t know exactly where I’ll be then, friends,” I said, “but I’ll be looking right over your shoulder.”