• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Her Loyal Sons

A Notre Dame Football Blog

  • Home
  • Discord
  • ND Bowl Tie-Ins
  • Merch
  • Extra Life
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • RSS
Home > Notre Dame Football > History > Good Fridays w/Padre: Clash of Civilizations

Good Fridays w/Padre: Clash of Civilizations

September 14, 2012 by Father Sorin

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

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
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.”
Latest posts by Father Sorin (see all)
  • Good Fridays w/Padre: WORTHY! - November 30, 2018
  • Good Fridays w/Padre: The Horror - October 26, 2018
  • Good Fridays w/Padre: BALLS! - September 7, 2018

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Filed Under: History, Notre Dame Football Tagged With: Irish, Michigan State

About 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.”

Previous Post: « Friday Roundup: The “Manti Te’o” Edition
Next Post: The Golden Tate Band Dive Memorial Open Thread »

Primary Sidebar

Latest Podcast

Click here to support the pod!

Recent Posts

The Cowboy Beebop "See You Space Cowboy" ending title frame with the HLS logo.

Epilogue

HLS Podcast Finale

Manti Te'o Faux Cover

The Final Fiesta: Notre Dame vs Oklahoma State NCAA ’14 Sim

Penultimate Picks Pod

2021 Bowl Picks: Week 2

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework · Login

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.