I love my writing on ND Hockey, but with hockey away and my move last weekend, I get a chance to write about Notre Dame football.
Faith! To me, that’s what a true Notre Dame football fan needs to have. Without faith, one has no way to think forward to what the future may hold. As the 2016 football campaign winded down, I started using a new hashtag: #Team129ChangesEverything. I put my faith into this year’s team even before last season had a chance to end.
Notre Dame, as a Catholic University, talks about faith all the time. I hear the priest talk about it on Sunday mornings in the Basilica. Faith is defined as follows: complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
Faith is what we as fans must have in our team and this coaching staff. Irish players even acknowledge in their interviews that they chose Notre Dame because of that very quality in Irish fans.
I believe non-stellar football seasons happen for a reason. It would be great to have an awesome football team all the time. However, can you grow as a program if you don’t have a bad season on occasion?
It is all a test of one’s faith in our football team. The loss to Georgia this year was meant to happen. I truly believe that loss Georgia made this team hungry. It was a gut check for this team, testing their own faith in the process that began in winter training.
Was I disappointed in the fact that my 7-0 stadium record ended that fateful Saturday night against Georgia? Yes, I was absolutely disappointed; however, I had still faith in this team. I didn’t believe that the loss would spell the end of the Irish season or their playoff hopes.
With all this faith talk, let’s take a look at this team. After finishing 4-8 last season, the Irish are now 7-1 and ranked #3 in the country by the College Football Playoff Committee.
The players on this team have faith in the coaching staff and it shows in the execution of the game plan week in and week out. If they didn’t have faith in each other, they wouldn’t be working as hard as they are to help their teammate #33Trucking, Heisman Trophy candidate, Josh Adams.
Yes, a Heisman Trophy candidate has emerged from the ashes of last year’s team. That doesn’t happen unless you have faith in the process. The only way this wonderful journey continues is if the Irish “faithful” continue to support the efforts of all involved in the day to day activities of this team.
Most Irish fans believe that Notre Dame’s Motto is “God, Country, Notre Dame.” Notre Dame’s motto is actually “Vita, Dulcedo, Spes” and it adorns the crest on the entrances to Notre Dame. Translated from Latin, which I learned from ND Alum and artist, Kathleen Keifer, it means “Life, Sweetness, Hope.”
“Hope” is the word of interest here. Without faith, there is no hope. I have strong faith and therefore hope in this team. I have faith in this coaching staff (though it’s certainly a challenge at times). I have faith in the Irish fan base–that they will continue to support this team when the times are good and even when they are troubling.
#Team129ChangesEverything #GoIrish #33Trucking #OurLadyofVictoryPrayForUs
Cheers!!
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Elmar Kremer
George could have added that “life, sweetness, hope” is a phrase from a prayer to Our Lady (Notre Dame), which begins, “Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope.”
George Bashura
Thank you Elmer. I appreciate your feedback #GoIrish