Writing in the off season is challenging to say the least. Stories are hard to come by, especially seeing as I don’t live in the South Bend area. And then, a story where both of my worlds collide just falls in my lap. Lucky me? Hardly… and also not surprising when you consider it involves the Notre Dame family.
I don’t really talk about my non-football writing life, but as my “day job” I do marketing for Nestle Purina PetCare, in their pet food division. If you follow me on social media, 90% of my feed is Notre Dame football related, but the other 10% is most likely pet and/or Purina related. And if you follow me on social media, you also probably know that I have two dogs, a German Shepherd Irish Setter mix named Molly, and a French Bulldog named Clover (catch the Irish theme there?).
And then this story came across my feed today. Apparently, former Notre Dame football player, and current NY Giant, Romeo Okwara is the proud owner of a French Bulldog. (I knew I liked him more than just for Notre Dame football!) I know as a Frenchie owner myself, these dogs may be small in stature, but they are quite playful, stubborn (bull-headed!) and have personalities that are larger than life. Before I got my Frenchie I pretty much drove my family crazy talking about Frenchies. I got to meet ‘Manny the Frenchie” on a work trip to New York City, and that pretty much sealed the deal for me. I needed a Frenchie. Almost two years ago, my family finally broke down and got me little Clover for Mother’s Day, and she definitely keeps life interesting.
Apparently Romeo feels the same way about his pup, Samo. In a story by Matt Cohen, Okwara said, “I always wanted a French bulldog. They’re pretty cool dogs. They’re a little weird; I think everyone knows that. They’re very playful and they’re pretty relaxed and chill at times. So I thought it would be the perfect dog for an apartment.”
If you’re a dog lover like me, check out this video about Romeo and his Frenchie Samo! You can read Matt Cohen’s full story here. And if you’re on Instagram, check out Samo, he’s got his own page!
Thanks for humoring me and my puppy love today!
I have a new story in the works about Lou Holtz and his latest project. Stay tuned!
Cheers & GO IRISH!
- Breaking Discoveries in CTE Research? - March 12, 2018
- A Football Player’s Lucky Charm? - February 22, 2018
- Part II: From Football to Coffee Beans? - January 31, 2018