Win or Lose Notre Dame’s Tradition and Energy every Saturday give any fan the

Win or Lose Notre Dame’s Tradition and Energy every Saturday give any fan the
true feeling of College Football
By John Kelly for Football Reporters Online

Attending a Notre Dame football game is more than just seeing two teams
square off; it carries the feelings of a religious pilgrimage. While it sounds crazy
let me explain and with Touchdown Jesus as my alibi, why you will be moved
enough to take a trip there.

The pregame festivities build up your energy before Kickoff. After you get off
that small prop plane at South Bend Airport or off the Indiana Tolls you see the
Golden Dome. The shine given off the dome right there is silently yelling, “brace
yourself”. Check into the hotel pick up an Irish Sports Report and a jersey from
the memorabilia store and get to campus. Your pilgrimage is about to begin.

Friday is where the all the pregame festivities begin. The pep rally in the Joyce
Center is almost always sold out so make sure you have a ticket. Then sit back
as you hear the band rock all the great Notre Dame songs Rakes of Mallow,
Victory Clog, and of course the best fight song in the land the Notre Dame
Victory march. The band is not the only one bringing the house down; the
students are wild and rock the Joyce Center.

The pep rally is just an appetizer to game like atmosphere you will feel on Saturday. Hopefully you have picked up the chants and songs and hopefully your Irish Jig is upkeep when Rakes of Mallow plays.

Each pep rally is filled with special guests that pump you and the team up for
Saturday. Famous distinguished guests have been Tom Lasorda, Lou Holtz,
Digger Phelps, and yes the great one Wayne Gretsky.

You better grab some coffee from Perkins down the road because your Friday is
not over yet. At midnight the drumline rocks out the Notre Dame tunes late into
the night and the entire town can hear the crowd around them as the Notre
Dame Fight Song is played and the chant of this year’s 2008 squad, “Crank me
up”.

Now go back to your room because I know it is late for you Mr. Casual sports
fan. You’ll need to be up bright and early before Kirk, Chris, and Lee even start
Gameday because the campus is a site to see. You arrive on campus and in the
middle is the house Rockne built with 80,000 seats.

Then there take your picture behind Touchdown Jesus and if you’re with your family a group picture will be memorable forever and cut costs on this year’s Christmas picture.

Now it is close to noon right next to the Golden Dome is the Basilica, which is a
gorgeous on a crisp fall day. Go in there and say a prayer hoping for an Irish
victory. If you’re not an Irish fan, check out the whole basilica and be sure to
take some photos.

Now get up quickly because the players are doing their traditional walk to the
stadium after their mass. You can literally stand inches away from them and
chant their names. I gave Armando Allen a high five and he gave me a nod back.

Then the last thing to do before you inhale those three delicious bratwursts
provided by the student barbeques is see the band play at Bond Hall. They belt
out again the Notre Dame Victory March, Rakes of Mallow, and Victory Clog. The
sound can be heard throughout campus. Also you better get a decent spot
because there are 5,000 people on the grass around Bond Hall watching,
clapping, and singing the melody to each and Notre Dame song the band plays.
Oh yeah they also give you a hint of what they are playing at halftime.

Ok you have done the pregame experiences, had some bratwursts, a couple of
beers, and now it is 15 minutes before game time and it is time to enter Notre
Dame Stadium (Or what I like to call Mecca). Now the PA announcer comes on
and the crowd goes bonkers and then the Golden Shine off the sun catches your
eye and you see the Irish run out of the tunnel to a Roman Coliseum type roar.
Do not forget to boo the opposing team and make them feel uncomfortable.

Now sit on these tight benches and in the words of Charlie Weis “Shut up when
the Irish are on Offense and when they are on defense make a lot of noise.”

Win or Lose the end of the game is one of the prettiest and tight nit moments
most college football fans throughout the nation miss after the final whistle
blows. Grab a shoulder and be prepared to sway back and forth to Notre Dame’s
Alma Mater and see a crowd of 80,000 follow you in unison.

Well, as you leave the stadium get a couple more pictures of the stadium and
field the ushers are great and will take the photo for you. That is my only advice as I hope you have experienced a great weekend. If you’re an NFL fan well then football continues into Sunday. If your just a casual sports fan hopefully this great the will definitely be embedded in your mind when your plugging away on Monday.

On a side note the Purdue game I went to this year made my cousin’s brother-
in-law’s day and he normally is not into college football. If he can have a smile
then any person who goes there can be moved just as much.

If you know A Notre Dame alum I suggest you ask for the tickets and come on a
Pilgrimage to the Mecca of College football.