The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have received a lot of flak in the wake of a 44-28 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Fiesta Bowl, but we choose to celebrate a team that defied the odds and exemplified what it means to come out swinging with your back up against the wall. Here's 3 Reasons Why Notre Dame Should Still Be America's Team.
3. Losing With Class, Dignity
“Couldn’t be more proud of the football team. An honor to coach them, honor to be around them. The way they competed this year, regardless of the circumstances, they just kept playing.”
After losses to Clemson, Stanford and Ohio State this year, Brian Kelly celebrated his kids for fighting through adversity rather than tearing them down for mistakes. The players responded in kind, giving credit where credit was due to their opponents while putting their noses back to the grindstone in hopes of making the next day a better one.
In an era where football divas rule and the SportsCenter leads focus on players who think the world owes them everything/anything they want, it's refreshing to see an old-school program adhering to old-school values: respect, character and a true sense of community.
2. The Fans Make The Man (Men)
We've detailed this before, but Notre Dame fans wear their sportsmanship and cordiality like a badge of honor. We've seen several reports on Reddit and other social media forums about how gracious Irish fans were while the Fiesta Bowl was playing out in less than desirable fashion, and the great deal of Notre Dame loyalists who took time to congratulate Buckeyes fans (and players) for a great season. If you don't have a regional rooting interest in a college football team, it's always a good idea to side with the fan base who handles itself with class and makes the football-watching experience that much more enjoyable.
1. Pure Resilience
Other teams fold like an accordion when one impact player goes out with a season-ending injury. Georgia did it this year when Nick Chubb went down, for one. However, Notre Dame lost SIX starters prematurely, including a quarterback (Malik Zaire) pegged to be the face of the program in 2015. How this team continuously got off the deck and performed undermanned is beyond us. It's a testament to Brian Kelly's coaching staff and a group of kids who view "next man up" as more than just a football cliche.
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