When Irish Guys are Fighting...

"Cheer, Cheer for Old Notre Dame! Wake up the echoes cheering her name. Send a volley cheer on high, Shake down the thunder from the sky..." Whether you are a proud graduate of the South Bend school, or simply part of the masses with a heartfelt affinity for the Fighting Irish, the University of Notre Dame has made its way into the hearts of countless fans as one of the best football programs in collegiate history. >From the days of the "four horsemen" to a record breaking 2005 season, the legendary Notre Dame Football program has made its way into books and movies commemorating the spirit of the Irish. Kelly green rally caps, flags and banners pepper cities across the country, as members of ND nation pay tribute to the Fighting Irish. Mitchell & Ness, a Philadelphia-based manufacturer of authentic vintage sportswear, recognizes the loyalty fans have for this storied university and the heroes that made those moments memorable. Their new wool varsity jacket is the first in a collegiate collection that will compliment their professional lines of licensed apparel from MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL. The spirit of Notre Dame's athletic program has infiltrated every avenue of American culture, and the tale of the little Catholic school in South Bend that could has revived the aggressive spirit of Irish Americans and instilled it in fans across the country. Notre Dame was founded in 1842, by 28-year old Father Soren, during a time when there were only nine other Catholic colleges. By 1861, the total of Catholic colleges had reached 51. Part of Notre Dame's success was due to the initial surge of European immigrants, the majority of them Catholic, streaming into the United States. Public schools were not a place immigrant parents wanted to send their children. Universities that maintained the Catholic faith as part of their curricula were popular as cities like Chicago, Detroit and St. Louis grew to include large Catholic populations. The other element that brought national recognition to the university was the football program. At times, people complained that it overshadowed the school's prestigious academic standards, but imagining Notre Dame without football is like imagining the Bronx without the Bombers. The origin of the Fighting Irish is a controversial debate without one single answer. Some people believe that the name originated in 1899 during a Northwestern game, with Notre Dame leading 5-0 at halftime. Wildcat fans started chanting "Kill the fighting Irish, kill the fighting Irish," at the beginning of the second half. Others believe the name stems from a 1909 game against Notre Dame's rival Michigan, in which a Notre Dame player yelled to his teammates- who all had names like Dolan, Kelly and Duffy- "What's the matter with you guys? You're all Irish and you're not fighting worth a lick!" Notre Dame came back to win the game and the press, after hearing the story, dubbed the game a victory for the "Fighting Irish." But the most widely accepted theory is that the press coined the term, and Notre Dame alumnus Francis Wallace popularized it in his New York Daily News columns in the 1920s. By 1927, the name stuck and University President Rev. Matthew Walsh, C.S.C., officially adopted "Fighting Irish" as the Notre Dame nickname. >From Notre Dame's heated rivalry with Michigan and USC, to Coach Knute Rockne's "Win one for the 'Gipper' speech," Notre Dame's history on the field has made an impact that has reached movies, books and even politics. (Ronald Reagan, who played the part of George Gipp in the 1940 film Knute Rockne: All American, and later used the phrase in a speech when seeking presidential re-election.) The Michigan rivalry caught fire right from the start, when Notre Dame lost their opening game to Michigan 8-0. The Irish didn't triumph until 1909, when they beat Michigan 11-3, spawning a 33-year lapse in play between the two teams, due to Michigan's refusal to play another potentially dominant Midwestern team. The two teams didn't play again until 1978. >From 1918 to 1930, the Irish had some very good years under the direction of head coach Knute Rockne and his successors. Under Rockne, the Irish raked in 105 wins, 12 losses and 5 ties. They were six time national champs and had five undefeated seasons, including a Rose Bowl victory in 1925. One of the most famous moments of Rockne's reign came in a 1928 game against an undefeated Army team. At halftime, Rockne entered the locker room and told the team a story: "I've got to go, Rock. It's all right. I'm not afraid. Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, tell them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock. But I'll know about it, and I'll be happy." The speech although possibly fictional, inspired the team and they went on to upset Army and win the game 12-5. (Wikipedia) After 13 years, the longest tenure of any coach to date, Rockne died in a plane crash on his way to Kansas to help with the production of the Spirit of Notre Dame in 1930. Rockne's assistant coach Heartly "Hunk" Anderson stepped in to fill Rockne's shoes and coached the Irish to a 16-9-2 record. Four years later, Anderson resigned and was replaced by one of the original "four horsemen," of the Notre Dame backfield, Elmer Layden. Under Layden, the team boasted 47 wins, 13 losses and 3 ties before his departure in 1940 to serve as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL). Notre Dame alum, Frank Leahy was selected to replace Layden and took the Irish to 5 national championships, 6 undefeated seasons and a record of 87-11-9 between 1946 and 1953. He retired in 1954. Between 1956 and 1963 the fighting Irish did just that as they struggled to come out with wins under Terry Brennan and Joe Kuharich. In 1964, Ara Parseghian revived the Notre Dame spirit and brought the team a record 95 wins, 17 losses and 4 ties, not to mention two national championships in his 11 year career. This was commonly referred to as the "Era of Ara," with All-American receiver Jack Snow, and Heisman quarterback John Huarte, holding the reins of a team that doubled it's total offensive yards from the 1963 (1,980) to '64 (4,014) season and more than tripled the number of passing yards (654 to 2,105). The Irish continued their success in the late 1970's and 1980's under the coaching of Dan Devine, Gerry Faust and Lou Holtz. Notre Dame won the Fiesta Bowl in 1988, under Holtz. That same year he was named coach of the year and took the Irish to one undefeated season, 9 consecutive New Year's Day bowl games, and top 10 finishes in the AP poll in five seasons in his time as head coach. Notre Dame's 2005 record breaking season made headlines as the team set 11 team records, nine career individual records, 14 season individual records, seven single game individual records plus six miscellaneous records. In January, ND Nation and football fans across the country mourned Snow's death following complications from a staph infection. He was 62. His son, six-time Gold Glove first baseman, J.T. Snow, recently signed with the Boston Red Sox.