Does ND have Michigan to thank for it's national popularity?
To hell with Norte Dame
Second.
Duh.
It definitely wouldn't have happened without us. We taught them the game, and we did have that whole little spat that has assured their independence to this very day, BUT:
We didn't win them a bunch of national championships. Jokes about "because they didn't play us those years" aside, we only inadvertently laid the foundations for them. Rockne is the one ultimately responsible for doing something with it and making them popular.
It also had a lot to do with being the most prominent Catholic team. There was a lot of anti-Catholic sentiment in the early 1900s, and the nation's Catholics felt galvanized by ND beating all the WASP schools in football.
All learned from the keeper of the flame: John U. Bacon.
All Hail John U. Bacon. Baked Potato, French Fries.
that was a sweet class
While I think Bacon is awesome, this is pretty much common knowledge.
Yeah, John Kryk wrote a great book on it-
Natural Enemies: Major College Football's Oldest, Fiercest Rivalry - Michigan vs. Notre Dame
http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Enemies-Footballs-Fiercest-Michigan/dp/15…
You don't really know the rivalry if you don't know all the backbiting history behind it.
because they named it after a giant church in Paris.
So when all the Europeans immigrated they asked:
"Sacre bleu! Iz neeze a foosbal team to cheer for - ah! Coup d'oeil! Notre Dame!"
So it became a favorite of French immigrants, thus explaining why their fans are rude and smell of cheese.
ND has done much to earn their national reputation...like never winning a BCS game. The Four Horsecrap beat Army just after WWII and Paul Horning stole the Heisman from Jim Brown. Take pride in Regis and Dr. Lou as the face of the program.
Lou Holtz was a cock-
Did you just put Notre Dame and national popularity in the same sentence?
Michigans litte cousin
I think you mean Red-headed step cousin from that side of the family that we don't really talk to much.
I would give Notre Dame the equivelancy of being a Ginger. No one likes them and they don't have souls.
I still have no idea what "potato salad" is - but I think this thread qualifies.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Potato%20Salad
Not even Urban Dictionary has a good explanation for that. Although the later definitions are...interesting?
I think it is safe to say, with regard to generating national popularity:
Michigan > Freekbass
Notre Dame football started with our Varsity going to South Bend to teach them the sport of football.
I've noticed that while misuses of "there/their/they're" and "your/you're" get sniffed out almost immediately, there seems to be greater tolerance of misuse of "it's/its" Why?