MVictors great post on the education of Notre Dame

Submitted by oldcityblue on September 5th, 2013 at 12:39 PM

Greg at MVictors delves into some of the specifics of how UofM students (who were previously ND students) taught the Irish how to play modern football, citing Jon Kryks' Natural Enemies. http://mvictors.com/ I dig the part describing NDs' version of soccer/rugby/football, where 100 men on either side had to get an oblong ball over the opposing teams fence, using whatever means possible.

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LSAClassOf2000

September 5th, 2013 at 12:57 PM ^

"Brother Paul informed DeHaven that the Notre Dame boys – several of them former classmates of DeHaven’s and Harless’s – had had trouble playing by the book. Brother Paul then suggested the teams at first be mixed for a brief period of hands-on instruction. The Wolverines agreed." - from "Natural Enemies"

I had to chuckle at this passage. Just think...for a short time, Wolverines and Fighting Irish side-by-side with one team being apprenticed to the other. It's quite the image really.

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WolvinLA2

September 5th, 2013 at 1:12 PM ^

I remember a few other times in the last decade or so where we taught them how to play football.

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UMfan21

September 5th, 2013 at 1:41 PM ^

Not to mention a few times they've had trouble playing by the book...

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inthebluelot

September 5th, 2013 at 12:57 PM ^

But never the details. Hoping someone creates a gameday sign to the tune of "teaching football to ND since 1887" but it's not a rivalry!

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Romeo50

September 5th, 2013 at 1:04 PM ^

Never too late to reinforce the basics. That way they can try it out on their new easier schedule so they don't hurt their legacy.

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gotohail

September 5th, 2013 at 1:17 PM ^

I would love to have seen 100 players on a side trying to get a ball over an opposing fence by "any means necessary"!

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Gitback

September 5th, 2013 at 2:28 PM ^

Keeping with the theme of history and education;

can anyone tell me why, up until 1957, only 6 of the annual MSU/UofM football games were played in East Lansing?

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Ali G Bomaye

September 5th, 2013 at 3:49 PM ^

The same reason why last Saturday's game wasn't at Central Michigan. Michigan State football was small-time for quite a while. They hired Biggie Munn in 1947 and joined the Big Ten in 1953, but before then they weren't considered a major football team.

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BILG

September 5th, 2013 at 5:19 PM ^

Didn't get the memo that they are no longer small time. Thats what the weeds are for.

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TruBluMich

September 5th, 2013 at 3:49 PM ^

They were not in the Big Ten if I remember correctly.

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Gitback

September 5th, 2013 at 3:58 PM ^

So nothing more elaborate than that huh? The guy who posed the question, in a sort of "Quiz of the Day" kind of way, gave me the impression that it was something a bit less mundane.

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