I’m the type of guy who’s cold, calculated, and about as anti-social as they come. I don’t like most people, their games, their drama, or their bullshit. For me, it’s all about respect—either you have it and you get the time and courtesy you deserve—or you don’t and I’ll tell you to your face why I don’t like you. I’m honest, probably a little too honest, and I wear my sins on my sleeve. If I’m willing to do something then why hide it? With me: You get what you see.
My father on the other hand is a man you notice. His feelings, thoughts, and words have an undeniable weight—when he speaks, you listen. He commands attention when he walks into a room, he personifies swagger, and when it comes to business he gets what he wants—and you’ll thank him for it. My friends have compared him to Dos Equis’ most interesting man—and unanimously voted him more interesting. He’s something you can’t fake, because either you have it or you don’t—and he has it in spades.
My dad also volunteers anywhere from 12-20 hours weekly down at the local community church. He is a man of God in word, belief, and action. He tells you how it is—and that’s how it is—because when he puts his convictions to words you know they’re followed by actions. He has given his sweat, time, and wealth to help others and share a message of brotherly love and unity that everyone can benefit from regardless of ethnicity or creed—even though we haven’t always seen eye to eye, my dad is a good man and I respect him.
So a few months ago when he called me up with good news I was a little surprised: October 29th – 31st, Notre Dame, all expenses paid. I guess a client of his from out east wanted to wine and dine him a bit and he said he’d love to go on one condition—I came too. You see, Notre Dame has always been my favorite school and though I’m not catholic, I’ve bled Irish since the day I was born. But I was weary, business is business and my dad hasn’t gotten to where he is by making demands like that. Luckily, they said yes.
So October 29th came and I boarded my 6 a.m. flight from Salt Lake (where I attend university) to Detroit (where I was meeting my dad) before hoping on a small plane to South Bend. We arrived at the small airport at about 3 p.m. and after gathering our baggage we were met by our chauffeur who had specific instructions to take us straight to campus to gear up at the company’s expense. After snatching up more clothes than I could possibly carry we were whisked away for dinner at a local Irish pub and then taken back to the hotel for an early night in preparation for the big day tomorrow.
That night my Dad and I got to talking—about youth, dreams, ambitions, and the future. We talked about family, tradition, and everything he had done to get where he was today and everything he wanted to do in the future. We talked of children unborn, dreams unimagined, and stories untold until sleep slowly drug us into its depths and our conversation faded into the nothingness of the night.
The following day was a dream come true as we grabbed a quick breakfast and headed to the stadium for a day full of fun and festivities. Upon arriving at Notre Dame we were given a private tour of the DeBartolo Performing Arts center by the vice chair of the department, another private tour of the Jordan Hall of Science by two of the Universities professors, and then tailgated at the V.I.P. party until just before game time. As kickoff approached we headed off to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart to offer a prayer and observe a moment of reflection before watching Notre Dame’s band, led by the Irish guard, as they marched their way into the stadium shouting, “Here come the Irish!” Afterwards we made our way to our seats in the gold section, saw the navy flyover at the peak of the national anthem, and cheered hysterically as the Fighting Irish took the field.
The Band Welcomes the Crowd!
The game was a total blowout as the Irish smashed their rival Navy by a score of 56-14 as the environment and atmosphere remained incredible through the dying seconds of the 4th quarter! I sat next to my Dad on one side, Notre Dame’s director of business on the other, and thousands of raving fans to the front and back as we all roared and cheered like every 1st down was worth $1,000 dollars! Words alone are an injustice to the experience. Notre Dame has always had its own unique allure and hallowed history and to be part of that, even for a day, went well beyond the words of pen and prose. To see the history and the tradition, to hear the roar of the crowd and the thundering bellows of the fight song, and to taste the Fighting Irish air and the exquisiteness of a victory over Navy was a memory that will last forever.
The Student Section Celebrates a Touchdown!
