... when they play Army, I root for Navy's football team and enjoyed seeing them do well against Notre Dame.

On the other hand, Notre Dame was the first team I ever rooted for -- I was in the first or second grade at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Elementary School in Lindenhurst, New York (circa 1951 or 52) and some older kids asked me what college football team I rooted for. I didn't know what they were talking about, but under compulsion of serious personal consquences, agreed that I would root for Notre Dame, even though I had no idea what either Notre Dame or college football was at the time. Over the next several years, like most Irish Catholic kids in New York at the time, I became a real Notre Dame fan. Although I have somewhat outgrown that childhood affection, I still like Notre Dame -- and think they chose wisely in hiring Ty Willingham (if for no other reason than that it got him out of the hair of the Cal Bears!).

I chalk the error up to partisan fanatacism (nothing wrong with that! ), but it is simply not true that:

>> ND ALWAYS WINS ON LUCK!! ... THEY HAVE AND
>> ALWAYS WILL BE A JOKE AS A FOOTBALL TEAM!

Notre Dame is one of the great stories of 20th century college football. Knute Rockne, George Gipp, the Four Horsemen, Johnny Lujack, Paul Hornung, Joe Montana, thirteen consensus National Championships!! (plus some poll championships in nine additional seasons) and seven Heisman trophy winners.

The 1957 game between Notre Dame and Oklahoma (won 7-0 by Notre Dame to end the longest winning streak in college football history -- Oklahoma's 47 game streak) is still one of the most exciting football games I've ever seen.

Like the Irish or not (*g*), Rick, the Notre Dame football story is no joke.

----- jim o\-S