There has been a tidal wave of articles, posts, tweets, message board chatter, and comments ever since the news was released that Notre Dame was looking as possibly renovating Notre Dame Stadium along with presenting the above image.
I'm just gonna leave this right here. news.nd.edu/news/39703-not…See you Monday everyone!
— oak (@oaknd1) May 2, 2013
That was a week and a half ago. I didn't feel the need to rush to the internet and post my thoughts right away. If you're reading this, you probably already know my feelings about the current state of Notre Dame Stadium, jumbotrons, fieldturf, and the like. Hell, having some fun with it is one of my favorite pastimes, as you can tell from this "collaboration" with ND Tex.
A lot of us are having fun with this, and rightfully so. It's like giving a billion dollars to Honey Boo Boo. Imaginations can run wild, as the image below from Shampoo Only can attest to.
But seriously, I have very strong feelings on this subject- so let us discuss them for a moment…
When I first saw the article talking about this, of course I got excited. I also laughed as I saw that the drawing had one place possible for a jumbotron- but there was no way to actually see if there would be one.
Oh you tricky, tricky Irishman Notre Dame.
And I waited. I waited for something- for someone to post my thoughts for me. The closest came today from my former "collaborator" ND Tex in his weekly Roundup post over at Her Loyal Sons. Gravy, indeed.
So, of course I'm excited at the possibility. Yeah us! Still, this news has sparked such a battle of words, wit, and belief that within the Notre Dame community it rivals the political battles of abortion, gun rights, healthcare, labor, and whatever else republicans and democrats go to war against each other each day. In that, we can learn something from those battle hardened liberals and conservatives.
Conviction. The Notre Dame fanbase has strong convictions on this topic from both sides. I call them the progressives' and the fighting amish.
You can't really change someone's mind on a subject if their conviction is strong enough. It's an exercise in futility. Look, change is coming, and a group of fans and alumni don't want it. Bummer. I refuse to beat my head against a wall as I try to change their never changing mind. Because, after all, this is all just gravy.
Notre Dame has, in my estimation, 20 years of catching up to do if it wants to modernize the Notre Dame football experience. I truly believe that the administration wants to do this, but delicately and respectfully. So although I wish for things like a jumbotron, fieldturf, and other such measures; I defer to the process and to whatever direction that may lead us while we win a shitload of football games.
For me, it's that simple- and that complicated. I will continue to use this platform to express my desire for the change, but I'm not going to try and change anyone's mind on the subject. Because, in the end, you actually need both factions to move forward and do something truly great. America.
Something I realized recently: Traditionalists are essential to success b/c they protect heritage, but Naysayers are not Traditionalists.
— oak (@oaknd1) May 7, 2013
