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Boston on my mind

/ epilcher319 / Leave a comment

Throughout the history of the world there have been many tragedies. We have had Pearl Harbor, Exxon-Valdez, Waco, Columbine, 9/11 and many others that time and word count don’t allow me to list.

However, for the first time ever a national tragedy touched me personally and it occurred yesterday. This is when two homemade bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

For those that know me, you know I love the city of Boston. I call it my home away from home. I love the sports teams, the history, the food,  the Kennedys’ and yes I even swear by drinking Samuel Adams beer because it is the greatest beer ever (see true Bostonian through and through).

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Me before taking down the Beckett Big Mouth Berger during my first trip to Boston. I bleed Bean town!

Every year I go up to that amazing city. I go to Cheers, I see the Red Sox play at America’s Most Beloved Ballpark, I touch the statue of Ted Williams, I walk through the Prudential District, I take the T (the transportation system in Boston), I even visit the museum of Arts and Science. Why? Because I LOVE THAT TOWN. To me it has something for everyone. It has history, sports, food, arts it literally has something for everyone.

To me, one of those things was taken away yesterday.

When I first heard the news I was stunned. The first thought I could muster is “Why Boston?” Then I started to cry because the day they chose was not just an attack on Boston it was an attack on our freedom. This is because they chose Patriots Day to commit this atrocious act.

For those that don’t know, Patriots Day commemorates the day the first battle of the Revolutionary War was fought. It is held in the highest regard in Boston and celebrated, almost as much as Independence Day. It was this day a group of people that were huge underdogs decided they had enough with British rule and decided to fight back. Eventually they won and thus won OUR independence that we cherish and hold so dear.

The city of Boston celebrates this day, as they should. It is a government holiday, people in Massachusetts and Maine are given an extra day to complete their taxes, just so they can celebrate. The Boston Marathon is run on this day and the Red Sox play a game starting at 11 am just so people can see the runners run down Yawkey Way, right outside the famed Green Monster during the marathon.

To me this was a personal attack on those freedoms that were fought for and those freedoms that we still fight for on a daily basis. Then I think of the lives ruined, kids that died that were just celebrating a great day. A day without school, a day they were spending with their parents and just like that, with the flash of a homemade bomb and shrapnel; their young lives were cut down. Not to mention the people, finishing a marathon and crossing the finish line only to be injured or murdered by those same bombs.

I will be honest 9/11 did not really affect me. I was upset but I was not devastated and at the point of tears. I don’t know why that was. To me, 9/11 was a strategic act of war. They attacked our financial and military infrastructures and took innocent lives to do it. To me this was personal and not just because of my feelings of the town they attacked. This was an assault on the very day that America began its rise to the land of the free and the home of the brave.

You see everyone is saying pray for Boston. I must admit that is a nice thought. But rest assured Boston will be back and stronger than ever. That town will fight just like those brave men fought British rule. They will keep battling much like Paul Revere did on his famous ride and they will never quit just like the Red Sox did not quit when they were down 3-0 to the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS and fought back to win the World Series. That is the Boston I know and that is what Boston will always be. A city of fighters, workers and champions. That is what needs to be remembered in the annals of history.

So in closing I would like to leave you with a lyric from the song Dirty Water by The Standells. I type these words with pride in my heart, those lost on my mind and tears in my eyes….

I LOVE THAT DIRTY WATER, OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH,
BOSTON YOUR MY HOME

Shake the thunder from the sky

/ epilcher319 / Leave a comment

Like any typical human being I enjoy being right. It gives me a vicarious thrill. My chest puffs out, my ego get pretty large (bigger than usual, in some people’s eyes) and I love to tell people that I’m right. So if my loyal readers will indulge me for a moment…..

I TOLD YOU SO.

A little over two years ago I wrote a blog that said in four years Notre Dame Football would be playing for bigger things than a win against a major rival. I said they would be worrying about playing for National Championships. In that same blog I said the fan base needed to believe in head coach Brian Kelly and the players he had. Now on December 2, 2012 the faith myself and every other fan of the Fighting Irish had in this program was rewarded when it was announced that Notre Dame would play national power Alabama on January 7, 2013 for the National Championship. They achieved this by going undefeated (12-0) throughout the regular season and being ranked Number One in the country the last three weeks.

Now, that is not to say my faith was not tested. A week after I wrote that blog Notre Dame lost to Michigan State in overtime by the way of a fake field goal. Then there was the embarrassing back to back losses to Navy and Tulsa. Despite those set backs I stayed true to what I said and the Fighting Irish faithful stayed faithful to their team, even though the following season was a disappointment. And then you had the players that stayed the course that Kelly put this team on and finally everyone is seeing the benefits of that faith.

This season has been one of the most enjoyable football seasons I have had the pleasure of watching and that includes both college and professional football. All year the Fighting Irish bucked the doubters and proved them wrong, all the while proving their believers right. And, even making non-believers the believers they dreaded becoming.

When the Irish started the season everyone heard how they would not defeat Michigan and Michigan State. They defeated them both with dominating defensive performances. Next the naysayers said a home game against Stanford would be the first blemish on their record. Notre Dame clinched the victory in overtime with a goal line stand where they stuffed stalwart running back Stephon Taylor on three consecutive running plays from the one yard line.

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Brian Kelly and Man’ti Teo have spearheaded Notre Dame’s resurgence to relevance in college football.

Then it was said they would go on the road against Oklahoma and get soundly defeated. The Irish were the ones that soundly defeated the Sooners shutting down an offense that at that time was averaging 55 points a game. Then the final road block was a road game against another rival USC. This game was ripe for an upset. USC wanted to play spoiler and was starting a quarterback who had only played a handful of plays. But Notre Dame proved that the disappointments and letdowns from seasons past were gone and once again using a phenomenal defensive effort beat USC.

This season has been a magical and memorable one and needless to say the memories could keep mounting. Not including the aforementioned championship game, phenomenal Notre Dame Linebacker Man’ti Teo is a lock for finalist for the Heisman Trophy and many of the experts have him pegged to win it. That would make him the first defensive player to win the award. But this achievement is not about individuals, not by a long shot.

What the Fighting Irish have done is loaded with noteworthy individual performances. From the performance of redshirt Freshman Quarterback Everett Gohlson, the performance of utility offensive player Theo Riddick, dominating defense led by Teo, the phenomenal coaching job done by Kelly and his staff and the perseverance of seniors Tyler Eifert, Robbie Toma, Mike Golic Jr among many others that stuck with this program even in its gloomiest days. This group won every game the right way; as a team and a band of brothers fighting for one common goal and dream. A dream that is so close to being achieved.

No matter if this team wins or loses the National Championship game, they have achieved so much already. They have restored the gleam of their once tarnished golden helmets, they have fought off everyone who said this football program was irrelevant and made the realize that this is not the case. Those achievements alone are worth more than any trophy.

Now everyone is saying that the mighty Alabama is too much for Notre Dame. That this was a nice little run by the Irish but is bound to end by a prime time whooping. Well, to that I say just keep saying this team can’t or wont. Because all it has been is fuel to the flame that has reignited the pride, passion and tradition in Notre Dame football. But, then again I love being right and so does this team. I mean it is only human nature right?