Notre Dame basketball coach, Mike Brey, must be living under a pot of gold. Before the NCAA Tournament tipped off on Wednesday, he asked this of the media, “Why are we always flying under the radar? We’re pretty darn good."
At what point has Notre Dame ever been "under the radar?" I'll wait. In football they haven't won a championship since 1988, yet they are still shoved down our throats every Saturday. They were 4-8 this year, and all we heard about was Brian Kelly and whether or not he should return next season. Side note...Any school that employs Brian Kelly is evil. In basketball, they haven't won a National Championship since the Great Depression.
I know all about "great depression." I'm a West Virginia fan. Despite the seed line, Notre Dame is a favorite in Saturday's round of 32 matchup with the Mountaineers. Nearly every national analyst has picked the Irish to defeat Bob Huggins and company. "Under the radar." No chance.
I've had the displeasure of meeting many Notre Dame fans over the years. They aren't quiet about it. I would guess that 95 percent of the Notre Dame "fans" never set foot in South Bend. They've always got some "cousin" or "uncle" that attended the school. OR they root for Notre Dame because they are Irish...Or Catholic. Woof. Can you say "bandwagon?"
WVU fans are nothing if they aren't authentic. Sure, maybe we get carried away from time to time. Maybe we will set some upholstery on fire. But the passion is real. West Virginia is a hardworking, blue collar state. Bob Huggins coaches that way. This basketball team plays that way. It's not pretty, but it works. Notre Dame wins by shooting a bunch of jump shots. They play "pretty" basketball. That ain't the way it is done in West Virginia.
One team really is flying under the radar. It's the team that wears the ol' gold and blue.
P.S. 'Rudy' is overrated.
Thumbnail Image Courtesy of Getty Images.