Busting Out With Green
UHND.com - Frank Vitovitch
Septemmber 4, 2000

Notre Dame, Ind - A movemnet has started pushing for fansto wear green to the game this Saturday.  I was emailed by the person who originatedthe movement and will post the text of the email for everyone.  In an effort tosupport the team bust out some green apparel for the game this weekend and show theNebraska fans that no one comes into Notre Dame and has their way with the Irish!!  Also check back soon for details on another possible showing of support.  Weare not certain of details yet but we are trying to get as many people as we can form afan tunnell for the players to walk through as they walk to the stadium.  Tennesseedoes this for every home game and its exactly the kind of support the team needs to getfrom the fans.

A large number of alumni, students, and fans have beendiscussing ways to increase the excitement at this year's football games and to really letthe team know that we are 110% behind them. We threw out hundreds of ideas that we bouncedaround, and landed on one plan that we feel could be a huge success if publicizedcorrectly.

As we all know, everyone has circled the Nebraska game asthe most important game this season. A win against the Huskers will bring us back into theeye of the nation and vault us up the polls, where we rightfully belong. As many of youalso know, Husker fans travel very well and will be easy to spot in their bright redclothing. I have heard claims by Husker fans that they will "take over Notre DameStadium" or fill over 20,000 seats. While these claims are just the good naturedribbing of college football fans, we think that we should make a statement of our own. Wewould like to push the idea for every Irish fan to wear green to the Nebraska game, andcreate a sea of green in the stands. We feel that green is the most logical color since"The Shirt" this year is green itself. A "green-out" would illustratethe love and support we have for our school.

While the idea is not all that complicated to create, thereal challenge is getting as many fans in green as possible. This is why I am contactingeveryone on this list. I am requesting your help in spreading the word throughout theNotre Dame family. Some of you may be able to provide e-mail addresses, while others maybe in a position to help push the idea. Whatever you can do would be greatly appreciated.We believe the best contact point will be alumni clubs across the nation. A simple blurbin the monthly newsletter could provide a notice for over 75% of fans that will attend thegame.

We truly believe that flooding the stadium with ND fansclad in green apparel will bring the football team a big lift. At the very least it showsour unwavering support for ND athletics. At the very most it inspires the team to play atanother level. Either way it would be a true success. In researching the idea for thegreen shirt, we found an old Irish poem that fits the idea perfectly (with a littletweaking for the NU game):

Wearin' the Green

"O Paddy dear, and did ye hear the news that's goin'round? The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground! Saint Patrick's Day no morewe'll keep, his color can't be seen For there's a bloody law ag'in the Wearin' o' theGreen."

I met with Knute Rockne, and he took me by the hand Andhe said, "How's poor old Notre Dame, and how does she stand?" "She's themost distressful school that ever you have seen For they're hanging men and women therefor the Wearin' o' the Green."

"So if the color we must wear be Husker's cruel redLet it remind us of the blood that Irishmen have shed And pull the shamrock from your hat,and throw it on the sod But never fear, 'twill take root there, though underfoot 'tistrod.

When laws can stop the blades of grass from growin' asthey grow And when the leaves in summer-time their color dare not show Then I will changethe color too I wear in my caubeen But till that day, please God, I'll stick to theWearin' o' the Green."