Notre Dame Super Fan

Every Saturday in the fall, my husband dons his newest Notre Dame t-shirt, ambles downstairs to his man cave, and parks himself in his grandfather's tattered old blue recliner. With his feet propped up on the chair's foot rest, the television remote in hand, and a green Leprechaun blanket draped across his body, Brian cheers on his favorite football team, the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Sometimes Notre Dame wins; sometimes they lose.

Still, year after year and season after season, Brian remains a die-hard fan.

And he has a collection of Notre Dame paraphernalia to prove it. In his bedroom hangs a plethora of Notre Dame items: eight shirts, a pair of pajama pants, two sweatshirts, three hats and a jacket. In the garage, there are two golf clubs protected by Notre Dame covers, and blue tees reside in the pocket of Brian's golf bag. On our front porch, a tiny Notre Dame gnome greets visitors. Brian's love for all things Notre Dame even inspired the name of our second dog, Rudy.

When I describe my husband's fascination with Notre Dame football to my colleagues, most assume that his an alumnus of the university. But the truth is, he has never set foot on the Notre Dame campus. Nor has he ever lived in the Midwest or on the East Coast.

Brian first became interested in Notre Dame football in 1993 when he saw the movie, Rudy.
Four years later, as he lay in bed recovering from back surgery, he watched every televised Notre Dame game, becoming more enamored with the team and the school with each passing Saturday.

Over the past thirteen years, Brian's love for Notre Dame football has intensified, along with his desire to see a game in Notre Dame Stadium. A week from now, on November 13th, that dream will come true. Brian will be yelling and shouting for his beloved Fighting Irish, not from the recliner in his man cave, but from a seat in Notre Dame Stadium.

And you can bet, he'll be decked out from head-to-toe in Notre Dame gear as he cheers his favorite team to victory--just like any super fan would be.
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I crafted this piece for a digital scrapbook layout I'm creating called Notre Dame Super Fan. Using a layered template from Cathy Zielske, my plan is to pair these words with eight photos of Brian's Notre Dame gear. Once it's finished, I'll share it here on my blog.