Not your average Notre Dame Fan

(Jim Woll, a Notre Dame graduate and sports fan, and I at a Pitt basketball game vs Eastern Kentucky)

The motivation to write this post came from a conversation about the Indiana vs Notre Dame college football playoff game. I was rooting for Notre Dame, much to the surprise of a family friend. He shared, "Have you ever met a Notre Dame fan?" I said yes, and I know the stereotype; our friend Jim is a Notre Dame graduate and fan, but he is not the average fan. Notre Dame fans are like Penn State fans or Alabama fans (my apologies if you like Penn State or Alabama).

Jim, his wife Kathy, and his children Lauren, Bryan, and Carolyn have been in our lives since my dad worked with Jim in one of his first jobs post-college at Ernst and Whinney, which later became Ernst and Young. When my dad first went to the hospital before passing away, Jim and his wife Kathy were with us every day of that week, giving up their time and lives for us to provide support. After my dad passed and the end-of-life celebrations were over, we were not sure who was going to remain at our sides, but Jim and Kathy remained, continuing to provide us with love and camaraderie.

Jim joined Deb and AJ for a baseball game this season, which was fitting as if my dad was there. Jim and AJ also went to a Pitt basketball game and had dinner at the Union Grill before the game. Attending or watching sporting events has gotten me through this time without my dad. The one way that he (my dad) and I bonded the most is the same way I am living in his memory.

My dad's policy of "never give your opponent bulletin board material before a matchup" motivated me to root for Notre Dame. There was a glaring example of this before the Notre Dame vs Indiana matchup when the head coach for Indiana (Curt Cignetti) was interviewed as part of a pregame show, and he shared that "we don't just beat top 25 ranked teams, we beat the 'expletive starting with sh' out of them. I am not sure who Curt was referring to. Nebraska wasn't ranked when Indiana faced them, despite Nebraska being a decent team this season. Indiana won 56-7. Ohio State was ranked, and Indiana lost 38-15 against the Buckeyes. At most, Indiana was 1-1 against top 25 opponents had Nebraska been ranked. In Curt's career, there was one other time that he had beaten a top-25 opponent: at James Madison. They beat Coastal Carolina 47-7 in 2022 but also lost to Louisville, which wasn't ranked 34-10. Even though my dad also had a bowl season policy of rooting for the Big Ten teams, I could not stand the overzealous approach of Cignetti, a Pittsburgh native, before the game. Needless to say, Notre Dame used those fighting words against Indiana and jumped out to a massive lead before Indiana closed the gap in garbage time. (the few minutes before the game is over).

There was another episode of bulletin board material in that week of sports, and it involved Green Bay's men's basketball coach saying that they had to schedule decent schools over Nobody U's, referring to teams with lesser records and conferences playing them. Green Bay played a Division 2 Michigan Tech shortly after their coach made that reference and lost in overtime, 72-70.

Anyway, I chose to root for Notre Dame and could share with Jim that I was rooting for them. He thanked me for the support. My mom and I will always thank Jim for his unwavering support.

Personal Reflection:

I have not made a reflection in recent posts, but this post is different. When my dad first passed away, I knew I had a few father figures in my corner and knew that although my dad was no longer around, I would be supported. When I got the dreadful news I received on January 1, 2024, that one of those men also passed away, I wasn't sure who I was going to turn to next. Frankly, I almost didn't want to turn to anyone because I was scared I would also lose that person. I didn't want to get close to someone else, thinking they would leave me too. The two closest men and fathers to me were gone, one after the other. It took a lot for me to open up, but there was one constant force in our lives throughout everything and each person we lost. Jim and Kathy were standing with us through everything. Jim and Kathy were at my dad's hospital bedside. Kathy supplied my mom with alcohol in the hospital in a story that continues to be retold, and Jim has supplied me with sporting events and knowledge of my financial accounts. Jim has filled a void for me left open by my dad's and Tom's passing. When I said that Jim is not the average Notre Dame fan, he is an above-average person, Notre Dame fan, and I have felt like an adopted son of his over the past year. He and his wife have been nothing short of amazing for us. I have felt beyond supported by Jim and his family. Of course, no one can replace the father my dad was to me, nor the relationship I had with Tom, but having Jim here for me makes up for them not being here anymore.