AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > August > 28 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USFalcons’ GM loves to hate Irish
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
Something just occurred to me. Even though Falcons guru Rich McKay is an otherwise perceptive soul, he and I sit on opposite planets of the college football universe. While I was born and raised in South Bend, Ind., where your blood automatically bleeds blue and gold for the Touchdown Jesus folks, he grew up in Los Angeles as a disciple of that arrogant bunch that worships a Trojan horse.
I understand. McKay couldn’t help himself, because his father, John, spent 15 years coaching Southern Cal to four national championships, with more than a few of them depending on whether the Men of Troy could slay the Fighting Irish.
So this isn’t surprising: When Notre Dame comes to town in four days to face Georgia Tech in the opener for both teams, McKay will cheer himself old gold and white at Bobby Dodd Stadium with his wife, Terrin, and their two sons, Hunter and John. Said McKay, emphatically, “I will definitely not be rooting for the Irish.”
See what I mean by arrogance? Not only did McKay travel to South Bend for last year’s classic between the Trojans and Notre Dame, but he took Falcons owner Arthur Blank with him. I’m guessing that McKay wasn’t exactly displeased when Southern Cal kicked the ghosts of the Four Horsemen off their saddles in the waning seconds with the type of miracle normally reserved for the home team.
If you can relate to McKay’s feelings (or lack thereof) for the Irish, then get in the back of the line that stretches from here to the millions or billions who wish to shake the green out of a leprechaun. Such is the primary reason this Tech-Notre Dame game sold out in a flash, and consider: Tech honchos charged a program record-tying $50 per ticket and made non-season ticket holders pay for the Notre Dame game and purchase tickets for two other games.
Nebraska. Florida State. Tennessee. Texas A&M. Those are just some of the places that Notre Dame has visited to see generations of Irish haters pack their stadiums in record numbers. This was all foreign to me for the longest time. As a youth in South Bend during the 1960s, with Notre Dame perfecting victory, I thought everybody wished to hug Ara Parseghian and choke that Trojan horse. Then I discovered the truth in 1968 after my father’s job at AT&T forced the family to move to Cincinnati (Ohio State territory under King Woody Hayes), and the truth is that most fans have their teams and whoever is playing against Notre Dame.
“With my dad, and from the USC days, I always ranked [the rivalries] differently,” said McKay, whose late father coached the Trojans from 1960 through 1975. “UCLA, there was a mutual dislike. Stanford, there was even a higher level of dislike, and then I thought Notre Dame was probably the most respectful rivalry out of all of them. I think my dad always thought it was a treat to compete against them.”
Not always. We’re back to my yin to the younger McKay’s yang regarding Notre Dame, and nothing exemplifies that more than the joy that was the Irish’s 51-0 smashing of 10th ranked Southern Cal in 1966 along the way to a national title. Well, that’s me speaking. To those partial to people who still dress like Julius Caesar, it remains the most lopsided loss in the Trojans’ 113 seasons of football.
Said McKay, “I don’t think my dad took a game harder than that one. It stuck in his craw for a long time.”
Rumor had it that John McKay stood before his team after the blowout to say through clenched teeth before bolting from the room, “Notre Dame will never beat us again.”
He nearly was right. During John McKay’s final eight seasons at Southern Cal, Notre Dame won once. In fact, years later, when he was finishing his NFL stint as the Buccaneers’ first head coach, I asked him in his Tampa office if he really gave that ultimatum after the 1966 Notre Dame game. He puffed on his cigar before saying, “Yeah.” After he puffed again, he added, “Then I went out and recruited a guy named O.J. Simpson.”
Rich McKay chuckled over my story about his father, the king of the one-liners. Then he thought about Yellow Jackets-Irish again before delivering an unofficial impression of his father, sans the cigar, “Any time a program gets to measure up against Notre Dame it’s great. Any time a program can beat Notre Dame, it’s even better.”
Permalink | Comments (31) | Post your comment | Categories: Falcons / NFL, Tech / ACC, Terence Moore
Comments
By Clayton Bigsby
August 28, 2006 10:29 PM | Link to this
OMFG OMFG I HATE YOU TERENCE MOORE YOU ARE SO RACIST AGAINST IRISH PEOPLE FOR THAT ARTICLE OMFG YOU RACIST I HATE THE AJC FOR HIRING YOUR RACIST A* YOU RACIST
By Intelli-Gent
August 28, 2006 10:41 PM | Link to this
Whoa!!! CLATON BIGSBY… I have never read a Moore column, but how is this column racist???? He seems like an Irish fan, especially being born in S. Bend.
Reading all of these sports blogs (on Vick, Moore, etc.) it seems like some people that read this site have some real problems with black people in general.
Just an observation.
By Ty
August 28, 2006 10:45 PM | Link to this
My, my, my… Raised in South Bend with TD Jesus (explains a lot).
TM…two questions….
1) Do those ND faithful that bought the 3 ticket packs claim the price as a charitable deduction to the Church?
2) Does attending the GT-ND game count as one of the two official communion services? (and, if so, do they drop Xmas Mass or Easter Mass as an exchange)?
* Note to all…all in good fun…no slurs intended ** (heck, I’m Presbyterian, so I already know the game Saturday is ‘pre-destined’)
By Surfrider
August 28, 2006 11:11 PM | Link to this
Good article Terrence. I’m just hoping the Irish don’t embarass the Yellow Jackets on National TV. This is not the Notre Dame of the last Decade but getting close to the ones of the 80’s. They have a coach now who can recruit and develop. Tech though should’nt be overlooked either which tells a story on how far Tech has come since it hired Bobby Ross in 1987.
By Surfrider
August 28, 2006 11:13 PM | Link to this
Good article Terrence. I’m just hoping the Irish don’t embarass the Yellow Jackets on National TV. This is not the Notre Dame of the last Decade but getting close to the ones of the 80’s. They have a coach now who can recruit and develop. Tech though should’nt be overlooked either which tells a story on how far Tech has come since it hired Bobby Ross in 1987.
By jb2
August 29, 2006 12:40 AM | Link to this
go jackets! beat irish to hell with ga!
By jb2
August 29, 2006 12:41 AM | Link to this
go jackets! beat irish to hell with ga!
By mark
August 29, 2006 06:06 AM | Link to this
This should be a pretty good game. A Few years ago those obnoxious leprechauns rolled into town and Pepper Rogers and fellow Techsters kicked thier little green butts without even attemting a forward pass.It was avery good day. Anybody that hates Notre dame can’t be all bad. Go jackets!
By mike
August 29, 2006 07:15 AM | Link to this
Good article. Thanks. Go Jackets!
By southsiderandy
August 29, 2006 07:16 AM | Link to this
??? Slow news day I guess??
By rd
August 29, 2006 07:54 AM | Link to this
Arogant? Come on now Terrance take a good look in the mirroro you jerk.
By robert
August 29, 2006 08:02 AM | Link to this
Whats it gonna be next week Terrance, Pee Wee football ? I guess the papers trying to dumb the sports page down to your level. Good luck.
By Jim O
August 29, 2006 08:18 AM | Link to this
the only thing better than notre dame getting beat is if they could play a double header and get beat twice.
go jackets!
By Jeremy
August 29, 2006 08:38 AM | Link to this
A Notre Dame fan calling another teams fans arrogant? I have now heard it all.
By Play that funky music whiteboy
August 29, 2006 09:43 AM | Link to this
Jeremy, as an ND alum - I unfortunately have to agree with you! Like I’ve said before, TM is a bigger ND homer than someone who went to school there and Ty, great comments, and by the way the answers to #1 and #2 are yes and yes.
By Bubba Collins
August 29, 2006 09:56 AM | Link to this
The last time, I noticed Tech has been selling the 3-ticket season pass for some time. I don’t necessarily think Irish fans bought all of them. Last time, I noticed on tv, it appeared Nebraska, FSU, Tennessee, and Texas A&M were selling all their season tickets without the Irish on their schedule. Maybe Notre Dame goes to those places, so they can be at a soldout stadium.
By BUSTER CHERRY
August 29, 2006 10:03 AM | Link to this
Terrence Moore:
Hilton.
By BUSTER CHERRY
August 29, 2006 10:05 AM | Link to this
Terrence Moore:
Hilton.
By EdoRiver
August 29, 2006 10:06 AM | Link to this
Terrence, GOOD JOB, as usual ;-) I echo sentiments of, “I just hope the Jackets don’t embarass themselves.” I have relatives that are tech grads and even one on the board, But that doesn’t stop me from saying, “Its just 1 game for crying out loud about”, before going on to more important things.
By You're a cowtown
August 29, 2006 11:20 AM | Link to this
You guys can’t even begin to understand the concept of the right to have an individual opinion if it doesn’t match your own.
Any city that proclaims itself an “International” city is certainly served well by you…the “Deliverance” town.
By Dirrtybird
August 29, 2006 11:22 AM | Link to this
And why are we writing articles comparing Notre Dame to USC in the Atlanta paper again?
By jrlittle
August 29, 2006 12:31 PM | Link to this
Terence, I was not aware of your allegiance to Notre Dame. This might force me to stop reading your articles altogether as I believe they will be laced with subliminal Touchdown jesus messages. I have 2 questions of my own
1) How is this article racist? and 2)What is your prediction for the game?
By GTGreg
August 29, 2006 12:37 PM | Link to this
Terrence, I’m going to the Sept. 2nd game to support Georgia Tech, not to cheer against the Irish. I have a weekend off of work, and I’d go to a Tech game that weekend if it was against Samford or Troy. Don’t flatter yourself.
By Eric
August 29, 2006 12:51 PM | Link to this
Intelli-gent,
Considering Clayton Bigsby was using a nom de plume from “Chappelle’s Show”, I can venture to guess he was joking.
Good work, Terrence. I forgot about the McKay/USC connection.
Oh, and I hope CJ tears your Irish Boys a new one on Saturday!
By EJY
August 29, 2006 01:00 PM | Link to this
Woa #2 Clayton. Terrance Moore would like you to think he is personal friends with every high profile sports person in ATL. In fact he is not. He’s just another reporter. To his credit however he found a personal link to Rich McKay that is a good lead up to the Tech. N.D. game. Love em or hate em N.D. brings out various opinions. How can a school with only about 9k students have such a storied history. I hope it’s a good game but remember Clayton, thats all it is - just a game. It’s too bad the other major football program in the immediate area doesn’t schedule high profile games like this. Hats off to Tech.
By Jason
August 29, 2006 04:47 PM | Link to this
its amazing…America still has a dislike for successful black men. Some of you can’t stand it. You want a white man’s opinion all the damn time??? NO. Nobody said a damn thing when they fired coach Willingham after 1 bad year at south bend. Forget he went 10-1 his first year with a bad team. Now all of sudden the Irish has the best coach of all time. Please…get over it. Terrance….go ahead. Dont listen to these racist fools who drivepickup trucks and wave confederate flags. off the subject a bit but….ESPN NEED TO HIRE HISPANICS FOR THE “BASEBALL TONIGHT SHOW”. With a large portion of hispanics in baseball..its a shame to not have some represented. You might get a better insite that from these old white guys who has never played the game.
By down with the vickness
August 29, 2006 09:46 PM | Link to this
terrance moore u suck
By ewalk80
August 30, 2006 12:03 AM | Link to this
hey Amigo Jason why hate on white people. just because Terance is a idiot. Are you just mad white people drive pickup trucks as apposed to running across the border???????? Or depend on the bus everyday?? So if I were you I would shut up with your flat bill wearing.tag still on your hat b.s So whether or not your black or mexicanur an a$$
By ewalk80
August 30, 2006 12:04 AM | Link to this
hey Amigo Jason why hate on white people. just because Terance is a idiot. Are you just mad white people drive pickup trucks as apposed to running across the border???????? Or depend on the bus everyday?? So if I were you I would shut up with your flat bill wearing.tag still on your hat b.s So whether or not your black or mexican u.r. an a$$
By ewalk80
August 30, 2006 12:04 AM | Link to this
hey Amigo Jason why hate on white people. just because Terance is a idiot. Are you just mad white people drive pickup trucks as apposed to running across the border???????? Or depend on the bus everyday?? So if I were you I would shut up with your flat bill wearing,tag still on your hat b.s So whether or not your black or mexican u.r. an a$$
By ewalk80
August 30, 2006 12:07 AM | Link to this
hey Amigo Jason why hate on white people. just because Terance is a idiot. Are you just mad white people drive pickup trucks as apposed to running across the border???????? Or depend on the bus everyday?? So if I were you I would shut up with your flat bill wearing,tag still on your hat b.s So whether or not your black or mexican u.r. an a$$