Shenanigans

Dan Devine, who coached the Irish to their Cotton Bowl win over Houston in ’79, in reference to some of the alumni who persisted in attacks on his character: "It’s not so bad. Last week a group of Chicago alumni presented me with a pair of moccasins. Water moccasins."

"I must be some kind of genius. I recruit Joe Montana and I retire the next year."
-Ara Parseghian, Coach, Notre Dame

The Usher ducked as an orange whizzed by his ear. In celebration of the team’s 1972 bowl bid the students were firing hundreds of oranges onto the playing field. But some of the weaker arms were pelting cheerleaders with their tosses. And unlucky spectators were getting zapped in the back of their heads. "Going to the Cotton Bowl would be safer," remarked the usher as another piece of fruit splattered into the first row of seats, " but I’m thankful we’re not going to the Gator Bowl."

The Rose Bowl itself was one of those odd contests in which the offensive leader winds up on the wrong end of the final score. Stanford beat Notre Dame in first downs, seventeen to seven, and in yards gained, 298 to 179. Only in points did the Irish come out on top. The lopsided stats made Stanford the game's real victor, someone suggested.
"Sure," answered Sleepy Jim Crowley, "and next year the major leagues will start awarding baseball games to the team with the most men left on base."

The Irishmen got a big break when Stanford's Bill Solomon fumbled a punt that Notre Dame's Ed Hunsinger alertly fielded and ran in for a touchdown.
"What a jerk I am," moaned the anguished Solomon, beating his fists into the ground. "What an idiot! I have got to be the worst . . ."
"Solomon," said Crowley, "you can shut up. Nobody's arguing with you."

Stanford adherents still claim that the turning point of the game came when Cardinal Fullback Ernie Nevers was stopped short of the goal line after a desperate fourth down plunge. According to this tired alibi, Nevers undoubtedly scored the touchdown, but the @#**% referee incorrectly spotted the ball eight inches away from paydirt.
"I had great seats," a man in a bar fumed some years later. "I seen the whole thing. We got cheated. Nevers was in the end zone."
"He was not," came a voice from the other end of the bar.
"Oh yeah? Where were you sitting?'
"I'm Harry Stuhldreher," said the voice. "I was sitting on Nevers' head."

To read previous versions of Shenanigans click below:

September 1998
November 1998