The timing was off by a beat when the trio of US Naval Osprey Helicopters crashed the vocals of the American National Anthem but other than that the Aer Lingus College Football Classic didn’t miss a single cue.
A capacity of 49,000 fans filled the stadium, the shortfall on a normal game day being down to taking some seats out of commission due to the size and number of players and staff on each sideline.
The game itself, unlike last year’s, was a blowout with Notre Dame putting up 42 points and Navy only scoring a single field goal towards the end. But that was not unexpected.
Notre Dame will now head back home buoyed by the prospect of a season that could take them deep into the National Championship picture.
One of the biggest problem around the ground was finding lighter and lighter young fans to give the bumps to corresponding to the number of points on the board after each touchdown.
Throwing someone into the air and catching them 42 times is not an easy task, but it was one that was completed with a widening circle of participants all around the stadium.
College Football is all about ritual and tradition. The playing of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture was accompanied by waving and gestures undertaken by recent graduates all the way up to likely great grandfathers in the stands, just as they always had at every home game, just as they always will.
Notre Dame’s most famous graduate Quarterback Joe Montana was introduced to the crowd, as were Hannah Tyrrell, Abbie Shiels and Ciaran Kilkenny with the Sam Maguire and Brendan Martin Cups and plenty more to fill the gaps where the NBC programme cut to advertising.
To those who don’t get it the idea of a 60 minute game lasting three hours is unthinkable but with Gráinne McElwain on the microphone, bands and cheerleaders in full flow and no end of entertainment it went by in the blink of an eye.
There was one nice local touch with a special presentation to Martin Murphy, CEO of the Aviva Stadium who was overseeing his last major event before retiring in the coming days.
Every coach in Ireland was lined up on the streets outside the ground as the crowd spilled out from the game, ferrying fans back to their five star hotel accomodation or on to more entertainment in Temple Bar, or even back to the US Naval Ship from whence a corner of the ground had come.
The buzz around Dublin all weekend was like an All Ireland Final on steroids, with the green of Notre Dame, ‘the Irish’ worn proudly.
Next year it will be Georgia Tech and Florida State bringing the party to town on Saturday 24th August. There will be 20,000 travelling fans, half of what Notre dame bring but that will make it easier for local fans to get their hands on a ticket and experience this event like no other in the Irish sporting calendar.
We cannot wait.
