Game Watch
Saturday, November 23, at 5 p.m.
The next Football Game Watch Party will be this Saturday, November 23rd when the Irish take on the undefeated Black Knights of the Hudson from the United States Military Academy. We will assemble at Tom’s Watch Bar at Coors Field to root the Irish on to victory and one step closer to the College Football Playoffs. Kickoff will be at 5:30 p.m. Denver time.
This is a very special game watch that you will not want to miss and certainly a must win for the Irish. And, there is another reason that this particularly significant game watch gathering. Our Club has extended an invitation to the West Point Society of Denver. That invitation has been accepted and we are expecting 50 or so former West Point Graduates and former Army officers to join us. Please come and not only cheer on the Irish to victory, but to thank in person these wonderful patriots who have served our Country. We also hope that a number of our local NDCD members who are graduates of the University ARMY ROTC program.
See you there - Go IRISH - Beat the CADETS
Notre Dame Football Trivia Time
Notre Dame & The Army - One of the Most Storied Rivalries in Football History
The first Army–Notre Dame game in 1913 is generally regarded as the game that established the national reputation of the Fighting Irish. In that game, Notre Dame revolutionized the forward pass in a stunning 35–13 victory. For years it was "The Game" on Notre Dame's schedule, played at Yankee Stadium in New York. During the 1940s, the rivalry with the Army Cadets reached its zenith. This was because both teams were extremely successful and met several times in key games (including one of the Games of the Century, a scoreless tie in 1946). In 1944, the Cadets administered the worst defeat in Notre Dame football history, crushing the Fighting Irish 59–0. The following year, it was more of the same, a 48–0 blitzkrieg. After meeting every year since 1919, the series went on a ten-year hiatus starting in 1947 and lasting until 1957. The game was played in South Bend for the first time and the Fighting Irish won 27–7. Since then, there have been infrequent meetings over the past several decades, and Army's last win was 66 years ago in 1958.
This year marks the 100th Anniversary of the 1924 game which propelled the Irish to their very first National Championship. The 2024 meeting at the new Yankee Stadium will commemorate the Notre Dame's Four Horsemen backfield that led them to an upset win over Army at the Polo Grounds in 1924. This game also inspired legendary sports writer Grantland Rice to pen the legendary verse about Notre Dame’s Four Horsemen.
Weekly Prognostication from Bill Webb, ‘88BA,’92JD
Our Very Own Wizard of All Things Notre Dame Football
WHO: #6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-1) at #18 United States Military Academy Black Knights of the Hudson (9-0) (Yankee Stadium, NYC, football cap. 54,251)
WHEN: Saturday, November 23, 2024, 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Tom’s Watch Bar, 1601 19th Street, Unit 101 Denver, CO 80202
TELEVISION: NBC
PARKING: Good news! We have made it easier (and cheaper) for you to park. The parking garage immediately across the street is 1899 Wynkoop Street. If you want to park there, see these detailed instructions; it is necessary to follow the instructions to get a discounted rate. You can also reserve and pay for a spot right now on the Spot Hero app, which is a really impressive piece of technology. (Atrium is not on the app, so I park at the Dairy Block Garage, a block away.)
BRING: Money for the traditional door prizes, and a designated Domer-driver; those $1 off 22-ounce drafts for our club don’t drink themselves!
LIGHT RAIL: Three blocks from Union Station! Several people, including seniors, have commented that the walk from Union Station to Tom’s Watch Bar is very easy:
The game:
This is going to be an interesting game in which the Irish are favored. Army is undefeated this year, but they play in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), which has been hit by defections in recent years, including Cincinnati, Houston, SMU and UCF, so it is safe to say the conference is a shell of its former self. As such, Army hasn’t played anyone who is any good; the best team they faced was North Texas; Army won 14-0. Army has not played anyone close to being as talented as this Notre Dame team.
Hey, wait! Isn’t this just the Navy game all over again? We should win by 50 points!
Well, as Lee Corso says, “Not so fast, my friend!”
Click Here to Read More on Bill's Prognostication
OUR VERY OWN VIC LOMBARDI ‘91
VIC’S IRISH FOOTBALL PICK
NOTRE DAME 34 - USMA BLACK KNIGHTS 17
