Fighting Irish Thomas

The Lipsticked-Pitbull vs. The "Styrofoam Fooler:" Mrs. Palin goes to Washington

2008-09-04T08:58:00.016-06:00

"Palin hit one out of the ballpark," "The governor passed the test with flying colors," "Sarah came, Sarah saw, Sarah conquered." Whatever accolade reporters used for Sarah Palin's superlative performance last night (made all the more remarkable by the fact her teleprompter went down), two conclusions can now be drawn. The obvious one is that Sarah provided the GOP's army with an instantaneous surge of energy and pride. The second is that she came up with a new (and shallow) metaphor for Obama that I hope will follow him for the rest of the election.

Sarah's speech, a skillful blend of biography, patriotism, McCain-praise, and Obama-bashing, reminded me of a cross between Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith goes to Washington and Sally Field in Norma Rae (two of my favorite political movies!), but more importantly, showed honestly and effectively who she really was—and is. Whether delivering zingers aimed at herself, "What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? LIPSTICK!," Obama's experience versus hers, "I guess being a small town mayor is sort of like being a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities," or Obama's experience versus McCain's, "Some candidates use 'change' to promote their careers," while others, "use their careers to promote change," Palin delivered both the punchlines and political slogans with equal aplomb. Still, it was Palin's description of Obama's acceptance speech that struck me the most. "For after the crowd leaves, and the lights are dimmed ... and the Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled away ... what are you left with?" Palin pondered.

With Sarah (as her "stage" clearly showed), you are left with an actual impression; a family that is loving, but imperfect. Palin makes no attempts to hide these flaws, for she has learned that true joy comes from accepting the responsibility of life's imperfections, not from fleeing them. Meanwhile, Obama's dream, at least from a distance, appears perfect, but upon closer examination is much like the Styrofoam columns Barack substituted for the real thing. Obama's call for the care of the downtrodden sounds good, but is exposed as hollow when it is shown that his solution to society's most vulnerable—the ailing and the unborn—is to destroy them. For the man who would be a god or (if elected) could become an Antichrist, Palin has chosen the perfect symbol. Styrofoam (like evil), never completely goes away, but it is easily broken if approached from the right angle. Last night, Sarah Palin proved herself to be the perfect vice-presidential candidate, both in her ability to celebrate what is good, and in her skill at tearing apart what is not.

Of Sons, Guns, and (Pregnant) Daughters: Why Sarah's Opponents are "Palin" in Comparison

2008-09-03T09:07:00.008-06:00

She strode on to the stage to the theme music of RUDY, an underdog understudy if ever there was one. And while at first she seemed a strange choice that only a maverick named McCain could make, Sarah Palin quickly became the running mate that every conservative could love—especially when the truths the Democratic critics tried to destroy her with only made her stronger.

When Johnnie Mac (the GOP presidential candidate, not the USA's last great male tennis champion) first introduced her, I thought Governor Palin's speech about hunting game and political insiders while raising five children, including one son in Iraq, was good enough. But when news came out that not only did Sarah "keep" her Down Syndrome baby, but that she inspired her unmarried, 17-year-old pregnant daughter, Bristol, not to abort her baby as well, it showed her living the pro-life life like no speech ever could, and got the conservative Republicans to rally around her all the more. Meanwhile, the left-wing critics were left scratching their heads, slow to understand why this bombshell has backfired on them. For both souls AND polls have shown that Sarah's twice-standing-up-for-life was not only NOT a mistake, but also proved that Obama's theoretically calling it one in the case of his daughters (not to mention calling the conception issue "beyond my paygrade") was.

Tonight is the night of Palin's big acceptance speech, and I have no doubt she will give a good one. Certainly the woman once dubbed "Sarah Barracuda" did not take kindly to critics who called her family "trailer trash," and if the former basketball standout who helped her high school team win a state championship on a broken leg didn't have enough incentive already to give the best vice-presidential speech in convention history, their locker room fodder certainly provided it. At Notre Dame, we fans have long been trained to pray for our team, so to us, saying an Our Father and Hail Mary for Alaska's gutsy governor at "game-time" today seems only natural. But tonight, I predict Sarah will win with a landslide of prayers, as Christian conservatives around the country adopt not only the Fighting Irish custom of real-time heavenly petition, but the new vice-presidential candidate as well, when they make the Palin family their own.

Alekha's Poem

2008-09-01T14:15:00.014-06:00

Alekha Charles is a "slight but mighty" 15 year old that I've taught tennis to for a little over a year. While not a church attendee or member of any denomination, Alekha recently made the bold move to wear the Miraculous Medal during her matches. And, to top it off, I asked her to "win a match for me" as a birthday present (though I am named after Augustine, I was actually born on the feast of his mother, St. Monica) she at first looked at me quizzically, then nodded. The next day, Alekha had to play the best girl on JV, a young woman with years of experience (Alekha had never even touched a racquet before we met last summer) and whom she had already lost to twice. Despite being steamrolled 6-0 the first set, Alekha managed to not only steady herself but, by scrambling for virtually every point, steal the second set 7-6 from her talented but stunned opponent. And, as it was too late to play the deciding set that afternoon, the match was completed the following day—my birthday—as Miss Charles "miraculously" took the final set 6-3 to score the improbable victory ... and present!

The following is my poem to her, written just prior to the start of her high school season.

The Secret that Won't Forsake Her: My Promise to Alekha

In the beginning
She could hit nothing
Forehands flopped
as backhands backfired
And volleys proved folly
Meanwhile, nary a smile
crossed her terse but determined face

Actually, it was
that smile that cracked first
But just as
a few forehands
finally began to fall
Alekha fell too—
And not knowing
the medical history
of my now prone protege
I openly wondered
if young Miss Charles
was passing out
or passing on
Whether destined
to master the serve
or serve the Master
on a decidedly higher court

But just as it appeared
Alehka was about to meet her Maker
the wise and decisive champion Charu
(who doubled as her mother)
Not only rescued her daughter from Death
but treated her and Anjli to Dairy Queen
all in the same day

The next chapter in this story reads
Alekha not only resuming her tennis lessons
but, battling bees, nose bleeds and allergies
Beating the odds by grasping the game
well enough in seven weeks
to make the JV Team

This year, the Seasoned Server
Is about to embark on her Sophomore Season
And the charming if alarming Miss Charles
knows the stakes are now much higher
Not just to make the team
but win
Not only to play for the team
but lead

And when she has those days
when heat beats down her resolve
double faults lead to doubts
and she lets bugs get the best
of her attention and intentions
I struggle to make Alekha
both perceive and Believe

Yet lately, I see something
in the eyes of the "Fainting Beauty"
That, though she be a mere fifteen
my slight but mighty student
may indeed already be ready
for what I call "The Secret"
... so it's time that I reveal it

Alekha,
If you always
try your hardest and do your best
Never forget
the unfailing faith
your family has for you
Hold in your heart
the perfect prayer
that is the Medal's plea
(Oh Mary, conceived without sin
Pray for us who have recourse to thee)

And OF COURSE
Always listen
to the sage (if strange) advice
of your slightly insane instructor

You, Alekha
will soon awake
No longer
the hapless novice
others dubbed "The Hitless Wonder"

But emerge as
The Courageous Player
Whose ways
helped save the world
the day you won
at Love

Tom O'Toole
to my star understudy Alekha Charles
Feast of St. Laurence
August 10th, 2008

Abortion and the Brothers O'Toole: The Battle for Michael

2008-08-06T10:24:00.016-06:00

Raised in a staunch Catholic family with five brothers (and two sisters), I really looked forward to the rare nights the guys could get together, to talk about old times and ponder the new. Five of us still lived, more or less, in the Chicago area, but tonight would be special, because Mike, the "Boston brother," was visiting on business and would be in attendance. "The Boys are Back in Town!" I thought to myself, as I began humming the hit that became the tragic Irish band Thin Lizzy's trademark, as well as the unofficial theme song of the brothers O'Toole barroom reunions.

As it turned out, Jim, the eldest brother and only agnostic amongst the six, would not be present (Jim had a previous engagement he couldn't break, but had seen Mike earlier in the day), but even this news barely dampened my spirits. Although sister Kathleen, the artist, had long since flew the Chicago coup for Malibu, Mike was not just the only brother who had left the Midwest, but the sibling best suited to bring all our distinct personalities together, thus making his presence all the more powerful. Also, as the most successful of us from a business standpoint, Mike was now the corporate star to my struggling writer, the Harry Bailey to my George. But none of that seemed to matter when we clanked and drank beers together...

After 90 minutes or so of talk of glory days and family escapades, my brother Larry, who heads a downstate organic farm and gets up long before the sun does, excused himself, and we were down to four. And, as fun as it was getting caught up, I was now growing weary of small talk. There was something I needed to ask my little brother, if just to be reassured.

"So... who are you voting for this time?" I polled Mike. Like myself, Mike had dabbled with the Democratic Party in the past—but surely not in this election.

"I don't think we want to go in that direction," Mike said with a laugh that felt both half patronizing, half agonizing—a laugh I did not recognize as his.

"Why not?" I wondered. But suddenly, it was as if something came over my brother, and I knew. Mike was voting for Obama!

"But do you not realize that he is pro-abortion? And not only pro-abortion, but for partial-birth abortion, and even voted for killing babies that came out of the womb alive?"

"Tom, there are other issues too... a LOT of issues that he is more correct on than McCain..."

"Ah, but do you not realize the truth of Mother Teresa's statement, that if a man cannot get even the most basic life issue—the protection of defenseless babies—right, he cannot be trusted on anything else?"

"I really don't think we should talk about it..."

"But do you not believe that abortion is murder?"

For a brief moment after my question there was dead silence, and, as my and Mike's eyes met, I thought the weight of that statement might sink in. Instead, the man who still looked like Mike but acted anything like him flew into a rage, as if to shake off the righteous words that had now crept under his skin. Finally, the scary moment passed as Mike, realizing he was no longer the peaceful presence that "The One" desired his followers to be, began to recite Obamaisms in an attempt to calm himself down. Meanwhile, my brother Dan, who as a hard-core Chicago cop might still support McCain if Obama's tactics on terrorism get any softer, attempted a different, if just as convoluted, pro-choice argument.

"Tom, did you ever hear of the study that showed how the drop in inner-city crime corresponded exactly with the legalization of abortion?"

"Vaguely."

"Well, what do you think ?"

"It makes me think about Mark Twain."

"Mark Twain?"

"Yes, and his comment, 'There are lies, damned lies, and then there are statistics.'"

"But TOM," Dan replied with dead-seriousness, "there are NO other factors to explain this."

"Okay Dan. Let's assume you are correct. Let's say there are no other factors but the drop in 'unwanted' pregnancies to 'unfit' parents to explain this decrease. Are you saying it's then okay to kill these babies in the womb because there's a greater chance they may kill someone else 15 to 30 years down the road than the average kid? Sort of a first-strike theory?"

"Yes... I mean no."

"Are you saying then that the ends justifies the means?"

"I'm saying that..." Dan paused, searching for words that many pro-choicers had searched for, words that do not exist.

"You are saying that the ends justifies the means?" my brother, Fr. Bill, a parish priest in Indiana, suddenly chimed in. Bill, perhaps because he had had this talk with Mike previously and had given up hope, had until now been strangely silent during this conversation. Bill was wearing street clothes again tonight, and it seemed to me he wore his priest outfit less and less in public as time went by.

"No, I'm just saying it's something to think about," Dan said before he quickly steered the conversation in a different direction.

As Mike continued to defend Obama's policies, it gives me little consolation, looking back at that night a month later, that Barack has drifted toward center (and more toward Senator McCain) on things like energy, the war, and the economy since. Instead, as Mike seamlessly began to shift from Barack's platitudes to problems my brother now had with the Catholic Church, I recalled in my mind a conversation we had twenty some years ago, when Michael was still a student at Notre Dame....

"I really admire your writing and the stances you take defending your faith," Mike confided.

"Yes, but I bet you don't admire the pitiful amount of money I make doing it!" I joked.

"No, really Tom... it doesn't bother me that you have to take jobs like the park district and youth ministry that allow you to both work with kids and allows you time to write."

"Well, thanks Mike."

"In fact, I wish I could be more like you."

Back at the bar, Mike was now finishing off his current soliloquy on the virtues of gay marriage and woman priests with words I found to be far less assuring. "And, just like you, I'll always love Notre Dame!" Mike enthused. "And don't worry, Tom. I'll ALWAYS be Catholic," the rich young man my brother had become, said with conviction. "No one can ever take that away from me."

Don't be so sure, Mike, I thought to myself as the remaining brothers O'Toole emptied the establishment, to find another muggy Chicago summer night awaiting them.

The Anonymous Prophet?

2008-07-30T15:52:00.001-06:00

Recently my blog post, Taking the Fifth on the Fourth? inspired "Hierothee," playing the role of the Rich Young Man, to respond. Here is his blog post Why Post Anonymously? along with comments and my responses.

Taking the Fifth on the Fourth? Why the Time for "Anonymous-ness" has Passed

2008-07-04T13:52:00.026-06:00

"Surely you too are one of them, even your speech gives you away."

"I do not know the man!"
–Matt. 26:73-74

Recently, Fighting Irish Thomas and its co-site, Cathlete.net, announced it would no longer be linking to anonymous posts. True, many of these blogs we formerly linked to were very entertaining, and others were thoroughly orthodox. Also, all of these authors seemed to have very good reasons for remaining anonymous. But in the end (or shall we say, the end-times?), none of these reasons were good enough.

First, we heard the ever-popular excuse, "I want to give God all the glory, so that's why I don't use my name." Unfortunately, any bona fide Right-to-Lifer could tell you that any accolades received from the righteous are far out-weighed by the ridicule a holy soul accumulates from the Left, so "humbleness" and "anonymous-ness" can no longer be synonymous. Similarly, the "but I want my post to stand on it's own!" claim might carry some clout if one was taking a college writing class and the professor was concerned mainly with style, but something far more important than style is at stake here. In reality, the last reason, "But I might lose my job!" (or friends, or place in society) is by far the most ominous—and often encompasses the other two. In fact the last woman we allowed to anonymously link to Cathlete.net openly admitted not only was she afraid she would lose her high-paying job if she wrote her pro-life blog under her real name, but "would probably have to move out of state and would no longer be able to take care of her ailing mother."

While we can certainly respect the gravity of such a difficult decision, we believe that, with the distinct possibility of an Obama-nation just months away, the time for anonymity among the forces of Our Blessed Mother has passed. If it is true, as Father Frank Pavone stated, that we will never overturn Roe v. Wade unless we are successful in putting faces on those formerly anonymously aborted bodies, we will also never defeat the Culture of Death if we remain nameless in our opposition. Once again, the Way of the Cross awaits, and the Lord is again asking if we are ready to risk the consequences and follow, or will we remain in the shadows with Peter, afraid to "link" our name with that of Christ. For if we do not come forth before November, I'm afraid the choice, Death (in the name of Democracy), will instead be made for us.

Barack Backing Down on Abortion? The Obama-Relevant Interview

2008-07-04T11:50:00.016-06:00

Commentary on the recent Relevant Magazine interview with Barack Obama:

Obama saying he voted against the "Born Alive" bill because these babies' safety was already guaranteed is like a southern senator saying he voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because the Declaration of Independence already says all men are created equal with certain inalienable rights. In the end, it is a bold-faced lie, the pro-choice equivalent of Hitler saying he would only occupy the Sudetenland (after all, this was really Germany anyway!) and stop his advances there. In the end, Obama's 24/7 anytime, any reason, abortion voting record is much closer to ancient Greece's policy of carrying off unwanted newborns to a hilltop to die, than it is to any type of anti-abortion legislation. For would it not be easier for the Obama Democrats to take one small step forward to the Greek's way of thinking than one step backward to ban partial-birth abortion?

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Read Barack Obama on Abortion

Obama getting away with murder? Chesterton to the Rescue!

2008-06-25T13:54:00.035-06:00

"The election was not about a conflict between Democrats or Republicans, or between Drink and Prohibition, or even between Agriculture and Finance. It is, in the simplest sense ... a conflict between light and darkness, between people who take a certain view of the facts and people who have never even heard the facts; between principle and prejudice, between cosmos and chaos."
–G. K. Chesterton, commenting on the 1928 Presidential Election

Although it was 80 years ago that the man dubbed "The Apostle of Common Sense" made his fateful comments about the then current election in America, they undoubtedly ring true today. Of course, you would substitute the words "Gay Marriage" and "Abortion" for "Drink" and "Prohibition," but the principle (and prejudice) remains the same. In those days, Chesterton argued, Governor Smith lost not so much because he was for social drinking and against Prohibition (a subject which, by the way, history proved him right about) but because he was Catholic—and the Republicans convinced enough ignorant WASP Americans that not only were Catholics not Christians, but that the Pope (who would be secretly dictating American policy if Smith were elected) was the Antichrist.

Just as the saintly archbishop Fulton Sheen's statement that "While there are millions who hate the Catholic Church for what they think it teaches, perhaps only a hundred or so despise it for what it really professes" explains Governor Smith's dilemma, I believe that if Obama's supporters truly knew what abortion (and euthanasia) was about, very few would still approve. Still, the faithful Catholic has to admit that, to date, the Democratic strategy has been diabolically effective. First, the Dems (with the help of some money-grubbing Republicans like Romney) eliminate the only legitimate pro-life candidate, Mike Huckabee, and now they have gotten the eventual Republican nominee, John McCain, to focus on issues such as health care, the war, and the economy rather than the systematic sanctioned slaughter of our country's most vulnerable. Not only do the Democrats not show photos of just-born babies stabbed, young girls strapped down (on abortion tables) or old men shot up (with deadly drugs) against their will, they seemingly have successfully relegated abortion to second class status when it comes to election issues. And unless McCain (or a wholly pro-life running mate) can bring these issues (and their consequences) back to the forefront, this land is in for a very long and dark night indeed.

"When a nation gives birth to a foolish law," said Chesterton, "they do not start or stare at the monster they have brought forth. They have grown used to their own unreason ... these nations are really in danger of losing their heads en masse." And, when Chesterton notes "these vast visions of imbecility" once they become policy, are almost always enforced by force, we have little reason to doubt G.K.'s double entendre was intended. For once Obama is elected King (or "Lord" as the peasants were forced to call them) "voluntary" abortions for the poor will become mandatory, euthanasia (unless one is wealthy enough to buy their way out of it) will be "enacted" at retirement, and gay marriage will be the new official state "union," as it leaves far less of a carbon footprint than that messy "married with children" thing. Surely these "fashions" seem utterly "fantastic" to the current orthodox Catholic, but as Chesterton reminded us, "New things every bit as wild as this are being received in silence every day." And so, whether our course of action is picketing the abortion mills, pleading with McCain for a pro-life running mate, or simply shouting Barack's lies from the rooftop, know that the time for silence has passed, but will return all too quickly if we don't speak now and the Obamanation is elected.

The Lie of the Tiger? Jack's Facts Prove Retief Goose[n] is Cooked

2008-06-20T09:45:00.010-06:00

After Tiger Woods' stunning revelation that he won the U.S. Open playing with both a broken leg and a torn ACL, many in the golf world commented not only on Tiger's dramatic come-from-behind victory, but the fact surgery will now cause him to miss the rest of the season. While most quotes were fairly mundane, not unlike Open competitor Rocco Mediate's 275-yard middle-of-the-fairway drives, the two extremes were represented by two former Open winners, two-time champ Retief Goosen and 4-time champion Jack Nicklaus.

When asked if Tiger was faking the extent of his pain, the usually elusive Goosen concurred: “I think so. It just seemed that when he hit a bad shot his knee was in pain and on his good shots he wasn’t. You see when he made the putts and he went down on his [bad] knees and was shouting, ‘Yeah’! His knee wasn’t sore then ... if he was really injured, he would not have played."

Now contrast this trash-talking with the effusive praise of 18-time major champion Nicklaus. "In light of this week's revelation about Tiger's health, it makes his performance in the U.S. Open that much more phenomenal ... I have always said that the U.S. Open is the most difficult and complete examination of a golfer, and for him to persevere with a damaged knee and stress fracture is a testament not only to his ability, but his tremendously high level of competitiveness. He is a great person and a great champion. I take my hat off to him, and personally look forward to Tiger's return."

While acknowledging Goosen made his foolish comments before the extent of Woods' injuries were made public, Retief's retorts, when compared to Jack's take on the facts, clearly depict the two different world views on sports. For the businessman, whose every move is motivated by profit, Tiger's performance is no more comprehensible than the tragic triumphs of the sports titans in the days when the pay was peanuts, for neither champion was truly playing for money. However, to the dreamer, who is solely driven by heroic drama, the injured Tiger's triumph is everything. While seemingly unconnected (at least in a practical sense) to the millionaire golfer, the fellow dreamer applies Tiger's unique feat to his own life perhaps initially just to get through another difficult day, but eventually to allow him to believe that, despite his own personal demons, his dreams can too come true.

In the sense that both are intense competitors, neither Jack nor Retief wants to give Tiger quarter prematurely, but in the end there is still a vast difference between these two past champs. While Nicklaus is not ready to concede (yet?) that Tiger is better than him, Goosen cannot conceive that Tiger is not only better than him, but better than him even when playing with a severe injury. Thus, while the true champion, Nicklaus, wishes Woods a speedy and complete recovery so that Tiger can once again resume his quest to pursue Jack's majors title record, thus settling the question on the field, Goosen's bitter jabs reflect a man jealous of the gutsy young guy who stole his glory, who instead wishes his superior opponent would just go away. And, while I have no way of knowing if the red-shirted fist pumper will recover enough to beat Jack's record and earn the title of "The Best Ever," I do know this. I'd rather play one tournament with "The Eye of the Tiger" than a thousand trudging through the Goose's poop.

It's Tiger—Again

2008-06-16T14:53:00.006-06:00

Tiger Woods, the 13-time major winner, and Rocco Mediate, the 45-year-old Cinderella story trying to become the oldest man to ever win the Open, battled 18 extra holes Monday to decide the U.S. Open championship and it still wasn't enough. Just like Sunday, Tiger caught Rocco with a birdie on 18, and finally beat his old friend when Rocco bogeyed the first sudden death hole to hand the hobbled, but preying Tiger the title.

After ten holes, it looked like Tiger's prowl to a 14th Major was in the bag. Woods was up by 3 with 8 to go, but Mediate, with some clutch birdie putts, caught and passed the world's #1 by 1 with only the 18th to go. But as was the case 13 times before when Tiger had a major lead after 54 holes, it was not to be for Mediate, who bowed out with his trademark smile still on his face. "That guy's so tough to beat!" Rocco exclaimed. "But at least I scared him."

Perhaps. But with his wife by his side and his daughter (and latest trophy) now in his arms, any fear Mr. Woods may have felt had long since vanished.

The Tiger and The Roc(co): Father's Day and Obama's Bummer

2008-06-16T11:30:00.007-06:00

The San Diego Father's Day at the U.S. Open started out with the usual domestic contenders and foreign suspects, but in the end it narrowed down to a classic duel between an unlikely duo, the once and future king of golf, Tiger Woods, and the journeyman jester of the links, Rocco Mediate. In the end you didn't WANT it to end, so compelling was the drama between the new dad and wounded warrior Woods, and the over-the-hill hacker but beloved father Mediate, you almost wished it could end in a tie, and in effect it did, at least for a day. Meanwhile, back in Chicago, Barack Obama, the presidential candidate still searching for another father figure (not to mention another church), spoke about fatherhood at a South Side church, but for hundreds of real fathers, his speech couldn't end soon enough.

"Of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are most dependent on our family," Barack preached yesterday at the Apostolic Church of God. "The family is that most important foundation, and we are called to recognize how critical every father is to that foundation [but] ... too many fathers are missing, they've abandoned their responsibilities."

Of course, while both Woods and Mediate appear to be devoted, traditional fathers, they are also archetypes. Woods' trials Sunday, where he tried to triumph with a painful post-op knee, represented the struggle every father goes through when he goes to work to support his family at (far) less than 100%. Meanwhile, Rocco's having to qualify with men half his age just to get into the Open and then nearly pulling off the ultimate dream for his sons when saner types told him to retire to a more typical job for his age, is the ultimate father and son experience. Certainly with 64 career PGA victories and golf earnings of over 81 million dollars (plus perhaps ten times that in endorsements), Woods, at 32, doesn't need to compete for financial reasons, and with five wins and 4-1/2 million in earnings, Rocco Mediate is not exactly your typical journeyman mechanic. Yet this fact does not make their journey to be good father figures any less meaningful, nor does the fact Obama spoke some truth make his words any less hollow.

This year's Open saga will end Monday with both men, win or lose, hugging their families, and millions of men, inspired by the golfers' fighting examples, will be moved to do the same. But Barack's message begins to be put into practice on Tuesday, when the state that hosts this year's U.S. Open opens up the definition of marriage to gays as well. So in opposition to Tiger and Rocco's true display of devoted fatherhood, Obama's solution to families (while Barack says he is personally opposed to gay marriage, he supports the state's right to choose, not to mention gay adoption) that have no fathers is to start "families" that have two, or else have the traditional mother get rid of her son or daughter before the unborn's father can flee. Either way, Obama fails. A missing father should not equal a dead daughter, and two gay dads are not better than none when it comes to raising a son. Better to have a son raised by a single mother, with the noble example of men like Tiger and Rocco to supplement it, than the unnatural example of men partaking in selfish non-family building sex. So while I'm a big fan of Tiger, I'd rather extol Rocco than grasp onto Obama's sinking "rock."

Tiger "Rudy" Woods Leads U.S. Open

2008-06-14T20:33:00.010-06:00

He was wincing. He was limping. He was five shots down with six holes to go. And, on the other channel, Rudy just got accepted to Notre Dame.

You know the rest; at least, that is, with the re-run of Rudy. But you've seen Tiger counted out before too, and after an unbelievable eagle putt on 13, and a "lucky" (in his own words) chip in from the nasty rough, Tiger, now using a driver as a walking cane, was only one shot back. And the movie could not have cooperated better.

For while Rudy was making his game ending tackle, and was carried off the field, Tiger was slowly walking up the 18th to hit his second shot. Rudy's father, friends and fans cheered, and we switched back just in time to see Tiger hit it on the green, some 35 feet from the hole. And when Tiger made that putt, to score his second eagle within six holes, he went from one shot back to one shot in the lead.

No, they did not carry Tiger off the field as they did Rudy, for it was only the third round, and Woods would still have to limp around and hit miracles for eighteen holes tomorrow to win his 14th major, but I've seen the ending of Rudy fourteen times, and since that ultimate never-give-up movie always ends the same way, I'm betting that Eldrick, who has never lost a major when leading after 54 holes, will find a way to triumph too. The fact that it's Father's Day and Tiger's deceased dad will have to carry his gimpy son home from heaven will make this one all the more sweet.

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Link of interest: YouTube: Tiger Woods Eagles the 18th Hole at the US Open (3rd Round)

Tim Russert, RIP

2008-06-13T15:16:00.018-06:00

I was saddened to hear, on the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua, of the sudden death today of Tim Russert. The noble host of NBC's "Meet the Press" as well as devout Catholic, Russert died of a heart attack at the still young age of 58. Like Anthony, he died too soon, both apparent victims of their passions, the Franciscan saint of long days of preaching and healing, Russert of endless election year coverage of candidates and politics. I will never forget his lively jousts with his good friend Mike Huckabee, or how he took off his coat to reveal his "Totus Tuus" t-shirt to try to secure an interview with John Paul II. I pray not only for Tim's soul and surviving family, but that the Lord find a like-minded Catholic to take his place on "Meet the Press."

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Link of interest: Russert delivers Red Smith Lecture at Notre Dame on 04-14-08

Notre Dame, Abortion, and Obama: Our Lady's Civil War?

2008-06-11T15:16:00.014-06:00

"By the time we got to Woodstock, we were half a million strong ..."
-from the song "Woodstock" by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

"Anyone who has read the works of Fr. McBrien, and several other professors, knows that there is a threat to (Notre Dame's) Catholicism from within as well. But unlike Harvard or Yale, Northwestern or Southern Cal, all former Christian universities that are now secular schools, Notre Dame has the weapon to fight all heresies, namely Notre Dame Herself ... for the modern infidels to take control here, they would have to blow the Dame off the Dome, rip the heart (the Eucharist) out of Sacred Heart (Church) and lastly, rock by rock, tear the Grotto apart. And legions of Her sons and daughters would willingly die martyrs before they would allow that to happen."
-from "Champions of Faith" by Tom O'Toole

After reading my rather apocalyptic article "From Civil War to Civil Unions," fellow Domer and former head of Illinois Right to Life, John Ryan, whole-heartedly agreed with my gloomy assessment, but then asked, just "Where does Notre Dame stand in relation to this looming civil war?" Specifically, Ryan wondered what the response of orthodox regular and subway alumni should be if Obama won the presidency and ND president, Fr. John Jenkins, extended the university's traditional invitation to the new commander-in-chief to be the keynote speaker at the school's upcoming commencement.

While I definitely agree with Ryan that just as in a game of chess, we should certainly consider our spiritual options several moves ahead, it is also important to realize that Obama, despite what CNN and CNBC (or for that matter, Satan himself) may say, has not yet been elected. The first priority of the pro-life voter remains to petition Our Lady that McCain picks a passionate anti-abortion running mate (hopefully Huckabee, if not the emerging star, Jindal) to strengthen the GOP ticket. Next, we must pray like heck that McCain wins the general election. Still, if those things don't happen, Ryan's question must soon be considered.

Although Ryan's first idea, an all out pro-life media assault on Barack Obama's abortion position in an attempt to get Fr. Jenkins to withhold the ND invitation appears to be the logical initial strategy, I really doubt that such a campaign would make either man change his mind. A backing out on Barack's part would make the president-elect look weak, and if alumni scrutiny didn't make Jenkins cancel the showing of the extremely sleazy Vagina Monologues, no amount of pro-life propheteering would keep him from this woeful choice either. And, while I believe that the holy bishop of South Bend, John M. D'Arcy, would be within his rights to rescind the Catholic charter of the university if Barack were invited (Ryan's final, last ditch idea to keep Obama away), my long-held belief that Our Lady will keep Notre Dame Catholic through troubled times (see opening quote) precludes that possibility—at least for now. But little did I know when I penned that prediction some thirteen years ago that Notre Dame would indeed be the site of the first great battle in our country's second civil war.

Simply put, if the pro-life forces do not take a major stand when the modernist forces of Obama come to captivate (and capture) Notre Dame some one hundred plus days into his deadly presidency, the battle would be lost. As with Woodstock, a loyal force a "half a million strong" might be necessary, but unlike that counter-culture event, this battle would be better planned. Although the remaining true-to-the-faith students and priests could lay the groundwork, including proclaiming their petition (openly, since Jenkins rarely attends) at the 6:45 p.m. daily grotto rosary recitation, the first group of outside forces would arrive approximately a month before the graduation, under the guise of fans attending the annual Notre Dame spring football game. Known only by their Suffering Irish t-shirts, these several thousand or so loyal Domers would remain at Notre Dame after the game, sheltered by sympathetic students, professors, and even grounds crew. This way, they could gain strategic spots in the stadium, Church and even the Administration Building, including one of the little rooms right beneath the Dome.

And so it would go, with groups of ND loyalists arriving undetected with every subsequent baseball game, lacrosse or tennis match, until the main mass of Mary's men were in place. Included in this next group would be the special forces of Our Lady's Army, led by their new commander and recent Catholic convert, General Mike Huckabee. Meanwhile, when D-Day arrived, and thousands more bussed, biked, walked or parachuted their way onto the startled campus, several hundreds of Blessed Mother Teresa's Missionary of Charity sisters get into line behind the marching graduates, and Bishop D'Arcy, monstrance in hand, appears out of nowhere to lead them. And, because it is still a Catholic school, no one seems to question either occurrence.

As President Obama finally approaches the podium, Bishop D'Arcy rises, and raises the monstrance with the Eucharistic Christ right into Obama's sight, temporarily befuddling, if not frightening, the puzzled speaker. This allows the sisters to descend upon the stage, and they begin removing something hidden beneath their habits. No, the nuns have not been smuggling guns, but the aborted fetuses of late term abortions—and murdered live births—that Barack's regime has endorsed, and will soon enforce. As Obama attempts to speak, a voice as if from heaven (but actually Huckabee's), explains what the sisters are doing, telling the stunned crowd to look inside their programs, where the pro-life forces have inserted a page of all of Obama's dubious abortion accomplishments. Finally, as Huck's men silently subdue the Secret Service and the JumboTron focuses on the aborted fetuses, the last nun lays the last broken babe at Obama's feet and then begins to speak. While the crowd now anticipates an alternative commencement speech, the humble sister instead utters but one simple sentence. "Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me," she says to the president, and then leaves the stage for good.

At this point, Barack is free to speak, but with the Eucharistic Lord in front of him, the butchered fruit of his labor at his side, and the thousands of protesters now ready to storm the doors, something tells me he cuts his losses and leaves the campus speechless. The evil president flees Notre Dame in shame, while the triumphant forces place a giant wreath of flowers atop Our Lady on the Dome, as thousands cheer the most memorable May crowning ever.

Again, I hope Mr. Obama does not reach the White House, and this all turns out to be entertaining orthodox fiction. But if this vision is neglected and Barack is elected, we must pray to the Son beginning on day one that His Mother's Notre Dame dream comes true.

From Civil War to Civil Unions: Our Country's rebirth into the Culture of Death

2008-05-26T12:00:00.010-06:00

"Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth ... a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, can long endure ... we here resolve that ... this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that this government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth."
–Abraham Lincoln, from The Gettysburg Address

"We are all just prisoners here of our own device ... you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. Welcome to the Hotel California ..."
–Don Henley, from "Hotel California" by the Eagles

I suppose that in many respects, the California Supreme Court's recent ruling to legalize gay marriage was the last straw to conservative Christians, the cannon shot that could start a full-scale culture war. Sure, their decision was both arrogant (flying in the face of what the majority of the people in California wanted) and decadent (basically proclaiming that any human union was as good as any other) but it was merely symptomatic of what the liberal intelligentsia had long espoused. And while these Democrats of the dammed are still the minority, they are fully convinced that their new pleasant-appearing, sweet-talking dealer of death has duped enough Generation Next voters to become the next president of these (once) United States. And if this unspeakable catastrophe indeed comes to pass, those faithful pro-lifers still left in this land may have no choice than to respond with our nation's second Civil War.

As Abraham Lincoln so concisely demonstrated almost a century and a half ago, the notion of a nation "conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" had become so foreign to a substantial segment of our southern population that the moral majority had no choice but to fight to bring this freedom back. Thanks largely to the fearless leadership of perhaps our nation's most God-fearing president, the northern states won this war, and the once and future United States outlawed slavery, and our country began it's nearly 100-year trek back to liberty. But just when our nation had finally gotten past the enforced prejudice by passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, on June 7th, 1965, the Supreme Court, with Griswold v. Connecticut, opened up a fatal can of worms by legalizing artificial contraception in the form of "the Pill". Few, outside of Pope Paul VI and his courageous encyclical Humane Vitae, realized it at the time, but just as "Desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it brings forth death" (James 1:15), so the contraceptive mentality gave way to Roe v. Wade (1973), and abortion on demand led to the anti-family gay marriage and civil union rulings that are taking place today.

Fortunately, all is not lost—yet! While it's true that John McCain was not the best man the Republicans could have nominated, he is far from the worst (indeed his one divorce and later re-marriage to a younger, richer model seems smack in between Mike Huckabee's lifelong union and Rudy Guliani's trifecta of messed-up marriages) and his faults are not grave enough to not get your vote. First of all, the best candidate, Huckabee, is still in the running for VP, so we must continue to pray and petition Johnny Mac (and Jesus Christ) so that the truest pro-life voice in contention is picked as running mate. But even if this fails, remember that the McCain's not only have adopted a child, but this babe came from the arms of Blessed Mother Teresa herself—and that child has grown to affect them more powerfully with each passing day.

And what, pray tell, is the alternative? Know that if Obama wins the election, educators such as myself will be forced to resign from public schools for refusing to teach that New-Age parents Johnnie and Matt are just as moral (and normal) as the traditional John and Mary, that priests will be arrested and charged with hate crimes for preaching that practicing homosexuality is sinful, and doctors will be disbarred for not taking the new "Hypocritic" Oath requiring them to not only approve, but perform, abortions. On that day, we will be forced to guard our cathedrals with cannons, protect our holy hospitals with hidden handguns, and storm their abortuaries to rescue the unborn (and their mothers) from being killed (and wounded) against their (and His) will. For as in the time of Lincoln, we have arrived at an era in our nation's history where the United States will experience a rebirth of freedom ... or perish from the face of the earth.

On the 77th Anniversary of Knute Rockne's Death ...

2008-03-31T07:41:00.004-06:00

On the 77th anniversary of Knute Rockne's death, I offer a reprint (from 3-31-07) of my tribute to "The Rock." With the V-Monologues now disgracing Our Lady's University, Notre Dame and its athletic teams need the intercession of this Catholic convert more than ever. We love you Knute!

Go Irish!
Tom O'Toole

You are Knute—and Upon this Rockne I Will Build "The Irish"

The date was 3-31-31. While there was, on that same date, an earthquake in Nicaragua that killed thousands, the Midwestern newspaper headlines (and indeed those around the world) instead centered upon a small airplane crash in Kansas that killed eight. The first seven would have died unnoticed, but the death of the last passenger (according to the United Press accounts) "shocked the entire world, and business and industry was halted ..." Within minutes, telegrams from the president of the United States, the king of Norway and heads of state from nearly every country, not to mention the presidents of colleges as well as athletes such as Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey, began arriving. Meanwhile, millions of boys wept. The eighth man on that plane was Knute Kenneth Rockne.

If Rockne was merely the greatest coach who ever lived (his 13-season record of 105 wins, 12 loses and 5 ties, still remains the best ever in college football) his death at forty-three would not have brought such grief, nor would his legend have been so lasting. Son of Norwegian immigrants, Rock came to America at the age of five after his father's two-wheel carry-all buggy won an award at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. Knute learned the game of football in the rough and tumble Windy City neighborhood of Logan Square, under the watchful eye of (I'm not kidding!) "an Irish copper named O'Goole." Knute's dad Lars wasn't keen on college, so Rockne earned his way to Notre Dame (then cheaper than the University of Illinois!) by working in the mail room for five years before entering Our Lady's University, "the lone Norse Protestant invader of a Catholic stronghold," a balding broken-nosed freshman, at the age of twenty-two.

There's no doubt Rockne was a decent football player at Notre Dame—his class went 24-1-3 and he was a key component along with QB Gus Dorais of modernizing the passing game, catching half of Dorais' completions in Notre Dame's shocking 1913 35-13 rout of highly favored Army. But he was a better tactician, and even better chemist, and upon his 1914 graduation, stayed on at ND as Chemistry instructor, head track coach and assistant football coach—in that order. But when the head coaching job came open, and Rockne chose it over heading the Chemistry Department, most observers thought he was crazy.

After 1918, his first season, which WWI shortened to six games (the Irish winning three, losing one and tying two) Rockne went undefeated the next two years and the Irish were crowned undisputed National Champions in 1920. Still, that was not the main story. THAT headline belonged to Rockne's shooting star George Gipp. Gipp, who like Rockne entered college late, was indifferent toward sports—and life—until he met his mentor. Under Rockne's guidance, Gipp, a superb runner, passer, and kicker (George once drop-kicked a field goal from sixty yards away) became the best player (according to Rock) ever to play at Notre Dame. Although Knute could not completely reform George; indeed Gipp continued to skip class, to earn his money hustling pool, and to party (allegedly Gipp caught the pneumonia that would kill him at the age of twenty-five sleeping off an all-night bender in the South Bend snow) Rockne and Our Lady definitely had an effect on him. Gipp, who died weeks after the 1920 season and within days of being named Notre Dame's first ever 1st Team All-American, converted to Catholicism on his death bed, and his life, early death and conversion, coupled with Rockne's own, certainly sealed the legend of Notre Dame football forever.

Rock's own conversion to Catholicism came on November 20, 1925, to the delight of his young son, Knute Jr., when he saw his dad also receive the Host during his class' First Holy Communion Mass. Rockne, describing his religion decision, stated "One night before a big game in the East, I was nervous and unable to sleep and went downstairs to the lobby. Between five and six o'clock, I saw two of my players hurrying out [of the hotel]. Within minutes, almost the whole team followed ... and I decided to go with. [While at morning Mass] they didn't realize it, but they made a powerful impression on me ... walking up to the Communion rail to receive ... the hours of sleep they had sacrificed ... I understood for the first time what a powerful ally their religion was to their work on the football field. Later I had the happiness of joining my players at the Communion rail."

Truth be told, Rockne's death was not exactly martyrdom, and he probably did not die a saint. He spent too little time with his young kids (he sent his two sons away to boarding school) and too much time on his football job and business promotions (at the time of his death, Rockne was flying to Hollywood to ink a $100,000 movie/newspaper deal). He continually embarrassed the Holy Cross Fathers of Notre Dame by seeking more lucrative jobs while under contract—Rock nearly agreed to terms with several Big 10 schools and actually signed a written contract with Columbia College in New York, needing several lawyers and confessors to extradite himself. And yet, at the time of his death, Rockne had directly (as when he let a suicidal blind man meet his team, and the man became a fan—and believer—for life) or indirectly (as when a priest tried futilely to bring a cynical ex-Catholic back to the Church, until he finally told the man of Rockne's conversion, at which time the man broke down and gave his first confession in thirty years) led many to the faith. But his tragic death at the height of his coaching powers (his last two teams were both undefeated National Champions) no doubt inspired and continues to inspire many in ways his life alone couldn't. And so on the anniversary of his death, let us not only recall the great coach, the man who revolutionized the game and put Fighting Irish football on the map. Let us also remember the humble soul who followed Gipp to the Faith and his players to the Communion rail, that we, like Rockne, realize it is Christ (and of course, Our Lady) that makes Notre Dame football special.

Top Ten Telegrams/Eulogies Mourning Knute Rockne's Death

10 "Mr. Rockne so contributed to a cleanness and high purpose in athletics that his passing is a national loss."—President Herbert Hoover

9 "One man like Rockne means more to our country than a million reformers, and if football produces one Rockne in each generation, the nation can ill afford to curtail football."—James L. Knox (President of Harvard)

8 "He was a king among men. We have never met a man with greater personal magnetism, not even William Jennings Bryan."—North Carolina Christian Advocate (Methodist)

7 "I read that youth has no idols nowadays. But they had one at Notre Dame."—Sportswriter Westbrook Pegler

6 "Knute Rockne was a strong moral force and an inspiration to the youth of our land. Fourteen hundred orphan children of Mooseheart Illinois will always remember his timely and inspiring talks to them."—James J. David, President of Mooseheart

5 "When I heard of Rockne's death, something unusual happened; tears came into my eyes that I thought long ago had shed all they could hold. Now I know I was only one of a multitude who never spoke a word to Rockne but loved him. Rockne was Sorin without a cassock or breviary."—Rev. Francis Clement Kelley, Bishop of Oklahoma

4 "In the past generation, it was Buffalo Bill. For this generation, it was Knute Rockne. The boy had a profound respect for Knute Rockne, and Rockne for the boy. Each read each other's minds, and they were heroes to each other. Millions of boys (and men, girls and women) bow in grief at the news that Rockne is dead, because for millions he was greater than the president."—Cleveland Press

3 "No other death could have brought more universal sorrow than this. Knute Rockne's name was a household word. Boys who could not yet read could tell you about Rockne ... there have been big figures in sports but none who have attained the size of Rockne ... the game has ended, but in every department of play, Knute Rockne has won."—The Denver News

2 "We thought it would take a president's death to make a whole nation, regardless of age, race or creed, shake their heads in real sincere sorrow ... Well, that's what this country did today Knute for you. You died a national hero ... Notre Dame was your address, but every gridiron in America was your home."—Will Rogers

1 (tie) "Knute Rockne has had a wider influence in developing the ideals of fair play than any other man in his generation, and he did it under the banner of the Mother of God."—Rev. John F. O'Hara, University of Notre Dame

1 (tie) "What was the secret of his irresistible appeal to all sorts and conditions of men? I do not know the answer. But in this hour of piteous loss and pained bewilderment, I find myself recalling the words of Christ, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart ... and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' Knute loved God and neighbor with a genuine deep love, and his case verifies the Christian paradox—he has cast away to keep, he has lost his life to find it."—ND President Charles O'Donnell, from his eulogy at Knute Rockne's funeral Mass

Fighting Irish Thomas has been busy, busy, busy!

2008-03-06T20:05:00.011-06:00

Tom wanted to alert his readers as to why he hasn't written lately for FIT, but he hasn't had the time to jot down a quick paragraph. His two jobs, a new third job as a high school tennis coach, and a book deal (co-authoring on the Chicago Bears) are keeping him spinning.

Tom will write again for FIT as soon as some time frees up. In the meantime, please visit our new site, Cathlete.net, where there are links to articles refreshed several times a day on Catholicism, Sports, Pro-Life and Politics.

Thank you,
[Mrs.] Fighting Irish Thomas

Irish Survive Scarlet Scare: Notre Dame nips Rutgers 71-68

2008-02-19T09:22:00.001-06:00

It was 11 a.m. Central time, Sunday, and although no other ranked college basketball team was playing at such an early hour, ESPN refused to air the Notre Dame-Rutgers game on one of its major stations, opting for bowling and billiards instead. While such a baffling move makes you wonder if Notre Dame hater/baiter Dana Jacobson is now not only a host but their program director, me and "Wayward Son" John O'Toole (barely out of bed by tip-off time), were able to find the feed on a fund-driving Indiana public television station, and after two guys looking like Irish versions of the "Superfans" got on and made a pre-game appeal for Irish alumni money, the game—or MOST of it anyway—was on.

Although some critics implied that the tied-for-last-place-in-the-Big-East Scarlet Knights were too crappy to be featured on the big stations of ESPN or ESPN2, even for a far from prime-time showing, Rutgers' wins vs. Syracuse and a ranked Pittsburgh squad—as well as their effort (if not late execution) against the Irish—proved to be must-see sports cable TV.

First of all, give Rutgers credit for almost totally shutting down the Big East's leading scorer and MVP candidate, as the Knights double and triple-teamed, harassed and harangued Irish All-Star Luke Harangody into 5-for-16 shooting, "holding" (at times, literally) the big fellow to a league low 10 points—especially impressive considering Luke had just come off a 32-point, 16 rebound performance at Connecticut.

Obviously, such strategy begs for some outside shooter to beat you and although Notre Dame got up by 10 on two occasions, none of Coach Mike Brey's men were consistent enough to allow Notre Dame to pull away, as the Irish needed a lucky Tory Jackson last-second turnaround heave to make it an 8-point 42-34 ND halftime lead. Usually, when the opposition is focused on shutting down Harangody, the Irish can count on Kyle McAlarney to pick up the slack—especially when the game is anywhere near his home state of New York! But while Kyle had a decent game, finishing with 16 points and 4-of-7 from three-point land, McAlarney hit only 1-of-5 from close range, as the Knights crept closer and closer. In fact, the Knights actually were up three with a chance to extend the lead with under six minutes to play, but Notre Dame's player of the game, Tory Jackson, stole the ball, made his layup, then ignited an 11-0 Irish run. No one can argue with ESPN's assessment of Jackson as a "stat stacker" Sunday, for on a day when Harangody proved human, Tory's near triple-double of 17 points (a season high), 10 assists and 8 rebounds proved huge. Still, Jackson's achilles heel, free throw shooting, again reared its ugly head late in the game, as Tory missed two with under two minutes to play, keeping the outcome interesting.

So the game came down to this. After unsung Irish hero Rob Kurz (11 points and team high 14 rebounds) hit a shot to put the Irish up by three with under a minute to go, Rutgers came back with a two and, with the Irish now up one, the Knights intentionally fouled and put the usually automatic Harangody at the line, shooting a one-and-one with 12 seconds left. And then it REALLY got interesting.

First, with the game (and no doubt thousands of dollars of pledge money) literally on the line, Indiana's finest public TV station went blank. But through radio and replay, I can still relay what happened next—Luke uncharacteristically missed the free throw, but instead of a well-planned Rutgers run-out to take the late lead, the two Scarlet Knight rebounders collided, knocking the ball out of bounds, possession to Notre Dame. This time, the Knights were forced to foul McAlarney, and K-Mac did not miss. Finally, when the Rutgers desperation three feel short (and, after the fact, the public TV feed resumed and flashed the final score, the Irish (19-5, 9-3 in Big East) had escaped with a 71-68 victory.

While McAlarney admitted "we got a little lucky at the end," and Coach Brey conceded, "Our life flashed before our eyes," Tory "Action" Jackson would have none of it. "This is the Big East!" exclaimed the little Irish guard, "and a win is a win. To tell you the truth, I feel we played well enough to win." And while that statement might not have been accurate for each and every Irish player Sunday, in the case of the stat-stacker, it was.

The Vagina Monologues' St. Valentine's Day Massacre at Notre Dame: An open letter to Fr. Jenkins

2008-02-13T21:04:00.009-06:00

Rev. John Jenkins
President of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame/Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Dear Fr. John,

My friends at The Cardinal Newman Society informed me that after a one-year hiatus, the diabolically-inspired Vagina Monologues has made its way back on campus. Granted, I understand you are not "sponsoring" it (the Anthropology and Sociology Departments are actually doing that), so (in your mind anyway) it is not considered an "official university-sponsored activity." Still, I have to admit, Father, it sounds to me a lot like a Catholic politician saying, "while I am personally opposed to abortion, I do not want to legislate my views on others," in other words; a lot of "sound and fury, signifying nothing." But maybe, as a daily Mass Catholic, I'm just overly sensitive.

Then again, maybe not. In addition to The Cardinal Newman Society, I just read that the United States Bishops Committee on Doctrine which was scheduled to have a conference at Our Lady's university starting on Feb. 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (which I trust is still a special day at Notre Dame, considering the lasting place your Lourdes replica grotto has in the hearts of both alumni and students), pulled out of their Notre Dame reservations both at their disgust of the play being held on campus, and in deference to your bishop, John D’Arcy (who called V-M "offensive to women" and "antithetical to Catholic teaching") and are instead meeting at a local convent outside of South Bend.

I know, I know. You would insist the real issue here is free speech, and just because this play glorifies lesbianism, upholds group masturbation as a dogma, and calls a girl's lesbian rape her "salvation" and "heaven," doesn't mean The V-Monologues is the equivalent of screaming "fire" in a crowded theatre, or "F*** Jesus" in Sacred Heart Church, as the case may be. And you have always preached that Notre Dame must allow free expression of ideas, even those contrary to the Faith, if it is to be a true leader in national, indeed, international university education, and thus, The V-Monologues stays—or is at least allowed to return.

Well, maybe you're right, Father, but something about that "leader" stuff still feels wrong. After all, Fr. McBrien's heresy has become old hat, and although pressure from people like the bishops and The Cardinal Newman Society have reduced the number of Catholic universities showing The V-M by almost half, there are still eighteen other allegedly loyal-to-Rome colleges presenting this decidely un-Christian play, so your presentation is no longer noteworthy in that regard. So if you really want to stand out, Father, why not keep the "Monologues" ... but hire Dana Jacobson to play the lead role? That foul-mouthed vodka-toting ESPN commentator has made a name for herself by blaspheming the sacred names of Christ and Notre Dame (again, something you thought not significant enough to personally rebuke, but your underling's statement of disagreement proved so mild that head football coach Charlie Weis finally had to step in and properly denounce the attack and defend Notre Dame's honor) and Dana would be perfect to make that play come alive. For, if Rudy Ruettiger was born to lead the Notre Dame players out of the stadium tunnel, then (according to your logic) Dana Jacobson was born to play that hateful lesbian role on Our Lady's campus. You'd have to admit, Father, that THAT would be a performance of The Vagina Monologues that no other actress on any other Catholic campus could ever live up to—and a rendition of the play that no orthodox president of a Catholic university could ever live down.

Now I've left you with much to think (and hopefully pray) about, Father, but before I go, please allow this loyal son of Notre Dame one final observation. If, on the eve of March 26 (the first day of The V-Monologues' scheduled Notre Dame performance), you look up in the sky and see the Lady on the Dome appear to cry, know that it is not due to the weather. It is Our Lady expressing Her right of free speech, in that silent manner that only Our Mother has obediently mastered.

God's grace and Mary's prayers,
Tom O'Toole, Class of '81

One "flu" over the Eagles nest: Cold Irish survive Marquette 86-83

2008-02-12T17:49:00.000-06:00

You're Coach Mike Brey and it's Saturday, the day of your big rematch with your dreaded Big East rival Marquette. Not only did they annihilate you 92-66 in your last loss nearly a month ago, they were also the last team to beat you here, 34 games and nearly two years ago. So naturally you want, you need everything to be perfect to defeat the 16th ranked Golden Eagles, and preserve your long Notre Dame home-winning streak ... only to hear a knock at your door.

What's that? Three of my starters have the flu? Zach Hillesland, Rob Kurz, and ...

"Oh, no!"

Not Harangody!!!

And yet, that being the case, it only makes Notre Dame's 86-83 triumph all the more remarkable. For certainly during this long winning streak, the Irish have had their share of close calls. But never were the fans' cheers and prayers more necessary to bring their ill heroes home safely to victory.

The never-ending energy and constant noise of Notre Dame's famed home fans, along with the inspired play of Tory (Jackson, 14 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) and super-sub Luke Zeller (11 points including a monster dunk) were enough to stake the Irish to a 10-point halftime lead. And when Jackson's twisting turning lay-up with just over six to play put the Irish up by 13, no doubt some of Notre Dame's rabid rooters thought this one was over.

Not even close.

For finally, the adrenaline had worn off, the infirm trio were turning as green as the leprechaun's uniform, and Coach Brey seeing the Irish ouside shots no longer falling, called a time out.

"Let's just shoot free throws, guys," was Brey's advice.

"At Notre Dame we are halfway smart," said stellar student Zeller. "So we can add up, and trading 2-for-2 is alright."

Of course for Brey's simple strategy to work, two things had to happen. First, the Irish would have to get fouled, and then they would have to make their foul shots.

And THAT the Irish did, going 10-for-10 from the charity stripe down the stretch. Harangody, who despite the flu, shored only two under his average (18 points, plus 11 rebounds) and made the last four, and when Marquette's three-point attempt at the buzzer fell short, Notre Dame, despite not making a single field goal since Jackson's lay-up, survived.

Wednesday the now 18th ranked Irish play the 17th ranked UConn Huskies in another battle of Big East titans. Notre Dame is now just 1/2 game behind the Georgetown Hoyas for first place in the conference race, but with only two more home court contests to go, the Irish need to get healthy to maintain their lofty spot atop the standings. But for one day anyway, prayers, cheers—and free throws—were enough.

Huckabee Wins (at least) Two out of Three: Maryland, Virginia, (DC) next

2008-02-11T19:00:00.008-06:00

I didn't major in math, I majored in miracles.
Mike Huckabee, recalling his college career when asked why, considering a victory was now a near mathematical impossibility, he did not concede the nomination to John McCain.

Mike Huckabee won two, and possibly even scored a clean sweep in the weekend's primaries, crushing John McCain in Kansas (by an astounding 60 to 24 percent) then upsetting the ol' warhorse in Louisiana by a mere 2,300 votes to keep the Huckabee pro-life candidacy alive. Meanwhile, in the state of Washington caucus, McCain (at the time ahead by a mere 200 votes), was declared the winner—despite the fact 1,500 votes were not yet counted! I'd like to hear more from our Washington correspondent to see if this was voting irregularity or caucus conspiracy, as well as someone from Louisiana to tell me when it will award Huck the state's delegates. It appears Huck is not only fighting McCain's Republican pundits now, but polls predicting (incorrectly) he will lose, not to mention delinquent delegate procedures. The only "P" he seems to currently have on his side now is the pro-life people. But that, along with the prayers of the pre-born, may be exactly the miracle Huck is counting on.

In the end, Huck is proving once again how far a little hope (and a lot of humor) can go. There he was Sunday back on "Meet the Press" fending off Tim Russert's typical trip-up attempts with flawless logic, stunning pro-life prohecy, and more than a little levity. In fact, Russert's retreaded tax attacks seemed tedious and tired, and his accusation about Protestant ministers funneling ungodly amounts of money to the broke anti-establishment candidate of God's kingdom, seemed laughable. Indeed Russert, without admitting it, seems to have finally been won over by Huckabee's sincerity giving Mike the opportunity to "admit" to his college "crime" of frying hunted squirrels in his dorm room popcorn popper.

"Did you eat them?" inquired Russert.

"We sure did. Squirrels are practically a delicacy to the South's poor," Huck confessed.

"What did IT taste like?"

"I know I SHOULD say "chicken," but they really taste like ... squirrel."

"But have you eaten any since?"

"No, Tim, thank the Lord I haven't had to resort to that ..."

In fact, it is quite the opposite. The prayers and pro-family endorsements for Mike are multiplying, and Huck is still getting enough money to at least not have to dine on THAT furry delicacy. And so on this day when Catholics remember the miracles of Lourdes and the humble young Bernadette to whom Mary revealed Herself as "The Immaculate Conception," let us not forget to pray for hopeful Republican Michael Huckabee, the only candidate who consistently has fought for life from conception to natural death, as he contests in Virginia, Mary-land, and DC.

Our Lady of Lourdes

2008-02-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

Please see FIT's last year's post on Our Lady of Lourdes: Lauding the Legacy of Lourdes.

Weis Gets Decisive, Denounces Dana Jacobson: Will trade play-calling for leadership

2008-02-10T16:35:00.000-06:00

Charlie Weis announced two important decisions Friday; one professional, the other personal. The first was Charlie's choice to abdicate his role as offensive play-caller to be a better overall leader. The second was to publicly decry ESPN host Dana Jacobson's drunken diatribe (which included such ungodly slurs as "F*** Notre Dame," and "F*** Jesus") that occurred at a roast for Mike Golic (former ND football student and current ESPN commentator) that Weis attended.

First, the football news. While Weis has commonly been called by sportswriters an "offensive guru," and did concur somewhat with this sentiment by admitting Friday, "play-calling is my greatest strength," he later elaborated. "But ... I'm also the head coach. And when you're play-calling an offense, you might not necessarily be the best head coach." Indeed, Weis found this out the hard way last season, as not only did the best plays flounder when players fail to block or drop balls, but when the defense and special teams also spin out of control, as merely an offensive play-caller, there's little you can do about it. And, even in his first two seasons, when Charlie had the horses to turn the Irish into a top ten offense, the other two facets of his football team lagged too far behind for Notre Dame to be a serious title contender.

Sure it is a gamble. Certainly critics will say that Charlie, by giving up his greatest strength, will no longer be able to mold average college quarterbacks and receivers such as Brady Quinn and Jeff Samardzija into NFL caliber players, and the Notre Dame passing game will go back down the toilet too. And yet, maybe a man like Weis knows that mentoring young men can be done in other ways besides being a "quarterback caddy," and has come to see that total team inspiration is more important than personal offensive innovation.

Weis also took a more personal leadership role by finally speaking out about the "Dana Debacle" publically for the first time. "How did I feel about her comments? I was both personally and professionally offended," Weis said before adding, "And if the situation were reversed, and that were me saying them, two things would have happened. I would have been the lead story on SportsCenter, and I would have been fired."

Now Weis' statements, though not exactly earth shattering, are more important than they initially appear. First of all, while Notre Dame officially for the most part took the ESPN rout and tried to lay these statements to rest, Weis' quotes will again dig this demon up for several more days of heated discussion. More importantly, Weis is not only sacrificing his strength to become more of a leader for the whole football team, but by speaking out on Jacobson, he is now using his leadership role as football coach for the university as a whole as well. For if Rick Majerus' negative "personal" public pro-choice stance cannot but reflect negatively upon St. Louis University, Weis' positive personal stance in defense of Our Lady's (and Her Son's) name will only reflect positively on Notre Dame. If Charlie has the right to take out a player who gives anything less than his best effort for the Irish, he is a right-headed leader to call on the carpet anyone who mocks Our Blessed Mother's school. Well done, Coach Weis! Whatever else the 2008 season holds, know that you have gotten off to a wonderful start.

Romney Concedes, Dobson Endorses: What's next for Huckabee? Answer: Louisiana and Kansas!

2008-02-08T21:11:00.001-06:00

I believe in the power of prayer, because I have felt it in my own life. It has helped me meet the challenges of the presidency. I understand now clearly the story of the calm in the
rough seas.

–President Bush, speaking Thursday at the annual National Prayer Breakfast, attended by about 2,800 people in Washington

While it is doubtful that George W. Bush or many of the souls present at the president's prayer breakfast were praying (at least officially) for Mitt Romney to drop out of the presidential race, that's exactly what happened Thursday. Romney stunned many, including his own staff, by declaring his intentions to "suspend" his campaign during a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference—a group Mitt had so stridently aimed his message—and millions—at.

And then, to top it off, almost immediately after Romney's succession, Mike Huckabee received the endorsement he had long desired, that of Dr. James Dobson, the respected head of the national pro-life group, Focus on the Family. Indeed, short of McCain himself dropping out to nurse his old war wounds, it's difficult to think the news for Huck could have been any better.

Of course skeptics will point out it's still too little, too late. For Romney's retreat was hardly a Huckabee endorsement; in fact, Mitt's saying he was leaving so the party could unite ("If I campaign all the way to the convention, I would be making it easier for Sen. Obama or Clinton to win,") and THEN listing all the things he did agree with McCain on—seemed quite the opposite. Meanwhile, while the things Dobson said about Huck, "His unwavering positions on the social issues, notably the institution of marriage, the importance of faith and the sanctity of human life, resonate deeply with me and with many others," were great, and negative things he listed about McCain, "his support of embryonic stem cell research, his opposition to a federal anti-gay marriage amendment and for his temper and use of foul language," were both damaging and (in the case of the last complaint) a little humorous, they were "tempered" not only by the 11th hour timing of the endorsement, but by the fact Dobson added he couldn't endorse Huck earlier because the pro-life Mitt Romney was also still in the race. However, if Huck was disappointed, he sure didn't show it. "The people of this country need a choice, and right now I'm going to be their choice. I'm going to be the choice for all those people who don't think Washington has the answers, for all those people who think that somebody who is not a part of that establishment needs to represent our party and the American people," Mike declared. Afterwards, Huck added that he believed his chances "improved greatly" with Romney's decision to take his money (minus the 45 mil he already dropped on his campaign) and run. And if he believes, so must we.

In other words, we must take it one day at a time. Tomorrow, that means Lousiana and Kansas, and praying, donating, fasting—or voting—just doing whatever you can, so Huck and his pro-life message comes out victorious. Yes, Huck is down a truckload of delegates to the ol' war horse, but if we take it one day at a time, who knows? Sure, tomorrow may be rough. But there's no denying that today, for both Huck and the unborn babes, was a very good day indeed.