Touchdown Jesus: Faith and Fandom at Notre Dame

This book is highly recommended for anyone who wants an understanding of the Notre Dame football fan experience from the perspective of a recent alum. If you have not attended a game in South Bend, this book will make you feel as if you have never missed one. The pull of the place to folks who have never attended a class at any University is attempted to be put in words....It is a must read for a College Football fanatic.

While Notre Dame haters will probably not care for this book, both fans of ND and those interested in college football in general will find it both fascinating and entertaining. By presenting stories of fans from around the country, as well as the historical conext of Notre Dame football, Mr Eden does a wonderful job of explaining how Notre Dame, warts and all, came to occupy a unique spot in college football: A small catholic university in the midwest with unparalleled football success and a truly national fan base.

"Touchdown Jesus" began as a small article describing the relationship between faith and fandom at Notre Dame, but evolved into a tour de force that introduces various Notre Dame enthusiasts from different backgrounds during a turbulent period for the University. These interested parties, many of whom author Scott Eden met tailgating prior to Irish football games, include university administrators, students, alumni, local residents, Internet posters, and "subway alumni," fans who did not attend the University but pledge die-hard allegiance to the University. To many of these fans, the direction of Notre Dame at the beginning of the 2004 football season was a cause for concern. The three pillars on which Irish enthusiasts take pride in--strong academics, nationally competitive football, and Catholic identity--were thought to be in crisis amidst alleged de-emphasis of football and aspirations to achieve similarity with elite, secular universities. The stories of the fans during this time are told through extensive research and personal interviews while detailing the events leading to the unexpected retirement of University President Father Edward Malloy and the firing of head football coach Tyrone Willingham. Many authors have put forth books about Notre Dame, yet Scott Eden has produced a book that occupies a unique and important place in the Irish canon. A Notre Dame alumnus himself, Eden shares the passion for Notre Dame with the fans he describes, yet approaches the events with a detached, journalistic perspective. For the Notre Dame faithful, this book will serve as the definitive novel of this era, one that breaks ground in describing the events that occurred and the forces behind them. For others, Eden presents a piece that transcends a historical narrative by delving into the psychology behind devoted fandom. The result is a book that will be compelling for any audience.

Eden's precise and poised prose moves his narrative forward with brisk pace of a hurry up offense while his honest reporting covers such a startling breadth of ground one can't help but wonder if he's playing conservatively. Coupling an incisive insight to situational analysis with a wry yet compassionate talent for character incorporation, Eden manages to play both sides of the ball without sacrificing either journalistic integrity or the story itself. Eden's presentation -- not only of the overarching subject matter, fandom at Notre Dame, but of the individuals that comprise it, and the love and folly that comprise their actions -- reveals more than an accomplished writer's deft touch, it reveals a writer touched by his investigation and, thus, to truly informed reporting.

Most sports books focus on the heroic struggle of the athlete; this one delves into the hysteria of Irish fandom and--almost without your notice--emerges with a unique contribution to the psychology of obsession. Most astonishing is the account of Sharon Loftus, the self-described "female version of Rudy" who chose South Bend over Orange County to get a personal edge over the twelve thousand applicants who are willing do do anything, even scrub toilets, if it means having a job and a life on the hallowed grounds of Notre Dame, the Mecca of Catholic-American Sports Fans. College Football has never numbered among my interests, and this book has changed that; the passions of "subway alumni" are as infectious as they are bizarre. Longtime fans will value this contribution to the debate over Tyrone Willingham, and fans of good writing will discover a wrangler of rich locales and vivid characters that recalls John McPhee. This is the kind of book that rouses unexpected passions; read Touchdown Jesus and find out why the Notre Dame bookstore didn't want to carry it.