Thick Micks
Yeah, that’s what they call the Irish. Does it insult or offend us? No way. We’ve been laughing off this kind of bullwinkle forever. Hey, we can take a punch and we can throw a punch.
That’s just what Notre Dame did the other day. Some two-bit, ratbag joke shop called Quality Logo Products did a survey and found the Notre Dame logo and mascot to be the fourth most offensive in the nation. The Fighting Irish leprechaun got hornswoggled again. What the hell is going on? Have we lost all sense of humor and fun? Are we taking ourselves that seriously, especially now with all that’s going on in the world? Who is actually offended by this? It's sure as hell not the Irish.
I gotta say that Notre Dame lived up to the Fighting Irish nickname. They put their dukes up and fought back. This was their response: “The nickname and mascot emphasize the resilience of the Irish. The fighting intent is to recognize the determination of the Irish people.” I’m damn proud of ‘em.
In the New York Post, Maureen Callahan wrote a story about the time she interviewed the legendary comedian Don Rickles. When she told him her name, he said, “Callahan? Where’s your father right now, on a barstool?” She laughed ‘til she cried. That’s how we roll. Then she added, “Today, of course, Rickles would be cancelled.”
More and more candyass companies and organizations buckle to the loudmouth vocal minority every day. But the leprechaun mascot will still be dancing the jig on the sidelines when the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame open the season Sunday night against Florida State. God bless him! Keep your dukes up.