Why the French-Founded Notre Dame School's Athletic Teams are the Fighting Irish
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In this video:
When the green and blue uniformed athletes of the University of Notre Dame run on to the field or court, their fans are rooting for the “Fighting Irish.” Represented by a small green leprechaun- hat tilted with his fists up, ready to fight- the athletic teams of this South Bend, Indiana Catholic school have been playing under this moniker for, officially, 87 years. But here’s the thing: the school was actually founded by French Catholic priests, not Irish Catholics. So, how did Notre Dame become the “Fighting Irish?” Shouldn’t they be called the “Fighting French?”
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Sources:
www3.nd.edu/~wcawley/corson/wh...
www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/ar...
sports.yahoo.com/news/why-notr...
inthepastlane.com/2013/01/01/w...
www.und.com/trads/nd-m-fb-trad...
www.nd.edu/about/history/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universi...
www.holycrosscongregation.org/
125.nd.edu/moments/first-game-...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1869_New...
www.nfl.com/history/chronology...
www.dolphinsim.com/ratings/cf_...
www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/ar...
opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/...
www.irishlegends.com/pages/ref...
books.google.com/books?id=lXGE...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan...
www.shutterstock.com/gallery-6...
Image Credit:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
www.flickr.com/photos/kamoteu...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
www.flickr.com/photos/west_po...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
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For more fun athletic facts check out this video and find out The Origin of the Olympic Rings: kzread.info/dash/bejne/q4Wb1JtylrC9l84.html
For a tiny little country, we really do get around.
@conorbyrne7474
6 жыл бұрын
laser325 It was mainly the fact of the famine and really only the famine I can delve into that more but oppression and poverty was more common in Amercia and so on where the majority were from England were the Irish were seen as sub human due to their pale skin , big beards , love of alcohol and the fact they were Catholic above all else the Irish built amercia they built the buildings and worked the really dirty jobs that's why a majority of millionaires in amercia are related to Irish or are Irish etc . There was even a massive riish slave trade in amercia and women who came on coffin ships would most commonly be took into the slave trade if they weren't accompanied etc . But above all else the zirish people are one of legend and sheer epic Ness, the Irish people are the true masterace ( joke but we have a very interesting history)
@hamsterama
6 жыл бұрын
+Real Engineering Also weird is the fact that we Americans celebrate St. Patrick's day. It's equivalent to the Irish celebrating the fourth of July.
@fionahoward3475
6 жыл бұрын
I don't know, but if that sainted green isle has even o' smidgen of the spirit of Eire left from the loss of all it's sons and daughters, then don't bet against them getting their "Ire" up and doing something about those migrants. And if the US is so bad, stop patronizing our companies and entertainment venues. Get off of You Tube.
@nuclearthreat545
6 жыл бұрын
Real Engineering France is tiny? you do realize it's still a French school fucktard
@panzerdragon1121
6 жыл бұрын
Real Engineering Indiana, where the culture is Germanic, you can go to a French school with a Irish mascot and then you can go home and have Canadian Maple syrup
As an Irishman (Born in Ireland) I find it interesting that we have spread so far from our small island
@__sm1441
2 жыл бұрын
I grew up in a town that was like 31% Irish American, absolutely wild to me that one in every 3 people there can trace a significant portion of their ancestry back to the same relatively small sparsely populated island separated from us by an ocean. Like 9% of the country too and many more globally. We fuck fr
Being a college student its always fascinated me about the mostly mundane origins of collegiate football traditions. Well done Dave and Simon on another great video!
@TodayIFoundOut
6 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
Notre Dame student here! Fantastic video, keep it up, and GO IRISH!
I'm a die hard Notre Dame fan an I had absolutely no clue why they were called that thanks mate
@rileyrocks813
6 жыл бұрын
Gavin B. Same
He failed to mention that Father Corby, CSC, was a Chaplain during the Civil War in the Irish Brigade. He went on to serve as the President of the University. He gave absolution to the Irish Brigade before the Battle at Gettysburg
@mkvenner2
6 жыл бұрын
Christopher Minasian and gave absolution on horse back before the Irish brigade attacked the bloody lane in the battle of Antietam.
Great video! Go the "Fighting Irish" - cheers from New Zealand!
As a graduate of Notre Dame this is actually pretty accurate. However, I'd like to add a couple of things. Father Corby, a chaplain at the battle of Gettysburg for the Irish Brigade (and later a University president) certainly lent a connection to both Notre Dame and the "Fighting Irish". In fact, there's still a statue of him at Gettysburg today. Secondly, a confrontation between about 500 University students and 2000 members of the KKK in the mid 1920s could have also played a part. The KKK was planning to march on the University, but when the Notre Dame men found out about it they ran the 2 miles into town, promptly got into a melee with the Klan, beat them until they had to retreat to their headquarters and ended up parading back to campus with some Klan hoods and robes as war trophies. Regardless of how we got the name, however, there is no finer university in the entire world. GO IRISH ☘
@dorothyawojcicki5978
2 жыл бұрын
Amen! I agree there is no finer university in the world!!! GO IRISH
That was a great one. I've watched college football for decades and never knew that. Do more on sports nicknames. Also, San Jose State was one of the first colleges in California to field a team. Before Stanford, USC or even Cal. Just some food for thought. Great work, stay Gold!
One other factor in the official adoption of the nickname was that an alternative one in the 1920s was "Ramblers" which represented the fact that Notre Dame was known for traveling anywhere to play the bigger teams (ND Stadium wasn't built until 1930, so the team would often play more road games against bigger names). It also had an alliterative aspect with the coach's name ("Rockne's Ramblers"). However, the school officials hated it because it suggested that the school was just a "Football Factory" and the players weren't really getting an education since they were traveling so much. Therefore, they decided that Fighting Irish was preferable.
love the etymology of words and this was so cool. awesome episode
Most accurate theory of the “fighting Irish” comes from father William Corby, who was the chaplain of the Irish brigade at Gettysburg. After the war, he was named President of Norte Dame, and while he was President, the school started their football team, and they needed a name. Corby recalled the toughness of the Irish Brigade, and the compassion that group afforded the few rebel men who made it through Picketts run, that was a sausage grinder. The few rebels that came up the hill, and had guns pointed at them, could have been easily killed by the Irish brigade, but they thought god must have been with those rebels to even make it all the way to their position. Corny became President of Norte dame in 1866, and the first football team started in 1867.
Never thought about a french named school in Indiana having an Irish football team. On the other hand I've been to French Lick, Indiana. The home of Larry Bird, who played for the Boston Celtics.
Thank you so much for this!
The Notre Dame-Michigan rivalry has actually been defunct for a few years
Follow this up with a history on how the Washington Redskins got their nickname and the juxtaposition will be amusing.
@comicbookguy2326
6 жыл бұрын
Patrick Lenehan we need that video
@Razz415
6 жыл бұрын
Hope they dig deep in the controversy. Last I heard 90% of Native Americans didn't find it offensive.
@King_Cova
6 жыл бұрын
Funny how its all the self hating white people hate that name, the natives do not give a shit. Ether way its not racist. But half the things people get angry about race isn't racist but its funny to watch the PC world collapse
Long live, The Fighting Irish!!!
I am an ND Alum. Thank you for this
Alabama's is pretty interesting too, how they took on the name "The Crimson Tide".
I was surprised he didn't also mention getting "one's Irish up" as in getting angry.
A video about a university with a noted gridiron football team, authored by a man named "Blitz". How fitting!
shirt coordinates with background. interesting way to get a team name.
Simon, I am a huge fan of this channel and an even bigger fan of ND. I never do this so forgive me--but my loyalty to Notre Dame our mother requires it. As of the production of this video the ND/UM football rivalry was in year 4 of a hiatus. Irish blame Mich and vice versa, but the truth is ND kinda sorta not really pseudo-joined the ACC and didn't have space for UM anymore. The planets realigned or the Gods spoke, however, and we get the rivalry back starting this year 9/1 in South Bend. I damn near cried when they cancelled it and actually did when they announced the end of football prohibition for these 2 juggernauts. Sorry my brother, again, but I had to say something!!! Keep making the outstanding videos ALL OF YOU AT TIFO you are the last beacon of quality and therefore hope on KZread. Love ya!
Father William Corby was the 3rd and 6th president of Notre dame he served as a chaplain in the Union Army attached to the Irish brigade.
amazing smooth motions
Do a video about the time the American and German Armies fought the SS in the Battle of Castle Itter.
@Spartan0430
6 жыл бұрын
i second this, the battle was pretty weird and very fascinating
@liamstuck6769
6 жыл бұрын
Regular troops outnumbered ~5-1, holding the line against the elites always makes for an interesting story
@Spartan0430
6 жыл бұрын
not even just regulars but escaped prisoners and resistance fighters which makes it so much more interesting
For the record, Notre Dame didn't play Boston College until 1975 and never played Fordham or Holy Cross. In fact, they rarely scheduled Catholic schools. Very early on there weren't that many with teams near them, and later (1910s on) because unlike ND, most Catholic colleges didn't follow the unofficial scholarship rules of the larger schools.
Why doesn't Indiana know where anything comes from? Why does a school with a French name have an Irish mascot? "I don't know" Why are you called Hoosiers? "I don't know"
@Fitch93
6 жыл бұрын
It's part of our Heritage, we just don't know. Most likely though, it comes from a popular insult of the early 19th Century. Wherein people used the word Hoosier to refer to what amounts to a hillbilly or backwards person. The ridiculous theories such as bar room brawls and missing ears, and "Who's yer Daddy?" type nonsense, tend to only reinforce the original usage of the term as a means of insulting someone.
@griplove
6 жыл бұрын
Fitch93 dude I'm born and raised and a proud Indiana boy I just don't live there anymore. I know most If not all the stories. I still think it's funny the state doesn't know. Makes it funnier to me that there is a French named school with and Irish mascot and no one knows why.
I think you guys might actually read your KZread comments compared to some pages. I really enjoyed the chicken Wars.
Rudy was made into a movie as well, very inspirimg
Rudy the movie is amazing as well
Fr Matthew Walsh? Sounds to me like an Irishman adopted the name officially! LOL!
We'll come on, what were the other options? "The Surrendering Frenchmen" "The Fighting Hunchbacks"?
@mkvenner2
6 жыл бұрын
Canaan actually the fighting hunchbacks sounds pretty awesome.
South Bend the town next to Notre Dame is one of the largest College towns. Wasn't always a college town. At one time it was more noted for Studebaker car company and Bendix breaks. Now its the biggest employer making it a college town.
@Olliethelabradane
6 жыл бұрын
0011peace south Bend is a sorry excuse for a huge college town
@0011peace
6 жыл бұрын
Only if you brain size is smaller than a Planck length
@IrishMike22
6 жыл бұрын
0011peace Dont sweat it buddy, Higgenbotham is French name. Classic case of a closeted self loather.
THANK YOU!!!!!
Zit was either the fighting Irish or the fleeing French. Which one sounds better to you?
This was pretty interesting
Actually ND is not located in South Bend. It has it's own zip code and post office.It is actually located at Notre Dame In. It is surrounded by South Bend. Years ago quite a few of the football team were of Irish descent. I can remember when first black player on team. Now,like most fb teams, quite a few black players.
Do a video on how football became associated with Thanksgiving.
It's a popular misconception that NDU is in South Bend. It's actually in its own incorporated area: Notre Dame, IN. Yes, South Bend provides many services for NDU, but NDU is very proud of its independent status.
@Olliethelabradane
6 жыл бұрын
Paul Foster this is very true Notre Dame is his own Sovereign City complete its own form of government police force Fire Department and utilities.
@PandamanGP
6 жыл бұрын
It's also a misconception that Notre Dame is short for Notre Dame University. It is actually the University of Notre Dame (UND)
@paulfoster5746
6 жыл бұрын
Slick Rick Sorry about that!
3:33 for answer
Question: If time stopped, would we notice
If you want an interesting Irish French connection. Look into why Avenue McMahon is so called. It leads on to the Arc De Triumph and would only be given as A Great honour.
@plowed4weeks
6 жыл бұрын
Or the attempts the french made to help irish rebellions. Look up wolfe tone and the french armada that tried to land in Bantry Bay. Of course they had to be fucking french and fucked off back to France because of storms if mem serves me right
I live in South Bend! I can't believe it's mentioned in a video that's not talking about the worst cities in Indiana!
I was pretty excited when I saw the headline of this and thought it would be about this: ndsmcobserver.com/2014/11/revere-nd-native-american-story/ I am a pokagon potawatomi Indian and a south bend, in resident and this story is pretty important to us! Check it out!
@mimilovehealth8605
6 жыл бұрын
Monica C your story is way better to know, and thank you ,for the knowledge. 👍
@heyitsjustme.680
6 жыл бұрын
Mimi lovehealth Thanks for taking the time to read it!
@wolverineeagle
6 жыл бұрын
Why in the world would you think that? This is about the nickname, not about how priests acquired the land on which the university stands.
Good time with Brian Kelly abruptly turning his back on the team & leaving to have Notre Dame return to its original nickname… ⚜️⚜️Notre Dame Saints⚜️⚜️
Note-er dame in the USA Not-rhe dam. in Europe.🗼
@shibolinemress8913
5 жыл бұрын
What did the dame note? 😉😁
@paulorocky
3 жыл бұрын
Btw that emoticon is Tokyo Tower
I thought this was the Today I Found Out KZread channel
Idc about the name, the French and Irish are great friends.
Here’s a question Simon. Why is the University of Oklahoma student Athletes referred to as Boomer Sooners?
I have a question. Why are conditioner and shampoo sold in different amounts?
@QuantemDeconstructor
6 жыл бұрын
because you use different amounts of them
Very interesting. Now then, where did "Hoosier" come from?
@shawnreynolds2705
3 жыл бұрын
John Hoosier ran a river boat company back in the early 1800s. He always tried to hire boys from Indiana because he felt they were stronger, more burly, and tougher than boys from other states, like Ohio or Kentucky. The boys were referred to as Hoosier's men, and later just Hoosiers.
1:00 that's a really rough 29 jeez
My high schools mascot is the fighting Irish
The best college football team name: the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns. The best high school team name: Frankfort (IN) Hot Dogs.
I get drunk and am brutish...sometimes pretty angry. Not offended 😂🤣
Interestingly, the story based on the Irish Regiment and Lincoln's "God bless the fighting Irish" is nearly identical to one of the stories told about the University of North Carolina's "Tar Heels," with Robert E Lee instead saying "God bless those Tar Heel boys" after a battle. The latter is also lacking in documentation, but the similarities make me wonder if this is a trope for these oddly named college teams.
@ncshpfox
6 жыл бұрын
Patrick Burrows as a UNC fan I've heard that story many times. What I've always wondered is how the school picked up the nickname. Since Gen Lee was referring to a NC civil war regiment when he spoke those words. I've always assumed since UNC is one of the oldest schools in the state it was a popular term at the time and was adopted. But I really don't know.
@lpburrows
6 жыл бұрын
I think it's probably because it was the only state school for a very long time, and is the flagship to this day. There's an easy metonymy of things applying to the State and equivalent things applying to the university of that state. You see this with Indiana University too.
You should do a video about the GAMECOCKS!!!!
Waits for the Notre Dame Change the Name Campaign to start....
wow. i never thought about that LOL
The 69th New York is a decent theory, however, Indiana had it's own Irish Regiment, the 35th Indiana, also known as the 1st Irish. This would be a more well-known unit for Midwesterners, as they were a Western Theater unit and thus would've fought in many more and much hotter engagements than the 69th New York. In addition Notre Dame was tasked with providing for the 35th Indiana, including it's Chaplain, one Father P. Peter Clooney. As well as raising money and donating supplies to the unit as it was a predominantly catholic regiment. In addition the 69th New York were not the only "Fighting Irish" Regiment, most all Regiments that were of predominantly Irish makeup, either through recruiting location, 69th New York, or Gubernatorial Order, 35th Indiana, were known as the Fighting Irish. The 79th New York, a predominantly Scottish unit, were referred to as the Fighting Scots and the Highlander. The 32nd Indiana, a German Unit were also similarly nicknamed.
American football was actually founded in Canada
What about the time when the ND students fought the klan?
Ayyy, my school is a holy cross school
My parents work at Notre Dame!
@Olliethelabradane
6 жыл бұрын
Harrison Smith that's too bad I get to get treated like s***. Notre Dame is incredibly greedy.
You should do a video on Viktor Belenko
An interesting side-note is that most of the traditions Notre Dame has because of the "Irish" nickname are actually Scottish. Most of the songs the band plays on game day are styled after Scottish music, and bagpipe players perform Scottish music wearing Scottish kilts. Even the band's leaders, the "Irish Guard", wear traditional Scottish kilts and every band member wears Notre Dame's unique Scottish tartan plaid hanging over their shoulder. The "Victory Clog" played after every score and at the end of every winning game is titled "Damsha Bua", which is gaelic for "Victory Clog." It would be interesting to hear how this came to be, whether it is just from a misconception that the Irish and Scottish are the same, or some other reason.
@ncshpfox
6 жыл бұрын
Joshua Huseman I second this as a follow up video. My guess is that most of us Americans just don't distinguish the two cultures. I'm guilty of it myself at times. And I would say in the time period that these traditions started it was that way.
Our school played against Knoxville Catholic Fighting Irish and we won.
@irishgamer8729
5 жыл бұрын
Did they surrender
Only 113 likes???? WTF? Oh, it's just been posted!
Glasgow Celtic fc in Scotland have a strong Irish catholic tradition. I think Celtic should play friendlies at soccer against a soccer select if the fighting Irish if note dame.
Why the “Fighting Irish”? Many people wonder (or worry) about Notre Dame and that word, Irish. To us, it doesn't mean race exclusively; nor is it just another nickname. The fact is, it keeps alive the memory of a long, uphill fight for recognition against a spirit that was not always generous, nor even fair-minded. The Irish, as known at Notre Dame, has an authentic history and a meaning deeper even than race. Notre Dame began athletic relations chiefly with local colleges founded by various denominations. Press reports would refer to the schools as the “Baptists” or the “Methodists,” and the like. For Notre Dame it was the “Catholics,” or the “Irish.” But the players were never all of Irish ancestry; nor were they all Catholics. The usage was not original, but a continuing custom from earlier Colonial times. The bulk of the first Catholic immigrants were Irish -- so that Catholics and Irish were identical in the public mind. It is sad to recall now, but few of the original states were without laws against them. Advertisements for ‘help wanted’ commonly carried the restriction: “No Catholics. No Irish.” The Puritans were the first to cry: “Stop the Irish!” When the religious origin of other colleges lost its significance, the emphasis shifted to conventional names, and to their school colors. But history is recorded remembrance in our blessed heritage here at Notre Dame. Fighting Irish! It’s more than a name; more than a people. It is the Faith! In narrow, little New England, it began as a slur -- a term of opprobrium. But we took it up and made of it a badge of honor -- a symbol of fidelity and courage to everyone who suffers from discrimination; to everyone who has an uphill fight for the elemental decencies, and the basic Christian principles woven into the texture of our nation. Preserving this tradition, and this meaning of Irish at Notre Dame does honor to everyone of us. It explains why Lewinski belongs here; why Alessandrini is the Irish leader; why Rockne belongs here; why Bettis, and Ishmael, Montana and Lujack, Holtz and Parseghian, feel at home here as much as do Leahy and O’Brien. Fr. Charles Carey, C.S.C., The Scholastic, 1953 (Updated 9/2019)
It was the 69th New York Infantry, not Indiana
Should probably fix the title to say "French-Founded" to be grammatically correct, and plus it can be confusing as to what the intended meaning is without the hyphen.
@3_up_moon
6 жыл бұрын
AERO BLKHWK32 Yeah, it is a little ambiguous as is.
@lucky43113
6 жыл бұрын
AERO BLKHWK32 who cares
@3_up_moon
6 жыл бұрын
lucky43113 because "the video isn't about why the French founded the school" would be the logical and rational answer.
@lucky43113
6 жыл бұрын
RDR some people get to hung up on grammer its KZread not English class
@mikerich32
6 жыл бұрын
lucky43113 Apparently the creators of this KZread channel care enough to fix it. And it's not purely for grammatical correctness, but that it can be interpreted differently when reading it left unhyphenated.
What about a video telling us why the NYPD and the NYFD do not get along?
Speaking of Catholic universities with strange names, how about a video on the Georgetown Hoyas
@allanrichardson1468
6 жыл бұрын
PtrckSh Supposedly Biblical Greek for bulldogs (oh, those Jesuits!). Anyone know for sure?
Awesome,
How about “The fighting frogs”?
Let's go Irish!
Simon why are you not doing voice work in cartoons!
8-0 is a close game in football.
So what you're saying is, when Ireland sent its people here they weren't sending their best. They were sending people that had lots of problems and were bringing those problems with us. And some, I assume, were good people.
You just gonna past over the dog like it wasn’t a good boy
E.A it's in the game.
Why is it pronounced 'note-err d-ay-m' when it's the uni, and 'not-ruh darm' the rest of the time? Is it just Americans struggling with French words or is there a deeper reason? For a UK version, who decided Magdalen should be pronounced Maudlin?
" 1 Million Subscribers " .......... Congratulations : " Today I Found Out " !
I always wondered this. GO IRISH!
There was quite a bit misconseptions in here... holy cross never had a football team. it was always too small.
Go Irish!
Who else is from southern Indiana?
how did sports be such a big factor in USA schools?
@3_up_moon
6 жыл бұрын
DataStorm profit$
The nickname stuck because, like the Irish people oppressed by the British and discriminated in the US, the football team was widely discriminated and excluded from the sport based on their ethnic and religious ties. On 2 separate occasions, Michigan, fuelled by their bigoted coach Fielding Yost, tried to burry the Irish football program by blackballing them from the league and banning other conference members from playing them. Like the Irish people, Notre Dame struggled against tyranny for years until they eventually earned their supremacy and went on to be the most storied and successful program of all-time. The fighting Irish is a symbol to the resilience and challenges the football team had to over-come. Also, the Notre Dame fans are predominately of Irish descent and we are proud of it!
And not one mention of how the "Catholics" of Notre Dame kicked the KKK out of South Bend. You missed that opportunity.
your chest hair is trying to say hello.
Is their symbol a club._.
Up Notre Dame Erin go bragh
Actually no, Notre Dame is no longer a rival with Michigan, they withdrew from the series a few years back, they left the rivalry because they usually lost in more recent years and to chase $$$ in a contract with the ACC. The ACC let them keep their independent status is why they decided to make the contract with the ACC, the BIG wasn't taking that deal. So to sum it up, they destroyed several years of college tradition in the pursuit of money.
Fighting French? That's an oxymoron
@ngamashaka4894
6 жыл бұрын
Sure Jeanne d'arc and Napoleon does not count for sure
@justinward3679
6 жыл бұрын
Ngama Shaka Jeanne D'Arc was a self proclaimed pacifist that acted more as a martyr/strategist. I guess I'll give you Napoleon though, he had moxy.
@ngamashaka4894
6 жыл бұрын
What are trying to say ? That Jeanne d'Arc kick the English out of France by pacifism ? I know it is a cliché, but you have to wonder at what point people are able to thing by themselves. Go get some information.. I'm sure you'll learn as a few things : YT : Is France REALLY a Military Loser?
@jrstoelting
6 жыл бұрын
And the French resistance during WW II And the French Foreign Legion
@ObadiahtheSlim
6 жыл бұрын
They were big in the high middle ages as heading up the Crusades and kicking the English out during the Hundred Years War. In the renaissance they were a powerful and feared force. They forcied the acceptance of Protestant faiths in the 30 Years War and won the War of Spanish Succession. Although on that last one it was more the English got tired for fighting and the Austrian claimant not having any sons. The only times they really got their butts kicked was the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the Fracno-Prussian War, and WW2. You could also argue the Seven Years War was pretty bad for them, but that was mostly because their major ally just called it quits despite the war going very well for them.
The fighting frogs.
And the team is led out by a Scottish dressed drum major