Years ago, the chaplain of the football team at Notre Dame was a beloved old
Irish priest. At confession one day, a football player told the priest that he
had acted in an un-sportsman-like manner at a recent football game. “I lost my
temper and said some bad words to one of my opponents.”
“Ahhh, that�s a terrible thing for a Notre Dame lad to be doin�” the priest
said. He took a piece of chalk and drew a mark across the sleeve of his coat.
“That�s not all, Father. I got mad and punched one of my opponents.”
“Saints preserve us!” the priest said, making another chalk mark.
“There�s more. As I got out of a pileup, I kicked two of the other team�s
players in the in a sensitive area.”
“Oh, goodness me!” the priest wailed, making two more chalk marks on his
sleeve. “Who in the world were we playin� when you did these awful things?”
“Southern Methodist.”
“Ah, well,” said the priest, wiping his sleeve, “boys will be boys.”