Catholics vs Convicts

Classic Saturday Kickoff Special
After I watched America’s Team: The Dallas Cowboys on Netflix and loved it, my husband Robert, the unofficial Gen X sports historian, suggested I watch Catholics vs. Convicts. The ESPN 30 for 30 documentary takes us back to October 15, 1988, when Notre Dame and Miami clashed in one of the greatest games of the 20th century. As I watched it this past weekend, it became apparent to me how unmistakably Gen X this story turns out to be.

The slogan that defined the game was not dreamed up by a marketing firm or athletic department. It came from two Notre Dame students, Pat Walsh and Joe Fredrick, both born in 1967 and members of the Class of 1990. They embodied the Gen X mix of mischief and hustle.

With help from a local screen printing shop in South Bend, a few friends, and a sense of humor sharpened by irreverence, they printed and sold “Catholics vs. Convicts” shirts across campus. The phrase was instantly controversial and it spread like wildfire, the perfect example of DIY culture in the analog age. It worked because it lampooned the images of Miami as bad baoys and Notre Dame as the good Catholics. Although it poked fun at programs and personas, not individual tragedies, it still cost Walsh a coveted walk-on spot on the Notre Dame basketball.  

This original Catholics vs. Convicts t-shirt from 1988 is currently for sale on eBay for $1,399. Offered by Sports Dugout Memorabilia.

On the field, the rivalry was carried out by a cast of Gen X athletes who embodied the moment. Notre Dame’s quarterback Tony Rice, also born in 1967, was calm under pressure as he ran Holtz’s offense. According to Robert, defensive tackle Chris Zorich, born in 1969, brought a ferocity that matched the Irish crowd’s energy. And waiting in the wings was Raghib “Rocket” Ismail, just a freshman in 1988, but destined to become one of Notre Dame’s most electric players of the era.

Miami’s lineup was equally stacked with Gen Xers. “Quarterback Steve Walsh (b. 1966) was the architect of the Hurricanes’ high-powered offense, throwing for more than 400 yards in the game,” said Robert. “His top targets included Dale Dawkins (b. 1967), a steady wide receiver, and Cleveland Gary (b. 1966), the running back who scored a late touchdown that brought Miami within one point. On defense, safety Bubba McDowell (b. 1966) anchored the secondary.

“Together, they carried the swagger and intensity that defined Miami’s Gen X identity, even if Michael Irvin had already moved on to the NFL.”

The coaches, Lou Holtz (b. 1937) for Notre Dame and Jimmy Johnson (b. 1943) for Miami, are members of the Silent Generation who led teams made almost entirely of Gen X players. Holtz represented discipline and tradition, while Johnson gave his players freedom to express themselves with flash and bravado. In hindsight, the rivalry wasn’t just Catholics vs. Convicts. It was Gen X Catholics vs. Gen X Convicts, a generational clash of personalities that reflected our own contradictions: ironic humor paired with fierce competitiveness, individuality mixed with loyalty to the group.

According to Robert (because I understand very little about football), Notre Dame’s 31–30 win came down to one of the gutsiest calls of the decade: Miami went for a two-point conversion instead of a tie, and failed. The Irish went on to win the national championship, but the slogan lived on in lore.