Knute Rocknes superstitions | |
|
Some mention has been made from time to time of Knute´s superstitions.
His players who have invaded the "plains" at West Point recall that they were always required to use the waiters entrance. It´s a known fact that when they were in Chicago they invariably stopped at the Auditorium Hotel on the lake front. It´s a matter of record that no Notre Dame team in the Rockne era ever lost a game in Chicago.
Before the fatal journey to the Pacific coast, Knute had said: "Well, I wonder what will happen this time". Because he had recognized the fact, coincidental or not, that each successive visit there was accompanied by trouble.
I don´t know if I should call this a superstition, but it was a rigid law of Rockne´s making that he examine and O.K. all sports publicity before it left the office at Notre Dame. He insisted on facts and not ballyhoo. At one time he criticized his Publicity Director severely for attempting to send out releases that were all Rockne.
"Tell the public about the boys. They´re the ones that do the work and they should get the credit. The people are interested in them, not me". Strangely enough, this very lack of limelight longing was exactly what made Rockne news.
|