With all due respect to Dear Old Alma Mater, there's not a chance in the world this Old Alum would consider spending New Year's Eve in El Paso, watching 7-5 Notre Dame play 7-5 Miami in the Sun Bowl.

Those of us who were in South Bend during the glorious Era of Ara recall how, in 1971, with an 8-1 record heading into the season finale in Baton Rouge against LSU, the young men who played football for the Fighting Irish declined a bid to the Gator Bowl because they had no chance to win a national championship and did not deign to play in a "minor" bowl.

How times have changed.

For the Hurricanes, as well as the Irish.

The two had rather a heated rivalry back in the days when Jimmy Johnson was coaching at Miami and Lou Holtz was following successfully in the hallowed footsteps of Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, and coach Parseghian at Notre Dame.

The story has been told that Johnson and Holtz were at a post-season banquet when Jimmy, attempting to cool the overheated passions surrounding their latest encounter, said: "You know, Lou, the Good Lord really doesn't care who wins a college football game."

The impish, quick-witted Holtz paused a moment, smiled, and replied: "No, Jimmy, he doesn't. But his mother does."