ESPN 30 for 30: Catholics Vs Convicts – A College Football Postseason Must-Watch [Week 1]

The NCAA football bracket is set and the bowl games are set in stone. For some of us college football fans, we now have a lot of downtime until bowl and playoff games kick-off. So to fill in this downtime, I will be picking a must-watch movie, documentary, or series to watch each week. For my first pick, I am heading over to Netflix for ESPN’s 30 FOR 30: CATHOLICS VS CONVICTS. This documentary takes you back to 1988 when one shirt turned the Notre Dame vs Miami rivalry to a whole new level.

ESPN 30 for 30: Catholics Vs Convicts

On October 15, 1988, Notre Dame hosted the University of Miami in what would become one of the greatest games in college football history. It was tradition vs. swagger, the No. 4-ranked Fighting Irish versus the No. 1-ranked Hurricanes, one coaching star, Lou Holtz, versus another, Jimmy Johnson. But the name still attached to the contest came from a t-shirt manufactured by a few Notre Dame students: “Catholics vs. Convicts.” As compelling as the tale of Notre Dame’s dramatic victory is—even losing quarterback Steve Walsh calls it “a helluva ballgame”—the backstory is just as riveting.

My thoughts on This documentary

For many of us college football fans, we know how much Notre Dame and Miami hated each other back in the 1980s. What was great about this documentary is that it took us to the start of this rivalry and showed us how one shirt in 1988 pushed it over the edge. During this 30 for 30 special, we hear from those involved in the game and from those who made the controversial CATHOLICS VS CONVICTS shirts, and how all of this helped create one of the best college football games of all time.

So why is this a must-watch for me? Well, I learned a lot from this documentary. We first see when the blood went bad between these two teams. From Miami running up the score for the late Gerry Faust’s last game to the game in 1988, there was no shortage of hatred between these two teams.

However, it wasn’t the battles between Lou Holtz and Jimmy Johnson that made this rivalry reach its tipping point. It was a shirt with the words CATHOLICS VS. CONVICTS that caused a lot of controversy and hate. It is also interesting how we also get to see things through the people (Joe Fredrick and Pat Walsh) who were in the middle of this shirt controversy and how it impacted them as well.

So if you are a football fan you will want to check out this documentary. It is fun listening to the coaches and former players talk about this rivalry, the fight before the 1988 game, the missed calls (depending on who you rooted for), and of course the CATHOLICS VS CONVICTS shirt. But what makes this story really stick out is how the shirt impacted so many people and took this hatred between these teams to a new level.