Linda and Michael Bradley, with Penn State coach James Franklin, and the hefty Dan Rooney Trophy
When the Nittany Lions square off in their season opener against the University of Central Florida in Dublin’s Croke Park on August 30, passionate Penn State grad Michael Bradley will be just one of the thousands of fans watching the game.
Bradley, director of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade and one of the Irish community’s best-connected and most efficient organizers, confesses he had virtually nothing to do with this memorable football game. Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and PSU officials hammered out details, he says, with the involvement of Pittsburgh Steelers chairman and former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney.
“Once he got involved, it started snowballing,” Bradley says. “I was out after that.”
They call it the Croke Park Classic (pronounced crowe), and it’s the first game played outside of the United States for both teams. The last time an American football match-up took place in Croke Park was 1996. It was the Shamrock Classic, Notre Dame vs. Navy. Notre Dame won. Of course.
The winner of this match-up will carry home the very heavy (Bradley has held it) Dan Rooney Trophy, a wood made of bog yew from Ireland, and steel recycled from Three Rivers Stadium.
Configured for this game, Croke Park will hold 70,000. (The stadium typically holds 82,000 for the far more customary Gaelic football and hurling.) Attendance at the Shamrock Classic was poor, but that won’t be an issue this time, Bradley says. “We’re up around 43,000 tickets. We should be pretty close to sellout by game time.” (Penn State travel packages are already sold out.)
For its part, the GAA knew it had its best chance of success with Penn State. “The GAA really pushed to get Penn State. They have the largest alumni association in the world.”
Even though Bradley was content to let others take the lead, he had the opportunity to become acquainted with the athletic director, Dave Joyner, and the then head football coach Bill O’Brien. “Bill and I became kind of close. He’s Irish, with roots in County Clare. His wife is named Colleen. It was a perfect match.”
He also made the acquaintance of new coach James Franklin. Franklin’s father was black, but his mother was from England. “He said to me, “You know where were they married? Ireland. I’m more Irish than you are, dude.’”
For Franklin’s players, this might be their first trip to Ireland, and after all of the trauma of the past few years, Bradley hopes that, for the players at least, it’s part of the healing process. “It’s great for the kids. They’re really excited about it.”
The excitement won’t last all that long, though. “Franklin is a real taskmaster,” Bradley says. “He’s sticking them on the plane and flying them right back.”
Like any Penn State game, this one will be preceded by a pep rally—this one in Temple Bar. And for this, Bradley has taken on a job—organizing a band for the occasion. “I’m sending out emails to alumni members who are coming on the trip who play an instrument, and I’m asking them to bring it. I don’t care if it’s only 10 guys. It’ll be a lot of fun.”
