Suffice it to say, Shane Gillis was pumped about Notre Dame’s victory over Penn State in the College Football Playoff semifinal Orange Bowl on Thursday night.
So much so that the popular comedian called into The Goolsby and Kennedy Show following the game to celebrate his beloved Fighting Irish clinching a spot in the national title game.
“Hey, how about them Irish, huh? Are you excited?” the unnamed caller from a south central Pennsylvania area code asked host John Kennedy.
“I am beside myself. This is almost surreal. This almost doesn’t feel real,” Kennedy replied. “This is the Notre Dame I’ve been begging for my entire miserable existence. It feels damn good for once.”
“Yes brother, yes. That first half sucked,” the caller continued, fighting back laughter. “I was afraid. I thought we were going to lose to them. But I never forgot what they did. You remember what they did. And God was on our side. And yeah, what a big victory. Such a sweet day.”
Whether it was Gillis’ unmistakable voice or the comments in his live chat, Kennedy eventually realized he was talking to one of the most popular comedians in the world.
“Are you somebody that we should know that likes to talk shit to a former coach that we all know?” Kennedy asked in reference to Gillis’ dustup with Nick Saban on College GameDay prior to Notre Dame’s first-round win over Indiana last month. “Could that be who this is?”
“No, I’m not a former coach — I might be Charlie Weis,” Gillis replied.
“This is who I think it is, is it not,” Kennedy persisted.
“My name is Shane Gillis,” the comedian confirmed.
Kennedy proceeded to laud Gillis for the role he’s played in Notre Dame’s revival, stating that the Beautiful Dogs comedian’s presence with the program has helped modernize it. Gillis proceeded to reveal that he’ll be in Atlanta for the national title game on Jan. 20, where the Fighting Irish will face the winner Friday night’s Cotton Bowl between Texas and Ohio State.
By this point, Gillis is basically as synonymous with Notre Dame as Rudy, Touchdown Jesus and gold helmets. Hopefully that leads to him returning as College GameDay‘s guest picker ahead of the national championship game and another highly anticipated showdown with the legendary head coach he referred to as “Alabama Jones.”
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.