[Millennium]

Honest question. It seems everyone thinks of Reagan when they hear this term, though some people seem to be trying to pin the term onto Bush as well *cough*Zimphire*cough*. But I've never really been clear on what a gipper is. Is it some kind of reference to one of Reagan's movies or something?

[KaBlooey]

Originally posted by Millennium:
Honest question. It seems everyone thinks of Reagan when they hear this term, though some people seem to be trying to pin the term onto Bush as well *cough*Zimphire*cough*. But I've never really been clear on what a gipper is. Is it some kind of reference to one of Reagan's movies or something?

Gipperstuff

[dcolton]

Originally posted by Millennium:
Honest question. It seems everyone thinks of Reagan when they hear this term, though some people seem to be trying to pin the term onto Bush as well *cough*Zimphire*cough*. But I've never really been clear on what a gipper is. Is it some kind of reference to one of Reagan's movies or something?

Couldn't you have just PM'd someone?

[KaBlooey]

Originally posted by Millennium:
It seems everyone thinks of Reagan when they hear this term, though some people seem to be trying to pin the term onto Bush as well

To clear up any confusion, Reagan was the "Gipper".

Bush is commonly known as the "Empty Suit Who Misled the Nation Into War".

[Millennium]

Originally posted by dcolton:
Couldn't you have just PM'd someone?

I suppose, but I imagine I'm not the only one here who didn't know where the phrase originated. I figured it would do more good if the answer were posted here.

Thanks to KaBlooey for the link, by the way. Most informative.

[BRussell]

No, I think everyone knew that except you.

[davesimondotcom]

Reagan didn't play football at Notre Dame, but he played someone who did.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by BRussell:
No, I think everyone knew that except you.

I certainly didn't.

Thanks for the thread, and for the link.

[TubaMuffins]

I didn't know either. good question.

[Arkham_c]

http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/19981103.html

"Ronald Reagan was the Gipper.

But that was just in the movies. In real life, George Gipp was the Gipper. Born in 1895, George was a varsity athlete at the University of Notre Dame from 1917 to 1920. While planning to pursue a career in baseball, he was convinced by legendary college coach Knute Rockne to play football as well. He led the Fighting Irish to a 27-2-3 record, playing both offense and defense. Several of his records still stand today. We learned most of this at The Official Web Site of George "the Gipper" Gipp.

So how did the saying come about? Well, there's the sad part of the story. It seems that Gipp caught a throat infection during one of his final football games at Notre Dame. He died a few weeks later at the age of 25. Just before his death, he told Coach Rockne, "Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys - tell them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock. But I'll know about it, and I'll be happy."

This deathbed request and the legendary pep talk it provided eight years later is chronicled in the motion picture, Knute Rockne: All American. That's where Ronald Reagan comes in. He played the Gipper in the 1940 film.

The actually phrase, "That one was for the Gipper," was supposedly uttered by halfback Jack Chevigny immediately after he vaulted for a one-yard touchdown in the 1928 Notre Dame victory inspired by Rockne's recounting of Gipp's request."

http://www.cmgww.com/football/gipp/index.html

[dreilly1]

Originally posted by Arkham_c:
But that was just in the movies. In real life, George Gipp was the Gipper. Born in 1895, George was a varsity athlete at the University of Notre Dame from 1917 to 1920.... It seems that Gipp caught a throat infection during one of his final football games at Notre Dame. He died a few weeks later at the age of 25.

The Gipper was still an Undergrad at 25? Maybe he and George W. "Gentleman's C" Bush are more alike than we thought...