How Did We Get Here?

Notre Dame arrived in Hawai'i late Friday night after assorted weather delays turned a 9-hour flight into a 13-hour, two-stop journey. As always there was controversy surrounding the Irish's postseason destination, but not of the normal variety. Used to be fans would sit around and furiously debate how the Irish had beaten "the system" to gain a plum bowl bid over other deserving teams. Now things have gotten so bad that folks have taken to complaining about, literally, how the Irish got to their bowl site:

The Irish departed Friday night for Honolulu where they will play Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve.

And Notre Dame was traveling in style.

A Boeing 747-400, the largest and heaviest commercial aircraft to ever utilize the South Bend Regional Airport, did the honors, carrying more than 275 people.

The plane is bigger and heavier than Air Force One, which is a 747-200. Air Force One has landed at SBN Regional many times when bringing the President to town, but has never come close to the weight of the aircraft transporting the Irish, according to the St. Joseph County Airport Authority.

The NDNation intelligentsia weighs in here. Discuss amongst yourselves.