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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

131. Win just one for the Gipper

George "The Gipper" Gipp played college football for the University of Notre Dame. He is regarded as one of the most versatile athletes to play the game of football. He died at the age of 25 years, of a streptococcal throat infection, shortly after leading Notre Dame to a win over Northwestern University. He is the subject of Knut Rockne's famous "Win just one for the Gipper" speech. The speech was also used in the film based on Knut Rockne's life in 1940.

The phrase "Win just one for the Gipper" was used in the 1988 US Presidential elections, by Ronald Reagan, endorsing George HW Bush, and again in 2004 by Dubya.

Give the funda about why a sports person like George Gipp would be mentioned in two different presidential speeches, and so prominently.

Answer(Highlight):
Ronald Reagan played The Gipper in the 1940 film, and throughout his presidency was known by the nickname The Gipper. The phrase "Win just one for the Gipper" conveyed support for George HW Bush and Dubya from the popular legacy of Reagan's two terms.