I don’t have a lot of respect for most college football rivalries. When placed next to Ohio State/Michigan, they tend to pale in comparison. However, today we will see the 108th meeting of the only college football rivalry that can hold a light to Ohio State/Michigan–Army vs Navy.
This is one of those great rivalries that is steeped in tradition. From the group that runs from the Naval Academy to the playing field, carrying the ball (a long way when the game was in Philadelphia) to the bonfire to the theft of mascots, Army vs. Navy is a game for the ages.
This game, however is not about BCS rankings or bowl games. No, Army/Navy hasn’t been bastardized by the BCS. And this game is not about looking good in front of NFL scouts or promoting players for the Heisman race. Army vs. Navy is about old fashioned, bragging rights, own if for a year football.
And while pride is on the line, it is not right to think of the Army vs. Navy game as a “war.” To do so would be disrespectful of the young men who take to the field this afternoon. Many of them will soon know the true realities of war.
And these young men are did not go to college looking for a quick three years and out followed by multi-million dollar contracts. The men and women of our academies live a structured life that I was never able to understand. This year has been even harder in Annapolis at least as the superintendent of the Naval Academy has tightened restrictions on the mids, limiting leave from campus and cutting down on recreational activities.
This game is also about respect. The young men who play on this field today may find themselves side by side in much greater battles in the year to come.
But what I like most about the Army vs. Navy game is the purity of the game. There are no other stakes at hand then the pride that goes with beating a great rival. And unfortunately for Army, Navy is a pretty tough competitor these days.
In the world of Academy football, Navy has had a great team for the past few years. Unfortunately, one of the problems of having a great team at this level is that it is hard to keep the talent around. Rumors are flying that this may be the last year for Navy coach Paul Johnson. With the coaching shuffle underway, the Annapolis Capital reports that Johnson may be considering offers from Nebraska, Georgia Tech and Duke.
If Navy wins today, they will go to 10-0 against the academies winning the Commander’s Trophy for the fifth time in a row. Johnson has taken Navy football from a struggling program to an annual bowl contender. Just think what he could do with a BCS level team. However, we’ve heard these rumors before.
Since I’ve moved to Annapolis, I’ve learned to mark the change of seasons by the transformation from mids in summer whites to mids in winter black so today, you know who I’ll be rooting for.
GO NAVY!!!
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I wanted to share one of my favorite Army/Navy traditions but I couldn’t work it into my post. I don’t know if they do this when the game is in Baltimore but in the old days, when the game was in Philadelphia, the convoy to the game was something else.
Early the morning of the game, every mid at the academy would pack into buses for a police escorted convoy to Philadelphia.
The beauty of the convoy is that it stayed off the highways and didn’t stop for anything. As they came through small towns, roads would be blocked, traffic would be stopped and it would come charging through. As I understand it, people would come out for this annual event as if they were watching a parade.
And also, as I understand it, they drove pretty fast. I’m sure it is an impressive site to see a convoy of 10 or more buses charging down main street of a one-light speed trap at 50 mph.