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| West Point cadets take the field. (Source) |
In years past I have cheered and danced when Navy beat Army in the one college football I will go out of my way to watch. Given only one game to watch, Army-Navy will always be my choice. (Though I could root for either, I have a foot in both camps. All the generations prior to mine were Army, my generation was Air Force, all the kids are Navy.)
So while I have hoo-hawed and kinda gloated every time Navy has hung an "L" on Army, this year, to be fair, I have to hand it to the Black Knights. They ran Navy into the ground this year. The last time the Army had beaten the Navy before today was 2001. A 14 year win streak for the Navy.
Well, that's over...
Congratulations West Point, you earned that one, fair and square. This year, you got to sing second.
Really good game, and kudos to the refs, several very tough calls even on replay and they got them all correct.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts too. They let 'em play for the most part. Very few penalties as well. An excellent game.
DeleteSaw some snark that the reason West Point doesn't have a website is the Army can string three w's in a row.
ReplyDeleteHeh, we'll have to wait and see. They looked damned good this year!
DeleteThere was once a time when all college games were about team and sportsmanship.
ReplyDeleteEveryone could learn from this rivalry.
Indeed. An excellent point Skip.
DeleteAny service academy playing division 1 football has to be compromising it's mission. I don't have much affinity for our nation's sports-ball fetish but surely even the fans can see the compromises that are made. Excepting athletes from height/weight standards, sending them to prep schools because otherwise they wouldn't be academically successful, letting the good players out of their service obligations to play professionally, etc. Why are the academies not more focused on their core mission of training officers rather than admitting because of athletic talent?
ReplyDeleteI see your point but I don't think the problem at the Academies is as bad as you'd think. Very very few are allowed to bypass their obligations. (One graduate of the Air Force Academy flew his A-10 in Desert Storm before going on to be a stalwart member of the Dallas Cowboys defense.)
DeleteI would agree that the academies should focus more on producing officers, but they're doing a pretty fine job of that as well.
Chad Hennings, tight end his freshman year at USAFA before switching to defense, DT at Dallas. regards, GO RME, Alemaster
DeleteThat's the guy! Thanks Alemaster.
DeleteR:
ReplyDelete"Excepting athletes from height/weight standards..."
Height/weight standards ( at least when I was in ) are so much garbage, even if your weight is muscle mass rather than fat, you could be busted for exceeding the height/weight standard. That is pure cr*p.
Paul L. Quandt
You make a good point Paul. I have some personal experience there. Saw a very athletic young lady get put on a program because of her weight. The woman was all muscle and grace. She looked damn good in uniform, but the bureaucrats pointed to "the standard" and got their knickers in a twist. Shoe clerks. Damn shoe clerks and feather merchants.
DeleteThank you Chris. I have a personal whine about this issue, so it is rather a hot button with me.
DeletePaul
I know what you mean Paul. Hot button with me as well.
DeleteEnd the streak at one!
DeleteHeh, there's always next year, right?
Delete(Also see Well Seasoned Fool's comment above regarding stringing three W's together.)
As for me, Go Navy, Beat Army. They've had their turn.