Boudicca's Voice

Go Navy! Beat Army!

Matt of Blackfive started posting on the big event of this weekend HERE... It's the Army/Navy game! Yahoo!!!

(This is a re-run of my initial Army Navy post from last year, with updates. It all needed repeating.)

So to start (make sure you click on the thumbnail to get the 'real' effect!):

Why is this game THE game of the season? Because its one of the last of the old fashioned college football games.. The Army/Navy game is one of the most pure true college football games played. (I'm not ignoring The Air Force Academy, it is just that coming from a Navy family, The Great Omnipotent One graduated from Annapolis, this is THE game of the year.). These men who are playing this game are centered on what is important. Their schools are steeped in tradition... a tradition of these men graduating and then commencing a career that hinges on their selfless serving of our country.

As our 'Big' universities around the nation make the front pages of our papers and sports sections for their athletic prowess, they are also making it on the front pages as members of their teams are convicted of battery, theft, drug abuse, rape... Do not try to convince me you have not seen this because you cannot miss it; it is so prevalent. Unfortunately today, our youth look up towards these athletes as heros and these "heros" are pepetually showing their true selves... people completely unworthy of the adulation of our young. I often wonder how many of these "heros" ever really graduate.

Yet... at the academies, these men ARE going to graduate. These men ARE going to serve our country. And THESE MEN are the men who are the most worthy of being the heros to our young... yet if you were to ask them, they would say different. They will not serve our country for big money. They will not serve our country to make the front page of the paper, for fame and the trappings that go with it. They will serve our country as our forefathers have done, selflessly, and we are indebted to men like these.

And by the way... some of them play a little ball on the side too.

So what you have is college football as it is meant to be played. It is being played by young men who are not being paid nor do they expect to ever be paid for their athletic skills. They were accepted to these schools for their overall well roundedness. They are smart, have exhibited leadership, and are physically fit. The service academy's programs aren't filled with recruiting violations and their players aren't thugs who happen to be able to throw a ball... rather they are honorable, strong, smart men, who have their priorities right... and play a little ball on Saturdays in the Fall.

This is it folks. Nope, this won't be like the SEC championship. Or the ACC. You won't be watching young men who are trying to be first round draft pick to make the big bucks only to drive flashy cars and display boorish behaviour. You'll be watching young men who want to beat their opponent... they want to win... but at the end of the game, they'll shake each others hands because... this is the big one, folks... at the end of the game, THEY ARE ON THE SAME TEAM. You'll be watching young men, some of whom, this time next year will be on the front lines in Iraq or Afghanistan. Some will be in flight training. Some will be going for futher training to operate equipment or lead men. All of these young men will be defending us against our enemies. These are young men who KNOW this is just a game because what REALLY matters is what happens when they graduate. They are grounded and see the big picture.

It is a big rivalry this Army Navy game. But push come to shove, this is what Navy wants the seasons to look like:
Navy: 11-0
Army: 10-1 (one loss to Navy)

And Army wants the season to look like this:
Navy: 10-1 (one loss to Army)
Army: 11-0

So if you're flipping through the channels on Saturday (kick-off at 2:30), take a look. It's what it's all about. It's the real thing, untarnished and played with heart.

Go Navy!!! Beat Army!!!

And now to end this post... The Navy Fight Song and in the event you want to sing along:

Stand Navy down the field, sails set to the sky.
We'll never change our course, so Army you steer shy-y-y-y.
Roll up the score, Navy, Anchors Aweigh.
Sail Navy down the field and sink the Army, sink the Army Grey.

Posted by Boudicca at December 1, 2005 11:48 PM | TrackBack