12/12/2009 - Philadelphia, PA - Lincoln Financial Field
If you haven't figured it out yet, life is 10% what you know and 90% who you know. Fortunately for us, the "who we know" includes a well-placed Army connection. We'll just call him "Pete" to keep his identity secure, but he was kind enough to work some off-the-books contacts and probably call in a favor or two along the way and before we knew it, we were sitting on the 10 yard line for the 110th playing of the Army vs Navy football game.
Although the teams are no longer the elite of college football, winning national titles and producing Heisman Trophy winners as they were from the 1920s through the 1960s, the pageantry of the Army/Navy game remains second to none. The gates opened at 10AM for a 2:30PM kickoff and despite a kickoff temperature that did not exceed 40 degrees, the stands were packed well before the CBS cameras turned on. The first pregame activity is the March-On, where the two student bodies march onto the field (Won, once again, this year by Army as "Pete" was quick to point out). As kickoff approaches, the annual prisoner exchange takes place.
Eleven Midshipmen who have been studying at Army are marched to midfield where they meet up with eleven Cadets who have spent the semester in Annapolis. Under close supervision of a commander, they are exchanged so that they may watch the game with their respective sides. Parachuters and fly-overs fill the sky as the teams take the field and you can't help but pay a little more attention to the words during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.
The game itself would probably be considered boring by most college football fans today. There are no zone-read spread-option attacks. You won't find any 5 receiver sets. In fact, in Navy's 9 wins this season, their QB did not complete more than 5 passes in ANY of those games. These teams will line up in the circa-1950s, triple-option attack and they will run the ball right at you. I'll admit that it's not as exciting to watch but there is something about it perfectly suited to these teams. This offense requires knowing your assignments and being disciplined at all times, both for the offense and the defense. And when run properly, there is nothing more demoralizing to an opponent then when they know what is coming and cannot stop it - just ask Georgia Tech who rode the same offense into the Orange Bowl this year. My favorite part of the game was midway through the first quarter as Navy faced a fourth-and-one from their own 25 yard line. They came to the line of scrimmage and tried to draw Army offsides with a hard count. Seriously, its the Army. Did you expect a lack of discipline? Needless to say, the trick was unsuccessful and Navy was forced to call a timeout and punt. Despite holding a 3-0 lead at the half, Army was unable to break Navy's winning streak in the series. Seventeen unanswered second half points gave Navy a 17-3 victory and an eighth consecutive win in the series. After the game, both teams stood in front of their student bodies to sing the Alma Maters.
In addition to distinguished war heroes and high ranking officials, such as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates who presided over the coin toss, the sidelines were also patrolled by Bill the Goat, the costumed mascot of the Naval Academy and a finalist for the 2009 Capital One Mascot of the Year, and by Black Jack, the costumed mascot for Army. Army has had live mules for mascots since 1899 (
a little of the the history here) and their costumed supporter shares a name with the live mule that roamed the sidelines from 1985-1989. Bill the Goat is the name of both the live goat as well as the costumed variety for Navy and has a
history that can be traced back to 1893. While we would have loved pictures with either of these guys, there were many factors (not the least of which was the large Secret Service presence) that led us to decide that trying to get through the student sections and down onto the field for a picture would have to wait until next time. Until we can get to West Point or Annapolis, a few long range photos will have to suffice.
Once again, thanks a million to "Pete" for helping us with the tickets. Next time you need a
good BBQ joint in Waco or want to know where to find
a Bacon Cheeseburger where they use a Krispy Kreme Donut as the bun, you just let us know - we'll take care of you. As for everyone else, if you ever get the chance to see this game in person, do yourself a favor and show up early, cheer loudly, and appreciate these young men not just for their athletic talent but for the sacrifices that they make for us every day. Oh, and tell Black Jack we'll see him soon...
