The big game is this weekend. No, it’s not UCLA/USC; that was weeks ago. It is not “The Granddaddy of the All,” the Rose Bowl, not even the National Championship; those are still weeks ahead. This is bigger: it is Army/Navy.
Some may scoff that this is an important game, but they are wrong. Heck, this year it won’t even decide that Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. This game is important only for what it represents. It is important for the true spirit of college football that is missing in far too much of the rest of the games.
Army/Navy is about tradition and a great rivalry. And like all good rivalries, this one is new every year. And because it is Army-Navy it is important for no other reason than it is Army-Navy. Service personnel around the world will tune it and avidly follow the outcome of a game that will never determine the national championship. It is game from which it is unlikely that any Pro players will emerge. Remember all these players have committed the next four years of their lives after graduation to the service of their country, not a pro team.
They play for the love of the game and the pride of their respective schools. Tradition is what this game is all about, from the formal “March On” when the cadets of West Point and the Middies of Annapolis march on to the field prior to the game, to the winning team singing its alma mater second (Sing Last is the battle cry of this game).
My husband and I will watch the game together, but we are a house divided in our loyalties. Army’s Black Knights will face the Midshipmen of Annapolis and we will be cheering for opposite sides.
It is the mules vs. the goats. Who choose the goat as a mascot? Talk about uninspiring: goats are synonymous with loss and failure (check your Webster’s on that one). Mules on the other hand are tenacious, and they are also very intelligent animals.
After that rant it seems superfluous to say as an Army brat, I cheer for Army. I think rooting for the team from West Point is a part of my DNA. But I married a jarhead (for those of you not familiar with the jargon, a marine). Marines always cheer for navy – something about their transportation system.
And so I leave you with just one last most important thought about the game: GO ARMY! BEAT NAVY! That is all you need to remember.
Add a comment