Army/Navy 2008
Ugh.
As in a sound of disgust.
Not Ugg as in those butt ugly boots that clueless teen girls persist on wearing with mini skirts when they are not sporting flip flops.
Talk about a depressing football game!
The worst.
Made me feel like I was a plebe back at West Point during Gloom Period with nothing to look forward to. Too many days and a butt until graduation. Cold. Dark. Gray and dreary.
Ugh.
And I remember being at the Army/Navy game in Philadelphia plebe year. It was freaking cold. I actually had on my USMA sweats underneath my dress gray, which boggles my mind as to how I could possibly have managed such a feat! But I was still cold. And those worthless low quarters did nothing to keep your feet warm. And I bought a hot chocolate that burned the inside of my mouth. I should have taken my low quarters off and poured the hot chocolate over my frozen feet!
That game was actually a tie: 3-3 because Joe Sartiano, a yearling in my company kicked a tying field goal in the last seconds of the game. Or something like that. It was a 3-3 tie, anyway. So, not as depressing as a loss. Not like that positively horrific game at the Rose Bowl cow year where Navy scored three touchdowns in about the first twenty seconds of the game, and we were all throwing stale subs from our boxed lunches and those stupid kazoos down onto the field.
I heard on TV that there has not been a shut out like today since 1976, which, as we all know, is a really, really, really long time ago. That is what my son told me, anyway.
So sad. So depressing. So demoralizing. The fact that Army lost by so much, not that 1976 is so long ago.
Think of all these poor kids who have NEVER experienced beating Navy. And then when they graduate they will all have to go off to war.
And is it just me, or did all of those Navy squids look smarmy and uppity and full of themselves in all of those fan close ups????
And they march like crap!!! Geesh, did you see the shots of them marching on? At least Army knows how to march properly. I mean, if you can't play football worth a shit, at least you should be able to march on properly. So, that was a relief at least.
I liked the camouflage helmets and football pants and the Duty.Honor.Country on the back of the shirts. But a part of me was wondering if those special, spiffy outfits were compliments of the U.S. taxpayer....
Now we all know that George Bush is going to miss being Commander in Chief and getting the opportunity to kick the football five yards and watch people flip a coin.
I was glad that one Army player got to at least beat a record set 18 years ago. Small consolation, but better than nothing.
The best thing of the whole day was the spirit ad where some Army cadets kidnapped a guy in a white uniform and then brought him back and dumped him out by his truck. "Sorry, midshipmen look like milkmen!"
My 14 year old son, who was wearing his Army Black Knights t-shirt and the ankle boot/brace that was supporting his broken leg (well, and shorts, too) and who was dying to do push ups whenever Army scored and thus turned to flab in three hours, asked why so many Navy people were Hawaiian.
I still watched the whole, entire game, probably more because I am a masochist, I suppose, than out of a sense of duty and loyalty. I did manage to get several loads of laundry done, though, too. I kept expecting Army to score at least once. Towards the end there I thought they might even get a safety. But, alas, no.
I missed seeing the Supe (as in General Scott -- was there really ever another Supe???) ride the Army mule and do the Rocket. It made me wonder if he was even still alive and if so, if he was cogent enough to watch the game and realize that Navy was beating the hell out of Army.
My father is renowned for turning off the television set one year right in front of all our company, a mix of West Point and Annapolis grads and their spouses, when Navy was trouncing Army by a ton. Huh. Probably that 1976 game, come to think of it!
My son kept asking me: "Would Grandpa have turned the TV set off now?"
"How about now?"
"Maybe now?"
"Definitely NOW!!!"
Oy vey.
And still, at the end, when they played the West Point Alma Mater and everyone stood and sang, tears filled my eyes.
Go Army! Beat Navy!
As in a sound of disgust.
Not Ugg as in those butt ugly boots that clueless teen girls persist on wearing with mini skirts when they are not sporting flip flops.
Talk about a depressing football game!
The worst.
Made me feel like I was a plebe back at West Point during Gloom Period with nothing to look forward to. Too many days and a butt until graduation. Cold. Dark. Gray and dreary.
Ugh.
And I remember being at the Army/Navy game in Philadelphia plebe year. It was freaking cold. I actually had on my USMA sweats underneath my dress gray, which boggles my mind as to how I could possibly have managed such a feat! But I was still cold. And those worthless low quarters did nothing to keep your feet warm. And I bought a hot chocolate that burned the inside of my mouth. I should have taken my low quarters off and poured the hot chocolate over my frozen feet!
That game was actually a tie: 3-3 because Joe Sartiano, a yearling in my company kicked a tying field goal in the last seconds of the game. Or something like that. It was a 3-3 tie, anyway. So, not as depressing as a loss. Not like that positively horrific game at the Rose Bowl cow year where Navy scored three touchdowns in about the first twenty seconds of the game, and we were all throwing stale subs from our boxed lunches and those stupid kazoos down onto the field.
I heard on TV that there has not been a shut out like today since 1976, which, as we all know, is a really, really, really long time ago. That is what my son told me, anyway.
So sad. So depressing. So demoralizing. The fact that Army lost by so much, not that 1976 is so long ago.
Think of all these poor kids who have NEVER experienced beating Navy. And then when they graduate they will all have to go off to war.
And is it just me, or did all of those Navy squids look smarmy and uppity and full of themselves in all of those fan close ups????
And they march like crap!!! Geesh, did you see the shots of them marching on? At least Army knows how to march properly. I mean, if you can't play football worth a shit, at least you should be able to march on properly. So, that was a relief at least.
I liked the camouflage helmets and football pants and the Duty.Honor.Country on the back of the shirts. But a part of me was wondering if those special, spiffy outfits were compliments of the U.S. taxpayer....
Now we all know that George Bush is going to miss being Commander in Chief and getting the opportunity to kick the football five yards and watch people flip a coin.
I was glad that one Army player got to at least beat a record set 18 years ago. Small consolation, but better than nothing.
The best thing of the whole day was the spirit ad where some Army cadets kidnapped a guy in a white uniform and then brought him back and dumped him out by his truck. "Sorry, midshipmen look like milkmen!"
My 14 year old son, who was wearing his Army Black Knights t-shirt and the ankle boot/brace that was supporting his broken leg (well, and shorts, too) and who was dying to do push ups whenever Army scored and thus turned to flab in three hours, asked why so many Navy people were Hawaiian.
I still watched the whole, entire game, probably more because I am a masochist, I suppose, than out of a sense of duty and loyalty. I did manage to get several loads of laundry done, though, too. I kept expecting Army to score at least once. Towards the end there I thought they might even get a safety. But, alas, no.
I missed seeing the Supe (as in General Scott -- was there really ever another Supe???) ride the Army mule and do the Rocket. It made me wonder if he was even still alive and if so, if he was cogent enough to watch the game and realize that Navy was beating the hell out of Army.
My father is renowned for turning off the television set one year right in front of all our company, a mix of West Point and Annapolis grads and their spouses, when Navy was trouncing Army by a ton. Huh. Probably that 1976 game, come to think of it!
My son kept asking me: "Would Grandpa have turned the TV set off now?"
"How about now?"
"Maybe now?"
"Definitely NOW!!!"
Oy vey.
And still, at the end, when they played the West Point Alma Mater and everyone stood and sang, tears filled my eyes.
Go Army! Beat Navy!
posted by delta at 5:02 PM
3 Comments:
As far as football seasons at West Point go, one of our new family traditions is we attend the Army/Navy game. This was the third season. My vested interest is that, I have a son at West Point, so we make it a family event.
We go to enjoy the moment by attending the game each year. As a 35 year military enlisted reserve Soldier who has fought in Desert Storm, and had two tours of Iraq, (as a soldier) I am continually disappointed at the results this USMA team offers year after year.
This year wasn't any different. In fact it has to be the saddest of all years at least in the last six years, as any hope of Army winning (this year) were short lived. And after spending a month’s pay to watch the team play, I am disappointed at the results.
It seems the team has simply a football coach that likes the boredom of one or two plays and has very little plays in his team playbook arsenal. That attitude won’t win games! Truth is, the team just can't win games, and no team can win with a mental attitude like that.
Navy has won the last 6 years in a row. When will the Academy wake up and smell the coffee, and start using some of the tools available. Navy seems to have better recruiting, better coaching and a better strategy to get things done. Why not Army?
I personally am getting tired of seeing our Army team get beat downs by squids! So why can't we start by getting a new coach. One that can win?
And is it just me, or did the Navy squids look smarmy and full of salt water, in the Navy's side of the stands?? And they march like they just got off a submarine? But what do you expect? A squid can't do squat on land! (except beat Army in Football?) At least Army knows how to march properly. I mean, if you can't play football worth a shit, at least you should be able to march on properly. So, in the beginning of the game, its was a relief at least to see future Army officers march proudly.
I liked the new ACU (All Combat Uniform) camouflage helmets and football pants and the motto of a soldier, “Duty. Honor. Country,” on the backs of the football jerseys . And don’t worry, its not the U.S. Taxpayer that paid that bill; - actually I heard from a reliable source, that Nike did a free deal with USMA so most us don't need to wonder if those special, spiffy outfits were designed in China and became another asset and compliments of the U.S. taxpayer....They weren't!
Hell,-I want to know where I can get a jersey with the number 12 on it?
President George W. Bush is going to miss being Commander in Chief and getting the opportunity to kick the football five yards and watch people flip a coin! Actually I’m betting he can kick it further then Obama can, as he got at least 15 yards out of that kick! But seeing him kick it personally is made my day!.
Tickets for Army – Navy game, ----$ 360. Hotel room and accommodations at a historic “Holiday Inn” in downtown Philadelphia $ 900.- Watching the President kick a football and your team get beat by “Squids 34-zip,” … PRICELESS!
Sadly, most of the plays exhibited were not up to a high school division level winner; Runs were seldom made outside the crease, and when a run did happen, it involved another boring triple option, passing was less minimal (actually less than ten passes were attempted). Or after gaining some valuable yardage, it was a quick three and out. When the opportunity to get on the boards became real, by using the kicker to kick a field goal, he opted out, and went to a run option for 8 eight yards on fourth down and was denied by Navy's defense. The kicker could have made a field goal get the team on the board. Instead Army's lost to Navy proved a shutout, scoring 34 to zero, the first shutout in more then 30 years. Why on earth did the coach decide to do the run another triple option? The same piss poor options didn’t work with the defeat of Air Force over the Black Knights home at West Point, so why in hell would the coach think it might work with Navy?
Sadly, Army’s Black Knights were simply not up to winning. Navy proved to be better athletic rivals and played a far more coordinated game by out scoring and keeping Army point less.
So my question is, --when will we win? When are those who are in command say enough is enough. Six seasons you couldn’t get the job done. It’s time for new coach?
Anywhere else, such as a “CEO” or a “Commander in the field,” when they can't perform, you have him relieved of his command, or fire him for "Non-performance!!"
Goodness!!! This was a huge surprise. Someone posting a comment to my blog.
sgtbilly -- have you seen John Feinstein's article on Army/Navy?
It's on page two of this Washington Post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/08/AR2008120802457.html
There is no reason why Army/Navy games shouldn't be back and forth, exciting to the end. The Army football players are hard-charging athletes, with dedication and heart. They deserve better.
We won all 4 years and during my husband's 4 as well (we overlap--he graduated a year ahead--so '92-'96 for both of us), but the best part of the game was that it was always closely matched. It could have easily gone either way.
When Navy started winning, I said it was "their turn" but obviously after so long that's not the case anymore.
My husband played his entire time at school and it hurts a little to see his hopes dashed every time he watches with the hope that *maybe* we can win it "this time." I know otherwise, and as much as he is disgusted, I know deep down he keeps on hoping.
I know it is just a game, but you're right, with the war going on (and most of Navy not being on the front line) it is especially bitter to lose.
Post a Comment
<< Home