Snake
12-01-2006, 11:55 PM
Ah...the first Saturday in December. Time for Championship College Football...(sound of record being scratched as it is stopped)...to borrow a line from Mr Corso, "Not so fast, my friend".
Yes, there are a few conference championship games on this week, featuring top ranked teams. However, if you are a real fan of college football, you also realize one of the best games of the year is on as well. Yes, I am talking about the Army-Navy game. A rivalry game steeped in tradition, that traces its roots back to a Navy drubbing of Army in 1890, at West Point.
But Snake, you say, their aren't even any NFL bound players on those teams. How can you can call this the real game of the week? You are right, there are no NFL bound players, all players here get to look forward to travelling to hot spots around the world, and putting their lives on the line for you and I. They won't be getting paid by the millions. Their sacrifice, however, will benefit millions. If you want to see what college atheletics used to be about, and still is about at certain schools, you will want to watch this game. These young men go out on the field, and even though they are not as big and as strong as most other "normal" college football players, they are never out toughed, and they never give up. These are not players getting paid by boosters, shooting up with ped's, getting into fights outside of night clubs. These are young men who live the words "honor", "courage", and "commitment".
I am not trying to take away from, or slight football players from other schools, as certainly there are other players around the country who live the same ideals as those in the Service Academies. I also realize that you cant really make broad generalizations that would encompass all of the college football players. However, the Academies put out Army, Navy, and Marine Corps officers, leaders of the military. Most of them upon leaving the military, become "leaders" in civillian life as well. That's the character I am talking about.
I hear ya now. That's all well and good Snake, but what does that have to do with a football game? Simple. Those same ideals that I told you about that are instilled in these cadets and midshipman comes out in full force for their annual game against each other. Both of these teams will play their hearts out. Neither team will ever, ever, quit. Both of these teams will display good sportsmanship. And both teams will display good, solid football fundamentals. Another positive is that man for man, these teams are now pretty much evenly matched against each other.
So, if you want to watch a true rivalry game, which will feature future heroes of this country, then you will want to catch the Army-Navy game this week. If you want to watch a clean, hard hitting game, featuring great sportsmanship, then you will want to catch the Army-Navy game this week.
You will have many years to watch the current crop of college football players in the pros, but very limited chances to see these young men play football. Take advantage of that.
An extra tidbit: If Navy wins this game, their Seniors will have been 8-0 vs Army and Air Force in their 4 year careers :D
Yes, there are a few conference championship games on this week, featuring top ranked teams. However, if you are a real fan of college football, you also realize one of the best games of the year is on as well. Yes, I am talking about the Army-Navy game. A rivalry game steeped in tradition, that traces its roots back to a Navy drubbing of Army in 1890, at West Point.
But Snake, you say, their aren't even any NFL bound players on those teams. How can you can call this the real game of the week? You are right, there are no NFL bound players, all players here get to look forward to travelling to hot spots around the world, and putting their lives on the line for you and I. They won't be getting paid by the millions. Their sacrifice, however, will benefit millions. If you want to see what college atheletics used to be about, and still is about at certain schools, you will want to watch this game. These young men go out on the field, and even though they are not as big and as strong as most other "normal" college football players, they are never out toughed, and they never give up. These are not players getting paid by boosters, shooting up with ped's, getting into fights outside of night clubs. These are young men who live the words "honor", "courage", and "commitment".
I am not trying to take away from, or slight football players from other schools, as certainly there are other players around the country who live the same ideals as those in the Service Academies. I also realize that you cant really make broad generalizations that would encompass all of the college football players. However, the Academies put out Army, Navy, and Marine Corps officers, leaders of the military. Most of them upon leaving the military, become "leaders" in civillian life as well. That's the character I am talking about.
I hear ya now. That's all well and good Snake, but what does that have to do with a football game? Simple. Those same ideals that I told you about that are instilled in these cadets and midshipman comes out in full force for their annual game against each other. Both of these teams will play their hearts out. Neither team will ever, ever, quit. Both of these teams will display good sportsmanship. And both teams will display good, solid football fundamentals. Another positive is that man for man, these teams are now pretty much evenly matched against each other.
So, if you want to watch a true rivalry game, which will feature future heroes of this country, then you will want to catch the Army-Navy game this week. If you want to watch a clean, hard hitting game, featuring great sportsmanship, then you will want to catch the Army-Navy game this week.
You will have many years to watch the current crop of college football players in the pros, but very limited chances to see these young men play football. Take advantage of that.
An extra tidbit: If Navy wins this game, their Seniors will have been 8-0 vs Army and Air Force in their 4 year careers :D