Not What I had Bargained For...
OK, yeah, I wanted Navy to win, but vast humiliation… oh, no. I like a close game. Well, not too close. Not heart attack close. A 14 point lead does it for me. Seven (7) points gets that bad nervous adrenaline flowing and as much as I’m an adrenaline junky, blech, not that kind. I don’t like watching a game through my fingers. No Boston College/Miami reenactments with a Doug Flutie wannabe throwing a Hail Mary, saving the game with no time remaining. Nope, nope. I don’t like them that close.
But I don’t like to see a total annihilation either, although I do prefer that to a loss! Army fired their coach last year after completing the season, setting an NCAA record of 0-13 (they were 7-51 since 2000). Football may not be their big motivation at the service academies, but they don’t want a coach that sucks either. So they brought in this new guy, who was a pro-ball coach, leading the San Diego Chargers to a Super Bowl and he’s supposed to be awesome. It’s going to take awhile for him to turn the team around. I believe this year Army finished 2-9. I’m hoping next year they’ll be 6-5, eventually working up to 10-1… with that 1 being a loss to Navy.
So to those who were cheering Army I say, “Good Spirit in a Game hard fought. May next year be better!”
And to the Navy fans I say, “Yay Team!”
posted by Bou | 1:05 AM
4 Comments:
Unfortunantly with College ball there is too much inconsistancy in the players. a College could have the greatest team one year, then the next year have one of the worst because all of their best players graduated. That's not even counting into the factor students transfer to another college. Plus there is recruiting to get new players. Kids that look great in high school can play like crap in college against a tougher opponent. You have that with the NFL too. They draft kids out of college that never pan out. But to get the kids to go to your school, the ones that care about their academics look at what educational programs they offer and scholarships/housing. If the school doesn't offer what they want/need they aren't going to go their.
"Vast humiliation"? Not at all. It was just the sound thrashing the better team tries to give to the other one each year. I remember a 47-12 victory over Army my 3/c year. It was payment for the "sound thrashing" they'd given Navy the year before. Want to see humiliation? Watch what the Div 1A teams do to their cream puff rivals in games at the beginning of every season. That said, I'd like to see Army improve so they can beat ALMOST everyone. */;-)
TGOO
The military academies are unique in that the only way to become a student is through presidential or congressional appointment or to be the child of a Medal of Honor awardee. All graduates become commissioned officers and serve their countries for a minimum of 4 years (more for some specialties). It changes the available pool of team members.
Though I wish it wasn't the blowout it was, I'm glad that both academies got some good publicity and the President got to have some fun too.
Doug, I think it's five years commitment now as the base. It may be longer. And like you said, for some of the specialties, such as flight training, the clock starts running when you've completed that. That shrinks the pool of candidates considerably. That's why to the football players it really is just a game, something to enjoy on their way to the fleet, or whatever the army's equivalent is called.
TGOO
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