Make no mistake about this: At least at its core, there is still plenty good about the tradition of college football. If that were not the case, many tailgaters across the nation on autumn Saturdays would have closed their grills, emptied their coolers and folded their tents never to be seen again. That has not happened.
However, as we have seen in recent years, tradition has largely been shoved into the corner and especially when conference realignment takes center stage. From the boardroom to the bank vault, that is a subject we can go on and on about, including the disruption of long-cherished rivalries.
For example, it is a shame the Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia, a rivalry that dates to the 19th century, was halted. True, the series was revived to some degree, though the teams will not play again until 2029.
It is also a shame Texas and Texas A&M, a rivalry that kicked off in 1894, recently went 12 straight seasons without playing. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State? The “Bedlam” was recently halted after nearly 120 years, and no future games are currently scheduled.
Thank goodness for Army and Navy, a rivalry that began at West Point in 1890 and is priceless on so many levels. Those of a certain age can recall the days before cable television and when a game or two was offered on network television each Saturday. One them was a staple at the end of each season: Army and Navy. The old Zenith never looked so good.
I certainly recall watching the Black Knights and Midshipmen battle on the gridiron with my father. If it was nice outside, or even if it wasn’t, we would the throw football around in the backyard while making sure not to miss the second half kickoff.
My father served in the U.S. Army and preferred to see the Long Gray Line prevail, though the next 364 days were not necessarily doom and gloom if Navy won. Rather, he enjoyed every minute of the game for what it was: Army and Navy. Tradition at its finest.
The rivalry is one I have made sure not to miss whether on television or in person. I have had the good fortune of attending 18 encounters of the greatest rivalry in sports. Here’s to getting to at least a few more.
Far more than a game
Army/Navy is an event that should continue to stand at attention by itself, in its own broadcast slot. President Trump is making that happen. He recently signed an executive order calling for all of those involved – NCAA, College Football Playoff, broadcast rights holders — to make sure the tradition of Army/Navy remains in a time slot by itself. (CBS has broadcast the game each year beginning in 1996 and has the rights through 2038.)
The rivalry was moved back one week in 2009, to the second Saturday in December to avoid the cluster of conference championship games that are played the first weekend of the month.
You want pregame tradition? Though the football is awesome and often unforgettable – nine of the last 12 games have been decided by single digits, though the folks in West Point could be excused for developing memory loss with respect to a 14-game losing streak earlier this century — there is nothing like the pregame pageantry of Army/Navy that is highlighted by the march-on. Seeing the Corps of Cadets and Brigade of Midshipmen, or Brigade of Midshipmen and Corps of Cadets depending on which team is designated the visitor, take the field in formation is the ultimate symbol of tradition and national pride. It is the reason for anyone attending to make their way to the stadium more than three hours before kickoff.
Between the march-on, the “Prisoner Exchange,” Army Golden Knights and Navy Leap Frogs parachuting onto the field, “The Star-Spangled Banner” performed by the glee clubs from both institutions, flyovers –perhaps Navy Super Hornets and Army Blackhawks — as the respective teams take the field, and a coin toss that has included the president, vice president, secretary of defense or other dignitary, a memorable day is in store even before kickoff. (President Trump has attended six Army/Navy games either as the commander-in-chief or president-elect.)
In a halftime tradition that symbolizes the goodwill between West Point and Annapolis, the president changes sides in a ceremony that includes an escort and a handing off to the other academy’s side of the field.
Neither team wants to be the first to sing its alma mater. That’s because the losing team sings first. The winning team sings second and then may hoist the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy depending on how Army, Navy and Air Force fared against each other during the season. The 170-pound trophy was inaugurated in 1972 with Air Force winning it 21 times, Navy 18 and Army 10. It has been shared on five occasions.
Regardless if conference championship games become a thing of the past and the CFP expands beyond its current 12-team field, all of the above is a sampling of the countless reasons to keep the storied rivalry of “America’s Game” on a broadcast stage by itself.
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