The cover of the 1942 Army-Navy game program.
Too early for Army-Navy talk? Nonsense! So what if Navy still has one more game left before playing Army. From now until Dec. 12, it’s all about Army-Navy. Well, maybe not, but since this is the game that truly matters for these two academies and their teams, I say it’s time for After Action to start hyping this baby up.
USAA’s official Army-Navy game site is up and running, and it’s pretty sweet. The site is loaded with facts and information on the teams and the rivalry, including an interactive timeline showing the results and a recap of every single game, including some archival footage and vintage pictures.
There’s also a poll on the front page for you to cast a vote for whichever team you’re supporting. Right now Navy is ahead of Army 2,100 – 1,399. Full disclosure: I voted for Army, but only because my brother went to West Point and I attended three Army-Navy games while he was a cadet. A lot of great memories from those games. But I also love the Midshipmen, and I pull for the service academies no matter who they’re playing. I don’t really have a horse in this game, I just hope it’s finally close after a recent string of total dominance by Navy.
There’s a lot at stake besides bragging rights. Army can earn their first bowl birth in 13 years with a win, and end at the same time end the run of embarrassing losses in the last seven meetings (Navy has outscored the Black Knights 274-71 since 2001). Although Army will surely be heavy underdogs again, it looks like folks in the Army athletic department are pretty confident that this is the Black Knights’ year. Right now they’re advertising for Eagle Bank Bowl tickets on goarmysports.com. Not that Navy needs any bulletin board material for this game, but that’s pretty bold and just seems like bad juju for Army.
But maybe, just maybe, this is Army’s year. This YouTube video tells the Black Knights to embrace their underdog role, and shows highlights from the Army’s winningest season since 1996.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ArZEvxOpEk[/youtube]And in honor of Navy’s recent dominance, here’s a look back at the whippin’ the Mids gave Army last year.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rodr6rKvdBU[/youtube]
