Go Navy! Beat Army!

After three years of disappointment, Navy's football team came through in a very big way today and soundly beat the Army team, 31-7. Army scored first on a long drive, but Navy responded with 31 unanswered points.

Navy's Malcomb Perry rushing for one of his two touchdowns

The Navy quarterback, Malcomb Perry, was truly remarkable, rushing for a record 304 yards on 29 carries. Equally impressive was Navy's defense. They held a normally explosive Army offense to a total of 148 yards. 

Overall it was a wonderful win for Navy and I can speak from experience when I say that Navy's current plebe class of 2023 is very happy tonight. Because of this win, the plebes get to act almost like normal human beings until January when they return from their Christmas leave -- aka, vacation. (I assume such traditions still exist.) 56 years ago, in December 1963, my plebe class experienced much the same happiness thanks to another quarterback named Roger Staubach when Navy beat Army 21-15.

The Army-Navy game was always a very special event in our family since my late brother, Jeff, was a West Pointer, class of 1962, and I was a Naval Academy grad, class of 1967. I also came from a multi-generational Army family, so when Navy beat Army...well, I'm sure you can imagine the personal thrill of victory as opposed to the agony of defeat experienced by others in the family.

A salute to the Army team as well. The cadets played hard, never gave up, and along with the Navy midshipmen, gave the nation a glimpse of the kind of remarkable young leaders the service academies produce.

Navy Beats Army Once Again

West Point's football team gave Navy a bit of a scare today but Navy pulled away and once again beat Army (for the 13th consecutive year). Naturally, I am pleased. And in anticipation of next year's game: Go Navy, beat Army!

Football, God and Country

It was quite a weekend for this one football fan. First of all, Navy beat Army for the tenth straight year, far better than the record during my four years at the Naval Academy. We beat Army once during that period (thanks largely to Roger Staubach), lost twice and tied once. Those were the days when ties were still permitted.

Over the years I've celebrated many Navy wins and suffered through not quite so many losses, but I enjoyed every game, largely because of my only brother, Jeff. Jeff graduated from West Point with the class of 1962, while I graduated from Annapolis with the class of 1967. As you might imagine the Army-Navy game was always an exciting time in our family. Our parents feigned neutrality, although both were not so secret Army fans. Jeff was, after all, the older son and habits are hard to break. I suspect it also had something to do with Dad being an Army colonel.

My dad and brother (1947)

Jeff and I would bet on the game only occasionally, and usually for something insignificant like a beer at our next meeting. But every year the loser would traditionally call the winner immediately after the game to offer congratulations. It's a tradition that finally stopped last year. Jeff, you see, died in January 2010 and since then the game simply hasn't been the same for me. Oh, I still watch it and root for Navy, but knowing there will be no phone call has brought real sadness to the day. It has also taught me that my love for my brother was really the primary reason this annual football game still had any significant meaning for me.

Another game I enjoyed was the the New England Patriots' win (barely) over the Washington Redskins this afternoon. The Pats keep winning thanks to their explosive offense led by Tom Brady, and despite their almost non-existent defense led seemingly by nobody. Should they get past the Steelers and make it to the Super Bowl to face the Packers, it just might turn out to be the most offensive Super Bowl ever. I am, however, not so much of a fan that I will hold my breath in expectation.

And then there's Tim Tebow, the miracle-working quarterback of the Denver Broncos. I really like this young man, not only because he openly displays his faith, but because he also lives it. This is, after all, what we as Christians are called to do. We are commanded to live our faith, to make disciples of all nations, to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. And Mr. Tebow seems to do it all. To my knowledge nobody, even among those who apparently despise him, have seriously questioned the reality of this man's faith.

Unlike Tim Tebow, far too many Christians prefer to keep their faith private, hiding it under a bushel basket, pleading that for them their Christian faith is something "personal". In truth, they are among the great mass of lukewarm Christians who are ashamed of their faith and ashamed of Jesus Christ. They fear having to defend their faith in a world hostile to the gospel message. I would encourage them to follow Tim Tebow's example lest they hear those dreaded words of judgment, "Depart from me..."

Of course, a lot of folks disagree with Mr. Tebow because their only belief is that religion has no place in the public square, much less on the football field. These are the same folks who want to ban any expression of religious faith from our society, especially if the faith in question is Christian. No more Christmas crèche displays, no prayer in school, no Bibles in military hospitals, no Jesus Christ anywhere outside a church building. I can't help but wonder: Would we hear complaints about Tim Tebow's public displays of faith if he were a Muslim?

Because they despise this young man, his critics find themselves confused about the remarkable success he has experienced since becoming Denver's starting quarterback. Every week they keep running out of excuses: the game was an anomaly; the opponent's defense was horrible; Tim Tebow was extremely lucky; there was a full moon. (I heard that one today on ESPN.) Certainly he's not the most skilled quarterback in the league, but it seems to me his success can be attributed to his exceptional leadership skills, his ability to inspire his teammates, his desire to win, and his overall positive attitude. Such things are contagious and have apparently infected his teammates. It will be interesting to see how he and his team perform against the Patriots next week.

As I said earlier, I really like this young man. May his tribe increase.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Navy 31, Army 17

On Saturday Diane and I drove to the home of a fellow USNA alumnus here in Florida and joined another 20 or so other grads and their spouses to watch the Army-Navy game. We were an enthusiastic and only semi-rowdy crowd of retirees ranging from the class of 1944 to the class of 1971. The food was wonderful, and with a whole collection of big-screen TVs spread throughout the house, everyone had a good seat.

And -- no surprise here -- Navy won once again...actually for the ninth straight year. For a moment I actually felt a little sorry for Army. Losing nine in a row can't be pleasant. Fortunately that moment passed quickly. It was evident, however, that the Army team is much improved under their new coach and I expect they will continue to improve and present a greater challenge to Navy in the future. Of course, Navy will meet that challenge and continue to beat them.

My only sadness resulted from my brother's absence this year. Jeff, who died in January, was a 1962 graduate of West Point. We both enjoyed our little annual rivalry. I miss him tremendously.

Here's a five-minute tribute to the game and to both of these wonderful institutions...

GO NAVY! BEAT ARMY!

Navy Wins Once Again: Navy 17, Army 3

Ah, yes, once more, and for the eighth consecutive year, the Naval Academy defeated the Military Academy in football yesterday. The score: Navy 17, Army 3. Naturally, as a Navy alumnus (class of 1967), I am extremely pleased with the result. Indeed, this year's result was especially gratifying since my brother, Jeff, has been staying with us these past few weeks. Jeff is a West Point alumnus (class of 1962) and was once again forced to accept Navy's perennial supremacy. Life is sweet.

And how about this, all you Florida Gator fans. The Navy quarterback, Ricky Dobbs, ran for his 24th touchdown of the season, breaking the NCAA single season record held by Florida quarterback and Heisman winner, Tim Tebow. (My dear wife, Diane, is a Florida State alumna and so our family has no love for the Gators. We were pleased that Alabama hammered them.)

Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs scores his record 24th touchdown of the season

In truth, though, yesterday's game was no pushover for Navy and was actually hard-fought and closer than the score might indicate. Largely a defensive battle, Army showed that it is a team on the rise and I expect next year's contest to be even more challenging for Navy. Of course, we will win once again.

I was particularly impressed with the Navy head coach, a terrific young man from Hawaii, Ken Niumatalolo (photo at left), who, during one of those immediately-after-the-game, on-field interviews, praised both teams and both academies. He reminded the television audience that the young men and women of both schools will soon be serving their country side-by-side, fighting those who would destroy not only our nation but also our civilization itself. "I'm in awe of these young men," Niumatalolo said. "They come to the Naval Academy, they come to West Point when we are a nation at war with more than one conflict. We have more than one conflict and they still decided to come and protect our freedoms." He then placed the game in its proper perspective when he said, "It's just a football game, just a game." Amen.

That said, I look forward to next year's game. Go Navy. beat Army!