This afternoon at 3:00 pm Eastern Time, the Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy shall sail up the Hudson River (metaphorically speaking) and engage their brothers from other mothers, the Black Knights of the United States Military Academy in the 121st Annual Army-Navy Football Game.
For the first time since World War II, one of the two service academies shall host the game. In 1942, the two squads banged helmets at Annapolis. The following year, hostilities resumed at West Point. Every year since 1944, the game has been played at a neutral site. Presuming we the people of these United States re-learn in 2021 how to get out of our own way, a skill in dangerously short supply here in 2020, when the two teams meet again in 2021, they shall do so on the neutral ground that is Philadelphia.
Michie Stadium shall host the Corps of Cadets and the Brigade of Midshipmen. It is anticipated that the Corps and the Brigade may very well make up the entirety of the crowd in attendance, due to COVID-19 guidance, although earlier this week the Commander-in-Chief declared his intention to travel to West Point for the game.
This season the Middies have struggled to a 3-6 record and enter this afternoon's game on a four-game losing streak, which streak was interrupted at its midpoint by a loss of a game to COVID-19. The Black Knights have thus far attained a 7-2 record, enter today's game having won four of their last five game, and find themselves today in a bit of weird situation in that this is not their regular season finale. Traditionally, Army-Navy is the final regular season game of the college football season. In case you missed it, 2020 has bitten tradition in the ass for the past ten months or so. So, here in 2020, Army's regular season ends not today against their comrades in arms from Annapolis but one week from today when they host the Falcons of the Air Force Academy.
Navy holds a 61-52 all-time edge in the series, buoyed by the fact that Army did not win a single matchup from 2002 (Navy 58-12) through 2015 (Navy 21-17). Army has been on a bit of a roll lately, having posted three straight wins from 2016 to 2018. Last year, however, the Middies reclaimed bragging rights. They blew the Cadets out 31-7.
It is a game that features one of my favorite traditions in all of sports, which is the post-game singing of each academy's alma mater - by both squads. Tradition dictates that the two teams gather first in front of the losing team's student section and sing that Academy's song first. Then, they move to the other side of the field and, standing in front of the victor's students, sing the song of the winning Academy. In 2016, having lost to Army for the first time since 2001, Navy sang its alma mater "Navy Blue and Gold" first (I implore you to watch the entire fifty-five second video):
Navy Midshipmen singing "Navy Blue and Gold"
2016 Army-Navy Game
As it turned out, in 2016, after waiting fifteen years to "sing second" the Army players found themselves joined on the field by a stunningly large number of their fellow Cadets for the singing of their Alma Mater:
Army players & Cadet Corps singing "Alma Mater"
2016 Army-Navy Game
The first shall be last and, today, the first shall Sing Second...
...and shall enjoy every minute of it.
-AK
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