Army and Navy meet on the gridiron in Baltimore this Saturday for the 115th time in what has been dubbed "America's Game." Unfortunately, this longstanding rivalry has recently been a lopsided series, with Navy winning the last 12 contests.
After the 2005 Army/Navy game, the fourth victory in the streak, Army head coach Bobby Ross lamented, "I think that one of the things apparent to me was that Navy had more speed than we did more quickness, more athleticism." Bobby Ross was a good coach, but even he couldn't coach a lack of speed. Sadly, no one wants to openly admit why Navy has dominated this series over the past dozen years. Simply put: it's tougher for Army to recruit during wartime.
Army and Navy compete against each other for recruits within a very small pool of athletes: those who have the necessary academic qualifications and most importantly, those with a
cheap jerseys strong sense of service to their country. Service Academy football players are unique because they understand their chances of making the professional
jerseys cheap ranks are limited. With a mandatory five year military commitment after graduation, an NFL team taking a chance on a Service Academy player no matter how talented is unlikely. In the past decade, Navy has consistently won this recruiting war.
Prior to the start of the streak in 2002, the overall record for the series was very evenly matched at 49 46 7, with a slight edge to Army. Since that time the two programs have gone in opposite directions. Navy has been to a
cheap authentic nfl jerseys bowl game in 11 out of the past 12 years (qualifying last week for this year's Poinsettia Bowl);Army has been to one. Navy has won the Commander in Chief's Trophy (the triangular series between Army, Navy and Air Force) nine times, Army none. Navy has an overall record
cheap authentic nfl jerseys of 100 65 while Army has managed only 1 winning season since the streak began.
Other problems have plagued the Black Knights. Coaching continuity has been in short supply with five head coaches since 2001. Army was recently cited by the NCAA for minor recruiting violations when a football recruiting bus trip to a local mall included underage drinking, inappropriate use of a police escort, and misuse of NCAA recruiting host funds. Army even failed to show for this year's Army Navy Game press conference in Baltimore, citing morning fog in upstate New York, which grounded their scheduled commercial flight. The Navy Athletic Director apologized for Army, using the Navy mantra of "No excuses, nobody cares" in regard to how he personally felt about Army's absence. During those six years, Navy had 15 football commits with a three star ranking compared to only four for Army. While neither team can be considered a recruiting powerhouse, during the same time span, Navy consistently achieves a higher team ranking in overall recruiting than Army by an average of 13 places (Navy No.
Wholesale Jerseys - Cheap Jerseys Online From China 94 vs. Army No. 107). While recruiting rankings certainly do not solely predict a team's future success, why has Navy consistently been able to recruit the bigger, faster, stronger athletes?
In the past 12 years, Army coaches visiting potential recruits have faced questions about Afghanistan and Iraq. Certainly, the Navy coach has received the same questions, but he can shape his answers much differently. Put yourself in the mind of an 18 year old, sitting on your parents' couch, listening to the difference in those answers. Which scenario sounds more enticing? Stomping through the desert while carrying a 70 pound pack and trying to avoid IEDs or flying a fighter jet off the deck of an aircraft carrier, only to return to a hot meal and a warm bed? Sounds pretty simple to me. Oh and by the way, if you really want to do the Army thing, just join the Marine Corps after graduation from Annapolis and become a part of the world's best known fighting force.
The midshipman in me also wants to point out that the social life in Annapolis makes it a much better place to spend your college years than on the cold dreary banks of the Hudson. But the true advantage is because the Navy offers a more appealing military experience. Especially in a time of war.