03 November 2007: Congratulations Navy Football!

Navy slays the beast! Congratulations to my friend and fellow Avery County, NC native Paul Johnson! You are one of the finest college coaches in the country and it's about time you start getting some due respect. Anyone who says that Academy football shouldn't compete in Division 1A is simply uninformed. Navy and Air Force do it successfully year in and year out. Only Army stumbles. What Paul Johnson has done at the Naval Academy is legendary. This is his sixth season. He has won five straight Commander-in-Chief Trophies (for the Academy that wins the season series against the other two), won four straight bowl games, and had a winning percentage close to .700. His Naval Academy teams have led Division 1A in rushing yards almost every season and do so again this year. He's brought Naval Academy football back into the national spotlight - a major recruiting factor for young men and women looking at college options. This season Paul has Navy poised to bring home another CinC Trophy (already beat AF Academy) and play in yet another bowl game. Now Paul has done what no Navy coach has been able to do in 43 seasons - beat Notre Dame.

In the meantime, Air Force Academy is no slouch either. Even though Fisher DeBerry retired a couple of seasons ago they continue to be very competitive. Since the early eighties they've been to multiple bowl games, won most of them, and had many more winning seasons than losing seasons. They continue to run Coach DeBerry's flex-bone (variation of wishbone) offense to perfection. What's more? They bombed Army again 30-10. Yes, just as I suspected - Army was destroyed again by a fellow service academy.

What's the problem with Army? It's very simple. A passing-based, West Coast-style offense will never work at a service academy. It isn't LSU or USC. Those type of athletes will never be attending West Point, Annapolis, or AF Academy. Why in the hell are Army coaches of late insisting on running that style of attack? When I was a cadet Army was coached by Jim Young. They ran the wishbone. During that time Army led the nation in rushing offense, won three CinC Trophies in five years, and went to three bowl games (winning two and losing the third by one point). Jim Young retired after a short stint of six seasons but his legacy (and lessons) live on. Push the clock forward to today. Navy runs a variation of the wishbone. They win. AF Academy runs a variation of the wishbone. They win. Army insists on passing. They lose. Army had all of 26 yards rushing in today's loss to Air Force. 26!! That's fucking pathetic, it's embarrassing, and it's cruel to your defense (indicates you simply can't control the ball or the clock, thereby dooming the defense to exhaustion in the second half of every game). Would the West Point athletic department, superintendent's department, and Department of the Army please WAKE UP?! I don't have to ask if I speak for other West Point Alumni because I know we all feel the same way. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! We want to WIN. We want to BEAT NAVY! We want to BEAT AIR FORCE! Pride is killing the minds that control the fate of Army Football. There is no shame in accepting a simple, plain fact - Air Force and Navy run the right systems for Academy football success and Army doesn't.

There I said it. I'm fed up with Army football. I'm sticking to my guns about the Army - Navy game. It will be a blowout to the tune of Navy 49 Army 14.

Yeah, I watched a lot of football today. We didn't have much work to do. The Cajuns left out on another night route recon again. This time they had a female reporter imbedded with them. I don't know what news affiliate she was with. I walked past them as they were gearing up. She was talking on a satellite phone and wearing black IBA with the word Press. I hope she got a good story. That is, a peaceful patrol with no incident.