Jack's Jock's Jot

One hundred and seven years. Try to think of something non-tangible that has lasted one hundred and seven years. That’s hard enough. Now try to think of a sports rivalry that has lasted one hundred and seven years. The only one I can think of that comes close is my beloved Boston Red Sox and the dreaded New York Yankees.

But the collegiate football teams of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland and the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York have been playing each other for– you guessed it – one hundred and seven years. And over this century and seven years, the two teams have been rather evenly matched. Navy have won fifty-one games, the Army have won forty-nine, and the pair have tied seven times.

The Jock and his family have made a tradition out of this game. This year was my third straight to be in attendance.
Military service in the Navy and United States Marine Corps (many don’t know – the Marines are actually part of the Navy) is a long-running tradition in my family. It’s become one of my favorite traditions for the Family du Jock.

The rivalry runs deep for the Army Cadets and the Navy Midshipmen. “Go Navy, Beat Army!” and “Go Army, Sink Navy!”
can be heard all over the stadium. The phrases are said all school year long at the two prestigious schools. Even the weight plates in the Navy weight room are stamped with the phrase "Beat Army". At the game, in between plays and during halftime “spirit videos” from both schools are shown. They’re quite often hilarious. Servicemen and women stationed all over the world are shown on the screen touting their team spirit. Come to think of it, we actually had a “Go Army” and a “Go Navy” cheer shown to us from the International Space Station. And on the line in the whole thing… bragging rights. The chance for one year to say, “We won!” “We beat you!” “We’re better!”

But what’s so special about this rivalry is that it really stays on the field. When it comes down to it, the two teams are really all part of the same military. They serve the same America and answer to the same Commander-in-Chief. And after the game is over the school songs of the losing team and then the winning team are played and sung. The winning team stands alongside the losing team and faces the losing academy students. The losing team accompanies the winning team, facing their students. It is a show of mutual respect and solidarity.

It is a game of brother against brother. Friend becomes foe for four quarters. But at the end of it all, the teams march together again. It is the oldest and classiest rivalry in the world of sport. The point – the soldiers and midshipmen of these two teams are more than good sportsmen. They remind us what the best part of sports really is – to play solely for the love of the game. Go Army! Go Navy!