Next Saturday, December 9, Army & Navy will play for the 118th time in Philadelphia. The goal is the same every year. Win the game first and sing second. The latter is a key compliment to every victory. A trophy in itself. Singing at the top of your lungs while your sole is bursting with pride is a memory of a lifetime.
While this custom is fairly common for most colleges, it's always the case for military academy sporting events. Every game against Air Force and Navy has singing second on the line. It's tradition. You stand with each other at the end of the game to sing the alma mater of each academy. The winning team gets to sing second.
This years Army/Navy game has a special bonus. The Commander-In-Chief Trophy (CIC) is on the line. It's not common for the the last game of the year to decide the best military academy football team. It's only happened 7 other times. However, next Saturday the 175 pound trophy will be on the line at Lincoln Financial Field.
At a recent press conference, Army head coach, Jeff Monken, was asked about the CIC trophy. "Twenty one years" he stated with a soured face. "It would be a great thrill for this year's team and a great source of pride for the whole academy of Army to win that trophy again."
It never gets old.
Cheers...