Navy- Gotta do it-Sport commentary from elsewhere

[shaggy]

Saturday, the Midshipmen play Notre Dame in New Jersey and will try to snap a stubborn 40-year losing streak to the Irish.

No offense to Notre Dame, but you'd have to be a hydrophobe not to root for Navy.

Either that or a Bowl Championship Series executive.

The system set up by the corrupt cartel who controls the money and championship process of college football says a place such as Navy isn't representative of college football at its biggest and best.

In fact Navy represents everything college athletics is supposed to be. The players are bright, determined students. The academic work load and demands of cadet life are rigorous. To gain admission they need nomination from a member of Congress, not a payout from a local booster.

They all have signed on for a tour of duty in our military, which makes playing college football a diversion, an honor to represent their fellow classmates, not a semi-pro internship that could lead to greater riches.

The men and women at our military academies are amazing. Especially now, in this time of war, every last one of us should be thankful we have them.

The crazy pipe dream here is that if Navy can get past the Irish, a schedule opens up that makes a run at 11-0 a real possibility. That's how good the Midshipmen have gotten under exceptional third-year coach Paul Johnson.

This would make for a wonderful story – except to the BCS folks, mainly the big conference commissioners, who would be left trying to explain how an unbeaten Navy team is worthy of nothing more than the Weed Eater Bowl. Or tell us why the perfect Midshipmen could never, ever be considered to play for a national title, let alone in one of those $13 million-plus BCS bowls.

Now that would be a squirm-fest to watch.

If you hate the un-American way in which college football runs itself, if you long for playoffs that would give the little guy at least a chance (a la college hoops), if you are just sick of watching "amateur" athletics abused by profiteers, then you have to become a situational anarchist here.

Power only will be ceded, the system only will topple, if enough embarrassing, indefensible scenarios force it.

Navy could strike a real blow.

Sure Utah and Boise State and Southern Mississippi still could go unbeaten and force the BCS to practice exclusion, but that is only going to do so much. The BCS will screw Utah without blinking an eye.

I want to see them try it with the Midshipmen.

The party line with the BCS is that schools such as Navy, because they don't play in one of six "major" conferences (or in Navy's case any conference), can't be considered big-time because they aren't "committed" enough to college football.

And it is true. Not once has Coach Johnson gone to a fraternity house and threatened undergraduates. When recruiting players Navy doesn't fix grades or even supply prostitutes. Undeclared is not a recognized major. Graduation rates are not in the teens.

Committed? Heck, Navy doesn't even have one committed felon on the roster.

When it comes to commitment, you can't match the SEC and Big Ten, which since 1990 have had its members convicted 32 different times for major NCAA infractions. You know, booster payouts, major academic fraud, point shaving.

And those leagues think letting Navy play in a BCS game would make a mockery of the sport?

Common sense says Navy, with its so-so schedule and good but hardly great team, isn't one of the top six or eight squads in the country. That's understood. But common sense would never run a sport this way.

If Navy could run the table, it would be a most worthy BCS team, a feel-good national phenomenon.

And yet there are 13 million reasons why it never, ever will get invited to a major bowl.

So the BCS suits can have their definition of big-time college football. And I can have mine.

I'll take the program and the players who compete with so much honor. They can have the arrogant, morally bankrupt and money-addicted system that doesn't know the meaning of the word.

Go NAVY (please...)

[pensfan]

Here,Here Go Midshipmen!!

[the rhondel]

Good post shaggy ....Go Navy!!....the R

[SALTSHAKER]

HOORAH!!!!! Roll on my brothers!!!

[shaggy]

Guess for the past years, it's pretty obvious that I have Navy Blue and Gold in my blood. Heck used to be able to catch a bus (about 15 minute ride to the Academy stadium), and watch the games for I think was $2.00, (now granted started doing this at about 13 years old). Most memorable game, Pittsburgh coming to town with Tony Dorsett, and I believe he may have set some college record. Still try and hit one or two games a year, but always at home for the Navy/ Notre Dame and Army/ Navy games.

But the thing is, those guys (and the ones at Army and the Air Force Academies), are still play for the love of the game, because, they know for at least four years after graduating, and boy do they graduate, they have one heck of a commitment.

Blue and Gold, best wishes, but win or lose, America is (or at least should be) proud.

[shaggy]

Oh well, as I have said to myself so many times, "maybe next year". ND opened up with two good scores, and the Mids were in just too deep of a hole with the type of offense they run. Anyway, relaxing day of Navy football, and the second half score was I believe 10-9 ND, so the boys hung tough even with the explosive start of ND, and what's up with the Terps? I seen some pretty lame MD teams, but these last two games, just don't know.

[FL FISHERMAN]

Don't worry Shaggy the Army-Navy game will be coming up soon. And as sad as it is to say Navy has been putting a beating on them Army boys lately. So unless something drastic happens I am sure you will be happy again after that game.