To Know Army-Navy Rivalry, Look Past The Game
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By DERON SNYDER
To be completely honest, I never really understood the big deal about Army–Navy.
I got the fact that it’s an incredibly intense rivalry. I saw that they’ve knocked heads since 1890. And the sight of stadium sections packed with soldiers and sailors in dress grays and blues has impressed me as much as anyone.
But it’s not big-time college football. The teams aren’t as good as the ones on TV every week. And virtually none of the players is well known or headed to the NFL.
So nothing against the Black Knights’ and Midshipmen’s annual game, but I never fully comprehended all the passion it prompted.
Until last week.
Fittingly, the revelation occurred at the Army-Navy Country Club, a private entity in Arlington that “draws its membership primarily from Active Duty and Retired commissioned U.S. Military Officers and Warrant Officers,” according to its website, and “is also home to a number of civilian members many of whom have served in our nation’s government.”
It was there, during a media event for Saturday’s game, that I met captains from each team: Steve Erzinger, Max Jenkins and Andrew Rodriguez for Army, Alexander Teich and Jabaree Tuani for Navy.
