Army-Navy Football Game

[smotan_02]

Tomorrow - Army and Navy will face off for the 117th time. Here is some memorabilia from the series as well as some little known facts. Post your favorite Army-Navy items. GO ARMY! BEAT NAVY!

Near complete run of tickets:
http://www.psacard.com/PSASETREGISTR....aspx?s=101529


Great facts from the game:
On Dec. 10, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy will meet on the gridiron for the 117th time. A game that steeped in tradition is bound to have some interesting details associated with it. Here are a few you may not know.
1. The Army and Navy have faced off a total of 116 times. To date, Navy has 60 wins, Army has 49. There have been seven ties.

2. Cadets and midshipmen played the first Army-Navy football game Nov. 29, 1890 on "The Plain" at West Point. Navy had been playing organized football since 1879 and defeated the newly established Army team, 24-0.

3. The 271 members of the Corps of Cadets each contributed 52 cents to pay half of the Navy's traveling costs for the 1890 game.

4. Although today we know the game as an annual tradition (and it has been such since 1930), there have been 10 times when the Army-Navy game was not played.

It's said that the longest interruption, which lasted from 1894 to 1898, came about after an argument between an Army general and a Navy admiral almost resulted in a duel following the 1893 game.

The game also wasn't played in 1909. That year, Army canceled its remaining games after Cadet Eugene Byrne died from an injury sustained in an October game against Harvard.

Twice during World War I, in 1917 and 1918, games were canceled on orders from the War Department. And in 1928 and 1929, the academies could not reconcile player eligibility standards.

5. On Nov. 27, 1926, the game was held in Chicago for the formal dedication of Soldier Field in honor of the American servicemen who had fought in World War I.

6. Going into both the 1944 and 1945 games, Army and Navy were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Army won both games.

7. The tradition of mules as mascots for Army dates back to 1899, when a quartermaster officer decided the team needed a mascot to counter the Navy goat and chose a white mule used to pull an ice wagon.

However, the first "official" mule was a former U.S. Army pack mule named "Mr. Jackson" that arrived at West Point in 1936. Since Mr. Jackson, there have been 17 "official" Army mules.

"Buckshot," the only female of the bunch, arrived at West Point in 1964, a gift from the Air Force Academy. Today, three mules serve as Army mascots: Raider, Ranger II and General Scott.

8. Instant replay made its American debut in the 1963 Army-Navy game.

9. A 1973 episode of "M*A*S*H" referenced a fictional Army-Navy game that ended 42-36 Navy. To this day, no Army-Navy game has ended with that score. The radio announcer in the episode says the game is the 53rd Army-Navy game. That game was played in 1952; Navy won, 7-0.

10. The Rose Bowl is the only site west of the Mississippi River to host the Army-Navy game — it did so in 1983.

11. Only six Army-Navy games have been held on the campus of either academy. Two of those games were during World War II, one in 1942 and the other in 1943.

12. New York's Polo Grounds holds the record for the most games hosted outside of Philadelphia, although the last game played there was in the 1920s.
13. Following each game, players sing both teams' alma maters. The winning team joins the losing team and sings facing the losing team's students. Then the losing team joins the victors on their side of the field and sings the winner's alma mater to its students. This act is a show of mutual respect for each Academy

[smotan_02]

Also, someone once asked me "Why is the Army-Navy game always played in either Philly or Baltimore and never at Annapolis or West Point?"

Here is my response:
To best tell it, lets first look at the times where the two teams did play at West Point or Annapolis. As you know, the rivalry started in 1890, but look before then. Starting in 1840, West Point did not have a strong belief in a physical fitness program for many decades. The civil war showcased a need for tactical and strategic might in its officers over physical prowess on the battlefield. West Point therefore focused on horse riding exercises and tactics lessons. However, the nation began to experience a "Great Awakening" about 20 years after the civil war. America was growing and building, and Army officers transitioned from Westward Expansion to protecting Americas interest abroad. The idea of physical stamina not only produced better performing cadets but developed an officer that could have a longer and better career in the Army. In 1885, West Point renewed its focus on physical fitness and immediately saw results. Cadets grew bigger, faster, and performed better in academics. At first, academy leadership rebuked the idea of organized team sports because it went against the very fabric of individual performance and development that West Point taught. How could they develop an individual overall merit list if cadets were winning or losing as part of a team? However, by 1889, the tides of organized sports already swept the nation. Ivy league schools (CHYP), Penn, Navy, and several other colleges had been playing ball for over a decade. While it was still brutal, rules were becoming well established that helped put some order and safety into the game. Boys were growing up playing baseball and football in towns all over America and college football was one the fastest growing entertainment draws of the time. Academy officials were still weary, but their resolve was starting to give as the influence grew. One cadet, Dennis Michie, learned the importance of football when he played for his prep school. Cadet Michie's father was a Civil War Hero and instructor at the academy and had considerable influence with the Superintendent at the time. Cadet Michie and father hatched a plan that would ultimately get football into the school Cadet Michie had friends at the Naval Academy and convinced them to issue a formal football challenge to West Point, to include traveling to West Point to play the game. LTC Michie (the father) took the challenge and convinced the Superintendent that it would be seen as cowardly to turn down such an invitation and to show the Naval Academy the results of the new physical preparation program. The Superintendent accepted and arrangements were made to host the midshipmen. It would be played on the "the plain" in approximately the exact spot where we were standing to watch the cadet parade during your visit. The game was so sparsely attended, by about 1000 people, that the cadets watching the game could move up and down the field with the ball to watch the action unfold. No tickets or programs are known to exist to this game and there is only 2 known photographs of the actual game. However, the press was on hand for the event. A hard fight for the entire game, and boy did a story it tell for the readers.

Army lost the first game of the series. Hell it was a crushing defeat 24-0 and there was no denying that Navy was the superior team in every aspect of the game. However Army had one player on the team that had played prior to that game and they performed admirably against a team that had been playing for nearly 11 years prior to that game and had a 8-2-2 record over the two seasons going into the game. The training program proved itself and West Point was hooked onto the game. It immediately swore revenge the following year and so the rivalry began!

(Note: LT Dennis Michie was killed in the Spanish American War in 1898. The Army football stadium we visited is named in his honor).


In 1891, the game was played at Annapolis and the cadets dutifully avenged their prior year loss with a 32-16 victory. Of note, this game was the first away game for the team. West Point did not like to let its cadets leave West Point- however it could not break the obligation it made to Navy a year prior. As the result of the win, word of the game spread, and the popularity of the rivalry quickly spread as well. Both Army and Navy officers could not wait to attend the following year's game in order to extend the winning streak or exact their revenge. In 1892, the game was back at West Point and already demand for tickets ballooned. West Point established makeshift bleachers to meet demand. Nearly 3000 spectators were on hand for the 3rd game. Navy got its revenge as they beat Army 12-4. The game showed the blow for blow that Army and Navy provided the rivalry and only fueled the desire to see it unfold the next year. Of note- this is the game that is reported to be the first use of a football helmet, worn by a Navy player.

The game that changed it all.....In 1893, the game was back in Annapolis. If you remember where West Point is nestled, its fairly remote with not easy access to the post. That is not the case with Annapolis. Due to the hype and furor with the rivalry, and easy access of the game...demand grew exponentially. Special trains were chartered to bring military members, civilians, and press from Baltimore, D.C., and several smaller surrounding Army posts and Naval Bases. 8K people showed up to this game and Navy barely pulled out a 6-4 victory. The problem, however, was not on the field, but in the stands. Due to the passion and excitement of the game among the military officers, several fights broke out after the game. One such fight was a threatened duel between a retired admiral and a retired general. Could you imagine if that happened today? Well, of course New York Times was on hand to witness the event, and while no duel took place, the damage was done when the story broke. The brawl overshadowed the game in the press and the word of this brawl quickly reached Washington and the President, Secretary of the War, and Secretary of the Navy were outraged. They forbade the teams from travel and instituted a "home game only" rule for both teams. The rule effectively ended the rivalry.

It took 5 years for the feelings to cool off and relook at the chance of a rivalry. It also took a change of the President (Grover Cleveland), Secretary of the War, and Superintendent to resume the idea of the rivalry. Immediately, just the discussion about a game ballooned interest in tickets. The leadership for Army and Navy met to discuss details and the decision was made to host it at a neutral cite. First, both academies had strong teams and the idea that one side would get a "home field advantage" didn't settle well with the bragging rights. Next, the image of neutrality went far to calm nerves about how the fans would act. If military officers were gentlemen, then they would act gentlemanly in "someone else's house". Yet- if I was in the room of that discussion...I believe the driving conversation was about how much money each academy could make off the game. The news of growing demand had made its way to both the academies and the best both academies could accommodate was approximately 8K fans. Phily was a great half way point that would cut cost for each side to attend and the UPenn field was a proven football field that could accommodate 27K people. Each side would get a solid cut of the tickets and UPenn would get hosting fees. Everyone wins. In fact, Army really won. Yes, they won the game. But the Superintendent traded 20 tickets to the game to the head of the railroad and got free transportation for all the cadets to the game. The academy made a financial killing on the game and got great press and acolades. Army-Navy football was now corporate and the rivalry reborn.

Franklin Field (UPenn) hosted the game until 1912, with the exception of 1905 at Princeton. I believe this was due to a contract dispute. In 1901, President Teddy Roosevelt attended the game and added to the gravitas of the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmQmCMdI9Pg Here is a video of him crossing the field at half time- a tradition that carries on today with the presidents. There is a great story with Roosevelt and West Point football, but I'll save that for another time.

By 1913 Franklin Field was showing its age and the popularity of the rivalry warranted a new stadium with more seats and a better showcase of the rivalry. In 1913, the venue changed to the Polo Grounds (then known as Brush Stadium) in New York City. It was a newly renovated field and offered each of the academies nearly double their revenue over Franklin Field. It also was the final game of a championship season for Army as they claimed the national title in front of the president and his entire cabinet. The game was a resounding success but was a logistical nightmare for the naval academy. West Point cadets only needed to take a short train ride the day of the event, but the Naval Academy had to house and feed its cadets in NYC before and after the game...and at what cost? For 1914, the academies decided to move back to the central location of Philly and play at Franklin Field.

In 1915, the game moved back to New York City, but it wasn't the academies choosing. No, it was a much more American reason. The 1913 game whetted the appetite of all the businesses within NYC and the financial windfall of the game had great pull. The City Bureau of Merchants Association appealed to the Secretary of War (Army) and Secretary of Navy to permanently move the game to New York City and they agreed. The game was played at the Polo Grounds from 1915 to 1923 (it was played at Franklin Field in 1922 but I don't know why...probably contract dispute). In 1922, it was decided that the game would be played for the first time in Baltimore in 1924. However, at decision time the stadium wasn't big enough at 42K capacity and had to grow. With the prospect of losing the agreement to host the game, the owners appealed to the city and they pitched in to expand the stadium to 80K capacity. It was one of the first instances of a city supporting a football stadium construction and the name "Municipal Stadium" stuck. The game was the grand event of the opening of the new stadium and it was an immediate sellout. The city was more than excited and was already counting their dollars at hosting this money making game every year. However, so were all the other major cities. The game bounced around for a few years from the Polo Grounds to even the grand opening of Soldiers Stadium in Chicago, the furthest West it had traveled to date. The game continued to grow and move from Polo Grounds, to Yankee Stadium, to Franklin Field, to the new Municipal Stadium in Philly in 1936. This game at Municipal Stadium in Philly was the largest game to date (and since) with 102K people, of which your father was an attendee. It was a massive spectacle and solidified the strength of the Philly venue. This great stadium was equidistant between the academies. The money was too good and the academies stuck with that location.

On Nov 29, 1941, the game was played just like the years before it. The teams met at Municipal Stadium and duked it out. Navy won the game 14-0 and the program to that game expressed our military might to calm fears about a growing European War. A feature in that program touts the military power of one of the greatest ships in our fleet: the U.S.S Arizona. 8 Days later she lay at the bottom of Pearl Harbor and we entered into WWII. As the year progressed, America asked more of her citizens. It was asking to give up more and more for the war effort. Her sons were leaving colleges to go fight, and many football programs dried up. The Secretary of War and Secretary of Navy looked at the academy football programs and only saw wasteful travel at a time when we were asking such a high sacrifice of the American citizens. In 1942, they decreed that the Army-Navy games would be back on the home field of Annapolis and only the West Point football team would be allowed to travel to Annapolis, no cadets. In fact, midshipmen had to learn West Point fight songs, sit on the other side of the stadium, and cheer for the West Point cadets. Demand for the tickets were through the roof, however to downplay the game, military officials limited attendance to immediate faculty and girlfriends of cadets. They also had to reside in a 10 mile radius and show proof of residence. Attendance was about 12,000- and the back of the ticket explains the rules I just stated. West Point was crushed in this game 14-0. The next year the game moved to West Point. Demand was even higher for tickets but the same rules were in place. Due to the sparse population around West Point, the attendance to this game was approx 8K. I actually have a full ticket to this game. Navy won this game 13-0.

1944 was the year that all changed. West Point coach Earl Blaik reached his peak by 1944 and had an incredible program with the arrival of superstars Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard. They were demolishing the other teams as they amassed a undefeated season and gave Notre Dame the worst defeat they've ever seen: 57-0 (a record that I believe still stands) Another interesting note with this game- American GIs use to ask the score to this game to other Soldiers to test if they were German spies in the ranks or unknown Soldiers. When Congressmen saw the stats that the Army team was posting and the Yankee Stadium sellout crowd for the Army-Notre Dame game....the wheels started turning. The House of Representatives presented a bill and the President approved- host the game at Municipal Stadium in Philly with a catch. In order to be able to buy a ticket to the game, you first had to buy a war bond. The game sold out in a day with some box seats going for over $1 million dollars each. By the days end, the game raised $58 million dollars ($58,637,000) and watched Army move on to claim a national title.

That game solidified the nations connection between Army-Navy football and Philly. The stadium changed names. It went from Municipal to JFK (he loved the games) to Veterans to Lincoln Financial but it is still the same venue. There are a few other venues that have hosted the game, but none ever match up to the history and love that Philly has for the rivalry.

Note: the game has been played one time west of the Mississippi and it was in 1983 at the Rose Bowl. This is a fascinating story and actually a financial disaster for Los Angeles. I do believe it helped lead to better planning for the Olympics and the creation of LA84. That is perhaps a story for another time.


So....why is it at a neutral site? Well, it started out as money. But, I think like everything else with the Army-Navy game, its now part of the tradition and the pageantry. And as I told you at the beginning, it isnt an easy answer. But the fun part is how you get to that answer.


I hope you enjoyed this mini article. I know it was more than you bargained for, but I think it's fascinating.

[Orioles1954]

Go Navy! Anchors Aweigh!

[Michael B]

One minor mistake in the story. It was President Theodore Roosevelt who crossed the field in 1901. At that time Franklin Roosevelt was a student at Harvard.

[Huysmans]

Very interesting!
Thanks for posting.

Brent

[TUM301]

One of my "Can`t Miss" sporting events, this is the year. GO ARMY !!!

[smotan_02]

Originally Posted by Michael B

One minor mistake in the story. It was President Theodore Roosevelt who crossed the field in 1901. At that time Franklin Roosevelt was a student at Harvard.

Good catch. I got my Franklin Field and Teddy Roosevelt switched.

[Kawika]

Aerial view of the 1920 Army-Navy game at the Polo Grounds.

[TUM301]

Navy a little tired and beat up from last week. Army comes out strong in the 1`st half then, same ole same ole 3`rd quarter. 80 yard go ahead drive some good defense and FINALLY the streak is snapped. Very entertaining game, turnovers momentum swings and of course the rivalry. Really enjoy how the teams sing their respective academy songs at the conclusion, very classy !

[smotan_02]

Originally Posted by TUM301

Navy a little tired and beat up from last week. Army comes out strong in the 1`st half then, same ole same ole 3`rd quarter. 80 yard go ahead drive some good defense and FINALLY the streak is snapped. Very entertaining game, turnovers momentum swings and of course the rivalry. Really enjoy how the teams sing their respective academy songs at the conclusion, very classy !

An emotional rollercoaster of a game for this grad. Always love the tradition of the game and the ultimately the respect we have for each other at the end of the game.

Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts.

GO ARMY BEAT NAVY

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[58pinson]

Had season tickets to Army Football back in late 70's/early 80's. Always look forward to watching the annual revival. I'm often in the West Point area and it's just inspiring to see the calibre of the young people attending the Military Academy.

I probably shouldn't have been surprised at what happened earlier this year after the fatal car accident of Army's sophomore cornerback Brandon Jackson. The entire Navy coaching staff attended the funeral in Queens, NY, and the Military Academy filled 10 buses with cadets who also came to the service.

To me, the game is as special a sporting event as there is.

[smotan_02]

Originally Posted by 58pinson

I probably shouldn't have been surprised at what happened earlier this year after the fatal car accident of Army's sophomore cornerback Brandon Jackson. The entire Navy coaching staff attended the funeral in Queens, NY, and the Military Academy filled 10 buses with cadets who also came to the service.

To me, the game is as special a sporting event as there is.

Thank you for highlighting this. If you do not know what happened with Cadet Jackson, please take 4 min and watch the below ESPN tribute clip.

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=18245901

[vintagesportscollector]

Scotty - I enjoyed viewing your Vintage Army website. Thanks for sharing.