Army v. Navy and Slowing it Down

Yep, something like that

Good morrow.  Clichedly, I have spent the last 15 minutes staring at a blank screen, trying to decide what to say about Army-Navy this year.  I've written about it and talked to so many of you in person about what it means to us that I think rehashing that would be pointless.  This year means more to me personally than in the past, for reasons I won’t divulge until some time next year.

Not long ago, I shared with you the best advice I ever got - “sometimes you just need to try.”  Today, I want to share with you the 2nd best piece of advice I ever got.  Maybe it’s irony or the universe trying to tell me something that I actually shared this with someone the day I started working on this post.  Either way, I’m happy to share it with you…

Accomplishing something great is much more satisfying when you enjoy the moments it takes to get there.

Worst... fate... ever.

So it sort of sounds like it could have come from a fortune cookie, but bear with me a moment.  Army-Navy, the game, is unreal.  The passion of these teams and their fans radiates in the stadium. I describe it as the Hatfields and McCoys sitting down and celebrating Christmas. However, some of my favorite parts of the Army-Navy experience are the Friday before (and making sure we all remember what happened); drinking before 10am (10 years and counting, and year 11’s bomber is already purchased); other, shall we say, “unwise” decisions throughout the weekend, e.g., crushing a fifth’s worth of Dark and Stormy’s before going out 2 years ago (LB Note - this may or may not involve Jersey-made Moonshine this year); making the weekend plans on the phone with Mojo in the weeks before; seeing young, female cadets have to call Mojo “sir” (I will never get used to this, it’s so freaking weird).  You get the idea.  But if and when our streak ends, this is what I will miss most.

This is a stamp, millenials

I think it’s hard for us to slow down anymore.  When was the last time we wrote someone a note instead of an email?  Do we actually allow ourselves to focus on just one thing at a time and not let our minds drift off?  When you’re in a conversation with someone, especially someone you care about, are you truly paying attention or are you doing other things, too?  I’m lucky to have my kids around to remind me of this… every time they want me to read or do something with them, and life is in the way, I’m always reminding myself that they are only this little once.  I only get to read them stories, see them be excited about watching Chippey the Elf over and over, and have them want me to color, play cars, etc. with them once.  I take advantage of this as much as I possibly can.  I am not one of those, “oh, I wish they were little again” parents.  I know I’m going to love seeing them grow up, knowing them as adults.  However, slowing down, taking a breath, and looking around is the only way I think we can really appreciate long journeys like this.

Boom!!!

I could get all sappy here and get into something about hugging the ones you love, but we’ve been over that a lot here lately, and this is about Army-Navy, dammit.  So let’s take this down a lighter path and talk about last year’s Army-Navy game.  When we last left Army-Navy, Army was busy moving up and down the field on Navy, and only by the grace of a couple big places, were losing by 4 with a few minutes left.  They were driving, on the Navy side of the field, with a red-hot QB.  For reasons still unknown, Army decided to take the ball out of their best players hand (said QB), and let their WR throw a ball into the end zone.  Unsurprisingly to everyone except the Army sideline, the pass was horribly underthrown, picked off, and Navy took a knee to win it.  That was Army’s chance.  They missed it.  Slow down your thinking, think Freakonomically, and they very well may have won that game and, in all likelihood, Mojo would have missed the birth of BGE while also getting a tattoo Mrs. Mojo did not approve of.

Those are books, millenials

As with most things in life, we get second chances to enjoy and celebrate moments.  If I really can’t read to my kids, I still get chances to do it, though eventually these will run out.  Luckily for us, Army gets a chance to end this streak every year.  This year, Army got out hot, slowed a bit, and has looked better lately.  They are a bowl team this year.  Navy, however, is vying for a New Year’s Day bowl.  While the Navy win streak is getting borderline ridiculous, the game has actually been within a touchdown 4 of the last 5 years.  Army has been threatening.  They are better this year.  Navy is banged up after a loss to Temple, though my heart goes out to those two players who had their careers ended before they could play in one more Army-Navy game. I think they learned their lesson last year.  I believe in signs... Army smoked Temple, Temple smokes Navy. I think that's God's way of telling Mojo to make sure he gets to the train on time Sunday morning.

I told Mojo before we even got out of the stadium last year Army would win in 2016.  I’m a man of my word.  I never lie and I’m honest and blunt to a fault.  I see no need to change now.  Besides, Mojo and I need this.  For a lot of reasons.  Navy outgains Army by over 100 yards, but settles for too many field goals.  And thus...

The Pick - Army 24, Navy 23.

Same team

So the plan is for Mojo to write the New Year’s blog with four proposed rule changes in sports that need to happen now, i.e., sports New Year’s resolutions.  However, if Army actually wins, we may not find Mojo until some time in 2017.  So we’ll see how that goes.  In the mean time, we’ll send you off with ARG’s current favorite song, The Star Spangled Banner and the Army fight song.  Seriously, she sings it around the house all day.  With that, GO ARMY, BEAT NAVY!!!  Hasta.