As good as any bowl game

This is THE rivalry game in college football. Going to this game is on my bucket list! My son and I make it a point to at least watch some of this game every year. Want to see the exchanging of prisoners in person!

It doesn't get any better than this. I was told if you're a West Point cadet and you don't know an answer to a test question, you get it partially right for putting "Beat Navy"

I want to see a football at Army and I want to see an Army-Navy game in person. And yes, "A Civil War" is a fantastic book

The views of Trent Steelman after the game was the ultimate agony of defeat. He had the weight of The Point on his shoulders. It was his last chance to "Beat Navy." And what a lot of casual fans don't get is when a college athlete finishes his last game two things come to mind ... 1) I've been playing this game all my life and it's over, and 2) I'll never hang in the locker room and on the field with these guys again.

Think about how we view what our kids go though playing college sports. Then you hear on the Army - Navy broadcast, "Football is the easiest thing these guys do in a day."

From going to the games as a kid my son once wanted to attend an academy. When it became time to make the first prospective college list he watched a three part series on attending an academy. He said he was too much of a wimp to go through what these guys deal with.

I have the utmost respect for these young men. Great post RJM.

There is not a bigger rivalry.

As a freshman (plebe) at Navy, you are not allowed to simply walk down the halls in the dorms. You must do a high knee jog (chop). You also have to square of your corners when you turn off your course. When you square off your corners, you have to shout (sound off) "Go Navy, sir!" or "Beat Army, Sir!". So, in a typical day of a plebe, they think about the rivalry 20-30 times.

This is the purest of football games as are their games with Air Force. These are TRUE student athletes who are not serving as minor league teams for the NFL.

Many things seemed bigger and more imposing when we're young, and the Army/Navy game is no different.

I went to the game in 1971 along with 100,000 other people at the old Municipal Stadium in Philly. Bench seats, shoulder to shoulder and cold. I was in awe of the Cadets and Midshipman standing in uniform like they were one entity. Since we got our tickets from my friends retired Navy father I was a Navy fan from then on.

Back then they used wooden goal posts made from 1 x 6's so they were easily torn down. Being two 15 year olds my friend and I ran into the post game melee and I got a piece of the treasure. I still have it today. I don't remember the exact date but I wrote that and the score (Navy 11 - Army 7)on the cheap piece of wood and stashed it away. Brings back great memories every time I see.

I was also at West Point for a game about 10 years ago. Beautiful area and beautiful buildings but you need a 3 day pass to walk up the mountain to the stadium from the parking lot, especially when you do it twice. Between 2 10 year olds and an 80 year old father I did just that. Getting my father on a golf cart around a quarter of the way up, then chasing the 10 yos up the rest of the way resulted in me at the stadium with the tickets still in the car. Down the hill I went, and too impatient to wait for the bus back up I walked up again.

The other major memory of that game was the cadet skydivers jumping out of a spec of a helicopter high above the stadium right on to the 50 yard line.

My hat is off to these dedicated young men and women who challenge themselves mentally and physically to attend these institutions.

One more thing. After watching the Army QB after the game I wish Army had won the game for the first time ever. Seeing the raw emotion pouring out of him was something I won't soon forget.

“but I wrote that and the score (Navy 11 - Army 7)”

I remember that game, my cousin was the QB for Navy at the time. He threw a pass for a 2 pt. conversion for the lead and everyone at my Grandparents house went nuts! Navy didn’t win many games back then. I remember going to watch a game at Penn State, they had Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell in the backfield, Franco was bigger than anyone on Navy’s team. I don’t remember the score but it was a blow out.

I also had another cousin attend Navy. I have always been a big fan and always have had the utmost respect for any one associated with any of the service academies.

I have never been to Army-Navy game in person and if I had a bucket list that would be a great item to put on it.

Both Navy and Army came up with non traditional looks that are sharp looking this year. The Navy helmet is real sharp looking. You have to look closely at the Army helmet. It features a map of the Ardennes region of Europe, the location of the Battle of the Bulge, while a black spade on the back pays tribute to the legendary 101st Airborne who played a key role in that counteroffensive.

Army helmet

Navy helmet