Why Navy Football Demands More Attention and Respect

They pass the ball about as often as you’ll find a bargain at Annapolis Mall. They're not a member of any conference and you’ll never be able to follow their standout players to the NFL. Nothing about the Navy football team screams “pay attention to me.”

But we should . The entire DMV should.

Even if Maryland was fairly decent at playing football and weren’t the object of the local media’s disdain, Navy has proven over the last five years a propensity for wins over ranked opponents , bowl appearances, and a style of football that is as entertaining as what your run-in-the-mill BCS crashers are putting out.

Not to mention these guys are veterans. This isn't to say that service in the armed forces should force athletic loyalties, but it should create a higher appreciation for athletes that take up the challenge of playing football, knowing that a crack at a professional career in the sport is slim to none.

Even if they are able to get a shot, it comes after the service obligation that financed their education and playing career.

Riding around various parts of Baltimore and Washington, you’re bound to see a few Navy football billboards. And that’s all well and good, except local media haven’t really framed Midshipmen football as the state’s best college football entertainment option.

Maybe independent mid-major football is not the biggest driver in newspaper and television media advertising, but it would be a feather in the cap of journalistic integrity.

Navy has remaining games against Hawaii and Army, with the latter game being one of the few times the nation pays attention to Midshipmen football in the name of patriotism.

There’s every reason not to do so, but when it comes to college football in this region, a little more patriotism may be a good thing.