Navy Owns Army, But They Both Belong to All of Us

Navy beat Army once again on Saturday in Philadelphia. These teams have played 110 times. This game, unlike the rest of college football is so very unique.

That is because it belongs to all of us.

Those were our Midshipmen and our Cadets facing each other at Lincoln Financial Field.

Those were our Midshipmen beating our Cadets, 17-3.

It has been an honor to watch more than 50 of these meetings between the team from Annapolis and the team from West Point. It becomes part of your being when you spend your formative years in Annapolis and log more than a couple of thousand hours at the Academy, watching sports, mingling with the middies, absorbing all that is so very good about a service academy.

Army fought its heart out and held a 3-0 hafltime lead. But Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs, a special player, led his team to an opening drive touchdown to start the third quarter and Navy never looked back.

What was so different about this game is that the commercials were great to watch. Commercials for the Army and the Navy. Good enough to make any young person want to perhaps explore a future in the service. And that is an honorable undertaking.

This wasn't the most exciting game you'd ever see, but there was great spirit on the field and in those stands.

The spirit of future warriors was there for us all to see. For many, it was their final football game, ever.

They'll go on to be military leaders, soldiers and sailors who will serve us, all of us. They will fight for us, protect the freedom and interests of this great country.

From those 50 games these eyes have seen, some of those players have died serving this country.

Hopefully, none of these players will have to make the ultimate sacrifice. Hopefully they will serve, survive then grow old to tell their children and grandchildren about those wonderful days when they played at Annapolis or West Point.

Those who played and those in the stands who are classmates, are our nation's finest.

Today we honor them. All of them.

Go Navy! Go Army!