Another Opening, Another Show

That's the Brigade of Midshipmen, mustered in T-Court behind the Navy Band.  In just a few moments, the drum major will lift his mace and they will begin their march to the stadium to the familiar refrain of "Anchors Aweigh."

The annual pagaent that is Navy football in Annapolis has begun.

The opponent on this beautiful but somber Saturday, September 11th, is Georgia Southern.  The game is informally referred to as the "Paul Johnson Bowl" because the former Navy coach  was instrumental in scheduling the meeting between the two schools where he taught the triple option offense.

Tecumsah was decked in patriotic flair.  I've seen him whimsically painted as Elvis and even Bart Simpon, but on this anniversary date, his flag motif seems just right.

Although there's nothing like the experience in the stands at Navy Marine Corps stadium (or the revelry of the tailgates before.) I left before kickoff so I could watch the game at my favorite City Dock spot -- corner stool at corner establishment one block from the Academy.

This has nothing to do with comfort or convenience, mind you.  Truth is, even after seven years of the triple option offense, I can't figure out where the ball is or where it came from without having a commentator explain.  Replays and drawings also help.  With both Navy and Georgia Souther running the triple, I would really be lost without an interpreter.  So my premier spot in front of the flatscreen provided me with all the color and excitement to go along with a birds-eye view of the elusive football.

(NOTE:  This year, the coverage is even better, thanks to the new tower and media platform erected during the off-season.)

And yes, I get to be a part of the home team rooting section because there is always a posse from this "Class of" or that "USS" crew clustered around me.  As I've said many times before -- Navy football is a huge boon to the hospitality community in Annapolis every weekend they play at home.

Yesterday was not an easy win for Navy.  Their triple option trained counterparts were not as easy to baffle as some other opponents, and it ended up with the defense being the heroes of the day.  But by the time I left, the fans were trickling back to town, ready to continue their celebration.  The flag in Memorial Circle was still flying at half staff, as was the flag at Bancroft Hall (above)  The cost of freedom, and the price paid by many graduates of the Naval Academy, was never far from anyone's mind, even on this joyous and beautiful September day in Annapolis.