Totally understand, Mick. I was the same way as a kid and all the way through my time at CU - even as part of the Navy ROTC.
It all changed at power school (Dec. 1996) when Ms. NB96 and I hosted a game watch at our apt. for Army-Navy. Figured I'd show my buddies who'd attended the Academy how to do things right when watching a football game. Boy, was I wrong.
I mean we get turned inside out during CU-Nebraska but this was a whole different level. As the Academy guys watched the game, it was like their hearts got ripped out and fed to a rabid dog with each score. The emotion was something else, plus, it was a close game that Army won at the end and you'd swear someone had died. But then, like they talk about on TV how the players then go congratulate each other at the end and go salute each other's alma mater at the end of the game the mood became joyous again as everyone knows they are part of something greater than a football game.
Definitely changed my perspective. My kids get as wrapped up in this game as they do CU-Nebraska. It's on my bucket list to attend this game with my boys one day. Haven't been able to pull it off yet. Hope to some day.
Another interesting tidbit related to the game, we were out on deployment one time on the FLORIDA but were just tooling around in local Hawaiian op areas getting ready for an inspection. The CO (ASU NROTC guy) came to PD and we were able to get a stable enough feed that we watched the game on the mess decks - awesome.
Sorry for the diabtribe. Navy up 3-0 after an opening exchange of fumbles.
I read your post and arrived at a different conclusion than you.
You don't take CU v. nebraska seriously enough.
10-0 Navy on a long bomb. Guess they don't run all the time...
LOL Wally! Totally agree. The academy guys I worked with in my 7 years tended to be either the best in the ward room or the worst (and usually the latter).I'm kind of with you Mick, but I try to care about it. Look, I don't give a **** about the idots who went to the academies. I work with them all of the time, and as people I like to hang out with, they tend to rank only slightly higher than nebraska grads (with a few very notable expceptions, who happen to be close friends--from the academy, that is).
However, if you look at what college football is supposed to be about (at least in my mind), this fits the bill. It's a bunch of guys, who are actually fairly smart and study very, very hard and who also know they're not going to get that NFL contract at the end of college. Many would have gotten into the academies without football (only slightly reduced entry requirements for athletes as I understand it, they still need to get 1100 SATs and they aren't given any special favors in class), and are playing the game because they love it.
And it's my observation that in the last decade, the service academies are actually fielding much better teams than they were in the 90s. It's not nearly as painful to watch as it once was.
I'm kind of with you Mick, but I try to care about it. Look, I don't give a **** about the idots who went to the academies. I work with them all of the time, and as people I like to hang out with, they tend to rank only slightly higher than nebraska grads (with a few very notable expceptions, who happen to be close friends--from the academy, that is).