Webster
The Red Tarheel
I was just thinking(...... 
.......), the 2008 college football season is about to begin and I thought, what is the best rivalry out there? I could think of a few off hand(Florida/Tennessee, Florida/Fla.St., USC/UCLA, Michigan/Ohio St., Clemson/S.Carolina, Stanford/Cal, etc.) but IMO the best rivalry in all of college football happens at the very end of the season........... the Black Knights of Army vs. the Midshipmen of Navy(a/k/a Army vs. Navy).
Now, why Army vs. Navy?
(1)its' one of the biggest rivalries in college football, period; every year, these two service academies square off for bragging rights throughout the year(case in point....Navy has won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy the past five years..... ) and always draws a packed house wherever its' played(past sites have included Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Giants Stadium @ the Meadowlands and M & T Bank Stadium in Baltimore)
(2)the rivalry btwn. Army and Navy is intense, to the point where practical jokes have been played agst. the rivals' mascots; throughout the year, players live and breathe their respective mottos, whether its' "Beat Army!" or "Beat Navy!"
(3)finally, it is probably one of the few somber rivalries in sports.....the reason being that, for the seniors on each team, unless their teams' are headed to a bowl game, it is their final football game before graduation and their respective service commitment. Making things more somber is the fact that, since there are wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ongoing at present, there is the chance that some of those seniors playing might not return from their service commitments.......
There might be a few more reasons, but I think those will suffice......oh, and in case you're wondering who I pull for every year.....................
GO NAVY!!! BEAT ARMY!!!!
.......), the 2008 college football season is about to begin and I thought, what is the best rivalry out there? I could think of a few off hand(Florida/Tennessee, Florida/Fla.St., USC/UCLA, Michigan/Ohio St., Clemson/S.Carolina, Stanford/Cal, etc.) but IMO the best rivalry in all of college football happens at the very end of the season........... the Black Knights of Army vs. the Midshipmen of Navy(a/k/a Army vs. Navy). Now, why Army vs. Navy?
(1)its' one of the biggest rivalries in college football, period; every year, these two service academies square off for bragging rights throughout the year(case in point....Navy has won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy the past five years.....
) and always draws a packed house wherever its' played(past sites have included Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Giants Stadium @ the Meadowlands and M & T Bank Stadium in Baltimore)(2)the rivalry btwn. Army and Navy is intense, to the point where practical jokes have been played agst. the rivals' mascots; throughout the year, players live and breathe their respective mottos, whether its' "Beat Army!" or "Beat Navy!"
(3)finally, it is probably one of the few somber rivalries in sports.....the reason being that, for the seniors on each team, unless their teams' are headed to a bowl game, it is their final football game before graduation and their respective service commitment. Making things more somber is the fact that, since there are wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ongoing at present, there is the chance that some of those seniors playing might not return from their service commitments.......
There might be a few more reasons, but I think those will suffice......oh, and in case you're wondering who I pull for every year.....................
GO NAVY!!! BEAT ARMY!!!!
