This last Wednesday – YHC subjected 5 PAX to as much Army/Navy knowledges as possible to include into a workout. It wasn’t strenuous (YHC had a lot to share), but it was wet and it was fun to share something so strong in culture YHC grew up in. My dad taught at the Naval Academy from 1983 to 1992, I grew up playing soccer on Hospital Point, running over the footbridge after our games to watch the Mids march out to Memorial Stadium. Army/Navy is the purest college rivalry – the truest in every sense. It’s not regional, it’s not for conference championships, it rarely features NFL or Heisman Prospects (Keenan Reynolds should have been nominated…)
Cadets at West Point and Midshipmen at USNA are broken down from day one freshman year and maybe the 2nd or 3rd thing they are taught in their fragile new state of mind – Beat Army or Beat Navy. It doesn’t matter if you go to a Bowl Game, it doesn’t matter your rushing yards stats for the season, it doesn’t matter how you fare against Power 5 schools or cupcake D-IA games; what matters is the last game of the year: the only game played the second Saturday in December. The only rivalry that WAITS for the other rivalries to play.
This workout was YHC’s attempt at sharing fun facts about Army/Navy historically and recently. YHC has a strong Navy bias, admittedly, but YHC tried to make sure it was balanced. Plus – after the fact – Army won this year, if they win one more – that will be 3 in a row and that will be a big deal.
Warm Up
Good Morning (modified for form week – chest out, hinge at your hips, go slow), Willie Mays Hayes, SSH, LBAC
The Thang:
Throughout the Workout: Pushups for Points
7 perfect merkins at a time. (Or whatever the Q decides to run up the score)
All service academies’ freshmen (aka Plebes) do pushups for every point scored. This is not addition, if your team has 7, you push 7. If they jump to 14, you do 14 more. Hopefully it adds up.
13th Company Run – Indian Run around the main parking lot with a kettlebell – last man carries the weight until it’s time for him to run to the front, then hands it to the new last man.
This is honor of the 13th Company at West Point and USNA that run their team’s respective game ball to the stadium every year.
Prisoner Exchange
At halftime of Army/Navy – the junior classmen that have been selected for the Service Academy Transfer program participate in a formal Prisoner Exchange on the 50-Yard Line. The Midshipmen Brigade Commander and the Corps of Cadets Commander act as representatives of their schools. At the end of the exchange, it is a mad dash for the Cadets and Mids to run back to their student section and be received back into their school. It is usually the second biggest moment of the game (after the singing of the Alma Maters).
Partner up! One does Prisoner Squats, while the other BTTW. 15x flapjack and repeato
Free 19 count
We introduced the number 19 to the fold. In the 80s, a Midshipman from 19th company and an Admiral’s daughter (she was snuck up into Bancroft Hall illegally) were locked in his room by his classmates as a prank, via “penny-ing” the door frame shut. She freaked out and the Admiral was understandably embarrassed and pissed. The 19th Company was banned from attending Army/Navy that year. Midshipmen and Cadets alike protested with signs “FREE 19!” which has become the 19th Co Motto.
Squids and Woops
Monkey Humpers and Boat Canoe rotations.
Sqids = derogatory term for Midshipmen. Cause it sounds like Mid, and it’s an animal that lives in the water.
Woops = derogatory term for Cadets. The Wizard of Oz was originally set to film at West Point before the Army canceled last minute. The set and costume designer decided to model the Wicked Witch of the West’s castle after USMA and the Flying Monkey’s uniforms after Cadet’s grey coats. As Army marches on to the field – Navy fans mimic the Flying Monkey’s “Wooooop! Woop! Woop!”
Zoomers = Air Force kids. They look like bus drivers. Bless their hearts.
60-50-7 Record – Derkins, Dips, Erkins
Mosey to the front of the school to review the all time record.
6 PAX x 10 Slow Count Dips = 60 Wins for Navy
6 PAX x 9 slow count Derkins = 50ish wins for Army (YHC recognizes that this basically gave Army the win on Saturday…)
7 slow count Erkins for the seven ties on record.
Mary
LBC, Superman, Heels to Heaven on the super wet parking lot to close it out.
CoT and Prayer –
Biggest benefit form Wednesday’s workout – Chubbs confirmed he has a contact at West Point that can get us tickets to the game next year. Sounds like a great 2nd F event, we’ll Ruck around Philly as well, just to make it count! HC for Army/Navy 2018!