Dressed in specially-designed camouflage helmets and uniforms, the Army football team had a difficult time with its passing game in the 34-0 loss to Navy in the 109th version of the classic rivalry. No wonder... with the receivers dressed in camo how could the quarterback see them down field? Laughing it up with The Mayor
You can always tell who the really cool guys are by the things they laugh at. A sense of humor, after all, is not a trait everyone possesses. In fact, humor affects everyone as differently as broccoli or Brussels sprouts.
Trust me, I know.
A good sense of humor, an easy affability and a hearty, Wilfred Brimley-esque laugh are like magic. They are like magnets that draw a crowd wherever they go or decide to hold court. On Saturday afternoon in the press box at Lincoln Financial Field during the Army-Navy game, Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter showed off an easy laugh and the knowledge to pick on an attempt at a joke.
Hey, who doesn’t like a guy like that?
So after deftly handling questions from some sports scribes on the future of the Army-Navy game in the city and its economic impact, Mayor Nutter was cornered by a smart-aleck (me) with a not-so serious question about the state of Philly sports.
“Mr. Mayor,” I asked earnestly. “Could you give me your thoughts on the championship drought in the city? We’re approaching 40 days without a title, and frankly, there are a lot of people ready for another parade. It's been long enough.”
Rather than give that all-too familiar curious look – kind of like when a dog sees itself in the mirror and just doesn’t know how to think or react – the mayor smiled and let loose with a boisterous and bawdy laugh.
Actually, Mayor Nutter has a tremendous laugh. It’s natural and easy. The “ha-has” come out loud and happy, but not obnoxious. It’s a genuine laugh that’s not forced or put on. The mayor is totally organic with the yucks and it feels good. Better yet, it comes with a good pound on the shoulder followed by another slap to the arm with his right hand. As he walks on to the next place he has to be (he is a busy guy, after all), the mayor leaves with a few quips of his own laughing that laugh the whole time.
“Ask me that if it takes another 25 years,” he said. “We’re doing OK these days.”
Shipping out?
As far as the future of the Army-Navy game in Philadelphia goes, Mayor Nutter said the city will be “aggressive” in its attempts to keep the game at Lincoln Financial Field after 2009.
As it stands, Philadelphia has bid against 2007 host Baltimore; East Rutherford, N.J.; Foxborough, Mass.; Landover, Md.; Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.
There’s only one natural choice amongst those cities, according to Nutter.
“People know that the Army-Navy game is a Philadelphia tradition and belongs in Philadelphia,” Nutter said. “Many of the folks who are in leadership positions now were in the service and came to the Army-Navy game in Philadelphia. They have brought their families and some of them, their children are in the stands right now, or are out on the field playing.”
Philadelphia has hosted 81 of the 109 Army-Navy games in four different stadiums (Franklin Field, JFK, the Vet and the Linc). New York City has hosted the classic 11 times with Baltimore and East Rutherford serving as the site of the game four times apiece.
The best reason for the Army-Navy game to stay at the Linc? How about all that cash.
“Over 50,000 vistors come to Philadelphia [and] every hotel in the city is sold out,” Nutter said. “There are more hotel rooms in downtown Philadelphia than [in] any other city that's trying to compete against us.”
Plus, excluding the occasional World Series game or NCAA Tournament stop, Army-Navy puts the fannies in the seats all over town.
“I think in terms of any one game, other than probably the World Series with the Phillies, I don't know that there's any ballgame that brings as many outsiders to Philadelphia, especially in terms of our hotel and restaurant activity,” Nutter said.
Funny ha-ha Speaking of funny, President George W. Bush showed up on Saturday for his third Army-Navy game during his presidency (no, that’s not the funny part) to mix with the Cadets and Midshipmen, give a pep talk to the ballclubs, and toss the coin before the game.
In that role, the President came through. Take a look:
But what is missing from the video was the President’s most stellar and genuinely humorous moment. As he was walking that walk of his out to midfield to deliver the coin toss, the President made a slight detour at the 30-yard line toward a ball teed up and ready to go for the opening kickoff. Suddenly, Bush approached the ball and in his best Lou “The Toe” Groza imitation, placed a black-shoed boot on one that fluttered 15 yards for a nearly perfect onside kick.
It’s a wonder he didn’t make a run after it to make the recovery.
The President, along with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, didn’t stick around to watch the entire game. Instead he returned to Air Force One at Philadelphia International to get back to his lame-ducking.
Ballot stuffing Navy senior Shun White was voted the MVP of the game on the strength of a 148 yards rushing on 13 carries and a pair of touchdown. One of those TDs came on a 65-yard dash in the opening quarter to give Navy a quick 7-0 lead.
But upon further examination of the media ballots on Saturday, one voter cast his tally for "that plucky (W)hite kid." Whether the "White" was meant as an adjective or proper noun is open for debate. Either way, it seemed to be the right call.
Along with White, Midshipman running back Eric Kettani carried the ball 24 times for 125 yards.
Look at the size of that thing…
Speaking of Air Force One, the aircraft buzzed over top of the Linc about two hours before game time giving the pre-game tailgaters a big eye full of the most famous plane in the world.
As people on the ground munched on burgers and hotdogs and fished beverages out of big coolers in the Wachovia Center parking lot, the giant machine with, “The United States of America” emblazoned on the entire length of its side lumbered over a few thousand feet over The Linc.
The thing was huge. As it dipped its wings and dived over South Philly on the way to the airport, the image of a flying tour bus came to mind. It was as if Bon Jovi put wings on the bus to get from gig to gig, only this was the President of the United States and his carbon footprint must look like a Sasquatch.
"Their helmets were kind of gross."
- Navy's Eric Kettani on Army's new camouflage uniforms