Falcons Coach Troy Calhoun: Tweet this!
August 31st, 2010 | After Action Air Force Army Football Navy | Posted by Mike Hoffman
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Don’t expect Air Force football coach Troy Calhoun to be confined to 140 characters.
He told the Colorado Springs Gazette that, unlike other Mountain West coaches, he will not start his own Twitter account, but he will not ban his players from starting their own. The Air Force football team has its own Twitter account, although @AFFalcons is leaving its 17 followers wanting more with only 19 tweets in the past year.
Army football coach Rich Ellerson has his own Twitter account, but someone might want to tell him. @RichEllerson has 12 followers, even though he has yet to tweet once. We’re waiting, Rich.
Navy Coach Ken Niumatalolo is sitting on the sidelines along with Calhoun. @TripleOptionSailorBoy is still an available handle. Just saying…
Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs doesn’t have a handle, which is absurd considering @MagicMan4 is open. However, @DobbsForHeisman is “the resource for the Completely Unofficial Ricky Dobbs Heisman Campaign,” with 168 followers.
Anyone have any suggestions for Calhoun’s handle if he ever caves? Leave suggestions in the comment section below.
CBSSports.com’s Navy preview
August 30th, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Because you know you’re dying to hear Jason Sehorn’s take on the Midshipmen:
NFL dream flickers for service academy alums
August 30th, 2010 | Air Force Army Football | Posted by Mike Hoffman
Army 1st Lt. Chad Campbell has one preseason game left to prove he's an NFL linebacker. (Getty Images)
It started out with so much promise. Air Force 1st Lt. Chad Hall peppered the highlight shows hauling down long passes as Philadelphia Eagles coaches lavished praise on one of three service academy alums competing in NFL training camps this summer.
However, the harsh reality of the NFL is starting to catch up to the three lieutenants now that most NFL teams have finished three preseason games and coaches have to make hard decisions over who will end up on their 53-man rosters. Right now, it doesn’t look too good for Hall, Army 1st Lt. Caleb Campbell and Air Force 2nd Lt. Ben Garland. Slots on the practice squad look like the best case scenario.
First, you can pull Garland out of the equation immediately. The standout defensive end who graduated from the Air Force Academy last year has to serve two years before he can apply for early release from his active-duty commitment. The real question for Garland will be if he accepts a pilot slot, which would add on five years to his service commitment and likely end his NFL dreams.
Hall and Campbell are the ones with the most riding on their summer NFL performances. This is their shot. If they don’t at least make a practice squad, they return to active duty.
Another watch list for Army’s Josh McNary
August 29th, 2010 | Army Football | Posted by Phil Creed
The respect just keeps rolling in for Army defensive end Josh McNary, who set both the Army single-season and career sack records last season. The senior has been named to the Lombardi Award watch list, which “goes annually to the college football lineman — offense or defense — who, in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the discipline of Vince Lombardi,” according rotarylombardiaward.com.
In 2009, McNary had 12.5 sacks, giving him 18 total during his Black Knight career. Last year’s Lombardi Award winner was Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh, the second overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft.
During this offseason, McNary has already been named to watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Lott Trophy.
Navy has two players on the Lombardi watch list: junior defensive end Jabari Tuani and senior offensive tackle Jeff Battipaglia. For the full 2010 Lombardi watch list, click here.
Chad Hall appears to be losing ground in fight for Eagles roster spot
August 29th, 2010 | Air Force Football | Posted by Phil Creed
Air Force Lt. Chad Hall had unspectacular performance for the Philadelphia Eagles during their 20-17 win against Kansas City on Friday. It’s the second preseason game in a row in which Hall has failed to stand out, bad news for a player considered to be a longshot to make the Eagles 53-man roster.
Hall had no catches in the game against the Chiefs, and just five yards on two punt returns. A week ago against Cincinnati, Hall had two catches for only nine yards. And after getting two carries as a running back in the Eagles first preseason game, Hall has not had a chance to carry the ball since.
Local sportswriters are starting to speculate that he may be the odd man out in the battle for one of Philly’s wide receiver roster spots.
“He was a nice story for a little while in camp but I think it’s safe to say Chad Hall won’t make the roster,” DelawareOnline.com’s Geoff Mosher wrote Sunday. “His best value is in the return game but he didn’t show enough to make anyone think DeSean Jackson should take a seat to him. As for being a slot receiver, the Eagles don’t need him there badly enough to keep a roster spot for him.”
The Trentonian’s Bob Grotz also predicts Hall will not be picked for the last wide receiver spot.
The Eagles have relied solely on Hall as a punt returner so far in preseason, but the little lieutenant hasn’t been able to break out a big play. Making thing harder for Hall is that, barring injury, starting wide receiver DeSean Jackson is considered one of the more dangerous punt return men in the NFL. Jackson has been banged up in the preseason, and many teams are wary of using a #1 receiver as a punt returner because of the punishment players take in that role. But Jackson’s injuries don’t sound too serious, and it doesn’t sound like Hall has done enough in the return game for Philly to keep him solely to catch punts.
Two weeks ago Hall’s performance in Philadelphia’s first preseason game briefly made him the buzz of Eagles training camp. But going into the final week of the preseason, there may be little he can do to improve his stock. Teams have to cut down to 75 players by Aug. 31, with final cuts coming on Sept. 4. If he can make it past Tuesday’s roster trimming, he’ll have one more chance to shine when the Eagles play the Jets on Thursday.
Enjoying high school football, even in Afghanistan
August 25th, 2010 | Afghanistan Army Football | Posted by Phil Creed
Maj. Roy Nickerson's son, Alex, about to kick an extra point during his first varsity football game.
Sometimes it takes awhile to realize how lucky you are. When I played high school football, my father never missed a single game in four years. My four brothers also played high school football, and of all their games, he missed just one. Years later, he can tell you exactly which son’s game he missed, when it occurred and who the other team was.
It took me years to understand that this was more than just a show of dedication and support by my father. Seeing us play in these games really meant a ton to him, far beyond wins or losses or playing time.
So when I received the e-mail below from After Action special correspondent Maj. Roy Nickerson, it struck a nerve. You see, Maj. Nickerson is currently serving in Afghanistan with his unit in the 101st Airborne. Turns out his 15-year-old son, Alex, a punter and kicker for Adair County High School in Kentucky,was playing in his first varsity game last week. Roy Nickerson, obviously, was not able to see his son’s big moment.
It’s a harsh reality similar to what hundreds, if not thousands of deployed troops go through on a regular basis. While they’re out fighting the bad guys, they have to miss their daughter’s first day of kindergarten, their son’s first little league hit, their brother’s college graduation, or in Roy’s case, his son’s first varsity football game. It’s one of the many sacrifices deployed troops make for the rest of us – missing the moments in their family’s lives that we sometimes to take for granted.
Maj. Roy Nickerson
But thanks to internet, the major had the next-best thing to actually being in Kentucky to see his son play: He was able to listen to a streamed broadcast of the game live online. Here’s Maj. Nickerson’s account, which perfectly tells the story of a proud father using technology to make the best of a tough situation:
“We berate technology when it stops working and subsequently our relatively convenient lives become a little harder. Tonight, though, technology by way of the internet allowed me to experience a little of my son’s high school football game. I woke early to listen to the Friday night matchup via streaming audio pumped out by the local radio station where he lives.
The broadcast was first-rate. The commentators were fantastic, obviously veterans of the local high school sports scene. They kept the analysis lively with personal stories and colorful anecdotes about the boys on the field and talked here and there about past heroes. The interspersed commercials advertising small-town restaurants, small-engine repair shops, and local banks reminded me of my youth growing up in Kentucky.
I closed my eyes and I was transported to a high school football field on a hot, muggy Friday night in Central Kentucky. I chewed my nails and imagined the folksy pageantry of the first game of the season versus a neighboring county rival. Through my headphones, I could faintly hear the rhythmic chants of the cheerleaders and the occasional yell of an angry father or a screeching complaint of a mother. I might as well have been sitting right next to them. I noted the boys my son is friends with, some of whom I’ve met, others I know only through their funny Facebook status updates and the pictures they post. Man, they get bigger every year!
Most of all, though, I thought about my son— a sophomore starting his first varsity football game. I wondered how nervous and excited he must have been despite his perpetually calm outward demeanor. I wondered if he realized I was there in the stands as proud as any of the other parents watching. Thank God for high school football. Thank Him even more for the internet to hear a game all the way in Afghanistan.”
For the record, Alex and his team won the opener 20-19.
Golden Knight gets stuck on flagpole at Texas Rangers game
August 25th, 2010 | Army Baseball | Posted by Phil Creed
There’s something about the Ballpark in Arlington this season.
The latest incident at Arlington involved a member of the prestigious Army Golden Knights, who had the unfortunate luck of getting caught up in the flagpole last night as he parachuted into the stadium before the Texas Rangers- Minnesota Twins game. The soldier, who has not been identified, was not injured.
The incident was caught on video by a fan and posted immediately to YouTube.
To echo the concern of a fan on the video, I hope this guy doesn’t lose his job.
The Golden Knight incident is only the latest bizarre/darkly comical thing to happen at a Rangers game this season. In July, a fan fell from the upper deck in Arlington — and somehow survived — while trying to catch a foul ball during a game against the Cleveland Indians. And earlier this week at a game against the Twins, a photographer snapped this classic picture of a fan taking a foul ball to the face.
All things considered, the Golden Knight is by far the luckiest of the group.
NCIS reports online threat at “Romo’s Bitch”
August 23rd, 2010 | After Action | Posted by Mike Hoffman
Ensign Steve Crowston, a limited duty officer with Strike Fighter Squadron 136, filed a complaint with the naval inspector general, saying the call sign his squadron chose for him amounted to “workplace harassment.”
The story about a Naval ensign receiving the call sign “Romo’s Bitch” took a violent turn last week. It was hard for Washington Redskins or Philadelphia Eagles fans not to make jokes, but any laughing stopped last week when Ensign Steve Crowston reported receiving an online threat on an unofficial naval aviation blog, airwarriors.com.
A photo of a near-naked man tied to a “Tree of Woe” with the caption, “Send the Fagmiester back to the Goatlocker. We’ll take care of him/her/it …” was posted on the blog, which has since been taken down. Naval Criminal Investigative Services told Navy Times reporter William McMichael that it is considering opening a full-scale felony investigation.
The name “Fagmeister” was one of many derogatory call signs Crowston’s former unit, Strike Fighter Squadron 136 at Oceana Naval Air Station, Va., considered before settling on “Romo’s Bitch.” Crowston’s favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys, whose quarterback is Tony Romo.
Check out the rest of the story at Navy Times.
Navy won’t start season in AP Top 25
August 22nd, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Not a big surprise here. Despite appearing in a bunch of unofficial Top 25 lists this summer, Navy did not make the Associated Press’ preseason Top 25. The Midshipmen did receive 12 votes, which I guess makes them 38th overall.
Defending champion Alabama is first (yawn), while Ohio State is second (quiet yawn made while falling into semi-consciousness). Thankfully Boise State in 3rd place and TCU in 6th liven up a Top 10 full of predictable BCS powerhouses. Oh wait, you mean Nebraska’s back? That’s really zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Please, please, please let Boise or TCU (sorry, Air Force fans) throw a wrench into this coming bowl season.
In somewhat Navy-related news, former Mid coach Paul Johnson’s triple-option runnin’ Georgia Tech squad is ranked 16th.
Here’s the full list:
1. Alabama (54)
2. Ohio St. (3)
3. Boise St. (1)
4. Florida
5. Texas (1)
6. TCU
7. Oklahoma (1)
8. Nebraska
9. Iowa
10. Virginia Tech
11. Oregon
12. Wisconsin
13. Miami
14. Southern Cal
15. Pittsburgh
16. Georgia Tech
17. Arkansas
18. North Carolina
19. Penn St.
20. Florida St.
21. LSU
22. Auburn
23. Georgia
24. Oregon St.
25. West Virginia
Others receiving votes: Cincinnati 108, Stanford 81, Utah 80, South Carolina 71, Houston 66, Connecticut 32, Notre Dame 31, Missouri 27, BYU 19, Arizona 15, Clemson 15, Texas Tech 14, Navy 12, Washington 8, Texas A&M 7, Mississippi 6, Oklahoma St. 3, Cent. Michigan 2, Middle Tennessee 2, Temple 2, Boston College 1, SMU 1, UCF 1.
Paper: Army QB had honor code violation, expected to play in opener
August 20th, 2010 | Army Football | Posted by Phil Creed
Army quarterback Trent Steelman had an unspecified honor code violation recently, but is expected to start the season with the rest of the Black Knights on Sept. 4 at Eastern Michigan, according to a report by the Times Herald-Record.
A cadet honor board recommended discretion for the violation, rather than separation, the paper said.
“To be honest, it’s helped me on the field, just dealing with adversity because being put in that situation, it brings every type of challenge there is in life,” Steelman, a sophomore, told the paper. “For me to go through that, it did. It helped me grow as a person, a football player and a leader. We have to understand that it’s something bigger than football. That’s what it’s going to prepare us for being a leader when it counts the most.”
Steelman started every game at quarterback for West Point last season. Army coach Rich Ellerson told the paper that no team-enforced suspension is expected.
Read the full story here.