Many troops saw Super Bowl, but no commercials
February 9th, 2010 | Haiti Marine Corps | Posted by Daniel Lamothe
Drew Brees challenges his teammates Sunday during Super Bowl XLIV. --Associated Press Photo
So, what was your favorite Super Bowl commercial? The bizarre Denny’s chickens freaking out? The Megan Fox lovefest? The increasingly bizarre Bud Light commercials that air every year?
Plenty of U.S. service members were unable to watch the game Sunday night due to operational commitments, but even those who did in many cases missed the commercials, which have their own little place in American culture.
Take the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which returned to its ships after completing earthquake relief work in Haiti and watched the game on Armed Forces Network, which airs public service announcements instead of rotting brains by airing commercials featuring flying Dorito ninja stars.
The MEU, based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., posted semi-frantic updates on Facebook and Twitter about their quest to watch the game. First came this at 5:17 p.m. Sunday:
USS Nassau resupply complete – Marines and Sailors hoing signal comes back so we can watch Super Bowl
“Well, good for you guys!” supporters said. Then came this update at 6:30 — kickoff time.
So we have a signal!!!
Bingo! Good news! And then came another update that many civilians wouldn’t have expected at 7:23 p.m.:
Worst part of the SUper Bowl on ship – we don’t get to see any of the real commercials
Capt. Robert Shuford, a spokesman deployed with the unit, confirmed all those details in an e-mail to AfterAction.
“AFN does not play commercials but fills that time with different types of public service announcements,” he said.
The Super Bowl, it stands to reason, is probably the one piece of programming all year in which troops might actually miss watching the advertisements. On the upside, the MEU did post this update on Facebook after someone asked them if they sang along with The Who, who performed during halftime.
We did get to sing, and powerslide – Alot of Marines and Sailors are participating in ship’s activities for game
20 assists in 2 games = player of the week
February 9th, 2010 | Basketball Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Navy's O.J Avworo takes a shot during the Midshipmen's 62-56 win over Army last month. (Tom Brown/ Staff)
Navy has run off two consecutive Patriot League victories, and their offense has been on fire in each of the wins. Junior guard O.J. Avworo has been the catalyst of the Mids’ attack, and his ability to create and put points on the board earned him the first Patriot League Player of the Week honors of his career yesterday.
Avworo had double-doubles in each of Navy’s victories: 14 points and 10 assists in a 100-91 win over Colgate and 17 points and 10 assists in a 81-79 win over Bucknell. It’s the first time in Navy history that a player has recorded consecutive double-doubles in points and assists.
Avworo has had 10 assists in a game three times this season. He’s averaging 5.5 assists per game, which puts him 27th in the nation in that category. Avworo has also been more aggressive shooting the ball from the outside lately, making the slashing guard even more of an offensive threat.
The two wins in a row by Navy put the Mids’ record closer to the .500 mark at 11-12. But more importantly, Navy is now 5-3 in the Patriot, tied for second place with Lafayette with six regular season games to go. Next up for the Mids is a trip to first-place Lehigh on Wednesday. Navy beat Lehigh 94-83 at home in January in the second-highest scoring output for the Midshipmen this season.
Air Force Academy loses to TCU
February 8th, 2010 | Air Force Basketball | Posted by Alan Lessig
Air Force guard Michael Lyons (14) grabs a rebound between TCU guards Kevin Butler (24) and Garlon Green (33) in the second half of TCU’s 65-51 win Saturday at the Air Force Academy’s Clune Arena. Air Force’s record is now 9-13. (AP Photo/The Gazette, Kevin Kreck)
Stann loses in unanimous decision at UFC 109
February 7th, 2010 | Marine Corps Mixed martial arts | Posted by Phil Creed
Brian Stann was stopped by former All-American wrestler Phil Davis at UFC 109.
Sounds like it was a tough night for Brian Stann on Saturday at UFC 109.
The former Marine officer squared off against Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis in Las Vegas and apparently got dominated by the wrestling specialist for much of the bout, losing a 30-27 unanimous decision.
I didn’t catch the fight, which apparently replayed during the pay-per-view lineup because the UFC’s need to fill time after a quicker-than-expected fight between Matt Serra and Frank Trigg. But most commentators and bloggers indicated that Davis was especially impressive in his UFC debut, using his ground skills to get Stann, more of a stand-up fighter, in bad positions on the mat for much of the fight.
Stann was gracious in defeat, and gave his Twitter followers two updates already since the fight:
tough night, phil did great, I am still standing tall and will be back, thank you all for your support!
Later, Stann invoked his Marine brothers and again vowed to keep his head up and continue fighting:
no matter how bad the beating we stand tall and move fwd, hanging my head would disgrace my men who sacrficed everything in battle …
Stann’s professional MMA record drops 8-3, and the loss made him 2-2 since joining the UFC. The Naval Academy grad will likely have to go back to the drawing board following this loss, which came against an opponent with only four pro fights under his belt and who was making his UFC debut. Stann’s ground game, always the weaker part of his skill set, was exploited by Davis and will need to improve dramatically, according to observers.
Brian Stann fighting tonight at UFC 109 …
February 6th, 2010 | Marine Corps Mixed martial arts | Posted by Phil Creed
… but don’t order the pay-per-view event if you’re only interested in seeing him. Because Stann’s fight isn’t likely to be shown.
The preliminary fights will be televised for free on Spike TV starting at 9 p.m. ET. As of right now, Stann’s fight with Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis isn’t scheduled to be shown then, nor on the main PPV event starting at 10 p.m.
UFC 109’s main event features Randy Couture, a former soldier, and Mark Coleman. The two longtime MMA vets will square off in a light heavyweight non-title fight.
This is Stann’s fourth fight in the UFC since joining last year. The Silver Star recipient and former Marine officer has won two straight fights. Davis, a national champion wrestler in college while at Penn State, is making his UFC debut. He’s 4-0 as a professional, while Stann is 8-2.
Pictures of the day: Fired up Indian soldiers
February 6th, 2010 | After Action | Posted by Phil Creed
An Indian army soldier displays his martial art skills at the celebration of Corps of Signals' 99th Corps Day, in New Delhi on Feb. 6. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan)
Another Taekwondo demonstration by the Indian army. Hope the guy on the left's fingers are okay. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan)
National Signing Day, Academy style
February 5th, 2010 | Air Force Army Football Navy | Posted by Mike Hoffman
It comes as no surprise that none of the Academy football teams ended up on ESPN, Sports Illustrated or any of the recruiting Web sites’ top-50 football recruiting class lists.
Convincing a four- or five-star recruit to commit to a school that comes with a five-year military service commitment isn’t easy. Yet Navy and Air Force continue to find themselves playing in bowl games at the end of every season, thanks in part to the ability of their coaching staffs to identify talented players who are also cut out for military life.
It’s tough to even figure out who the academies have recruited. If not for the work of some of the team’s local beat writers, boosters and alums would have to wait, because the schools can’t release their recruits’ names until Congress announces the students they have appointed.
Below are links to the most comprehensive lists that we could find. They were put together by Jake Schaller of the Colorado Springs Gazette, Bill Wagner of the Annapolis Capitol and GoBlackKnights.com. Sal Interdonato at the Times Record also has some of the best coverage on Army’s recruiting list, but we couldn’t find a list of recruits on their site. Read the rest of this entry »
AF vet hoping to help Saints win trophy named after grandfather
February 5th, 2010 | Air Force Football | Posted by Phil Creed
New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi, right, works with quarterbacks Mark Brunell, center, and Drew Brees, left, during practice Feb. 4. Lombardi played football for the Air Force Academy in the 1990s. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Turns out the Air Force Academy has a connection to the Super Bowl XLIV.
Former Air Force officer Joe Lombardi is the quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints. Lombardi played tight end and was a three-time letter winner at the Air Force Academy. He graduated in 1994 and began his coaching career two years later at the University of Dayton while he was stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force base, according to a USA TODAY column.
The most interesting part of Lombardi’s story, however, is his connection to the trophy that the Saints and Colts are playing for Sunday. Joe Lombardi is the grandson of legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. The fact that a family Lombardi family member has a chance to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy is obviously one of the most unique aspects of Sunday’s game, and it’s been one of the biggest stories this week.
Veterans in the Super Bowl
February 5th, 2010 | Football | Posted by Phil Creed
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rocky Bleier won four Super Bowls in the 1970s after being seriously wounded in Vietnam in 1969. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)
While discussing former sailor Kyle Eckel’s return appearance to the Super Bowl, a co-worker asked me: How many guys who’ve played in the Super Bowl have also served in the military?
All I could think of the top of my head were legendary Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, Rocky Bleier, the Steelers running back who returned to play after being wounded in Vietnam, Chad Hennings, the Cowboys defensive lineman who flew A-1os in the Air Force, and Paul Hornung, the Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer who almost missed the 1961 NFL championship game because of his duty in the Army Reserve.
After doing some research, here’s the list of Super Bowl vets I came up with so far. It’s probably woefully incomplete, so let me know who I’m missing:
Eckel still mum about getting booted from the Navy
February 3rd, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Kyle Eckel runs over an Air Force player during a 2003 game. ( Navy photo / JO1 Mark Faram)
Is it time for Kyle Eckel to come clean?
Yesterday at Super Bowl Media Day, CBSSports.com columnist Gregg Doyel caught up with the New Orleans Saints fullback and former Naval Academy star. Doyel asked Eckel the obvious question: Why aren’t you still in the Navy?
Eckel, of course, was kicked out of the Navy in 2006 after less than two years on active duty. The Navy wouldn’t tell us why back then, and Doyel had no luck getting info from them either. When previously interviewed, Eckel himself has never offered any real insight into the issue.
Here’s what Eckel had to say to Doyel yesterday:
Again, I asked. It happened Tuesday when I got him alone at Super Bowl Media Day.
“No,” Eckel said — politely — when I asked him to tell me about his exit from the Navy. “No?” I said back to Eckel. “That’s it? ‘No’?”
“Right,” he told me — polite as can be. “No.”
The closest a reporter has come to getting to the bottom of Eckel’s record might be the Boston Globe’s Bob Hohler in his 2007 piece “Troubled Waters.” In it, Hohler outlines the trouble Eckel came across during his days at the Academy and after he graduated.
Judging by the comments on this blog and Doyel’s column, certain active-duty and former service members clearly loathe Eckel. Some folks don’t think this blog should even mention his NFL accomplishments, and a lot of folks aren’t happy to see him having a good time as a radio intern and playing in another Super Bowl.