Sprint Cup Practice
April 27th, 2012 | Army NASCAR | Posted by Mike Morones
Race fans watch as Ryan Newman turns a lap in the #39 Army Chevrolet during practice for the Capital City 400 at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va. on April 27. (Mike Morones/Military Times)
I’m spending two days with the U.S. Army race team as they compete at Richmond International Raceway. I’ll also spend some time outside the track to check out the military presence in the lots and midway during a race weekend. Here are a few shots from today’s practice session. It’s relatively quiet at the track as far as crowds go but it’s still early. In the meantime the few fans interested in watching practice and qualifying appear to have their pick of seats. I’ll try to post some photos as things progress and time allows so check back for more throughout the weekend.
Ryan Newman drives the #39 Army Chevrolet during practice and qualifying for the Capital City 400 at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond International Raceway, Richmond on April 27. (Mike Morones/Military Times)
Friday football roundup: Army home schedule, Big East payoff, Military Bowl date set
April 27th, 2012 | Army Football Navy | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Michie Stadium under a blanket of snow before the Army-Fordham game Oct. 29. This season, every Army home game will start at noon -- and will be on national cable TV for those not braving the elements. (US Presswire photo by Danny Wild)
A few Friday updates, from kickoff times to TV money to a football with cartoon eyes:
1. Lunchtime football for Black Knights: Navy announced it’s home football schedule and TV plans earlier this week, and Army followed suit Thursday, putting out its plan for 12 p.m. kickoffs in all seven of its home games.
Like Navy, all Black Knights home contests will air on CBS Sports Network. That sets up service academy doubleheaders Sept. 29 (Army-Stony Brook, Navy-San Jose State), Nov. 3 (Army-Air Force, Navy-Florida Atlantic) and Nov. 17 (Army-Temple, Navy-Texas State). The rest of the Army home slate: Sept. 15 (Northern Illinois), Oct. 6 (Boston College), Oct. 13 (Kent State) and Oct. 27 (Ball State). The Nov. 3 Army-Air Force game had been set for Yankee Stadium, but a possible World Series conflict reportedly scuttled those plans and moved the game to Michie Stadium.
Army’s season begins Sept. 8 at San Diego State, time to be determined.
2. Speaking of TV: Still wondering how a move to the Big East might benefit Navy football? Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson gave a pretty good reason in a recent radio interview, saying each league member could pull in a TV contract worth $13 million. Navy’s pie slice would be smaller come 2015 because the Mids will be football-only members, but the school still would benefit from a potential bidding war between ESPN, Fox, NBC, CBS … heck, let’s throw in TBS for the fun of it. NBC is an especially attractive target thanks to its rebranding of the NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus) and integration with its Comcast sports properties.
The conference also could start its own network. Or the deal could be split, sending games to multiple channels. Just make sure your remote has batteries.
3. Winter bowling: Aside from its home slate, Army also knows where it’ll play if it finishes .500 or better — the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman will be Dec. 27 at RFK Stadium in Washington, according to a news release on the bowl’s website. Army will face a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference, unless there’s a repeat of the 2011 scheduling gymnastics that resulted in a service academy team that wasn’t originally scheduled (Air Force) facing a team from a conference that wasn’t originally scheduled (Toledo, out of the Mid-American). As always, follow @sgtstripesMB on Twitter for your latest Military Bowl news — we at After Action were worried about the sergeant until he chimed in with an NFL draft tweet late Thursday, but he’s back in business as one of the most popular photo-manipulation-generated football mascots around.
Former Army linebacker’s latest role: Star in the upcoming movie ‘Battleship’
April 26th, 2012 | Army Football | Posted by Phil Creed
College football player. Soldier. Actor.
Army Col. Greg Gadson has officially done it all.
For those not familiar with Gadson, he’s a West Point grad who played football at Army in the late 1980s. After getting his commission and becoming an artillery officer, he served in the Persian Gulf War and also deployed to Bosnia and Afghanistan.
In 2007, Gadson was nearly killed by an improvised explosive device in Iraq while serving as a battalion commander for the 2-32 Field Artillery. Gadson survived the blast, but he would ultimately lose both legs above the knee, in addition to sustaining serious head and arm injuries.
While rehabbing his wounds at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C., Gadson was asked to speak to the New York Giants before a game against the Redskins in the fall of 2007. Trailing at the half, the Giants came back and won, and receiver Plaxico Burress gave Gadson the football after catching the game-winning touchdown pass.
Gadson stayed close to the team and became an honorary captain for the Giants during their improbable run to the Super Bowl in January 2008. He’s since been a fixture with the Giants while continuing to serve on active duty and being an all-around inspirational figure.
Now the colonel has gone Hollywood, cast by director Peter Berg in the upcoming sci-fi blockbuster Battleship. Subway has posted three behind-the-scenes videos about Gadson’s acting debut. As you can see below, the colonel had some scenes that were quite physically demanding — including a fight with an alien — as well as scenes with Brooklyn Decker, which I’m guessing were much less stressful.
Tuesday link central: National Guard invades Kansas (race track), lots of Air Force football, Navy bowl update
April 24th, 2012 | Air Force Army Baseball Football NASCAR Navy | Posted by Kevin Lilley
The Kansas National Guard assisted in the demolition of the Kansas Speedway track after Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race. (AP photo by Orlin Wagner)
A handful of military-sports links for a Tuesday morning — weekend stuff you might’ve missed, some scheduling notes, and your typical mid-America military invasion (no, not this one):
1. Tank vs. track: When you absolutely, positively have to destroy a race track surface so it can be repaved and ready for a fall NASCAR Sprint Cup race, call in the National Guard. That’s what they did in Kansas on Sunday, using military equipment and know-how to break up the asphalt. As deployments go, you could do worse than the infield of a Sprint Cup race.
2. Falcon left behind: Missing from this video of President Obama honoring the Air Force Falcons football team at the White House on Monday is senior running back Asher Clark, who is not “meeting academy standards” and was not allowed to make the trip, according to this report. Clark stared 40 games over four seasons for the Falcons and is second on the all-time rushing list.
3. Better news from the sidelines: Another one from Frank Schwab at the Colorado Springs Gazette — read this feel-good story about former Air Force defensive coordinator Richard Bell returning to the sidelines at age 74 to help out a high school squad.
4. Speaking of former coaches: Despite years of therapy, Air Force football fans might still remember a 31-30 loss to nationally ranked Tennessee that started the 2006 season with a whimper. Why did head coach and College Football Hall of Famer Fisher DeBerry go for a late two-point conversion instead of playing it safe? He tells all here, and it sounds like he’d do it again.
5. Book your tickets: If Navy wins six games this year, it’s booked to play in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, which will be held Saturday, Dec. 29 at AT&T Park — formerly Pacific Bell Park, formerly SBC Park … it’s safest just to go with “The Field Where the San Francisco Giants Play Baseball.” The game will be broadcast somewhere on the ESPN family of networks and is scheduled to include a team from the Pacific-12 Conference as well as the Mids.
6. Baseball milestone: The Army Black Knights, thanks in part to a Saturday no-hitter by senior southpaw Logan Lee, rank 30th in the nation in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll — a first for the program. Army (33-9) is a perfect 16-0 in the Patriot League and will face Marist on Wednesday.
Wrestling roundup: Meet your new military Olympians
April 23rd, 2012 | After Action Army Wrestling | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Sgt. Spenser Mango (blue) claimed an Olympic bid with a win over Max Nowry on Saturday in Iowa City in the 55-kilogram Greco-Roman final. (Getty Images photo by Matthew Stockman)
For two soldiers, it’s a return to the grandest stage in athletics. For another, it’s his first chance at his sport’s highest honor. For a fourth, all of that was just out of reach.
Sgt. 1st Class Dremiel Byers and Sgt. Spenser Mango did what was expected of them over the weekend in Iowa City at the Team USA Olympic wrestling trials, winning their weight classes with 2-0 sweeps of their respective best-of-three championship finals. Byers had a bye to the 120-kilogram final and was without his highest-profile competition after Rulon Gardner decided not to weigh in, stalling his comeback before it even started. Mango earned a pinfall in the first round of the 55-kg final, the only pin in a championship match all weekend. It will be the second Olympics for both grapplers, but the first for Mango as a soldier.
Spc. Justin Lester will wrestle in his first Olympics thanks to a win over C.P. Schlatter in the 66-kg final. It won’t be his first time on the world stage, though — Lester won bronze at the 2006 and 2007 world championships.
The trio of Greco-Roman Olympians punched tickets to London on Saturday. On Sunday, the only soldier to reach the final was less fortunate — Sgt. Aaron Sieracki lost the 74-kg final to 21-year-old Ben Provisor 2-1 after winning the first fall and having a point taken away on a scoring challenge in the final fall. Sieracki, 37, who also finished second in the 2008 finals, announced his retirement after Sunday’s match, expressing interest in a coaching position with the Army wrestling squad. See more about the battle of Wisconsin-born grapplers here and here.
For more about the event itself, check out comprehensive coverage from our good friends at the Des Moines Register here or a roundup of Saturday’s action from TheMat.com. Greco-Roman wrestlers take to the mats in London beginning Aug. 5.
Byers, Mango lead strong military presence at Team USA wrestling trials
April 19th, 2012 | After Action Army Marine Corps Wrestling | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Dremiel Byers reacts after winning a spot on the 2008 Olympic Team at the U.S. trials in Las Vegas. He'll be grappling for a trip to the London games this weekend in Iowa City. (US Presswire photo by Marlene Karas)
The London Olympics are less than 100 days away, and while some military athletes have already punched their tickets (and keep checking here for new Army qualifiers), the trials have yet to start in earnest.
That changes this weekend in Iowa City. About 30 wrestlers with military affiliations will compete in the Greco-Roman and freestyle (men’s and women’s) tournaments to determine who’ll represent the U.S. on the mats. Click through for a quick guide for the once-every-four-years wrestling fan — the troops, the favorites, the story lines, the TV coverage and, of course, the flying squirrel.
Wednesday update: Navy QB Proctor resigns, Falcons look forward, Byers makes a promise
April 18th, 2012 | Air Force Army Football Navy Wrestling | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Navy quarterback Kriss Proctor looks downfield during the 2011 Army-Navy football game, his last game as a Midshipman. (US Presswire photo by Danny Wild)
Three quick hits from around the web on a Wednesday morning:
1. Proctor resigns: Bill Wagner at The (Annapolis, Md.) Capital broke the news yesterday — Navy quarterback Kriss Proctor, who finished his senior season with a win over Army in December, has resigned from the Naval Academy and will not graduate. The resignation hasn’t been accepted, according to the report, but it likely will be, and was reportedly triggered by an alleged honor code violation.
2. Falcon free agents: Frank Schwab at The (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Gazette brings better news, reporting on the pro football dreams of Air Force receiver Jonathan Warzeka and safety Jon Davis. Don’t expect to hear either name during NFL draft coverage, but both hope they’ll get a look as free agents despite the service commitment that comes with an academy education. Warzeka tied for the team lead with 31 receptions and caught four touchdowns while also handling kick return duties, racking up 254 rushing yards and throwing a touchdown pass. Davis had a team-best four interceptions and was second in tackles with 94.
3. Byers’ medal hunt: From Tim Hipps of Army Installation Management Command public affairs (via TheMat.com) comes this story about Army Sgt. 1st Class Dremiel Byers, who will attempt to make his second U.S. Olympic team this weekend. Byers has owned the 120-pound Greco-Roman wrestling division for years — a 10-time national champion who’s earned gold, silver and bronze at the world championships. Byers opens up about the Olympic medal he promised his grandfather, along with his thoughts on the return of Rulon Gardner, his time with the Army’s World Class Athlete Program and his career plans beyond the London games. Byers, 37, won’t have to participate in the Olympic qualifier tournament on Saturday in Iowa City; he will meet the winner of that event Saturday night in a best-of-three showdown for the Olympic berth. Gardner will attempt to make weight on Friday.
Academy sports roundup: Friday night Navy football, Army documentary debuts, Air Force hoops
April 12th, 2012 | After Action Air Force Army Basketball Football Navy | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Hundreds of soldiers attended Army's spring football scrimmage March 9 at Fort Benning, Ga. A documentary on the game airs this weekend on CBS Sports Network. (Army photo by Staff Sgt. Teddy Wade)
Three Thursday-afternoon academy sports bits, one per service:
1. Army at Benning, on TV: It’s a little early for Saturday college football, but if you’ve got the itch, scratch it with “Army Spring Football Mission: Fort Benning,” a 60-minute documentary on the Black Knights’ trip to Georgia for a scrimmage at Doughboy Stadium. Catch a short preview here, during which Army head coach Rich Ellerson says the magic words regarding the Benning experience for all Black Knights fans: “It’s going to pay off on Saturdays.” CBS Sports Network will air the doc at 8 p.m. Eastern, according to an Army release; if nothing else, it’s a fine excuse to find that channel on your local cable provider — all three academy football teams likely will be featured on CBS Sports Network sometime this season.
2. Friday night lights: Speaking of football on the magic box, the Naval Academy announced via Facebook that the Navy-Central Michigan game will move from Saturday, Oct. 13, to Friday, Oct. 12, and will air in prime time on ESPN2. The Mids are 2-0 all-time against the Chippewas and last faced them in 2010, winning 38-37. It’s the only Friday game on Navy’s schedule (so far) this season; fittingly, CMU will celebrate Military Appreciation Night that evening.
3. Falcon hoops recruits: The academies don’t participate in the high school hoopla that is signing day for either football or basketball, so digging up the details on recruiting classes can be a challenge. Frank Schwab at the Colorado Springs Gazette answers the call, however, with this primer on the Air Force 2012 men’s basketball class. The usual recruiting-link caveat: Every class looks good on paper.
Army, Navy football could face uncertain bowl future
April 3rd, 2012 | Army Football Navy | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Navy fell to San Diego State in the 2010 Poinsettia Bowl; Army is scheduled to play in the 2013 contest if the Black Knights are bowl-eligible. (Navy photo by MC3 Trevor Welsh)
Could the college football postseason be closed to the Army Black Knights and, for at least a year or two, the Navy Midshipmen?
A CBSSports.com report says an NCAA task force will propose turning over regulation of the 35-game holiday TV filler known as bowl season to football conferences, leaving the governing body out of everything except sponsorship approval. That means conference would decide how many bowls are played and who plays in them — leaving independent teams such as Army and Navy on the outside looking in.
The Navy folks already have a solution in place come 2015, and even sent the CBS report out on their official Twitter feed.
Army’s another story. On the plus side, the Black Knights have agreements in place for games in 2012 (Military Bowl), 2013 (Poinsettia Bowl), 2014 (Armed Forces Bowl) and beyond.
Per the CBS report, though, there’s fading support for granting bowl eligibility to 6-6 teams; without .500 clubs eligible, some of the postseason games would have to go away, along with any agreements they carry.
So, join a conference? Not necessarily — Notre Dame’s piggybacked onto the Big East’s bowl structure for years without playing a conference football schedule, and a similar deal could be offered by another conference to the Black Knights. While not on the same level as Fighting Irish football, a successful Army team comes with a higher national profile than a garden-variety 7-5 WAC club, which would mean higher ratings for ESPN2 on a random weeknight in late December.
And really, isn’t that what college football is all about?
Academy sports update: Wojcik’s new job, Army baseball sweeps Navy, football schedule strengths
April 2nd, 2012 | Air Force Army Baseball Basketball Football Navy | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Naval Academy standout (and former assistant coach) Doug Wojcik will take over the top job at the College of Charleston this season. (US Presswire photo by Marvin Gentry)
Three quick academy sports hits to start your week:
1. Back on the bench. Doug Wojcik, who set a variety of Navy assists records while playing alongside all-everything center David Robinson and later served as an assistant coach with the Mids, was hired by the College of Charleston over the weekend to take over for retiring head coach Bobby Cremins. Wojcik was fired last month after seven seasons at Tulsa, compiling a 140-92 record but never reaching the NCAA tournament. Speaking of all-everything college players, Wojcik will be replaced at Tulsa by Kansas assistant Danny Manning.
2. Four-game sweep. There weren’t 90,000 fans in attendance and CBS didn’t carry the contests on network television, but it’s still an Army-Navy rivalry — only this time, the Black Knights can claim some serious bragging rights. Army started its Patriot League baseball season by sweeping a two-day, four-game series at Annapolis by scores of 2-0, 6-2, 9-5 and 7-2. Sunday’s opener went nine innings (college doubleheader games are scheduled for seven), but Army senior Zach Price’s two-run triple keyed a four-run rally to give the win to the Black Knights (19-7, 4-0 Patriot League). One of the Black Knights’ hottest bats belongs to freshman Harold Earls, who’s riding a nine-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 23 straight contests. The losses dropped Navy to 11-16 on the year (0-4 Patriot League).
3. An “Army Strong” schedule? Over at the Colorado Springs (Colo.) Gazette, Frank Schwab points us to strength-of-schedule rankings released — and immediately ridiculed — by college football guru Phil Steele. In his post, Steele reveals Navy ranks dead last among the 124 Football Bowl Subdivision schools in SOS as measured by the NCAA, with Air Force at No. 121 and Army way, way up there at No. 35. But Steele only passes along the official figures so he can explain how inferior they are to his yet-to-be released power rankings because the NCAA bases its numbers on last year’s records; top recruiting classes or departing superstars aren’t factored in. Curious who’s playing who when? Bookmark these here sites, presented weakest schedule first.