How not to do a flyover
March 19th, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Awesome? Yes.
Worth it? Probably not.
Two F/A-18 pilots have been grounded — permanently — for this flyover at the Georgia Tech-Wake Forest game in Atlanta on Nov. 7. My esteemed Navy Times colleague Mark Faram reports that the two pilots went over the stadium too low, and that the commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic was not amused.
The pilots, who both attended Georgia Tech, are identified by Navy Times sources as Lt. Cmdr. Marc Fryman and Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Condon. Their boss, Rear Adm. R.J. O’Hanlon, reportedly did not buy the explanation that the low flyover was an “honest mistake,” and an investigation report obtained by Navy Times contained a scathing condemnation of the pilots’ actions.
“Fryman failed to provide effective [composite risk management] for his flight lead and allowed an unsafe flyby to occur with nearly tragic consequences,” O’Hanlon wrote of the mission commander. “Despite his spotless record, his complacent, passive response to a major altitude transgression is unforgivable in my view.
“Continued aviation service involving flying is not in the best interest of Lt. Cmdr. Fryman or the United States Navy.”
Oof.
From a completely non-military, non-journalistic view, I hope this incident doesn’t influence any universities or pro teams to decide against having flyovers. I’ve been to a few games where the flyover was easily the highlight of the afternoon (the only time I’ve ever seen a B-2 Spirit was at a North Carolina-Notre Dame football game a few years ago). It’d be a shame if this incident gives the people responsible for these events pause.
Read the full story on NavyTimes.com.
Shun White, the Navy and the NFL
March 15th, 2010 | Football Marine Corps Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Shun White, seen playing for Navy during the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Dec. 2006, is under contract with the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Trivia question: Which NFL team has three members of the Naval Academy class of 2009 on its roster?
Answer: The New England Patriots.
One of those players is former standout slotback Shun White, whose current situation at the Naval Academy is examined in this week’s edition of Navy Times. White, who signed with the Patriots as a free agent in May 2009, was allowed to reschedule an exam in order to practice with New England last spring, according to one of colleague Phil Ewing’s sources. And close to a year after his classmates received their commissions, White remains at the academy.
Ewing talked with sources in the Navy community who are concerned that allowing White and officers in the fleet to be under contract with NFL teams gives football players an incentive to not fulfill their service commitments.
USNA Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk disagrees, telling Navy Times that letting former Navy players have relationships with an NFL team doesn’t mean that they’ll be allowed out of their service commitment:
“It’s very clear to everyone on the Yard … with those that will ask the question, ‘Is there any chance that the secretary of the Navy might release us to play in the NFL?’ The answer is ‘no’ here,” Gladchuk told Navy Times. “Number one, you’ve got an obligation to go serve; number two, the NFL knows very clearly that as a … sailor or Marine, there’s no chance at all for them to participate.”
Because the article is for subscribers only, I can’t give any more details out here, but I’d recommend logging in or picking up a copy of Navy Times to read the full story.
Oh, and the other two sailors on the Patriots roster? Ensign Eric Kettani, who played fullback for the Mids, and Ensign Tyree Barnes, who played wide receiver.
Hall’s whirlwind week ends with a pro contract
March 12th, 2010 | Air Force Football | Posted by Phil Creed
Chad Hall fights for yards during Air Force's win over Notre Dame his senior season in 2007. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Air Force 2nd Lt. Chad Hall took a trip from Hill Air Force Base to the University of Utah on Monday, where along with current and former Utah football players, he auditioned in front of NFL scouts at the university’s Pro Day combine.
It was a day for which the 2008 U.S. Air Force Academy graduate had been preparing for two years, sometimes working out after 12-hour days and often making the 40-minute drive to the university five or six times a week during the winter months in order to use indoor facilities there.
“It was work and then train and then sleep,” Hall said in an interview with After Action on Friday. “I had to give up my social life for a bit.”
When he got a call from the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, it confirmed Hall’s feeling that he’d performed well at the combine. The Eagles called him again Tuesday, and Wednesday he was on a flight to Philadelphia. Hall worked out for the Eagles again Thursday, and then was offered a three-year contract with the team to be their newest kick returner/wide receiver.
He then did an interview for the Eagles’ Web site, went to the airport and flew back to Utah.
Exhausting?
“A little bit, you could say that,” Hall said.
There won’t be much letup for Hall after these frantic five days. He’s now in the process of getting his early release from active duty, which he’s allowed to apply for after serving 24 months of his commitment, according to official Defense Department policy. Hall is unsure how long the process will take, and for now he’s remains maintenance officer for the 421st Fighter Squadron, which is part of 388th Fighter Wing at Hill.
According to DoD policy, if a service member is granted early release from active duty, he will serve in the Reserve for double the time of his remaining active duty obligation, which would be six years for Hall. Service members granted early release are also subject to repay the cost of their educational benefits, which is prorated based on the amount of active-duty time served.
Hall said he’s received plenty of congratulations and support from his fellow airmen at Hill, but that it’s not easy to face leaving them.
“They’re excited for me. They also don’t want to lose me. It’s a tough situation,” Hall said. “I’ve been here for two years and made a lot of close friends. I’ve met a bunch of great men and women.”
First Chad Hall, now Caleb Campbell
March 11th, 2010 | Army Football | Posted by Phil Creed
Today was apparently “sign a service member” day in the NFL. Former Army safety Caleb Campbell has been offered a contract by the Detroit Lions, according to goblackknights.com. This news comes on the heels of former Air Force Academy all-purpose man Chad Hall inking a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Campbell is still stationed at Fort Sill, Okla., according to goblackknights.com, but is in the process of being released from active duty.
Campbell was drafted by the Lions in the seventh round of the 2008 draft. He attended a team mini-camp but was denied the chance to sign a contract with the team. Then-Army Secretary Pete Geren changed the Army policy on service members playing pro sports, requiring Campbell and other soldiers to serve at least two years on active duty before being allowed to ask for an early release from their obligation.
The old Army policy would have allowed Campbell to play for the Lions after he graduated from West Point. My colleague Michelle Tan explains:
In the past, the Army allowed soldiers to be released from active duty commitments to participate in pro sports and other activities that offer the Army a recruiting or public affairs benefit. Soldiers serving the two years on active duty could be assigned to the recruiting unit closest to the location of their sports team or activity. The soldier would then conduct recruiting activities to support the Army instead of, for example, serving in a line unit in Iraq.
The Army perhaps showed tremendous foresight by not allowing Campbell to play in Detroit, as he avoided being a member of the dreadful 0-16 squad that was quite possibly the worst team in NFL history.
Last season one service academy graduate — New Orleans Saints fullback Kyle Eckel — played in the NFL.
Eagles sign former Air Force star Chad Hall
March 11th, 2010 | Air Force Football | Posted by Phil Creed
Chad Hall, left, avoids Notre Dame linebacker Brian Smith during the Falcons' win in South Bend in Nov. 2007. Hall rushed for 149 yards and had 31 receiving yards in the game. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Former Air Force Academy running back/receiver Chad Hall signed a three-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles today.
Hall was the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year in 2007, when he rushed for 1,478 yards and caught 50 passes for 524 yards. That season he was the only player in the nation to lead his team in rushing, receiving and return yards.
According to the AP article, Hall has been serving at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, for the past two years.
Eckel done in New Orleans?
March 4th, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Former Navy star running back Kyle Eckel won a Super Bowl ring with the New Orleans Saints last month, but it appears the restricted free agent might be done in the Big Easy.
The Saints have not tendered an offer to the fullback, who was signed during the season to replace injured starter Heath Evans. According to Jeff Evans of the Times Picayune, “it looks as though the club is not interested in bringing back” Eckel, who is one of only four restricted free agents not tendered an offer by the Saints. Meanwhile, New Orleans has signed an another free agent fullback for a bargain price, which is probably another sign the team will be moving in a diffferent direction.
The Saints rarely used a fullback during their playoff run, though Eckel did see a good deal of snaps in the team’s playoff victory over Arizona. He was also in on a failed third-and-goal running play (but made a solid block) on the second-quarter drive where the Colts stopped the Saints on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line.
Kicked out of the Navy in 2006, Eckel has played for four teams since his military commitment abruptly ended — Miami, New England, Philadelphia and New Orleans. His younger brother Kevin is now attending the Naval Academy and playing football.
Navy will play Ohio State in Baltimore in 2014
March 1st, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Terrelle Pryor scores a touchdown in Ohio State's 31-27 win over Navy in Sept. 2009. (AP Photo/Terry Gilliam)
Navy will never be able to host a true home game to Ohio State, but this is the next best thing. The Mids and Buckeyes will square off on Labor Day weekend in 2014 at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens.
M&T seats 71,000, which is more than double than Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis can hold. But it’s still not as big as Ohio Stadium (”The Horseshoe”) in Columbus, which seats more than 102,000. It was at The Shoe where Navy and Ohio State played a classic last season, with the Buckeyes intercepting and returning a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter to seal the 31-27 victory.
The announcement of the 2014 matchup gives me an excuse to post a pretty sweet highlight film from the 1981 Liberty Bowl between the Buckeyes and Mids that I stumbled across last week. What a game this was, apparently. I had no idea, and it’s worth a watch if you’re a Navy fan or just a college football fan.
Enjoy, and be on the lookout for a few things:
* The punting games. Wow. Just wow.
* Joe Theismann, still a Washington Redskin and years before his awful leg injury, is the color analyst. The other announcer? The legendary Harry Kalas.
*Navy great Napoleon McCallum, years before his awful leg injury, makes a crucial play for the Mids late in the game.
* Art Schlichter, a few years before he became a bust in the NFL and went to prison for gambling-related crimes, is the QB for Ohio State.
Inside the walls of Sail Boat U
February 24th, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Mike Hoffman
It took us awhile, but we came across the genius work of CDR Salamander who runs a fantastic blog on all things Navy. Check him out.
He was the first to break the story of Marcus Curry’s failed drug test at the Naval Academy. The video gives a blow-by-blow of the reaction at Sail Boat U.
Dobbs, Middleton named captains for Mids’ 2010 football team
February 23rd, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Wyatt Middleton, left, and Ricky Dobbs
Quarterback Ricky Dobbs and safety Wyatt Middleton have been selected as captains of Navy’s football team next season, head coach Ken Niumatalolo announced last week.
“It’s a great honor for Ricky and Wyatt to be elected team captains by their teammates and there is no doubt in my mind they will do a phenomenal job” Niumatalolo said. “They have been team leaders since the day they set foot on campus and I am confident they will provide great leadership on the field, in the classroom and in Bancroft Hall.”
Dobbs was the engine of the Navy offense last season, leading the Mids to 10 wins, including a victory in the Texas Bowl. He set an NCAA record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 27, was MVP of the Army-Navy game and played much of the season with a knee injury that required surgery last month.
Middleton, a three-year letterman with 38 career starts at Navy, finished last season with 68 tackles and a team-high four interceptions.
Mids, alums not happy with perceived double standard
February 16th, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
We figured this would be a good chance to post a photo of eight tons of marijuana. Good catch, Coast Guard. Has Nate Newton taken to the high seas? (Coast Guard photo)
Wondering how the rest of the Naval Academy community feels about Marcus Curry failing a drug test and being allowed to stay in Annapolis? Check out this week’s print edition of Navy Times, where reporter Phil Ewing examines the reaction by academy alums and midshipmen to the news that the star football player was allowed to remain because he said he did not realize he was smoking marijuana.
There’s been widespread discontent with the Curry situation. Some folks associated with the academy said it’s another example of a double standard when it comes to the conduct of star athletes. Ewing talks to former Mids who were kicked out for drug use, including a tennis player who tested positive for marijuana. Not surprisingly, the ex-Mids that Ewing tracked down were confused that Curry was allowed to stay at Annapolis.
From the story:
Curry’s story has reawakened an old complaint among the Brigade of Midshipmen and some Naval Academy alumni, made new again by Navy’s dominance on the gridiron: Star athletes skate by with honor code and conduct infractions that would get lesser athletes and regular midshipmen kicked out.
If you’re a subscriber, you can read the full article here. If not, pick up the latest Navy Times at the news stand, or get a subscription already. I mean, you’re killing us here, freeloaders.
(Actually, we love all our readers, so here’s a free preview.)