Bill's Bowl Blog

“A Civil War” author John Feinstein talks Army-Navy

Sports columnist and author John Feinstein spent the 1995 season with both the Army and Navy football teams for his book “A Civil War: A Year Inside College Football’s Purest Rivalry.” He has followed the rivalry as the color commentator for the Navy radio network the past 11 years. Feinstein did grow up an Army fan as his parents drove him from their home in New York City to West Point  to watch football and basketball games.

He spent an hour Tuesday afternoon discussing everything Army-Navy from the traditions of the rivarly to how Navy was one play away from “the greatest comeback in the history of college football” last Saturday.

The transcript is below, but I cut it into two parts due to its length. Enjoy part one look for part two tomorrow. I encourage any fan, no matter the rooting interest, to pick up the book. I read it two years ago and the stories of what these student-athletes go through still translates.

How bout that ending of the Navy-Notre Dame game on Saturday?
If Shun White had held onto the ball at the end of the game they would have won. And it was a shame because if anyone deserved to be hoisted on his own batard it is Charlie Weiss. He’s one of the three most arrogant people in sports. Dobbs came in and did a great job. But, the key to that whole come back was the kicker Matt Harmon who kicked the two onsides kicks. They were perfect. It was like he was putting on a clinic. Navy was one play away from the greatest comeback in the history of college football.

What inspired you to spend an entire year with the Army and Navy teams for the book?
I grew up in New York City and my parents would take me up to West Point once a year. I was always a big Army football fan back and in the day as well as basketball…I wrote a long feature before the book about what made the Army-Navy game unique. After the game I saw how the two teams got together and listened to their alma maters. Right then I said to myself that I wanted to know more about these kids and what drove them and what inspired them to come to a military academy. It took me five years to get everything together and gain the access to write the book. I first tried to do it in 1991. But, Bob Sutton was in his first year as the coach of Army and didn’t know if he wanted the distraction. Jack Lengyel was the athletic director at Navy and I had worked with him before.  He told coach Charlie Weatherbie, ‘you gotta do this, I trust him.’ So, Charlie went along with it. Sutton was again reluctant, but I said damn it I’m going to do it no matter what access I can get from Army. It was the kids at Army who convinced Sutton to go along with it. The players I talked to told Coach Sutton why don’t you sit down with this guy. I sat down with him for three hours and by the end he said we’ll try for one game. After they won I had the access.
What was it like to see the Academy experience first hand?
It’s eye opening for anyone who went to a civilian school. I thought the line that best described what it was ‘at a civilian school the toughest part of a football player’s day is practice. At an academy the easiest part of a football player’s day is football practice.’ You see that when you are around the kids. One of the toughest challenges for the coaches is to say, ‘Hey I know you are tired. I know you have been up since 6 a.m. but the team we’re playing on Saturday doesn’t give a damn. They are going to come in here and try to kick your butt.”

What were some of the traditions that stuck out to you that occur with this rivalry?
One that sticks out to me is always the playing of the alma maters. I do the games for Navy and I always say to my partner after they play the alma maters don’t ask me a question for a couple minutes because I won’t be able to talk. I love the march-ons. The Army Navy game is the only game where the traffic is the worst three hours before kickoff. At the schools some of the stuff that goes on during the week of the game is fun. Like how the plebes don’t have to answer questions from the upper classmen. The way they always protect the so-called prisoners-of-war who are the Army cadets at the Naval Academy or the midshipmen at West Point. Bu,t of course that doesn’t always work. Those are some of the things that come to mind. And then there is the bonfire on Thursday at the Naval Academy. When they play Blue and Gold it just gives you chills.
How has the rivalry changed with Navy’s recent success?
The last six years it has been tough. Army played a little bit better last year keeping it competitive into the fourth quarter. Before that I was spoiled. Going back to 1992 to 2001 it seemed like every game came down to the last play. In 1995 when I did the book, Army drove 99 yards and coverted a 4th and 24 to win. Navy people hate it when I say this, but the game should be decided on the last play. Thats the kind of game it should be. I don’t enjoy it when it’s a rout. If you are on the field and playing in the game you want to win the game 50-0, but looking at it as someone with ties to both schools I want the game to be 38-37.

What do you think about moving the game back a week?
I understand the thinking that it will be the only game and pump up the ratings. I think the ratings have gone down the last six years because the games haven’t been close. If it’s not close, people are going to flip to the other game. Even if they move it back a week they are going to have to go against basketball or maybe the NFL. If it’s close they will get a rating. If not, they won’t.

Why does the triple-option work so well for the academies?
At an academy you can’t have 320 pound lineman because they are not going to survive militarily. If you want to have a classic passing offense you need a big offensive line and you also need a quarterback who can throw the ball 50 yards down the field. Well, kids like that are going to have pro aspirations. If you have NFL aspirations you aren’t going to go to an academy. You aren’t going to get the 6′4″ wide receivers either like a Michael Crabtree. What can you recruit? You can recruit quarterbacks who are short, who can run the football and are smart. You can recruit smaller lineman who are smart, tough kids. The defenses the academies have are also going to be smaller so you gotta keep them off the field. If you run the option well you can keep you defense off the field and rested for the fourth quarter.

Look for part two tomorrow.