We do have to have that beer, Fred.
But I don't have much exciting to tell about West Point. I worked in the Dean's office for a year with the impressive-sounding title of Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, but I was just a place-holder there in a job that was about to be civilianized. I did work a deal with the Army War College to get more slots for USMA-faculty lieutenant colonels to attend there. Then for two years I was the XO of the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering with half of a teaching load.
West Point was a good place, with the usual mix of great leaders, self-serving bureaucrats, and mediocrities promoted above their talents that you find in most military institutions. I think that the establishment there was more concerned about producing future national leaders than producing outstanding Army officers. Maybe that's a good thing--I don't know. It seemed misguided to me at the time.
I didn't make any Army-Navy games. Now I wish I had, but at the time they seemed like old-grad-reunion shindigs, and I was not a grad, old or otherwise.
On the Army win the other day . . . that has been the best game of bowl season for me. Army had to play as close to a perfect game as possible, because SDSU had more talent, especially in the speed department. Army's offense could never overcome a big penalty. A holding penalty was a drive-killer. The game-winning drive with the 2-point conversion was a masterpiece of guts, poise, and precise execution.
OU plays at Army on 26 September 2020. I plan to make that trip. West Point is beautiful at that time of year. I imagine that the game will be in New York City, though. Michie Stadium's capacity of 38,000 fannies won't be enough, I expect.
