Watching Army Navy game.

patdog

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May 28, 2007
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I get that the service academies are limited in who they can recruit. But do the passing offenses have to be this bad? are there really no smart kids who can throw & catch a football who would be willing to get a top notch education for free and get a starting salary over $80,000 (and you know if you play football you’ll get some preferential treatment so really higher)?
 

GloryDawg

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Mar 3, 2005
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If the service academies would let guys who play all four years and if they get drafted let them play NFL football in the fall and be on active duty, then when season is over report to a duty station, they could find and signed those guys. That commitment to the military and losing four years of professional sports after graduating turns those type of guy off. The military is having trouble recruiting and keeping in the service both enlisted and officers. You would think they would have figured it out by now.

The other issue is weight. Those offensive linemen have to lose weight before they get their commissions. Not just the o lineman.
 
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SouthFarmchicken

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Oct 20, 2016
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I get that the service academies are limited in who they can recruit. But do the passing offenses have to be this bad? are there really no smart kids who can throw & catch a football who would be willing to get a top notch education for free and get a starting salary over $80,000 (and you know if you play football you’ll get some preferential treatment so really higher)?
It ain’t easy. One of my high school teammates went to Navy for football. Left highschool at about 6’3”, 270. At the end of basic (or whatever they call it before school and practice started) he was down to about 225. So, for the next year they were trying to get him up to 250 and convert him to center. Culture is weird too. MS boy didn’t really fit. He probably would’ve been better off going to Rice or ULM.

Then, there’s the whole mandatory service after.
 

OG Goat Holder

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Sep 30, 2022
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If the service academies would let guys who play all four years and if they get drafted let them play NFL football in the fall and be on active duty, then when season is over report to a duty station, they could find and signed those guys. That commitment to the military and losing four years of professional sports after graduating turns those type of guy off. The military is having trouble recruiting and keeping in the service both enlisted and officers. You would think they would have figured it out by now.

The other issue is weight. Those offensive linemen have to lose weight before they get their commissions. Not just the o lineman.
Their purpose is to train officers for military service, not train athletes for the NFL.
 

GloryDawg

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Because of my dad, I had automatic appointment to any service academy of my choice. NAVY an Airforce also recruited me to play football. I did not have the grades in either case.
 

GloryDawg

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Their purpose is to train officers for military service, not train athletes for the NFL.
They could still serve. As far as Navy and Marine Corps goes, they could be part of the I&I staff at a reserves station. Those are active-duty guys who are responsible for the training and making sure reservist are ready to be called up. They could work at the MEPs station. They could also serve in recruiting. It is very doable. It's not like we are talking about 4000 midshipmen. We are only talking a hand full would ever be drafted. Think of the PR they would have gotten out of Staubach.
 
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greenbean.sixpack

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Oct 6, 2012
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I get that the service academies are limited in who they can recruit. But do the passing offenses have to be this bad? are there really no smart kids who can throw & catch a football who would be willing to get a top notch education for free and get a starting salary over $80,000 (and you know if you play football you’ll get some preferential treatment so really higher)?
But for the most part you're not going to get a real college experience. I hear the first year it's pretty bad, but once a cadet is past that, it gets a little easier year after year. Upon graduation, there is a minimum 5 year commitment.

The AF has a few decent looking women, but for the other branches, Yikes!
 

GloryDawg

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But for the most part you're not going to get a real college experience. I hear the first year it's pretty bad, but once a cadet is past that, it gets a little easier year after year. Upon graduation, there is a minimum 5 year commitment.

The AF has a few decent looking women, but for the other branches, Yikes!
Obviously, you never been deployed to an isolated post. Some of those WM's start to look good after a while. ********
 

jethreauxdawg

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Dec 20, 2010
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If the service academies would let guys who play all four years and if they get drafted let them play NFL football in the fall and be on active duty, then when season is over report to a duty station, they could find and signed those guys. That commitment to the military and losing four years of professional sports after graduating turns those type of guy off. The military is having trouble recruiting and keeping in the service both enlisted and officers. You would think they would have figured it out by now.

The other issue is weight. Those offensive linemen have to lose weight before they get their commissions. Not just the o lineman.
Can’t the service requirement be cut to 2 years if they are going to play pro? Didn’t That happened for David Robinson?
 

DesotoCountyDawg

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Nov 16, 2005
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Can’t the service requirement be cut to 2 years if they are going to play pro? Didn’t That happened for David Robinson?
He was given an exception because his height was basically going to limit him from ever being active duty. They made him serve two years stationed as an engineer or something so he would be commissioned and get his naval pension.
 
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BELdog

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Aug 23, 2012
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The military academies are drawing from a tiny pool of high schoolers. You have a to find a high school kid who can play football AND wants to commit to service in the military. It’s hard enough to find a high school kid who meets ONE of those criteria, let alone BOTH. Also, football is not at the top of a cadet’s priority list. The service academies are the last place in the NCAA where the athletes are truly still amateurs.
 

ETK99

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Jul 30, 2019
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Their purpose is to train officers for military service, not train athletes for the NFL.
You should see the insane athletic training technology Army uses if you completely believe that. Trust me, they want to win games. They have technology Alabama doesn't have. Their indoor facility is massive as well (we don't even have one really). It's all impressive.
 

USAFAMMO

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Oct 13, 2012
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Certainly not, I was in the rear with the gear. The places I went Qatar/Kuwait, are much safer than the 'Sip.
Ah yes, the Dirty ‘Deid. As far as safety, you may not get shot or robbed, but getting in a wreck is a definite possibility. The driving habits of the locals leaves alot to be desired.
 

USAFAMMO

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Oct 13, 2012
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You should see the insane athletic training technology Army uses if you completely believe that. Trust me, they want to win games. They have technology Alabama doesn't have. Their indoor facility is massive as well (we don't even have one really). It's all impressive.
Your tax dollars at work…..
 

greenbean.sixpack

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Oct 6, 2012
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Ah yes, the Dirty ‘Deid. As far as safety, you may not get shot or robbed, but getting in a wreck is a definite possibility. The driving habits of the locals leaves alot to be desired.
No doubt, I drove a good bit off base in Kuwait City, crazy drivers. I forget the term they used, but it had something to do with being "predestined" or God's will, what is going to happen is going to happen no matter what.
 
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GloryDawg

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Mar 3, 2005
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Your dad awarded the CMH?
Use to when you father got killed as result of combat in Vietnam their kids could go to any military academy if they had the grades. I don't know if it true today or not. There are a lot of benefits that people never hear about and the governments does not do a good job informing people of benefits. Social Security is the worse at it.
 

HammerOfTheDogs

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Aug 6, 2004
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Use to when you father got killed as result of combat in Vietnam their kids could go to any military academy if they had the grades. I don't know if it true today or not. There are a lot of benefits that people never hear about and the governments does not do a good job informing people of benefits. Social Security is the worse at it.
Sorry about your dad. My dad was in Vietnam, he said the heroes were the ones that never came home.
 

GloryDawg

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Mar 3, 2005
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Sorry about your dad. My dad was in Vietnam, he said the heroes were the ones that never came home.
My dad came home but was a cripple. He died from his injuries several years later. They approach my mom and ask her did she want his name added to the memorial wall. She told them no because that's the same attitude my dad had.
 

SouthFarmchicken

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Oct 20, 2016
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Sorry about your dad. My dad was in Vietnam, he said the heroes were the ones that never came home.
My uncle flew Hueys in Vietnam. He was over there from nearly day 1 to the bitter end. He won’t talk about it…but my aunt will. I’m not a military guy at all so don’t know how the squadrons and numbers work out. All I know is that of the original 25-30 that went over there with him in his group, he was one of two that returned home. When he got into the airport he was so excited…as he was walking through the terminal to make a transfer he was immediately spat on and told he was a baby killer.
 
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