Go Navy!

VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Sun 16 Oct 2011 02:48
Annapolis is home to the US Naval Academy which takes in 1200 Midshipmen each year for a four year course to turn them into Navy and Marine officers, all with a science degree. Rather surprisingly the Academy campus is open to the public, without charge, so one can wander round the attractive grounds and buildings and a truly exceptional museum.
Here are some of the 4800 Midshipmen parading for lunch at 1205hrs (every day), complete with colour party and band to play them in:
 
 
While we were in Annaplois the Naval Academy were playing American football at home to the university of South Mississippi, so we got tickets. Here is the Navy team warming up on the pitch:
 
 
You may notice that there are an awful lot of them. Later the entire Brigade of Midshipmen arrived, having been marched up about two miles from the Academy, complete with band:
 
 
Here is the game in progress:
 
 
Note again that there are an awful lot of players. The guy wearing No.95 really IS number 95. Each side had very nearly a hundred players on the pitch (but only eleven at a time play the game). There are also seven umpires and three guys who run up the touch line with the orange markers. The game is payed for 60 minutes in fits and starts - start to finish took four hours from kick off. The teams change constantly. After a kick off the ball is punted to the opposition by the attack team. When the other side grab it they get possession. Play stops and both teams change their entire personnel, swapping the offense team for the defense (and they both had about four of each, plus kickers). On one memorable occasion the Navy offense team were on the pitch playing for a whole six seconds. 
Unfortunately, rather like the baseball team we saw some months ago in Newport, 'our' Navy team received a significant drubbing in a very high scoring game. It was all the fault of the defense, apparently. Obvious really, I suppose, because those players in the offense team weren't even on the pitch when the defense team were losing it! Soccer it ain't.