Coast Guard football goes national on homecoming day

Luigi59

Banned
Joined
Apr 1, 2007
Messages
4,566
Coast Guard football goes national on homecoming day

By Mike DiMauro
Published on 10/11/2009
New London Day / theday.com

New London -- This would have been the view from the bleachers on Saturday: a background tableau of Fort Griswold and foliage framing the Thames River, with several graduating classes on the emerald green turf of Cadet Memorial Field.

And the chorale was singing the national anthem, with no unnecessary notes or nuances, no derelict with blue hair turning it into a ballad.

And the people sang.

This was homecoming day at Coast Guard Academy and everyone was there, even members of the class of 1945.

Not a bad day, not at all, for Coast Guard to go national.

Yes, national. As in CBS television national. Thanks to Jason Southard, the academy's sports information director, CBS College Sports taped a segment that aired Saturday night at halftime of the Texas Christian-Air Force game.

The Bears sent the crowd of 2,100 home dealing with a rare loss during this program renaissance, a hideous 37-34 defeat to Fitchburg State in double overtime. But even in losing, Coast Guard, perhaps forgotten among comparative behemoths Army, Navy and Air Force, earned a spot among service academy programs.

”I saw that CBS College Sports (CBS' answer to ESPNU) called themselves 'home of service academy football,'” Southard said. “So I contacted them and said that we're a service academy, too, and that we were going for our 300th win as a program. They sent a crew.”

CBS College Sports was in the locker room for coach Bill George's pregame speech and filmed segments of homecoming ceremonies and the first half of what became a day when the Bears were stuck on 299 wins.

Southard, nonetheless, should take a bow. It's not often - like never - that a national broadcasting outlet ever comes to the academy. Let the record show that CBS came to Coast Guard Academy for a sporting event.

”Our guys put forth as much as the others (at other academies),” George said. “Those other guys live the Division I lifestyle. Our guys have to sacrifice to play here.”

The Division I lifestyle would likely include not having to march in the rain at 5:30 p.m. before you have football practice the night before the homecoming game.

But then, that's part of the deal at Coast Guard. It's never going to change. And so when athletic success comes - or in Saturday's case some national recognition - you treasure it.

Saturday's loss was atypical for the Bears, or at least the recent Bears. In the past three years, they've played for the New England Football Conference championship twice. They may do so again this season. And it's because they've won many, many more close games than they've lost.

In the two games before Fitchburg, two wins came in the fourth quarter. This one, but for a play here and there, would have been Fourth Quarter Win No. 3.

”That's how we win around here,” George said.

He wasn't being arrogant. He meant that Coast Guard's margin for error is thinner than a saltine.

They had to settle for a good show on Saturday, rather than a great victory. At least, though, anyone watching CBS College Sports on Saturday night saw another service academy where respect still wins over insolence, honor and tradition still count, and patriotism comes without apology.

A place where the Star Spangled Banner is played as it's written: quickly and respectfully. And a place where liberal or conservative, hawk or dove, peacenik or bomb-'em-into-next-week, an outpost that offers the opportunity to appreciate freedom.

George admitted that his players didn't get a very compassionate speech after the game. He also accepted all the blame for the loss.

But the season is not lost. Neither is the significance of the day and all the people who had the opportunity to see that the forgotten service academy plays good football, too.

:thumb:
 
Coast Guard football goes national on homecoming day

Saturday's loss was atypical for the Bears, or at least the recent Bears. In the past three years, they've played for the New England Football Conference championship twice. They may do so again this season. And it's because they've won many, many more close games than they've lost.

In the two games before Fitchburg, two wins came in the fourth quarter. This one, but for a play here and there, would have been Fourth Quarter Win No. 3.

”That's how we win around here,” George said.


I'm going to reserve my comments on Bill George's job as a football coach, or the fact that the change in the Bears' record occurred at the same time that CGA dropped down a level.

We "win" around there by the hard work of the Bears, not George's coaching. There is no reason to lose to Fitchburg.

Nice job with CBS though, I tried to find it, but wasn't lucky enough to....and to think I was even in the area, I could have go to home coming, just had no idea that homecoming was this weekend.
 
I'm going to reserve my comments on Bill George's job as a football coach, or the fact that the change in the Bears' record occurred at the same time that CGA dropped down a level.

Dropped down a level? Bill George has won the Bogan division of the NEFC 2 of the last 3 years, was NEFC Coach of The YEar in 2007. and it was only last season when CGA lost their first conference game since joining the NEFC.

We "win" around there by the hard work of the Bears, not George's coaching.

Who is disputing that? :confused: Bill George is taking the blame for the loss, but I don't think I've ever heard him take credit for a win.

There is no reason to lose to Fitchburg.

There are plenty of reasons to lose to Fitchberg State. They have a talented team (4-2 on the season and 2-1 in the Bogan Division) and received the benefit of a controversial spot on the 2-pt conversion with 28 seconds left. They also beat the best team in the division last week (Bridgewater State) and have a good young coach and a strong QB.

Not to mention CGA had 5 turnovers, and starts 5 4/c freshman this year.

Nice job with CBS though, I tried to find it, but wasn't lucky enough to....and to think I was even in the area, I could have go to home coming, just had no idea that homecoming was this weekend.

It was a nice 30 second video spot at halftime , nice shot of Cadet Memorial Field and the Thames, a little speech from Admiral Burhoe, and the "highlights" of the game.

You should check your Alumni Association website a little more often. :wink:
 
To answer the questions...I've seen too many Bill George losses, and have had to interact with him on another level, having other teams use the field that was used exclusively by the football team at one time. It's time to dump Bill George.

They dropped down a level in DIII football a few years back....amounting for their first winning season in...awhile.


George can take credit for every lose they have had, over plenty of years, but it's time for Bears football to demand more of their coaching staff.

I am probably less tolerant of it as an alumni and member of the Alumni Association than I was as a cadet.
 
They dropped down a level in DIII football a few years back....amounting for their first winning season in...awhile.

They were a winning Division 3 team long before Bill George arrived. Coach Bill Scmitz took the Bears to the D3 playoffs before George ever left Ithaca.

Are you suggesting that Division 3 is the wrong level of play for the CGA?

Bill George = No Otto Graham

Graham's been dead for 6 years, he ain't coming back.

Move on.

:cool:
 
Luigi, there are different levels of DIII, just like DI. CGA dropped down a few years ago. I remember getting the emails too, talking about how they had "turned it around" but they had changed leagues. Look up their "output" before heading to the NEFC....it wasn't that long ago... Hint: Happened after Otto Graham died.


Maybe they should have been in the NEFC the entire time and had been playing over their heads for too long. I have never seen Bill George get that team anywhere (and I was forced to watch their home games...and some away....for 4 years).
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Does anyone know where to find a rerun of the clip "Coast Guard football goes national on homecoming day", some of the players would like to see it. They didn't have a clue who the guy with a camera filming them was for.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Does anyone know where to find a rerun of the clip "Coast Guard football goes national on homecoming day", some of the players would like to see it. They didn't have a clue who the guy with a camera filming them was for.

On Thursday 10/15/09 CBSC (DirecTV Channel 613) will replay the TCU @ Air Force game at 3PM Eastern and again at 8PM. The 30 second CGA Football spot aired at halftime last Saturday night, I would assume they would show it again at halftime when they show the replay of the game.
 
Thursday eh? I need to tune in for the 8pm showing. Thanks Luigi.


GO BEARS!
 
That's happy news for CGA

Luigi - thanks for sharing that. As happy as I am for the coverage of the CGA program, it would have been even better had CBS been at Kings Point on September 12, don't you think? :shake:

Looking forward to next year's game in New London. Hope to see you there.
 
Nah ...

not a fighter here.

Just saying hi to Luigi, who is a frequent booster of CGA sports on the KP threads.

It's all fun, anyway, right?
 
It's true....KP does seem to have fun with it....never seen midshipmen enjoy losing so much! :biggrin:
 
Luigi - thanks for sharing that. As happy as I am for the coverage of the CGA program, it would have been even better had CBS been at Kings Point on September 12, don't you think? :shake:

Looking forward to next year's game in New London. Hope to see you there.

Yep, if CBS-C is billing itself as "The Home of Armed Forces Football" then they should be covering every CGA game as well, especially the Secretaries Cup.

It will be nice next season to see KP come to New London for a change - for the class of 2012, they will play 3 of their 4 games AT Kings Point, a decidedly unfair advantage for the Seagulls.

:cool:
 
New London

Yeah, that was a bit unfair. I am not sure how or why the games were scheduled the way they were, but I am indeed looking forward to the trip up to New London next year. It's a great ride for us from LI - out east through the North Fork then across the Sound by ferry.

Let's hope for as good a game next year as we had this year.
 
Back
Top