OK, I saw it last week but wasn’t sure if it was a one game thing or what. But it looks like we have some stupid “Section 8” thing in the crowd like Air Force. Someone needs to be fired.
OK, I saw it last week but wasn’t sure if it was a one game thing or what. But it looks like we have some stupid “Section 8” thing in the crowd like Air Force. Someone needs to be fired.
The Birddog 
Come on, Brigade. Don’t emmulate the Air Farce. Seriously… those guys look like idiots hopping up and down.
I agree, it’s dumb.
Fast track that to the Supe!
Agreed, agreed, agreed. Let silly civilians like me look foolish.
What does “Section 8” mean?
http://goairforcefalcons.cstv.com/ot/section-8-about.html
I have no idea what y’all are talking about, but I do remember a game we lost to the Citadel (yes, imagine that happening these days). When the Cadets scored, they were jumping up and down, waving their swords. The looked like a bunch of hooligans. I hope that’s not the kinda thing y’all mean.
Bill, now that would be interesting. I do not think they would allow any cadets/midshipmen into a stadium with swords any more. At least beyond the march-on. Armed students in the stands would make for some news-worthy material.
Well, you definitely cannot let members of the ARMED FORCES be armed.
All I know is if your idea of “lettin’ loose” at a game is a pair of plebe-issue chemistry goggles with Go Navy written on them, then you’re doing it wrong.
Actually, letting loose is the entire brigade wearing BCGs. But to each his own. (….dripping sarcasm….)
I seriously hope we haven’t fallen to the level of the bureaucratic school by the Rockies and established a “section 8”. That crap needs to go!
I gotta ask this- Is there something wrong with “letting loose” @ Navy games?
It is the most “operatic audience” that I have ever been among- perhaps the mummies that inhabit Michie are worse but why cant you let them have fun and enjoy themselves without making critiques because of some “noncomformist” attitude?
We need more noise and fun @ NMC.
Plus the 31,000 who bought tickets it would have been nice to have seen some of them there too.
Attend a game at USAFA, watch the cadets and the crowd. Then attend a game at NMCMS, watch the midshipmen and the crowd. No way would I want USNA to relax our standards to those which the USAFA administration holds their cadets.
It’s not the mids that need to be energized, they’re usually fine with or without lame improvised getups. It’s the other 31k, as you said.
RIGHT ON TJ!
Ive seen thiudersticks- cricket noice clappers and other gimmicks and nothing beats the throaty roar of the Brigade w/o gimmicks.
I always thought the noicemakers eliminated some noise.
Now here is a thought and dont skewer it for me but down where the Brigade is are 4,000 on one side so all the noise comes that way-ONLY.
Why not take 2,000 at Blue Side and 2,000 Gold side and try and “surround” the opposing team with sound down there?
I notice that in our big HC games the noise is one sided and that does not hurt opponents chances and we NEVER see a tome out for noise.
Of course then our own end zone causes us issues because opposing fans swarm that area and I have noticed US struggle with noise from visitors stands and end zone at times.
Guess this is something that just will not change @ NMC and you cant force 31,000 people into a frenzy if they dont want to.
It can be pointed to as a moot point because our homefield record is exceptional- but I would never attribute that to too many other than the Brigade itself.
You know, maybe all of us old grads should just let today’s mids enjoy this wonderful team any way they want.
Or maybe the brigade as a whole is one of the biggest recruiting tools the school has, and one of the biggest contributors to gameday atmosphere in Annapolis. Breaking them up for some sort of contrived “superfan” club is dumb.
Mike,
Agreed. It is possible to be excitable while still being professional, and I have seen the midshipmen do that often. The USAFA Section 8 thing is a ridiculous as everything else they do.
Has anyone here mentioned the “Crazy Train”? If not, on third downs, Black Sabbath’s “Crazy Train” starts to play in with the PA saying “everyone aboard… the CrAzY tRaIn” and horrible 1980’s esque CGI on the score boards. It is extremely hokie, but boy does it make me laugh.
The PA called it the Trazy Crane once, which is how I will refer to it for now on.
Gary gets it: “Nothing beats the throaty roar of the Brigade w/o gimmicks.”
Navy doesn’t need to reidentify itself as a place where guys paint themselves, take their shirts off, and wear sunglasses. Aren’t there enough morons in the world? If you wanted to be an SEC fan, go to an SEC school.
I really, really don’t want to be “that grad.” You know, the guy that worries about the Brigade a little too much and writes letters to the supe about some mid whose shoes weren’t shined enough walking through downtown and crap like that. I think this is different though.
If they armed the brigade I have no doubt the scoreboard would be shot to pieces after that fricking ‘Crazy Train’ stupidity.
Did anyone see Bill the Goat get in a fight with the guys in cammies? They were pushing and shoving a bit.
Mike, in spirit I agree, but if a grad starts writing or have to write letters abouts MIDs and their crap..then I’d start writing letters about how the upperclassmen are not doing their jobs before, during and after town liberty and/or game days. IMHO, not a Grads responsibility, but then again I had a Plebe and Uppeclass year and we made sure Grads did not supplement “taking a strain” Personally too many Plebes are not in their seats being goofy, silly (spirited) , but in the concourse grab-@$$ing with dates (yup) or standing in line en masse trying to support their geedunk habits from the NFCU ATM’s! Hey make them get $$’s before in Drydock and offlimits to ATM c’ept the visitors/fans/grads!
At least they weren’t sitting in the stands, with their parents, reading a text book….like some USAFA cadets I saw, while Navy was winning the game! ROFFLES!
I do think the “section 8” thing they do now is dumb, just like the Crazy Train thing too. Every college football team seems to be doing that now and it’s gotten real old, real fast.
@Peter, not sure what you are talking about, but there’s virtually no mids walking around now as they are required to stay in the brigade seating area (unless this has been relaxed). I’ve actually seen a mid on watch tell the mid visiting her sponsor parents behind me to go back to the seating area, so if plebes are up and about, then the mids on watch aren’t doing their job. I disagree with that whole policy, but that’s another story.
Phil…have you been to any home games yet? You make a statement about it being a requirement, but then opine (aks) if the rule has been relaxed. Again don’t know if you and I are at the same stadium…LOL. Relaxed would be nice….from my perspective its more like non-existent. Not only are they walking around, they are hanging out/sitting on the spiral walkways to the upper levels with their “drags’ . Anyway…no big deal…it has been an odd sight to see so many haning out on the coucourses.
BTW..for all the posters who think Navy doesn’t have their “relative” equivalent of USAFA’s rowdy/foolish Section 8…read about “Team Awesome”
(re: http://navy.scout.com/2/805898.html)
@Peter: I’m a full season ticket holder and have gone to every game but I”m over on the gold side and I don’t see them walking around. Now, that’s not saying they aren’t all over the blue side walking around, etc., but I would expect them to be there since that is where they sit.
I like the @ thang…
@Phil….well then come over once in a while…we usually have open seats in Section 4. Its also fun to watch and hear all the “cussing” when BG tutors/yells at the D bench…:-)
Peter,
I loved this quote:
“…What greater spirit could we provide to the Brigade then one of Air Force – well not Air Force – but Army’s own coming over to the blue side,” said Intoccia.
Nice stab at the Zoomies.
Plus, I find it funny that I was, in a way, quoted in that article. I feel special. :)
@K…We are and always will be special!