Ole Miss Football: Army/Navy, The Way We Were, The Way We Should Be
By Jim Shute
The following was posted on Facebook by William Day, former Ole Miss football player in the late 1970’s and son of Rebel legend Eagle Day.
For Ole Miss football fans who may not know, Eagle Day was best known as ‘The Mississippi Gambler’ for his heroic quarterback play under coach Johnny Vaught. In his three seasons as Ole Miss quarterback he helped the Rebels to a 26-5-1 record and a MVP performance in the Cotton Bowl against TCU in a 14-13 win. Of course, in the 1950’s college football was worlds away from the way the game is commercialized today.
For example, William Day posted this during the Army/Navy football game on Saturday. William gave me permission to share this with our readers. Needless to say, it’s very well written and spot on! Please enjoy this former Ole Miss player’s thoughts and dare to disagree.
Has College Football Fallen?
Ole Miss Rebels Football
As one watches the Army/Navy football game this afternoon, you truly will see the essence of what college football once was and should be today; men doing what they love and bettering themselves for a noble and just cause.
Today we have let the alumni leaches, the media moguls, the greedy coaches and the entitled athletes infiltrate the world of the student-athlete. The one and done, the hardship rule, Tuesday night, Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday televised games and the 40 bowl games gave away the innocence.
The ESPN dollars and University greed for more revenue and less budgeting along with the power grabbing arrogance of the NCAA ELITIST has taken the purity out of our lady of college football and turned her into a guiltless hooker being pimped out by the conference commissioners and athletic directors.
Thank you Army and Navy and the members of the service academies for giving us four hours of a ride down memory lane of what was once our fair maiden; college football. And yes, I too am one to blame. ~William Day
It’s Hard To Disagree
I agree with everything William said. I watched every minute of the Army-Navy game and really enjoyed it. The players were playing for their teammates, coaches and more importantly representing their country. There was no show boating or selfish acts by any of the players. The two sides in the stands were intense but respectful.
The money in college football is over the top now. Just look at Texas A&M paying Jimbo Fisher $75,000,000.00 over 10 years as a great example of where we are headed. The Ole Miss NCAA investigation intertwined with Mississippi State’s players getting limited immunity and then making allegations that Ole Miss is fighting with evidence they believe proves their testimony is flawed. Unfortunately the bigger the pay-day creates greed and corruption finds it way in.
Change Is Coming
I believe this bubble will eventually burst. Television is driving the billions being spent on college football but there really is trouble on the horizon. ESPN is having financial problems and have had multiple lay offs the last two years. Their huge contracts for college and professional football were based on revenue generated by millions of subscribers.
In recent years more and more consumers are dropping cable and satellite and streaming their television entertainment. If this trend continues it is not out of the realm of possibility that ESPN could file for bankruptcy which could blow up these big contracts. Greed will lead to destruction. It always does.
After I watched the Army-Navy game I added that event to my bucket list. I want to experience the purity and the love of the game that I remember from the late 1960’s. It’s the way we were and the way we should be.