Army West Point Athletics
Ask The AD - December 7, 2006
December 07, 2006 | General
Rich DeMarco: Hello again everyone, Rich DeMarco back on another edition of “Ask the AD,” your chance to ask questions of Army Director of Athletics Kevin Anderson and have Kevin Anderson answer your questions about the Army athletic department.
If you would like to submit a question for a future show, please log on to the official web site of Army athletics, www.goARMYsports.com, and click on the “Ask the AD” button.
Kevin, always good to be back with you and, just like we did last time, we will be going through all questions here on the show.
Kevin Anderson: Rich, you know it’s always a pleasure for me to sit down with you and one of the more enjoyable parts of my job is to be able to answer the questions from our fans.
RD: Looking ahead already to the 2007 football season, and we have a couple of questions. Carl Menyhert from Red Bank, N.J., and Bruce Matthews from Centennial, Colo., both want to know when the 2007 Army football schedule will be released.
KA: Well, we had wished to announce the schedule by now. Unfortunately, there have been some changes in our schedule for next year. By the end of December, we should be able to come and announce next year’s dates.
RD: Moving on, Ed Carey from Irvington, N.Y., wants to know, Kevin, will the Army-Navy football game be played again the in the New Jersey Meadowlands?
KA: Right now, I can’t answer that. I do know that next year, the Army-Navy game will be in the city of Baltimore. Then we return to Philadelphia for the 2008 and 2009 series. After that, the bid will be up again to see where we do play the Army-Navy game, and New Jersey could be a possible site.
RD: Glenn Steinmetz from Pittsburgh, Pa., wants to know if Army will ever join the BIG EAST football conference?
KA: All I can say is that, at this time, we prefer to be an independent football program. In the future, you never know. It might dictate that we look at playing in a conference. However, I think for our football team and our football program, it serves us best to be an independent football program.
RD: Kevin, William Kemeny from Newton, N.J., wants to know if the Black Knight Walk, where the Army football team walks along Black Knights Alley a couple of hours before kickoff, will return in 2007?
KA: We plan to return the Black Knight Walk. There is a timing issue that when the team is dropped off for their walk to the locker room through Black Knights Alley, a lot of our fans are still not there and a lot of the Corps of Cadets aren’t up at the stadium yet. Sometimes it gets to be where it’s concerning or even embarrassing that we don’t have the amount of people we would like to have there to receive the team.
Yes, we want to do it and we are going to re-introduce it next year, but we just have to work out some timing issues.
RD: Kevin, Ron and Katie Fisco from Rutherford, N.J., have been season ticket holders for 17 years and just want to know if on the Army football uniforms, will names ever come back to the back of the jerseys?
KA: That’s hard for me to answer because right now one of the things that we have done since Coach Ross has been here is that we have gone to retro look. We wanted to reflex on the success of Army football. And, when you look at the success of Army football, you look back at the 40s and 50s, and at that time there were no names on the back of the jerseys. Right now, that is the way we would like it to remain. We can look at changing it at any time. However, I don’t see that in the foreseeable future.
RD: A question from S. Fowler from New Windsor, N.Y., wanting to know if you have considered inviting some high school marching bands to play during halftime of Army football games?
KA: I know we have a band day where we invite the various high schools from the area to come and participate. To answer the question, yes, there is a band day and we’d love to have your high school band come and participate in our band day.
RD: Lastly, a question from Robert Racey from Eagle Bridge, N.Y. He wants to know if there is a women’s softball team here at the Academy?
KA: Yes, a mighty fine women’s softball team. This team is coached by retired Col. Jim Flowers and over the years Jim has had them playing extremely well, and they are very competitive in the Patriot League. Please come out and watch them play.
RD: And Robert, and to everyone asking a question, if you want more information on Army sports throughout the three seasons, log on to the official web site of Army athletics, www.goARMYsports.com, and there you can also submit a question for a future “Ask the AD” show. Just click on the Ask the AD button and submit your question right there.
Kevin, it’s always good to spend some time with you on “Ask the AD.”
KA: Rich, it’s always good to be with you. I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season.
RD: Kevin, same to you and your family.
KA: Thank you and Go Army!
RD: That’s Army Director of Athletics Kevin Anderson. I’m Rich DeMarco on another edition of “Ask the AD,” have a good day everyone.
