Navy Federal...What's the deal?

Alright, let's get one thing straight: I'm looking at this pile of sports updates from Navy, and honestly, I'm struggling to find a pulse. Are we celebrating participation trophies now? I mean, seriously, is anyone actually winning here, or is it just a bunch of almosts and could-have-beens?

Gridiron Glory... or Not?

Okay, the football team. They took a loss to North Texas. 31-17. Ouch. But hey, they beat FAU the week before, 42-32. So, they're 7-1. Which, I guess, is supposed to be good? But then you look closer. Like really look. And you see they lost to North Texas after being ranked. So much for that.

And now they're playing North Texas again. On ESPN2. At noon. Riveting.

Plus, we're supposed to get all hyped up about Blake Horvath and his chances for the Davey O’Brien QB Award and even the Heisman Trophy? Seriously? Is this a joke? I mean, the kid might be good, but let's be real, the Heisman? Give me a break.

Beyond the Pigskin: A Mixed Bag

Then you wade into the rest of this "athletic excellence." Sprint football crushed Molloy 63-0. Okay, that's a win. But it's sprint football. Does anyone actually care about sprint football?

Cross country at the Patriot League Championship. Men's golf tied for eighth. Women's golf finished fourth. Rifle doing... something at Bancroft Hall. Lightweight rowing at Princeton. It’s like a laundry list of vaguely athletic endeavors designed to fill space.

And Rugby? Men's Rugby crushed Penn State. Okay, alright, that's something. But then Women's Rugby got demolished by Army. 84-0. EIGHTY-FOUR TO ZERO. That's not a game; that's a massacre. Makes you wonder what they're even doing out there.

Sailing finished fourth twice. Soccer tied a bunch of games and lost one. Squash saw Wenqing Tang win some "Barb Tournament." I don't even want to know what that is.

Swimming and diving are at George Washington. Tennis competed as individuals. Triathlon finished eighth. Volleyball won some games. Water polo beat some teams and now they're playing more. Wrestling is wrestling Pittsburgh.

See what I mean? It's a whole lot of activity, but where's the actual, undeniable, brag-worthy winning?

Oh, and offcourse, there's a government shutdown looming over everything. Navy Federal Credit Union is offering loans to furloughed workers. Which is nice, I guess. But it also throws a wet blanket on any sense of athletic triumph. Hard to cheer when people are worried about paying their bills. Many Companies Are Offering Relief Amid Shutdown - Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)

The Big Picture: A Sea of Mediocrity?

Navy's overall sports record is 68-38-10, apparently. That's a .629 winning percentage. Which sounds okay, until you realize that their record against Army is 2-4-1. Both in the Star Record and overall. Two wins. Out of seven games. Against Army.

That's the real metric, isn't it? Not some participation trophy for tying Longwood in men's soccer.

So, what's the point of all this? What are we even doing here? Are we building character? Instilling discipline? Or just churning out a bunch of athletes who are good at a lot of things but great at nothing?

Is This the Best We Can Do?

Look, I get it. They're student-athletes. They're juggling academics and athletics. But still... is this the best we can do? Are we lowering the bar so much that mediocrity is now celebrated as success? Maybe I'm just being cynical. Maybe I'm missing the bigger picture. But from where I'm standing, it looks like a whole lot of effort for not a whole lot of tangible results. Maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe I expect too much. But dammit, I expect something.