Paul Johnson Comment: Predictable is Just Fine

Navy Head Coach Paul Johnson had some usually predictable things to say again yesterday. That's alright though, predictable is great when you really think about it. Predictable, my friends, is what keeps millions of Americans tuned into TV every night. Predictable is the steady stream of Sienfeld syndication over the past 8 years. Predictable is why we tune into this botched piece of National Security representation every week. Not because we like, not because it's realistic, and not because we think we have any chance of being In Delta Force someday (cue the EDSBS SEAL complex), but because in the end, we know were going to see the Allstate Man (aka Wayne Palmer President of the United States) shoot some bad guys. And when the rest of TV is clogged with lawyers, doctors, "real people", fake boobage (not complaining), and shows that make you spend your whole weak theorizing about like some wiereded out trekkie (thank you very much), seeing the bad guys getting taken down every week is a nice reminder this country rocks.

President Palmer (aka Allstate guy) unpredictable? Fine be me

Oh yea, what PJ actually said. Team worked hard, needs to prove itself, Captains will be voted on in coming weeks. Read the full thing.

Spring Football: "Oh God thank you"

While I was busy coughing my lungs out from some undetermined virus, the Navy football team got busy on Monday with its first day of Spring Practice. Lots of happenings to report.

• Super-K (Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada) is back at QB. You may remember he threw one pass against Stanford last year. It's ok, I don't remember either. Why this is the first bullet point, I have no idea.
• Brian Hampton should start next season. Of course you already knew that. Here's a good article about him from the Capitol. Jarrod Bryant is listed as the backup, of course most remembered for this.

• The 2006 Spring Prospectus has been released in PDF. Good show, check it out, learn some names for next year.
• The preliminary Spring Depth Chart has been released. New starters on offense include: Josh Meek (RT), Tyree Barnes (WR), Trey Hines (SB), Brian Hampton (QB), Andrew Tattersall (LE), Joe Cylc (ILB).
• Ketric Buffin moves to Rover and Keenan Little to Right corner. GThrash will remain at nickel, where we project he still won't be able to tackle anybody. Sike, we kid because we care
• Trey Hines is back at Slot back, and is apparently still the fastest guy on the team.
• Head Hancho (is that how you spell it?) Paul Johnson has just conducted his first press interview about spring practices. Surprisingly ESPN thought it more suitable to cover the Women's NIT, which according to the Nielson ratings, approximately .0000000002 % of the population tuned in for. The talk of course, was completely on the QB. I'm sensing a pattern with this in our offseason.

In addition, it's worthy to mention that '03 grad and USMC 1st Lt. Brian M. Stann was awarded the Silver Star on March 10th for his actions during Operation Matador in Iraq last year. Lt. Stann is a former Linebacker for the Navy Football team. Outsanding.

that's all for now, more fun stuff later.

Right Spirit Baby

"Hey Look, The Sun Wrote about us..."

The Baltimore Sun, Maryland's premiere left-wing and of course "mainstream" newspaper, recently did an artcile on Navy's expectations this spring. Half of the article is of course devouted to Lamar Owens. Way to look forward, Baltimore. Read Here

2006 Recruit List Website

So, being seriously taken aback by boredom about a week ago, I discovered this lovely piece of web craftsmanship while lurking in on the situation over at www.gomids.com. This is obviously the best website/list of the Navy 2006 Recruits. While not covering every recruit, it certainly hits the most talked about and most hyped. This is a must see to prepare yourself for the 2006 Season.

Rob Caldwell: "So Hot Right Now"

Returning Linebacker Rob Caldwell (St John, IND) has been raking up some serious accolades this offseason. As the second leading returning tackler in the country (11.67), Caldwell has been nominated for the Lott trophy. Named after NFL great Ronnie Lott, the trophy is awarded to the Defensive player who exhibits the greatest deal of Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity, or IMPACT (sorry, just had to do it).

In addition, Rob has been named a finalist (ok watch list, but "finalist" has a nice ring) for the Lombardi Award. The award is presented at the end of the 2006 season to the nation's top defensive player. While Rob probably has no realistic shot going up against the 6-8, 250 lb "linebackers" of the SEC or ACC, at least he didn't score a 700 on his SAT.





Nice Job Rob.

Test

Jack Idema is at it Again

Self proclaimed Super Patriot John "Jack" Keith whatever his name is Idema is apparently single handedly defeating the Taliban forces who rioted in his prison in Afghanistan as we speak. I could bust out a Chuck Norris joke here, but that would just be gay. Mr. Idema is by all accounts a joke, a fake, and frankly an idiot. But the idea of a rogue vigilante fighting against the bad guys is to cool to resist, so for the time being, I'm going to follow the situation.

Apparently, this is actual footage

Navy Recruiting Spotlight: Luke Lagera

This is the first part of an installment which will look at some of the key recruits Navy will bring in for the 2006 Football Season. Today we will take a look at Luke Lagera, a burner at running back who missed all of 2005 with an injury. At 5-9, 170, Luke looks to fit our mold in our backfield. His reported 4.4 40 speed is just under Sonic the Hedgehawgs time at last years combine. Actually, we hear at Pitch Right weren't sure if a white guy could really run a 4.4, but from the looks of This lovely Work of cinematic genius, it looks like it could be only marginally inflated. All that while he was a sophomore and Junior. From the looks of the video, Luke has some terrific vision and nifty little moves. If he can return from the injury, it looks like Mr. Lagera can be a major addition to an already potent backfield.

Lamar Owens: Say It Ain't So

As many of you know, Navy Quarterback Lamar Owens has been charged with Rape. A full artile can be found Here.

For additional Coverage I'd suggest checking out EDSBS, where I will be chiming in, and the GoMidshipmen.com forum.

In addition, an email has been sent out regarding the situation to the USNA Alumni Association Board of Trustees, USNA Foundation Board of Directors, A&SP Executive Committee, Class and Chapter Presidents, and Parents' Club Presidents. The text is as follows:

Lawrence Heyworth IIIVice President, CommunicationsU. S. Naval Academy Alumni
AssociationDear Alumni and Parents, The mission of the Naval Academy focuses
on
developing midshipmen morally, mentally and physically to become officers
of the
highest character to lead our Sailors and Marines in combat. In
everything we do
we endeavor to develop a professional culture at the
Academy that fosters
dignity and respect, while also encouraging personal
responsibility and
accountability. The policy is very clear: The Navy does
not tolerate sexual
harassment, misconduct or assault; these issues are
taken seriously, all
allegations are thoroughly investigated, people are
held accountable for their
actions and due process is ensured. Accused are
always presumed innocent until
proven otherwise. We anticipate news media
will soon report that the Academy has
charged a First Class Midshipman with
several violations of the Uniform Code of
Military Justice, ranging from
rape to conduct unbecoming an officer. The
charges are based upon a
preliminary investigation conducted by the Academy and
the Naval Criminal
Investigative Service. Please remember that currently these
charges are
accusations only. The accused midshipman is presumed innocent until
proven
guilty. The Academy has assigned the sexual assault victim a personal
advocate and is doing everything possible to protect the victim, as well as
offer support and counseling. We have also taken steps to prevent contact
between the accused and victim to protect both parties. The victim's name
and
personal information are being withheld to protect her privacy. Upon
learning of
the allegations from the victim, the Naval Academy and the Naval
Criminal
Investigative Service conducted an immediate investigation. The
results of that
investigation were provided to the Superintendent, who then
made the decision to
formally charge the accused and to refer the matter for
further investigation
under Article 32 of the UCMJ.The Academy has referred
the matter to an Article
32 hearing. The pretrial investigation will be
conducted by a military officer.
The Superintendent will use the information
obtained in this hearing, and the
recommendation of the investigating
officer, to make a decision regarding the
disposition of allegations made in
this case. Our policy is clear: we do not
tolerate sexual harassment or
assault; these actions have no place in the Navy
and Marine Corps. Anytime
an alleged event like this occurs, it is detrimental
to the Brigade, the
entire Academy family, and is contrary to all we are hoping
to achieve. The
Midshipman charged in this case is Midshipman First Class Lamar
S. Owens,
last season's Football Team Captain and Quarterback. The accused
midshipman
remains assigned to the Naval Academy and will continue attending
class and
performing other duties assigned midshipmen pending the outcome of
this
investigation. The Naval Academy has taken the unusual step in releasing
the
name of the accused midshipman, given the circumstances of the case, as well
as the public prominence of the accused and his leadership position in the
Brigade. Our decision to release personal information is always balanced
with
maintaining the privacy of the victim and protecting the rights of the
accused.
In this case we wanted to be as upfront as possible in providing
information,
especially realizing the name of the accused would become
generally known. Our
goal is to preclude innuendo and rumor, provide for
accurate reporting and
prevent re-victimization.Last Friday night, we
celebrated a great football
season at our annual football banquet. Actually,
our third great winning season:
4-0 versus Army, 3-0 versus Air Force, three
Commander-in-Chief trophies, three
bowl games (including a 51-30 win over
Colorado State last December in the San
Diego). By any measure, the Navy
football program has performed beyond
expectations on the athletic field.
Members of the football team, as well as the
coaching staff, however would
be the first to tell you that sexual harassment
and sexual assault are
unacceptable and do not reflect the high standards,
performance and
expectations of the team, the Brigade of Midshipmen or the
Academy.
Standards are clear: Conduct, character and honor are more important
than
football. We need your help to avoid rumors or speculation. Respect the
privacy of those involved. And keep in perspective that while this latest
incident may receive widespread media attention, the vast majority of
midshipmen
meet our exacting standards of character and conduct. The
American people expect
the very best of all our midshipmen. We continually
strive to meet those
expectations. As future leaders of Sailors and Marines,
we hold our midshipmen
to the highest of standards. As prospective Navy or
Marine Corps officers,
midshipmen must set the example and must not conduct
themselves in such a way
that indicates questionable personal morals, or is
not consistent with the
Navy's core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment.
These high standards apply
equally to each and every midshipman in the
Brigade. Contact our Public Affairs
Office at 410-293-2292, or pao@usna.edu
should you have any
questions.Respectfully,CAPT Helen DunnChief of Staff

About Pitch Right

About

Pitch Right was begun in January 2006 as the only Navy themed college football blog on the Internet, and to this day remains one of only two navy sports centric blogs on the 'net (the other is the Bird Dog). Since its inception this blog has worked to bring top notch commentary and analysis of the Navy football program as well as various topics related to the college football season. After a mini-hiatus in blogging at this site during the 2007 season, I've worked to expand my coverage of non-BCS conference football teams. In fact, this blog's coverage of non-BCS teams was so good that it was nominated by college football bloggers as the top non-BCS conference college football blog.

This blog takes an objective look at the Navy Midshipmen, but through the eyes of a lifelong and very respectful fan. Basically this means on top of everything else, at the end of the day I''m trying to promote the team and the program. There have been times in which I've been critical of coaching decisions and/or player performance, but one has to realize this is just the banter of a usual fan and is no different then what you'd find on any number of message boards. Like I said, at the end of the day this blog is about improving the coverage and perception of the Navy football program, and providing fans a more frequent outlet of content.

One note on content. Personally I rate this blog as PG, and try to be as classy as I can when going about my business here. I have a strict policy against using vulgar language in excess of the "hell" or "ass" varieties, and I try to avoid making any sexually suggestive jokes. Humor is an essential part of blogging and I strive to incorporate it at any opportunity, but unlike other college football blogs out there this blog does not sacrifice analysis for humor.

Job Inquiries

I know that as forms of "new media" expand and become increasingly popular, more and more mainstream media outlets are turning to bloggers to meet the demands of the industry. I am always open to new opportunities as both a college football blogger and a columnist, and if you'd like to inquire about my services I'd encourage you to contact me via email. A short resume of my work is s follows:

Pitch Right (Jan 2006-present)
Navy Football Fan House (August 2006-February 2007)
CSTV Heisman Blog Poll (2006 college football season)
College Football Blog Poll (2006 college football season)
SportProjection.com Previews (2007 College Football Season)

Advertising

Over the past few monthes this website had experienced an upsurge of hits and subsequently I've been contacted about running ads. If you want to run your company's/websites add on this website, please feel free to email me or leave a comment. It's not expensive and aside from several website related costs like domain hosting, I do my best to pass on the proceeds to various support our troops charities. While your reading this I may as well plug one of my favorite charities, The Hero Fund, supported by former Army Ranger and country-rock musician Keni Thomas.

Players

Seeing as though I never made it past freshmen football in high school, I always try to give the players the benefit of the doubt. If you're a Navy football player who wants more attention or feels disrespected, email me and I'll try to change my style. Nobody has to know and nobody needs to know. This blog is here not only to improve the perception of the program and provide a media source for fans, but also exists to draw attention to the players.