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Friends,

Many of you know that I’m a big college football fan. Nothing is better than rooting for "your" team on a Saturday afternoon in the fall! My oldest son, Logan, and I graduated from Furman University, a small school in South Carolina, and our team lost 41-38 last Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs—it was crushing.

Yesterday, my wife, Melisa, and I arrived in Philadelphia to attend another college football game this weekend—the Army-Navy game. This game has special meaning to our family. Our middle son, Parker, graduated from the Naval Academy in 2019 and is currently serving on active duty. Our youngest son, Duncan, is a senior at West Point and graduates in May. This trip marks the seventh year that Missi and I have gone to see the two academies play.

Every year, we get asked, “which team do you root for?” Several years ago, I solved that problem by getting custom baseball hats embroidered with both Academy logos and the phrase, “House Divided” written underneath. On the back, it simply reads, “Beat Air Force.”

This Saturday, December 10, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy will meet on the gridiron for the 123rd time. A game that’s steeped in tradition, one of my favorites is who sings last.

Every year at the end of the game, players sing both teams' alma maters. The winning team joins the losing team and sings facing the losing team's students. Then the losing team joins the victors on their side of the field and sings the winner's alma mater to its students. This act is a show of mutual respect and solidarity. That’s why you’ll see signs in the stand that read “Sing second.”

Above all else, this is America's game. All of the cadets and midshipmen in the stands and on the field understand their commitment to their country regardless of the game’s outcome. After the last whistle blows, it doesn’t matter which team is victorious on the field—America wins either way.

If you have a bucket list, add attending this game to it! And if you have time tomorrow, take a moment to learn about the traditions of this great American event. If you do tune in and look closely, you may spot us—we’ll be the ones shivering in the stands cheering for a tie! 🇺🇸