Army orders Detroit Lions draft pick Caleb Campbell to active duty

Here's the difference, Campbell isn't whining about it. He said he'd gladly serve. Hard to fault the guy for wanting to take his chance with pro football when given the chance.

 

The Army handled this about as well as the Jessica Lynch story. Which is to say, poorly.

 

Campbell and Robinson have a lot of similarities, but two key differences. One, Campbell isn't going to generate near the amount of publicity David Robinson did. It was obvious to everyone that Robinson was going to be a star. And two, when Robinson graduated from the Naval Academy, the United States wasn't at war. To me, that's a point the Army should have made more directly -- We're at war, and (to quote Tom Berenger) we need every swinging dick in the field." Yeah, it stinks for Campbell, but this is the product of a decision he made, and from his comments, he knew it was a possibility. And he got a break, if the minor-league pitcher's story is any indication. Campbell only has to serve two years; that guy has to go five. Think he'll still have a 95-mph fastball at 27? Maybe, but if he can't play for five years, one seriously has to wonder what that'll do to his development as a pitcher.

 

This quote strikes me as kinda not well thought out:

It's unfortunate, but it doesn't mean Caleb Campbell's dream is dead. It just means it will be delayed," Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Anne Edgecomb told The Associated Press. "We want to take care of soldiers and dashing their hopes is not what we intend. But it is what it is."

Better his dream dies than him

And could we put an end to this mindless phrase "It is what it is"?

Good luck to the guy.

 

What doesn't make sense to me is that Army will pull something like this, then turn around and fire a coach for not winning enough games (as it did with Todd Berry in '03).

 

Yeah, this is going to do wonders for Army's football recruiting.
Of course, that's not why the school exists.

 

Fuck. There goes the Super Bowl...





(And David Robinson grew too tall to serve in the active Navy, so his deployment was cut from five to three years.)

 

I know, and I totally agree with your second line. That said, doesn't it seem to fly in the face of Army judging its coaches by their won-lost records?

 

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The Army would've come after him even if the defending champs had drafted him.

 

Sweet Lord Almighty, this phrase can't vanish soon enough.

 

Stay on topic please and have a Happy Dr Pepper/Mike Slime Day.

 

I covered Mike Viti all through high school and still talk to him on occasion when he is back in town. One of the first things he said to me after signing with the Bills was that he didn't care if it was this year or 10 years from now, he would serve his active duty overseas. I think just about everyone that comes through a service academy leaves with the thought that serving in the middle east or going to war somewhere was what they were meant to do. I think they deserve that professional opportunity, but I think just about everyone would be ok with doing their required service overseas.

And a little known fact about Viti, not only does he hold the army bench press record at 470, but he was a blackbelt in karate by age 12. I feel plenty safe knowing he's defending my country. And he's one hell of a kid too.