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Navy Wins Emerald Bowl

Navy Wins Emerald Bowl!

The following is an Emerald Bowl Party write-up from Chapter President Bill Rentz '55.

First, and foremost, Navy won the game 34-19, and they made us all proud by out-hitting a bigger, favored team in awful conditions.

There were at least 60 loud and raucous Navy fans in our private room at Jock's & Jill's Brookhaven for the Emerald Bowl broadcast on ESPN 2 on Thursday afternoon, December 30th, 2004. Quite a few were spouses and children of Chapter members. Les Gable '70 showed up with two Midshipmen from the class of 2006 who were home on leave. Lee Whitfield '71 and Lissa & Tim Phillips '89 of the Chapter Board of Directors were also there.

There were at least four waitresses and waiters hauling food and beverages back there to us, including the manager, Craig Martin, who took the occasion to thank all the Navy fans for their support and patronage during the year. (Now if I can just get the NAAA to come through with the posters of Navy athletes that Chet Gladchuk promised him.)

Small world department: Ten years ago, when I was consulting in Oak Ridge, TN, Perry Dempsey '72, was working there also. He was passing through Atlanta today on the way back to work at Oak Ridge. He lives in St. Petersburg, FL, and happened to have his digital camera with him and shot some photos at the gathering. See the photos below this article.

Small world #2, in 1989, 15 years ago, I bought the land that I built my house on in Henry County in 1998, 7 years ago. The real estate agent that sold it to me was Linda Dunn from Countryside Land and Homes. She was at the game (at Jocks & Jills) with her escort, Reb Hester '67. Linda still looks like she did 15 years ago! By the way, she is a good luck charm for Navy. Every Navy game she saw this year on television and in person, Navy won! She also told me she had never watched Navy football before this year. We need to keep her around.

Another honor: It was announced on December 31, 2004, that Coach Paul Johnson of Navy is the recipient of the Bobby Dodd National College Coach of the Year award. The Dodd award, named after the Georgia Tech legend, is different than other coach of the year honors in that it recognizes more than winning. Since 1976, the Bobby Dodd Foundation has presented the award each year "in recognition of a higher and more noble aspect of college coaching... a style that emphasizes more than winning the game. A belief that the game of football should be kept in perspective with college life in general."

Among past winners are; 1976 Vince Dooley, Georgia; 1983 Ken Hatfield, Air Force; 1990 Bobby Ross, Georgia Tech; 1991 George Welsh, Virginia; 1996 Bob Sutton, Army. Some pretty good company! What a tribute to our Navy Coach!

Bill Rentz '55

Jan & Jon Barton '66, Cheryl & Larry Bergen '66, and Chapter President Bill Rentz '55.

l-to-r: Perry Dempsey '72, Ray Coulombe '77, and Pete Knoetgen '77. (Thanks to Perry for taking these pictures of the event.)

Event crowd #1.

Event crowd #2.

Event crowd #3.