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FOXBORO, Mass. — It wouldn’t be surprising if the words “Go Navy! Beat Army!” float around the halls at One Patriots Place in the coming week.
There might be some push back, however.
It’s well-known New England has members of the organization with Navy ties, which could be influencing their rooting interest in the Midshipmen’s matchup with the Army Black Knights at Gillette Stadium on Dec. 9.
Patriots president Jonathan Kraft has a son in the Navy. Bill Belichick’s father, Steve, spent more than 30 years on the Navy coaching staff and was a legendary figure around the program. Joe Cardona attended the Naval Academy, winning all four of his matchups against Army.
It’s not like there aren’t any members of the Patriots that have ties to the Army ahead of “America’s Game” on Dec. 9, though.
Deatrich Wise’s mother and Marcus Jones’ father are both Army veterans, while a number of other players have non-immediate family members currently serving on both sides. That’s why Cardona isn’t pushing his allegiances on anyone.
“I think the Patriots locker room has a lot of pressure to root for Navy.”
Patriots long snapper Joe Cardona
“I think the Patriots locker room has a lot of pressure to root for Navy,” Cardona said at Army-Navy media day held at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday. “I know we have a few guys that have Army ties, so I respect that. When you have parents who serve — they’re going to be rooting for Army pretty heavy. We’ll have an internal rivalry in the locker room, which will be a good thing.”
New England is preparing for a Week 13 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers so they aren’t too focused on next weekend’s matchup, but there are already some pools floating around. The individual player choices range from sentimental, to… not sentimental.
“We had a vote and I picked Army,” Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster said Wednesday. “We have a personnel group called Army and I’m on that, so I like Army.”
It’s sure to be a momentous day at Gillette Stadium, no matter who you root for. The Patriots have already revealed just how high the demand for tickets are, so you can bet that both teams will be well-represented when Army and Navy kick things off Dec. 9.