Fifty years ago, the annual Army-Navy rivalry game — the first game to feature instant replay on TV — was played a week late and under the most somber of circumstances following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Now this weekend, five decades after Kennedy's tragic and untimely death, the late commander in chief will be honored when the Black Knights and Midshipmen take the field in Philadelphia with a pregame coin toss featuring a very special silver dollar.
According to the Capital Gazette, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will perform the ceremonial coin toss on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field using the original coin intended for Kennedy's coin toss at the 1963 game at Memorial Stadium.
For the last 50 years, the Lady Liberty silver dollar had been in the possession of Tom Lynch, a senior offensive guard and linebacker on the 1963 Navy team. Lynch told the Capital Gazette that he received the coin in the mail a week after the 1963 game (which Navy won) along with the following note:
9 December 1963
Dear Midshipman Lynch,
I am forwarding the coin which the late President Kennedy would have used and would have presented to you had he made the toss of the coin at the Army-Navy football game this year. Please accept this memento of a memorable football game.
With best wishes,
Sincerely, Cyrus R. Vance, Secretary of the Army
Over the course of his own 31-year career in the Navy, Lynch would rise to the rank of rear admiral. This year, feeling so moved by the attention surrounding the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's death, he decided to donate the coin — which he had kept framed, along with the letter — to the Naval Academy.
"I had the coin in my possession for 50 years and that was long enough," Lynch told the Capital Gazette. "That's a piece of Army-Navy game history and I just felt it would be meaningful to give that coin back to the Naval Academy so it could be seen publicly from now on."
The plan is to eventually put the coin in the Navy Football Hall of Fame — but before that, thanks to Lynch, the coin will finally be used as Kennedy intended. A very cool tribute, indeed.
Now, for some links:
Looking for a job? How about one as one of the racing presidents at Nationals games?
A University of Toledo student shaved a Jordan logo into his beard for charity.
Andrew McCutchen proposed to his girlfriend on Ellen:
The Blackhawks did a calendar shoot with pit bull puppies:
Deployment into the Israeli Defense Forces has ended the career of one Seton Hall basketball player.
AJ McCarron talked to A-Rod before the Iron Bowl. Maybe that was the problem.
Rick Pitino went to a Minnesota game decked out in Gophers apparel — to cheer on his son, of course:
Luke Kuechly danced to Vanilla Ice at a Play 60 event:
Chip Kelly has been playing the Vikings' horn (which he compared to Anchorman) to get the Eagles ready for this week's game in Minnesota.
Rex Ryan called his brother Rob to get tips on playing the Carolina Panthers.
Regardless of what actually happens with Nick Saban, this, via @kevol80, will never not be funny:
I can't stop watching this incredible shot (oh, and turn down the volume before you hit play):
A Chicago Bulls fan made a Charlie Brown Christmas-themed song in favor of tanking:
Shaq once knocked a teammate out by putting him in a sleeper hold.
Bull Durham is being adapted into a musical.
Please, Willie, you look ridiculous:
The rumors of Willie Cauley-Stein and is hair .... Are true!!! pic.twitter.com/Lz0o0Wew6k
— Derek Forrest (@WLKYDerek) December 11, 2013
Get in the Christmas spirit with these lights, synced to the Auburn-Alabama call and the Auburn fight song:
The Yankees are retiring the No. 6 in honor of Joe Torre.
Meanwhile, over in Queens, the Mets have agreed to give $20 million to 40-year-old Bartolo Colon.
Chris Webber asked one question too many in an interview with a couple Indiana Pacers fans:
Via SB Nation, Nick Young pump fakes a free throw:
