“Ladies and gentlemen,” the PA announcer said, “Mike Daniels and his team of officials for today’s game will now present awards to the twelve winners of the second annual Outstanding Officials program. These twelve men were selected from around the country to be honored for their years of dedicated work as high school football referees.”
As the PA guy droned on, introducing all twelve winners, Daniels presented each with a plaque as he congratulated them.
“Pretty ironic,” Stevie said to Susan Carol.
She nodded but said, “It really is a hard job-”
“Stop feeling guilty!” Stevie said. “It’s a hard job that four of those guys out there did really badly. And you said so. You told the truth.”
Susan Carol nodded. “Let’s hope they do better today.”
“Everyone will be watching, that’s for sure.”
As the officials were all leaving the field, Stevie noticed Agent Dowling had his hand on his earpiece. “Copy that,” he said into his wrist. Then he said to all of them, “Marine One has landed; the president is on his way to greet the teams in their locker rooms.”
At last, Susan Carol thought. So much planning and preparing and strife, but it was really happening. The president was here.
She noticed that a group of midshipmen were now standing at attention at midfield facing a group of cadets.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“Prisoner exchange,” Kelleher said. “The mids have been exchange students at West Point this semester, and the cadets have been at Annapolis.”
They all watched as the two groups saluted each other. Then the two lines stepped toward each other and for a moment blended into one. Then they kept going, the cadets heading toward the Army stands and the mids heading for Navy. Soon the lines grew wavy and then each group broke into a run-diving into the stands with their classmates.
“I guess they don’t do anything like that at Michigan-Ohio State,” Stevie said.
Kelleher laughed. “You’ve got that right,” he said.
Next, the color guard marched into place at center field, and the PA announcer introduced the Reverend John Lotz to deliver the pregame prayer. Stevie wondered how it was possible to be both tense and bored at the same time. They were so close to things really starting, but this was taking forever!
Once the prayer was over, it was time for the national anthem. Stevie couldn’t help but notice that almost everyone in the stadium was standing and singing. He remembered his dad once saying at an Eagles game that the reason almost no one sang the anthem was because most of the fans didn’t know the words. So here was another way Army-Navy was special. Here, everyone knew the words and felt good about singing them loud and proud.