Sports talk and message boards have been abuzz about the Army reversing their decision to let West Point graduate, Caleb Campbell play safety for the Detroit Lions. The Detroit News "Behind the Scenes" columnists contend that it was pressure from the service academies that caused this change:The feeling at the United States Military Academy in West Point is that higherups and other branches of the service -- the Navy, in particular -- were jealous of the favorable publicity Campbell has generated for the Army since the Lions drafted him on the seventh round in April.So Navy wants to be able to keep beating Army and that's why they changed the policy? Maybe if Campbell went to the Washington Redskins instead of the Detroit Lions, maybe the Washington-based DoD people would have held off in making this policy change.
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Campbell, who graduated from West Point on May 31, was eligible to play pro football under the "alternative service option" available to graduates of the service academies. The Navy and Air Force required two years of active duty before exercising the option. The Army allowed it immediately after graduation.
The Dept. of Defense has ordered the Army to comply with the policy as implemented by the Navy and Air Force.
I don't really have a strong view on whether service academy recruits who want to pursue professional sports should be able to have the "alternative service option" or not, especially at time of war. I see both sides of the debate.
The problem that I have with this situation is allowing the Lions to go through the process of drafting Campbell, going all the way through camp, signing the contract, and then having the Department of Defense changing their mind. All that comes out of this is bad publicity, and doesn't seem to make much sense as it relates to Campbell.
Captain Schulyer Williamson who took advantage of this alternative service program in his baseball career before he went back to the Army believes that the program was a net positive to the service. That Campbell, as a Detroit LIon could do more in the war effort to help in recruiting than he could even if he ended up serving in Iraq.
Serving in the military is about the most honorable profession you can have, but the Department of Defense changing the rules on Campbell and the Lions after they relied on the old rules isn't terribly honorable and reflects poorly on the military. Campell cried when he heard the news, but says he is excited for his next assignment.
Previously at FanHouse:
Army Changes Its Mind; Caleb Campbell Must Give Up Football Until 2010
Caleb Campbell Criticized for Leaving West Point for NFL While Classmates Go to Iraq
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-25-2008 @ 2:50PM
jvsiii3 said...
What they did to this kid is not right. They should've been up front instead of messing w/ his life and flim flamming him. He would've accepted it.
They should've stepped in way before the draft. He knew what he was getting into prior to the academy. God Speed and God Bless
Caleb.
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7-26-2008 @ 5:39PM
Chris F. said...
If they military was hoping such mind games would help their recruiting stats, they are wrong about that. Their chances of recruiting people just went from slim to zero. Then again, I never cared much about career bureaucrats who have never been in combat themselves, yet would gladly send you or your relatives off to the misery known as Iraq or Afghanistan. The military hasn't gotten it right since Korea.
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7-27-2008 @ 11:44PM
Russell said...
The taxpayers just spent 1 million dollars educating this man to become a second lieutenant. not to play pro football. He needs to serve his ocuntry like a man, anf then think about football.
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7-28-2008 @ 9:44AM
Dr Huxtable said...
Just curious, but where does that $1 Million figure come from?
7-29-2008 @ 10:36AM
Free said...
$1 million?? Where did that number come from?
8-06-2008 @ 1:10PM
Mike said...
This whole story pisses me off. This kid hasn't done anything in his military career, all he's done is go to an extrememly strict college. How many players have been drafted from Army ever? If he wanted to play in the NFL he should have went to a 4 year college. You go to a military school to join the military, not puss out because you may go to war. I was in the Marine Corp. and was injured over in Iraq and hearing about all the credit this kids getting for doing nothing is total bulls!#$. He should give credit not to himself because he doesn't deserve any, but to the men and women over there now, who are brave and courageous enough to fight for their country.
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8-07-2008 @ 7:42AM
sharky504 said...
this is a disgrace that they could even think of not letting this young man serve his term out. i joined the army after high school with the hopes of getting money for college, this was in january 2001, i think everyone knows what happened about 8 months later. i have spent half of my active duty time in little places like kharma, iraq and zerok, afghanistan and this kid wants to get out of his commitment to this nation. it makes me sick sick to my stomach that i wear the same uniform that he wears. he is a disgrace to this nation and everything that it stands for. he applied for the united states military academy, that implies that you will serve the united states armed forces for a set ammount of time, and in a time of war. i am from new jersey, my neighbors were killed on sept 11th, 2001 and this kid wants to play a professional sport and not spend his time on the line, what would jack kennedy say?
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