The Rivalry Read Online Free

came over to say hello, and introductions were made around the table once everyone sat down. The meeting was being run by Matt Vita, the
Post
’s sports editor, and Tom Goldman, the
Herald
’s sports editor. In all there were about twenty people in the room.
    “We want a good two weeks of stories in the run-up to the game,” Vita said. “Some will be predictable: history of the game, best Army-Navy games ever, rivalry stories, but I want everyone thinking about off-the-beaten-path stories. Camille and Kathy, we’re going to lean on you two for ideas since you know Navy so well and can probably offer insight on the Army side too.”
    Stevie had done some reading yesterday, so he knew that Camille Powell was the
Post
’s Navy beat writer and Kathy Orton covered the team for the
Herald
. He also knew that Navy had beaten Rutgers 31–7 on Saturday to raise its record to 8–2. They had one more game left before Army: next week at Notre Dame. Army had played a huge game too, winning at Air Force for—Stevie had gaped when he had read the stat in the paper—only the second time since 1977. The Cadets were also 8–2, with a home game left against Georgia Tech before they played Navy.
    Vita and Goldman went around the table doling out assignments and asking for suggestions. “Stevie, Susan Carol, you two are our wild cards,” Vita said when it wastheir turn. “Stevie, since you don’t live that far from West Point, we’re going to send you up there. You’ll go to the Georgia Tech game next week, and then we want you to spend as much time there after that as you can. Susan Carol, we’ll send you to South Bend for the Navy–Notre Dame game and then on to Annapolis afterward.
    “You’re just trying to find interesting story lines regardless of where you are. Susan Carol, since you’ll be with Navy, before you get started, get some guidance from Camille and Kathy.”
    Susan Carol nodded.
    “Oh, one more thing for you two,” Vita added. “On the Monday before the game, you’ll be going to the White House to interview President Obama.”
    “Really—why us?” Stevie couldn’t help asking.
    “We thought having the two of you do it might make it more interesting, get him a little off-message. Woodward set it up for us.”
    Wow, Stevie thought, an interview with the president. Now
that
should make for some interesting repording.
    The meeting lasted a couple hours, and then Stevie, Susan Carol, Kelleher, and Mearns went into Mearns’s office to talk more about story ideas. That done, they all went to get a late lunch before dropping Stevie at Union Station for his five o’clock train home again. Stevie’s only regret was that he didn’t get to spend any time alone with Susan Carol. And since she would be with Navy and he would be with Army, he wouldn’t even see her all that much before the game.
    When he brought it up, Kelleher smiled and said, “Are you in this to cover sports or to hang out with Susan Carol?”
    “Both,” Stevie answered.
    Mearns laughed. “You have to respect an honest man,” she said.
    Susan Carol said nothing. But the smile on her face told him he had answered Kelleher’s question correctly.

ON THE POST
    T he next few days dragged for Stevie. School was, quite simply, something he knew he had to do. The only subject that really excited him was history, and this week was more about English, math, and Spanish.
    But on Friday he got out of school early so he and Kelleher could drive up to West Point. The Army team would be getting ready to leave campus to spend the night before the game in a hotel.
    Kelleher, as usual, had done some advance planning. “They’ve started a tradition under Coach Ellerson of seeing the team off whenever they leave the Post,” Kelleher said. “We’ll be there in time for that. And Cantelupe and Noto will meet us. We’ll eat dinner in the mess hall so you can get a feel for how the cadets live, and then we’ll have to be up early for the game in the