ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Breaking with a long tradition of ignoring hundreds of years of proud history of two of the military’s branches, the United States Naval Academy football team has elected to honor those who serve underwater in the submarine force - known in the Navy as ‘the Silent Service,’ or ‘not Navy SEALs’ -  with their uniforms in this year’s Army-Navy football game. 

“Yes, we have nearly a quarter of a millennium of examples of inspiring valor, toughness, dedication, and sacrifice from two of the five branches of the military, and this year we decided to finally start honoring that. What better place to start than submarines - an element of our force that is clandestine, professional, and keeps a low profile,” said acting Naval Academy Superintendent Rear Admiral Fred Kacher, who added, “We were going to use the SEALs but…well, come on, you know the deal there.”

SEALs at book signings, podcast recordings, and “Alpha Dawg Range Days” across the country expressed dismay that Navy Football was passing up another opportunity to pay homage to their elite unit’s primary legacy: the many, many, many writings of past and present Navy SEALs.

Duffel Blog received a leaked image of a SEAL writing-inspired uniform prototype after the decision was made. Titles on the jersey include fan-favorites such as Silence is Deadly: How to Monetize the Privilege of Serving in America's Most-loved Legion of Warriors and It Isn’t a War Crime if No One Knows About It.