Q: I noticed a difference in support for the Navy Water Polo Team in their NCAA Final Four appearance vice, say, any given football game, including the Houston Bowl. Specifically, I'm referring to the lack of support to establish any reimbursement for the poorly advertised-promoted movement order to watch the water polo team in California at the Final Four. Can you comment on that? - asked by: MIDN Ahron Oddman -
A: We're all very proud of the water polo team and their trip to the Final Four on the West Coast this past year. It was my understanding via the coach that the team was adequately supported and the resources were appropriate to cover the expenses of the trip. As far as fan support, there was not a contingent of midshipmen who expressed to me their interest in traveling to the West Coast to follow the team. That should not be taken as disrespectful but rather a fact that there's always going to be a higher level of enthusiasm for successful football programs than most Olympic sports. In addition, the bowl game generated over a million dollars in revenues that we could use to support the expenses of a traveling party to some degree. I don't believe that you should be offended by the realities of this situation, and in no way does it reflect a lack of appreciation or a measurable respect for what the Water Polo Team accomplished. It's simply a fact of life that there's going to be larger contingent with more significant interest in a Division IA football program than the other sports on the Yard.
- answered by: Chet Gladchuk
