Navy reverses course on football team motto deemed insensitive to victims of mass shootings

The Navy football team is preparing for the 2019 season, but as fall camp starts, the team is backing away from its motto.

Per a statement released on Friday, the Midshipmen will no longer use the “Load the Clip” motto internally.

Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck said in a statement that the Midshipmen acknowledge that their motto was insensitive to victims of mass shootings, particularly one in the Annapolis area (via CapitalGazette.com):

“It is always my priority, part of my mission statement, for the Navy to be a good neighbor,” Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck said in a statement released Friday afternoon.

“The bottom line is, we missed the mark here. The initial internal football team motto selected, ‘Load the Clip,’ was inappropriate and insensitive to the community we call home, and for that, I take responsibility for, and apologize to not only the Capital Gazette, but the entire Annapolis community.”