In the 21st century, the proliferation of internet culture has led to some creative and entertaining spirit spots leading up to the iconic Army-Navy football game presented by USAA. Active duty service members, cadets, and midshipmen publish videos supporting their team, poking fun at the other service, and often incorporating pop culture references. Some of the best Navy spirit spots in recent years have come from the YouTube channel RylanTuohy. Now an officer in the fleet, Tuohy made the hilarious 2021 spirit spot “Navy Squid Game.” Here are the other spirit spots Tuohy has published for past Army-Navy Games.
2012 – Game for the Real Players
Inspired by Bow Wow’s “We In Da Club,” this spirit spot was Tuohy’s first Army-Navy video. Although it was made during his plebe year, Tuohy’s direction and video production yielded a spirit spot of impressive quality. It features Annapolis faculty and support staff, slick dancing from midshipmen, and of course, flashy supercars. With a strong start, Tuohy’s videos only got better.
2013 – Suit & Tie [SDB Version]
Continuing with the theme of musical parody, Tuohy’s 2013 spirit spot was inspired by Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie” ft. Jay-Z. Highlighting the Navy’s Service Dress Blue uniform, “Suit & Tie [SDB Version]” sees Tuohy taking a more prominent role in the video. Impressively, as of 2021, the video has nearly 200,00 views.
2014 – We Give a Ship
Breaking away from music videos, Tuohy’s 2014 spirit spot saw the first use of his introduction, “Hi, I’m Rylan, and I’m [still] in the Navy” that continued until 2021’s video. Following the format of an advertisement, “We Give a Ship” was a shorter spirit spot that focused more on the titular play on words and comedic timing. It’s also one of Tuohy’s most popular videos with over 484,000 views as of 2021. However, his most popular video is 2015’s tribute to the City of Annapolis, “Naptown Funk” with over 8 million views.
2015 – STAR WARS at Navy
Playing off of STAR WARS and Navy’s goal to extend their winning streak against Army to 14 years, 2015’s spirit spot was a return to a longer video. “STAR WARS at Navy” follows Luke and a band of midshipmen on their journey to rescue fellow midshipman Leia from West Point. Featuring shots on water and an epic lightsaber duel, this spirit spot has over 380,000 views as of 2021.
2017 – Helm Yeah
2017’s spirit spot was Tuohy’s first as a commissioned officer. It retained his introduction, word play, and comedic timing from “We Give a Ship.” However, “Helm Yeah” also included appearances from units across the fleet. Navy VIPs also made appearances including Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, Sen. John McCain, NFL legend Roger Staubach, and famed Paralympian Brad Snyder.
5. 2020 – A “Viral” Video
2020 was a weird year for…everything, including the Army-Navy Game. However, that didn’t stop Tuohy from making a spirit spot poking fun at Army. The video makes references to all the things that 2020 introduced us to like masks, temperature checks, video conferences, and social distancing.