Navy Changes 'Inappropriate and Insensitive' Motto Due to Capital Gazette Shooting

Navy football was going to use the motto "Load the Clip" for this season but changed it due to The Capital Gazette shooting that took place last year.

Navy has decided it will not use the motto "Load the Clip" for the 2019 season because it is "inappropriate and insensitive" to those affected by the mass shooting at the Capital Gazette last year, The Capitalreported Friday.

Senior captains for the Midshipmen decided on the original motto that was announced at the start of the month.

After The Capital questioned Navy officials about the slogan, the captains decided the team would go with "Win the Day" as the motto instead.

"The bottom line is, we missed the mark here," Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck said in a statement. "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."

Last month, coach Ken Niumatalolo told The Capital he was "leery" of the initial slogan, but understood where the players were coming from.

"Clearly it's a metaphor that speaks to the fact we’re going to battle every weekend and when you go to battle you need to have enough ammunition," Niumatalolo told The Capital. "It means you have to be prepared for the fight and that is a process that happens every day."