Wish-ing upon the stars and stripes we hear from Army

The wishbone is back in all its belly-series, option-pitch glory.

Step 1 to rebuilding Army, instill the wishbone. Now stop the silence! (Getty Images)

Ssshhh, you're not supposed to know. Try to keep that between us. If Army coach Stan Brock knew that we knew, he might have to kill us. Don't laugh. The guy does coach some of the baddest men on the planet -- future Army Rangers.

But right now we know more about troop movements in the Middle East than we do about halfback movements in Brock's new offense. That both involve the Army should give you some indication of the level of silliness that has descended over one of the nation's most honored programs.

Losing is one thing -- Army has 17 victories this decade. Losing in anonymity is unforgivable. Human garbage like Jamie Lynn Spears has no shame, selling pictures of her out-of-wedlock child to gossip magazines. Meanwhile, there are legions who would sell their souls to see Army football win again. These days, they can't even see Army football.

A program that should be celebrating its athletes, history and tradition has been in lockdown mode. No fans, no media while the new offense was installed. Brock won't speak of it. Players and coaches are not allowed to speak of it.

There are programs that keep the wraps on company secrets during the offseason. Pick up a random preseason magazine. I'm betting the schemes of the other 119 I-A programs are public at this point. Not Army's. Someone needs to remind the coach that an academy that turns out soldiers first continues to be third in service academy football, having produced a whopping 14 wins over Division I-A programs since 2000.

The Army suits in the Pentagon are less protective of their secrets than the Army coach. The whole WMD hoax didn't last as long as the mystery surrounding Brock's need-to-know offense. As in, none of us need to know.

But it is the wishbone, the preferred offense of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Since then, pretty much a museum piece. This is news only because Brock doesn't want it to be. That muckraking Times Herald-Record of Middletown, N.Y., broke the story in April. Through some intrepid reporting -- asking around the program -- it found out that Brock was as successful at guarding a secret as he was in his first year at West Point -- 3-9.

Practices will be public starting Aug. 4, which further begs the question: Who was the second-year Black Knights coach trying to fool? Army was last relevant running the wishbone under Bob Sutton (1991-99). In general, the service academy's best chance at competing is running some sort of option. It's not exactly trigonometry to put the two together.

The 'bone is a forgotten and archaic offense whose time passed years ago, which makes it perfect for Army. Its athletes are undersized and slower compared to other I-A programs for obvious reasons. It is not unpatriotic to suggest Army can't turn the corner. Sometimes the truth hurts. In this case, the wishbone helps.

That's why Brock should have been shooting off fireworks since spring practice. Let the public get a glimpse at the last glory days. Sutton's 1996 team finished 10-2 and ranked No. 25 while running the option. Let everyone see freshman quarterback Paul McIntosh (Indiana's Mr. Football in 2007) try to master the offense. Better yet, let them see 5-foot-6, 176-pound Carlo Sandiego get his shot. The all-purpose guy took snaps at quarterback during the spring.

Brock should let the world know he has a clue after his 2007 offense scored one rushing touchdown during one 31-quarter span.

There's even a natural marketing slogan waiting out there: Every Saturday, An Army of Won!