The following year, another goat wore the blanket, and it was this mascot which was destined for fame. J., was given the name of Bill III and bestowed with the duty of bringing victory to the Navy, who had lost the last four years to Army. In 1905, the fifth goat, a large angora animal from Princeton, N. Navy lost again and goat advocates protested against the joint attention the cats received. Along with him, however, were two easily spooked cats who ran for the nearest exit when released from their bag. The next year a new goat, named Bill II, was called upon to assume the role of Navy mascot. Chester, Commandant of Midshipmen from 1891-1894 and the first president of the Naval Academy Athletic Association. It was then that the goat was dubbed the now celebrated name "Bill." The name was borrowed from a pet goat kept by Commander Colby M. On the return trip to the Naval Academy, the goat was led on a victory lap through the train and did not leave the mids until they reached Baltimore. That game in Philadelphia ended with an 11-7 victory for Annapolis and added prestige for the goat. On the opposite side of the gridiron, the Army mule was attired in West Point colors and bore on one side the words "No Ships for Me," while on the other flank was "I’m Something of a Kicker Myself." The mids again borrowed the goat from the USS New York and decked him out in a fine blanket with a gold "NAVY" emblazoned on both sides. The first service match of the 20th century brought out both teams’ traditional mascots for the first time. The West Pointers were defeated for the third time, and the midshipmen feted El Cid along with the team. The USS New York dropped anchor off Annapolis and the ship’s mascot, a goat bearing the name El Cid (The Chief), was brought ashore for the service clash. Again, it was young naval officers who supplied the mids with their sea-faring pet. It was not until 1893, however, that a live goat made his debut as a mascot at the fourth Army-Navy game. Such ungoatlike antics brought howls of laughter from the midshipmen, and the Navy victory that day was attributed to the spirit of the late, lamented goat. When half-time arrived, he romped up and down the sidelines cloaked with the goat skin barely covering his blue uniform. While watching the first half of the game, one of the officers came up with an idea for some half-time entertainment. With them - for lack of a suitable storage place - was the goat skin. On the way to the taxidermist, the ensigns dropped in on their alma mater where a football game was in progress. Two young officers were entrusted with the skin when the ship docked in Baltimore.
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