Army vs. Navy rivalry plays out between two Tampa businesses

It's another rivalry weekend on the gridiron, but the Army vs. Navy game has a different twist. Both teams are part of the same military, and that brotherhood of arms is suspended for just for game time on the field.

For the past five years, the rivalry between the Army and the Navy played out between two businesses on South Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.

Warren Hahn, the CEO of Hahn Engineering graduated from the Naval Academy.

"About 20 years ago, the local alumni group for the Naval Academy had some banners and we decided to put them up on our building," Hahn said. 

And that started it all.

West Point graduate Fred Rock saw the banner and decided, "This needed to change, it just couldn't go unanswered."

Rock took it upon himself to defend his Army brethren by approaching the owner of a jewelry store across the street. “I asked if he would consider allowing us at West Point to hang our banner to balance off the competition between Army Navy," Rock said.

"It's a fabulous, fabulous tradition," said Rock. 

King Jeweler's store owner Gabriel Caan supports Army thanks to Rock's influence. "Go Army, Beat Navy," Caan said when interviewed along with Rock.

In response, Hahn said, "What can I say; they need two to one because that's the way it is, it takes one Navy guy for two Army guys."

But to dig a little deeper, there is some affection for one another there. 

When asked about his rival Hahn, Rock said, "I probably just want to thank this guy. What you will learn from people who have served in the military academies, is that they are your brothers, they are your sisters. There is nothing they wouldn't do if called upon by one of their colleagues." 

And Hahn replied, "I bleed blue and gold this Saturday you will be bleeding black and gold this Saturday but other than that we always bleed red together."