There's A Snake In My Boot

TigerBlog liked "Finding Nemo."

He didn't love it. Among other things, he thought Dory was annoying.

Maybe he's being harsh to "Nemo." For one thing, Marlin's voice was done by Albert Brooks, who is one of TigerBlog's all-time favorites. Maybe he holds it against "Nemo" that the movie played on an endless loop in the local pediatrician's office and it conjures up memories of being bombarded by germs from all sides.

Whatever, the best line in the movie was definitely "For a clown fish, you're not very funny."

So now "Finding Dory" is out. TB probably won't see it, though it appears he's in the minority there, as the movie earned $136.2 million in its first weekend.

Now that he thinks about it, TB still hasn't seen "Toy Story 3," which he knows he has to watch one of these days. He loved, loved, loved "Toy Story." He didn't love "Toy Story 2," though he did like it more than "Finding Nemo."

Toys who come to life when nobody is looking? Genius. His favorite line in the first two movies? "Did the hat look good? Tell me the hat looked good."

Don't know that one? Watch it HERE. That's pretty good stuff, huh?

Woody, the Tom Hanks character in "Toy Story," didn't speak unless only the toys were around, but he did have a drawstring on his back with his voice recorded on it. At one point, the other toys make fun of him about it because of how high-tech Buzz Lightyear is.

And what did Woody's voicebox say?

"There's a snake in my boot."

If TigerBlog had a snake in his boot, he wouldn't have reacted as calmly as Woody did, that's for sure.

TigerBlog is okay with most insects. He prefers to keep them outside, but when one happens to wander by, it's not the end of the world. Mice bother him a little. Well, maybe more than just a little.

But snakes are a whole other matter. It's not the snakes per se. It's the concept of something slithering along the ground, built to blend in to the scenery.

Have you ever been walking along a path somewhere and saw a snake moving toward you? Freaky, right? Even worse is when you thought it was a stick and it turned out to be a snake. Freakier.

TigerBlog had a meeting yesterday with Zack Rosenberg, who is the GM for Princeton Athletics with IMG Sports Marketing. Before the meeting began, Zack told TB to do a search for "Fort Collins rattlesnake wedding."

So of course, TB did. TB isn't sure how meetings operate where you are, but here at Princeton Athletics, there's always time to check out a story about rattlesnakes and weddings.

Anyway, the bride and groom were taking pictures outdoors before the reception when, you guessed it, a rattlesnake came along and bit the groom. As it turns out, the groom was fine and was able to go to the reception.

Why does Zack care about this? He was at the wedding. The bride is a friend of his wife's.

That's considered good luck, right? When the groom is bitten by a snake?

A rattlesnake who bit the groom at a wedding that was 2,000 miles away from here but was attended by Princeton's corporate marketing guy is a pretty good story.

What else is there for Princeton Athletics this week?

Well, Diana Matheson will be back at the Olympic Games, playing again for Canada in women's soccer. Matheson, who stands a shade under five-feet tall, scored the goal four years ago that gave the Canadians a bronze medal.

Matheson exploded onto the Princeton scene in 2004, when she helped lead Princeton to the Final Four. She graduated in 2008, having been the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year and a four-time first-team All-Ivy League selection.

She's been a long-time member of the Canadian national team, having played in multiple World Cups and now Olympics. Matheson might not have been the most prolific goal scorer Princeton ever had, but no player TB has ever seen play soccer here (male or female) could control a game like she could.

The Princeton Olympic field keeps growing. So far, it includes Matheson and Ashleigh Johnson from women's water polo. The U.S. field hockey team has not yet been officially named, but it will have a strong Princeton contingent on it. Kat Holmes will fence.

In rowing, Gevvie Stone ’07 (open), Kate Bertko ’06 (open) and Glenn Ochal ’08 (heavyweight) have already qualified for the Olympics in their respective boats. Stone is in the US single, Bertko is in the US lightweight pair, and Ochal is in the US men’s eight. They had to win their respective qualifying races to earn their spot, which they have done.

There will possibly be other Princeton alums who qualify.

The USA Olympic Track and Field Trials are July 1-10. Princeton's best chance for the U.S. team comes from the steeplechase, with Donn Cabral (who finished eighth four years ago). At the same time, Princeton could have multiple representatives from other countries.

In addition, there will be 17 Princeton swimmers who will compete at the U.S. Trials beginning Sunday.

Princeton had a great contingent at the London Games four years ago. This year is off to a good start.

The Summer Olympics begin in Rio on Aug. 5 and run through the 21st. Goprincetontigers.com and TigerBlog will have all kinds of stuff as the Games approach and as Princetonians begin to compete.

Still, that's a few weeks away. For now it's a little slower around here, which means it's not always easy to fill space.

On that note, HERE'S another great part from Toy Story.