Okay, what's so special about today?
If you were paying attention, TigerBlog twice mentioned that today would be a special day here.
For starters it's February 29, a date that only comes along once every four years. Today may or may not still be Sadie Hawkins Day. It depends who you ask.
Traditionally, today would be a day where women were allowed to ask men
to dance, or to get married. Today, though, such tradition is
irrelevant, as women can do that any day they want.
As everyone knows, there's only one of these Feb. 29s every four years. The
reason? It takes the Earth 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, and 16 seconds
to make one complete revolution around the sun.
Did you know that there is no Feb. 29 in years that are divisible by
100, unless they're also divisible by 400? That's why there was a Feb.
29 in 2000, though there won't be one in 2100.
Do you know anyone who was born on Feb. 29? TigerBlog doesn't.
He assumes that everyone who was born on Feb. 29 makes the same "today
is my 10th birthday" if they're 40 joke. That's okay. If you only get to
have one of every four birthdays on your actual birthday, you get to
make that joke.
To Frederic, from the "Pirates of Penzance," it was no joke. He was to
be an apprentice until his 21st birthday, and when he thinks he's
reached it and is free, he finds out he was actually born on Feb. 29,
which meant that he had 63 more years to go. Don't worry, it worked out
just fine for Frederic and Mabel. That's how it works in Gilbert and
Sullivan operettas.
TigerBlog has always wondered why they decided to make February have a
29th. Now that he thinks about it, why does February have only 28 days
in the first place.
Who decided that? What did they have against February.
For TigerBlog, today is special for more than just the fact that it's Feb. 29. Today is the 4,000th edition of the blog.
Yes. That's 4,000 separate TigerBlog entries. TB would guess he's written probably 3,900 of them, with a few guest blogs and, back when this first started, some in-game stuff and small notices mixed in.
To celebrate, TigerBlog thought it would be good to go back through all 4,000 entries and choose the ones that stood out the most, either for good or for heartbreak.
These are in chronological order. Enjoy:
Feb. 11, 2009 - Sweating Out The Anthem
TigerBlog Jr. was 11 years old when he played the national anthem before a Princeton-Cornell men's basketball game at Jadwin Gym. His father was very, very nervous.
Aug. 6, 2010 - Dinner With Yav
There was only one Harvey Yavener.
May 20, 2011 - The Circle Game
A childhood spent at Princeton.
Nov. 14, 2011 - Saturday With William
TigerBlog brought a young friend to a full Saturday of games at Princeton.
April 30, 2012 - Together In Victory
Less than a year after losing his wife to cancer, Chris Bates led the men's lacrosse team to an Ivy League championship, something he shared with his son Nick.
Aug. 9. 2012 - A Medal For Matheson
Diana Matheson's goal gave Canada a hard-earned bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics in women's soccer.
Feb. 15, 2013 - Crushed Again
The Oscar Pistorius case left TigerBlog feeling empty.
April 14, 2014 - From the House On Gordon Street
Gary Walters was celebrated in style as his tenure as AD neared an end.
Jan. 28, 2015 - Rest In Peace, Bob Callahan
There has never been a better person than Bob Callahan, the legendary men's squash coach, who passed away in 2015. TigerBlog had visited with his shortly before his passing and wrote about that time in this entry.
March 23, 2015 - 31-Obama
The Princeton women's basketball team improved its record to 31-0 with its first NCAA tournament win in program history.
June 6, 2016 - Leaving Lafayette
The amazing town of Lafayette, La., which hosted Princeton in the NCAA baseball regional.
Nov. 3, 2016 - Zip It
TigerBlog overcomes his fear of heights to zipline from Spain to Portugal.
March 27, 2017 - Statting with Zack
TigerBlog has written extensively about the DiGregorio family, especially Derek (the middle child who is now 26 and continues his amazing fight against Ataxia-Telangiectasia) and Digger (who tragically passed away in 2021 from pancreatic cancer. This entry is about happier days.
Nov. 20, 2017 - Make That 13
The women's soccer team took down mighty North Carolina in the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 in one of the greatest wins in Princeton Athletics history.
Dec. 21, 2017 - Miss TigerBlog ’22
TigerBlog will never forget the nerves as he waited to hear if his daughter would be admitted to Princeton. Spoiler alert - she was.
Nov. 5, 2018 - Thoughts On A Great Football Game
The 2018 Princeton-Dartmouth football game is as good as any game TB has seen in all his years here.
March 6, 2019 - B-P-29
TigerBlog had the unique chance to enter his daughter's first college stat.
Feb. 26, 2020 - Happy Anniversary
Reflecting on the first quarter-century as a Princeton employee.
Sept. 20, 2021 - Remembering John Schroeder, 20 Years After 9/11
A tribute to the Princeton men's lacrosse player who was killed on Sept. 11, 2001
Oct. 14, 2021 - Goodbye Digger
The heartbreaking death of Steve DiGregorio.
Dec. 2, 2021 - I Can Do Anything
After nearly two years, TigerBlog was finally able to see his book on the first 50 years of women's athletics at Princeton.
May 23, 2022 - A Men's Lacrosse Reunions Party On Long Island
Matt Madalon led Princeton back to Championship Weekend.
May 25, 2022 - The Persistent One
The emotions of seeing his daughter graduate from Princeton were overwhelming.
Aug. 16, 2022 - Rest In Peace, Coach
The passing of Pete Carril.
March 18, 2023 - Double The Madness
The Princeton women's basketball team followed up the men's NCAA opening round win with an extraordinary one of their own.
March 25, 2023 - How Sweet It Was
Princeton's men's basketball team and its run to the NCAA tournament Sweet 16.
Jan. 20, 2024 - Drilling Down
Making the best of a root canal.
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