Princeton Connections

How many of you play the "Connections" game every day? 

TigerBlog started doing so a few months ago, and now it's part of his daily routine. First, it's "Wordle," and then it's time for "Connections." 

Yesterday TB pushed his "Wordle" winning streak to 100. For "Connections," he's lucky if he can get through an entire week without losing 

The way "Connections" works, for those who don't play, there are four rows with four words or phrases in each. You have to click on the four boxes that have a connecting theme, and you win if you can do so before you miss four times. 

Simple, right?

You'd be surprised how many times you realize that the word in the box was used in a context that you didn't realize until your fourth miss. It's much tougher than "Wordle," that's for sure. 

And to think, there was a time when TB played the daily "Jumble" in the newspaper each morning. 

TB thought it would be fun to put together a "Princeton Athletics Connections" game today. There are a few issues, though. 

First, this isn't something you'll be able to click on. Second, you'll have no way to know how many misses you have. 

Third, TB isn't sure if he should give you the answers today or start with that tomorrow. And last?

He actually has to come up with the clues. This also isn't as easy as you might think.  

Okay, here are the four rows (TB used a Tiger emoji to separate them, clearly):

Martin 🐅  Ithaca 🐅  Tyler 🐅  New Haven 

Jesse 🐅 New York City 🐅  Reading 🐅 Christopher

Syracuse 🐅  College Park 🐅  Rose 🐅 Philadelphia

Ryan 🐅  Sacramento 🐅  Sierra Moon 🐅 Adele 

That sort of works. And he even centered them. 

So what do you think? TigerBlog can't give you the answers right away. You need some time to work on it. 

Yeah, he's going to start tomorrow with the answers. Feel free to email him (jprice@princeton.edu) if you have the answers.

He did send it out immediately after finishing it to a focus group (of one), Duncan Yin of the Class of 1982. He's about as big a Princeton Athletics fan as there is, and he's the one who first got TB to try "Connections." 

How did he do? 

Well, first he pointed out that there's also a Sports Connections puzzle each day? Who knew that? 

Then he also said that as constructed, it might be a bit too difficult for anyone. He suggested offering a hint, and TB will say this: "Ivy League cities" is not one of the answers.

In the meantime, there's the matter of this weekend. First, the Princeton weather is going to be the definition of "going out like a lamb," with clear skies and temps Saturday approaching or exceeding 80. 

It's the perfect weather for baseball and softball, no. Both of those Princeton teams will be home again this weekend after opening their Ivy seasons last weekend also at home, where both went 3-0. 

In fact, there were eight three-game series in Ivy baseball and softball last weekend — and there were six sweeps, three in baseball and three in softball. 

This time around, it'll be Yale at Princeton in softball, with a single game tomorrow at 3:30 and then a doubleheader Saturday starting at 12:30. Yale and Penn played their three-game series the week before the other teams (and Yale swept), meaning 1) seven of the eight opening series were sweeps and 2) that Yale is 5-1 in the league after taking two of three against Cornell last weekend.

The baseball team hosts Columbia, another team who did the sweeping last weekend (against Brown). There is a doubleheader Saturday at 11:30, with a single game Sunday at noon. 

There is plenty on the Princeton Athletics dance card this weekend, including plenty of rowing at home. You can see the entire schedule HERE.

And tomorrow, TB will be back with two things: the answers to his first stab at "Princeton Athletic Connections" and weather forecasts that aren't as good as the one for Princeton. 

Hint - one of those calls for snow. And unfortunately, it's where TB will be while it happens.