When the Final Jeopardy category was announced as "Movies of the 1930s," TigerBlog immediately thought the correct answer had to be one of three:
* "Gone With the Wind"
* "The Wizard of Oz"
* "It Happened One Night"
Then the clue asked in which 1930s movie had a category who gets the Pythagorean Theorem wrong. TigerBlog didn't immediately remember the scene that the clue was referencing, and had he been one of the three contestants, he would've spent the 30 seconds or so figuring which of his three original thoughts it had to be.
The correct answer, of course, was "The Wizard of Oz," from the scene where the Wizard gives the Scarecrow his brains, which leads to this from the Scarecrow:
"The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side."
In reality, he's wrong about a bunch of things. First, it's not an isosceles triangle; it s a right triangle. An isosceles triangle is one with two equal sides, but it doesn't necessary have to have a right angle. In a right triangle, the sum of the square of the other two sides is equal to the square of the hypotenuse, which is the side opposite the right angle.
As an aside, TB was always a big geometry fan, back in Mrs. Mancuso's class sophomore year of high school. There was something about the logic that appealed to TB.
Meanwhile, back at Jeopardy the other night, the doctor who delivered her own baby at her house (at least that's what she told Alex during the part where they all talk about themselves after the first commercial break) ended up getting "The Wizard of Oz" and knocking off the four-time champion.
TigerBlog, for his part, couldn't understand why Alex didn't follow up with the woman to ask her why she delivered her own baby. Was it because the baby showed up unannounced, early and quickly, or did she do it by her own choosing?'
As for the four-time champion, he was a big, soft-spoken computer programmer from Tennessee who knew a lot about a lot.
Jeopardy is by far TB's all-time favorite game show, far outdistancing "The Price is Right." It's a great show, one that requires a combination of well-rounded intelligence and a sense of how the strategy of the game works.
TB is still shocked by the woman from two weeks ago who didn't have to bet anything at Final Jeopardy to win and instead bet it all, got the question wrong and left $16,000 on the table. It brought back memories of Cliff Clavin.
TB likes to DVR the show, because he can watch an entire episode in about 15 minutes by fast-forwarding through the commercials and small talk. Unfortunately, he'd already gone through two shows and deleted them before Princeton head football coach Bob Surace came in the other day and said that his former teammate was a four-time champion on Jeopardy who had won $72,000.
When Surace said that, TB immediately knew whom he was talking about. Surace also ruined it somewhat for TB, since he'd only seen him win two episodes.
The teammate was Paul Wampler, who actually won $72,002 in his run through four wins. Wampler was stopped short by the LDWDHOB (Lady Doctor Who Delivered Her Own Baby). His winning total ranks him in the Top 100 of all time.
Because TB deleted the first two shows after watching them, he's not sure if Wampler made any references to his Princeton football career during his small-talk-with-Alex time.
Wampler graduated in 1992, one year after Surace, though they both started here in the same year. Both were offensive linemen; both came to Princeton from New Jersey high schools, Surace from Millville in South Jersey and Wampler from Westfield in North Jersey.
While at Westfield, Wampler was an all-state football player, as well as a member of two state championship lacrosse teams. His bio in the 1991 football guide also refers to his two sisters; at some point during one his talks with Alex, Wampler mentioned that they are both lawyers who also married lawyers.
Wampler suffered a major knee injury that cost him a year, but he did play a great deal his senior year.
TB was still at the newspaper during Wampler's playing days, and in fact, TB is pretty sure that his first-ever Trenton Times feature story was about Surace when he the Tiger center.
TB didn't remember Wampler by name or by face when he saw him on Jeopardy, but he was definitely impressed by his four wins.
Wampler spent much of that time destroying the field. He had to come from behind once in the four shows, as TB remembers, and he couldn't have been too upset when he finally fell short.
This Princeton football alum won $72,002 on Jeopardy.
Who is Paul Wampler.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Remembering Lorin
TigerBlog always keeps his door open out onto the Jadwin mezzanine.
While part of the reason is that it gets ridiculously hot in his office if the door is closed, the real reasons are that TB likes to interact with the people who walk by and wants anyone who walks by to know that they are welcome to come in.
Almost nobody actually does come in, of course. Most don't even slow down as they walk past, head down, on their way to their next task. Some slow up to wave or say hi. A few will stop and have a conversation, even when there's nothing really to say.
Lorin Maurer, who worked at Princeton with the athletic friends' groups, was usually in that last group, unless she was in a hurry, in which case she was in the second group. She was never in the first group.
Even now, as TigerBlog looks out to the blue sky, the brown facade of Princeton Stadium and Weaver Track and the white snow that covers anything green, he still half expects to hear her come down the hall, stop, wave, smile, say something and then be on her way to her next meeting, her next social event, her next workout.
Of course, she won't be by today. Just like she hasn't been in almost two years.
Lorin Maurer died two years ago tomorrow, died at the age of 30 in a horrific plane crash outside of Buffalo, where she was headed for her boyfriend's brother's wedding.
TigerBlog will never, ever forget waking up to an email that Lorin had been killed. His first reaction was that there was no way that it was possible, that Lorin had just been in the department meeting the day before, that Lorin was so full of life.
Sadly, it did turn out to be true. It was a shocking, numbing day here in Jadwin, one that seemed to move in slow motion and last forever, one that featured a parade of media people who wanted to learn about her in a way that was part noble and part ghoulish.
Lorin died along with 48 others on the plane and one more on the ground. Since then, much has been learned and written about regarding the crash, the role the pilots played in it (and they paid the heavy price themselves), the culpability of airline policies and other issues.
The family and friends of the victims have done a great job in bringing these issues to light and in trying to effect change so it will not happen again.
But that's not what TigerBlog wants to talk about.
Today, he just wants people to remember the young woman who worked here, the one with so much life and energy, the one who had it taken away from her so needlessly and tragically.
When TigerBlog thinks back to Lorin, he thinks first of her smile and her laugh. He also thinks back to the time that building services didn't show up for one of her friends' events and how she set up the lobby of Jadwin for the luncheon by herself. Why? Because it needed to be done.
TigerBlog and Lorin were friendly, but there were many here who knew her better than TB did. Earlier this week, TB asked some of those people to give their thoughts on what they remember.
This is what they had to say about her:
"Two years, wow, not sure if that seems like a long time or if it went quick. Anyhow, I just remember her pure love for life and everything she did, her constant smile, and contagious happiness. Lorin was pleasure to be around." - Jon Kurian, business office.
"I’ll never forget her smile. There are days where I’ll see someone that reminds me of her and I catch myself before calling out to her…remembering that it can’t be. I know people come into our lives for a reason and hers was to make us smile. She will not be forgotten. Ever." - Kim Meszaros, director's office.
"Within the first week of my employment at Princeton, Lorin had made the time to introduce herself and invite me to a happy hour that her roommate was hosting. Lorin's simple act of inviting me showed me just the kind of person she was - engaging, unassuming and exuberant every second of every day. She was a wonderful individual and a caring and devoted friend. I miss her every day." - Kelly Widener, compliance.
"Lorin is missed every day. I have a picture of her in my office, and also at home…though it may seem strange I sometimes find myself talking to her…because she was always such a source of strength. I feel that Lorin was a hard-worker, was full of enthusiasm, had an infectious laugh and energy and devotion to all she did that she set a high standard.
"Lorin was a good friend and strong person. I was lucky to share an office with her when I first came. Though she can be intimidating because she excelled at things she was involved in, she is a caring person and once you ‘prove’ yourself to her, you were ‘in’. She was a great person to first meet not knowing anyone or having family around, because she was a connector and took great joy in networking and having people meet each other. On holidays, she would have me over with her family, since mine lives far away.
"Lorin was a genuine person who would ‘tell it like it is’. In this world, it is hard to find people who will be blunt and forthcoming and I respected that greatly.
"Lorin had a love of life and seemed to make the most out of every moment. She was able to keep things in perspective and worked and played hard! She loved to dance, go out to eat, have a glad of wine, workout, work at events, see her family, be with friends and of course Kevin.
"Lorin taught me that even if people aren’t in your life for a long period of time…the impact they have can last forever.
"I feel sad wondering about what Lorin would have done or who all has missed out on her being here because she had an impact everywhere she went and on everyone she met.
"Lorin was integral in my daily life at Princeton. We were co-workers, friends, shared an office, and spent time together on weekends and trips.
"Lorin will never be forgotten because as everyone who encountered her or knew her knows she is unforgettable.
"I hope Lorin knows how much we all love and miss her." - Marie Muhvic, athletic friends
Lastly, there is Kellie Staples, from the Princeton Varsity Club. She was probably closest to Lorin of anyone who works here.
Kellie sent along her original eulogy of Lorin, along with these words:
After thinking about it for some time this afternoon, I decided that the most meaningful way for me to contribute was to pass along the thoughts that I shared as part of Lorin’s service in February of 2009. The sentiments still ring very true for me as I often think about the ways in which I was blessed to know her and about the many gifts she gave me.
Perhaps sharing this again will encourage others to take some time to reflect about the ways in which Lorin enhanced their lives. If it is something that helps keep her memory alive, then it is worth it for me.
And here is the text:
My relationship with Lorin began as co-workers who were friendly and got along well. We worked together on many projects, and because of that, spent a good amount of time together. As time progressed, a fundamental shift occurred in our relationship. We became good friends and confidants that happened to be co-workers. I can’t remember the exact day when the shift happened, but we both felt it. For years, I had come to rely on that friendship.
Once I realized that my friend had been taken away from me, in an effort to make some sense of the tremendous loss that I was feeling, I called my parents – a constant source of strength in my life. After some very patient listening on their part, I finally paused…awaiting my father’s response. What he said was not something I expected to hear, but it brought me great comfort.
He told me – “you were one of the lucky ones. You really got to know Lorin and got to be her friend. You need to think about what a gift that is.”
If you knew Lorin, you knew that she loved to give gifts. She would stockpile up all sorts of presents so that she was ready for any occasion. Without knowing it, my father had said something that struck me on so many levels.
So, whenever I am feeling anger or loss, I listen to those words again and I start to think about all of the ways that I was lucky and all of the ways that Lorin blessed me with our friendship and the many gifts that she gave me. I want to share with you some of those gifts…
Lorin gave me her compassion. When I first moved to Princeton, the person that I loved still lived in Boston and I was constantly traveling back and forth. Lorin repeatedly extended invitations to me to go out with her and her friends. Even though I did not initially take advantage of those offers, eventually, I began to meet some of the wonderful people who were part of Lorin’s life. Those people are now my friends. When I stop to think about it, Lorin gave me a Princeton family.
Lorin gave me the gift of her laughter. People often speak of Lorin’s bright and beautiful smile. It is so easy for me to picture because of the light that it brought. But, her laughter was her smile amplified. You could not contain your own laughter when she thought something was really funny…Often, one of her one jokes, but nonetheless, the sound just radiated and before you knew it, you were joining that chorus of laughter.
Lorin gave me the gift of patience. Some of you may be wondering what I am referencing, as patience might not be the first word you think of when talking about Lorin. When she wanted to get something done, she got it done and was not interested in waiting around… But, if you know me at all, you know that I simply can not cook. Lorin NEVER gave up hope on me that she could help me learn to cook. She would constantly tell me that it was simple, that I could do it. She would have me over and include me in the process or have me watch as she prepared us dinner and I poured a few glasses of wine… Deep down I was thinking, there is no way that I am going to do this on my own – but she never quit on me.
Lorin gave me her trust. To have a friend and colleague who you trust implicitly is a tremendous gift. To know that she trusted me with so many different parts of her life fills my heart. I knew that no matter what I was going through, or what she was going through, that we could talk about it. We would listen to each other and we would do whatever we could to help and to be there for the other person and that took so many different forms. In some instances it meant a really honest answer to a tough question. In other instances, it simply meant giving the other person a hug. There was nothing off limits between us and often our conversations centered on the most important aspects of our lives… love, family, career aspirations… Essentially, what we wanted in our lives in order to feel fulfilled. She wanted more than anything to be in love – something that was fulfilled when Kevin entered her life. She cared so deeply about her family and wanted them to know what they meant to her – something I hope that they can hold onto forever. And she wanted to be successful in her chosen profession. For those of us who worked closely with her, we know that she achieved that excellence.
Lorin inspired me in the way she lived her life. She did not wait around for things to happen to her – she made things happen. If she wanted something – she went for it, whether it be planning a trip to Europe or deciding last minute to go support her Florida Gators in yet another quest for a national championship. What a great inspiration for those around her and such an example of how to live each day to the fullest. I consider it such a gift that I was able to be inspired by her for the last three and a half years.
The other day, as I was going through some of Lorin’s belongings in her office, I came across a very small orange notepad. Not sure if it was work-related, I flipped a few pages to get a sense of what I had found.
Inside, I found a series of lists that were drafted in April of 2008. For those who knew Lorin, I am sure you are not surprised – her list-making ability is legendary. But these were not work-related lists, or tasks that needed to be accomplished. They were much simpler…
The header was a name and the contents below described the person noted above. As I flipped the pages, I saw that there were lists about those people who were so important in her life, her best friend Monica, her boyfriend Kevin, her good friend Kathleen…and then I flipped one more page and saw my name. The tears came rushing and I had not even read a word.
When I was able to gather myself to read the wonderful things that Lorin had written about me, all I could think was - what a gift. What a tremendous gift for me to find. I have to believe that Lorin purposely left it there for us to have. Though I have no idea why she wrote these lists, or what their purpose was at the time she drafted them, the fact that I was able to have even a brief glimpse into how I was able to give her something important in her life means the world to me.
I hope that every person who was blessed enough to get to know Lorin – on any level - thinks about the gifts that she gave them. Whether it was simply the gift of her smile, a thoughtful treat she brought in the office for everyone to share (as she often did), or the gift of her friendship… She lived her life thinking about what she could do for others and I was such a lucky beneficiary of that generosity. Please remember Lorin for all of her tremendous gifts and think about how you can do what she did for so many others.
While part of the reason is that it gets ridiculously hot in his office if the door is closed, the real reasons are that TB likes to interact with the people who walk by and wants anyone who walks by to know that they are welcome to come in.
Almost nobody actually does come in, of course. Most don't even slow down as they walk past, head down, on their way to their next task. Some slow up to wave or say hi. A few will stop and have a conversation, even when there's nothing really to say.
Lorin Maurer, who worked at Princeton with the athletic friends' groups, was usually in that last group, unless she was in a hurry, in which case she was in the second group. She was never in the first group.
Even now, as TigerBlog looks out to the blue sky, the brown facade of Princeton Stadium and Weaver Track and the white snow that covers anything green, he still half expects to hear her come down the hall, stop, wave, smile, say something and then be on her way to her next meeting, her next social event, her next workout.
Of course, she won't be by today. Just like she hasn't been in almost two years.
Lorin Maurer died two years ago tomorrow, died at the age of 30 in a horrific plane crash outside of Buffalo, where she was headed for her boyfriend's brother's wedding.
TigerBlog will never, ever forget waking up to an email that Lorin had been killed. His first reaction was that there was no way that it was possible, that Lorin had just been in the department meeting the day before, that Lorin was so full of life.
Sadly, it did turn out to be true. It was a shocking, numbing day here in Jadwin, one that seemed to move in slow motion and last forever, one that featured a parade of media people who wanted to learn about her in a way that was part noble and part ghoulish.
Lorin died along with 48 others on the plane and one more on the ground. Since then, much has been learned and written about regarding the crash, the role the pilots played in it (and they paid the heavy price themselves), the culpability of airline policies and other issues.
The family and friends of the victims have done a great job in bringing these issues to light and in trying to effect change so it will not happen again.
But that's not what TigerBlog wants to talk about.
Today, he just wants people to remember the young woman who worked here, the one with so much life and energy, the one who had it taken away from her so needlessly and tragically.
When TigerBlog thinks back to Lorin, he thinks first of her smile and her laugh. He also thinks back to the time that building services didn't show up for one of her friends' events and how she set up the lobby of Jadwin for the luncheon by herself. Why? Because it needed to be done.
TigerBlog and Lorin were friendly, but there were many here who knew her better than TB did. Earlier this week, TB asked some of those people to give their thoughts on what they remember.
This is what they had to say about her:
"Two years, wow, not sure if that seems like a long time or if it went quick. Anyhow, I just remember her pure love for life and everything she did, her constant smile, and contagious happiness. Lorin was pleasure to be around." - Jon Kurian, business office.
"I’ll never forget her smile. There are days where I’ll see someone that reminds me of her and I catch myself before calling out to her…remembering that it can’t be. I know people come into our lives for a reason and hers was to make us smile. She will not be forgotten. Ever." - Kim Meszaros, director's office.
"Within the first week of my employment at Princeton, Lorin had made the time to introduce herself and invite me to a happy hour that her roommate was hosting. Lorin's simple act of inviting me showed me just the kind of person she was - engaging, unassuming and exuberant every second of every day. She was a wonderful individual and a caring and devoted friend. I miss her every day." - Kelly Widener, compliance.
"Lorin is missed every day. I have a picture of her in my office, and also at home…though it may seem strange I sometimes find myself talking to her…because she was always such a source of strength. I feel that Lorin was a hard-worker, was full of enthusiasm, had an infectious laugh and energy and devotion to all she did that she set a high standard.
"Lorin was a good friend and strong person. I was lucky to share an office with her when I first came. Though she can be intimidating because she excelled at things she was involved in, she is a caring person and once you ‘prove’ yourself to her, you were ‘in’. She was a great person to first meet not knowing anyone or having family around, because she was a connector and took great joy in networking and having people meet each other. On holidays, she would have me over with her family, since mine lives far away.
"Lorin was a genuine person who would ‘tell it like it is’. In this world, it is hard to find people who will be blunt and forthcoming and I respected that greatly.
"Lorin had a love of life and seemed to make the most out of every moment. She was able to keep things in perspective and worked and played hard! She loved to dance, go out to eat, have a glad of wine, workout, work at events, see her family, be with friends and of course Kevin.
"Lorin taught me that even if people aren’t in your life for a long period of time…the impact they have can last forever.
"I feel sad wondering about what Lorin would have done or who all has missed out on her being here because she had an impact everywhere she went and on everyone she met.
"Lorin was integral in my daily life at Princeton. We were co-workers, friends, shared an office, and spent time together on weekends and trips.
"Lorin will never be forgotten because as everyone who encountered her or knew her knows she is unforgettable.
"I hope Lorin knows how much we all love and miss her." - Marie Muhvic, athletic friends
Lastly, there is Kellie Staples, from the Princeton Varsity Club. She was probably closest to Lorin of anyone who works here.
Kellie sent along her original eulogy of Lorin, along with these words:
After thinking about it for some time this afternoon, I decided that the most meaningful way for me to contribute was to pass along the thoughts that I shared as part of Lorin’s service in February of 2009. The sentiments still ring very true for me as I often think about the ways in which I was blessed to know her and about the many gifts she gave me.
Perhaps sharing this again will encourage others to take some time to reflect about the ways in which Lorin enhanced their lives. If it is something that helps keep her memory alive, then it is worth it for me.
And here is the text:
My relationship with Lorin began as co-workers who were friendly and got along well. We worked together on many projects, and because of that, spent a good amount of time together. As time progressed, a fundamental shift occurred in our relationship. We became good friends and confidants that happened to be co-workers. I can’t remember the exact day when the shift happened, but we both felt it. For years, I had come to rely on that friendship.
Once I realized that my friend had been taken away from me, in an effort to make some sense of the tremendous loss that I was feeling, I called my parents – a constant source of strength in my life. After some very patient listening on their part, I finally paused…awaiting my father’s response. What he said was not something I expected to hear, but it brought me great comfort.
He told me – “you were one of the lucky ones. You really got to know Lorin and got to be her friend. You need to think about what a gift that is.”
If you knew Lorin, you knew that she loved to give gifts. She would stockpile up all sorts of presents so that she was ready for any occasion. Without knowing it, my father had said something that struck me on so many levels.
So, whenever I am feeling anger or loss, I listen to those words again and I start to think about all of the ways that I was lucky and all of the ways that Lorin blessed me with our friendship and the many gifts that she gave me. I want to share with you some of those gifts…
Lorin gave me her compassion. When I first moved to Princeton, the person that I loved still lived in Boston and I was constantly traveling back and forth. Lorin repeatedly extended invitations to me to go out with her and her friends. Even though I did not initially take advantage of those offers, eventually, I began to meet some of the wonderful people who were part of Lorin’s life. Those people are now my friends. When I stop to think about it, Lorin gave me a Princeton family.
Lorin gave me the gift of her laughter. People often speak of Lorin’s bright and beautiful smile. It is so easy for me to picture because of the light that it brought. But, her laughter was her smile amplified. You could not contain your own laughter when she thought something was really funny…Often, one of her one jokes, but nonetheless, the sound just radiated and before you knew it, you were joining that chorus of laughter.
Lorin gave me the gift of patience. Some of you may be wondering what I am referencing, as patience might not be the first word you think of when talking about Lorin. When she wanted to get something done, she got it done and was not interested in waiting around… But, if you know me at all, you know that I simply can not cook. Lorin NEVER gave up hope on me that she could help me learn to cook. She would constantly tell me that it was simple, that I could do it. She would have me over and include me in the process or have me watch as she prepared us dinner and I poured a few glasses of wine… Deep down I was thinking, there is no way that I am going to do this on my own – but she never quit on me.
Lorin gave me her trust. To have a friend and colleague who you trust implicitly is a tremendous gift. To know that she trusted me with so many different parts of her life fills my heart. I knew that no matter what I was going through, or what she was going through, that we could talk about it. We would listen to each other and we would do whatever we could to help and to be there for the other person and that took so many different forms. In some instances it meant a really honest answer to a tough question. In other instances, it simply meant giving the other person a hug. There was nothing off limits between us and often our conversations centered on the most important aspects of our lives… love, family, career aspirations… Essentially, what we wanted in our lives in order to feel fulfilled. She wanted more than anything to be in love – something that was fulfilled when Kevin entered her life. She cared so deeply about her family and wanted them to know what they meant to her – something I hope that they can hold onto forever. And she wanted to be successful in her chosen profession. For those of us who worked closely with her, we know that she achieved that excellence.
Lorin inspired me in the way she lived her life. She did not wait around for things to happen to her – she made things happen. If she wanted something – she went for it, whether it be planning a trip to Europe or deciding last minute to go support her Florida Gators in yet another quest for a national championship. What a great inspiration for those around her and such an example of how to live each day to the fullest. I consider it such a gift that I was able to be inspired by her for the last three and a half years.
The other day, as I was going through some of Lorin’s belongings in her office, I came across a very small orange notepad. Not sure if it was work-related, I flipped a few pages to get a sense of what I had found.
Inside, I found a series of lists that were drafted in April of 2008. For those who knew Lorin, I am sure you are not surprised – her list-making ability is legendary. But these were not work-related lists, or tasks that needed to be accomplished. They were much simpler…
The header was a name and the contents below described the person noted above. As I flipped the pages, I saw that there were lists about those people who were so important in her life, her best friend Monica, her boyfriend Kevin, her good friend Kathleen…and then I flipped one more page and saw my name. The tears came rushing and I had not even read a word.
When I was able to gather myself to read the wonderful things that Lorin had written about me, all I could think was - what a gift. What a tremendous gift for me to find. I have to believe that Lorin purposely left it there for us to have. Though I have no idea why she wrote these lists, or what their purpose was at the time she drafted them, the fact that I was able to have even a brief glimpse into how I was able to give her something important in her life means the world to me.
I hope that every person who was blessed enough to get to know Lorin – on any level - thinks about the gifts that she gave them. Whether it was simply the gift of her smile, a thoughtful treat she brought in the office for everyone to share (as she often did), or the gift of her friendship… She lived her life thinking about what she could do for others and I was such a lucky beneficiary of that generosity. Please remember Lorin for all of her tremendous gifts and think about how you can do what she did for so many others.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Defending Champs
It was back in eighth grade, TigerBlog believes, that he had to memorize maps of the different continents for social studies. It might have been seventh, though TB is positive it was in middle school and pretty sure it was in eighth.
The map of Europe, for some reason, was always a bit problematic for TB, maybe because there were so many small countries as opposed to, say, Asia or South America. This was especially true of Central and Eastern Europe, and TB has strong memories of taking forever to figure out which country was which.
The funny part in looking back on it is that at the time, TB probably figured that the European borders were set in stone and couldn't possibly ever change. And now, the part of the map that TB struggled to learn hardly exists anymore.
The Soviet Union has split into 15 different countries. What was then Yugoslavia is now seven independent countries - TB will give extra credit if you can name five of the seven.
Czechoslovakia is gone as well. At least it's a less confusing outcome, with the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
One country that has enjoyed relative stability - except for an unfortunate alliance with Austria that sort of dragged the whole world into war back in 1914 - is Hungary.
In fact, Hungary is also one of the oldest countries on Earth, dating back to the year 895, and it has a culture and history that is to be expected of a nation that old.
Its role in the collapse of communism in Europe and in bringing down the Iron Curtain is very significant, particularly with its 1956 revolution against the Soviets and the decision to open its border with Austria in 1989.
It is bordered by seven countries, though that number was five when TB was learning the map.
Oh, and what was then Yugoslavia is now these countries: Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovena, Croatia, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia. And back when TB was learning the map, he also had to learn that capitals, so the whole process is now that much more difficult.
If TigerBlog is correct, then all but three of Princeton's head coaches are Americans, many of whom, by the way, were All-Americas.
Of the remaining three, two are Canadians - men's hockey coach Guy Gadowsky and men's tennis coach Glenn Michibata.
The third is men's and women's fencing coach Zoltan Dudas, who is Hungarian.
Dudas is in his fifth season as the head coach of the two Princeton teams, and this coming weekend is a huge one for Dudas and his programs.
Princeton will be defending both the men's and women's championships at the Ivy League fencing matches, which will be held at Jadwin Gym Saturday and Sunday. The Ivy League fencing titles are decided by this format, with each team fencing each other over a two-day span at one site, which rotates among the seven fencing schools (no Dartmouth). This year happens to be Princeton's turn.
Of all of the sports at Princeton, fencing is probably the one that TigerBlog understands the least. About all he knows is that points are awarded for touches, there are three weapons and the team scores add up to 27 for a match, meaning that a team needs to win 14 bouts to get the win.
TB sat in the event meeting this week and heard about how the fencing strips would be brought from the fencing room on C level up to the main floor for the event and how each strip weighs 1,000 pounds.
Another thing that TB knows about fencing is that Ivy League teams are very good at it.
On the women's side, Harvard is ranked third nationally, followed by Princeton at fourth, Columbia sixth and Penn eighth.
The men also have four of the top eight teams. Harvard is ranked second nationally, while Princeton, Penn and Columbia go 6-7-8.
Still, Princeton is at home, and the Tigers went unbeaten on both sides a year ago. And with such a strong field, it's possible that no team will go through undefeated.
Jadwin Gym will be hosting all kinds of events this weekend, including squash, tennis and of course two big women's basketball games.
Fencing, as it often does, may drift into the background, a little off the radar for most people.
Still, it'll be worth checking out.
Two Ivy League champions will be crowned here at Jadwin this weekend. It could be Princeton on both sides - but it certainly won't be easy on either.
The map of Europe, for some reason, was always a bit problematic for TB, maybe because there were so many small countries as opposed to, say, Asia or South America. This was especially true of Central and Eastern Europe, and TB has strong memories of taking forever to figure out which country was which.
The funny part in looking back on it is that at the time, TB probably figured that the European borders were set in stone and couldn't possibly ever change. And now, the part of the map that TB struggled to learn hardly exists anymore.
The Soviet Union has split into 15 different countries. What was then Yugoslavia is now seven independent countries - TB will give extra credit if you can name five of the seven.
Czechoslovakia is gone as well. At least it's a less confusing outcome, with the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
One country that has enjoyed relative stability - except for an unfortunate alliance with Austria that sort of dragged the whole world into war back in 1914 - is Hungary.
In fact, Hungary is also one of the oldest countries on Earth, dating back to the year 895, and it has a culture and history that is to be expected of a nation that old.
Its role in the collapse of communism in Europe and in bringing down the Iron Curtain is very significant, particularly with its 1956 revolution against the Soviets and the decision to open its border with Austria in 1989.
It is bordered by seven countries, though that number was five when TB was learning the map.
Oh, and what was then Yugoslavia is now these countries: Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovena, Croatia, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia. And back when TB was learning the map, he also had to learn that capitals, so the whole process is now that much more difficult.
If TigerBlog is correct, then all but three of Princeton's head coaches are Americans, many of whom, by the way, were All-Americas.
Of the remaining three, two are Canadians - men's hockey coach Guy Gadowsky and men's tennis coach Glenn Michibata.
The third is men's and women's fencing coach Zoltan Dudas, who is Hungarian.
Dudas is in his fifth season as the head coach of the two Princeton teams, and this coming weekend is a huge one for Dudas and his programs.
Princeton will be defending both the men's and women's championships at the Ivy League fencing matches, which will be held at Jadwin Gym Saturday and Sunday. The Ivy League fencing titles are decided by this format, with each team fencing each other over a two-day span at one site, which rotates among the seven fencing schools (no Dartmouth). This year happens to be Princeton's turn.
Of all of the sports at Princeton, fencing is probably the one that TigerBlog understands the least. About all he knows is that points are awarded for touches, there are three weapons and the team scores add up to 27 for a match, meaning that a team needs to win 14 bouts to get the win.
TB sat in the event meeting this week and heard about how the fencing strips would be brought from the fencing room on C level up to the main floor for the event and how each strip weighs 1,000 pounds.
Another thing that TB knows about fencing is that Ivy League teams are very good at it.
On the women's side, Harvard is ranked third nationally, followed by Princeton at fourth, Columbia sixth and Penn eighth.
The men also have four of the top eight teams. Harvard is ranked second nationally, while Princeton, Penn and Columbia go 6-7-8.
Still, Princeton is at home, and the Tigers went unbeaten on both sides a year ago. And with such a strong field, it's possible that no team will go through undefeated.
Jadwin Gym will be hosting all kinds of events this weekend, including squash, tennis and of course two big women's basketball games.
Fencing, as it often does, may drift into the background, a little off the radar for most people.
Still, it'll be worth checking out.
Two Ivy League champions will be crowned here at Jadwin this weekend. It could be Princeton on both sides - but it certainly won't be easy on either.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A Rivalry Reborn
TigerBlog's intro to sports media came at WXPN during his undergrad days at Penn.
The sports staff those days included Scott Graham, whose original claim to fame was that he could do a great imitation of the Phillies' Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas. Graham would make a name in broadcasting in his own right, as he went on to be the voice of the Phils himself for awhile and now can be heard almost everywhere, including on NFL Films, Westwood One's NFL studio show and college basketball games on all kinds of networks.
Graham was teamed with Rob Kennedy last night on Comcast's telecast of the Princeton-Penn men's basketball game. For those who missed it, Penn rallied from 13 back to force overtime on Tyler Bernardini's clutch three-pointer with three seconds left in regulation, only to fall to the Tigers 62-59 on a game that ended with some bizarre twists.
As an aside, Graham and Kennedy are an exceptional team. They are understated, without any screaming or shtick, and they do a great job presenting the games they do.
After the game last night, Graham sat in the Jadwin bleachers and talked about old times with TB, while Kennedy listened. Eventually, Graham said that he wouldn't mind going back to those times, if only for a few days.
Kennedy laughed and said maybe for a few weeks. Then Graham admitted reality, that he couldn't go back.
The Princeton-Penn rivalry? That's another story.
For decades, the two (and sometimes three) Princeton-Penn games decided the Ivy League men's basketball championship and NCAA tournament bid. Period.
From 1963-2007, either Princeton or Penn represented the Ivy League in the NCAA tournament every year except for three: Columbia in 1968 (after defeating Princeton in a playoff game), Brown in 1986 and Cornell in 1988.
Then, in each of the last three years, the title belonged to Cornell. Even more amazingly, in the three years that Cornell won, either Princeton or Penn finished sixth or lower each time.
That's part of what made last night's game even more special than just a dramatic win for Princeton. Graham, before talking about going back to his college days, mentioned that the game was "anything but boring," and he was certainly right about that.
The game certainly didn't lack for drama or controversy.
Princeton led the whole way, building a double figure lead in the first half, leading by as many as 13 with a little more than six minutes to play. Then Penn mounted a comeback, finally tying it when Bernardini swished his long three after a great out-of-bounds play freed him up without ever giving Princeton a chance to foul, if it had wanted to do so.
Penn led for the first time when it scored the first three points of the overtime, but Princeton didn't go away.
Ian Hummer got a lucky bounce to score to make it 59-58 with 45 seconds to go, giving Princeton its first points of the OT. With a 10-second difference between the shot clock and game clock, Penn had a key possession, but when Jack Eggleston attempted to call a timeout to maintain possession, Penn was hit with a technical foul because they had none left.
To TB, it was ironic, because of the way timeouts just kill the end of close basketball games. Last night, for instance, there were five called team timeouts in the final 2:16 of regulation alone, and then another called by Penn with 38 seconds left in OT before the phantom one with 16 seconds left.
No wonder a player lost track of how many timeouts his team had left. To a player, it must seem like there's a never-ending supply.
Princeton made enough foul shots, and Penn made enough mistakes (the non-timeout, the turnover on the subsequent inbounds, the missed layup) to give Princeton the win, 62-59.
The result is that Princeton is now 5-0 in the league, staring at seven of its final nine on the road. Harvard is 5-1; Yale and Penn have two losses each.
Of course, winning this championship will not be easy for Princeton, not with a season that ends with games at Harvard on Saturday, March 5, and at Penn Tuesday, March 8.
Regardless, though, it was clear that Princeton and Penn have both made it back to the upper echelon of Ivy basketball.
Back in 1988, after Brown and Cornell had both won league titles, it seemed like the Princeton-Penn domination of Ivy basketball might have ended.
Then what happened? Princeton won in 1989 and then nearly knocked off Georgetown. Two years later, the Tigers were in the national Top 25. Penn then put together a 42-0 league mark from 1993-95. Princeton then beat UCLA and got to the national Top 10 two years later. Penn then had some more dominant teams, while Princeton won two more titles. Back and forth they went, until Cornell took over.
It's possible that looking back in 20 years, the Ivy League titles in men's basketball will be spread out among four or five teams.
Or, just maybe, Princeton and Penn are where they were back in 1989, when both teams reloaded to dominate for nearly 20 more years.
Surely they both have the right coach in charge, with the great sidebar of the lifetime rivalry that Sydney Johnson and Jerome Allen are taking to another level.
If it all plays out that way, then last night's game will be remembered for a lot more than just a timeout that didn't exist.
It'll be remembered as the night the Princeton-Penn rivalry was truly reborn.
The sports staff those days included Scott Graham, whose original claim to fame was that he could do a great imitation of the Phillies' Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas. Graham would make a name in broadcasting in his own right, as he went on to be the voice of the Phils himself for awhile and now can be heard almost everywhere, including on NFL Films, Westwood One's NFL studio show and college basketball games on all kinds of networks.
Graham was teamed with Rob Kennedy last night on Comcast's telecast of the Princeton-Penn men's basketball game. For those who missed it, Penn rallied from 13 back to force overtime on Tyler Bernardini's clutch three-pointer with three seconds left in regulation, only to fall to the Tigers 62-59 on a game that ended with some bizarre twists.
As an aside, Graham and Kennedy are an exceptional team. They are understated, without any screaming or shtick, and they do a great job presenting the games they do.
After the game last night, Graham sat in the Jadwin bleachers and talked about old times with TB, while Kennedy listened. Eventually, Graham said that he wouldn't mind going back to those times, if only for a few days.
Kennedy laughed and said maybe for a few weeks. Then Graham admitted reality, that he couldn't go back.
The Princeton-Penn rivalry? That's another story.
For decades, the two (and sometimes three) Princeton-Penn games decided the Ivy League men's basketball championship and NCAA tournament bid. Period.
From 1963-2007, either Princeton or Penn represented the Ivy League in the NCAA tournament every year except for three: Columbia in 1968 (after defeating Princeton in a playoff game), Brown in 1986 and Cornell in 1988.
Then, in each of the last three years, the title belonged to Cornell. Even more amazingly, in the three years that Cornell won, either Princeton or Penn finished sixth or lower each time.
That's part of what made last night's game even more special than just a dramatic win for Princeton. Graham, before talking about going back to his college days, mentioned that the game was "anything but boring," and he was certainly right about that.
The game certainly didn't lack for drama or controversy.
Princeton led the whole way, building a double figure lead in the first half, leading by as many as 13 with a little more than six minutes to play. Then Penn mounted a comeback, finally tying it when Bernardini swished his long three after a great out-of-bounds play freed him up without ever giving Princeton a chance to foul, if it had wanted to do so.
Penn led for the first time when it scored the first three points of the overtime, but Princeton didn't go away.
Ian Hummer got a lucky bounce to score to make it 59-58 with 45 seconds to go, giving Princeton its first points of the OT. With a 10-second difference between the shot clock and game clock, Penn had a key possession, but when Jack Eggleston attempted to call a timeout to maintain possession, Penn was hit with a technical foul because they had none left.
To TB, it was ironic, because of the way timeouts just kill the end of close basketball games. Last night, for instance, there were five called team timeouts in the final 2:16 of regulation alone, and then another called by Penn with 38 seconds left in OT before the phantom one with 16 seconds left.
No wonder a player lost track of how many timeouts his team had left. To a player, it must seem like there's a never-ending supply.
Princeton made enough foul shots, and Penn made enough mistakes (the non-timeout, the turnover on the subsequent inbounds, the missed layup) to give Princeton the win, 62-59.
The result is that Princeton is now 5-0 in the league, staring at seven of its final nine on the road. Harvard is 5-1; Yale and Penn have two losses each.
Of course, winning this championship will not be easy for Princeton, not with a season that ends with games at Harvard on Saturday, March 5, and at Penn Tuesday, March 8.
Regardless, though, it was clear that Princeton and Penn have both made it back to the upper echelon of Ivy basketball.
Back in 1988, after Brown and Cornell had both won league titles, it seemed like the Princeton-Penn domination of Ivy basketball might have ended.
Then what happened? Princeton won in 1989 and then nearly knocked off Georgetown. Two years later, the Tigers were in the national Top 25. Penn then put together a 42-0 league mark from 1993-95. Princeton then beat UCLA and got to the national Top 10 two years later. Penn then had some more dominant teams, while Princeton won two more titles. Back and forth they went, until Cornell took over.
It's possible that looking back in 20 years, the Ivy League titles in men's basketball will be spread out among four or five teams.
Or, just maybe, Princeton and Penn are where they were back in 1989, when both teams reloaded to dominate for nearly 20 more years.
Surely they both have the right coach in charge, with the great sidebar of the lifetime rivalry that Sydney Johnson and Jerome Allen are taking to another level.
If it all plays out that way, then last night's game will be remembered for a lot more than just a timeout that didn't exist.
It'll be remembered as the night the Princeton-Penn rivalry was truly reborn.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Ivy League's Greatest Rivalry
TigerBlog used to cover Rutgers football every now and then, back before Rutgers Stadium was built up to what it is now. The games then used to draw probably right around 20,000 fans either way, and that's about as close as TB has come to being at really big-time college football.
He's never seen a Big 10 game or an SEC game or anything like that. He's been to a bunch of BCS campuses and seen their football stadiums and wondered what it must be like on a game day.
TB has been to a ton of Ivy League football games, all of which have involved Princeton, Penn or both. He's never been to an Ivy game that didn't involve one of those two teams, which means he's never been to a Harvard-Yale game.
Given the choice between an average BCS game - say, Michigan State at Wisconsin or Oklahoma State at Nebraska - or a Harvard-Yale game, TB would take the BCS game, just for the experience.
At the same time, that's not a knock on Harvard-Yale. TB wouldn't mind going to one of the Harvard-Yale games once just to see what it's like and get a better feel for one of the only two rivalries across all sports that can make the claim of being the greatest in the history of Ivy League sports.
It's either Harvard-Yale football or Princeton-Penn men's basketball (which, by the way, will be played for the 223rd time this evening at 7 at Jadwin Gym). There is no possible way to debate this.
TigerBlog is not talking about 2011, by the way. He's talking about all-time, back to Day 1 of Ivy sports.
So yes, there are other rivalries now that in the last few years have been more significant than those two. If you had to ask TigerBlog about the last two or three years only, he'd say Princeton-Cornell men's lacrosse in a heartbeat.
But historically, it's not even close. The third-place rivalry, whatever it is, is far in the rear-view mirror that it would take decades of unforeseen circumstances to catch up.
When TigerBlog thinks of Harvard-Yale football, he thinks of large crowds of alums who are there for the tradition as much as the game. He imagines that it's as much a party as it is an athletic event.
Again, as he has never been to one, TB could certainly be wrong about this.
When TigerBlog thinks of Princeton-Penn men's basketball, the first word that comes to mind is "intensity." There is just a different feel in the building when it's Princeton-Penn.
Through the years, the teams have played epic games - and blowouts - in front of rabid crowds that have hurled some downright cruel insults back and forth at each other and the players.
The last three Ivy League men's basketball titles belonged to Cornell; of the 37 before that, 34 belonged to Princeton or Penn.
One thing that does push Princeton-Penn men's basketball, in TB's opinion, beyond Harvard-Yale is that the teams were often playing for an NCAA tournament berth, as well as as the Ivy League title. In fact, Princeton and Penn have met three times in playoff games solely to determine the NCAA tournament bid, after they had shared the league title.
Back when current Tiger head coach Sydney Johnson was a player, he played a huge role in Princeton's win over Penn in the 1996 Ivy playoff game and then in Princeton's 43-41 win over UCLA in the NCAA tournament. TB has heard Johnson and several of the other players on that team say many times that the playoff game meant as much or more to them than the NCAA win.
Princeton and Penn have played at least twice a year every year since they first met on Valentines' Day 1903.
The single greatest sporting event TB has ever seen was a Princeton-Penn men's basketball game, the one at the Palestra in 1999 when the Tigers fell behind 29-3, 33-9 at the half and then 40-13 at the first media timeout of the second half before coming back to win 50-49.
Tonight's game is big on a number of levels.
First, there is a side note, where Douglas Davis needs six points to reach 1,000 for his career. Should he do so, he'd be the first Princeton junior to get to 1,000 since Kit Mueller did so in 1990.
Then there's the real significance, the impact on the 2011 league race. Princeton is 4-0 in the league, while Penn is 3-1. Harvard is 5-1 after losing at Princeton Friday and beating Penn by one in double overtime Saturday.
Should Penn win tonight, then there'd be three teams with one loss each. Should Penn lose, then the Quakers would have two losses and would have an arduous task looking up at Princeton and Harvard. The Crimson, even with the loss, know that they host Princeton and Penn to end the regular season, so as long as they can stay within one (or get even), then they have to feel good about their chances.
As for Princeton, the Tigers had the weird position of playing their first five league games at home and then seven of the final nine on the road. The season ends with games at Harvard on a Saturday and Penn on a Tuesday.
But for TB, the big-picture meaning of tonight's game is that for the first time since 2004, Princeton and Penn are back playing a game when both have a reasonable, realistic chance to win the Ivy League championship.
Both teams fell on hard times and then turned to young coaches from their great teams of the 1990s, Johnson at Princeton and Jerome Allen at Penn.
Neither team is all the way back, and they won't be until they get back to the NCAA tournament.
Still, given where they were a few years ago, it's great to see them playing a game like so many other games from so many decades, games with league championship implications, games with intensity, games that have made this the Ivy League's greatest rivalry.
He's never seen a Big 10 game or an SEC game or anything like that. He's been to a bunch of BCS campuses and seen their football stadiums and wondered what it must be like on a game day.
TB has been to a ton of Ivy League football games, all of which have involved Princeton, Penn or both. He's never been to an Ivy game that didn't involve one of those two teams, which means he's never been to a Harvard-Yale game.
Given the choice between an average BCS game - say, Michigan State at Wisconsin or Oklahoma State at Nebraska - or a Harvard-Yale game, TB would take the BCS game, just for the experience.
At the same time, that's not a knock on Harvard-Yale. TB wouldn't mind going to one of the Harvard-Yale games once just to see what it's like and get a better feel for one of the only two rivalries across all sports that can make the claim of being the greatest in the history of Ivy League sports.
It's either Harvard-Yale football or Princeton-Penn men's basketball (which, by the way, will be played for the 223rd time this evening at 7 at Jadwin Gym). There is no possible way to debate this.
TigerBlog is not talking about 2011, by the way. He's talking about all-time, back to Day 1 of Ivy sports.
So yes, there are other rivalries now that in the last few years have been more significant than those two. If you had to ask TigerBlog about the last two or three years only, he'd say Princeton-Cornell men's lacrosse in a heartbeat.
But historically, it's not even close. The third-place rivalry, whatever it is, is far in the rear-view mirror that it would take decades of unforeseen circumstances to catch up.
When TigerBlog thinks of Harvard-Yale football, he thinks of large crowds of alums who are there for the tradition as much as the game. He imagines that it's as much a party as it is an athletic event.
Again, as he has never been to one, TB could certainly be wrong about this.
When TigerBlog thinks of Princeton-Penn men's basketball, the first word that comes to mind is "intensity." There is just a different feel in the building when it's Princeton-Penn.
Through the years, the teams have played epic games - and blowouts - in front of rabid crowds that have hurled some downright cruel insults back and forth at each other and the players.
The last three Ivy League men's basketball titles belonged to Cornell; of the 37 before that, 34 belonged to Princeton or Penn.
One thing that does push Princeton-Penn men's basketball, in TB's opinion, beyond Harvard-Yale is that the teams were often playing for an NCAA tournament berth, as well as as the Ivy League title. In fact, Princeton and Penn have met three times in playoff games solely to determine the NCAA tournament bid, after they had shared the league title.
Back when current Tiger head coach Sydney Johnson was a player, he played a huge role in Princeton's win over Penn in the 1996 Ivy playoff game and then in Princeton's 43-41 win over UCLA in the NCAA tournament. TB has heard Johnson and several of the other players on that team say many times that the playoff game meant as much or more to them than the NCAA win.
Princeton and Penn have played at least twice a year every year since they first met on Valentines' Day 1903.
The single greatest sporting event TB has ever seen was a Princeton-Penn men's basketball game, the one at the Palestra in 1999 when the Tigers fell behind 29-3, 33-9 at the half and then 40-13 at the first media timeout of the second half before coming back to win 50-49.
Tonight's game is big on a number of levels.
First, there is a side note, where Douglas Davis needs six points to reach 1,000 for his career. Should he do so, he'd be the first Princeton junior to get to 1,000 since Kit Mueller did so in 1990.
Then there's the real significance, the impact on the 2011 league race. Princeton is 4-0 in the league, while Penn is 3-1. Harvard is 5-1 after losing at Princeton Friday and beating Penn by one in double overtime Saturday.
Should Penn win tonight, then there'd be three teams with one loss each. Should Penn lose, then the Quakers would have two losses and would have an arduous task looking up at Princeton and Harvard. The Crimson, even with the loss, know that they host Princeton and Penn to end the regular season, so as long as they can stay within one (or get even), then they have to feel good about their chances.
As for Princeton, the Tigers had the weird position of playing their first five league games at home and then seven of the final nine on the road. The season ends with games at Harvard on a Saturday and Penn on a Tuesday.
But for TB, the big-picture meaning of tonight's game is that for the first time since 2004, Princeton and Penn are back playing a game when both have a reasonable, realistic chance to win the Ivy League championship.
Both teams fell on hard times and then turned to young coaches from their great teams of the 1990s, Johnson at Princeton and Jerome Allen at Penn.
Neither team is all the way back, and they won't be until they get back to the NCAA tournament.
Still, given where they were a few years ago, it's great to see them playing a game like so many other games from so many decades, games with league championship implications, games with intensity, games that have made this the Ivy League's greatest rivalry.
Monday, February 7, 2011
One Right, One Wrong
There was something missing from the Super Bowl yesterday, and it was evident from the opening kickoff.
It just didn't feel like a Super Bowl should feel. TigerBlog's theory is that the game has been morphing for awhile into something akin to New Year's Eve and that once the moment rolls around, it's anti-climactic.
Or maybe it's because this game featured two really good teams, rather than two great teams. Or, even better, a great team against a really hot team, like when the Giants beat the Patriots a few years ago.
Or maybe there's just too much around the game - like the commercials and the halftime show - that the game itself gets overshadowed.
As an aside, TB thinks that the commercials are trying way too hard to be clever, and the result is that fewer and fewer of them are achieving the goal.
Anyway, the game yesterday was nothing special. TB spent more time thinking about the "America's Game" series version of the game than the game itself, wondering who would be on it, wondering how they'd make the game seem way better than it was.
There were many years where the Super Bowl was a blowout, but lately that's changed. In fact, close games to the end are the norm now.
But even with that, as Pittsburgh came out onto the field for the final drive with a chance to win the game, TB was, well, asleep. He woke up in time to see the Steelers fizzle, and that was that. Rather than watching any of the celebration, TB instead changed the channel just in time to hear young Henry say: "If Paulie moved slow, it's because Paulie didn't have to move for anybody."
In fact, the best part of this Super Bowl was TigerBlog's prediction from Friday, the one that read: Green Bay 31, Pittsburgh 21.
TB had the right team and the right score for the winning team, and he came reasonably close to the score for the losing team. It was certainly better than last year's prediction of Colts 34, Saints 24.
It was certainly better than his prediction at the first media timeout of Friday night's Princeton-Harvard men's basketball game. At that point, Princeton trailed 12-4, and TB turned to the person next to him and said "this might not be Princeton's night."
Usually, TB isn't impressed by what happens in the first few minutes of a basketball game. The team that comes out on fire can't possibly sustain that, and in many ways, getting off to a great start can doom a team, because once the air goes out of the balloon, everything is out of whack.
A team that comes out and shoots 10 for 11 to star the game and builds a 30-12 lead after 10 minutes isn't going to score 120 points and win by 72, and when the shots start to not fall, the team with the lead often loses its confidence and instead goes into "hold on" mode.
That's not what happened in the first few minutes Friday night. Harvard came out with great intensity and just looked like it was an express train zooming through a station.
Princeton, though, spent the rest of the first half slowing the train down and scratching its way back into the game. It was 30-29 at the half after Douglas Davis was fouled shooting a desperation three just before the final buzzer and made all three shots, and then Princeton turned into the Acela to start the second half.
It took the Tigers 4:43 into the second half to from down one to up 11. At that point, Harvard coach Tommy Amaker called timeout, and Jadwin Gym erupted as loudly as it has in years and years.
Harvard managed to make a game of it, using some clutch three-point shooting in the final minute to twice make it a one-possession game, but Princeton got clutch foul shooting from Dan Mavraides and Ian Hummer to win 65-61.
The Ivy League title was hardly won by the Tigers here this weekend, not with 10 league games remaining, including all seven road games. In fact, it is somewhat amazing to think that two Division I teams (Princeton and Penn) still haven't played a league road game yet.
And, if you're a Princeton fan, you have no way of knowing if Harvard's double OT win over Penn Saturday night helps or hurts in the long run, because you don't know how either of those teams will do the rest of the way.
What you can say is that the league race appears to be between those three teams and possibly Yale, if only because the Bulldogs at 4-2 in the league have the other three at home (and Harvard at Harvard this Friday).
Of course, Princeton has a huge game tomorrow night, when Penn comes to Jadwin for the 223rd meeting in the series. A Tiger win keeps Princeton as the lone unbeaten team in the league and gives Penn a second loss; a Quaker win means three teams with one loss each and gives Princeton a loss to a team Harvard has beaten.
Still, Friday night was a great night at Jadwin, with a large, loud crowd in attendance and a big win by the home team.
It came on a night when the Tigers looked like they were about to be run out of the building, but instead it turned into a big win.
Championships - like games - aren't usually won by making an abnormally high number of shots.
They're won with toughness, the kind Princeton showed Friday night.
It just didn't feel like a Super Bowl should feel. TigerBlog's theory is that the game has been morphing for awhile into something akin to New Year's Eve and that once the moment rolls around, it's anti-climactic.
Or maybe it's because this game featured two really good teams, rather than two great teams. Or, even better, a great team against a really hot team, like when the Giants beat the Patriots a few years ago.
Or maybe there's just too much around the game - like the commercials and the halftime show - that the game itself gets overshadowed.
As an aside, TB thinks that the commercials are trying way too hard to be clever, and the result is that fewer and fewer of them are achieving the goal.
Anyway, the game yesterday was nothing special. TB spent more time thinking about the "America's Game" series version of the game than the game itself, wondering who would be on it, wondering how they'd make the game seem way better than it was.
There were many years where the Super Bowl was a blowout, but lately that's changed. In fact, close games to the end are the norm now.
But even with that, as Pittsburgh came out onto the field for the final drive with a chance to win the game, TB was, well, asleep. He woke up in time to see the Steelers fizzle, and that was that. Rather than watching any of the celebration, TB instead changed the channel just in time to hear young Henry say: "If Paulie moved slow, it's because Paulie didn't have to move for anybody."
In fact, the best part of this Super Bowl was TigerBlog's prediction from Friday, the one that read: Green Bay 31, Pittsburgh 21.
TB had the right team and the right score for the winning team, and he came reasonably close to the score for the losing team. It was certainly better than last year's prediction of Colts 34, Saints 24.
It was certainly better than his prediction at the first media timeout of Friday night's Princeton-Harvard men's basketball game. At that point, Princeton trailed 12-4, and TB turned to the person next to him and said "this might not be Princeton's night."
Usually, TB isn't impressed by what happens in the first few minutes of a basketball game. The team that comes out on fire can't possibly sustain that, and in many ways, getting off to a great start can doom a team, because once the air goes out of the balloon, everything is out of whack.
A team that comes out and shoots 10 for 11 to star the game and builds a 30-12 lead after 10 minutes isn't going to score 120 points and win by 72, and when the shots start to not fall, the team with the lead often loses its confidence and instead goes into "hold on" mode.
That's not what happened in the first few minutes Friday night. Harvard came out with great intensity and just looked like it was an express train zooming through a station.
Princeton, though, spent the rest of the first half slowing the train down and scratching its way back into the game. It was 30-29 at the half after Douglas Davis was fouled shooting a desperation three just before the final buzzer and made all three shots, and then Princeton turned into the Acela to start the second half.
It took the Tigers 4:43 into the second half to from down one to up 11. At that point, Harvard coach Tommy Amaker called timeout, and Jadwin Gym erupted as loudly as it has in years and years.
Harvard managed to make a game of it, using some clutch three-point shooting in the final minute to twice make it a one-possession game, but Princeton got clutch foul shooting from Dan Mavraides and Ian Hummer to win 65-61.
The Ivy League title was hardly won by the Tigers here this weekend, not with 10 league games remaining, including all seven road games. In fact, it is somewhat amazing to think that two Division I teams (Princeton and Penn) still haven't played a league road game yet.
And, if you're a Princeton fan, you have no way of knowing if Harvard's double OT win over Penn Saturday night helps or hurts in the long run, because you don't know how either of those teams will do the rest of the way.
What you can say is that the league race appears to be between those three teams and possibly Yale, if only because the Bulldogs at 4-2 in the league have the other three at home (and Harvard at Harvard this Friday).
Of course, Princeton has a huge game tomorrow night, when Penn comes to Jadwin for the 223rd meeting in the series. A Tiger win keeps Princeton as the lone unbeaten team in the league and gives Penn a second loss; a Quaker win means three teams with one loss each and gives Princeton a loss to a team Harvard has beaten.
Still, Friday night was a great night at Jadwin, with a large, loud crowd in attendance and a big win by the home team.
It came on a night when the Tigers looked like they were about to be run out of the building, but instead it turned into a big win.
Championships - like games - aren't usually won by making an abnormally high number of shots.
They're won with toughness, the kind Princeton showed Friday night.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Pre-Game Shows
TigerBlog's favorite NFL team is the Giants, and there really isn't another team that is close.
If he had to choose a second team, he'd go with the Colts, because he likes Peyton Manning. He doesn't mind the Jets, especially after former Princeton OAC assistant Manish Mehta, who covers the team for the New York Daily News, told TB that none of the players on the team is actually a bad guy.
As an aside, Manish says that the nicest player on the team is Jerricho Cotchery.
TB also is okay with the Lions, a team he hopes to see one day become a contender after all of this futility.
His two least favorite teams by far are the Cowboys and Eagles. He's never been a fan of the Raiders, Vikings, Patriots and Chargers.
A Super Bowl matchup of the Steelers and Packers, then, leaves him with very little in the way of rooting interest, as TB doesn't really like or dislike either team.
If anything, he'll root for Aaron Rodgers (it's an anti-Brett Favre thing) and against Ben Roethlisberger and pull for Green Bay.
TB sees it Green Bay 31, Pittsburgh 21.
What TB is definitely rooting for is an end to the pregame talk, which has dragged down the quality of sports media for the last two weeks. How many times can TB listen to an interview with Dick Vermeil or Roger Craig or someone like that?
Or worse, how many times can you hear "experts" talk about what's going to happen, all while being praised for their ability to "break down" the game, a phrase that is among TB's least favorite.
Want the keys to the game? Here they are:
* stop the run
* don't turn the ball over
* stay out of third-and-long
* have more big plays than the other team
Those are the keys to every football game, Super Bowl or not.
The talk will only get worse as kickoff gets closer. Fortunately for TB, there's plenty on the Princeton sports calendar to distract him:
* Men's Basketball tonight vs. Harvard, tomorrow night vs. Dartmouth
Princeton, Harvard and Penn head into the weekend all unbeaten in the Ivy League, which is the only league with more than one undefeated team in Division I men's basketball. Of course, that's a bit misleading, since most teams have played 10 or more league games already.
Harvard has won eight straight games, while Princeton has won 12 of 13. Both teams average 71 points per game, but they also rank 1-2 in the league in scoring defense. The winner of this game will get a big lift, but tonight will hardly decide the championship, not with the Crimson at Penn tomorrow night and then Penn here Tuesday, not to mention four more Ivy weekends still to come.
Still, it's a fascinating early game. Harvard has had a great deal of publicity for its rise to the top of the league, and Princeton is trying to reassert itself as a program that has won 25 Ivy League championships.
Plus, if you figure the league champ will be at least 12-2, then you don't want to be losing games this early in the season. It's always easier to play from ahead.
* Women's Basketball at Harvard tonight, at Dartmouth tomorrow night
Just as the men's game matches league unbeatens, so does the women's game tonight in Cambridge.
Princeton is 14-3 overall, while Harvard is 11-6. Yale has one league loss, on its home court to Princeton, and the Bulldogs are 7-11 overall. Every other league team has at least two losses, and only one of the other six teams has an overall winning percentage better than .400.
In other words, Princeton and Harvard are the clear favorites.
Princeton has won six straight games, including five straight since Niveen Rasheed tore her ACL.
Harvard has won five in a row.
* Men's Hockey vs. Union tonight, vs. RPI tomorrow
The men's hockey team has a brutal schedule ahead of it as it chases a top four spot in the ECAC standings, which would mean a first-round playoff bye and home ice in the quarterfinals.
Princeton is ranked 17th nationally in RPI (ratings percentage index, not Rennsalaer Polytechnic Institute), while Union is ninth and, well, RPI's RPI is eighth.
Ahead still are games at Dartmouth next weekend (14th in RPI) and then a season-ending run of a home game against Yale (still No. 1 in RPI despite losing twice last week) and then a trip to RPI and Union.
Princeton enters the weekend third in the ECAC with 19 points, three behind Yale, two behind Union and one ahead of RPI and Dartmouth. Princeton is also eight points (four full games) ahead of Brown for the eighth spot, which means at least home ice in the first round.
Still, Princeton has won 14 of 18 and has its sights a little higher at this point.
Men's Swimming and Diving vs. Navy
The Tigers host Navy tomorrow at 2 in a meet that will challenge Princeton's record of never having lost a duel meet at DeNunzio Pool.
As in, ever.
There are plenty of other Princeton events this weekend, and there are some huge ones on the horizon for next weekend as well, including the first winter Ivy League championships to be decided, in men's and women's fencing here at Jadwin.
In the meantime, this weekend offers up some big games, both in Princeton and on the road, all the way to Dallas.
If he had to choose a second team, he'd go with the Colts, because he likes Peyton Manning. He doesn't mind the Jets, especially after former Princeton OAC assistant Manish Mehta, who covers the team for the New York Daily News, told TB that none of the players on the team is actually a bad guy.
As an aside, Manish says that the nicest player on the team is Jerricho Cotchery.
TB also is okay with the Lions, a team he hopes to see one day become a contender after all of this futility.
His two least favorite teams by far are the Cowboys and Eagles. He's never been a fan of the Raiders, Vikings, Patriots and Chargers.
A Super Bowl matchup of the Steelers and Packers, then, leaves him with very little in the way of rooting interest, as TB doesn't really like or dislike either team.
If anything, he'll root for Aaron Rodgers (it's an anti-Brett Favre thing) and against Ben Roethlisberger and pull for Green Bay.
TB sees it Green Bay 31, Pittsburgh 21.
What TB is definitely rooting for is an end to the pregame talk, which has dragged down the quality of sports media for the last two weeks. How many times can TB listen to an interview with Dick Vermeil or Roger Craig or someone like that?
Or worse, how many times can you hear "experts" talk about what's going to happen, all while being praised for their ability to "break down" the game, a phrase that is among TB's least favorite.
Want the keys to the game? Here they are:
* stop the run
* don't turn the ball over
* stay out of third-and-long
* have more big plays than the other team
Those are the keys to every football game, Super Bowl or not.
The talk will only get worse as kickoff gets closer. Fortunately for TB, there's plenty on the Princeton sports calendar to distract him:
* Men's Basketball tonight vs. Harvard, tomorrow night vs. Dartmouth
Princeton, Harvard and Penn head into the weekend all unbeaten in the Ivy League, which is the only league with more than one undefeated team in Division I men's basketball. Of course, that's a bit misleading, since most teams have played 10 or more league games already.
Harvard has won eight straight games, while Princeton has won 12 of 13. Both teams average 71 points per game, but they also rank 1-2 in the league in scoring defense. The winner of this game will get a big lift, but tonight will hardly decide the championship, not with the Crimson at Penn tomorrow night and then Penn here Tuesday, not to mention four more Ivy weekends still to come.
Still, it's a fascinating early game. Harvard has had a great deal of publicity for its rise to the top of the league, and Princeton is trying to reassert itself as a program that has won 25 Ivy League championships.
Plus, if you figure the league champ will be at least 12-2, then you don't want to be losing games this early in the season. It's always easier to play from ahead.
* Women's Basketball at Harvard tonight, at Dartmouth tomorrow night
Just as the men's game matches league unbeatens, so does the women's game tonight in Cambridge.
Princeton is 14-3 overall, while Harvard is 11-6. Yale has one league loss, on its home court to Princeton, and the Bulldogs are 7-11 overall. Every other league team has at least two losses, and only one of the other six teams has an overall winning percentage better than .400.
In other words, Princeton and Harvard are the clear favorites.
Princeton has won six straight games, including five straight since Niveen Rasheed tore her ACL.
Harvard has won five in a row.
* Men's Hockey vs. Union tonight, vs. RPI tomorrow
The men's hockey team has a brutal schedule ahead of it as it chases a top four spot in the ECAC standings, which would mean a first-round playoff bye and home ice in the quarterfinals.
Princeton is ranked 17th nationally in RPI (ratings percentage index, not Rennsalaer Polytechnic Institute), while Union is ninth and, well, RPI's RPI is eighth.
Ahead still are games at Dartmouth next weekend (14th in RPI) and then a season-ending run of a home game against Yale (still No. 1 in RPI despite losing twice last week) and then a trip to RPI and Union.
Princeton enters the weekend third in the ECAC with 19 points, three behind Yale, two behind Union and one ahead of RPI and Dartmouth. Princeton is also eight points (four full games) ahead of Brown for the eighth spot, which means at least home ice in the first round.
Still, Princeton has won 14 of 18 and has its sights a little higher at this point.
Men's Swimming and Diving vs. Navy
The Tigers host Navy tomorrow at 2 in a meet that will challenge Princeton's record of never having lost a duel meet at DeNunzio Pool.
As in, ever.
There are plenty of other Princeton events this weekend, and there are some huge ones on the horizon for next weekend as well, including the first winter Ivy League championships to be decided, in men's and women's fencing here at Jadwin.
In the meantime, this weekend offers up some big games, both in Princeton and on the road, all the way to Dallas.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The Other Near-Miss In Providence
Stephanie Sutton has worked as the ticket manager here at Princeton since before TigerBlog showed up. TB can remember quite a few years ago when Mary Sutton, Stephanie's daughter, was out on the side court at Jadwin Gym being put through a workout by none other than Pete Carril, who had Mary dribbling around chairs, making layups, working on her shot and all the rest.
Mary has always been something a gym rat, and apparently it's starting to pay off. The other day, in her middle school game, Mary snapped a tie game by nailing a three-pointer at the final buzzer.
Mary was all smiles in the mailroom yesterday when TB congratulated her on her big shot. From talking to her and her mother, TB found out that Mike Dabney has a daughter who plays on the middle school level in the Princeton area as well and that Dabney is the father of Maya Moore, the best player for UConn.
TigerBlog knew that Dabney was a great player at Rutgers and a member of the 1975-76 Scarlet Knights' Final Four team. He didn't know he was Moore's father.
He did know that in the opening round of the 1976 NCAA tournament, Rutgers defeated Princeton 54-53 and that Peter Malloy, a 90% foul shooter, missed a one-and-one in the final seconds. The loose ball was collected by Dabney as time ran out, and RU had dodged a big bullet while keeping its perfect season alive.
The run would continue until the national semifinals, when Rutgers lost to Michigan 86-70. Back then there was still a consolation game, and Rutgers lost to UCLA 106-92 in that game.
The Knights were led that year by Dabney, Phil Sellers, Hollis Copeland, James Bailey and Eddie Jordan. It was a great team, one that Princeton almost kept from making history.
TigerBlog followed that Rutgers team, much more so than he did Princeton at the time.
The 1975-76 Rutgers team featured five of the top seven scorers in school history:
1. Phil Sellers (72-76) 2399
2. Bob Lloyd (64-67) 2045
3. James Bailey (75-79) 2034
4. Mike Dabney (72-76) 1902
5. Hollis Copeland (74-78) 1769
6. Quincy Douby (2003-06) 1690
7. Eddie Jordan (73-77) 1632
The Princeton team that played Rutgers in the NCAA tournament featured none of the top seven scorers in school history:
2503 William W. Bradley, 1962-65
1546 Christopher J. (Kit) Mueller, 1987-91
1451 Peter C. Campbell, 1959-62
1441 Craig M. Robinson, 1979-83
1428 Brian W. Earl, 1995-1999
1365 Robert K. Scrabis, 1985-89
1321 Geoffrey H. Petrie, 1967-70
In fact, the only player on the 1975-76 team who was in the top 18 in career points was Frank Sowinski, who was 12th with 1,133.
The 1975 Tigers missed out on the NCAA tournament but did manage one of the great moments in program history by winning the NIT with four straight wins at Madison Square Garden.
The 1976 Tigers ripped through the Ivy League with a perfect 14-0 record, and the reward was its first round matchup with Rutgers. Like the more famous near-miss 13 years later against Georgetown, a 50-49 Princeton loss, this one would also be at the Providence Civic Center.
TigerBlog has watched the 1989 Georgetown game a million times, and he's written and read a ton about it, not to mention head Pete Carril talk about it in great depth. The amount that he's written and read about and heard Carril talk about the 1976 Rutgers NCAA game is a fraction of that, and he's not 100% sure why that is.
When the great near-misses in NCAA tournament history come up, the 1989 Princeton-Georgetown game is always at the top of the list. The 1976 Rutgers game is never mentioned.
Maybe this is because of the fact that Georgetown was a No. 1 seed and Princeton was the No. 16, while in 1976, there were no seedings (that didn't happen until 1979). Or maybe it was because of Georgetown's reputation as a powerhouse, while Rutgers was more of a one-hit wonder that year.
Still, Georgetown in 1989 didn't reach the Final Four, something that Rutgers in 1976 did. That alone makes the 1976 game at least the equal of the 1989 game, if not more excruciating.
Princeton lost to Rutgers 75-62 at Jadwin during the season, but the rematch would be much closer. Unlike the Georgetown game, during which Princeton had the lead almost the entire game, Princeton would never lead against Rutgers and would only tie the score three times, at 2-2, 16-16 and 20-20.
RU led by eight at the half, at 33-25, but Princeton would never trail by more than that in the second half. Eventually, the Tigers chipped it away to five, then three and finally one.
It was still a one-point game when Dabney missed the front end of his own one-and-one with 35 seconds to play, to set up the tough end for Princeton and Malloy, one of the real class acts in Princeton basketball history and now a lawyer on Long Island.
Princeton would have four players in double figures: Sowinski, Barnes Hauptfuhrer, Armond Hill (who fouled out with the Tigers down 54-49) and Bob Slaughter.
Jordan led everyone with 16, while Sellers and Dabney were also in double figures.
Until this morning, TB had never looked at the box score for that game. He knows the box score from the Georgetown game essentially by heart.
He's not sure why that is, and why the 1976 game against Rutgers has been so ignored by history.
As near-misses go, it's up there with any of them.
Mary has always been something a gym rat, and apparently it's starting to pay off. The other day, in her middle school game, Mary snapped a tie game by nailing a three-pointer at the final buzzer.
Mary was all smiles in the mailroom yesterday when TB congratulated her on her big shot. From talking to her and her mother, TB found out that Mike Dabney has a daughter who plays on the middle school level in the Princeton area as well and that Dabney is the father of Maya Moore, the best player for UConn.
TigerBlog knew that Dabney was a great player at Rutgers and a member of the 1975-76 Scarlet Knights' Final Four team. He didn't know he was Moore's father.
He did know that in the opening round of the 1976 NCAA tournament, Rutgers defeated Princeton 54-53 and that Peter Malloy, a 90% foul shooter, missed a one-and-one in the final seconds. The loose ball was collected by Dabney as time ran out, and RU had dodged a big bullet while keeping its perfect season alive.
The run would continue until the national semifinals, when Rutgers lost to Michigan 86-70. Back then there was still a consolation game, and Rutgers lost to UCLA 106-92 in that game.
The Knights were led that year by Dabney, Phil Sellers, Hollis Copeland, James Bailey and Eddie Jordan. It was a great team, one that Princeton almost kept from making history.
TigerBlog followed that Rutgers team, much more so than he did Princeton at the time.
The 1975-76 Rutgers team featured five of the top seven scorers in school history:
1. Phil Sellers (72-76) 2399
2. Bob Lloyd (64-67) 2045
3. James Bailey (75-79) 2034
4. Mike Dabney (72-76) 1902
5. Hollis Copeland (74-78) 1769
6. Quincy Douby (2003-06) 1690
7. Eddie Jordan (73-77) 1632
The Princeton team that played Rutgers in the NCAA tournament featured none of the top seven scorers in school history:
2503 William W. Bradley, 1962-65
1546 Christopher J. (Kit) Mueller, 1987-91
1451 Peter C. Campbell, 1959-62
1441 Craig M. Robinson, 1979-83
1428 Brian W. Earl, 1995-1999
1365 Robert K. Scrabis, 1985-89
1321 Geoffrey H. Petrie, 1967-70
In fact, the only player on the 1975-76 team who was in the top 18 in career points was Frank Sowinski, who was 12th with 1,133.
The 1975 Tigers missed out on the NCAA tournament but did manage one of the great moments in program history by winning the NIT with four straight wins at Madison Square Garden.
The 1976 Tigers ripped through the Ivy League with a perfect 14-0 record, and the reward was its first round matchup with Rutgers. Like the more famous near-miss 13 years later against Georgetown, a 50-49 Princeton loss, this one would also be at the Providence Civic Center.
TigerBlog has watched the 1989 Georgetown game a million times, and he's written and read a ton about it, not to mention head Pete Carril talk about it in great depth. The amount that he's written and read about and heard Carril talk about the 1976 Rutgers NCAA game is a fraction of that, and he's not 100% sure why that is.
When the great near-misses in NCAA tournament history come up, the 1989 Princeton-Georgetown game is always at the top of the list. The 1976 Rutgers game is never mentioned.
Maybe this is because of the fact that Georgetown was a No. 1 seed and Princeton was the No. 16, while in 1976, there were no seedings (that didn't happen until 1979). Or maybe it was because of Georgetown's reputation as a powerhouse, while Rutgers was more of a one-hit wonder that year.
Still, Georgetown in 1989 didn't reach the Final Four, something that Rutgers in 1976 did. That alone makes the 1976 game at least the equal of the 1989 game, if not more excruciating.
Princeton lost to Rutgers 75-62 at Jadwin during the season, but the rematch would be much closer. Unlike the Georgetown game, during which Princeton had the lead almost the entire game, Princeton would never lead against Rutgers and would only tie the score three times, at 2-2, 16-16 and 20-20.
RU led by eight at the half, at 33-25, but Princeton would never trail by more than that in the second half. Eventually, the Tigers chipped it away to five, then three and finally one.
It was still a one-point game when Dabney missed the front end of his own one-and-one with 35 seconds to play, to set up the tough end for Princeton and Malloy, one of the real class acts in Princeton basketball history and now a lawyer on Long Island.
Princeton would have four players in double figures: Sowinski, Barnes Hauptfuhrer, Armond Hill (who fouled out with the Tigers down 54-49) and Bob Slaughter.
Jordan led everyone with 16, while Sellers and Dabney were also in double figures.
Until this morning, TB had never looked at the box score for that game. He knows the box score from the Georgetown game essentially by heart.
He's not sure why that is, and why the 1976 game against Rutgers has been so ignored by history.
As near-misses go, it's up there with any of them.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
To The Groundhog - Again
Going back to last Feb. 2, TigerBlog had this to say:
TigerBlog understands that not every movie made is trying to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In that vein, he's never understood the complete disdain so many people have for the movie "Groundhog Day."
TB saw it in the movies when it came out in 1993, and he's seen it about a thousand times since. It's a perfectly harmless, funny, at times charming, certainly inoffensive movie, and yet there are so many people who flat out hate it.
As an aside, TigerBlog was always confused as a kid by Groundhog Day, as six weeks after Feb. 2 takes you to March 16 (or March 15 in a leap year), which is still winter. He never quite understood the whole "six more weeks of winter" thing. Shouldn't it be more like 10 more weeks of winter if the point is that figuratively speaking spring will be late to arrive?
This year, he'd like to say this about the significance of Feb. 2:
TigerBlog understands that not every movie made is trying to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In that vein, he's never understood the complete disdain so many people have for the movie "Groundhog Day."
TB saw it in the movies when it came out in 1993, and he's seen it about a thousand times since. It's a perfectly harmless, funny, at times charming, certainly inoffensive movie, and yet there are so many people who flat out hate it.
As an aside, TigerBlog was always confused as a kid by Groundhog Day, as six weeks after Feb. 2 takes you to March 16 (or March 15 in a leap year), which is still winter. He never quite understood the whole "six more weeks of winter" thing. Shouldn't it be more like 10 more weeks of winter if the point is that figuratively speaking spring will be late to arrive?
And next year, he'll probably add this:
TigerBlog understands that not every movie made is trying to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In that vein, he's never understood the complete disdain so many people have for the movie "Groundhog Day."
TB saw it in the movies when it came out in 1993, and he's seen it about a thousand times since. It's a perfectly harmless, funny, at times charming, certainly inoffensive movie, and yet there are so many people who flat out hate it.
As an aside, TigerBlog was always confused as a kid by Groundhog Day, as six weeks after Feb. 2 takes you to March 16 (or March 15 in a leap year), which is still winter. He never quite understood the whole "six more weeks of winter" thing. Shouldn't it be more like 10 more weeks of winter if the point is that figuratively speaking spring will be late to arrive?
Get the joke?
See, in the movie, Bill Murray woke up every morning in Punxsutawney, Pa., outside of Pittsburgh, and every morning it was exactly the same: Sonny and Cher were singing "I Got You Babe," it was Groundhog Day morning, it was 6 a.m. and there was a snowstorm on the way.
No matter what he did, it seemed like he would be stuck there forever.
At first, he takes this as a sign that he can get away with anything, mostly self-destructive, with no consequences. It's only until he learns how to truly care about other people and makes a real commitment to becoming the best person he can be that he is able to get to Feb. 3.
In many ways, it reminds TB of the movie "It's A Wonderful Life," in which the main character starts out with an idea of what he wants out of his life and only through complete self-reflection - brought on through fantasy - does he see what's really important, and how he was actually where he wanted to be all along.
TigerBlog loved it the first time he saw it. Others, such as Roger Ebert, needed a little more time, at least according to Wikipedia:
After giving it a three-star rating in his original review,[11] Ebert acknowledged in his "Great Movies" essay that, like many viewers, he had initially underestimated the film's many virtues and only came to truly appreciate it through repeated viewings. In 2009, the American literary theorist and legal scholar Stanley Fish named the film as among the ten best American films ever.
No offense to Mr. Fish, but it's not one of the 10 greatest American movies ever. Still, it is a great movie to watch once or twice a year.
Today, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, largely because there is no sun to make a shadow. Instead, there is plenty of ice and rain from a storm, which if you live in the United States, had a nearly 40% chance of affecting you.
Here in Princeton, the result was a lot of ice in trees and on roads and everywhere else. The bright side is that the storm did not include the 12-18 inches of snow that TB heard at first and then the five to eight inches of snow that were threatened on Monday.
In "Groundhog Day," Phil Connors (Murray's character) is a weatherman. It's a great profession, because people are fixated on what you say, regardless of whether or not it's going to be correct.
The concept of the weatherman fits in nicely with where American society as a whole is these days. The weatherman is always talking about the next thing, tomorrow or five days from now, rather than dwelling on whether or not what he/she most recently said was in anyway correct.
It's the news version of Bracketology, which has gone from a fun little exercise for a guy in Philadelphia to something that becomes the focal point for millions of college basketball fans, as well as analysis on TV, the radio and print. And the great part is that none of it matters, because in the end, it has no impact on what the actual tournament brackets will look like.
At least in the case of St. Joseph's University marketing administrator Joe Lunardi, the man who popularized Bracketology for ESPN.com, he takes the time to go through the same types of processes that the NCAA committee does, and as a result he will often have almost every team that ends up in the field.
And his work does provide a good barometer for where the college basketball season is at any given point and where it seems to be headed. But still, if he says that Georgetown will be a sixth seed in the Southwest, it doesn't mean it's true.
Just like saying there'll be eight inches of snow, when in fact, there was less than one.
Still, Bracketology makes for great discussion, especially given what's going on this weekend in Ivy League men's basketball.
Princeton hosts Harvard Friday night in a matchup of Ivy League unbeatens. The following night, Harvard is at Penn, also unbeaten in the league.
Should the Crimson sweep, they would be the clear frontrunner. Should the two home teams sweep their weekends, then they would meet here Tuesday night with first place on the line.
The current Bracketology has Harvard as a No. 14 seed, taking on No. 3 Villanova in Washington.
Just like saying that there's a 30% chance of snow in a few days, there's no accountability for being wrong. In fact, there's almost no chance that it'll be No. 14 Harvard vs. No. 3 Villanova in Washington, D.C., even if Harvard wins the league.
But hey, it makes for great discussion.
The games over the next week will set the tone for the early part of the Ivy men's basketball season, but no team will win the title this soon.
In the meantime, there's a chance for more snow and wintry mix Saturday around here, as well as a 100% chance of a whole new Bracketology next week.
TigerBlog understands that not every movie made is trying to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In that vein, he's never understood the complete disdain so many people have for the movie "Groundhog Day."
TB saw it in the movies when it came out in 1993, and he's seen it about a thousand times since. It's a perfectly harmless, funny, at times charming, certainly inoffensive movie, and yet there are so many people who flat out hate it.
As an aside, TigerBlog was always confused as a kid by Groundhog Day, as six weeks after Feb. 2 takes you to March 16 (or March 15 in a leap year), which is still winter. He never quite understood the whole "six more weeks of winter" thing. Shouldn't it be more like 10 more weeks of winter if the point is that figuratively speaking spring will be late to arrive?
This year, he'd like to say this about the significance of Feb. 2:
TigerBlog understands that not every movie made is trying to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In that vein, he's never understood the complete disdain so many people have for the movie "Groundhog Day."
TB saw it in the movies when it came out in 1993, and he's seen it about a thousand times since. It's a perfectly harmless, funny, at times charming, certainly inoffensive movie, and yet there are so many people who flat out hate it.
As an aside, TigerBlog was always confused as a kid by Groundhog Day, as six weeks after Feb. 2 takes you to March 16 (or March 15 in a leap year), which is still winter. He never quite understood the whole "six more weeks of winter" thing. Shouldn't it be more like 10 more weeks of winter if the point is that figuratively speaking spring will be late to arrive?
And next year, he'll probably add this:
TigerBlog understands that not every movie made is trying to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In that vein, he's never understood the complete disdain so many people have for the movie "Groundhog Day."
TB saw it in the movies when it came out in 1993, and he's seen it about a thousand times since. It's a perfectly harmless, funny, at times charming, certainly inoffensive movie, and yet there are so many people who flat out hate it.
As an aside, TigerBlog was always confused as a kid by Groundhog Day, as six weeks after Feb. 2 takes you to March 16 (or March 15 in a leap year), which is still winter. He never quite understood the whole "six more weeks of winter" thing. Shouldn't it be more like 10 more weeks of winter if the point is that figuratively speaking spring will be late to arrive?
Get the joke?
See, in the movie, Bill Murray woke up every morning in Punxsutawney, Pa., outside of Pittsburgh, and every morning it was exactly the same: Sonny and Cher were singing "I Got You Babe," it was Groundhog Day morning, it was 6 a.m. and there was a snowstorm on the way.
No matter what he did, it seemed like he would be stuck there forever.
At first, he takes this as a sign that he can get away with anything, mostly self-destructive, with no consequences. It's only until he learns how to truly care about other people and makes a real commitment to becoming the best person he can be that he is able to get to Feb. 3.
In many ways, it reminds TB of the movie "It's A Wonderful Life," in which the main character starts out with an idea of what he wants out of his life and only through complete self-reflection - brought on through fantasy - does he see what's really important, and how he was actually where he wanted to be all along.
TigerBlog loved it the first time he saw it. Others, such as Roger Ebert, needed a little more time, at least according to Wikipedia:
After giving it a three-star rating in his original review,[11] Ebert acknowledged in his "Great Movies" essay that, like many viewers, he had initially underestimated the film's many virtues and only came to truly appreciate it through repeated viewings. In 2009, the American literary theorist and legal scholar Stanley Fish named the film as among the ten best American films ever.
No offense to Mr. Fish, but it's not one of the 10 greatest American movies ever. Still, it is a great movie to watch once or twice a year.
Today, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, largely because there is no sun to make a shadow. Instead, there is plenty of ice and rain from a storm, which if you live in the United States, had a nearly 40% chance of affecting you.
Here in Princeton, the result was a lot of ice in trees and on roads and everywhere else. The bright side is that the storm did not include the 12-18 inches of snow that TB heard at first and then the five to eight inches of snow that were threatened on Monday.
In "Groundhog Day," Phil Connors (Murray's character) is a weatherman. It's a great profession, because people are fixated on what you say, regardless of whether or not it's going to be correct.
The concept of the weatherman fits in nicely with where American society as a whole is these days. The weatherman is always talking about the next thing, tomorrow or five days from now, rather than dwelling on whether or not what he/she most recently said was in anyway correct.
It's the news version of Bracketology, which has gone from a fun little exercise for a guy in Philadelphia to something that becomes the focal point for millions of college basketball fans, as well as analysis on TV, the radio and print. And the great part is that none of it matters, because in the end, it has no impact on what the actual tournament brackets will look like.
At least in the case of St. Joseph's University marketing administrator Joe Lunardi, the man who popularized Bracketology for ESPN.com, he takes the time to go through the same types of processes that the NCAA committee does, and as a result he will often have almost every team that ends up in the field.
And his work does provide a good barometer for where the college basketball season is at any given point and where it seems to be headed. But still, if he says that Georgetown will be a sixth seed in the Southwest, it doesn't mean it's true.
Just like saying there'll be eight inches of snow, when in fact, there was less than one.
Still, Bracketology makes for great discussion, especially given what's going on this weekend in Ivy League men's basketball.
Princeton hosts Harvard Friday night in a matchup of Ivy League unbeatens. The following night, Harvard is at Penn, also unbeaten in the league.
Should the Crimson sweep, they would be the clear frontrunner. Should the two home teams sweep their weekends, then they would meet here Tuesday night with first place on the line.
The current Bracketology has Harvard as a No. 14 seed, taking on No. 3 Villanova in Washington.
Just like saying that there's a 30% chance of snow in a few days, there's no accountability for being wrong. In fact, there's almost no chance that it'll be No. 14 Harvard vs. No. 3 Villanova in Washington, D.C., even if Harvard wins the league.
But hey, it makes for great discussion.
The games over the next week will set the tone for the early part of the Ivy men's basketball season, but no team will win the title this soon.
In the meantime, there's a chance for more snow and wintry mix Saturday around here, as well as a 100% chance of a whole new Bracketology next week.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Wondering
TigerBlog has always felt like there were two television characters with whom he could best identify when he was a kid.
The first was Richie Cunningham, from "Happy Days." Whatever words you want to come up with to describe Richie, they basically applied to TB way back when. TB wasn't quite The Fonz, and he wasn't quite Potsie either.
Richie was smart, friendly, a bit nerdy, generally well-liked. He had a good sense of humor. He tried to do the right thing. He was a bit, uh, awkward around the girls, and he wasn't quite the coolest kid on the block. Hey, sounds like TB circa age 14-17.
TigerBlog figured he'd never find another character who could better represent his own childhood, and he was wrong.
Just when TB figured he was his own version of Richie Cunningham, along came a different character, one whose childhood was filled basically with all of the same highs and lows, all the same successes and failures, all the same desires and insecurities. Each week, when TB saw this show, he came away remembering some moment in his own past, some experience or emotion that came flooding back to him, all by watching the fictional life of one late ’80s/early ’90s television character.
Kevin Arnold.
For those who don't remember, Kevin Arnold was the youngest child of the family on "The Wonder Years," a TV show that ran for just six years, from 1988-94. In its first season, only six episodes ran - and it still won the Emmy for best comedy series.
It was a rarity for a television show in that it managed to be funny and dramatic at the same time without having to turn its characters into caricatures to achieve either. It tackled really serious issues, starting in Episode 1 when Winnie Cooper's brother is killed in the Vietnam War, but it also perfectly summed up what it meant to come-of-age in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
There's an innocent charm to the show, coupled with a willingness to allow real life, real loss, real failure to be part of it - all while the adult version of Kevin, Daniel Stern, narrates.
Ultimately, it's completely about the relationships, between Kevin and his friends, Kevin and his family, Kevin and the other kids at school and Kevin and the girls he's interested in.
There are four episodes that really stand out for TB:
* the one where Kevin chooses all the bad players for his basketball team in gym class and then the team gets steamrolled by the good kids; were it like most shows, the bad kids would have figured out a way to win the game
* the one where Kevin tries to hold Becky Slater's hand as they walk down the street at the end of the episode, while Judy Collins sings "The Circle Game"
* the one where Kevin has two dates to the dance and ends up alone, but not in a contrived way
* And by far, the last episode, where Kevin and Winnie fight, make up and make promises for a lifetime, which they then back up. Except that they don't do it in the way that any other TV show ever would have done. The way that the adult Kevin talks about what ends up happening to the all the characters is one of the great moments in television history, and the series ends with these words, spoken by Stern:
"Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you're in diapers, the next day you're gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house, like a lot of houses. A yard like a lot of other yards. On a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back ... with wonder."
In many ways, it is the closest to perfect that any television series TB has ever seen has come.
And now TB has found a channel on his cable system that shows repeats of the series. And stunningly, these episodes are followed by back-to-back episodes of "Happy Days."
TigerBlog would tell you the name of the channel, only he can't remember it. And that's okay, because what does it matter what channel it's on?
It used to be that TV meant the three major networks and some independent stations and that was it. Channel 7 was channel 7 everywhere, and channel 11 was channel 11.
Today, there are hundreds of options on any cable or satellite system, and the stations are different depending on which system you have.
TigerBlog always chuckles when someone calls up the OAC asking what channel they can see a game on that night, because their ESPNU and TB's ESPNU and BrotherBlog's ESPNU are all different.
Beyond that, there are so many different networks now that who can keep them all straight? Who could possibly know what show is on what network by name, rather than by channel number on their system?
There was a time when the most important thing for TB when it came to having Princeton games on television was to have them on a network that was carried by DirecTV, so that it could be seen anywhere in the country and so alumni groups could pick it up together.
Today, that's not the thought.
In the next week, there are three Princeton games on television. Among them they fit the current climate of how TV works around here, and the strengths and weaknesses of both are interesting.
The men's basketball game Friday night against Harvard is on ESPNU, as one of seven games Princeton has with the network each year. This will be Game 4, if you're keeping score, following water polo and men's soccer in the fall and one men's hockey game earlier this season. Still to come are this game, the men's hockey game against Yale and then two men's lacrosse games (North Carolina, Syracuse).
Having games on ESPNU is good because they are available to a huge distribution area across the country. The downside is that they cannot be videostreamed, as part of the deal that ESPN makes.
The other two games are the men's hockey game against Union Friday night and the men's basketball game next Tuesday against Penn. Both of these are on Verizon Fios 1, a channel that TB has never seen.
At the same time, those games more than make up for lack of distribution by being made available to Princeton for videostreaming. The quality of the Verizon Fios broadcast versus what Princeton would normally be able to provide is night and day, as the Verizon Fios one comes with announcers, graphics, multiple cameras and the rest.
TB loves the balance of the two television deals, with the exposure on ESPN balanced with the streaming quality of Verizon Fios.
He's love to expand both of them, especially the Verizon Fios one.
The first was Richie Cunningham, from "Happy Days." Whatever words you want to come up with to describe Richie, they basically applied to TB way back when. TB wasn't quite The Fonz, and he wasn't quite Potsie either.
Richie was smart, friendly, a bit nerdy, generally well-liked. He had a good sense of humor. He tried to do the right thing. He was a bit, uh, awkward around the girls, and he wasn't quite the coolest kid on the block. Hey, sounds like TB circa age 14-17.
TigerBlog figured he'd never find another character who could better represent his own childhood, and he was wrong.
Just when TB figured he was his own version of Richie Cunningham, along came a different character, one whose childhood was filled basically with all of the same highs and lows, all the same successes and failures, all the same desires and insecurities. Each week, when TB saw this show, he came away remembering some moment in his own past, some experience or emotion that came flooding back to him, all by watching the fictional life of one late ’80s/early ’90s television character.
Kevin Arnold.
For those who don't remember, Kevin Arnold was the youngest child of the family on "The Wonder Years," a TV show that ran for just six years, from 1988-94. In its first season, only six episodes ran - and it still won the Emmy for best comedy series.
It was a rarity for a television show in that it managed to be funny and dramatic at the same time without having to turn its characters into caricatures to achieve either. It tackled really serious issues, starting in Episode 1 when Winnie Cooper's brother is killed in the Vietnam War, but it also perfectly summed up what it meant to come-of-age in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
There's an innocent charm to the show, coupled with a willingness to allow real life, real loss, real failure to be part of it - all while the adult version of Kevin, Daniel Stern, narrates.
Ultimately, it's completely about the relationships, between Kevin and his friends, Kevin and his family, Kevin and the other kids at school and Kevin and the girls he's interested in.
There are four episodes that really stand out for TB:
* the one where Kevin chooses all the bad players for his basketball team in gym class and then the team gets steamrolled by the good kids; were it like most shows, the bad kids would have figured out a way to win the game
* the one where Kevin tries to hold Becky Slater's hand as they walk down the street at the end of the episode, while Judy Collins sings "The Circle Game"
* the one where Kevin has two dates to the dance and ends up alone, but not in a contrived way
* And by far, the last episode, where Kevin and Winnie fight, make up and make promises for a lifetime, which they then back up. Except that they don't do it in the way that any other TV show ever would have done. The way that the adult Kevin talks about what ends up happening to the all the characters is one of the great moments in television history, and the series ends with these words, spoken by Stern:
"Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you're in diapers, the next day you're gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house, like a lot of houses. A yard like a lot of other yards. On a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back ... with wonder."
In many ways, it is the closest to perfect that any television series TB has ever seen has come.
And now TB has found a channel on his cable system that shows repeats of the series. And stunningly, these episodes are followed by back-to-back episodes of "Happy Days."
TigerBlog would tell you the name of the channel, only he can't remember it. And that's okay, because what does it matter what channel it's on?
It used to be that TV meant the three major networks and some independent stations and that was it. Channel 7 was channel 7 everywhere, and channel 11 was channel 11.
Today, there are hundreds of options on any cable or satellite system, and the stations are different depending on which system you have.
TigerBlog always chuckles when someone calls up the OAC asking what channel they can see a game on that night, because their ESPNU and TB's ESPNU and BrotherBlog's ESPNU are all different.
Beyond that, there are so many different networks now that who can keep them all straight? Who could possibly know what show is on what network by name, rather than by channel number on their system?
There was a time when the most important thing for TB when it came to having Princeton games on television was to have them on a network that was carried by DirecTV, so that it could be seen anywhere in the country and so alumni groups could pick it up together.
Today, that's not the thought.
In the next week, there are three Princeton games on television. Among them they fit the current climate of how TV works around here, and the strengths and weaknesses of both are interesting.
The men's basketball game Friday night against Harvard is on ESPNU, as one of seven games Princeton has with the network each year. This will be Game 4, if you're keeping score, following water polo and men's soccer in the fall and one men's hockey game earlier this season. Still to come are this game, the men's hockey game against Yale and then two men's lacrosse games (North Carolina, Syracuse).
Having games on ESPNU is good because they are available to a huge distribution area across the country. The downside is that they cannot be videostreamed, as part of the deal that ESPN makes.
The other two games are the men's hockey game against Union Friday night and the men's basketball game next Tuesday against Penn. Both of these are on Verizon Fios 1, a channel that TB has never seen.
At the same time, those games more than make up for lack of distribution by being made available to Princeton for videostreaming. The quality of the Verizon Fios broadcast versus what Princeton would normally be able to provide is night and day, as the Verizon Fios one comes with announcers, graphics, multiple cameras and the rest.
TB loves the balance of the two television deals, with the exposure on ESPN balanced with the streaming quality of Verizon Fios.
He's love to expand both of them, especially the Verizon Fios one.
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