Going Back

So TigerBlog was happy enough with how the first installment of his series on what he would have written for events that happened prior to the start of the blog.

If you missed it, he wrote yesterday about the 1996 Princeton-UCLA NCAA tournament men's basketball game. As he said, he had three choices in mind for the first one, and he thinks he went with the right opener.

You can read it HERE if you missed it. 

TB especially liked the part where he wrote of Sydney Johnson and Mitch Henderson that they were like having two more coaches on the floor. The idea of sneaking in something to each of these entries that ties it together to the present is pretty appealing, though it does need to be subtle like that.

He also said he had no name for the series yet. Then he received this comment:

Steven J. Feldman '68 said...

How about "Going Back" for a title for your series? That would not only be an appropriate name for your series but also work in one of Princeton's most iconic sports fight songs "Going Back to Nassau Hall."

 

That's a great idea. TB is going to borrow it.

Each time he writes one of these entries - and he's committing to one per week to start at least - he'll have the title of "Going Back" and then the date the blog would have run had it existed. 

Plus, the whole "Going back to Nassau Hall" part is great, even if he's been whistling the song pretty much non-stop since he first read the comment.

 

As TB started to make a list of possible events to write about, it grew from way past the original three. Many of these games were from before he was born, so he'll have to figure out how to handle the normal TB way of writing about his own experiences in covering a game, but he'll figure that part out.

 

It's funny, too, because back in 1996, for instance, he never would have dreamed of writing a story after the game about his perspective of the last 2.2 seconds. It was unheard of then.

 

Of course, also back in 1996 there wasn't even a goprincetontigers.com yet, so TB didn't have to write any kind of story after the game that night in Indianapolis. His time was spent solely on postgame media responsibilities - and he still didn't get back to the hotel (which was connected to the RCA Dome) until around 1 am. 

It was a completely different world then. That's why the series is compelling to him. It's not just the stories. 

 

For the one yesterday, the fun part was going back - as it were - in his mind to that night in the RCA Dome and remembering what the postgame was like and then imagining what he would have done if there had been a webpage and a blog. 

Speaking of going back, he also got this comment this week:

 

D '82 said...

TB, a couple years ago, you were gracious enough to respond to my suggestion that you list several categories of Princeton athletic events: greatest wins, biggest comebacks, worst losses, et cetera.

Might I offer an idea which sounds similar, but may yield a different answer from you:

What Princeton events have made you happiest? The single best column you've ever written described your emotions when you entered into the statistics software the first ground ball your daughter picked up in a Princeton uniform. The ability of your prose to weave a sporting moment with a parent's joy and pride was on full display. Which other events have made you happiest? It might be a repeat of your answer to "greatest wins," but I suspect not.

And if that resonates with you, how about List 2. What events have made you angriest or saddest? If that works for you, then proceed to List 3. What events have been most thought-provoking? Not just an emotional experience, but a cerebral one.

Those are three great lists. TB is definitely going to dive into those. 

Obviously, or perhaps it would be better to say "sadly," he has the time to do those kind of things now. He'll have his first list up next week at some point.

He'll also have to come up with some guidelines and definitions about the difference between events that make him happy and simply greatest wins.

Before he does all that, and before he starts to think about what to include, he can say one thing definitively: the next Princeton event, whenever it is, will definitely be near the top of the "happiest" list.