By Tommie Robinson
Jonesboro, GA
There are plenty of things that go unnoticed at any football game. You don’t have to be in love with a game to go to one.
If you are curious enough, you can study everything but the game.
Before a recent pre-season game between the New York Jets and the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Meadowlands–my first NFL game–rows and rows of fans barbequed, threw footballs and got drunk in the parking lot. Continue reading
By Anterrica Brady
Panther Burn, MS
Scrimmaging with one another, basketball players ferociously dribble the ball against the hardwood floor as their shoes squeak. Although the noisy air conditioner continues to chill the air, the players are still sweating. Meanwhile, one man sits calmly without a single bead of sweat.
Behind the scenes, Skyelar Ettin, a 24-year-old assistant basketball coach at Princeton University, has a huge role to play in his team’s games. As a young man leading other young men, Ettin has proven to be a capable leader, displaying a surprising level of confidence and experience. Although his age is close to his players’, Ettin remains professional. Ettin believes that it’s important to show “the players this is [his] job and [he] takes pride in it.” Continue reading
By Alexess Sosa
Big Spring, TX
The New York Jets earned a come-from-behind victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in their preseason opener on Wednesday, prevailing 17-13 at MetLife Stadium despite a poor offensive showing.
The Jets gained just 284 yards compared to Jacksonville’s 415, but New York still triumphed after a strong second-quarter performance.
The Jaguars started strong behind third-year quarterback Blake Bortles, who went 6 of 7 for 105 yards, leading Jacksonville to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Jason Myers kicked a 33-yard field goal to open the scoring, and a Chris Ivory 1-yard run put Jacksonville up by two scores. Continue reading
By Rave’n DaJon Coleman
Philadelphia, Pa.
This July, Jen Welter became a coach for the Arizona Cardinals. She is the first woman in NFL history to become a female coach. The sports world greeted her hiring as a moment of great progress for women in sports. “I want little girls to grow up knowing that when they put their mind to something, when they work hard, that they can do anything regardless,” Welter told the New York Times. Continue reading
By Kaleb Anderson
Atlanta, G.A.
TRENTON — Fans adore him. His teammates need him. People travel to see him. The team would be nothing without him. Who is this superstar? Two words: Chase Utley. Utley is a widely popular, professional baseball player who is irresistibly talented and has a large fan base. He currently plays for the Philadelphia Phillies, but because of his recent ankle injury he has played for the Double-A baseball team, the Reading Fightin’ Phils. Utley represents the archetype for athletes who will always have support from their fans regardless of their performance in games. Continue reading
By Sharon Bayantemur
Brooklyn, N.Y.
TRENTON — The smell of fried food in the muggy air mingled with the crowd’s boisterousness at Arm & Hammer Park in Trenton, N.J. Everyone was waiting for the Trenton Thunder to go head-to-head with the Reading Fightin’ Phils. The $15-million major leaguer Chase Utley, a star Philadelphia Phillies infielder, was in the lineup while recuperating from a recent ankle injury. He was the main motivation for most Phillies fans to come to the Aug. 4 Double-A game. Continue reading
By Trista Merrival
Pine Ridge, S.D.
Jerry Price, 52, is in many ways the public face of Princeton sports. He’s responsible for the publication and promotion of the university’s athletic program—a job that calls for him to tell positive stories about Tiger athletics.
“If you’re relying on media to come cover your team, what are they going to say? ‘They lost again; they can’t score a goal,’” Price said. By contrast, in telling the stories himself, he can put forward an upbeat narrative about Princeton athletics. Continue reading
By Addie Morton
Knoxville, Tenn.
Jerry Price’s desk is unkempt, cluttered with files, and his walls are covered in family photos. He leans back in his chair with a casual demeanor and rests his feet on the bottom drawer of his desk.
“I’d like to write a book about something at some point,” he muses, sitting in his Jadwin Gymnasium office.
If the book is an extension of his blog, “TigerBlog,” expect a candid conversation, voiced in the third person. Continue reading
By Christina Gaspar
Oceanside, Calif.
Jerry Price, who currently serves as Princeton’s Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Athletic Communications, used to view Princeton sports from the outside, covering the school’s teams for both The Trenton Times and The Princeton Packet. A graduate of University of Pennsylvania, he was hired by Princeton in 1994 and became the voice of Princeton’s sports teams. Continue reading
By Marlee Kelly
Pine Ridge, S.D.
TRENTON — The sun set over Arm & Hammer Park as fans anticipated the first pitch of the game. The Trenton Thunder and the Reading Fightin’ Phils were competing for second place in the Eastern League.
For the most part, it was a typical baseball game: the fans went quiet as a tribute to local veterans played on the big screen, and a young local, Victoria Paul, sang the national anthem. But on Aug. 5, the crowd was here to see something unusual. Continue reading
The Princeton Summer Journal 