By Kamila Czachorowski
Norridge, Ill.
TRENTON — On Aug. 5, the Trenton Thunder lost 7-1 to the Reading Fightin’ Phils. Judging by the cheers and clapping, the majority of the crowd was supporting -Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, who was temporarily playing for the Reading Fightin’ Phils. Utley suffered an ankle injury in June and has begun the process of working back up to the major leagues. Continue reading
The Indianapolis Colts warm up on Thursday before their preseason opener against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
By Amna Nawaz
Brooklyn, N.Y.
For thousands of Jets fans, Thursday’s 13-10 preseason victory was a welcome start to the season, but the game wasn’t mainly about defeating the Colts. Fans were looking to evaluate the play of the team’s two quarterbacks, Michael Vick and Geno Smith. Both Vick and Smith are competing to be the starter, and after last week’s game, it appears that it’s going to be a close competition.
Vick, age 34, was brought to the Jets in part to serve as a mentor to Smith. Their relationship is not just about competition but also collaboration. “It’s great. It’s a great feeling to have a guy like Mike,” Smith said of his work with Vick. “He is a guy I have always looked up to.”
The Jets hope this collaboration helps the 23-year-old Smith’s maturation process. Smith had an up-and-down rookie year, but there were certainly bright spots: According to the Jets’ website, Smith not only had the most passing yards in a single season for a Jets rookie — registering 3,046 yards — but also had the highest completion rate for a rookie, with 55.8 percent. Continue reading
The Jets enter MetLife Stadium for their preseason opener against the Colts on Aug. 7.
By Asia Matthews and Diego Pineda
Queens, N.Y. & Raleigh, N.C.
During the Jets-Colts preseason game on Aug. 8, all one could hear in the press box was the sound of reporters frantically tapping the keys of their laptops. A few fiddled with their recorders or grabbed a bite to eat between plays. It seemed as though everyone was working in complete isolation. But for the staff of the stadium working the press box, it was an entirely different ball game.
A press box is expected to be filled with reserved and elite reporters who strictly maintain professionalism with the stadium staff. But the stadium workers had a different take on what working in the press box is actually like, claiming that working there feels like interacting with family members. Continue reading
The Jets played at the MetLife Stadium for their preseason opener against the Colts on Aug. 7.
By Ashley Nava
El Paso, T.X.
You’re sitting in the stands at a major sporting event, hot dog in one hand, drink in the other. Suddenly, you look up at the jumbotron and see your projected face framed with a heart, and the words underneath read, “Kiss Cam.” Thousands of people anxiously wait for you to kiss the person sitting beside you. The only problem is, they’re your sibling.
This hypothetical situation is the reality that many have faced and will continue to face in the coming years. The assumption that any female and male sitting together are in a relationship, or at the very least are inclined to participate in this mockery of love, is ridiculous. Let’s not forget the awkward instances when they’re just friends. Continue reading
The Indianapolis Colts warm up on Thursday before their preseason opener against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
By Najay Greenidge
Philadelphia, Penn.
By the kickoff of the Jets’ first preseason game on Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts, it was no secret that the starting quarterback job was Geno Smith’s to lose. But it was second-string quarterback Michael Vick who ended up stealing the show.
In his only series with the first-string Jets’ offense, Vick led the team on an 80-yard drive downfield, culminating with a touchdown by running back Chris Johnson. The Jets ultimately won 13-10 on the strength of a late fourth quarter field goal by backup kicker Andrew Furney.
For months, there was the looming question of whether coach Rex Ryan would tap Smith or Vick to pilot the Jets, who ended the 2013 season with a respectable 8-8 record. Some argued that after Smith’s uneven performance last year, the team would benefit from the 34-year-old Vick’s veteran touch. Continue reading
The Jets enter MetLife Stadium for their preseason opener against the Colts on Aug. 7.
By Hasani Valdez
Chicago, Ill.
The New York Jets kicked off their 2014 preseason with a 13-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, featuring a touchdown by running back Chris Johnson and a game-winning field goal by Andrew Furney.
The game started out with high optimism for the Colts. Last year quarterback Andrew Luck led the Colts to an 11-5 record before falling to the New England Patriots in the AFC divisional playoffs. Given the Jets’ record of 8-8 last year, the Colts were expected to dispatch with them swiftly. Continue reading
Mitch Henderson ’98, who won three Ivy League championships as a
player at Princeton, is looking to capture his first Ivy crown as coach.
By Johnny Flores, Jr.
Coachella, Calif.
After finishing 21-9 overall and 8-6 in the Ivy League, Princeton University head basketball coach Mitch Henderson hopes to make his fourth season a winning one.
“The less you’re focused on the littlest of things the better off you are,” he said.
Henderson, clad in basketball shorts and a Princeton University polo shirt, said he’s enjoying his time away from basketball this summer. “August is a pretty good time for us,” he said. “We’re off the road which means we’re not recruiting.” In the off-season, Henderson spends time in the office as well as time with his wife and two children.
While the season doesn’t officially start until November, Henderson is already spending time thinking about the future and setting goals for the upcoming season. “The goal is, we have to be playing together. In sports, life and anything else it’s ‘How do you get people to not think about themselves?’” Continue reading
Luck during warm-ups for the Colts preseason game against the Jets.
By Nelly Mendoza
Houston, T.X.
The final moments were the most exciting in the Colts-Jets preseason game on Thursday at MetLife Stadium, as the Colts tried to take the lead in the last quarter. The weather was warm and the sun had set in the sky. Anxious fans cheered their favorite players and booed each time the football slipped out of their hands.
The Colts, Andrew Luck’s team, lost. But even after the loss, Luck still has a lot to look forward to this season.
He is only 24, but the sports world is already expecting him to prove why he was chosen to replace Peyton Manning, the 38 year-old-quarterback that took the Colts to victory in Super Bowl XLI. He has an important weight on his back — Manning played with the Colts for 14 seasons. Continue reading
By Navil Henderson
Thornton, Colo.
Mitch Henderson ’98, who won three Ivy League championships as a player at Princeton, is looking to capture his first Ivy crown as coach. Courtesy of Princeton University Office of Communications.
In March 1998, Princeton men’s basketball player Mitch Henderson ’98 took his college basketball jersey off for the last time. After a brief professional playing career and an assistant coach role at Northwestern University, he eventually found his way back to his alma mater, becoming the 28th head coach of the Princeton Tigers men’s basketball team in 2011.
Back on the Jadwin court with clipboard in hand and whistle in tow, Henderson said he enjoys developing his players and setting strategy for the team.
During the 2012-13 season, Henderson helped the team build momentum that put them in first place and in contention for the Ivy League title entering the final week of the season. That opportunity slipped through their fingers when back-to-back losses to Yale and Brown effectively ended their quest for the title. The team finished with a 17-11 record overall, behind perennial rival Harvard (20-10). Continue reading
By Daisy Gomez
San Diego, Calif.
Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees’ third-baseman, steps up to the plate on Aug. 3 in Trenton. Photo by Lesley Le Platte.
TRENTON—On Aug. 5, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and 12 other professional baseball players were suspended by Major League Baseball for their involvement with banned performance-enhancing drugs. While the 12 other players received 50-game suspensions, Rodriguez made headlines for his 211-game suspension.
On Aug. 3, Rodriguez played for the Trenton Thunder, as part of a rehabilitation stint from off-season hip surgery. Rodriguez had to face accusations of being involved in the case against the now-defunct rejuvenation clinic Biogenesis of America. Continue reading
