Wednesday TigerBlog - Nice To Meet You
September 10, 2025 | Tiger Blog
TigerBlog was busy yesterday rebuilding his catalytic converter.
And by "rebuilding," he doesn't really mean what you think he means.
The check engine light had gone on in TB's car two weeks ago. Given that his car has 172,000 miles on it, he did the only logical thing anyone would do in that situation — ignore it and hope it went off by itself.
When that didn't happen, he finally broke down (well, thankfully not really) and called Ron, the official car guy of TigerBlog. As he headed over there to have it checked out, he tried to figure out the number it would cost to repair such a well-worn car that would make him say "nope" and get a new one.
He figured it was in the range of $2,500.
Upon arrival, Ron hooked up the little machine that tells you what the problem is. At most places, they charge you money for that. Those 30 seconds that it took Ron to do this were on the house.
And the verdict? The catalytic converter needed a cleaning additive. Total cost: $21 — which is less than $2,500, so TB will be keeping his car. He did have to go to AutoZone and get the cleaner himself. And on top of all that, he actually opened the container and poured it into his gas tank.
So yeah. He rebuilt it.
Oh, and did you have the same experience as TB for two consecutive mornings this week? That is to say, did you turn off an NFL game and wake up the next day to see that the team you were sure would lose rallied to pull it out in the fourth quarter?
That was the Ravens-Bills game Sunday night and the Vikings-Bears game Monday night. TB can't be the only one who did that.
The other kind of football, the internationally recognized use of the word, has an intriguing midweek game tonight on Princeton's Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium. The Princeton men will be hosting Hofstra tonight at 7 (admission is free).
Here is something TB would never have guessed: Princeton and Hofstra have never met in men's soccer before.
How is that possible? Hopefully someone affiliated with Hofstra men's soccer knows enough to leave early to get to Princeton on a weeknight. Or weekday. Or weekend. Or really any time you drive from there to here or here to there.
Princeton and Hofstra have played dozens and dozens of times in other sports. Why not in men's soccer? TB has no idea.
If you're wondering, Hofstra has played Columbia 24 times, and that's more than it has played the other seven Ivy schools combined.
Princeton is playing its second game of the young season, after having defeated Rutgers 3-1 Sunday night in a very strong opening performance. The Tigers were first in the "others receiving votes" category in this week's United Soccer Coaches' Top 25.
Hofstra comes into the game at 2-2, with wins over St. John's and Northeastern and losses to Bucknell and Binghamton.
Hofstra, by the way, has a great tradition in the sport, both over the decades and recently. In fact, the Pride have won four straight CAA championships and won five NCAA tournament games in that time, reaching the third round twice and second round once. Hofstra has also finished nationally ranked three times as well, including 23rd a year ago.
Princeton got goals from three different players against Rutgers (Kevin Kelley, Jack Jasinski and freshman Jackson Martin). Jaskinski also had an assist, earning honorable mention weekly honors from Top Drawer Soccer.
It is the head coaching matchup here that TB finds really intriguing. Princeton's Jim Barlow is in Year 30 as the Tiger head coach, which makes him the less experienced head coach in this one. Hofstra's Kevin Nuttall — who played for Leeds and Stoke City in the English Premier League at one point — is in his 33rd season.
Between them they have won 574 games. And yet their teams have never faced each other?
Oh, and this does beg a question: How many games are there where the two head coaches have both been in their job for at least 30 years? That goes for any sport.
TigerBlog will think about that one. If you know one, let him know.
And in the meantime, it's Princeton-Hofstra tonight at 7 on Myslik Field and on ESPN+.