Sports

Editor's Challenge | Week 10

The clock's struck 10 and the bell has rung, so flood down the back steps onto the playground for another edition of Eds Challenge with your playful hosts, the Tufts Daily sports section. Obey the code or get struck down by the wrath of schoolyard authority, but feel free to scamper about and engage in all sorts of kooky antics, because at this hour, we break free from the restrictive bonds of adult society and make our own great escape into blacktop heaven.

Ben Kochman | The Wackness

I wasn't in the room when the Penn State Board of Trustees decided to fire Joe Paterno last night, but I doubt the scene Tuesday evening outside Paterno's house helped the coaching legend's cause.

Fencing | Jumbos start strong at Fall Invitational

The men's fencing team kicked off its season on Saturday at the Fall Invitational (The Big One) at Smith College, posting respectable performances in the epee, foil and saber events.

Football | Staying the course

Things haven't changed for the football team. Energy has remained at a peak level, sparked at once by one final opportunity to remove the oval from the win column and optimistic promises of future seasons. Tufts is winless through seven games, but thoughts of games past seem to have been vaporized from the collective mindset. No, this is a team that, in spite of the hardships and the losses, is still approaching each day like a 0−0 squad.

Inside NFL | A perilous blueprint

The Green Bay Packers are the defending Super Bowl Champions and have picked up where they left off during last season's remarkable playoff run. As impressive as the Packers have been in their last 12 games, no one outside of Green Bay entirely saw this coming.

Jumbos finish third at ECACs Championships

Alex Prewitt | Live from Mudville

Middlebury bumps Tufts from NESCAC Tournament

Coming into the NESCAC Tournament, the volleyball team felt confident about its chances after a 24−4 regular season that included nine wins in the conference — good enough for the No. 2 seed. But the Jumbos failed to meet expectations on Saturday, dropping a close four−set match to the Middlebury Panthers.

Tufts earns second at ECAC Championships

The men's cross country team earned second at the ECAC Championships on Saturday, placing its four runners in the top 20 — even without its top seven runners on the line. The finish was the best performance by the Jumbos since they took home the championship title in 2004.

Tufts wins Hap Moore Team Racing Trophy

Zach Drucker | The Loser

The Texas Rangers almost did it. They almost inscribed their names into the annals of history. They almost celebrated with champagne showers, raucous revelry and a triumphant parade. They almost earned the right to be called "World Champions" for a full year. Yet, "almost" is never good enough.

Men's Rugby | Tufts defeats Bowdoin to go to NERFU semis

With a win on Friday night over Bowdoin, the Tufts Rugby Football Club has earned a spot in the semifinals of the Div. III New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU) Championships for the third straight year.

Volleyball | Panthers oust Jumbos in NESCAC semifinals

While the Polar Bears were on fire, the Tufts volleyball team got left out in the cold.

Jumbos take on Colby this weekend, looking for first victory of season

Following a tough 30−0 loss to Amherst at home last week and a frustrating 0−6 start, the Jumbos are hoping that they can finally turn things around tomorrow when they face Colby on the Mules' home turf in Waterville, Maine.

Making waves for fellow Jumbos

A common complaint from athletes on some teams at Tufts is that crowds here are often lackluster.

Inside NFL | All the wrong choices

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has received an inordinate amount of praise over the past decade for his draft strategy of uncovering gems in late rounds and finding value players in the early ones.

Men's Soccer | Jumbos take big leap forward

You can't deny that this fall was a giant step in the right direction for the Tufts men's soccer program.

Women's Soccer | Strong season ends in heartbreak against Wesleyan

The women's soccer season ended in heartbreak for the Jumbos, who on Saturday were eliminated by Wesleyan in penalty kicks in the NESCAC quarterfinals.

Ethan Sturm | Rules of the Game

We have a tendency to spend too much time showing people at their worst and not enough time showing them at their best. Sure, athletes sometimes make it easy for us, by either shooting themselves, lying to Congress or cheating on their wife repeatedly. But regardless of what goes on behind the scenes in their lives, it is up to the media to choose what to focus on and the nation to choose how to digest such information.

Football | Jumbos defense holds it down

The football team might still be winless, but encouragement for the future exists, especially with the effort the defense has put forth through Tufts' most brutal three-game stretch.