Super Bowl Comes To New Jersey

I’m happy the Super Bowl is coming to New Jersey (and New York) because it has to be viewed as a badly-needed positive for our state. On the other hand what does it really mean to most of us? The answer is nothing.

Honestly the fact that the “big game” will be played in the still unnamed new Meadowlands Stadium in four years doesn’t mean that much for those of us who live in the shore area. For some there might be a better chance of getting tickets as the Giants & Jets will get about 5,000 or so as the host venue. However unless one of those two teams play in the game we’re going to watch on TV and not think any differently than other Super Bowls….unless Mother Nature makes things very interesting. As a side note, I would like to have a dollar for every time somebody says or writes that the game is being played in New York because the last time I looked East Rutherford was in New Jersey.

The High School Baseball and Softball Seasons are coming to a close and there are a couple of Ocean County schools who will play for state sectional titles. Jackson Memorial crushed top-seeded Monroe 17-6 Tuesday to advance to the Central Jersey Group 4 Baseball Finals. Joe Ogren & Alex Herceg each homered and drove in five runs for the Jaguars, who will host Manalapan on Friday. Ironically both those teams play semifinal games in the Shore Conference Tournament today with Jackson hosting rival Jackson Liberty and Manalapan visiting top-seed Toms River South. The Jaguars are the defending champions.

The lone county team left in the state softball tournament is surprising Central Regional. The Golden Eagles scored runs in the 6th and 7th innings to edge top-seeded Hammonton 2-1 yesterday and Central will visit Delsea Friday in the South Jersey Group 3 Championship game. In the semifinals of the Shore Conference Softball Tournament today, Toms River East will host Manasquan and Jackson Liberty will visit defending champion Red Bank Catholic.