The NJSIAA Football Playoffs begin tonight with 17 Shore Conference schools among the nearly 160 who have a chance to claim a state sectional championships the first weekend of December. It’s a terrible playoff system which leaves us with 20 schools claiming state titles based on geography and school size. Even that’s questionable as you have Pennsauken, which is near Camden competing in the same 8-team Central Jersey bracket with schools like Colts Neck, Brick Memorial and Middletown North. Anyone studying New Jersey in school would also question Burlington Township traveling 51 miles to play Point Pleasant Borough but they are in the same group.
However like college football’s imperfect BCS system what he have in New Jersey is what we have and it will stay that way until archaic minds accept that it’s time to do away with Thanksgiving Day games which prevent any real playoff. But you do the best you can with what you have and to coaches and players the ultimate remains calling yourself a state sectional champion so that’s what they’ll aim for.
Toms River North and Asbury Park are the only two shore schools with a chance of defending their championships and they will have very different paths. The Mariners will not only have to get past rival Southern tonight but would likely have to beat top ten state powers Cherokee and Mainland on the road to win in South Jersey Group 4. Asbury Park’s Blue Bishops on the other hand are expected to cruise through the Central Jersey Group 1 bracket where they could face Shore Regional in the final.
No team comes into the playoffs hotter than Point Pleasant Borough and even though the Panthers are seeded third in Central Jersey Group 2 they might be the team to beat. Boro has won all 7 of their games via shutout and allowed their only points of the season in a 3-0 loss to Manasquan in week two…the two rivals could face each other in the sectional final.
The Shore Sports Network will broadcast tonight’s Southern-Toms River North game from Gernerd Field. It’s the fourth time the Rams and Mariners have faced each other over the last two seasons with North winning the previous three meetings. Tonight’s game can be heard on 1160 WOBM AM, Fox Sports 1310 and at www.shoresportsnetwork.com
Showing posts with label New Jersey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Jersey. Show all posts
Friday, November 14, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
End Of An Era
Since 1949 drivers on Route 166 in Toms River have viewed one of the great business signs of all time. Sitting on top of the Dover Diner are the words “Eat Here or We’ll Both Starve” and no matter how many times I’ve passed that sign I’ve chuckled. However the popular diner will close after Sunday to make way for an office building as part of the future expansion of the Dover Mall. Joella Nicastro knew this day was coming but you can excuse her for having a hard time accepting the end because she’s spent some 21 years serving breakfast to hungry patrons. An Ocean County native, Joella started working at the diner as a waitress, moved up to manager and eventually took over the operation from the Jamison Family who opened the eatery in 1949.
The structure is a Silk City Diner, built by the Paterson Vehicle Company who operated from 1927-64. The stainless steel structure is a complete unit which Ms. Nicastro is going to keep and try to re-locate. For now she’ll store the diner while she searches for a location as many customers have vowed to follow her not only for great food and bottomless cups of coffee but the loud, bustling atmosphere that comes with the territory. Seats may be a premium at times but conversation is endless and loyal customers can usually solve all the problems of the world by the time they get to their third cup of coffee.
Joella praised the Donofrio Family, owners of the property because from day one she knew that eventually the site would be needed for other construction. She is cautiously optimistic that one day in the future the Dover Diner will re-open and again we’ll be greeted by the words “Eat here or we’ll both starve.” However you have until Sunday to be guaranteed a chance to enjoy one of their great omelets, crispy home fries and even sausage gravy. Take a picture because an era is coming to an end.
The structure is a Silk City Diner, built by the Paterson Vehicle Company who operated from 1927-64. The stainless steel structure is a complete unit which Ms. Nicastro is going to keep and try to re-locate. For now she’ll store the diner while she searches for a location as many customers have vowed to follow her not only for great food and bottomless cups of coffee but the loud, bustling atmosphere that comes with the territory. Seats may be a premium at times but conversation is endless and loyal customers can usually solve all the problems of the world by the time they get to their third cup of coffee.
Joella praised the Donofrio Family, owners of the property because from day one she knew that eventually the site would be needed for other construction. She is cautiously optimistic that one day in the future the Dover Diner will re-open and again we’ll be greeted by the words “Eat here or we’ll both starve.” However you have until Sunday to be guaranteed a chance to enjoy one of their great omelets, crispy home fries and even sausage gravy. Take a picture because an era is coming to an end.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Sex And The Office Of Governor
As we get a new sex-related story each day involving some high-ranking official I’m really starting to wonder what is normal. Just think about what’s come out in the last week or so. We have the now former Governor of New York…the poster child for ethics in government, linked to a high price call girl (who of course just happens to be from this area). He is forced to resign in shame and worst yet has to face his wife and three teen-ager daughters, who I assume idolized him.
Then comes reports of this wild tryst featuring the former first couple of our wonderful state, Jim McGreevey and his soon-to-be ex-wife Dina Matos McGreevey. Depending on who and what you believe they were involved in a sexual threesome with a former campaign aid for about two years which ended just before McGreevey was elected governor. Keep in mind the couple is engaged in a bitter divorce battle and are due in court again later this week so you have to take everything with a grain of salt.
Just as you swallowed all of this comes news that New York’s new governor
has come out and disclosed that both he and his wife had affairs during a rocky period in their marriage. David Paterson obviously figured it was better to come clean now so just hours after taking office he admitted that he and his wife Michelle strayed from one another before seeking counseling and patching up their marriage.
What couples do is pretty much their own business and frankly I and most of you probably don’t care what goes on behind closed doors. It’s just that I wonder what is a normal marriage today. If nearly half of all marriages end in divorce what percentage can we assume finds one or both parties cheating on the other at some point? The real number may be shocking.
One other thought before putting this subject to bed. If former Governor Spitzer was “client 9” of the call girl service wouldn’t you like to know who numbers 1-8 are? Inquiring minds would like to know.
Then comes reports of this wild tryst featuring the former first couple of our wonderful state, Jim McGreevey and his soon-to-be ex-wife Dina Matos McGreevey. Depending on who and what you believe they were involved in a sexual threesome with a former campaign aid for about two years which ended just before McGreevey was elected governor. Keep in mind the couple is engaged in a bitter divorce battle and are due in court again later this week so you have to take everything with a grain of salt.
Just as you swallowed all of this comes news that New York’s new governor
has come out and disclosed that both he and his wife had affairs during a rocky period in their marriage. David Paterson obviously figured it was better to come clean now so just hours after taking office he admitted that he and his wife Michelle strayed from one another before seeking counseling and patching up their marriage.
What couples do is pretty much their own business and frankly I and most of you probably don’t care what goes on behind closed doors. It’s just that I wonder what is a normal marriage today. If nearly half of all marriages end in divorce what percentage can we assume finds one or both parties cheating on the other at some point? The real number may be shocking.
One other thought before putting this subject to bed. If former Governor Spitzer was “client 9” of the call girl service wouldn’t you like to know who numbers 1-8 are? Inquiring minds would like to know.
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