A Night for Wrestling, Scholarships and the Mets

Going to bounce around a bit today so stay aboard for the ride.

What do you do when you get friend requests from people on Facebook you either don’t think you know or clearly don’t know well enough that you consider them friends? You can ignore the request although it stays there every time you go on or you can delete it.

I’m always concerned that it’s someone I actually know better than I thought and feel like it’s rude to blow them off. Of course the other side is you accept a new friend and then learn it’s one of those Facebook people who post everything from the time they get up until they go to bed. Total dilemma!

I’m not a huge wrestling fan but I am a Scott Goodale fan and the Toms River resident has done a terrific job since becoming head coach at Rutgers on and off the mat. Clearly he’s raised the profile of the program and last year the Scarlet Knights finished 6th in the nation in average attendance for their home matches while going 14-7 against a brutal Big Ten schedule and ending up ranked 21st in the country.

Rutgers’ roster is filled with shore area student-athletes, including Ken Theobold (TR South), Richie Lewis (TR East), Hayden Hrymack (CBA), Jalen Ramos (Central), Nick Ottaviano (Colts Neck) and Willie Scott (Brick). For fans of the Scarlet Knights program tonight Moore’s Restaurant in Freehold will hold a Rutgers Wrestling Night. Coach Goodale will be on hand at 7 p.m. to talk with coaches, parents and wrestlers about the program and there will be prizes and more. The event is free.

So the idea of legalized sports betting coming to New Jersey and Monmouth Park is not dead as an appeals court voted to reconsider an August ruling that struck down a state law allowing sports betting at racetracks and casinos. A circuit court of appeals will now hear the full case in the near future. I was vehemently opposed to sports betting but I have changed my tune and pro sports leagues stance against it are hypocritical when they allow and endorse fantasy leagues like DraftKings and FanDuel which are forms of sports gambling.

Wednesday I said the Mets season was over. I was only kidding. I’m juiced up for tonight’s game against the Dodgers and to those attending tonight’s Toms River Student Loan Fund dinner be advised: your MC is getting out of there early.