Previewing the WOBM Christmas Classic

The 30^th annual WOBM Christmas Classic gets underway this weekend at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River.  The boy’s teams will play their first round games tomorrow beginning at 1pm when Brick Memorial meets Monsignor Donovan.

Top-seed and favorite Jackson Memorial closes the day against Brick at 6:45 and in between there are six other games in both the Pine Belt Arena and Toms River North gyms.  It’s a great day to see all the teams in action with two games being played at virtually the same time.   Sunday the girls take the court with the same schedule as Jackson Memorial takes on Toms River North in the opener at 1pm and top-seed Red Bank Catholic ends the day against Barnegat.

After this weekend the WOBM Classic will resume on December 26^th and run every day through the 30^th.  For those planning on attending multiple days you might want to purchase a tournament pass which is $20 for adults and $12 for students and senior citizens 65 and over.

The complete schedule is available on the WOBM Christmas Classic page at shoresportsnetwork.comIt just doesn’t feel like there’s a build-up to December 25^th like years ago. maybe it has to do with Christmas music being played before Thanksgiving and of course the focus on shopping starting right after Halloween.

It’s hard to believe this is the final weekend before Christmas as with Thanksgiving being so late this year the time between the two holidays has simply flown by.

Speaking of shopping, the one thing I won’t be sorry to see go are Christmas commercials like those for the Duck Dynasty Chia pets, Pajamagrams, the Kmart Joe Boxer ad and any commercial in which there’s actually a new car with a bow in the driveway.

Is it me or has the local traffic the last week or so been worse than ever?  Is it all holiday related or just something I might not have noticed?  Also, are drivers less courteous because everyone is in such a hurry?

Finally, why do people drive around the mall for 10 minutes looking for a spot up close when there are plenty in which it would just take them 2 minutes extra to walk?  Have we really become that lazy?