Praise for Friday Night football and the Emmys

Just a few random thoughts following the final official weekend of summer as autumn, or fall if you prefer, arrives Friday.

Because the Sunday Night Football game was a dud I ended up watching quite a bit of the Emmy Awards on CBS.  That’s the awards show for television and if you watch mainly network TV and not premium cable and streaming video then you were likely unfamiliar with most of the winners and even nominees.

In the changing face of TV it was shows like Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” and HBO’s “Veep” and “Big Little Lies” that were among the big winners last night.  If not for NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” it would have been a brutal night for network television as there were no victories for CBS, ABC, FOX or PBS.

HBO won ten awards last night, Hulu collected five, Netflix four and FX two.  The very popular “This Is Us” on NBC did produce a winner in the best actor in a drama category with Sterling K. Brown taking home the statue for his portrayal of Randall Pearson.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again.  There is no better atmosphere for a Friday Night football game at the shore then the one you’ll find at Toms River South’s Detweiler Stadium.

It’s the combination of a downtown school/stadium, enthusiastic student section, active alumni, tradition and more that makes it so special and throw in a crosstown rival like Toms River East on a late summer night and it’s a reminder that at its best football brings a school together like nothing else. Both student sections should be applauded for bringing their “A” games the other night.

I never thought much of Rex Ryan as a head football coach…I think less of him as a broadcaster.  He sounds ill-prepared which should not surprise anyone except maybe ESPN who hired him.

Rutgers fans should enjoy the 65-0 rout of Morgan State this past weekend.  Next up is a varsity game.