A little of this and a little of that heading into the final weekend of September.

Mariano Rivera is hugged by Andy Pettitte #46 and Derek Jeter #2 as he is pulled the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium
Mariano Rivera is hugged by Andy Pettitte #46 and Derek Jeter #2 as he is pulled the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
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(L-R) Jayden Smith, Willow Smith and Will Smith attend the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards
(L-R) Jayden Smith, Willow Smith and Will Smith attend the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards ( Larry Busacca/Getty Images for MTV)
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Sports best moments are ones that are not scripted and such was the case last night when Mariano Rivera made his final appearance at Yankee Stadium.  With two outs in the 9th inning in what would be a 4-0 loss to Tampa Bay, Yankees manager Joe Girardi removed Rivera to get one final ovation from the sell-out crowd.

However after receiving permission from the umpiring crew it was not Girardi who came to the mound but fellow soon-to-be retiree Andy Pettitte and captain Derek Jeter.  The result was an emotional moment and a fitting Bronx swan song the baseball’s greatest closer and one of the classiest to ever wear the pinstripes.

If you’re a hockey fan then you might want to stop by the just opened Investors Bank on Brick Boulevard in Brick tomorrow between 10am and noon and meet former NHL player Jim Dowd.   He will be appearing as part of a grand opening celebration (9am-2pm) and will be autographing pictures that show him holding up the Stanley Cup he helped the Devils win in 1995.

Dowd, who was a high school standout at Brick, played for 10 teams during a 17-year NHL career and now does community relations work for the Devils in addition to coaching his two sons on the ice.

Red Bank Catholic head coach Jim Portela also has been invited out to the Alamodome in San Antonio to watch Quenton Nelson compete in the U.S. All-American Bowl on Jan. 4.
Red Bank Catholic head coach Jim Portela also has been invited out to the Alamodome in San Antonio to watch Quenton Nelson compete in the U.S. All-American Bowl on Jan. 4.
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When Manchester hosts Lakewood on Friday, October 4th there may be more attention focused on the stands than the football field.  Taking nothing away from the Hawks or Piners the star of the night will be actor Will Smith, who will appear at the game.  Smith reportedly will be in his hometown of Philadelphia and has a connection to someone from Manchester who invited him to the game.  He is currently in New Orleans filming “Focus” in which he plays a con man.

U.S. Army personnel were at Red Bank Catholic High School Thursday on a different kind of recruiting mission.  They were there to honor football standout Quenton Nelson who will become just the third shore player to participate in the prestigious U.S Army All American Bowl when he steps onto the field at the Alamodome in San Antonio on January 4th.   Nelson is one the nation’s top recruits with the offensive lineman headed to Notre Dame next fall.

Southern Regional’s Mike Gesicki was also chosen to play in the game but will be busy playing basketball for the Rams and has turned down the invitation.  The other shore players to participate in the game were Miles Shuler of Long Branch and Red Bank’s Garrett Sickels.

 

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