What would Vince say?

If you drive toward New York City on the New Jersey Turnpike, the northernmost rest stop is the Vince Lombardi Service Area.

It's one of several rest stops on the Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway that are named for famous people from New Jersey.

Now, however, the state wants to sell naming rights to the rest stops, according to Paul Brubaker of the North Jersey Herald News of Passaic, N.J.

At the Lombardi Service Area between Exit 18 and the George Washington Bridge, a plaque cites Lombardi as coach of the world champion Green Bay Packers and as a Latin and science teacher and football coach at St. Cecilia's High School in Englewood, N.J., where he started his coaching career.

Brubaker's story ends with this:

"Perhaps ... officials working to restore the state's finances can take heart in some of Lombardi's words of wisdom.

'Success is like anything worthwhile. It has a price.'"

Perhaps, but the Morris County (N.J.) Daily Record thinks it's a bad idea. Its editorial says:

"Admittedly, we do not know how many people ponder the exploits of Lombardi's Green Bay Packers ... during a repast in their Turnpike travel. At the same time, naming rest areas after famous people seems much better to us than naming them after the highest bidder, which may soon happen."

As always, you be the judge.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com