Did you know the Jews control football, too?
So I’m sure many of us received the email a few weeks ago about the Boston Red Sox changing their schedule to accommodate passover, and of course, it was bogus. But, as the New York Post has illustriously dubbed the affair, “Jewish fans jolt Jets, NFL”
So if in a couple of months you start receiving emails that the New York Jets are accommodating their schedule for Yom Kippur, it’s true.
The AP reports:
Jets upset about home games on Jewish holidaysFLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets, upset about being scheduled for home games on consecutive Sundays in direct conflict with Jewish holidays, sent NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a letter Thursday asking that one of the game times be changed.
The Jets’ home opener is Week 2 against New England at 1 p.m. on Sept. 20, which falls during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. New York then plays Tennessee at 4:15 p.m. the following Sunday, with Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, beginning at sundown.
In the letter to Goodell, owner Woody Johnson suggested the game against the Titans be changed to a 1 p.m. start to give Jewish fans time to arrive home before sundown.
“I am extremely disappointed with the league’s decision to schedule us to play at home on consecutive Sundays that are in direct conflict with the Jewish High Holy Days,” Johnson wrote. “There has long been an understanding that neither the Jets nor the Giants fans should have to bear completely the brunt of this issue since we are in the largest Jewish market in the country.”
Jets officials called the league offices first on Wednesday to express their concern, and Johnson followed with a formal letter Thursday.
“We were not contacted prior to this decision,” Johnson said. “We are flexible and would have been more than happy to work with the league to accommodate as many of our fans as possible.”
Brian McCarthy, the NFL’s vice president of corporate communications, said the league received the letter and was reviewing it.
The Giants are on the road for both weeks, with games at Dallas at 8:20 p.m. in Week 2, and at Tampa, Fla., at 1 p.m. in Week 3.Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
I think this is kind of awesome, but it also makes me stop and think why it is that such accommodations are made. I don’t know how one could track, really, the ethno-religious demographics of Jets fans, but looking at the larger perspective, there are what, 1.5 million Jews in NYC? out of around 8 million. that’s around 18%. Subtract from that 18% the number of people that are going to attend or watch despite it being Yom Kippur and those that are going to record it, and not to mention those that just don’t care about the game. That doesn’t seem like too many people. Interesting. It begs the question, do other minorities get such accommodations? And is this even really necessary? And do we, in fact, control football?
Presumably the Jets have historical information about what happens to their attendance numbers when they are scheduled against RH and YK, and have lodged their complaints with the league on that basis. The Jets are a business, and if a scheduling conflict will cost them money, they’re going to try and do something about it.
Yet no Jews seem to care when games are played Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter etc. And what about all the Muslim days? There are probably by now way more Muslims than Jews watching and playing professional sports. Our values are so warped that we can’t go a Sunday or two without the honor of watching the Jets sucking it up while in a few hours later our faith has it that the Creator will be judging us. There are plenty of other Sundays to piss away one’s life in front of the TV or smashing bottles all over the parking lot at the tailgate party.
BZ, he said “begs the question.”
Where are you??
J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets!
Sorry, I was away from the computer all day.
Anyone ask the Jewish players on the team what they think of this? 😉
Yet no Jews seem to care when games are played Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter etc. And what about all the Muslim days? There are probably by now way more Muslims than Jews watching and playing professional sports.
I don’t believe that Muslims or Christians are prohibited from watching tv on those days.
The percentage of Jews who believe themselves to be prohibited from watching TV on those days (and permitted to watch TV on other days) is tiny. (And if that were the issue, you’d see complaints about just about every college football game, since they’re played on Saturday.) The issue for most Jews on the High Holidays is that they’re otherwise occupied.
The issue is attendance not TV ratings. Otherwise the Giants would be complaining about a 1pm game on RH and an 8PM game during Kol Nidre
I’ve changed my name to distinguish myself from this other Jonathan and his independent views…not that anybody cares 🙂
BZ- I think college and pro football are two different things, especially when it comes to New York sports watching Yidden. There’s no dominant college power in NYC. Does assuming a sports watching Jew would watch college sports mean that YOU are begging the question? 🙂
And I do think there’s a substantial number of Jewish Giants fans that wouldn’t watch TV or attend a game on RH or YK. Can’t speak for those heathen* Jets fans.
* used heathen not to insult anyone’s character or personage, but their sports allegiance.