NBC Writer Gripes About Games Conflicting With Yomim Noraim

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footballJosh Alper of NBC New York reports:
Sandy Koufax became a hero to Jewish people by refusing to pitch in a World Series game on Yom Kippur, now Jewish Jets fans are getting a chance to do their best impression of his sacrifice. The Jets are scheduled to host the Titans at 4:15 p.m. on September 27th, which makes it all but impossible to attend the game and observe Yom Kippur, which begins at sundown that night.The week before, the Jets host the Patriots at 1 p.m. on the final day of Rosh Hashanah, even though the team requested not to play at home on either of those days. The Giants made a similar request, which the league granted. It’s surprising that the NFL, which is headquartered in New York, had such an ignorance of the Jewish presence in the city and among the football fanbase when they made the schedule.

With all of the care given to figuring out the schedule, it seems quite easy to make it so neither New York team is playing at home at times that are insensitive to a sizable portion of their fan base. It’s not that the games conflict, any reasonable adult understands that will happen, it’s that a quarter of some Jets fans’ tickets are now useless to them except as bait for StubHub.

Thankfully, there’s an easy fix. Moving the Jets game to 1 p.m. on Yom Kippur would make it much easier for many fans to both go to the game and observe the holiday. The Rosh Hashanah date is less easily fixed, but is also likely to provoke less of a reaction than a game on Yom Kippur specifically scheduled to run past sundown. It’s the holiest day on the Jewish calender, and easily avoidable.

Once they settle the issue with the times of the games, it would be interesting to hear the NFL’s explanation as to why the Giants had both of their requests granted, while the Jets were ignored on both counts.

Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City.

{NBC-NY}

 


3 COMMENTS

  1. I am trying to understand why a “torah run” website such as Matzav(whom consult the Gedolim on everything) felt the need to let the people know about this?

  2. What a brilliant idea. Move the Erev Yom Kippur game to 1:00 so the Jet Fans can get ready for Yom Hakodosh by attending a football game.

    Maybe Hashem wanted the game at 4:00 so the people “sacrificing” their attendance in deference for Yom Kippur should have an extra zchus.

  3. Yay so now the fans could observe yom kippur and go to the game! Trust me, anyone going to that game will not be observing yom kippur!

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