Jets owner wants change of time for September Jewish Holiday games

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

There are more Jews in NYC than there are in Jerusalem.

There are more Catholics in NYC than in Vatican City.

Why do folks always mention there are more Jews in NYC then there is in Israel's third largest city?

There are more Jews in NYC than there is in Tel Aviv (Israel's largest city)

There are more Jews in NYC than there is in Haifa & Jerusalem combined. (Israel's 2nd and 3rd largest cities)

In terms of % of population Miami has a larger % of its population being Jewish than NYC, but being a smaller city its raw number is smaller.

 

[Deus Irae]

It's stupid for the NFL to piss off the Jews over something as simple as a schedule. Then again, it's not as if the NFL has been doing a whole lot of things right under this Ommissioner.

I look forward to not watching the games on Christmas this year.

 

[Rob0729]

There is an "easy" solution, but I sure hope for the Pats sake it does not happen.

Week 2 the Pats are at the Jets; the league could flip flop the two Pats-Jets games.

The reason I would vehemently oppose this idea is that if it were to happen it would put the Pats on the road for three straight games: week 10 at Indy, week 11 at Jets (rather than in Foxboro), and week 12 at New Orleans.

They can't. The U2 concert starts at 7PM on September 20th. There is no way they could have a football game at 1PM that ends around 4PM. Have all the parking lots emptied by 5PM (hell, I have been at games where I haven't even gotten to my car by 5PM). Have the lots and stadium cleaned and the concessions replenished by at least 6PM.

If that is an easy solution, I hate to see what is hard.

 

[Patjew]

There are more Catholics in NYC than in Vatican City.

Why do folks always mention there are more Jews in NYC then there is in Israel's third largest city?

There are more Jews in NYC than there is in Tel Aviv (Israel's largest city)

There are more Jews in NYC than there is in Haifa & Jerusalem combined. (Israel's 2nd and 3rd largest cities)

In terms of % of population Miami has a larger % of its population being Jewish than NYC, but being a smaller city its raw number is smaller.

Probably because Jerusalem is the most historical and well known city in Israel and the city most associated with Jews in the world. Go ask 100 people to name one city in Israel and see how many come back with Haifa.

 

[jmt57]

They can't. The U2 concert starts at 7PM on September 20th. There is no way they could have a football game at 1PM that ends around 4PM. Have all the parking lots emptied by 5PM (hell, I have been at games where I haven't even gotten to my car by 5PM). Have the lots and stadium cleaned and the concessions replenished by at least 6PM.

If that is an easy solution, I hate to see what is hard.

Oops, my bad; I hadn't even considered the U2 concert. That obviously makes the scenario I outlined impossible.

Actually, perhaps the U2 concert tour is the cause of this. Maybe the moving around of so many games due to fields not being available because of their concert tour resulted in the Jets starting with two home games.

Or maybe the Jets simply screwed up by assuming they would start the season with at least one road game, and are now the PR department is in full CYA mode.

 

[patchick]

This is really not about religion but meeting the reasonable expectations of the Jewish Jets season ticket holders.

This year's Jets schedule of 8 home games; TWO conflict with Jewish holidays. Or 1/4 of the games. The precident that has been set in past is that for both the Jets and Giants only one home game would conflict with the Jewish holidays, when the holidays fell on the weekend.

It has more to do with expectations than religion. If you are Christian and observe Sunday as a day of rest -- don't buy NFL season tickets and expect to be able to attend the games. If you are Jewish and observe Saturday as a day of rest -- don't buy college football season tickets and expect to see the game. If you buy season tickets for the Lions, expect that one of you tickets will be for a game on Thanksgiving. But if you are Jewish and buy NFL season tickets you should be able to expect that at most only one game will conflict with the high holidays.

. . .

It is a reasonable expectation that the fans who just spent a ton of money on PSLs should be able to see at least 7 out of the 8 home games.

I think that sums it up. It's not a religious outrage, just a serious pisser for a large number of fans who spent a ton of money. If it were just one late home game on a holy day they'd shrug their shoulders; two and they feel unreasonably screwed over. Can't really blame them.

 

[BTTA]

I think that the scheduling of dates should be done earlier than it is, and I also find it absurd that the NFL had to change games because of U2 concerts (nothing against U2, of course ).

The NFL isn't changing games because of U2 concerts. It just can't schedule games at times when U2 has already bought the rights to the stadium(s).

 

[BTTA]

Ahh, okay, I'm not religious so I don't really know any of this stuff. Thanks for the correction. I do know that Sunday is considered the day of rest in Christianity though, which the NFL doesn't seem to care too much about.

Actually, it's that Christians don't care too much about it. Christians gave up Sunday to pro football a long time ago. Thousands of church services are scheduled in relation to football kickoff times, not the other way around, every Sunday from September to January.

The Jewish is being asked to compromise twice as much as has been the norm in the past (two games vs. one per year), and that's what the fuss is about (with Jewish season ticket holders in NYC).

This shouldn't be on the Jets. The fact that no one in the NFL scheduling process was on top of this is sad.

 

[Synovia]

It's stupid for the NFL to piss off the Jews over something as simple as a schedule. Then again, it's not as if the NFL has been doing a whole lot of things right under this Ommissioner.

What do you suggest he does? They can't play on monday because of construction issues, and either the Jets or the Giants HAS TO BE HOME EVERY WEEK. Each needs 8 home games, and theres 16 weeks.

 

[fair catch fryar]

After much deliberation and thought, I say, "Screw the Jets."

 

[Patsgofor4]

You can't make everyone happy. If religion is more important that a football game, Tivo it and watch it later. If not, watch it real time. The NFL shouldn't change a thing.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Beforehand, the NFL should have tried harder to move at least ONE of the conflicts if requested. That said, the NFL can't start massive moving of schedules to avoid holy days like Christmas, the High Holidays, etc. because next there will be lobbying to move games during Ramadan and so on.

Precedence was my first thought too. NY certainly has a legit concern but it's going to be interesting to see the league's response as I'm sure precedence is one of their concerns.

Have the Pats ever had a schedule that conflicted with any High Holy days? I can't seem to recall Kraft ever saying anything about it so either we never have or he just didn't say anything.

If I were a Jewish Jest season tix holder I'd sell my seats for those days,maybe to a trusted co-worker or friend who either wasn't Jewish or might consider it holy-ish to go root for my team- I'd spin it somehow

God might show some mercy on those poor,devoted Jet fans and probably Mets fans too.:singing:

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

This discussion would be more apt and a better feel to it if we had some strict Orthodox Jews in this forum who are NFL fans and expressed thier views on this since none of us here at this time can personally put ourselves in this situation to say what is right and what is wrong except for your own personal opinion whixch is outside looking in of this religion.

 

[jmt57]

Absolutely right but the fault in my mind lies with the Jets. They should have addressed this when they looked at the calendar. You can figure out when the holidays fall years in advance. Compare it to last year when the Pats and Jets both knew that they would have 4 west coast games. Early on the Patriots asked the league for back to back games out west to minimize the number cross country trips. The Jets didn't and ended up with 4 trips and whined about it. Supposedly in this case the Giants wrote to the league asking for away games those weeks. According to reports on ESPN (no link intentionally) there was a miscommunication with the Jets and the league. More likely they called to inquire but didn't make a formal request. If it was so important or had they thought about it, they should have made a written formal request to the league.
The league can move the second game back to 1:00 and that solves the problem for the most part as Yom Kippur doesn't start until sundown that night.

If this is true then shame on the Giants for being greedy. Since they share a stadium with the Jets, if their request was granted then it almost forces the NFL to have the Jets play at home those two weeks. Yes, it is conceivable that the schedule could still be worked out with the Jets as well due to the bye week, but in reality that's almost impossible to work out if the Giants are on the road for those two games.


edit: on a side note, apparently there are not enough Jewish fans in Philadelphia, Detroit, Buffalo or San Diego to make this an isuue?

 

[Deus Irae]

What do you suggest he does? They can't play on monday because of construction issues, and either the Jets or the Giants HAS TO BE HOME EVERY WEEK. Each needs 8 home games, and theres 16 weeks.

I suggest he resign from office, but that's not going to happen. As for the rest, how bloody stupid does he have to be not to figure out past history PLUS the Giants request, and the impact upon the Jets as a result?

And, for the record, there are 17 weeks. Even with the bye week to play with, this got screwed up.

 

[PATSNUTme]

OK NY has a large population, I get that. But other teams have Jewish fans. Why change it for one team and not the rest? Why should 50 in KC be treated any different than 5,000 in NY?

What am I not not getting here?

 

[Deus Irae]

OK NY has a large population, I get that. But other teams have Jewish fans. Why change it for one team and not the rest? Why should 50 in KC be treated any different than 5,000 in NY?

What am I not not getting here?

Numbers matter.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Oh I'm sorry, are the people in the Jets organization the only one's who celebrate this Jewish holiday? I'm sure there are plenty of Jewish people in the NFL that have to deal with this on that Sunday. Shut the f*** up!

 

[Deus Irae]

Oh I'm sorry, are the people in the Jets organization the only one's who celebrate this Jewish holiday? I'm sure there are plenty of Jewish people in the NFL that have to deal with this on that Sunday. Shut the f*** up!

When 10 people boycott McDonald's , nobody cares. If 10% of the people boycotted McDonald's, you'd see a very responsive corporation. This isn't about a nationwide change, it's just about common sense being used for the schedule of one city's teams.

 

[supafly]

I guess according to the VP of NFL programming, they are indeed, looking into changing it someway. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they changed our game on 9/20 to a prime time game--then the sun would be down, and everyone would be happy