Congressman Weiner to NFL: Change Jets Schedule

The scheduling controversy heats up

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's inbox is filling up. He got a letter from Jets owner Woody Johnson protesting the fact that the Jets were scheduled for home games on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur on Thursday, which was followed by a missive from Representative Anthony Weiner on Friday. Weiner, who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens, called for the Rosh Hashanah game to be moved to a different date, and for the Yom Kippur game's kickoff to move from 4:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

"There's no reason why the largest Jewish community in the country should be punished for a scheduling snafu," wrote Rep. Weiner. 

Punished hardly seems the wrong word, although the scheduling was less than sensitive. The Jets, aggrieved though they may be, may also deserve some of the blame for the situation.

Johnson's letter also revealed that the Jets never formally requested that the league not schedule home games on the two holidays. The Giants did make that request and play in Dallas and Tampa on the two dates. According to the New York Post, the Jets believed the conflict was understood by the league office so they didn't bother to file a formal request.

That doesn't mean the league office shouldn't have been more considerate, but it does seem that the Jets didn't do enough for their fans in this situation. All it took was a look at the calender to see the potential for conflicts, and if they're complaining now it should have been a priority then.

Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.

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