Shawn Green to skip a game for Jewish holiday

[Minnesota Mike]

Any comments?

article (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/baseball/mlb/09/22/bc.bbn.dodgers.green.ap/index.html)

[RedskinsDave]

It's the holiest day in the Jewish year so good for him. It irks me that sports are played on Easter.

[CarMike]

Good for him! I agree Dave. That irritates me as well.

Also, why does it have to be a story? Are sports that slow right now that this even has to be talked about?

Its his personal decision....

[SkinsKY]

I think it's fine if he wants to make that choice. I would applaud him.

[SkinsCT]

Have to be respectful of his decision not to play, pennant race or not. I actually have tons of respect for the guy considering he is a lone wolf in almost the entire professional sports world. There are some absolute idiots on NY talk radio, including Imus and his stooges, who are blasting Green for his choice, it's really very low of them.

[smoak]

yeah, and i would think less of the dodgers if they didn't pay him. (didn't read the article)

[Minnesota Mike]

The thing that bothers me about it is that either he can play between sundown Friday and sundown Saturday or he can't. So I don't understand his "I'll play one of the games or the other" position. It seems to me that if he can play, he should play both, Friday night and Saturday afternoon, but if he can't play, he shouldn't play either game.

And if he can't play, his agent should have made sure that it was in the contract before he signed it.

[Chief Seeway]

The thing that bothers me about it is that either he can play between sundown Friday and sundown Saturday or he can't. So I don't understand his "I'll play one of the games or the other" position. It seems to me that if he can play, he should play both, Friday night and Saturday afternoon, but if he can't play, he shouldn't play either game.

And if he can't play, his agent should have made sure that it was in the contract before he signed it.

That is the part I find odd as well. I respect his decision either way but why "split" it in two? [If he in fact does play one and not the other]

[rskinsfan10]

More power to him is my opinion.

Dan Patrick was saying that to avoid this situation, which seems to be coming up yearly, he should just announce his plans at the beginning of the season. I agree with that.

[akhhorus]

but he always takes off Yom Kippur, so this shouldnt have been a surprise for Dodger fans. I think this is great, it shows sports for what they are: amusing distraction(except for the Redkins of course), but there are much more important things.

[nyjunc]

I disagree w/ his decision. First off, why can't he tell them at the beginning of the year? Why must he wait until 2 days before? Secondly, he is only taking one of the 2 days off and if he's going to do it b/c he is so religious he should be taking both. Other players in other sports play during their religions most holy days. Players play on Christmas, Easter, during Ramadan, etc... so Green should be playing, he gets paid $15 mil a year to be playing in critical gams like the Dodgers have this week. If he sits he definitely should not be paid, you don't pay a guy $15 mil and expect him to voluntarily sit out in the biggest series of the year w/ a playoff spot on the line so there iss no way he should get his pay for the day.

[dj_stouty]

I think he has every right to not play during his religious holiday.

The only reason he is even compromising his beliefs and playing ONE of the two days is because of his respect for his teamates, who need him to help compete for the pennant. That speaks volume of his character, IMO.

[IowaSkinsFan]

For all those interested, Green did play in the game and hit a key homerun.