- NEWS & COMMENTARY
Cleveland kidnappings: We must be our brother’s keeper
The exterior of the house where three women who had disappeared as teenagers approximately ten years ago were found alive on May 7 in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo by Pugliano/Getty Images
7 Rules for Perfect Hummus
When was the last time you opened a tub of hummus and swooned? When was the last time a restaurant put a plate of hummus in front of you, and you said, “Oh my God.” Most of the hummus recipes…
Palestinians mark Nakba with West Bank protests
Thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank marked the 65th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel, which they call the “catastrophe,” with marches and protests.
- HOLLYWOOD
The Office’s best Jewish moment
Funny music, sad life
On an otherwise unremarkable day in 1938, a chubby but charming student at John Burroughs Junior High in Los Angeles “cracked the code of his comic gift and discovered his…
Filmmakers reveal magician’s secretive world
A British journalist recalls how she once sat down at a cafe with the legendary magician, author, historian, actor and, perhaps, the greatest sleight-of-hand artist on the planet in the documentary…
- LIFE & CULTURE
7 Rules for Perfect Hummus
When was the last time you opened a tub of hummus and swooned? When was the last time a restaurant put a plate of hummus in front of you, and…
Survivor: Irene Rosenberg
“Mommy, I’ll be right back.” Irene Rosenberg — then Irene Grunfeld — said as she was leaving the apartment of her cousin Mancy Weiss, where she and her mother were…
The Divine Wedding and Kiss - Parashat Naso
“O for your kiss! For your love / More enticing than wine, / For your scent and sweet name – For all this they love you. Take me away to…
- BLOGS
What would my Israeli grandmother think?
When I hear about the latest events in Israel – the air strikes on weapons facilities in Syria, the flare-ups over women donning prayer shawls at the Western Wall –…
A hot topic, a great panel, and chance to learn and discuss—immigration at issue
It's a critical time for immigration reform in this country. Washington is getting set to make major changes, the likes of which haven't been seen since the 1980's under President…
State 194: A Documentary About Palestine
Opening this weekend at Laemmle’s Music Hall 3 is a very hot-button new documentary called State 194, which follows the recent history of Palestine. Many will approach this film with…
- JUDAICA STORE
- INFO
Mobile
Read the JJ
Community/Events
Advertisement
March 27, 2007 | 3:55 pm
The lost Jewish athletes
Posted by Brad A. Greenberg
Follow JewishJournal.com on 
Last summer, when the former Dodger Shawn Green took the field of Shea Stadium as a Met for the first time, a Jewish fan held up a poster with Greenâs photo and the words, âThe messiah has arrived.”
Whether Shawn Green wanted to be, NY fans saw him as the second coming of Sandy Koufax. In an article today posted at The Forward about the limited history of anti-Semitism in American sports, the author suggested that was due, in part, to the lack of Jews in professional sports. Jews are sports writers and team owners, league commissioners and coaches. But they’re not often all-star athletes.
The author of the article, Gerald Eskanazi, is himself a member of the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Inductees include baseball greats Koufax and Hank Greenberg but also Sid Tanenbaum, who only played two years in the ABA.
It’s difficult to pinpoint the reason Jews have not been more successful at professional sports. A colleague of mine, a native New Yorker with a collection of Jewish baseball cards, once told me he suspected our mothers have something to do with it. “They place such an emphasis on education and being successful,” he said. I blame genetics. At 5’10”, slower than fast and unable to muscle up past 170, I can’t imagine competing at anything more than desk jockeying.
* My good friend David McGrath Schwartz noted basketball was at a time considered a Jewish sport, likely because of its urban connection. Red Auerbach, the greatest coach in professional basketball history, was Jewish. Moses Malone was not.
The Jewish Journal believes that great community depends on great conversation. So, jewishjournal.com provides a forum for insightful voices across the political and religious spectrum. Bloggers are not employees of The Jewish Journal, and their opinions are their own. Our entire blog policy is here. Please alert us to any violations of our policy by clicking here. (editor@jewishjournal.com). If you'd like to join our blogging community, email us. (webmaster@jewishjournal.com).
And in the sixth year ... The God Blog rested
11.3.12 at 6:40 am | Back to blogging in August 2013 ...
Catholic churches in France accused of being ‘homophobic’
8.20.12 at 12:22 am | Reuters reports that coordinated prayers at ...
Who gets to decide who is a Jew?
8.19.12 at 9:04 pm | In particular, when journalists are identifying. . .
Arizona pastor lands in jail for church meetings at his home
8.18.12 at 9:56 pm | Running afoul of zoning ordinances and an. . .
How many Americans are atheists?
8.18.12 at 8:33 pm | Some research suggests the numbers are rising but. . .
Ahmadinejad calls Israel a ‘cancerous tumour’ soon to be destroyed
8.17.12 at 3:41 pm | At an anti-Israel rally in Tehran on Friday, the. . .
J.J. Abrams talks about ‘Star Trek,’ being Jewish and interfaith marriage
5.7.09 at 11:02 am | In an interview with Danielle Berrin ... (158)
Why Phil Mickelson doesn’t golf with Jews
4.11.10 at 9:04 pm | Not to pick on Lefty, who won the Masters today. . . (128)
Muslim massacre in Hindu India
11.6.07 at 3:28 am | (71)
In defense of John Hagee
John Hagee is warmongering quackjob!Holy adult circumcision, Abraham!
To many, there’s something so overwhelmingly...Did liberal journalists conspire to bury Jeremiah Wright coverage?
Jews outlived the Holocaust keeps to be it`s...
Why Phil Mickelson doesn’t golf with Jews
Throughout most of the the 20th Century, probably...The saga of Shankster Gangster
Don’t know who you are offhand, LSJ, but thanks....
La Causa, KPFK’s anti-Semitic radio show, gets suspended
How sad. I liked this show.
More from JewishJournal.com
COMMENTS
We welcome your feedback.
Privacy Policy
Your information will not be shared or sold without your consent. Get all the details.
Terms of Service
JewishJournal.com has rules for its commenting community.Get all the details.
Publication
JewishJournal.com reserves the right to use your comment in our weekly print publication.
Blog Extras
judaism israel christianity politics media islam los angeles barack obama entertainment anti-semitism america sports american jews evangelicals crime the law satire president 08 president 08 god personal john mccain holocaust sexuality catholicism war holidays jesus books atheism europe sarah palin bible academia science death middle east california music capitalism
- Bible Belt Blog
- Blogging the Bible
- Blogging Religiously
- DallasMorningNews
- FaithWorld
- GetReligion
- God-o-Meter
- NYT Religion
- The Seeker
- Christianity Today
- CT LiveBlog
- the ROMANS 8 movement
- Ali Eteraz
- Muslim Matters
- The Atheist Jew
- Bintel Blog
- Jewcy
- Jewish Current Issues
- Jewlicious
- Magnes Zionist
- Mere Rhetoric
- Heeb
- Mondoweiss
- RJ.org
- Seraphic Secret
- Solomonia
- Tikun Olam
- The Tygrrrr Express
- Yid With Lid
- Curbed LA
- FishbowlLA
- LAist
- LA Observed
- Jeffrey Goldberg
- Glenn Greenwald
- Reality-Based Community
- The Volokh Conspiracy
- Friendly Atheist
- The Frontal Cortex
- Science and Religion News
- Bloggish
- GeekHeeb
- Iranian American Jews
- Jews Choose 2008
- Jewlyweds
- So what’s new?
- The Calendar Girls
- VideoJew
General Religion
Christianity
Islam
Judaism
Los Angeles
Politics
Science and Skepticism
Jewish Journal
About this Blog
Blog Home
About the Blogger(s)
Contact
Blog Archive
November 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| ||
Site SectionsNewspaper
Serving a community of 600,000, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles is the largest Jewish weekly outside New York City. Our award-winning paper reaches over 150,000 educated, involved and affluent readers each week. Subscribe here. © Copyright 2013 Tribe Media Corp. | ||
|