Giving in to pressure from the Jets, the NFL has moved the start time of the Week 3 tilt between Gang Green and the Titans to 1:00 so the large contingent of Jewish fans in the metropolitan area can attend and observe a holy day.
On Thursday, Jets owner Woody Johnson sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, complaing about the league's decision to schedule back-to-back home games in September on the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Johnson asked Goodell to change the Sept. 27 kickoff from 4:15 to 1 p.m. because Yom Kippur begins at sundown.
Done.
Today, the NFL announced that the Jets-Titans game will start at 1, creating a rare Jets-Giants showdown on TV. The league decided to leave the Giants-Bucs game at 1, meaning the two teams will go head-to-head on different networks.
“By changing the time of the Tennessee game from 4:15 p.m. to 1 p.m., the NFL has provided the best compromise to resolve our scheduling conflict," Johnson said in a statement. "I want to thank Commissioner Goodell and Howard Katz for quickly responding to our request to accommodate our fans of Jewish faith."
Bottom line: This is how it should've been in the first place. Whether it was the Jets' fault or the league's fault, they finally got it right -- although I'm sure the networks aren't loving it.
The league is breaking its own rules with this schedule change. When a local team is playing at home, no other game can be televised. However, it is good to see Roger Goodell maintain flexibility and admit a mistake for the benefit of his fans.