there is no "god" in "team." or is there? a debate has been raging (when is a debate never described as "raging?") about the choices an athlete might make in service to his team while being pulled in the other direction to follow a religious belief. this particular debate was sparked by the dodger's shawn green -- his team is fighting for a pennant and a playoff berth but his faith demands a day of rest. first, a definition of what yom kippur is.

"yom kippur is probably the most important holiday of the jewish year. many jews who do not observe any other jewish custom will refrain from work, fast and/or attend synagogue services on this day. yom kippur occurs on the 10th day of tishri. the holiday is instituted at leviticus 23:26 et seq.



the name "yom kippur" means "day of atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. it is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year. in days of awe, i mentioned the "books" in which g-d inscribes all of our names. on yom kippur, the judgment entered in these books is sealed. this day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change the judgment, to demonstrate your repentance and make amends.



as i noted in days of awe, yom kippur atones only for sins between man and g-d, not for sins against another person. to atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible. that must all be done before yom kippur.



yom kippur is a complete sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. it is well-known that you are supposed to refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on yom kippur. it is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before yom kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of yom kippur."

-jewfaq.org-

the dilemma? the dodgers have two games scheduled against their rivals, the giants, during yom kippur. what should shawn do? some say that mr green should be obligated to play for the dodgers because he is under contract to play any of the games that he is healthy to participate in. people also cite his responsibility to his teammates and the fans.



if the dodgers don't make the playoffs, his teammates might not reach certain contract incentives. the dodger team has been working together all year towards a goal, and for one man to jeopardize that goal might be rightfully considered selfish. the fans are losing out too, they might be cheated out of seeing their team make a run for the championship. all this falling on the head of one player. sure, team sports are team games and no one player can make or break the game, but we know this isn't true. if shaq decided to take a day off during the finals, the lakers' (excuse me, the heat's) chances of winning drop dramatically. one man can make all the difference between a win and a loss. and apparently, shawn green is an important cog in the dodger machine.



but on the flip side, isn't this all a game? who cares in fifty years who won what game? in eternity, nobody will care that you won a game in late september -- but presumably they will care if you missed a day of atonement. plus, jewish traditions are not to be messed with. there is a lot of importance placed on "action" and not just "belief." so, it has come to this, a showdown between sports and religion.



i, for one, applaud mr green's strong faith and think that he should be justified in sitting out two games. but i'm not a dodger fan, nor am i his teammate. i can see why he might choose to play, after all, it is his job and he might not want to let down his organization. keep in mind, shawn green has taken off yom kippur before, and it's been no big deal. but back then, the dodgers maybe weren't tied into a divisional race. i feel like if an athlete needs to take a game off, or a practice off, to take care of family issues, religious issues, graduating from college, they should do it. and be spared the public vilification that is sure to follow from some corner of the sport's globe.



in the end, mr green chose to pick god one day and his team the next. the right solution or the non-commital one? you decide.