harryskin Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 Friday February 6, 2004 Patriots owner tackles new idea: Israeli women's football team http://tinyurl.com/2sh23 by elli wohlgelernter the yiddish forward jerusalem | Large numbers of Israelis watched the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb.1, cheering on the victorious New England Patriots and their philanthropic-minded owner, Robert Kraft. Soon they’ll be cheering on a very different football team backed by Kraft — a team of young women, many of them Orthodox Jews. Kraft does business in Israel, operating the country’s largest packaging plant, Carmel Container Systems in Caesarea. And along with his wife, Myra, Kraft has helped develop a sister-city relationship between his hometown of Boston and Haifa, assisting in the absorption of Haifa’s Ethiopian community. But Kraft has done something even more unusual, blending his love of Israel with his passion for football by sinking $250,000 into the Kraft Family Stadium. Located at the north end of Sachar Park near the entrance to Jerusalem, the stadium has served for four years as a center for sports in the Israeli capital, hosting youth soccer and softball groups, boys’ baseball and a hugely successful men’s flag football league. Now the stadium is also home to something new: Israel’s only women’s football team. “When we first met with the Kraft family, Myra was quite interested and insistent that we do something about women’s sports,” said Steve Leibowitz, stadium director and president of American Football in Israel, which runs the men’s league. “At the time it hadn’t occurred to us because we were involved with men’s football and we didn’t think in terms of women’s football.” While refereeing a men’s game last October, Leibowitz noticed a group of high school girls watching. He walked over and asked if they wanted to form a women’s team. They jumped at the chance, and two weeks later provided a list of interested players. Well, not exactly “players.” While the men in the league — mostly Americans spending a post-high school year at an Israeli yeshiva — have been playing the game since childhood, some of the women had never held a football before. “They had never played — most of them had no concept of the game,” said Yona Mishaan, a perennial MVP in the men’s league who volunteered to coach the women. “I had no idea if this was going to work.” Mishaan’s aim was to take the 14 women, ages 15 to 23, and make them respectable enough to compete in the international flag football championships next month in the Dominican Republic, where the Israeli national men’s team also will play. He found his team leader in 17-year-old Shana Sprung, the quarterback, whose experience consisted of playing tackle football at home with two older brothers. “When I look at this team — I was here from day one — how it was then and what it is now, it’s amazing what a difference,” said Sprung, a native of Miami who made aliyah with her family 15 years ago. “We’re catching the ball. A lot of the girls, when they came out, they didn’t even know, like, how the game worked.” Because most of the players are observant, there were other concerns. Leibowitz, who called the team “a real breakthrough” for Orthodox women, said he and Mishaan had to calm the fears of the players’ parents, calling a meeting to discuss issues like keeping kosher, observing Shabbat and uniforms. Some will wear pants, while others wear skirts. Ironically, those uniforms will include the patch of the team’s main sponsor, JDate, a Web site devoted to dating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TC4 Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 Yeah, I was just thinking to myself the other day that there jusr aren't enough Israeli women's football teams in the world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman56 Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 They could probably beat the Cardinals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OURYEAR#56 Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 This is Kraft at his finest. Can't wait for him to pull a Jerry Jones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 Have you ever seen some of those Israeli women soldiers? Wowzas, they be lookin' nice. Hope these ladies are as easy on the eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phat Hog Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 Too much :bong: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosperity Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 If there is only one Israeli Women's football team who will they play against? None of this makes any sense oh well:40oz: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 Originally posted by Equality If there is only one Israeli Women's football team who will they play against? None of this makes any sense oh well:40oz: Naturally they will play against the Palestine Towel-heads, for dibs on the Gaza Strip. Then the winner plays against the Green Bay Cheeseheads in the 'World Head Bowl.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shotgunner Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 That's wild and crazy. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 979guy Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 As we say, OY VEY. Isarelis playing football? Well, yeah, right. I was pretty good at football... TAG football, that is. And not in Israel. Some crazies like me might watch it in the middle of the night, but no one plays it. Israeli women playing football? Well, no. That just won't work. ORTHODOX Israeli women playing football??? :insane: Surely this belongs in the Tailgate in one of the "Aliens exist among us" or "It's a religion of no Orthodox women playing football. Ever." threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sisko Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 Naturally they will play against the Palestine Towel-heads, for dibs on the Gaza Strip. Why didn't you just say what you really feel and just call them the Palestine Sand Ni@@ers ? Sorry, but I fail to see the humor in racial slurs disguised as jokes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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