Kosher Badgers - The Jewish Standard

Huffington Post reported today that the organizers of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon have run into a scheduling problem because the Columbus Day weekend marathon is scheduled for the day after Yom Kippur this year. In the article, doctors gave mixed reactions to running a marathon the day after a 24-hour fast.

It wouldn’t be the first time athletes have competed after the fast, however.

Last week’s Noshes mentioned Gabe Carimi, an offensive tackle for the Wisconsin Badgers and a Reform Jew. According to Nate Bloom, who seems to know everything about every famous person who is even remotely Jewish, Carimi played a game at the end of Yom Kippur this year and, because he had been fasting, had fluids intravenously injected before the game. Bloom suggests this may have been a first.

One Wisconsin fan wrote in that indeed, it is not.

According to the reader, Matt Bernstein a Wisconsin fullback from Scarsdale, N.Y., also fasted on Yom Kippur. About seven years ago, Wisconsin played the Penn State Nittany Lions shortly after the end of Yom Kippur. Like Carimi, Bernstein was given intravenous fluids just before the game and in the 2nd half and, with all the Wisconsin running backs out with injuries, led the Badgers to a win.

As a Penn State alumnus, I am loathe to report this news. But, as I pointed out to this reader, Wisconsin may have had two Jewish star players, but how many colleges in the country can claim a football coach who speaks Yiddish? Joe Paterno, the all-time winningest coach in Division 1 college football, does.

Inz bin!

Penn State!

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