Jew eat?

"You know, I was having lunch with some guys from NBC, so I said, 'Did you eat yet or what?' And Tom Christie said, 'No, JEW?' Not 'Did you?'...JEW eat? JEW? You get it? JEW eat?"

-- from Annie Hall

You don't have to be Woody Allen to have an exaggerated paranoia. Any of you Jewish readers will confirm for me that you can be listening to someone's conversation but not paying much attention until you hear a word that sounds like "Jew," and your ears perk up. But it turns out it's not "Jew" at all but only something that sounds vaguely similar. Right? Tell the truth. You know what I'm talking about, right?

So tell me. Why does Ted Lerner, the new owner of the Washington Nationals, himself an MOT, pull something like this on us? Today, after the sale of the team to his group became final, he announced: "It has long been my dream to bring the national pastime back to my hometown, the nation's capital. Now that it's been realized, I plan on doing everything I can to make sure that this franchise becomes an international jewel for MLB, D.C. and the nation."

Jew eat, Ted?