stonemiser, I understand your and JohnnyO's stance on the figure skating--and because it was determined later to be fradulent, you're right, it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. So I'd like to toss that one out.
However, the 1972 Olympic basketball situation is definitely a more similar situation. Since you're unfamiliar with it, here's a brief synopsis--The US and Soviet Union were playing in the gold medal game. A hard fought game, in which the Russians had a one-point lead and the ball with 10 seconds left. But Doug Collins intercepted a pass, went the length of the court, and was undercut with 3 seconds left--the foul was called, and he was awarded two free throws, which he hit to take a one point lead, even though the horn went off for some reason during the first second free throw.
Immediately after the second free throw, the Soviets inbounded the ball and failed to score. But one official had blown the play dead with one second left, because (he later claimed) he had heard the horn sound and noticed confusion at the scorer's table. The Soviets claimed they had requested a time out prior to Collins' free throws. The ref ordered the clock reset to 3 seconds, and then be replayed. The Soviets again inbounded, the pass was off, and the US again started celebrating.
However, the president of the international basketball association then came down to the scorer's table, and said that not all the clocks in the arena had yet been set to 3 seconds. So he ordered that the clocks be set yet again, and replayed for a third time. This time, the pass went three-quarters court to a Soviet player, who blatantly plowed through the two American players guarding him (with no foul called either way), and put the layup in to win the game.
The US filed a protest, which was denied. The team then decided not to accept their silver medals--they still sit in a vault somewhere, unclaimed (I think in Switzerland). Most basketball fans throughout the US generally felt and continue to feel this was a complete miscarriage of justice, that the team was right to not accept the medals, and still refuse to recognize the Russians as the legitimate gold medal winners. However, the IOC and FIBA (basketball's international governing body) stand behind the results, and claim everything was done correctly. Most Russian basketball fans to this day say their team was the legitimate champions, and that the US reaction is yet another example of poor American sportsmanship. Most basketball fans in other countries acknowledge that the US has legitimate complaints, but are torn, some saying that's the way officiating in sports go and feeling the Russians are the legitimate gold medal team, but most feeling that the game was over in one of the first two runs of the 3 seconds and the US is the legitimate gold medal team.
Like I said, LOTS of similarities to this situation--the NFL is reacting very much the way the IOC and FIBA did, turning their backs on any claims of injustice; the Seahawks and their fans are acting very much like the Americans; the Steelers and their fans are acting very much like the Soviets (and I'm not making any political insinuations here--I'm just referring to the Russians' responses to the game, and to the American reactions); and the rest of America is acting very much like the rest of the world did.
I wish I had a link to video of the last few minutes of the game to show you, and let you make your own decision on it--but I suspect that after viewing it, you'd feel very much like Seahawk fans are now. And then maybe you might be able to understand why they're so disgusted by what happened Sunday.
--Bill
And no group hugs--you're an OK guy in my book, but not in that way. :lol:
