ThingsPondered

A friend of mine was ballistically happy recently over a win by his old school’s football team.  He explained its poignant significance and permits me to share it:

“In the fall of 1968, a friend and I stopped at a roadside tavern one bright, cold Saturday afternoon.  Lo and behold, my team, Syracuse, was on TV playing the vaunted Notre Dame in football.

While quenching our thirst, we watched the game.  As it approached its dramatic conclusion, Syracuse led 16-14.  Notre Dame had the ball and was approaching the Syracuse goal line, but was thwarted with 4^th and long, but well within field goal range. The teams lined up for the anticipated kick, and after agonizing suspense, it flew wide right of the uprights.  Syracuse wins!  But no!  Horror of horrors, Syracuse was being penalized for running into the kicker.  The next kick was good and the game erroneously given to Notre Dame.

Why erroneously?  Because the Syracuse man didn’t run into the kicker – he was pushed, and by a Notre Dame player!  So, it was not a foul and Syracuse should have had the win.  However, this was before the days of instant replay, so end of story, perhaps.  It was end of story - until the Syracuse U. coach suggested to the ND coach that he acknowledge the error, which he would not.  So, the Syracuse Athletic Director made the same suggestion to his counterpart at ND, with the same unsatisfactory result.  Next, the President of Syracuse University contacted the Notre Dame President, who, not wanting to make any momentous decision, placed a long-distance trans-Atlantic telephone call to a private number in southern Europe.  An elderly gentleman with an Italian accent (so the story goes) answered and was told of the dilemma.  He responded, ‘Syracuse, eh?  Isn’t that the school that was founded by the Methodists in 1870?’  ‘Yes,’ he was told.  ‘Enough said,’ he concluded, and terminated the conversation.

Fast forward to another bright, sunny afternoon.  This time it is November 2008.  The same two teams face each other at Notre Dame Stadium with the Syracuse Orangemen being a three touchdown underdog, yet having a one-point lead in the closing seconds.  Amazingly, the same scenario of Notre Dame going for a field goal occurs.  The field goal try was short and this time there was no one running into the ND kicker.  Thus, Syracuse University held the well-deserved actual and belated moral victory.   

Is forty years too long to wait for a just reprisal?”

Thanks, BT, for sharing this.

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