Jan 17, 2024 3 min read

By Tom Schuman

The NFL season is nearing its end. The Super Bowl is just weeks away. Two teams will meet to determine who will be the champion.

Four quarters will be played. There will be passes, runs, interceptions, fumbles and penalties. The half-time show will be spectacular. But after 60 minutes of play, there will be a score on the board. As has happened over the entire existence of the NFL, the team with the most points at the end of the game will be declared the winner and crowned the champion.

But what if this year is different?

With seconds left in the fourth quarter, the ball is sitting on the Steelers’ five-yard line. It is the fourth down and the Steelers are down by four points. A touchdown is the team’s only hope for victory. The ball is snapped and handed off to Najee Harris. He weaves and leaps and runs over the others. As he stands in the end zone, there are all zeroes left on the clock. The team rushes to him in celebration. Steelers fans are jubilant, and Terrible Towels fly high.

But wait.

A yellow flag lies on the ground at the five-yard line. The referee announces a false-start penalty against the Steelers. The team is furious, as is the crowd. The replay is shown. Though ever so close, a Steeler did move before the snap.

The ball is backed up to enforce the penalty, and again the Steelers go for it. It’s a pass play to the tight end this time. The ball is caught and the tight end is immediately tackled, just inches from the goal line. The clock has expired, and the scoreboard shows the Steelers losing by four points.

But wait.

Coach Mike Tomlin runs out onto the field toward the officials. The microphones on the field pick his voice up as he screams, “We won this game! You cheated us!”

The NFL football commissioner makes his way to the center of the field for the trophy presentation. The winning team stands with him. As the trophy is being brought onto the field, everyone on the Steelers’ sideline rushes onto the field in an attempt to take the trophy and claim victory. Chaos ensues. Fans from the stand join in. Security is overwhelmed, and additional police are called to the stadium.

After more than an hour, order is restored. The trophy is given.

In the hours after, the Steelers still claim to be champions. This goes on for days, and then weeks. Even after the penalty call was reviewed, and reviewed again, the Steelers still claim they won.

First, let me say the scenario I just described would never happen. The Steelers are professionals. They respect the game, they respect the rules and they respect NFL fans. This can be said throughout the NFL and in other professional sports.

But imagine what sports would become if losing teams refused to accept their losses?

Maybe politicians should take a lesson from our professional sports teams.

Tom Schuman is a Waynesburg resident.