h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

OK, American "football" is something else, but this story is sort of independent of the game details.

I grew up in Oklahoma, and my brother (much older ) attended the University of Oklahoma in the 1950's. Their football team set a collegiate record with 47 straight victories over five years. After a victory at the Univ. of Pittsburgh once, the Pennsylvania reporter wrote "The best two teams in the country played here yesterday, Oklahoma's first and second teams."

But of course, they eventually lost, to Notre Dame (the same team they lost to 49 games earlier) at the huge Oklahoma stadium with the perpetual sold out crowd of Okies. The game was over, both teams left the field ... and the silent stadium was still full, waiting for Oklahoma to come back and win. A case of mass denial.