A September to Remember: Munich 1972

A September to Remember: Munich 1972

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of this unforgettable moment in our Olympic History.

No other event has been fraught as much by the blood, sweat, tears, and lives, of the individual athletes; or, by the poised and powerful political players themselves, playing out their bit parts; like a Shakespearean tragedy, positioning themselves and their country, on the World stage, for favorable recognition and praise.

No other Olympic Game since, has indelibly stained the forward progress of Humanity, as did the 1972 Olympic Games. It was a tragedy on so many levels, and it terribly touched so many innocent hearts. Set in Munich, Germany, the 1972 Olympic Games were to be the highlight and triumph for the then acting International Olympic Committee Chair, Avery Brundage. It was to be his final swan song, a fond farewell, to his 20 year tightly held rein on the IOC (International Olympic Committee).

Instead, this event became known as the ‘Munich Massacre’; turning this Olympic Game into an absolute political nightmare; and, a sad human tragedy that will forever be remembered in the annals of History. Not surprisingly, One Day in September, a recent book by British journalist and New York Times best-selling author Simon Reeve, meticulously uncovers and analyzes this event, with divulging detailedinterviews of both Palestinian and Israeli extremists and the parts they played before and after this deadly affair.

Unknowingly, Avery Brundage was in the eye of the storm; and, his tainted past was fatally catching upwith him. Having been an avid amateur athlete, as well as an Olympian himself, in 1912; he knew thehardships involved in becoming a great world-class athlete. This dedication and passion fueled and propelled him into this powerful position; and, may have even blinded him to the actual players involved in this terrible tragedy.

Unfortunately, his maniacal fixation and focus on sports, as well as his many other well known vices, prejudices and whims, prevented him from thinking ‘outside the box’. Evidence of his ‘larger-than-life’s ego was demonstrated as early as 1960, by this now famous quote attributed to him, in reference to his dominion over the IOC. “No Monarch has ever held sway over such a vast expanse of territory."

Historically speaking, the 1936 Olympic Games led up to the 1972 Olympic Tragedy by way of Avery Brundage’s strange and incidental Karma; stemming from his personal and unprofessional involvementin the outcomes of the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games; and, his ‘putting pressure’ on the American coachesto exclude two Jews from the track team, Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller; specifically, substitutingthem for Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalfe. At the time, the world did not recognize him for the Nazi sympathizer,  he was; and feared the terrifying backlash from Hitler, should the Jews on the American team win.

Fast forward thirty-six years; and on September the 5th, 1972, a Palestinians terrorist group called Black September, secretly raided the Olympic grounds and kidnapped eleven Israeli athletes, including their coaches. Eventually, they would all die, and or be killed; mostly at the hands of their captors; and,some reports have even suggested, because of friendly fire, during the botched rescue attempt by the poorly trained German Police, who  were ill equipped to handle this type of terrorist/hostage situation!

Unbelievably, the Olympics went on as usual for the first 12 hours of the kidnapping and initial murders;including, the initial negotiations with the Palestinian kidnappers. This shameful continuation of the Games without the public knowing the truth of what happened, forever tarnished whatever fame,credibility, and even loyalty Brundage once had with the favouring masses. Especially, even after thenews of the deaths, he insisted the Game must continue. The press eventually crucified him and his poor yet highly prejudicial decision making skills. In retrospect, the ‘show’ shouldn’t have gone on, during or even after this deadly and still highly considered controversial crisis.

Munich at the time was a popular tourist destination stop; eagerly frequented by visitor’s through-out the world; and, not just from within Europe.  To the Israeli Olympic team this location held a special

significance, mainly because it was strategically convened in the ‘birthplace’ of Nazism. Germany,

including the IOC, saw these Games as an opportunity to eradicate the painful and emotional lingering memories of the tarnished and racist results from the 1936 Olympics; and, in an effort to create a strongand democratic image of Germany, a full twenty-seven years after World War II, security forces weredeliberately kept lax; even the police were banned from the Olympic sites; and in their place, 2000 unarmed officers peacefully paraded the grounds. Thus, making it easy to infiltrate the grounds and capture the Israeli athletes in the early morning hours of September the 5^th, 1972.

Emotions during this Olympiad ran the gauntlet; even before the Games began, there was a noticeable

tear in the delicate fabric of peace and harmony that these Games were originally based upon. This

sensitive boiling point was reached days before the opening ceremonies; which resulted in not allowing the prepared Olympic Team from Rhodesia to compete in the Games as originally promised and intended; this was due, mainly because of an IOC technicality, in terms of not recognizing the existing sovereignty and the nationalistic ‘rights’ of the country of origin.

Other African nations were demanding Rhodesia's expulsion from the Games on the grounds that the

country was an illegal regime; having gained their independence from England a number of years

before; and, that the members of its team were in fact no longer British subjects; and as such, no longer eligible to legally compete, based on the existing rules and policies of the United Nations, and their stringent IOC rules.

The World watched and waited as a nervous and aging Avery Brundage whined about his perilous

predicament;  exasperated,  he was quoted as saying, “The political pressures in sport are

becoming intolerable”.  Little did he know at the time, that Rhodesia would be the least pressing of his present-time problems; and, that what would happen next, would totally destroy any semblance of

control he maintained over his failing and faltering Olympic Empire! Despite everything Brundage tried to do to keep Rhodesia in the Games; for the first time in 20 years and his steely control of the Games; his pleas fell on the deaf ears of the IOC members and the United Nations.

Rhodesia would have to wait another eight long years, before they were allowed back into the games in1980;  by which time it was known as Zimbabwe, and under the tyrannical rule of Robert Mugabe. At the time, in the excited Rhodesian capital of Salisbury; sports officials condemned this decision as a national disgrace.  A spokesperson for the Rhodesian prime ministers’ office solemnly stated, that there was "no doubt that the Olympics are in the hands of the politicians".

The now famous multi-gold American medalist and swimming sensation Mark Spitz, created most of the sporting headlines; taking four Gold medals for the individual swimming  events, as well as three Gold medals for the swimming relays. And, the darling of the Olympic competitors, the tiny Soviet gymnast Olga Korbutt, became an instant overnight sensation; and took home three well received Gold medals, including, one Silver. As the tragic events unfolded, Mark Spitz being a Jew, was cautiously whisked away from harm’s way.

The existing Chancellor of Germany, Willy Brandt, pithily remarked that this Olympiad was to serve as a “showcase of modern Germany”; and, that this was The State’s chance to replace the tarnished

memories of the Third Reich, with the ‘new and improved’ images of a flourishing and prosperous

Federal Republic; a much needed and wanted opportunity to present an optimistically hopeful Germany to the world through its ‘Happy Games’ – which at the time, was its official motto.

It was actually Willi Daume, a long-time German sports official who was the main political instrument in bringing the Olympics back to Germany in 1972. As president of the West German Olympic Committee, Mr. Daume passionately pushed for the international sporting community to accept and recognize a new Germany, by returning the Olympics to his country, for the first time since Hitler staged the Berlin Games, back in 1936. After the 1972 Olympic Games were awarded to Munich, Mr. Daume worked tirelessly for six long years to plan and organize them; doing everything in his power to create an

atmosphere of hospitality and friendliness, by arranging for cheerful music; including, bright pastel

colors. Truthfully, he did his best to distance these events from its racist leanings 36 years before.

Other political personalities entered the mix; and, it was none other than the the Prime Minister of

Israel herself, Golda Meir, that pleaded and appealed to the world to "save our citizens and condemn

the unspeakable criminal acts committed." She would later give the orders and set the Mossad in

motion to avenge these despicably heinous acts of anti-Semitic terror.

Surprisingly enough, at the time of the Munich Massacre, the only Arab nation that seemed to show

some support for the German tragedy was King Hussein of Jordan. While he was having his own set of problems with the growing Palestinian insurgence, even and especially within his own country; causing him to eventually expel the violent factions, and send them fleeing to Lebanon. There they splintered  and regrouped, forming the early and vengeful PLO, as we know of them today

In retrospect, looking carefully at the actions and reactions of all the parties involved; this
terrible Munich tragedy could have easily been avoided had the Israeli officials taken the time to
heed the warnings of one Shmuel Lalkin, the head of Israel's Olympic delegation; who at the
time, venomously opposed the decision to house the Israeli team in an easily and accessible
unsafe quarters, on the street level of the Olympic Village.

In his scathing and well articulated book, Striking Back: The 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre
and Israel's Deadly Response by Aaron J. Klein; he carefully notes that in its final report
regarding this tragedy, the Kopel Commission found that while several Israeli officials had been
given the opportunity to select the location of the team's dormitories, they left this fateful
decision to their welcoming German hosts. The consequences of this proved fatal and changed
the course of our History. The security and protection of the Olympians have never been greater
since that unfortunate event.

Avery Brundage retired as the Chair of the IOC in controversy and disgrace; yet, he was still permitted to
remain as a member in good standing of the IOC, until his eventual death just a few years later.