Eating Crow, the Art of the Apology Quiz

Answer: Hugh Grant

Hugh Grant was already scheduled to appear on "The Tonight Show" before the scandal broke in 1995, and instead of canceling he not only showed up but delivered a uniquely candid apology; journalists wrote that he was one of the first badly behaving celebrities to own his mistake and apologize outright. The public forgave this charming actor, and he went on to great success.

Answer: Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL

Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs had mixed reactions to the apology; some felt it was a sincere effort to respond to a series of losing lessons while others felt it was too little, too late. Regardless, Maple Leaf fans are dedicated, and the games almost always sell out.

Answer: Jesus

When Lennon uttered, "we're more popular than Jesus," it was part of a longer interview in which he was talking about the declining interest in religion in general, and how music might be taking its place somewhat. English audiences didn't seem to mind or even notice the comment, but some American audiences were not pleased.

The band's management hastily put together a press conference and Lennon issued an apology. Years later, he explained, "I couldn't go away knowing I'd created another little piece of hate in the world. So I apologized."

Answer: Vietnam War

Historians have asserted that the role of the U.S. in the war in Vietnam forever changed the country, pitting those who believed in the war directly against a growing group of those who opposed it. At the time, McNamara gave no indication that the U.S. foreign policy was anything but right, so it was shocking to read that the man was haunted by his decisions.

Answer: David Letterman

There was quite a bit of drama behind Letterman's public apology. A disgruntled former employee knew that Letterman had been unfaithful to his wife and tried to blackmail Letterman. It didn't help matters that Letterman had been sleeping with the blackmailer's ex-girlfriend.

Instead of trying to keep it quiet, Letterman went to the police, and refused to submit to blackmail by revealing his secret himself. He was credited with taking ownership of his mistakes and apologizing sincerely for it.

Answer: The Pope

By the 11th century, the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy had been battling it out for supreme leadership for centuries. When Pope Gregory VII excommunicated Emperor Henry, Henry made a long trip in the snow to apologize and beg forgiveness. It worked; he was brought back into the church.

Henry's submission was short-lived, however; three years later, Henry had the Pope deposed and exiled. Strife between the Pope and the Emperor remained a prominent feature of politics in medieval Europe.

Answer: Saying obnoxious things to police during DUI arrest

In the summer of 2013, Jim Toth was driving home with his wife, Reese Witherspoon, and was pulled over for weaving among lanes. He failed a sobriety test and was arrested; Reese, who later admitted she was quite intoxicated, yelled at the police arresting her husband and cried out, "Don't you know who we are?" A couple days later, she gave a very contrite press conference, saying she was very embarrassed by her own behavior.

She must have had built up a lot of goodwill with her fans, because she quickly moved on from the incident with no apparent damage to her career.

Answer: Breaking the1840 Treaty of Waitangi with New Zealand's Maori

When the Maori people signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, they thought they were getting protection from the British Crown in exchange for accepting British governance. But when the British took over the islands not just in name but by claiming the land, the Maori felt the Treaty had been broken. It took until 1995 to have an official response from the Crown; Queen Elizabeth II gave royal assent to an official statement acknowledging the injustices inflicted upon the Maori.

The Queen did apologize for the exile of Arcadians from Nova Scotia, but she didn't do that until 2003.

Answer: Going to Botswana and killing an elephant

Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, or Juan Carlos for short, became King of Spain in 1974. The monarchy was widely popular, though by 2008, became less so become of the country's financial woes. In 2012, it was reported that the king, an avid hunter, had gone on safari to Botswana and killed an elephant.

His subjects were not amused, neither was the WWF. But people seemed to soften when he issued his short but sincere-seeming apology. He abdicated in favor of his son two years later.

Answer: Crow

The "Post" editors promised to eat actual crow at the banquet. Truman, showing good sportsmanship, declined the invitation and gamely suggested, "We should all get together now and make a country in which everybody can eat turkey whenever he pleases."