US Olympic team’s biggest competition? Knitters

There are three rules of knitting club: 

1. Don't talk about knitting club.

2. Don't talk about knitting club. 

3. Nobody, talks crap about knitting club.

The US Olympic Committee just picked a fight with the wrong group of people. 

The fight began when the committee sent a "cease and desist" letter to a social networking site for knitters known as Ravelry that is holding its own sort-of Olympic games, NPR reported.

In part the letter read: 

We believe using the name "Ravelympics" for a competition that involves an afghan marathon, scarf hockey and sweater triathlon, among others, tends to denigrate the true nature of the Olympic Games. In a sense, it is disrespectful to our country's finest athletes and fails to recognize or appreciate their hard work.

Because obviously having nimble fingers isn't really a sport, right Olympics Committee? 

Gawker noted that the knitting community swiftly knit together a campaign against the committee. You see, Ravelry is no sit in your rocking chair and knit you a scarf kind of community. No, it's a blast some rock and roll and knit you a god damn warm pair of socks kind of group. 

The site, which boasts 2 million knitters, quickly assembled and began posting messages on the US Olympic Committee's Facebook page. The members all expressed their outage at the committee calling their talent and hobby of choice lame. 

Quickly the committee sent an apology letter by spokesman Patrick Sandusky, which read in part: 

The letter sent to the organizers of the Ravelympics was a standard-form cease and desist letter that explained why we need to protect our trademarks in legal terms. Rest assured, as an organization that has many passionate knitters, we never intended to make this a personal attack on the knitting community or to suggest that knitters are not supportive of Team USA.

But it was too late. Apology not accepted. 

"Sorry, Mr. Sandusky, but standard C&D letters do not include paragraphs that hurl insults," one Facebook commentor wrote. 

"I have been knitting for many years, and take pride in finished items that are functional, well made and beautiful. I am offended that you denigrate MY skills, as in your cease and desist letter to Ravelry," another wrote. 

The US Olympic Committee may have to do better than that for an apology. Perhaps make them honorary members of team USA?