It doesn't make it noble. It just makes it right. Things like this happen all the time and no one does anything. Now that something huge has happened they decide to take responsibilty when they would not have before. It doesn't make it noble but just right.

What you said would make them distasteful and wrong.

I agree that you don't see it very often in sports. I will see this as a more noble act if they keep this kind of thing up through the next season.