Toughest losses you've been associated with...

[digamma]

Given the Tucker game last night (another heartbreaking loss to Statesboro--see the thread on the front page. I'm too lazy to link it.)

What are the toughest losses you've experienced as a player, fan, coach, etc.?

As a player/participant, I was in the area wrestling finals my senior year in high school. I was the top seed in the tournament (though the top three of us were fairly close). I was wrestling the third seed for the title. I had beaten him earlier in the season and once our junior year. My mom had invited everyone and their brother to watch the finals (the semis had been the night before, so I could rest up before the finals on Saturday evening). I did not reward them for their attendance. I laid a huge egg in the final and got pinned by my opponent in the second period--one of only two times I was pinned as a varsity wrestler. I'd like to blame it on the antibiotic I was on that week, but I just wrestled very poorly.

On the fan/other side of things, these last two Tucker losses have been devastating. Most of you have read about those. I'll throw in a third Tucker game that had one of the most crushing endings (on par with last night) I've seen.

It was the 1993 state play-offs. Tucker was 9-1 and had won 9 straight after dropping its first game. Patrick Pass was a sophomore on that team. Then, in the first round of the play-offs, you played a team from your region (now the regions are crossed). Tucker was playing Columbia, a school in DeKalb County, just a few miles south of Tucker. Tucker was the heavy favorite, but Columbia stuck around and forced an overtime. Georgia high schools played penetration overtime then (as I think has been described on the board before). There were two non-sudden death five minute mini-quarters. If the score was still tied after the two periods, the team that had advanced the farthest into its opponents territory was awarded one penetration point and the victory. Columbia got the ball first and Tucker held them. Tucker advanced the ball farther than Columbia had after the punt, but time expired in the first mini-period.

Tucker got the ball to start the second mini-period and drove down inside the Columbia 10. With just less than a minute on the clock Tucker had second and goal from the 3, and used its only time out. (Columbia also had one time out.) The debate on the sidelines was whether to down the ball, probably securing the victory with the penetration point (Columbia might have gotten the ball back with time for one or two plays from inside its 10) or whether to try to punch it in. The head coach decided he wanted points (my dad was one of the assistants arguing vehemently for downing the ball). Tucker scored on the next play to take a 21-14 lead.

Columbia got the ball back and its game plan was simple. Throw the ball to its big wide receiver Juan Gaston. Gaston was a Georgia Tech basketball recruit (he played for the Jackets for a year or two before transferring to a small school where he could play football and basketball). Gaston was probably 6'6" and had wheels. Columbia somehow moved the ball inside the Tucker 20 with under 10 seconds left. With one second left, they found Gaston on a jump ball right at the goal line. He fell into the end zone to make it 21-20. Columbia had to go for two though because they still trailed on penetration from the drives in the first mini-period. The pass was complete to Gaston again, and Columbia shocked Tucker with a 22-21 upset win.

[Buccaneer]

As a fan, the losses that have stuck with me are:

1. Greg Norman at 1996 Masters
2. 1986 World Series (BoSox's victory this year goes a long ways to making up for that)
3. 1972-season Super Bowl. I was a huge Redskins fan as a kid.

As a participant:

1. 1979 SDSU vs BYU (I was in the band). SDSU had a remarkable run to an undefeated WAC season and then met BYU (the other undefeated team) as the last game of the season, in San Diego. ABC moved the game up from night to afternoon so it could be a regional/national telecast. I had never witnesses so much excitement and anticipation and noise as we came on the field during pre-game. However, all that went away quickly when Jim Wilson and BYU scored on every possession since the start of the game for a 48-something halftime lead. The good news that since no one felt like playing (or hearing) our usual after-game parking lot concert, many of us went down to the beach and had a good time.

[Radii]

As a fan, games 6 and 7 of the 2003 NLCS, Cubs vs Marlins. Also, the 1987 ACC championship game, UNC vs NC State.

As a player? I haven't played organized sports since high school. Our middle school basketball team was pretty dominant(no thanks to me). In high school I was just playing rec league stuff, and it was competitive, but nothing would rate as heartbreaking for me.

[Balldog]

As a player, senior year against the defending state champs and ranked #1 in the state team we took them to overtime. We ran a triangle and 2 the whole game to shut down there guards. The one I guarded had 5 points the other one had 8 going into overtime. With about a minute left in OT we were tied at 33-33, our coach decided to go to a 2-3 zone the kid I was guarded in the T-2 got open and drilled a 3. That sucked.

As a coach, last season we sucked but we were up 5-4 in the bottom of the 7th against the 3rd ranked team in the state. With their 6-8 hitters coming up. First guy got on via a walk, struck out the next two and the number nine hitter hits a 2-run walk off homerun :(

[sovereignstar]

...Had to have happened in my last year of legion baseball during the regional playoffs. Was one of three starting pitchers on our team and I had struggled pretty much all year, so I was in effect, our number three guy. I was handed the ball for our first game against a very beatable team and one of our biggest rivals. I had faced these guys a couple of times before going 1-1, but maybe that was what hurt me the most. Anyways, I got hit hard and got hit hard often. And we weren't a team that dealt with adversity very well at all; a very uncohesive group of guys with few leaders. We lost and that set the tone for our next game in which we were knocked out for good against a team coached by a former coach of ours. And we were shelled. The score was like 10-0 or 12-0 by the third inning. Needless to say, I cried knowing that that was the last time I would play organized sports with my boys, the guys I had played baseball with for more than 13 years.

[Ben E Lou]

Unless Tucker wins a State Championship next year, last night's will probably end up being my toughest. Before last night, the toughest was my Senior year in high school in basketball. My Junior year, we'd made a pretty deep playoff run, and returned four starters from that team, and several key reserves. I was one of those key reserves, and up until three days before the first game of the regular season, that open starting spot belonged to me. However, I tore one ankle ligament and damaged another in practice that week. (I landed on someone's foot coming down from a rebound and turned my ankle over.) I was almost fully recovered physically by the time the playoffs rolled around, but mentally, I was still tentative--just a bit afraid to go all-out, push off of that foot, or jump for a rebound, etc. I wasn't the same player until my freshman year of college (where I started on a regular intramural team that won a championship, and completely dominated the 6'-and-under league, averaging nearly a triple-double per game). At any rate, Mack Strong (now with the Seahawks) was a sophomore, and stepped in and started for me--performing very well. Mack started at small forward, and they moved the SF to SG. Things were rolling along quite fine in the early part of the year without me. In fact, we broke a team's 66-game home winning streak, beating them in an overtime thriller at their place in the first game I got limited playing time in. We struggle some late in the season, though. I wasn't the same player any more and Morgan, the SF-turned-SG, severely sprained his wrist and couldn't play the last 5 or 6 regular season games and none of the playoffs. Mack tried to play SG, but he just wasn't a ball handler, and we didn't really have another option on the bench to turn to. We weren't an overly quick team to begin with, and Morgan and I at full speed were probably the two quickest players on the team normally, so we were pretty slow by that point, so people started pressing us a ton late in the season. We *really* needed two quick ball-handling guards. However, we were still talented defensively, and had our three best scorers at full strength, so we finished the regular season #1 in our subregion. It all came to a crashing halt, though, in the very first round of the playoffs. Our point guard, Stephen, who was probably our best all-around player, had his first truly bad game of the season. Mack, another kid and I all tried to pick up the slack and were unsuccessful. Morgan sat helplessly on the bench with his wrist in an air cast, and we exited the playoffs to an inferior team who we'd beaten twice that year, in the first round of the sub-region playoffs. We had five Seniors out of 12 players on that team, and were considered one of the favorites for the state title going into the season, were ranked #1 with an 11-0 record at one point, and drove the 50ish miles home from the sub-region playoffs with not a sound, other than sobs and sniffles. That one really, really hurt.

[Dutch]

As a fan, it was the Buccaneers loss to the St. Louis Rams in the championship game that featured the "Bert Emmanuel Catch Rule".

[Kodos]

The 2004 Presidential election.

In sports, IU's loss to Duke in the Final Four back in the early 90s. Worst officiated game of all time.

[MJ4H]

Undefeated #9 Arkansas at Undefeated #1 Tennessee, 1998. The Clint Stoerner fumble. A fabulous first half had Arkansas up 21-7 at half (this is from memory, could be wrong). The second, half the Vols showed their character and got back to within 24-21, but Arkansas held them off and were just running the clock out. With about a minute to go, and Arkansas with the game firmly in hand, Stoerner stumbles after getting the ball from center and drops the ball. Tennessee recovers it and drives for the game winning touchdown, 28-24. Absolutely horrific and devastating loss. I still cringe when I think about it.

[MrBug708]

In 1998 when UCLA was facing Miami in the makeup game. Cade McNown threw for over 500 yards, but the defense let E. James run crazy on them. We got F'ed on a phantom fumble and in a game that whoever had the last posession would win, UCLA fell.

[Noop]

In 1998 when UCLA was facing Miami in the makeup game. Cade McNown threw for over 500 yards, but the defense let E. James run crazy on them. We got F'ed on a phantom fumble and in a game that whoever had the last posession would win, UCLA fell.
I remember that game. http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[Galaril]

Number one would be the 1978 and 1979 AFC Championship games when the Houston Oilers and Earl campbell lossed to the Iron Curtain Steelers in the Ice bowl/slush bowl.

Houston Cougars Basketball team losing to Jim Valvano's NC St. Wolfpack team in I believe it was 1983 on the last shot.

Boston losing last year 2003 tp yankees in ALCS.(this season helped heal that wound)

The Houston Oilers Blowing the 31 point lead against Buffalo and reich in the playoffs

Rams beating the Titans in the superbowl 2000 at the 1/2 yard line on the final play.

[lcjjdnh]

Two in my final year of high school soccer:

Late in the season we're playing our rivals away. Neither of our teams is usually very good so it's always a close matchup. The game has been up and down the whole game but we're down 3-2 with very little time left. We tie it up with just about 1 minute left which means a golden goal overtime.

At this time it was getting pretty dark as it was late in October and it had also been raining all game and because I want to blame the loss on them, I'll say that the referees wanted to get home.

Anyway, with a kid on the opposing team receives a pass and manages to get by two defenders including our sweeper. I make a mad dash to catch up to him from behind and as he cuts across the 18 to shoot, I make what I feel was a very legal slide tackle getting all ball. The referee saw it otherwise and called a foul on me which meant a penalty kick and he would make it to end the game. Extremely rough because we only won 4 games that season and it would have been nice to take this one from our rival. I apologized greatly to the team but everyone agreed that it was a pretty clean tackle.

The worst loss I've ever been a part of was the last game of that season. We we're at home against a team who had beaten us pretty badly earlier in the season but were definitly a very beatable team. So this being our last game at home for about 7 seniors, we really wanted to and win it.

And things started off great, as we went up 2-0 and took that lead into halftime basically dominating the entire game. We were all smiles knowing that in the course of our 4 year career we had only won about 8 games, including one season where we didn't win a game and another where we had won 1. We were definitly not a good team but we were at the disadvantage of being in a conference of soccer schools(3 or 4 teams who would win sectional championships every year) and a combination of being a football school(tough to get good athletes for more than one sport in a season when you graduate 120 kids in a class). Anyway, they came out firing in the 2nd half and ended up taking a 4-2 lead. Not only were they winning but they were being sore sports, as one kid felt the need to spit on me after one play. Rather then get him back then, I waited until the next time he had the ball and went right up from behind and did a slide tackle taking him out. I already had a yellow card earlier the game, so without even waiting for the ref I just walked off the field knowing I was getting ejected in my final game as a senior. Granted it was bound to happen eventually as I collected quite a few yellow cards that season but that loss was just so devestating because we were so close and then just got killed.

[Pyser]

i dont know if its the toughest, but the most amazing loss i saw was:

my sisters hs softball team. state finals of a magical run, playing the #1 team in the state. we take a 7-0 lead into the bottom of the 7th (last inning). and the pitcher completely chokes (with no-one left to relieve her), and walks in 6 straight runs, 9 batters overall. finally, the 10th batter lined a single to left, knocked in 2, and they won 8-7 on a 1 hit inning.


professional losses, ill take the giants blowing a 31-3 lead or whatever it was in the playoffs against SF a few years ago to my grave.

[Travis]

As a player, 4 years ago playing junior ball (was 21 at the time), we were 3 outs away from winning provincials (which would advance us to westerns with a shot at going to nationals), only to watch our pitching staff self destruct, issuing 4 walks by 2 different pitchers before we could even get two outs on our way to giving up 3 runs in the final inning to go down by 1 with our final set of at bats to go. We had the 5/6/7 hitters coming up, got a runner to third with two outs only to have the number 8 hitter strike out looking to end our year.

[Vince]

2002 World Series. San Francisco Giants five outs away, and choking. I hate Scott Spezio to this day.

As for one that I've been involved in...this is probably the worst:

Regular Season Week 9, 2004 Season
North Plainfield Plague 27, San Luis Obispo Burn 24
The Ring of Fire - San Luis Obispo, CA

http://www.fof-ihof.com/games/textlog.php?gameid=183 (http://www.fof-ihof.com/games/textlog.php?gameid=183)

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="90%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Play-by-Play wrote:</TD></TR><TR><TD class=quote>
3-02-NPL09 (01:11) SLO 36 Belcher ran around right end for 9 yards and a touchdown.
Key block delivered by SLO 77 Stenson.
Extra point by SLO 11 Winkelman was good.

Score: San Luis Obispo 24, North Plainfield 20.
SLO 11 Winkelman kicked off 76 yards from the SLO30. Touchback.

Possession to North Plainfield.

1-10-NPL20 (01:04) NPL 11 Conti pass completed to 38 Goolsby for 13 yards.
Tackled by SLO 42 Belcher.
NPL called time out.
--
1-10-NPL33 (00:55) NPL 11 Conti pass was blocked at the line, intended for 37 Ulloa.
SLO 92 Lehr blocked the pass.
Penalty: NPL - Offensive Holding.

1-20-NPL23 (00:45) NPL 11 Conti pass fell incomplete, intended for 87 Webster.
SLO 41 Eckman defended the pass.

2-20-NPL23 (00:32) NPL 11 Conti pass fell incomplete, intended for 86 Drumm.
SLO 75 Clowers hurried the quarterback into a bad throw.

3-20-NPL23 (00:25) NPL 11 Conti pass was dropped by 83 Wine.

4-20-NPL23 (00:11) NPL 11 Conti pass completed to 82 Cummings for 77 yards and a touchdown!
Extra point by NPL 6 Sams was good.

Score: North Plainfield 27, San Luis Obispo 24.
NPL 6 Sams kicked off 53 yards from the NPL30.
SLO 88 Rippy returned the ball 20 yards to the SLO37. Tackled by NPL 34 Oakley.

Game MVP: NPL 11 David Conti
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
This was in the ninth game of the season, and my team was 0-8 going in.

[henry296]

Just 2 names and anyone from Pittsburgh will know the games:

1. Francisco Cabrera
2. David Volek.

[SackAttack]

When I was 7 or 8 years old, the Dodgers led the Phillies 11-0 in the 9th, and lost 12-11. It may have been in extra innings - I forget - but I still have nightmares about that game.

[Maple Leafs]

As a fan, there's no question. Game Six of 1993 Conference Finals. Leafs lead the Kings 3-2 in the series, and need one more win to go the finals against the Habs. (Sidenote: a Leafs/Habs finals in Canada would be like a Yankees/Red Sox world series to the US, only with at least a 50% chance that an actual civil war would break out.)

The Leafs fall behind early, rally back to tie it thanks to a hat trick by captain (and most popular player of the last 30 years) Wendel Clark, and force overtime. In OT, the Leafs best player, MVP-candidate Doug Gilmour, is high-sticked in the face by Wayne Gretzky. With Gilmour bleeding, the rules call for Gretzky to be assesed a five-minute major and be ejected. This is not at the referee's discretion -- the rules are very clear on the penalty for cutting a player with your stick.

Referee Kerry Fraser confers with his linesman for a few minutes, then amazingly decides not to make a call. All three officials later claim not to have seen the play, which is odd since Gilmour was carrying the puck at the time. One is only left to wonder what the officials had to talk about for so long if none of them saw it, but surely they were not discussing the likely ramifications of throwing Wayne Gretzky out of a playoff game in his home rink in front of a huge TV audience.

It goes without saying that a minute later Gretzky scores the winner, the Kings go on to win game seven in Toronto, and Leafs have never been that close to a Stanley Cup again.

To this day, mention Kerry Fraser's name to a Leaf fan and you will ruin their day. It's been over ten years, and if I say him walking down the street today I'd run him over with my car. That's not a metaphor. I'd literally run him down, then back over him a few times just to be sure. There's not a judge in Canada who'd convict me.

[TargetPractice6]

Kentucky - LSU in 2002. We lost the game on a last play 80 yard pass.

[Karim]

I would have to say Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. The only reason it's "tough" is because of how close your team gets to the Holy Grail. It would have been better to have been blown out in four straight. Another dampening effect is the fact that the team had not made the playoffs the previous seven seasons so expectations were non-existant once that goal had been accomplished.

The loss I probably took the hardest was when I was a child in the early 80s and the Edmonton Eskimos won yet another Grey Cup. Meanwhile, the Calgary Stampeders were barely surviving as a franchise. I was hoping "ABE" would win - "Anybody But Edmonton". I left to my room crying "Why does Edmonton always have to win?" My father tried to explain to me why Edmonton was winning in both hockey (Wayne Gretzky) and football (Warren Moon) but it was little consolation.

[VPI97]

In my sophmore year of high school, we went 13-1 and won the school's first State Championship in football since the '50's. My junior year, we tore through everyone again to produce the first undefeated regular season in school history. After winning our first two playoff games, we travelled to Rustburg, VA for the state semi-finals. After 46 hard fought minutes, we found ourselves up 14-12 with two minutes to play and had a 1st and 10 on our 20 yard line. Two plays later, one of our running backs fumbled AFTER getting the first down that would have allowed us to run out the remainder of the clock. Rustburg recovered, we stuffed them for a few plays, and with the clock ticking down they hurried out into a field goal formation to attempt their first kick of the year. Yes, their first field goal/extra point kick of the entire season. Naturally, their 300 pound kicker hits a 32 yard field goal (his first kick ever) as time expires to send us home. 14 years later, it still pisses me off to think about it.

[Desnudo]

I would say losing my virginity. An uncomfortable, nerve-wracking experience.

[sterlingice]

Buffalo 41 Houston 38, OT :(

SI

[Dutch]

Ouch.....I remember that one vividly....

[Wolfpack]

Worst loss? Gosh, there's a lot to think about.

Ones that immediately spring to mind:
1) State chokes away the second round game against Vandy last year in the NCAA after leading by seven or eight points with about a minute left. For a while there I could detail the exact sequence, but fortunately I've pretty much forgotten it. The worst part was somehow feeling like we were going to lose even though we were ahead. I de-stressed by going outside and letting out a primordial scream of frustration that I'm sure was heard within at least a 1/2 mile radius.

2) Pretty much any State football loss this year qualifies since we probably could have won any of them if we weren't dead from the neck up on both sides of the ball (stupid turnovers and penalties).

3) 1999 in Charlotte. Carolina is having a horrible season while State is doing okay. Carolina is so ravaged by injuries, they're starting a running back at QB, so naturally State is heavily favored. 59 minutes and change later, Carolina leads 10-6 with State deep in the red zone and threatening to score. Last play, pass is complete but the receiver is hauled down a yard short of the end zone. End of game. End of Mike O'Cain as State head coach (never beat UNC in 8 tries).

4) Game three of 2002 Stanley Cup. The Canes stunned everyone with winning game one and were game but lost game two, both in Detroit. Series shifts to Raleigh where the Canes scrap and claw to a 2-1 lead late. A minute left and a Red Wing fires one from way out near the blue line and Brett Hull deflects it past Irbe to tie the score and force OT. It goes to a second OT. Then a third. Finally, the Wings get a breakaway and put it in past Irbe to win 3-2 in triple OT. The Wings won the next two games to complete the series victory. To this day, the smirk that Brett Hull had on his face after the deflected goal still irritates me to no end.

[mckerney]

1998 NFC Championship game, obviously.

And although it probably doesn't rank near the top in overall loses, watching the Vikings get robbed of having the final possession last week against Green Bay sucked.

[Maple Leafs]

Buffalo 41 Houston 38, OT :(While this loss certainly qualifies, I think I speak for everyone when I ask you to delete you post. You know, just so the posts by Desnudo and Dutch read back-to-back.

[Sharpieman]

2002 World Series has to rank somewhere up there.
1997 Conference Championship game agaisnt the Packer, the Niners were 13-3 that year and we had a great team, just a hearbreaking loss.
1998 Divisional game agaisnt the Falcons. Losing Garrison Hearst on the first play of the game. Even though the Niners lost by only 2 points, it felt like we were going to lose the game right from the beginning.

Another one was in high school, our rivals the Palo Alto Vikings (their nickname is Paly) had always had the better major sports teams (baseball, football, basketball). In the football game of my sophomore year it looked as though the tides had turned. We, the Gunn Titans had a future Air Force running back in Anthony Butler and another guy by the name of Lei Leiko who played both running back and LB, he was 6'3" and like 230 he was huge. The game started great for us, our QB/KR ran the opening kickoff for a TD. During the game there were like 3-4 lead changes and our team played great. However, with the score 19-17 with little time on the clock we had to kick a field goal at Paly's 28 yd line. Our kicker was HORRIBLE, but it seemed like destiny that we would somehow win the game. Of course, the kick was short and to the left and we lost for the 12th year in row against our rivals. There is a happy ending though, the following 2 years we beat Paly and in my senior year we beat them 35-14.

The same year, we had lost by like 20 points to Paly's basketball team at home. We didn't think we could be Paly, nobody did. They had better athletes (this is mostly due to the little known fact that their basketball coach actually recruited the best middle school basketball players to his school, I know this because my friend was recruited when he was in middle school, but still went to high school at Gunn. BTW, recruiting is illegal for public schools.) Anyways, our basketball team fought really hard for a win at Paly and we were so close to winning. The game went to OT and it came down to free throws by my friends cousin with 2.6 seconds remaining and we were down by 1, I forget the score. He had two shots and missed both! Later he said we was distracted because Paly Girls behind the backboard (all their seats at Paly are elevated to about the rim so everyone at the game is looking down onto the court, its actually pretty cool setup) were showing him their goods (I should also note that Paly was notorious for having the hotter girls at their school). No happy ending in this one, I think Gunn has only won 1 game agaisnt their rivals since 2000.

[Dutch]

While this loss certainly qualifies, I think I speak for everyone when I ask you to delete you post. You know, just so the posts by Desnudo and Dutch read back-to-back.

LMAO!! That's awesome.

[Leonidas]

As a fan, game 7 of the 97 World Series, Jose (Gascan Joe) Mesa giving up the Series to the Marlins. That was every bit as painful to the Indians faithful as Buckner was to the Red Sox in 86.

As a player, has to be a high school basketball game. We were down about 20 in the first half when our PG hit a half court shot at the buzzer to fire us up. We fought all the way back in the 2nd half until it became a seesaw game.

Game went into double OT and it wound up with our opponent down to it;s last 4 player and us with 5 (myself included) after foul outs and all. Our opponent, Port Charlotte, had one guy cramp up all the time. They were out of timeouts, so by the rule when he cramped out either they had to take him out of the game (going down to 3 players) or accept a technical foul for getting a timeout they didn't have. The refs called neither. They let the guy get tended to then come back into the game with no consequence at least 4 times. In the end we lost by a foul shot. No doubt in my mind had the refs called that situation properly we would have won a dramatic comeback.

And to make things worse, it was a roadgame and when we got back to the locker room half the guys on the team had their wallets stolen out of the locker room. To this day I hold deep anger at that whole event.

[JeffNights]

Colorado Hail mary win over Michigan.

As a teenage i was DEVASTATED

[Galaril]

What no yankees fans?I would say this years ALCS collaspe must've left a mark.3-0 loss 4-3 OUCH!

[Chubby]

As a fan: 1a. Wide Right 1b. No Goal

As a player: Making it to the final table with a trip to Aruba and entry into the WPT event on the line to the final 3 and I finish 6 when having the chip lead at the start or the final table :(

[mgadfly]

During my senior year of high school there were two losses that hurt real bad. The first was in the first round of the football playoffs. We were playing a team we'd already played once that season, and had beat 28-7. They played a great game and were up 20-14 when we stopped them and got the ball back for one last drive. We drove the length of the field and had a first and goal from the four yard line with a few seconds left. We called a pass and threw it to the endzone and it was deflected. There was clearly a second left when the ref blew the whistle, but the clock guy let the last second slip away and the other team charged on to the field and began celebrating. The officials had to clear them from the field, put one second back on the clock, only for our HB to catch a swing pass and get stuffed at the two yard line.

Later that year our basketball team made it to the state championship game. In the semi-finals we played O'Dea HS from Seattle who were ranked #1 in state and #9 or 13 or something nationally. We weren't supposed to have a chance against them, but we played well enough to force overtime and then held on to win the game. Here's an article from that game:

CLASS AA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TACOMA: WHITE RIVER BOYS TOPPLE NO. 1 O'DEA IN OVERTIME
The News Tribune; Tacoma, Wa.; Mar 11, 1995; Corey Brock / The News Tribune;

It was a storybook ending befitting a movie script.
Problem is, the basic premise behind White River's improbable 47-45 overtime victory over No. 1 O'Dea in the Class AA semifinals has already been made into a movie.
"It's kind of like a "Hoosiers" thing," White River coach Doug Galloway said of the popular basketball movie. "You got a small school coming down to play the big boys."
Just like the movie "Hoosiers," there was a happy ending Friday night as the Hornets from Buckley gained their first championship-game berth in only their second Class AA tournament appearance.
White River, which won the Class A state title in 1973, will meet second-ranked Franklin at 8 p.m., in the title game.
"This feels great," White River guard Ryan Banks said. "This is where we want to be. This is a dream. This is what we worked all summer for."
In overtime Friday, Charles Gillis' two free throws with 1 minute, 3 seconds left gave White River a 47-45 lead. After a Hornets turnover, O'Dea missed two chances to the score.
White River's Michael Kruse cleared a rebound and was fouled with six seconds left. Kruse, however, missed his free throw, giving the Irish hope. O'Dea's Chris Johnson drove the length of the floor but missed a lay-in at the buzzer.
The partisan White River crowd, some of their faces painted maroon and gold, went berserk with joy.
"I believe in these kids," Galloway said. "You can knock them down, but they bounce right back up."
Even though 10th-ranked White River entered the tournament with a 22-3 record and were co-champions of the Pierce County League, this game resembled a David-meets- Goliath battle from the start.
Late in the fourth quarter, Goliath - O'Dea in this case - had the upper hand on the Hornets, who seemed to be on the verge of slipping into the consolation bracket.
The Irish, state champions here two years ago, held a seemingly untouchable six-point lead with 1:07 left in regulation. It was looking as if it was going to be an all Metro League final.
However, just as White River has played all season, the Hornets refused to die.
Galloway inserted reserve guard Glenn Beatty for the first time with a little over a minute left in regulation with a play designed specifically for him.
Beatty, a self-professed better golfer and pitcher than basketball player, sank a 3-pointer from the wing that made the score 43-40.
With a chance to put the game away for good, O'Dea missed the first of three one-and-one free throws, all within 35 seconds of each other.
That was all the time Beatty needed as he struck struck again. This time, Beatty was buried deep in the corner but managed to tie the game at 40 with three seconds left with another 3-pointer.
After a timeout, O'Dea got the ball to halfcourt and called another timeout. With three-tenths of a seconds left, a lob pass to 6-foot-6 Jason Perry yielded only overtime.
Faced with a deficit against the bigger, faster Irish, the Hornets could have easily given up and wilted away.
"We didn't work this hard all year just to give up," White River guard Jon Argo said. "For everyone else this is a big upset. We've all grown up together expecting to win."
Galloway was all smiles after the game, trying to come back down from the ultimate high so far in his coaching career.
"My head's hurting from yelling and screaming," Galloway said. "This is indescribable. I'm happy for the time that the kids have put in."
Franklin 73, Mark Morris 41 - The Quakers steamrolled the unranked Monarchs with a 17-3 run to open the second quarter and were never seriously threatened.

In the next game we played Franklin HS (also from Seattle's Metro League) for the state championship (their star player was Jason Terry):
CLASS AA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TACOMA: WHITE RIVER BOYS LOSE BY 1 POINT
The News Tribune; Tacoma, Wa.; Mar 12, 1995; Corey Brock / The News Tribune; .
Full Text:
Copyright Tacoma News, Inc. Mar 12, 1995
Jason Terry stumbled upon something unusual early Saturday as he carefully read a scouting report on the White River Hornets.
In addition to familiarizing himself with the Hornets' offensive and defensive tendencies, the Franklin guard noticed something that had little to do with the actual game of basketball.
"The scouting report told us that when they're down they just keep fighting back," Terry said. "I give them a lot of credit because that's exactly just what they did tonight."
White River's magical and sometimes improbable mad dash through the Class AA state tournament finally came to an abrupt end Saturday as defending champion Franklin (24-4) defeated the Hornets, 70-69.
Only when White River's Jon Argo missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer did the 10-ranked Hornets dreams of a state title finally die.
"That's the way a state championship ought to be played." White River coach Doug Galloway said. "It's too bad someone had to lose."
As they have throughout the entire tournament in the Tacoma Dome this week, White River (25-4) proved once again that the end truly only comes when the final buzzer sounds.
The Hornets from Buckley somehow found the heart and courage to piece together another comeback Saturday that almost saw them take home their first Class AA state title.
White River trailed by 14 points with 6 minutes, 19 seconds left in the game. Despite the deficit, Hornets' fans stayed put, hoping the best was still yet to come. They were right.
The Hornets emerged from a timeout looking refreshed and recharged for a run at the big golden ball, the trophy the state champion takes home with them.
White River cut deep into Franklin's lead as the second-ranked Quakers looked lost at times on offense. A Ryan Banks lay-in pulled the Hornets to within four points at 65-61 with 4:24 left.
Two minutes later, two free throws by sophomore Ben Addink made the score 67-65 as Franklin fans started getting restless.
With 49 seconds left in the game, White River's Michael Kruse sank two free throws to make the score 68-67. That's when Franklin almost gave this one away.
As Franklin attempted to run time off the clock, Hornets' guard Jon Argo poked the ball from Terry and converted a lay-in to give the Hornets a 69-68 lead with 32 seconds left.
Frantically, Franklin moved the ball downcourt and got it into the hands of point guard Francis Vela. Vela's 3-point attempt fell to the left off the rim and right into the hands of teammate Erin Dixon.
In the right place at the right time, Dixon guaranteed the Quakers of a second consecutive state title with a short jumper that gave Franklin a 70-69 lead.
But that wasn't the end of it for White River.
The Hornets called a timeout and got some time put back on the clock. With 3.2 seconds left, White River got the ball into Argo's hands and he raced downcourt. Argo stopped before the 3-point line and attempted a shot.
On his shot attempt, which came just before the buzzer, it looked as if Argo was slapped across the hand. However, in a game that featured 45 fouls and frequently blown whistles, there was no call.
"Someone hit me across the hand," Argo said. "Well, at least now maybe now we've earned some respect."
After upsetting fourth-ranked Chehalis on Wednesday and shocking top-ranked O'Dea on Friday, White River approached the championship game as if they had nothing to lose.
"They were the defending state champs," Galloway said. "We just wanted to come out relaxed and ready to play."
Franklin coach Ron Drayton, who held his breath as the Quakers defeated Gig Harbor by two points on Thursday, was impressed with White River's ability to bounce back.
"They didn't quit," Drayton said. "It's awfully hard to match their intensity."
One of five seniors on the Hornets' roster, Argo didn't hesitate when asked what he'll miss the most about this team.
"I'll miss the guys," Argo said. "We've all played on the same team together the past four years and know each other so well."
The Hornets had to win three consecutive loser-out games just to get to the state tournament. Once they got to the Tacoma Dome, every- ARTICLE ENDS THIS WAY IN ACTUAL NEWSPAPER.

The WIAA came out to our school to give us our second place trophy (as players we were very proud of our finish and knew that sometimes you get the calls and sometimes you don't) and the mayor of Buckley refused to accept it. The rules were changed after that year that an official from your league would no longer be allowed to officiate your game in the state tournament. The principal of our rival school officiated the game, in the four games that he officiated we went 1-3 and something like 24-1 in the other games.

It was a great season, but it is always tough to lose a close game like that.

[Bubba Wheels]

My son's football team lost a game 2-0 this past season. Absolutely true.

[VPI97]

My son's football team lost a game 2-0 this past season. Absolutely true.My senior year, we lost our opener 6-4...

...and we lost on a hail mary.

[kcchief19]

Well, I suppose it's time a Tigers fan step up to the plate with their Tyus Edney story.

I was in DC on spring break with some friends. We flew back on Saturday and I drove to Springfield to spend the night with my family. I had to be back in Columbia for something Sunday night, so I ended up driving to Columbia with the game on the radio. When the Tigers took the lead, I was driving highway 54 through the Lake of the Ozarks. When the basket went in, I went nuts and started screaming, waving my arm out the window and honking my horn. It turns out I wasn't alone; everyone else on the highway was doing the same thing.

When Edney's shot went in, it was like getting kicked in the groin. I had to pull off to the side of the road. I wasn't alone. Later, when I stopeed to get gas, everyone in the store was just sullen and depressed. That shot let the air out of the entire state.

There have been other Tiger losses that hurt; losses in the regional finals, The 5th Down, The Kick against Nebraska -- being a Tigers fan is almost as bad as being a Red Sox fan; er, I guess now a Cubs fan.

On a personal level, I was in a highly competitive speech and debate program in high school -- we took it VERY seriously. My senior year, midway through the year I switched from two-man policy debate to single Lincoln-Douglass debate. We had one exceptional two-man team that won state and finished top eight at nationals, but there three teams fighting for the No. 2 spot. My partner wasn't having a good year, so our coach and I agreed that I would switch to L-D because our team was weak there and the district was soft, so there was a good chance to make state and nationals.

In the state districts, I won my first round match against the defending state champ. Going into final prelim round, I needed a tie to make semis and a win to be top seed. I was going up against someone who was winless in the tournament. In all modesty, I won the debate in a landslide. Anyone who "flowed" the debate would agree I won it. One problem -- the two judges in the round were "lay" judges who didn't know anything about debate theory. The debate policy that year was the development of natural resources, and my opponent begged the judges not to let me rape the environment. The timekeeper for the round was a debate from another school who hated me, and he agreed I won. Needless to say, we were all stunned when I lost on the ballots -- knocked out of the tournament by the worst debater in the tourney.

Two weeks later (in a story I've moaned about here before), I lost a trip to nationals in expemporaneous speaking when one of the three judges gave me the lowest score in the finals because, while he thought I was the best speaker in the round, he though that my logic was flawed and my stance incorrect. My topic and logic? That the Electoral College should be abolished and replaced with a direct vote of the people due to the likelihood of a disputed election. He said that was implausible. Dumbbass.

I know it's a "nerd" activity, but speech and debate gave me and my friends plenty of emtional roller coaster rides in high school. We had a lot of successes, but the defeats really stick with you.

[bbor]

As a fan, there's no question. Game Six of 1993 Conference Finals. Leafs lead the Kings 3-2 in the series, and need one more win to go the finals against the Habs. (Sidenote: a Leafs/Habs finals in Canada would be like a Yankees/Red Sox world series to the US, only with at least a 50% chance that an actual civil war would break out.)

The Leafs fall behind early, rally back to tie it thanks to a hat trick by captain (and most popular player of the last 30 years) Wendel Clark, and force overtime. In OT, the Leafs best player, MVP-candidate Doug Gilmour, is high-sticked in the face by Wayne Gretzky. With Gilmour bleeding, the rules call for Gretzky to be assesed a five-minute major and be ejected. This is not at the referee's discretion -- the rules are very clear on the penalty for cutting a player with your stick.

Referee Kerry Fraser confers with his linesman for a few minutes, then amazingly decides not to make a call. All three officials later claim not to have seen the play, which is odd since Gilmour was carrying the puck at the time. One is only left to wonder what the officials had to talk about for so long if none of them saw it, but surely they were not discussing the likely ramifications of throwing Wayne Gretzky out of a playoff game in his home rink in front of a huge TV audience.

It goes without saying that a minute later Gretzky scores the winner, the Kings go on to win game seven in Toronto, and Leafs have never been that close to a Stanley Cup again.

To this day, mention Kerry Fraser's name to a Leaf fan and you will ruin their day. It's been over ten years, and if I say him walking down the street today I'd run him over with my car. That's not a metaphor. I'd literally run him down, then back over him a few times just to be sure. There's not a judge in Canada who'd convict me.

I shocked you would choose this story ML:D

[sterlingice]

While this loss certainly qualifies, I think I speak for everyone when I ask you to delete you post. You know, just so the posts by Desnudo and Dutch read back-to-back.
Ok, FOFC needs to chip in to get hockey back started (I dunno, take Bettman and Goodenow hostage in a room and not let them out until an agreement is reached or whatnot) just so that you have more to post about more often :)

SI

[Vince]

Well, as a player, my worst loss has to be the intramural championship basketball game, in 2003. My team was well known throughout the school -- we played every quarter of every year, and while we sucked major ass as freshmen, we had improved tons and absolutely romped our way through the playoffs until we got to the championship game. It was pretty cool -- we got to play under the lights on the main court that the UCSB Men's team played their D-IA games on, with the scoreboard on and everything. It's the little things that are cool :)

Anyhow, the team we were playing was the best we had faced so far -- and nerves were getting to everyone. We weren't playing badly -- but we weren't playing our best by far. Throughout the whole game, we trailed by anywhere from 2 to 6, and it stayed at that pace for a while. As it starts to come down to it, we're down by 4 with under a minute left. Our key shooter hits a three, and we're down by 1. We start to foul, and we use up all of our fouls. The next one gives them free throws, and worse than that, I've got one foul left until I foul out. They set up on the sideline, and attempt to inbound it. I'm giving my guy a little leeway to try to convince the other team that he is open, and sure enough, the guy tries to lead my man with a pass. I jet forward, dive and intercept the ball, and call a timeout as I fall out of bounds -- our ball down by 1 with under 20 seconds left! We inbound the ball, dribble up court and set up to get our hot shooter the ball. He pump-fakes, and our big man has been left wide open on the baseline. Pass down to him, with no one between him and the basket...and he pulls up to shoot the jumper?!!? One of their players streaks in from the top of the key and fouls our big guy hard, and he misses the shot. Up for two free throws with no time left -- and he misses the first. The second goes up...rings around the rim...and falls in! We're going into overtime!

And then to be completely anti-climactic, our team came out extraordinarily flat in OT and we lost by 6. It was absolutely terrible.

[MrBug708]

Well, I suppose it's time a Tigers fan step up to the plate with their Tyus Edney story.

I was in DC on spring break with some friends. We flew back on Saturday and I drove to Springfield to spend the night with my family. I had to be back in Columbia for something Sunday night, so I ended up driving to Columbia with the game on the radio. When the Tigers took the lead, I was driving highway 54 through the Lake of the Ozarks. When the basket went in, I went nuts and started screaming, waving my arm out the window and honking my horn. It turns out I wasn't alone; everyone else on the highway was doing the same thing.

When Edney's shot went in, it was like getting kicked in the groin. I had to pull off to the side of the road. I wasn't alone. Later, when I stopeed to get gas, everyone in the store was just sullen and depressed. That shot let the air out of the entire state.


Oh man, I feel bad for ya KcChief :D I mean, it's not like you were favored in the game...

[TroyF]

As a player it would be a Tae Kwon Dow tournament in Oklahoma City. I was a green belt, but because of my height, they moved me up to higher leven competition. I dominated the first bout just destroying the guy 10 to zip. But at the end of that match, I kicked, he blocked. . . and his elbow pad slipped. I fractured my foot. I went in for the next match anyway and was just destroyed on one leg. (the Karate Kid I'm not) I'd worked really hard leading up to the tournament. I was not only devastated by the loss, I was in physical pain for a month. Still, it was better than. . . .

Jacksonville at Denver. January 4, 1997. The Jags come into Denver and beat the Broncos. I was crushed. Nobody knew if Elway would ever get that close again. I couldn't watch ESPN for a month. I can't tell you how devastating that loss was.

As with the Red Sox fans here, the wounds were healed a little by the events of the next couple of years. (Including smacking those same Jags 42-17 in the playoffs the next year)

Still, that one tops the list.

[Mr. Wednesday]

As a fan, some combination of the Beanpot prelim loss by Northeastern to BC in 1994 and the Red Sox in game 7 in 2003 (the latter redeemed by this year). The Beanpot loss was in double OT (the OT periods were 10 minutes then) and preceded by a shot by NU off the post. As bad as the OT was, it was magnified by the fact that Harvard took out BU in the other prelim so the final was wide open.

Actually, while I'm thinking about Beanpot losses, the finals loss in Jim Fahey's senior season was tough too. Fahey himself scored the go-ahead goal in the waning moments of the second period, then the Huskies coughed up the lead in the third period as the wrong team went on to win.

As a player, in club ultimate this spring, my team had a big lead at the half (7 - 1 or 7 - 2) and wound up losing 13 - 11 IIRC. Oddly enough, that marked the second time I had ben involved with a huge comeback, as a year prior to that I was on a team that was down 7 - 1 at the half and came back to win 13 - 9.

[Mr. Wednesday]

On a personal level, I was in a highly competitive speech and debate program in high school -- we took it VERY seriously. My senior year, midway through the year I switched from two-man policy debate to single Lincoln-Douglass debate. We had one exceptional two-man team that won state and finished top eight at nationals, but there three teams fighting for the No. 2 spot. My partner wasn't having a good year, so our coach and I agreed that I would switch to L-D because our team was weak there and the district was soft, so there was a good chance to make state and nationals.NFL or NCFL?

Two weeks later (in a story I've moaned about here before), I lost a trip to nationals in expemporaneous speaking when one of the three judges gave me the lowest score in the finals because, while he thought I was the best speaker in the round, he though that my logic was flawed and my stance incorrect. My topic and logic? That the Electoral College should be abolished and replaced with a direct vote of the people due to the likelihood of a disputed election. He said that was implausible. Dumbbass.When I judge extemp, I will mark down for a bad argument, but I try not to mark down for a well-presented argument that I disagree with (to the extent that's possible taking our inherent human biases into account). I consider quality of composition to be part of the competition.

[Mr. Wednesday]

...I make what I feel was a very legal slide tackle getting all ball.Just FYI, while getting all ball is important to it being a legal tackle, there is more involved in it than just that. It could still be a foul depending on the follow-through.

[Bomber]

Laettner's buzzer beater to end UConn's Dream Season in 1990 in the Elite Eight.

[lcjjdnh]

Just FYI, while getting all ball is important to it being a legal tackle, there is more involved in it than just that. It could still be a foul depending on the follow-through.
Granted that is true but I really do think it was a legal play. In my ten years of playing soccer, I've seen much worse, including my own stunts, that wasn't called, so this was particularly devestating.

[bronconick]

As a fan. Well, I'm a Florida State football fan. Painful losses come with the territory, it seems.
1. 32-29 loss to Florida in 1997. Best team in the country except for those final 2 minutes.
2. 28-27 loss to Miami in 2002. Blowing a 13 point lead in 5 minutes kills.
3. 52-20 loss to Florida in 1996. You never want to lose the National Championship to your rival
4. Western Michigan's 19-14 loss to Marshall in 2000. Thanks Gary, for going on interviews that week. Enjoy unemployment.
5. Game 7, San Jose- Colorado 2002. As soon as Selanne missed the near empty net, I had a sinking feeling it was over.

As a player, probably our loss in a baseball district semifinal in the 11th inning. I was warming up to pitch the top of the 12th when I turned around and watched a guy on the other team go yard.

[ahbrady]

I coach a high school girls' basketball team, and the last four years we have lost to the eventual state champ or runner-up to end our season. Everyone of those is tough to handle because I'm more involved in it then college or pro sports. Seeing the seniors after the final game is very difficult to handle for me, but hopefully we'll end on a happy note this year.

The most frustrating losses to me that I had no actual involvement in would be the Red Sox ALCS game 7 last year (which as someone else said has been dulled quite a bit because of this year's outcome), the Arkansas-Tennessee game that MJ4H mentioned, and Arkansas' 1992 loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Memphis. I was positive that was going to be Arkansas' year to win the championship, and they were loaded. I think that was one of the most underachieving teams in NCAA history.

[MJ4H]

Iand Arkansas' 1992 loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Memphis. I was positive that was going to be Arkansas' year to win the championship, and they were loaded. I think that was one of the most underachieving teams in NCAA history.

Oh a-freakin men. And the year before to Kansas in the elite eight was probably worse. Definitely two of the most difficult losses I've ever experienced as a fan.

[judicial clerk]

California high school sports is split up geographically into, I think, 11 sections. In football there is no state tournament, only sections. There are polls that award a mythical state championship. Anywhoo, my sophmore year we were playing at home in the section title game against the 4 year unbeaten, number 1 ranked team in division IV (small schools) ( this team had the state unbeaten streak record until it was broken a few years ago by De La Salle). The other team came to play. They were hard nosed and extremely well coached, but my team was motivated and looked forward to the challenge. The most hard fought game of my high school carrer went into halftime tied 14-14 as a light rain began to fall. Ol' Judicial Clerk even had a sack and a tackle for a loss. We really thought we were going to do it. we had taken their best shot and stood our ground, we wanted a piece of these guys but we also are happy to find out that we could play with them. Maybe that was our downfall. Anyway, in the second half the rain does not let up and they score early behind a punishing drive where the ball was not thrown once. the rest of the game is a seesaw battle of field position where neither team can get over on the other. Except that they are slowly winning the battle and they seem to be getting stronger while we are getting more tired. late in the fourth quarter they punch one in for another touchdown to take a 28-14 lead. That is the final score of the game. I still remember, after they scored the final touchdown of the game, standing on the sidelines as the rain tapped on my helmet and sputtered off my face mask. Our offense was stalled, There defense was playing like champions and would not let our offense do anything. Man, I wanted to win that stupid game.

for college and pro:

How about Villanova beating my beloved Hoyas and Patrick Ewing. I was in shock.

I was also in shock when Ralph Sampson tipped in the game winner to eat my beloved Lakers. Michael Cooper and I were both writhing on the floor in disbelief, except that I was in my parents living room.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Dale Jr.'S wrech at Atlanta 3 weeks ago.