Your Top 5 Most Painful Sport Losses

[Pyser]

had a great debate with a friend about our top 5 most painful sports losses ever. Watched it, played in it, heard about it.

not talking a 50-14 super bowl loss. i mean the kind where you sit and watch the tv for another half hour, because you cant move.

im sure this has been done on this board, but im starting anew, after my search came up empty. my top 5:



1) Devils - Rangers 94 ECF Game 7. Matteau in double overtime.

2) Giants - 49ers 2002 Playoffs. Giants blow a 24 point lead, game winning fg never happens from bad snap, holder throws a desperation ball, incomplete. Next day NFL admits pass interference should have been called, giving the Giants a much closer fg attempt...but still doesnt give them a new snapper.

3) Giants - Eagles 2010 regular season - Fuck you DeSean Jackson. Fuck you Matt Dodge.

4) Mets - Cardinals NLCS 2006 Game 7 - Chavez makes that catch...then Beltran strikes out LOOKING with the bases loaded to end it.

5) Devils - Hurricanes 2009 Quarterfinals Game 7 - With 80 seconds left, the Devils led by 1 goal. With 32 seconds left, they trailed by 1 goal.

[gstelmack]

2007 Pats / Giants Super Bowl.
2006 Pats / Colts AFC Championship game. Just catch the 3rd-and-4 pass!
1986 Red Sox / Mets Game 6, the Buckner game. Less painful now that I care much less about MLB.

Not sure I can come up with two more.

[Lathum]

had a great debate with a friend about our top 5 most painful sports losses ever (pro sports, not when your team lost in the high school regionals).

not talking a 50-14 super bowl loss. i mean the kind where you sit and watch the tv for another half hour, because you cant move.

im sure this has been done on this board, but im starting anew, after my search came up empty. my top 5:



1) Devils - Rangers 94 ECF Game 7. Matteau in double overtime.

2) Giants - 49ers 2002 Playoffs. Giants blow a 24 point lead, game winning fg never happens from bad snap, holder throws a desperation ball, incomplete. Next day NFL admits pass interference should have been called, giving the Giants a much closer fg attempt...but still doesnt give them a new snapper.

3) Giants - Eagles 2010 regular season - Fuck you DeSean Jackson. Fuck you Matt Dodge.

4) Mets - Cardinals NLCS 2006 Game 7 - Chavez makes that catch...then Beltran strikes out LOOKING with the bases loaded to end it.

5) Devils - Hurricanes 2009 Quarterfinals Game 7 - With 80 seconds left, the Devils led by 1 goal. With 32 seconds left, they trailed by 1 goal.

Great list, mine would be virtualy identical.

[Mustang]

5. 95 NFC Title Game : Dallas v GB
4. 98 Wild Card : GB v SF
3. 03 Divisional Playoffs : Philly v GB (4th and F'n 26...)
2. 07 NFC Title Game - Giants v GB (So close)
1. 97 Super Bowl XXXII - Denver v GB

They lose to the Bears this last weekend it would have vaulted to #1

[Rizon]

That game in the late 90s, Monday Night Football, where the Dolphins led the Jets something like 70-0 in the 2nd quarter, only to end up losing somehow.

[panerd]

Mizzou

5. OU: big 12 title game (nationial championship appearance on the line)
4. Oklahoma 77-0
3. Colorado 5th down
2. Nebraska Kicked Ball
1. Tyus Edney

[SirFozzie]

2003 ALCS Game 7
2007 Super Bowl
86 mets/Sox
2009-10 Celtics/Lakers Game 7
2011 Jets-Pats

[Telle]

Well I'm not a huge sports fan, but I am a fan of Buffalo teams.. and so I have two.

1991 Super Bowl - "Wide Right"
1999 Stanley Cup - "No Goal"

[Radii]

1. Game 6 2003 NLCS, Bartman and the ridiculous 8th inning that followed
2. Panthers vs Pats Super Bowl, Carolina may not have won but Kasay's kickoff out of bounds haunts me
3. Game 7 2003 NLCS

Dunno why you'd specify pros only! 1987 ACC Tournament finals (I'll hate vinny del negro forever) and 1987 NCAA Tournament loss to Syracuse(I'll hate Rony Seikaly forever) and 1994 2nd round loss to Boston College that ended UNC's sweet 16 streak would all be on here too.

[NoSkillz]

5. 1985 American League Championship Series: Kansas City beats Toronto 4 games to 3 - this was the first year the leagues went to a seven game series and it cost the Jays, as they'd blow a 3-1 series lead in losing to the eventual WS champs.

4. 2007 NHL Eastern Conference Finals: Ottawa beats Buffalo 4 games to 1 - This series wasn't really close but it qualified as a huge upset, as the Sabres were the President's Trophy winners that season with 113 points. Daniel Alfredsson's overtime winner in game five was notable for the tears it brought to my wife, who was with me at the game that night - she made me leave the building while the league was presenting Ottawa with the Prince of Wales Trophy, saying "they're taking our trophy!". Good times...

3. 2006 NHL Eastern Conference Finals: Carolina beats Buffalo 4 games to 3 - This series was a heartbreaker, as the Sabres came out of the lockout with a team completely built for the "new NHL" and had steamrolled through their first two series in dominating fashion over Ottawa (4 games to 1) and Philadelphia (4 games to 2, with an 8 goal game and a 7 goal game). This series would go back and forth but was notable for the fact that the Sabres would lose 4 of their starting 6 defensemen to injury and seven starters overall by the 7th game, ultimately losing 4-2 in that 7th game. The Canes would go on to win the Cup that season.

As a Buffalo sports fan, I'm sure you can guess the next two:

1b. 1999 Stanley Cup Finals: Dallas beats Buffalo 4 games to 2 - The "No Goal" series. Yeah, it was upsetting the way it went down but meh - Dallas ultimately was the better team.

1a. Super Bowl XXV (1991): New York Giants 20 Buffalo Bills 19 - WIDE RIGHT!

[AlexB]

Without a shadow of a doubt Swindon 4 Leicester 3, First Division (now Championship) Play Off Final in 1993.

Glenn Hoddle's Swindon went 3-0 up, only for Leicester to get three goals in ten minutes to draw level by 70 minutes (including the calmest classiest finish by Steve Thompson you will ever see given the circumstance to make it 3-3) and there was only going to be one winner at that point

But Steve White decided to launch himself and win an unjust penalty to make it 4-3 and break our hearts.

1993 Football League First Division play-off Final - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Football_League_First_Division_play-off_Final)


Closely followed by Leicester 0 Blackburn 1 in the 1992 playoff final, when the cheating David Speedie also dived to win a penalty, but there wasn't the rollercoaster in that one.

3 - England 1 Germany 1 in 1996 European Championships (England lose on penalties)
4 - England 1 Germany 1 in 1990 World Cup (England lose on penalties)
5 - England 1 Argentina 2 in 1996 World Cup (Hand of God)

Thanks for cheering me up FOFC

[Pyser]

Dunno why you'd specify pros only! 1987 ACC Tournament finals (I'll hate vinny del negro forever) and 1987 NCAA Tournament loss to Syracuse(I'll hate Rony Seikaly forever) and 1994 2nd round loss to Boston College that ended UNC's sweet 16 streak would all be on here too.

sorry, shouldve been more clear. college is perfectly acceptable. your sunday night bowling league, or traveling soccer team is not :)

[Butter]

1. Bengals lose to Steelers in the Carson Palmer-blows-out-his-knee-on-the-first-play game in the Wild Card Round. I am convinced the Bengals were on their way to the SB that year.

2. Reds lose to Mets and Al Leiter in 1999 one game playoff for the Wild Card.

3. Reds commit 4 errors in Game 2 of the 2010 NLDS against Philly. That game was there to be had, but the Reds let it slip right by.

4. 1995 NLCS, Reggie Sanders and Ron Gant strike out like 100 times against the Braves, and the Reds get swept. Every game in that series was awful.

5. Bengals lose SB XXIII on the final minute Montana-Taylor connection. Bengals dropped an interception on the play or two before, which makes it all the more difficult to swallow. But I was pretty young, so this didn't leave as big as an impression on me as the others.

[Logan]

The Beltran K-looking would be on there for me without a doubt, as would the loss to Florida on the last day of the season that made the 2007 September collapse complete.

The next two slots would be filled by the Knicks' Charles Smith being unable to hit one of 439 putbacks, and John Starks going 2-18 in Game 7 of the 94 Finals.

And I know this is a "pro" thread but screw you and let me sulk. #1 would be Rutgers losing to West Virginia in triple overtime in the final game of the 2006 regular season, costing us the BCS bid. There was a horrible blown call on a Steve Slaton fumble which had a huge effect on the outcome, and Rutgers' James Townsend also dropped an easy TD late in the 4th that may have won the game.

[Pyser]

you know, im changing the title. if you lost in your t-ball league and cried for a week, i want to hear about it

[Pyser]

ill add a personal one:

Early 90's indoor soccer - I score the game winning goal with 8 seconds left. With 2 seconds left, my best friend, playing in goal, lets a game tying goal go between his legs. Still mad at him.

[Rizon]

you know, im changing the title. if you lost in your t-ball league and cried for a week, i want to hear about it

In tball, I went to tag a runner on his way to 2B. I tagged him with my glove but the ball was in my other hand. I ended up throwing my glove in the trash after that game cause it was the glove's fault.

[molson]

No particular order:

-Colts over Pats in AFC Championship game
-Yankees over Red Sox in '03 ALCS
-Michigan St. over Syracuse in sweet 16 in 2000 (my senior year at Syracuse, the orange had a big halftime lead, but then the Spartans decided to just shoot up 3's the rest of the game - and most of them went in. It would have been nice for the Orange to get past the sweet 16 once in my 4 years there).
-Oilers beating Bruins in the '88 and '90 Stanley Cup. I remember being so excited for the Bruins to be in the Stanley Cup - and then they just got utterly dominated both times.
-A's beating Red Sox in '88 and '90 ALCS (See Oilers beating Bruins).

Not on my list
-'86 World Series (for some reason, the elation of the 1986 ALCS game 5 win overshadows the World Series for me - it was my first great sports memory, and it was a day game - I don't think I stayed awake for any of the World Series games).
-Giants over Patriots in the Super Bowl. Maybe I just saw it coming. Maybe I was just so dissapointed in the gameplan that I knew they deserved to lose and I was just pissed off at the Patriots, rather than hurt.

[Karlifornia]

Stanford losing to Alabama in the second round in 2004. I thought that was a championship caliber team. They even led the Tide 53-40 with 7 minutes left. Aw, man :(

[Drake]

2003 ALCS Game 7

To this day, I still blame my wife for this game.

Through the rest of that series, whenever the Sox needed a lift, I would have my wife flash her boobs at the TV. They were like magic.

(Aside: the genesis of this particular mojo is a confusing story about her jumping out of the shower during the LDS, streaking nekkid through the house to get something from the bedroom and some un-remembered timely thing happening for the Sox both as she was going to the bedroom, then coming back. You know how these things work.)

Bottom line was that the Sox rode my wife's boobies into Game 7.

After the sixth inning, my wife said she was tired and going to bed. She said (and I quote), "There's no way they can botch it now. Congratulations!"

I said, "Nooooooooooooooooo!"

But she would not be swayed.

I slept on the couch after that game. I laid awake for like three hours trying to convince myself not to go into our bedroom and smother her to death with a pillow.

But then I remembered...she'd still have her boobs in 2004.

And, indeed, she did...she got them out in the bottom of the 9th of Game 4 of the ALCS because I made the mistake of telling her, "This is all your fault, anyway. They were destined to win last year, but you failed them. You took your boobs and went to bed."

My wife said, "You and your superstitions are insane! Look, I get them out and nothing happens! They are not magic boobies!"

(Just as Dave Roberts stole second.)

She watched every inning of the the rest of the playoffs topless.

[Warhammer]

1986 ALCS Game 5 - Angels lose to Red Sox
2001 Super Bowl Rams losing to Pats
2005 NCAA Basketball Finals Illini lose to the Tar Heels
1989 NFC Conference Championship - Rams lose to 49ers (the loss didn't bother me, it was how the lost)
2008 NCAA Basketball Finals Memphis loses to Kansas

[SteveMax58]

Yeah...mine is pretty similar to Pyser being a Giants fan. But since I dont follow hockey mine is a little different.

1. Giants/49ers Wild Card 2002 - one of the angriest moments of my entire life.
2. Giants/Eagles Game 14 2010 - yeah...if not for this game how different the Superbowl would be.
3. Mets/Braves NLCS G6 1999 - Painful to see the Mets come back from 3-0, tie this game, take the lead, then lose it on a bases loaded walk.
4. Mets/Cards September 21,1987 - Terry Pendleton hits a 3-run HR off Roger McDowell to tie the game in the 9th inning and the Cards go on to win 6-4 in 10. That game was IMO the turning point for the Mets that season and after coming on strong they seemed to deflate after that game and missed the playoffs (of course...no wild cards back then).
5. Giants/Vikings Wild Card 1997 - Giants blow a 9 point lead by giving up 10 points in the final 90 seconds.

[RendeR]

1. 1981 Super Bowl 16 Bengals lose to 49ers 26-21: First half dominated by niner consistantcy and Cincinnati Mistakes leads to a 20-0 halftime lead. Second half is a total mirror image where the Bengals Defense dominates the niners and Anderson puts up 3 TD's. The key moment being a 1st and Goal at the 1 yard line and 4 straight attempts simply didn't get it in the end zone.

2. 1989 Super Bowl 23 again the Bengals and Niners: Montana hits a last minute pass to pull out a win. Game should have been over had Louis Breeden not dropped a game ending interception 2 plays earlier.

3. 2006 NHL Eastern Conference Finals: Carolina beats Buffalo 4 games to 3
Injuries destroyed the best team in the NHL that season. Ripped my heart out watching Carolina run over our AHL defensemen in game 7. Even then we STILL had the game in our hands until late in the 3rd.

4. 1999 Stanley Cup Finals: Dallas beats Buffalo 4 games to 2: Fuck that No Fucking Goal. Should have been waved off and dropped in a circle. You don't allow game 6 of the FINALS in its THIRD overtime to be determined by some worthless piece of shit rule that you DROPPED the very next SEASON!!!!!!

5. 2005 Wildcard playoff. Shitzburgh takes out Palmer on the first offensive play for the Bengals and goes on to barely beat them with Kitna at the helm. Fucking shit ass stealers.

[Toddzilla]

1. Cubs lose NLCS Game 5 to the Padres in 1984
2. Cubs lose NLCS game 7 to the Marlins in 2003
3. Dolphins lose div playoff game to the Chargers in OT in 1982
4. Virginia Tech loses to Florida State in the BCS MNC game in 1999
5. My rec-league basketball team loses the championship game when I was 14.

[markprior22]

Ball goes through Durham's leg in 84 NLCS
Bartman game '03 NLCS
Cowboys lose on "the catch" NFC Champ game
Jackie Smith drops TD pass in the Super Bowl and Cowboys lose
Romo fumbles snap on FG and Cowboys lose to Seattle in playoffs

Thinking back on it....in my lifetime, the Cowboys have either been pretty good or pretty bad. When they've been good, they've normally won. Haven't let me down too often. It's tough to say a loss is painful if the expectation wasn't there to begin with. The Cubs on the other hand, they've only had a couple of legitimate opportunities and have whiffed on both.

[Butter]

Then I'm changing mine.

#2 for me is Ohio State losing to Michigan State in 1998. It was my wedding day, but it was Michigan State so surely the Bucks wouldn't blow this one at home, right? My wedding was about at the start of the 2nd half. I had no idea who won/lost the game until well into my wedding night.

I swear to God, I almost let OSU losing that game ruin my wedding night. I mourned it for a couple of minutes, then got back into action. I am glad I didn't actually witness that, but even NOT having seen it, it is still at #2. That was the one year that OSU overcame Cooper's crappy coaching and actually beat Michigan on sheer talent. That was the year they were destined to win the national title. Alas.

[Rizon]

Oh yeah, Kirk Gibson hitting that miraculous homer against Eck in Game 1 of the World Series, even though he had like 5 broken ribs, 3 broken legs, a broken arm, broken collarbone, blown knee, broken back, tennis elbow, and Eck hadn't allowed a run in like 82 straight games. First time I suspected sports might be rigged. Anytime I see that play on TV I want to cry and smash stuff.

[johnnyshaka]

No particular order...

2006 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 1: Oilers blow a 3-0 lead AND lose Roloson for the remainder of the playoffs...despite making it to Game 7 this is where they lost the Cup.

Kirk "Fucking" Gibson.

Jeremy Giambi. And why the hell was Jeter where he was on that play?!

Steve Smith.

World Juniors gold medal game the last two years...ugh.

Eagles losing the Super Bowl in '05.

[johnnyshaka]

Oh yeah, Kirk Gibson hitting that miraculous homer against Eck in Game 1 of the World Series, even though he had like 5 broken ribs, 3 broken legs, a broken arm, broken collarbone, blown knee, broken back, tennis elbow, and Eck hadn't allowed a run in like 82 straight games. First time I suspected sports might be rigged. Anytime I see that play on TV I want to cry and smash stuff.

I still think that it was actually Chuck Norris hitting for Gibson.

[rowech]

Super Bowl XXIII -- Bengals lose to the 49ers. Nothing else is even close. To lose Krumrie in that game was huge. To get the lead so late was unreal. To have it taken away with 34 seconds was just something devestating. I was friggin 12 at the time and figured they would be back the next year which they probably should have been. In fact, statistically they were much better than the year before. Now almost 35 and they aren't even close to getting back.



The loss to the Steelers in 2005 hurt because I thought they had a real chance that season. It still isn't even close to the Super Bowl. The only thing that can ever get rid of that feeling is a title.

The 1995 NLCS was pretty brutal. Getting swept by the Braves and watching Reggie Sanders just lay an egg was awful. To get that far with such a good team and just to blow it was pretty hard to take.

[johnnyshaka]

Hey Drake, you and your wife want to come over to watch the World Series? If you have to work, that's OK, send your wife along. :)

Great stuff, though. I'm going to have to try and convince my wife to start doing something like that...the possibilities are endless!!

[jbergey22]

1. 1998 NFC Championship - Gary Anderson misses the FG to send the Vikings to Miami, Atlanta comes down and ties it up late in the game and win it in OT. Vikings were 17 point home favs and in the control the entire game until the very end.

2. 2010 NFC Championship - Losing in OT to the Saints in a game the Vikings outgained the Saints by a large margin. Favre threw that int late when they were in FG position late in the game

3. 2003 Gophers vs Michigan - A very rare time where the Gophers were ranked high and undefeated. They were up 28-7 going into the 4th quarter against a good Michigan team in the metrodome and found a way to blow the game. and watch their season fall apart

4. 1987 NFC Championship - I was very young at the time but I remember Darrin Nelson dropping a ball near the end zone that would have knocked off the powerful Redskins that year. If it wasnt for the players strike that year the Vikings could have been playing that game at home.

5. Nothing specific but I will just make mention of the numerous games the Twins have played against the Yankees that they manage to blow late and watch Rivera close it out after that.

[Sublime 2]

Pats vs Giants 2007 Superbowl

Celts vs Lakers Game 7 2010 Championship

Sox vs Yanks Game 7 2003 ALCS

Pats vs Packers Superbowl XXXI - Not that I expected them to win but I was only 12 years old and it was my first MAJOR blow.

Bruins vs Flyers Game 7 2010 - There's probably more deserving games, but you assholes were up 3-0 in the series, then 3-0 in Game 7!


Admittedly, a lot of these games are 'newer', but I'm only 25.

[SirFozzie]

To this day, I still blame my wife for this game.

Through the rest of that series, whenever the Sox needed a lift, I would have my wife flash her boobs at the TV. They were like magic.

(Aside: the genesis of this particular mojo is a confusing story about her jumping out of the shower during the LDS, streaking nekkid through the house to get something from the bedroom and some un-remembered timely thing happening for the Sox both as she was going to the bedroom, then coming back. You know how these things work.)

Bottom line was that the Sox rode my wife's boobies into Game 7.

After the sixth inning, my wife said she was tired and going to bed. She said (and I quote), "There's no way they can botch it now. Congratulations!"

I said, "Nooooooooooooooooo!"

But she would not be swayed.

I slept on the couch after that game. I laid awake for like three hours trying to convince myself not to go into our bedroom and smother her to death with a pillow.

But then I remembered...she'd still have her boobs in 2004.

And, indeed, she did...she got them out in the bottom of the 9th of Game 4 of the ALCS because I made the mistake of telling her, "This is all your fault, anyway. They were destined to win last year, but you failed them. You took your boobs and went to bed."

My wife said, "You and your superstitions are insane! Look, I get them out and nothing happens! They are not magic boobies!"

(Just as Dave Roberts stole second.)

She watched every inning of the the rest of the playoffs topless.

You had a better reaction then me..

And you got a great wife. TITS OUT FOR THE SOX! ;)

[Drake]

In the interest of full disclosure, my wife gets her tits out for pretty much everybody.

[Coffee Warlord]

Game 6, 2003 NLCS
Game 7, 2003 NLCS

I doubt much will ever top that.

[SirFozzie]

In the interest of full disclosure, my wife gets her tits out for pretty much everybody.

(opens mouth)...

(decides to close mouth without saying anything)

[Sgran]

1. Leon Durham
2. Bartman
3. Jagr vs the Blackhawks
4. Ronnie Harman (for Iowa. I could have warned the Bills fans)
5. The game where that asshole Packer slammed McMahon to the turf.

[Honolulu Blue]

All right, I'll bite:

1. 2009 Game 163, Tigers vs. Twins - Each team had several opportunities to win. Finally, in 12, the wrong team did (http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN200910060.shtml). This was painful in a couple of ways other than the obvious: (1) The Twinkies didn't do squat in the playoffs against the Yankees. We could've done better. At least, we wouldn't have done any worse. (2) This looked like the end of the good times for Leyland & the Tigers. Last year was 81-81, so we'll see.

2. (tie) various games in 2009 for the Tigers down the stretch against Kansas City. KC was not good this year, but we made them look like world beaters in losing 5 of 6 in September. This cost us the pennant, of course.

3. (tie) '93 playoffs, Lions vs. Green Bay and '94 playoffs, Lions vs. Green Bay. I don't actually remember watching these games, but I'm sure I did. In the '93 game, we beat the Packers at the Silverdome in the final game. Our reward was to face them again, same place, 6 days later. Barry ran wild (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199401080det.htm), but it wasn't enough. In '94, we made the playoffs again and got to face Green Bay again, this time at Lambeau. This was the infamous game where Barry ran for -1 yard on 13 carries (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199412310gnb.htm). It was impossible for us to overcome that.

I suppose I could add some games from my sports text areers, but I don't remember them well enough. So let's leave it here.

[RainMaker]

1. Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS (Bartman game).
2. Game 7 of the 2003 NLCS
3. Bears vs Colts Super Bowl XLI
4. Bears vs Packers 2011 NFC Championship Game
5. Game 7 1989-1990 Eastern Conference Finals Bulls vs Pistons

[SirFozzie]

where does Blackpool's loss today rank (if you're a Man U hater or a Blackpool fan)

[Coffee Warlord]

In the interest of full disclosure, my wife gets her tits out for pretty much everybody.

We're everybody.

Pix plz.

[Logan]

My memory may be shaky or I could be getting confused, but I don't think we like Drake's wife, even if we could see her topless.

[Big Fo]

2002 World Cup quarterfinals - USA v. Germany - We outplayed the Germans, were not given a penalty kick for a blatant handball on the goal line, and lost 1-0.

1999 NFL Playoffs - Miami at Jacksonville - A 62-7 loss in Dan Marino's final game.

1996 World Series game 4 - NY Yankees at Atlanta - The Braves blew a six run lead when a win would have put them up three games to one.

2009 Champions League final - Manchester United v. Barcelona - After a promising start to the match for United, Barcelona scored an early goal and dominated from that point on. The final score was only 2-0 but it could easily have been worse. Just an incredibly depressing two hours.

1997 NLCS game 5 - Atlanta at Florida - With the series tied at two games apiece, Florida won this pivotal game 2-1 thanks to useless cunt Eric Gregg giving Livan Hernandez a three foot wide strike zone that enabled him to strike out 15 Braves, most of them on pitches that were impossible to hit without standing on home plate.

[Fonzie]

My list is pretty similar to Mustang's in that it is heavily populated with Packers games, but I'm also a St. Louis Cardinals fan, so my #1 is different. I've included, parenthetically, the thing that most kills me about each:

1. 1985 Cardinals World Series Game 6 vs. Kansas City (Don Denkinger was KC's MVP)
2. 1997 Packers Super Bowl (XXXII) vs. Denver (trading a freebie TD for time on the clock)
3. 2007 Packers NFC Championship game vs. Giants (Favre chokes in OT)
4. 1998 Packers Wild Card game vs. 49ers (the Rice fumble that wasn't)
5. 2003 Packers Divisional Playoff game vs Philly (4th & 26)

[mckerney]

1. Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Michigan Wolverines - October 10th, 2003
Minnesota was ranked 13th in the country and was hosting 19th ranked Michigan. The Gophers started the 3rd quarter up 28-7, but they gave up 31 points in the 4th quarter to lose 38-35. To make things worse, a win over Michigan in this game would've sent Minnesota to the Rose Bowl for the first time in more than 40 years.

2. Vikings vs. Falcons, 1998 NFC Championship Game
Blergh.

3. Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Holy Cross, 1st Round of the 2006 NCAA Hockey Tournament
The Gophers spent much of the year ranked #1 in the country only to lose in overtime to the lowest seeded team in the tourney. Program hasn't recovered losing 1 NCAA tournament game since then and with Don Lucia being allowed to keep his job for too long they're on pace to miss the NCAA tournament for a third year in a row.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers - 2004 Western Conference Finals
The Timberwolves looked like they might have a chance at making the NBA Finals, but the combination of facing the Lakers in the finals and losing Sam Cassell halfway through the series proved too much. Losing the series also ended the Wolves chance to make a run with Garnett, Spreewell and Cassell; the Timberwolves haven't been back to the playoffs since and they have recently become completely irrelevant due to the decisions made by Glen Taylor, Kevin McHale and David Khan.

5. Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints, 2010 NFC Championship Game
I fucking hate Bret Favre. :(

[digamma]

1. Georgia Tech vs. FSU, 1992. Georgia Tech up 24-14 late in the game falls 29-24 after a controversial onside kick recovery was awarded to FSU. Painful enough to lose in a heartbreaking fashion in FSU's first year in the ACC, but it literally set the Tech football program back 5 years. Tech was 4-1 heading into that game, and finished that season 5-6. It would be 1997 before Tech went to another bowl game.

2. Georgia Tech vs. Georgia, 2006. Calvin Johnson's best season at Georgia Tech fell apart in the end due to sub-par quarterback play and a personality clash between the defense and said sub-par quarterback. Another game that really hurt the program as a whole, as the next week Tech still didn't have its head on straight and lost in the ACC title game to an inferior Wake Forest team 9-6. It set the stage for Chan Gailey to be fired a season later.

3. Georgia Tech vs. Clemson, 2001. Prior to 9/11, Georgia Tech was playing arguably the best football in the country. They were supposed to play FSU on September 15. That game was moved to the end of the season after the attacks. Things looked on course for the first half of the Clemson game on September 22 until starting MLB Darryl Smith, who was spying Woody Dantzler, got hurt. A prayer from Dantzler connected just before the end of the first half to make the game close. Dantzler ran around, over and through the back-up LB in the second half and Clemson won in OT 47-44.

4. Harvard vs. Penn, 2002. ESPN Gameday came to you live from Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Harvard and Penn were both 5-0 in the Ivies and it was supposed to be a match-up for the ages. Unfortunately, Penn was the only one who got the memo and they ran roughshod over the Crimson.

5. Georgia Tech vs. Clemson, 2002. First of many disappointments of the Gailey era. This one is on here not so much for the game itself but for a self assessment that had to take place after the game. This was the first full football season after I got married, and I was in my typical horrible mood after a Tech loss. We had to run some errands that afternoon, and I was basically silent in the car. My wife basically told me my sulking wasn't going to fly. Because of that I look back at this relatively meaningless game as a focal point for sports disappointment.

[Drake]

My memory may be shaky or I could be getting confused, but I don't think we like Drake's wife, even if we could see her topless.

Nah. You can like my wife. I like her again now that she's on meds that actually work. :)

[MJ4H]

Only 2 for me. Nothing else comes close to these two, and #2 isn't even in the same league as #1:

#1) 1998 undefeated Arkansas at undefeated Tennessee. Arkansas jumps out to a 21-0 lead and holds of Tennessee until Stoerner has his foot stepped on and stumbles, fumbling the ball away. Arkansas was literally just running out the clock at that point.

#2) 1995 National Championship game vs. UCLA in basketball. Trailed most of the game, but always felt like we would make a run to take the lead and win the game. It just never happened. Brutally frustrating game to watch and a painful end to a weird season. It's been all downhill from there, let me tell you.

[MIJB#19]

1998/1999 UEFA Champions' League Final
Bayern München was leading 1-0 going into injury time, only to allow two almost identical goals to lose 2-1 in regulation to Manchester United. I wouldn't have wanted to be a FC Bayern fan that day. I was a neutral soccer fan that day, but it's always the first thing I think of around this kind of topic.

2001/2002 KNVB Beker Finale
FC Utrecht was leading 2-1 going into injury time against heavily favored Ajax. One of the most obvious off-side goals in the history of soccer in the last second of injury time put the game level. In overtime, Ajax had momentum going and scored the golden goal. Yeah, maybe I should think of this game first in this topic, as I can remember the 30 mins of total disbelief that I had right after that equalizer.

2010 Olympic Winters Games 10.000 Metres Speed Skating
Heavily favored Sven Kramer, our golden boy, potential sportsman of the decade, was on his way to beat the opposition by a huge margin. A freak coaching blunder and a listening pupil later, Kramer got disqualified for not switching lanes. This too caused me to sit in disbelief for at least 15 minutes.

2002 FIFA World Cup Qualification
Oranje needed a win at Ireland to get past the Irish and stay in the race for a world cup ticket. Our guys outplayed Ireland for a full hour, an Irish defender was sent of and it was turning into a 90% possession game. The Irish got one freak chance and scored 1-0. Oranje kept pushing, putting four of the best strikers in the world on the field, but shot after shot went wide, over, on the bar, on a defender or got saved. Nothing worked, 1-0 final score, Netherlands out, Ireland on to the playoffs against Iran.

For a fifth moment, I can't think of anything right now. People will probably expect me to mention the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but it wasn't a total shocker, we got outplayed and frankly didn't deserve to win. Soccer fans all across the globe will come up with painful world cup losses, and between the 2010 final, the 2006 ugliest game in soccer, aforementioned 2002 qualifer and the penalties in 1998, we've got our own share of sour moments. And I almost went through without mentioning the missed penalty kicks syndrome of Euro2000...

[MIJB#19]

What a depressing topic, by the way. :rant:

[Dr. Sak]

1. 2004 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 (Flyers vs Lightning) - Before last year's team, this was my favorite Flyer team. I firmly believe that if they won Game 7, they would have taken Calgary in the Cup finals. Add that to the fact that I had to be at a wedding during the game and I caught the my dumb bitch date cheating on me two weeks later that ended our 4 year relationship.

2. 2005 Penn State at Michigan - Mario Manningham ruins my first ever away Penn State game by catching a game winning pass with no time left.

3. 2010 Stanley Cup Finals Game 6 (Flyers vs Blackhawks) - I don't normally believe in destiny but I thought that this team was destine to win the Cup. Hartnell scores to tie the game late, but Kane puts it away in OT.

4. 1987 Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 (Oilers vs Flyers) - My first recollection of heartbreak watching the Flyers come miraculously back in Game 6, only to lose in Game 7.

5. 2010 Olympic Hockey Finals (USA vs Canada) - Fuck you Sidney Crosby.

-Since I wasn't a huge baseball fan in the 90s, Joe Carter's homer didn't upset me that much. But if this was a top 10, it would've made it.

[ColtCrazy]

Honorable Mention - 2010 Wildcard Colts lose to Jets - stupid Caldwell.

5. 2008 Wildcard Colts lose to Chargers - all we had to do was convert a 3rd and 2. Should have beaten that team. Loved the 08 Colts because of how they fought back too.

4. 2007 Regular Season Colts lose to Pats - up in the 4th quarter, we had a chance to end their perfection. Alas, I guess it made the Giants victory even better. Still....

3. 2009 Regular Season Colts lose to Jets Denied perfection by Polian's ego.


2. 1992 NCAA Semifinals - IU loses to Duke My favorite IU team with my favorite player (Cheaney) had to lose to the Dukies.

1. 1995 AFC Championship Colts lose to Steelers Kordell scores a TD even though he runs out of bounds before hand. Colts drop an easy interception to seal the game....and then to watch the ball roll of Bailey. We would have beaten the Cowboys that year (we did early the following season in Dallas) Instead, I got to see O'Donnell hand them the game, which irritated me even more.

Believe it or not, last year's Super Bowl didn't hurt so much...maybe because I was there and you just had this preordained feeling the Saints would win.

[Drake]

Can I just use the whole post-Bobby Knight era of IU basketball instead of individual games?

[BYU 14]

1-December 28th 1975 - Dallas 17 Minnesota 14 on Roger Staubachs hail mary pass to Drew Pearson, I was 12 years old then, but nothing has topped this.

2-5 - See 1

[ColtCrazy]

Can I just use the whole post-Bobby Knight era of IU basketball instead of individual games?

I considered that. I still have hope for Crean though, he's been on a good run of recruiting.....maybe next year will be a good year. Finally.

[Solecismic]

I only have one sports allegiance of any real strength.

1. Michigan vs. Stanford, Rose Bowl, end of 1971 season
2. Michigan ties Ohio State, 1973, athletic directors vote to send Ohio State to the Rose Bowl
3. Michigan vs. Ohio State, 1974 - another perfect season lost
4. Michigan vs. Ohio State, 2006 - lost opportunity to play in NCG
5. Michigan vs. Iowa, 1985 - spoiled a perfect start, the only loss in a surprisingly great season my senior year

[cuervo72]

Hmm.

1. 1993 WS, Phillies losing to Toronto.
2. 1987 Stanley Cup Finals, Flyers losing to Edmonton.
3. 1983 WS, Phillies losing to Baltimore
4. 1988 NFC Divisional Playoffs, Eagles losing to Chicago (aka the "Fog Bowl")
5. 1981 AFC Divisional Playoffs, Dolphins losing to San Diego

I guess, anyway. Super Bowl XXXIX probably should be on the list, but I think by that time I was old enough to be dulled to losing. The games/series on the list just seemed to have more impact at their times, when I was younger.

[Buccaneer]

1. Greg Norman at 1996 Masters.
2. SDSU loss to Iowa in 1986 Holiday Bowl.
3. SDSU loss to f'n BYU in 1979.
4. 1986 Game 6 World Series.
5. Patriots loss to Giants and Cardinals loss to f'n Steelers (tie).

If I were to add one from my childhood, it would be Redskins loss to Cowboys in that Thanksgiving game (forgot what year)

[Marmel]

1) Syracuse loses to Vermont in the first round of the NCAA tournament. They were final 4 good that year and the rest of the region totally fell apart. Nothing went right that night.

2) Syracuse loses to Butler in Sweet 16. If Onuaku is not injured in the Big East Tournament there is no doubt in my mind that Syracuse wins the title. I knew they couldn't do it without him, but I was hoping they would at least get to the Elite 8.

HUGE GAP

3) Giants lose to Eagles this year.

HUGE GAP

4) Giants lose Superbowl to Ravens.

5) Yankees lose 2004 ALCS (though this is a very distant 5th - there just wasn't a good 5th option).

[Chief Rum]

Good stuff... (well, kinda, good thread, bad stuff)

Not listed in "pain" order:

1. 1986 ALCS Game 5, Angels vs Red Sox (Hendu Goes Deep Off Donnie Moore)

2. 1989 NFC Championship Game, Rams vs 49ers (Not even a fan of the Rams anymore, and I still hate the Niners)

3. 2006 Western Conference Semi-finals Game 6, Clippers vs Suns (You #$#%# moron, Dunleavy, you do not put an in-from-the-cold rookie 6'3" rookie Daniel Ewing on a 6'6" hot shooting Raja Bell at the key moment of the most important game in franchise history)

4. 1998 Miami-UCLA football (Edgerrin James beats Cade McNown last day of season and keeps UCLA out of first ever BCS title game)

5. 2008 Divisional Series Game 4, Angels vs Red Sox (Aybar can't get the bunt down, and the Angels' best team since 2002 inexplicable loses a fourth straight playoff series to the bleepin' Red Sox)


Honorable Mention: 2003 USC-UCLA football (Carroll runs up the score), 2009 USC-UCLA football (Carroll calls for deep pass with game over), 1995 AL West division playoff (finishes off Angels' infamous 1995 collapse)

[EagleFan]

- Joe FUCKING Carter...

- The Eagles nauseating two minute offense in the Super Bowl.

- Bill Buckner between the legs.

- The Seahawks losing against the Steelers and the refs in the Super Bowl.

- The Fog Bowl; if Buddy Ryan knew how to be a head coach that team could have given the Eagles their first Super Bowl and maybe a couple during that time frame.

[Buccaneer]

Marmel, of all of the SU's losses, I think the one that sticks out for me is the Indiana one. The Richmond, Vermont and Butler losses were marginally deserving by sucking so bad. But I think beating KU made up for everything.

[Danny]

Just off the top of my head without too much though.

Raiders Super Bowl Vs. Bucs
Raiders tuck game
Raiders Baltimore playoff game
Kings stanley cup vs. Montreal
Indy loses to Pittsburgh in AFC championship game when Harbaugh was QB.

[cartman]

Super Bowl XIII: Steelers 35, Cowboys 31
This is truly one of my first bad memories in life. Yes, the Cowboys also lost Super Bowl X to the Steelers, but I was only 3 1/2 then, so I don't really remember it too well. I do remember the Cowboys beating the Broncos in Super Bowl XII, and that is one of my first best memories. What I remember most is getting really mad and screaming at my dad when he said there was no way the Cowboys could get a seconds onside kick and win.

NBA Western Conference Semifinals, Game 4: Lakers 122, Dallas 115 (OT)
The Mavericks were the new, upstart team, while the Lakers were in their "Showtime" heyday. The Lakers had one the first two games of the best of 7 series, but the Mavs battled back to win game three. The score was tied approaching the end of regulation, but Derek Harper mistakenly thought the Mavs had the lead, and dribbled the clock out. He threw the ball up in celebration, then looked around. I thought Coach Dick Motta was going to have a coronary right then and there.

TAPPS State Championship Game for soccer, 1990
Our team was awesome, and we were going for our 3rd title in four seasons. I was hurt most of the season, but got back into form for the playoffs. We progressed through, and made it to the finals. Due to bad weather, the schedule was compressed, so the semi-finals were in the morning, and the final was late afternoon. We won the first game, and had to wait for the second game. In the championship game, we played Waco Reicher. It was a tough, defensive battle. They led 1-0 late in the game, when our fullback made an incredible goal off a direct free kick from nearly midfield. It flew on a straight line to the right uppermost corner of the goal. We went to overtime, and no one scored. So on to penalty kicks. They made their first kick, and I made the first one for our team. Both of the second guys missed, and both of the 3rd and 4th guys made theirs. On the fifth kick, they made theirs. Our guy, when he went to take his kick, the other goalie moved off of his line. Back then, this wasn't allowed. The refs didn't spot it, and the goalie made the save, and we lost.

1991 Cotton Bowl: Miami 46, Texas 3
This was my freshman year at UT. Texas hadn't been as strong as they historically had been, but this season was different. They lost an early game to eventual co-national champions Colorado, but then proceeded to run the table, beating a #4 OU team as well as the supposedly unstoppable Houston team which was #3 at the time. Texas was #3 going into the game, with a shot at a national championship. However, they came out completely flat and just got run the hell over by Miami. A sign of how things would go during the game came on the opening drive for the Canes, when they converted a 3rd and 27.

NBA Finals, Game 3: Miami 98, Dallas 96
I had followed the Mavericks since their inception. They finally were going to erase the ghosts of the past, and win Game 3 and go on to take a 3-0 series lead. They were up late in the 4th quarter, but couldn't final a way to close the game out, and then went on to lose the next 3 games.

[VPI97]

1) 1991 Virginia State Football Semi-Finals - We had won State the year before (Soph. year), and followed it up in my Junior year with the first undefeated reg. season in school history. We kept winning until the State Semi-Finals when we faced off against Rustburg High. We were up 14-12 and just needing a few first downs to run out the clock when one of our tailbacks fumbled around our own 20 yard line. Our defense held, but on fourth down they decided to forgo their non kicking policy and tried a ~30 yard FG with less than a minute to go...their first kick attempt (XP or FG) of the year. Out trots a 300+ lb kicker...who makes it. Our offense wasn't equipped for any sort of two minute drill (wishbone), so that was that.

2) 1992 Virginia State Football Region Championship - Senior year wasn't as good as So. or Jr. years (7-4 reg. season), but we had ended the regular season with a win over the #1 team in the state by shutting down "Touchdown" Tommy Edwards and a game changing 'hitch and go' reception down to the 1 by yours truly. Two weeks later in the Regional Finals, we squared off against them again, but their offense fared much better than the first meeting. We typically played a 4-4 defense (I was at ROLB), but against their standard formation, we ran what amounted to a 5-2 with a third DT positioned to the strong side and me in more of a SS/Rover type role on the weak side to take away their bread and butter slants & crossing routes. Worked well the first go around, but in the Regional Finals, they started using multiple pre-snap shifts to confuse us and more often than not, we ended up in the opposite alignment that what we should have been in. As a result, they blew us out by 20. They were better than us, but it was the final game I played in....that's always painful.

3) 2000 Sugar Bowl: FSU 46 - VT 29 for the National Championship.

4) 2005: #5 Miami 27 - #3 VT 7 -- Thanks to six turnovers by Marcus Vick. It was a cold, cold night in the stands.

5) 1998: Syracuse 28 - VT 26 -- F*cking McNabb.

[Suburban Rhythm]

No particular order...

1994 Steelers lose to Chargers AFCCG. Only consolation is Alfred Pupunu is funny to say.

1995 Steelers lose SB to Cowboys. Thanks Neil O'Donnell

1993 penguins lose to isles. David Volek in OT

2001 ECF Pens lose to devils. Johan Hedberg year

2008 SCF game 6 lose to wings. Doubly worse being in the building

[sterlingice]

Honestly, I can only think of one:

Oilers-Bills in 1993

I mean, the Rockets had 2 good titles. KU- well, those losses to Syracuse and Maryland hurt as I thought we were good enough to win each of those years and a couple of those other years like last year. But, frankly, that got all wiped away by 2008. I wasn't real keen on the Border War football game in 2007 but the Orange Bowl and win against Va Tech made up for it. And, frankly, the Royals are never in it long enough to have a heartbreaking loss.

SI

[Pumpy Tudors]

No particular order here except the worst will be last.

Broncos losing to the Jaguars in the 1996 playoffs. The Broncos were supposed to punish the Jags, but Jacksonville walked out of Denver with a victory.

Cardinals losing to the Twins in the 1987 World Series.

Devils losing to the Rangers in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals. Any Devils fan would put this near the top (bottom?) of their list.

Michael Jordan's game winner over Bryon Russell. Since John Stockton retired, I'm no longer a Jazz fan, but that was very painful.

The absolute worst for me, however, is from the minor leagues. The ECHL's New Orleans Brass was a pretty good hockey team. In their five years of existence, they never missed the playoffs. They had a passionate bunch of fans, myself included. They had a huge rivalry with the Louisiana IceGators. In the final year of the Brass, the IceGators kicked our behinds. I can't remember exactly how many games they played against each other that year, but it was right around a dozen. I was a regular at Brass home games, and I was there the final time the teams played each other. Up to that point, whether the game was in New Orleans or in Lafayette, the IceGators had won every game they'd played. One IceGator in particular - his name is Jay Murphy - was a thorn in the Brass's side. He was an agitator, but he was a good player. He knew how to score goals, and he could get his opponents off their game. The IceGators' fans travelled well, too. They brought cowbells and could damn near take over another team's arena with the noise. We Brass fans were loud enough to drown them out most of the time, though.

My wife was at the game with me, along with her mother and her aunt. The mother and aunt were visiting from out of town, and we wanted them to join us at the hockey game. I was so excited, as I was hoping the Brass would finally beat the IceGators that year. The Brass fell behind with maybe 3 or 4 minutes to go, and I started sulking. Here we go again. My absolute least favorite Brass player, A.J. Begg, took the ice on a line change. He was a pretty bad defenseman, but he was a favorite of the coach for some reason. I cringed whenever Begg was on the ice. Somehow, some way, A.J. Begg scored the tying goal. The New Orleans Arena erupted. It looked like we were heading to overtime. At least we had a shot at getting 1 point from the IceGators. Then it happened.

With about a minute to go, there was a scramble in front of the New Orleans net. One of the IceGators took a shot that Brass goalie Ron Vogel couldn't corral. The rebound popped all the way out to the faceoff circle to Vogel's left. I could already tell what was coming. With the puck still several feet from the net and nobody near it, I screamed "NOOOOOOO!" and dropped my head into my hands. I didn't even lift my head. Five seconds later - a full five seconds later - I heard the worst sound I could imagine that night. The cowbells. Jay Murphy scored. The Brass lost to the IceGators. Again. I took my Brass jersey off and threw it onto the floor in disgust. That was the closest the Brass had come to beating the IceGators all season. Even overtime would've been nice, but no. Jay Murphy.

The Brass folded after the season, so they never got to play the IceGators again. It's been nine years since that night, but I still hear the damn cowbells. My mother-in-law thinks I'm insane.

Those damn cowbells.

[cartman]

The absolute worst for me, however, is from the minor leagues. The ECHL's New Orleans Brass was a pretty good hockey team. In their five years of existence, they never missed the playoffs. They had a passionate bunch of fans, myself included. They had a huge rivalry with the Louisiana IceGators. In the final year of the Brass, the IceGators kicked our behinds. I can't remember exactly how many games they played against each other that year, but it was right around a dozen. I was a regular at Brass home games, and I was there the final time the teams played each other. Up to that point, whether the game was in New Orleans or in Lafayette, the IceGators had won every game they'd played. One IceGator in particular - his name is Jay Murphy - was a thorn in the Brass's side. He was an agitator, but he was a good player. He knew how to score goals, and he could get his opponents off their game. The IceGators' fans travelled well, too. They brought cowbells and could damn near take over another team's arena with the noise. We Brass fans were loud enough to drown them out most of the time, though.

My wife was at the game with me, along with her mother and her aunt. The mother and aunt were visiting from out of town, and we wanted them to join us at the hockey game. I was so excited, as I was hoping the Brass would finally beat the IceGators that year. The Brass fell behind with maybe 3 or 4 minutes to go, and I started sulking. Here we go again. My absolute least favorite Brass player, A.J. Begg, took the ice on a line change. He was a pretty bad defenseman, but he was a favorite of the coach for some reason. I cringed whenever Begg was on the ice. Somehow, some way, A.J. Begg scored the tying goal. The New Orleans Arena erupted. It looked like we were heading to overtime. At least we had a shot at getting 1 point from the IceGators. Then it happened.

With about a minute to go, there was a scramble in front of the New Orleans net. One of the IceGators took a shot that Brass goalie Ron Vogel couldn't corral. The rebound popped all the way out to the faceoff circle to Vogel's left. I could already tell what was coming. With the puck still several feet from the net and nobody near it, I screamed "NOOOOOOO!" and dropped my head into my hands. I didn't even lift my head. Five seconds later - a full five seconds later - I heard the worst sound I could imagine that night. The cowbells. Jay Murphy scored. The Brass lost to the IceGators. Again. I took my Brass jersey off and threw it onto the floor in disgust. That was the closest the Brass had come to beating the IceGators all season. Even overtime would've been nice, but no. Jay Murphy.

The Brass folded after the season, so they never got to play the IceGators again. It's been nine years since that night, but I still hear the damn cowbells. My mother-in-law thinks I'm insane.

Those damn cowbells.

http://bythelbs.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/morecowbell3.jpg

[hoopsguy]

1. Bartman game - not just Bartman, although having something like that on top of a hideous error and Pryor blowing up make it add up quickly.

2. Illini losing in '89 Final Four to Michigan - beat them twice by double digits in regular season, and I road-tripped to Seattle to watch this one in person. I didn't stick around to watch the championship game ... the bitterness was too great.

3. Garvey game - '84 Cubs blowing a 2-0 series lead in best of 5 to get to World Series. Durham error in this one as well

4. '05 Illini lose championship game to UNC - not nearly as traumatic as first three due to quality of foe, flow of game. But still hard to swallow, as I was up to 33 years old without a title for my two favorite sports teams.

5. "Migraine Game" - Bulls get whupped in Game 7 against Pistons in '90, year before they started winning titles.

[Suburban Rhythm]

No particular order here except the worst will be last.

Broncos losing to the Jaguars in the 1996 playoffs. The Broncos were supposed to punish the Jags, but Jacksonville walked out of Denver with a victory.

Cardinals losing to the Twins in the 1987 World Series.

Devils losing to the Rangers in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals. Any Devils fan would put this near the top (bottom?) of their list.

Michael Jordan's game winner over Bryon Russell. Since John Stockton retired, I'm no longer a Jazz fan, but that was very painful.

The absolute worst for me, however, is from the minor leagues. The ECHL's New Orleans Brass was a pretty good hockey team. In their five years of existence, they never missed the playoffs. They had a passionate bunch of fans, myself included. They had a huge rivalry with the Louisiana IceGators. In the final year of the Brass, the IceGators kicked our behinds. I can't remember exactly how many games they played against each other that year, but it was right around a dozen. I was a regular at Brass home games, and I was there the final time the teams played each other. Up to that point, whether the game was in New Orleans or in Lafayette, the IceGators had won every game they'd played. One IceGator in particular - his name is Jay Murphy - was a thorn in the Brass's side. He was an agitator, but he was a good player. He knew how to score goals, and he could get his opponents off their game. The IceGators' fans travelled well, too. They brought cowbells and could damn near take over another team's arena with the noise. We Brass fans were loud enough to drown them out most of the time, though.

My wife was at the game with me, along with her mother and her aunt. The mother and aunt were visiting from out of town, and we wanted them to join us at the hockey game. I was so excited, as I was hoping the Brass would finally beat the IceGators that year. The Brass fell behind with maybe 3 or 4 minutes to go, and I started sulking. Here we go again. My absolute least favorite Brass player, A.J. Begg, took the ice on a line change. He was a pretty bad defenseman, but he was a favorite of the coach for some reason. I cringed whenever Begg was on the ice. Somehow, some way, A.J. Begg scored the tying goal. The New Orleans Arena erupted. It looked like we were heading to overtime. At least we had a shot at getting 1 point from the IceGators. Then it happened.

With about a minute to go, there was a scramble in front of the New Orleans net. One of the IceGators took a shot that Brass goalie Ron Vogel couldn't corral. The rebound popped all the way out to the faceoff circle to Vogel's left. I could already tell what was coming. With the puck still several feet from the net and nobody near it, I screamed "NOOOOOOO!" and dropped my head into my hands. I didn't even lift my head. Five seconds later - a full five seconds later - I heard the worst sound I could imagine that night. The cowbells. Jay Murphy scored. The Brass lost to the IceGators. Again. I took my Brass jersey off and threw it onto the floor in disgust. That was the closest the Brass had come to beating the IceGators all season. Even overtime would've been nice, but no. Jay Murphy.

The Brass folded after the season, so they never got to play the IceGators again. It's been nine years since that night, but I still hear the damn cowbells. My mother-in-law thinks I'm insane.

Those damn cowbells.

My last name is Vogel...I hope I'm related.

[Pumpy Tudors]

My last name is Vogel...I hope I'm related.
You may remind me of him, particularly if you play goalie in the minors, are so small that you can fit into the net without crouching, have a bad habit of chasing the puck if it's within 30 feet of you, and have my wife openly threaten to connect you to the goalpost with a bungee cord if you don't learn how to stay put.

Yeah, you'd be pretty much just like Ron Vogel, or at least you'd be a close relative.

[Wolfpack]

No particular order:
*1989--State has top-seeded Georgetown on the brink, Chris Corchiani drives the lane and seems to have drawn the fifth foul on Alonzo Mourning, but no, Rick Hartzell comes charging in from half-court to call a mysterious travel call on Corchiani. State loses momentum and eventually the game. There was a general feeling that if State could have won, they might have had a shot at the national title that year. The Wolfpack basketball program has never come close to this level in the 22 years since (the one Sweet 16 several years ago barely counts since that State team was a #10 that had to upset UConn to get there and was never a serious national title contender).
*2002--Canes fans and Sabres fans may have very little in common most of the time, but at least in my case, I can share a pathological dislike of Brett Hull with them. I still can see that damn smirk on his face when he tipped in a shot with a minute to go to force OT in Game 3 of the SCF that year (the one that went triple OT before Detroit won--I still remain convinced that Game 3 settled who won the Cup and that if Carolina won, they would have pulled the shocking upset in the series).
*1997 and 1998 in football against UNC in Charlotte. Both years, State was the better team and especially 1998 when Carolina was basically using a converted running back as quarterback. State still lost both games, pretty much marking the end of Mike O'Cain as coach at State.
*2003--John Kasay kicks it out of bounds. 'Nuff said.
*2004--State chokes away a win against Vanderbilt in the NCAA tournament (had a good scream on my porch after that one)
*1997--A vastly undermanned State squad seems to have UNC on the ropes at the Dean Dome, but totally disintegrates in the closing minutes to hand the game to Carolina (hell's bells, there are so many choke jobs to choose from, actually--UConn in the NCAAs the year before State beat them in the second round, the Maryland game in the ACC tournament a few years back where State slaughtered them for a half and then Gilchrist ruins us in the second half, JJ-f'ing-Reddick in the ACC championship one year...it's no wonder why I generally have a nonchalance about State playing basketball anymore...it keeps me sane to some extent)
*2010--State has a chance at the Atlantic Division title and then lays a total stinkbomb against Maryland in the last game of the season, giving the division title to FSU
*2003--State (basically Philip Rivers by himself) fought Ohio State to a standstill on the road in Columbus before OSU prevails in triple-OT; painful because I saw that one in person and can still see Rivers mysteriously trying to go for the touchdown twice on sneaks from just too far away and then watching TA McLendon get stopped a half-yard short of the goal line on fourth down. I had end zone seats right above where State was playing toward in the third OT and I saw and knew McLendon didn't make it well before the refs made it official on review.
*2002--State uses a 9-0 start to the season to gin up some serious ACC championship and possible dark-horse national title discussions before it all comes crashing to a halt against Georgia Tech at home. State skids into the postseason before blowing out Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl.

[RainMaker]

5. "Migraine Game" - Bulls get whupped in Game 7 against Pistons in '90, year before they started winning titles.

I listed this as 5 but it probably could be higher. It was so long ago that the emotions have worn off since they did end up winning 6 titles afterward.

But that was our chance to knock off the Pistons who were just so hated. And I think we'd have beaten Portland in the Finals as well.

[CleBrownsfan]

Top 5? Hell, I could go a lot more being a Cleveland sports fan:

Here are my top 5 in order:

1) Indians vs. Marlins 1997 World Series game 7
2) Indians vs Red Sox 2007 ALCS up 3-1 and losing the series
3) The Drive 1987
4) The Fumble 1988
5) The Shot 1989 "The famous Jordan basket over Ehlo"

[Suburban Rhythm]

You may remind me of him, particularly if you play goalie in the minors, are so small that you can fit into the net without crouching, have a bad habit of chasing the puck if it's within 30 feet of you, and have my wife openly threaten to connect you to the goalpost with a bungee cord if you don't learn how to stay put.

Yeah, you'd be pretty much just like Ron Vogel, or at least you'd be a close relative.

Not sure how to break the news to you...

[Pumpy Tudors]

Not sure how to break the news to you...
AUGH!

[PackerFanatic]

5. 95 NFC Title Game : Dallas v GB
4. 98 Wild Card : GB v SF
3. 03 Divisional Playoffs : Philly v GB (4th and F'n 26...)
2. 07 NFC Title Game - Giants v GB (So close)
1. 97 Super Bowl XXXII - Denver v GB

They lose to the Bears this last weekend it would have vaulted to #1

Funny, Mustang - mine are pretty much exactly the same :)

Although I would add to #1 - F'n John Elway

[Castlerock]

2007 Pats / Giants Super Bowl.
2006 Pats / Colts AFC Championship game. Just catch the 3rd-and-4 pass!
1986 Red Sox / Mets Game 6, the Buckner game. Less painful now that I care much less about MLB.

Not sure I can come up with two more.
I have 1 to add to this list:

1999 NCAA Hockey National Championship
New Hampshire was the #1 ranked team pretty much wire-to-wire. Hit the post in overtime before losing to 'that-team-which-must-not-be-named'.

[Sun Tzu]

Ugh...this thread makes me sad...here are mine in no particular order.

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/AP_Photo/2007/10/06/1191671303_5940.jpg
Orioles vs Yankees - 1996 ALCS - Jeffery Maier reaches out and every ump in Yankee Stadium checks his back pocket to make sure George's money is still there...yep...home run!

49ers vs. Cowboys - 1992 NFC Championship - UGH

49ers vs. Cowboys - 1993 NFC Championship - DOUBLE UGH

49ers vs. Packers - 1997 NFC Championship - More blown calls in a single game than I've ever seen, even to this day. The most obvious coming on an incomplete pass ruled a fumble early in the second quarter.

Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior - Wrestlemania VI - I grew up a true blue Hulkamaniac. When he lost this match, I balled my eight year old eyes out.

[GoldenEagle]

Only one for me, Memphis vs Kansas in 2008 basketball championship game.

[Landshark44]

dolphins lose 41-38 to the chargers, playoffs 1981

dolphins lose 62-7 to jaguars, playoffs, dans last game

dolphins lose to raiders in 1977 on ken stabler pass to someone

dolphins lose to jets on MNF, after being up by @70 in the fourth

dolphins lose to skins in SB, when Riggins busts one on 4th and 1....

[Rizon]

dolphins lose 62-7 to jaguars, playoffs, dans last game

This was the first and only Dolphin's game I watched outside of someone's house. I dressed all up in Dolphin's gear, a true turquoise nightmare, and watched the game at my dad's work. I was so upset I left sometime in the 2nd quarter. Driving home I felt like I was in a fish bowl, I was so embarrassed wearing Phin gear. I went home, and didn't turn on the game for awhile, but eventually did and hoped for some type of miracle.

I threw most of my Dolphin's gear in the trash that day.

Several horrible, horrible things came from that game. It was Dan's last game ever, and he was horrible, and that was sad to see. Dave Wandscrap ended up coaching the team into the ground over the next few seasons. And just because Jay Fiedler threw 2 or 3 good passes in relief for the Jaguars that game against a totally defeated defense, he was anointed successor to Marino ... and he ended up being one of the worst QBs in Dolphin's history (truly, truly TRULY hated him and his HORRIBLE HORRIBLE accuracy).

Damn, that still makes me mad.

[Toddzilla]

dolphins lose to skins in SB, when Riggins busts one on 4th and 1....OMG - forgot about that one. Just make a tackle and win the SB....nope. :rant:

[Comey]

5) Bucs 27, Eagles 10 - 2003 NFC Championship Game

4) PIAA AA Boys Basketball Eastern Finals, 1997. My HS, Trinity out of Camp Hill, PA, is ranked #1 in the state in AA. We blew through everyone in the regular season and districts; our only loss is to a Harrisburg team that would win the state title the following season. We faced a team from Wilkes-Barre, and proceeded to have the worst shooting game we had as a team. I call this the Hand of God game, because with one second left, our center put up a shot that went in...only to somehow pop back out as it was going through the net. I knew, then and there, that I had baseball practice the next day.

It took two more overtime periods to send that message home, though. Our best chance at a state title, with a team that had ten seniors and two junior three-year starters, just went up in smoke.

3) Panthers 14, Eagles 3, 2004 NFC Championship Game. I was there; everything leading up to gametime was the best I'd ever experienced up to that point. I was admitted to a VIP area, where there was the AFC title game on TV, and a cheesesteak buffet. I met Hall of Fame wideout Tommy McDonald in the pro shop. He signed my ticket, informed me of how great it was that I could make it to the game...and, of course, go Eagles. It was awesome.

Then kickoff happened. All downhill from there.

The one cool thing that happened at this game is that a picture of me, or footage, I don't know, was taken by NFL Films. It was sold to Sega, who used it as a fan cut scene in NFL2k5. That was really cool (though really, really eerie to be staring at myself at 1am through a preview screenshot of the game).

3) My final American Legion game. We were in the semifinals of the league tournament, in the final elimination game before the finals. I was brought on in relief in the bottom of the seventh, tie game, runners 1st and 2nd, one out. I'm facing their #3 and #4 hitters; the first pitch I make to the first batter comes back at me, hits me on the hip, and flips up. I fail to catch it; bases loaded, and the league MVP, who hit somewhere around .600, is now up. I worked the count full, and then threw a 3-2 curveball that obviously caught him off-guard. Struck him out. Two down.

Our coach pulled me to bring in a lefty to face a lefty (I was not good against lefties). First pitch hits the batter. Game over. Season over. Legion over. An era of baseball I'll never get back....over.

I never cried after a loss. I cried after that one.

2) Losing to St. Joe's of Hanover, my senior year. In the greatest wins thread, I talked about one of my greatest wins in a postseason CYO tournament. I helped start a parish team my senior season, due to baseball keeping me from playing HS basketball. After an injury to my knee midseason cost us a chance at a league title (I was our leading scorer and rebounder, putting up a 20-20 a game), we decided we'd get our revenge by winning the tournament. We knocked off division champ and my chief rival St. Catherine, the team who injured me and, without that, we would have crushed in the regular season, in the second round. In the final, we got the overall league champ, St. Joe of Hanover. We lost to them the week after my injury, by 3 points. I was supposed to sit out; I played the whole game, scoring 19 points...but my knee ran out of gas down the stretch, and we lost late.

We were up by eleven going into the fourth quarter, and we were looking great. We ended up not scoring in the fourth quarter. Lid on the basket, nerves, I don't know. I had a costly turnover in the final minute that killed us. We ended up losing by eight.

I would get my revenge on them as coach...but that one hurt. On a personal note, it hurt moreso that, had we won that game, I'd have been named MVP of the tournament. That would have been cool, but whatever.

1) Joe Carter. Cried for a week.

[stevew]

Comey-

The GJR teams that won in 96/98 were pretty much an abomination in interschool athletics. Somehow it seemed that any troubled hood kid in my half of the state wound up at that school. You were dealing with some kids from like Jersey and Philly and shit too. Whatever right they had to a AA title was bullshit because they didn't live in the community and for the most part weren't good people. They should have been forced to play AAAA ball.

Anyways, sucks to hear your story, but at least you didn't lose to GJR(go steal a car).

Did you get to play against Kobe(lower Merion?)

[TroyF]

#1 is Pumpy's #1. Jags beat the Broncos. It was crushing because at the time I didn't know if I'd ever see Elway win the Super Bowl. I avoided Spots Center for weeks and watched about 5 minutes of the rest of the playoffs. I've never had one of "my" teams lose and felt so bad.

#2 - Twins/A's - Eric Fox comes up in the dome and blasts a 3 run homer to win the game. It was a regular season game (I want to say '92) The A's went on a tear after it and the Twins went into the tank losing the division.

#3 - Lakers/Nuggets - This is a game I was at. Regular season game in the Shaq/Kobe years. Nuggets are leading the game by 2 with about 20 seconds left and the shot clock running down. Nuggets fire up a shot and the ball hits the rim, the Nuggets get the rebound. . . BUT the ref says the ball never hit the rim and the shot clock expired. Another ref gets the call right, but says because of the blown call it's now a jump ball. The toss on the jump ball is one of the worst tosses in history and goes about a foot to Shaq's side. He wins it, kicks to Kobe, 3 pointer, ball game. The ref who made the call is suspended for a couple of games for screwing up the call. A lot of help that did for the W/L record.

4) Oklahoma State losing to UCLA in the final four. (I thnk '95)

5) Oklahoma State losing to OU at home this year with the Big 12 south title on the line.

[Mac Howard]

Not a game I watched but one I played in. The first game (soccer) I played for my new school at age 12. We scored the first goal early and were cock-a-hoop. I can recall one of the opposition's fan calling out when we went one up "They're showing you how to play, Chadderton". That obviously did much for motivation as they went on to score 13 unanswered goals in response and we lost 13 - 1 :rolleyes:

[Comey]

Comey-

The GJR teams that won in 96/98 were pretty much an abomination in interschool athletics. Somehow it seemed that any troubled hood kid in my half of the state wound up at that school. You were dealing with some kids from like Jersey and Philly and shit too. Whatever right they had to a AA title was bullshit because they didn't live in the community and for the most part weren't good people. They should have been forced to play AAAA ball.

Anyways, sucks to hear your story, but at least you didn't lose to GJR(go steal a car).

Did you get to play against Kobe(lower Merion?)

I was at a camp he was at once...but no, we didn't face Lower Merion; Cedar Cliff got to play them.

As far as George Jr. Republic goes...they barely beat our top rival, Reading Central, in 96 and 98. They didn't get there in 1997 (they lost to Aliquippa, who won the title).

Trinity's first PIAA boys championship, interestingly enough, came against Aliquippa in 2001. The leading player on the Quips that year was Darielle Revis. Coach Kostelac called Revis the most athletic player he's ever seen on the court. I'm thinking that's still the case, despite all the great players Trinity has played against (this was the beginning of a reign of dominance for Trinity, save for Gerry MacNamara and his 55 points in 2002).

[BBT]

1) 1991 NFL Divisional Round: Denver 26, Houston 24. The year before the Buffalo collapse. Houston led 21-6, but Elway drove the team at the end for the winning field goal. Big play, 4th and long, Elway scrambles, Jerry Gray chooses wrong and starts towards Elway before he crosses the line of scrimmage. Elway then lobs the ball to the receiver who goes about 40 yards to put them in field goal range. Just speechless after that one.

2) 1986 NLCS Game 6: NY Mets 7, Houston 6 in 16 innings. Epic game, epic ending (Kevin Bass strikeouts with the bases loaded with Mike Scott waiting to pitch Game 7). Heartbreaking series overall. Great postseason that year.

3) 2004 NLCS Game 7: St. Louis 5, Houston 2. Freaking Jim Edmonds. Astros started strong and could have blown it open, but Edmonds makes an incredible catch to kill a rally and keep it at 1-0. Cards get to Clemens in the 6th and Astros couldn't mount the rally to bring them back.

4) 1992 Wild Card Round: Buffalo 41, Houston 38 (Overtime). Yes, 35-3 soon after halftime and then the total collapse (helped by the refs missing Don Beebe running out of bounds and then coming back in to catch a TD). Oilers almost salvaged it by kicking a Field Goal at the end of regulation and then won the toss. Warren Moon then proceeded to throw a pick and the Bills kicked a field goal to win. Memorable for me telling my mom at halftime, "Mom, this is the NFL, no one loses when up 28-3 at halftime." The next year's blown lead against Joe Montana and the Chiefs at home, which I was at, ended up being predictable and didn't make this list.

5) 1983 NCAA Final: NC State 54, Houston 52. Phi Slamma Jamma goes down in by not playing the style that got them there. Guy Lewis tries to slow it down in the second half with a big lead and they lose causing Jim Valvano to run around the court on TV for the next 28 years and counting.

(Hon Mention) 2005 NLCS Game 5: St. Louis 5, Houston 4. The Pujols moon shot off Brad Lidge. 2 strikes, 2 outs, 9th inning, Houston fans about to explode with the first World Series in reach. Eckstein singles, Edmonds walks, Pujols blasts one over the tracks in left. Collective stomach punch to the crowd who one second are screaming as loud as they can to just no sound at all except the Cardinals celebrating. Astros go onto win the next game and get swept in the Series. Basically, the chink in the armor game where something that seems so inevitable suddenly comes into question and foretold the eventual let down in the World Series.

[sterlingice]

Man, the Denver game. That was the prelude to the Buffalo game.

And the next season was just the filling in the crap sandwich. That was the oddest season ever. The Oilers started 1-4 but reeled off 11 straight wins. There was the Jeff Alm suicide, the Buddy Ryan sucker punch, and all sorts of other craziness above and beyond any NFL season I could ever remember for anyone one team. And then Joe Montana and the Chiefs came into the Astrodome and just, well, pretty much signed the Oilers ticket out of town :(

SI

[Young Drachma]

1. 1994 Eastern Conference Finals (Devils v. Rangers): Probably my first moment as a sports fan where I recall being genuinely pissed off at my team for blowing it. At least we won it the following year. For me, this was the one I remember without thinking about it.

2. 2001 Stanley Cup Finals (Devils. v Avalanche): I guess Colorado got their revenge for New Jersey taking their team by using our Conn Smythe winner against us. Waiting for the day the future Nordiques get to beat the Avs, I guess...

3. 1991 American League Championship Series: (Toronto Blue Jays v. Minnesota Twins) We weren't quite ready for prime time that year, but it was the beginning of many good things and the beginning of the end in the same sense, I guess.

4. 1998 AFC Championship Game: (New York Jets v. Denver Broncos) I was sure that Parcells was going to take us to the promised land, so I was sad when he never got the chance to.

5. 2003 NBA Finals: (New Jersey Nets v. San Antonio Spurs) I never consider(ed) myself a Nets fan. But the amazing transition from that team that was an afterthought to Jason Kidd jerseys from thousands of miles away -- no matter where I lived, I'd see people wearing Nets stuff and not Dr. J gear either -- tripped me out. It was fun that year with the Devils beating the Ducks that year and I thought the Nets managing to catch a break by not having to face the Lakers but instead the Spurs meant we had a legitimate shot at the title.

But they just broke down during the stretch and Game 6 was an embarrassment. Things haven't been the same since, but I look forward to when the franchise retires Jason Kidd's number, because that guy seriously changed that entire team's fate and made them fun to watch for a while.