Biggest Choke Job in Sports

[whaler11]

Pretty sure I listened to that game in bed on my Walkman and cried after.

My girlfriend was captain of the track team and I threw on Counting Crows and made sweet love to her after.

Some advantages to being old.

 

[superjohn]

Donyell at the charity stripe?


(I will now dodge your rotten tomatoes)

That was devastating as a kid, and when we threw out a stinker against Miss. State I started questioning if we would ever go to a final 4.

 

[whaler11]

That was devastating as a kid, and when we threw out a stinker against Miss. State I started questioning if we would ever go to a final 4.

When I was a kid the question was if UConn would ever win a Big East game. Every one was shocking.

 

[UconnU]

Yankees 2004 ALCS. The stakes, the rivalry, how much the teams hated each other, the breaking of the curse, the fact that no team had ever lost a series after being up 3-0. Everything about it.

 

[superjohn]

When I was a kid the question was if UConn would ever win a Big East game. Every one was shocking.

I watched the final second against Clemson through tears. We celebrated like crazy and then my dad told me never to do that again. Pretty sure we were both crying a couple days later when Laettner hit the shot.

 

[johnhuskies95]

2011 Red Sox. 9 game division lead on September 4th with a 99.6% chance of making the playoffs and they end up going 7-20 the rest of the way to miss it all together.

 

[Husky68]

AD Dave picking HCREDreamJob1.0 to be head football coach at UConn for 2017 season.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

7 all-stars, 3 starting pitchers with double digit complete games, 2 gold gloves, the al leader in hits, hr's, and rbi's, the al mvp, and a pitcher named 'the spaceman.' 14 game lead on the yankees after the break, they not only lost that lead (choke 1), but they miraculously managed to tie it again on the last day, only to lose at home (59-22) in a one game playoff (choke 2). ladies and gentllemen, I give you.....the 99 win 1978 red sox. its one thing to mess up a game or a series, but my folks tell me this demise over months played out like high drama in the northeast that summer and fall, with names like el tiante, catfish, reggie, eckersly, fisk, munson, billy, yaz, rice, the pitcher who never lost (Guidry 25-3) and george steinbrenner owning the media. 3 yankee managers. birth of 'the bronx zoo.

 

[Ewekon]

The one that still hurts is the Yanks up 3-0. That was brutal.

It was awesome.

 

[UConnNick]

7 all-stars, 3 starting pitchers with double digit complete games, 2 gold gloves, the al leader in hits, hr's, and rbi's, the al mvp, and a pitcher named 'the spaceman.' 14 game lead on the yankees after the break, they not only lost that lead (choke 1), but they miraculously managed to tie it again on the last day, only to lose at home (59-22) in a one game playoff (choke 2). ladies and gentllemen, I give you.....the 99 win 1978 red sox. its one thing to mess up a game or a series, but my folks tell me this demise over months played out like high drama in the northeast that summer and fall, with names like el tiante, catfish, reggie, eckersly, fisk, munson, billy, yaz, rice, the pitcher who never lost (Guidry 25-3) and george steinbrenner owning the media. 3 yankee managers. birth of 'the bronx zoo.

I love Bucky Bleepin' Dent!

 

[UConnNick]

The game at Fitzgerald Field House in 1998 when Pitt choked it away in the final seconds, and El-Amin jumped up on the table, waving defiantly at the Pitt crowd.

 

[jayteeman]

If you are talking a one time event, loss of your marbles, impacting event:
"Buckner through the legs"
"Isiah Thomas pass" Bird stole to DJ with 5 seconds left
"Wes Welker dropping pass" to seal the perfect season SB XLVI

 

[David 76]

1978 was an epic fail for the Sox.

2004 was not only Yanks up 3-0 but winning the 4th game in the ninth with Mariano on the mound.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Yanks v Sox 2004 ALCS.

And the manner in which it happened.

I find, as a diehard, this one doesn’t bother me as much as losing 2001 to the D-Backs. Yankees ran out of pitching in 2004 in 5,6,7.

D-Backs in 2001 outplayed yanks, but when you have won 4 of 5 World Series, losing with Rivera on the mound still stings.

 

[kcc1442]

Marcus Williams whiff job against NO in divisional round to let Diggs catch a 69 yarder with 9 seconds left. A simple tackle would've sealed the game

NY 2004: As a red sox fan this was glorious. And because its the yanks they should be the biggest chokers.

Northern Iowa. Up 12 with 40 seconds left. Second round of NCAA. This is a very close number one for me as well.

Atlanta choking it up to the Pats.


Biggest unknown choke job and maybe biggest given the magnitude might be:

Winona vs Barton D3 championship. Winona up 7 with 40 seconds to go. Barton's Anthony Atkinson (Would go on to be Harlem Globetrotter) lead them to victory by scoring 10 points in 40 seconds including a walk-off buzzer beating uncontested lay up. Thrilling stuff. Check out video.

 

[JCSuperstar]

Winona vs Barton D3 championship. Winona up 7 with 40 seconds to go. Barton's Anthony Atkinson (Would go on to be Harlem Globetrotter) lead them to victory by scoring 10 points in 40 seconds including a walk-off buzzer beating uncontested lay up. Thrilling stuff. Check out video.

No commercial interruptions really amplifies the momentum swing too.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Marcus Williams whiff job against NO in divisional round to let Diggs catch a 69 yarder with 9 seconds left. A simple tackle would've sealed the game

The Minneapolis Miracle doesn't get enough play. It was a great play by Diggs, but all the New Orleans DB has to do is let him catch the ball and tackle him in bounds and the game is over.

That ending back-to-back with the missed PI against the Rams is 2 brutal endings in a row for Saints fans.

Other NFL playoff chokes:

- Blair Walsh for Minnesota misses a 28-yard chip shot against Seattle in the waning seconds. Vikings lose 10-9.

- Gary Anderson for Minnesota misses a 38-yard field goal that would have iced the 1998 NFC Championship Game against Atlanta. Falcons come back to tie, then win in overtime.

- Cincinnati against Pittsburgh a few years ago. Bengals get the ball back, up 16-15, with 1:30 left, on the Steelers 25 yard line. All they have to do is run a few times, get a first down, make them burn timeouts, and it's over. Instead, they fumble, Pittsburgh gets it back and marches to around midfield with 20 seconds left. They throw incomplete, but Vontaze Burfict destroys Antonio Brown shoulder-to-helmet, is penalized 15 yards. Then Pacman Jones loses his stuff and is penalized another 15 yards. Steelers waste no time, kick the FG, and win 18-16. Cincy still hasn't won a playoff game in almost 3 decades.

 

[djct1999]

Iron Mike vs. Buster Douglas.

 

[Bezzz]

7 all-stars, 3 starting pitchers with double digit complete games, 2 gold gloves, the al leader in hits, hr's, and rbi's, the al mvp, and a pitcher named 'the spaceman.' 14 game lead on the yankees after the break, they not only lost that lead (choke 1), but they miraculously managed to tie it again on the last day, only to lose at home (59-22) in a one game playoff (choke 2). ladies and gentllemen, I give you.....the 99 win 1978 red sox. its one thing to mess up a game or a series, but my folks tell me this demise over months played out like high drama in the northeast that summer and fall, with names like el tiante, catfish, reggie, eckersly, fisk, munson, billy, yaz, rice, the pitcher who never lost (Guidry 25-3) and george steinbrenner owning the media. 3 yankee managers. birth of 'the bronx zoo.

I was in a bar on Wall Street packed with suites who were playing hookie from work to watch that game. Place went berserk when Dent hit it. One of the happiest days of my life.

Well, maybe top ten.

 

[JeepCSC]

Not many of you watch soccer I’m sure but PSG blew a 4-0 first leg (match) lead to Barcelona a few years ago. Lost 6-1 on the return leg.

What’s going on here? Leg is a match which is a game? Do they add point totals for 2 separate games? Why?

 

[HCCForever]

I was in Miami for Donyell's two missed free throws with 3 seconds to go. One made would have won the game and set them up with a game against BC for a chance to go to the final four. That was painful and the Florida fans were all over the UConn fans in attendance even mocking Big Red's cheer.

Although the Yanks 2004 choke and Sox in 1986 series were bigger, the Angels in 1986 against the Sox was also a memorable choke. They were up 5-2 going to the ninth up 3 games to 1. Donnie Moore gave up the homer to Dave Henderson and neither the Angels or Moore ever recovered from that.

 

[Inyatkin]

Jeez not one Mets fan brings up a 7-game lead with 17 to play in '07? That was awful.

 

[whaler11]

What’s going on here? Leg is a match which is a game? Do they add point totals for 2 separate games? Why?

So that each team gets a home game.

 

[JCSuperstar]

Ump Choke

 

[Travelman6]

Jeez not one Mets fan brings up a 7-game lead with 17 to play in '07? That was awful.

2011 Red Sox. 9 game division lead on September 4th with a 99.6% chance of making the playoffs and they end up going 7-20 the rest of the way to miss it all together.

The 2011 Braves too. (This was for the wild card).

The Braves were 9-18 in September. St. Louis trailed the Braves by 10 1/2 in late August, 8 1/2 on Sept. 6, and by three with five games to play.

Not sure if this is a choke job, just plain heartbreaking or perhaps both:

Darius Rice, Miami Upend UConn 77-76

Will never forget that, ouch.

"UConn appeared to clinch a victory when Ben Gordon hit two free throws with 8.9 seconds left to put the Huskies ahead 76-72." (emphasis my own).....ugh, I think we all recall what followed.