# Greatest team to get the biggest ass-kicking **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 8, 2019, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390 "2019-01-08T04:29:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/61 "2019-01-10T01:24:29Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > and 42-10 to the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXII — anybody else remember QB Doug Williams’ MVP performance in that one? 4 TD passes in the 2nd quarter). Hell yeah. The crazy thing about that game is, early on, it looked like the _Redskins_ were going to be blown out. The Broncos scored twice quickly to go ahead 10-0, and then the Redskins fumbled either on the ensuing kickoff, or just a play or two later - deep in their own territory. If they’d lost possession, it was surely going to be at least 13-0, quite possibly 17-0. And there was a genuine moment of fear that that had happened. But one of the Redskins managed to grab the ball in the scrum, they traded a scoreless possession or two, and then Doug Williams had his amazing second quarter. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/62 "2019-01-10T01:53:30Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Hell yeah. > > The crazy thing about that game is, early on, it looked like the _Redskins_ were going to be blown out. The Broncos scored twice quickly to go ahead 10-0, and then the Redskins fumbled either on the ensuing kickoff, or just a play or two later - deep in their own territory. If they’d lost possession, it was surely going to be at least 13-0, quite possibly 17-0. And there was a genuine moment of fear that that had happened. > > But one of the Redskins managed to grab the ball in the scrum, they traded a scoreless possession or two, and then Doug Williams had his amazing second quarter. I remember thinking that the Broncos were going to kick the Skins’ asses. And like 30 minutes later, the Super Bowl was, like, completely over. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/63 "2019-01-10T02:30:51Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > 1940 NFL championship. The 8-3 Chicago Bears defeated the 9-2 Washington Redskins. > > 73-0 :eek: Out of curiosity, were the Redskins really putting in an effort from start to finish, or did they just mentally quit halfway through? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/64 "2019-01-10T04:40:29Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Out of curiosity, were the Redskins really putting in an effort from start to finish, or did they just mentally quit halfway through? Sammy Baugh once speculated that the Redskins laid down as a protest to their owner’s taunting of the Bears leading up to the game. Another Redskin player, Clyde Shugart, denied it, saying the Bears had figured out the Redskins defense. Bears coach George Halas said the team assumed the Redskins would use the same defense as they had earlier, and knew how to counter it. The Bears also intercepted _eight_ Washington passes, returning three for touchdowns. It wasn’t a fluke. The Bears also won the NFL championship the next season. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/65 "2019-01-10T15:20:20Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Hell yeah. > > The crazy thing about that game is, early on, it looked like the _Redskins_ were going to be blown out. The Broncos scored twice quickly to go ahead 10-0, and then the Redskins fumbled either on the ensuing kickoff, or just a play or two later - deep in their own territory. If they’d lost possession, it was surely going to be at least 13-0, quite possibly 17-0. And there was a genuine moment of fear that that had happened. > > But one of the Redskins managed to grab the ball in the scrum, they traded a scoreless possession or two, and then Doug Williams had his amazing second quarter. Also, IIRC (my memory is hazy, that game was long ago), Williams got hit early in the game and his knee/leg bent awkwardly. Any worse and he would have had to be replaced. To be sure, and it was 30 years ago in 1988, I looked it up. Yes, that did happen. > [@](#): > > To make matters worse, late in the period, quarterback Doug Williams twisted his back leg while planting to make a throw and had to leave the game. This was arguably the most important play of the game because Williams was not touched by a Bronco defender before he dropped the ball while falling to the ground; the referee, however, inadvertently blew his whistle, killing the play & costing Denver a fumble recovery and an almost certain fumble return touchdown, which would have given them an even more insurmountable lead of 17-0. Backup quarterback Jay Schroeder was sacked by Denver’s Karl Mecklenburg on his first snap, continuing the Redskins’ offensive woes. [That was in the first quarter](https://goo.gl/QCsq65). Things were not looking good for the Redskins early in that game. Would the Broncos, 0-2 in Super Bowls at that time, finally win their first one? It was not to be, not for another 10 years, in 1998. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/66 "2019-01-10T15:26:52Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > The Giants only squeaked by the Patriots 17-14. I **loved** the NY Giants for winning that game! > [@asahi](#): > > I also remember the Super Bowl cover’s title the week of the Super Bowl. > > It had a picture of John Elway with the title “We’ll show up.” > > Everyone knew the Broncos were dead meat; it was just a matter of how badly they would be beaten. Most had the 49ers winning by a touchdown or two, but it was far worse. I remember how the Broncos were confident that Atwater and others would be able to defend the middle deep ball. They got torched again, and again, and again…by the middle deep ball. Sometimes it was Rice, sometimes it was Taylor. Occasionally, Montana mixed it up with Brent Jones and Roger Craig to keep the linebackers near the line of scrimmage. God what a massacre that was. The 1980s — man, what a great time for 49er fans!! ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/67 "2019-01-10T22:57:48Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Out of curiosity, were the Redskins really putting in an effort from start to finish, or did they just mentally quit halfway through? They were trying. That was the problem, in fact–they were trying _too_ hard. They continued to throw the ball even after falling forty, fifty, and sixty points behind. The Bears cashed in three pick sixes and a strip-sack on the two-yard-line, plus several other interceptions. Pass-based offenses were still relatively new at the time, and the Redskins didn’t seem clear on the concept that once the game was hopelessly lost, just hammer the line and punt and get out without further embarrassment or injury. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/68 "2019-01-11T00:57:38Z")
In 1942, undefeated Boston College finished up their season again Holy Cross (4-4-1). BC was a three-touchdown favorite and they had outscored their opponents 249-19 in their eight games. But Holy Cross had improved over the second half of the year when they added a single wing offense and ended up surprising everyone with a 55-12 victory (supposedly, when the wire services sent the halftime score with Holy Cross leading 20-6, editors wired back to confirm, thinking they got the teams reversed). Boston College was so sure of victory that the team had booked tables in the Cocoanut Grove in Boston to celebrate their certain victory. After the loss, they cancelled. That night, the Cocoanut Grove burned down, killing almost 500 people. ---
**Author:** ![Maestroh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@Maestroh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maestroh)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2019, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/69 "2019-01-13T03:22:08Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > With 11:26 in the 4th quarter of the NCAAF championship game, the almighty Alabama Crimson Tide seem to be headed to the woodshed versus Clemson. This has to qualify as one of the biggest whoopings by a seemingly invincible team ever. What else would qualify? > > I’m not just looking for Cinderella upsets----after all Clemson is the #2 team----just plain old blowouts of otherwise what are or were thought to be among the greatest teams. The BIGGER the stage, the better, too (even the best Pro teams slip on a banana peel during the regular season) > > Off the top of my head, Brazils 7-1 shellacking at the hands of Germany at the 2014 World Cup comes to mind. > > The 1976 Stanley Cup— The infamous Broad Street Bullies Philadelphia Flyers off 2 straight Stanley Cups got their asses beat on the scoreboard AND on the ice 4 games to zero by the rough and tough but highly talented Montreal Canadiens----the Habs would go on to win 3 more Cups in a row while the Flyers would go 0-6 in their next 6 Cup Finals. > > What other Bullies got their licking? In the 1993 Sugar Bowl, Miami was going for their fifth national title in ten years. They were eight-point favorites and that was considered kind to Alabama. Alabama 34 Miami 13 I’d assume the 1969 Orioles were huge favorites over the Mets and then lost four straight after taking the first one. The 1988 Oakland A’s were mammoth favorites over the Dodgers, who weren’t even supposed to be able to beat the Mets. The Dodgers won in five games, and the only game Oakland won was on a walk-off home run in game 3. Same for the 1990 Reds over the A’s. Perhaps the 1989 Detroit Pistons wiping the Lakers out in four straight when the Lakers were two-time defending champions. In the NFL, I’d say the LA Raiders smashing the Redskins in 18, but the Raiders were three-point favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2019, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/70 "2019-01-13T07:01:04Z")
Not the 89 Pistons beating those Lakers - IIRC the Lakers had a million injuries going into the finals and no one expected them to win. The 2004 Pistons taking it to the heavily favored Lakers is more like it though. ---
**Author:** ![Maestroh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@Maestroh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maestroh)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2019, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/71 "2019-01-13T13:34:47Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Not the 89 Pistons beating those Lakers - IIRC the Lakers had a million injuries going into the finals and no one expected them to win. The 2004 Pistons taking it to the heavily favored Lakers is more like it though. The Lakers got those injuries late - you’re correct they did and it wasn’t quite so much a surprise after it happened. Also - good call on 2004. That was when Stephen A went on a rant (one of his first I ever saw), and he called it correctly, saying LA was not going to win another game. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2019, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/72 "2019-01-13T14:14:26Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > asahi: > > Sure, but I didn’t see that the OP specified a championship. From the OP, I figured a one-game ass-kicking qualified. It’s also baseball, which has a high degree of variance in the scores compared to other sports. At least they lost to someone good. That same year, the Cards lost 13-2 to the 104 loss Pirates in June, and 17-2 to thirds place Houston in August (who were at least a winning team, at 83-79, but only barely so.) So 11-0 in that perpsepctive doesn’t seem particularly egregious to me. Though, yes, it was a whoopin’. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/73 "2019-01-13T15:11:20Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s also baseball, which has a high degree of variance in the scores compared to other sports. At least they lost to someone good. That same year, the Cards lost 13-2 to the 104 loss Pirates in June, and 17-2 to thirds place Houston in August (who were at least a winning team, at 83-79, but only barely so.) > > So 11-0 in that perpsepctive doesn’t seem particularly egregious to me. Though, yes, it was a whoopin’. And, actually, come to think of it, a better modern example in baseball would be, I think, the 2000 Seattle Mariners, who won 116(!) games that season, tying the major league mark for most wins in a season, and then went down four games to one in the ALCS to the Yankees, including a 12-3 shellacking in game 5. (Now, to be fair, the Mariners also beat the crap out of the Yankees 14-3 in the only game they won.) Heck, while we’re at it, that 116-win team tied my beloved Cubs record in 1906, when they, too, went down to the heavy underdog “hitless wonders” White Sox four games to two, in one of the famous World Series upsets in history. While the White Sox won their pennant with 93 games, they also had the worst team batting average in the AL at .230, and sub-Mendoza line at .198 for the World Series. Problem is, Cubs only batted .196 over the six-game span. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2019, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390/74 "2019-01-13T15:50:19Z")
> [@Isosleepy](#): > > Reigning world _and_ European Champion Spain getting destroyed 1-5 by Holland in the 2014 opening round. They even had a a 1-0 lead at first. I am a lifelong Germany fan, but that Van Persie goal may be one of my favorite WC goals ever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-team-to-get-the-biggest-ass-kicking/827390.md?page=3)