# Most heartbreaking sports losses. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 3, 2003, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-heartbreaking-sports-losses/211134 "2003-11-03T11:36:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-heartbreaking-sports-losses/211134/41 "2003-11-04T01:55:41Z")
Houston Oilers lead Buffalo Bills 38 - 3 at halftime, AFC playoff game. The best Oilers team ever. Had it all, great QB, awesome running game, a defense that could pulverize a medium sized planet. This was the year Houston would win the Superbowl. Bills backup QB leads a comeback in the 2nd half. Final: Bills win, 41 - 38. Oilers don’t even exist anymore… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-heartbreaking-sports-losses/211134/42 "2003-11-04T02:13:13Z")
Four Super Bowls in a row. The first one by one point was the worst. I still love the Bills. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-heartbreaking-sports-losses/211134/43 "2003-11-04T02:14:34Z")
My personal worst: This years Cubs. 8 in the 8th. (sigh) Of all time: 1. Bill Buckner. You poor souls, I feel for ya. 2. Scott Norwood (wide right). You poor, poor souls, I feel for ya as well. 3. The Chicago Blackhawks ( hey, pick a year, any year) ---
**Author:** ![jesleigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@jesleigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesleigh)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-heartbreaking-sports-losses/211134/44 "2003-11-04T05:18:54Z")
Mine is a little bit different. Imagine it: My senior year in high school. We go into the homecoming game, undefeated. Heck, we are even talking about possibilites of state champs. Things are looking good. We lost the homecoming game by 30 points…and started a long lossing streak. That was bad for me. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-heartbreaking-sports-losses/211134/45 "2003-11-04T05:28:32Z")
I’m not a Tennessee Titans fan. In fact, I was rooting for the Rams to wallop them in the Super Bowl. Still… how could anyone NOT feel for a guy who falls just a yard short of a tying touchdown on the last play of the Super Bowl? Even though I WANTED him to fail, I can’t help feeling awful for Kevin Dyson. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-heartbreaking-sports-losses/211134/46 "2003-11-04T05:28:54Z")
Can always count on me to bring in the horse racing references. Ruffian in The Great Match Race of 1976. And… Similar, but IMO worse (as it happened in the homestretch, less than 100 yards from the wire, in full view of the fans): Go For Wand in the 1990 Breeder’s Cup Distaff. Whereas Ruffian broke down on the backstretch but managed to stay on her legs, Go For Wand’s shattered leg sent her somersaulting across the track. Makes me sick to this day to think about it. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-heartbreaking-sports-losses/211134/47 "2003-11-04T05:48:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by grimpixie \* > \*\*I would have to nominate South Africa’s [tied match with Australia](http://uk.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/WORLD_CUPS/WC99/SCORECARDS/FINALS/AUS_RSA_WC99_ODI-SEMI2_17JUN1999_TC_MR.html) in the Semi Final of the 1999 Cricket World Cup in England. > \*\* I’ve never been much of a fan of Australia’s victory in this World Cup because I thought South Africa were robbed. With the dramatic finish everyone forgot the runout of Elworthy by McGrath in the 49th over. After a ludicrous number of replays the third umpire was suddenly able to decide that McGrath had deflected the ball onto the stumps without touching them. I doubt that a decision like that would hold up nowadays in light of other decisions where the benefit of the doubt has been applied. If he had been given not out (as he should) the score would have been 8/206 at the start of the last over and Klusener’s two 4s would have won the game. And poor old Allan Donald wouldn’t have to remember that runout 'til the day he dies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-heartbreaking-sports-losses/211134.md?page=2)