I am from Baltimore and I’ve had my fair share of heart ache courtesy of our sports teams. The O’s losing to the Brewers in the last regular season game to determine the 1982 AL east champ was my first, I was 9 at the time. Since then, the O’s losing to Jeffrey Maier and the Yankees in '96 ranks pretty high. But I can’t imagine a bigger dissapoitment then watching the ever under achieving Maryland Terrapins blow a 20 point lead to the dreaded Blue Devils in the final four a few months ago. That will leave a black hole in my heart for many years to come. The worst part about it is that the same thing happened in the ACC tournament (but that blow was lessened thanks to the Ravens winning the Super Bowl the next day).
Well. seeing that I’ve lived my entire life in Wisconsin, and almost half of it in Milwaukee, you’ll get no sympathy from me. But if it makes you feel any better, the Brewers lost the World Series to St. Louie. They haven’t even been in the play offs since:mad:
The lowest I’ve ever felt was when the Packers lost to the Broncos in the Super Bowl. I honestly would rather that they hadn’t made it there than to lose it!
The lowest I’ve felt recently was Wednesday night after the Bucks lost to the 76ers. They blew a lead, and even had a chance to win by one in the final seconds, and blew that too! They tip off in a few minutes for game 6. I’ve been trying all day (I’m not kidding) to win tickets on radio contests to tonights game. If they lose tonight, I can tell you I’ll feel lower than I did on Wednesday!
Really? That was probably the happiest day of my life.
The lowest I ever felt? When a sick Jordon (he had the flu) got a last second three point shot over Bryon Russel’s head in Game 7 of the 1998 NBA Finals and won it for the Bulls.
That was just heart-wrenching.
Gary Anderson shanking a 30-yard field goal in overtime in January 1999, for his first missed field goal of the entire season. The Vikings would have given the Broncos a challenge. The Falcons were just pathetic.
I grew up in New England, home of the Boston Red Sox.
Need I say more?
Actually I do, because it was the Patriots being bitch-fucked by the Bears that really sunk me. But then I was a morose little turd at the time - it didn’t take much to depress me. When Billy Buck screwed the pooch I was in college and drunk and didn’t care so much.
No, no you don’t. Though I have never been a BoSox fan, I still feel for you. At least your team has been in the playoffs in the last 19 years.
Hey, by the way, I went to school with a guy who’s older brother played with the Patriots, last name Schneiss (spelling). Do you remember him?
I’ll never forget a few years back when the Eagles were set to kick the winning field goal against the Cowboys at Dallas on Monday Night Football . . .Tommy Hutton takes the snap . . and I forget if it was snapped wrong or if the kicker was off stride . .suddenly Hutton gets up with the ball, runs with it and fumbles it, the hated Cowboys get the ball and the game is over!!! (he might have been tackled)
Absolutely the most devastating loss for a team I was rooting for. Total disaster.
Everyone blames Buckner for that colapse. As far as I remember, Bob Stanley was the real loser that inning. The score was already tied when Buckner decided to make a gate with his legs for the grounder to roll through. Stanley, as I remember it, walked one, threw a wild pitch for the tieing run to score and I think gave up a hit in between.
That’s true, holden (how’s yer groin?), but it’s just so much more fun to blame the crippled guy.
I’m a 49er fan and it’s been tough watching them fall from grace. For others however, it’s been great fun at my expense.
The first occassion was the playoff game where someone on the Giants (Leonard Marshall?) smashed Joe Montana and basically ended the 49ers season then and there. I was watching the game at home but I had to go to the airport to pick up my sister. I threw on my trusty 49ers cap and off I went. The crushed Montana play happened on the way to the airport and I caught the end of the game on the radio. I was sad, but I kept my hat on. In the airport terminal a guy walks by with a Giants hat on and laughs right at me.
The second time was a playoff game against the Cowboys. This was the first year the Cowboys had gotten good (sometime in the early 90’s). I was at a bar and the crowd was mixed. At the table next to mine was a very loud Cowboy fan and every time Emmett Smith did something he’d get in my face and yell “E SMITH!!!” My friend that was with me had no interest in either team and he just sat there and giggled at my pain.
I grew up in Cleveland. Take your pick: The Fumble, The Drive, “Red Right 88”. See, we even have cute little nicknames for them. A local TV show made a short film where a kid and his dad sort out their mangled feelings after “Red Right 88”; I think it won a local Emmy or something. I’m sure they still show it occasionally.
Now I remember why I don’t watch sports anymore.
Diehard Cubs fan-therefore used to disappointment-checking in.
Dan Marino fan-Don’t I ever learn?
And as for the Bulls/Blackhawks this year…
Cubs. 1984. It’s not right for a 7-year old to be learning about heartbreak already.
Cubs, 1998. Brant Brown. Milwaukee. Cubs up two, bases loaded, two outs. Little slicing line drive. Dropped. Cubs lose. Tequila time. The fact that they won the wild-card anyway does nothing to make that memory less painful.
Of course, that one killed everyone on my floor in the dorm, too. It’s almost funny…hearing 30 guys doing a Ron Santo impression at the same time (Ohhhh noooooooo…)
cries on LNO’s shoulder
The Immaculate Reception because I’m a Raider fan. The Steelers led late in the playoff game, 6-0, an epic defensive battle. But then a young Kenny Stabler came off the bench to put the Raiders up 7-6 in the final minute. The Raider victory was so imminent that Steeler owner Art Rooney left his booth and headed down the elevator to console his team. Then came the ricocheted pass scooped inches off the turf by Franco Harris. Touchdown, Steelers, in probably the most improbable playoff ending ever.
I was 15 years old and I was totally crushed. Cursing-at-God-and-all-the-laws-of-physics crushed.
I remember feeling pretty darn low when the Chicago Bulls beat the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 6 of the 1992 NBA Finals. Especially when Portland had a big lead going into the 4th quarter.
But that was surpassed by what happened in the 2000 NBA Western Conference Finals, when the Trail Blazers blew a very large lead against the Lakers in the 4th quarter, and almost certainly, blew their chance for a championship. A bigger choke by the Blazers I don’t think I’ve ever seen.
Two for this Portland TrailBlazers fan. Last year’s Western Conferene Finals when they had that huge fourth quarter collapse in Game 7. And when they lost in Game 6 to the Bulls, in the 1992 Finals after a another second half collapse.
Right around Halloween, 1999. I’m in Grand Junction, CO for some reason with a friend of mine, and we’re the only guys in the bar. We divide up the lone TV with the NFL Ticket – I get the Saints for their first half (vs the Browns) and he gets the last half of the Bills game.
I forget who the Bills were playing, but they won and we got up to leave. The NBC ticker said that the Saints were up by more than three points with :06 left with the Browns at midfield. Figuring that there was no way they could blow THAT, we left for Fort Collins.
We put the radio on ESPN radio for the ride back, and fifteen minutes later I learn that Tim Couch completed a Hail Mary to Kevin Johnson on the last play of the game, thus beating my Saints. And I just lose it. In the car. I just start freaking out. Dropping a game – at home, natch – to what was one of the worst expansion team in the last 20 years of professional sport? Lowest feeling ever. And there have been some heartbreakers when it has come to the Saints.
(Course, things eventually got better.)
Changing sports a little here
England V Argentina (Soccer world cup)
After leading 2:1 its 2:2 at the begining of the second half. When David Beckham, the now England captain, does a stupid foul and gets sent off. The boys then fought off the challenge off the Argentinians for the remaining 45 mins and half an hour of extra time. We even had a winning goal disallowed.
It goes to penalties, and the stage is set for another heart break.
For all those who dont know the England soccer team and penalty shoot-outs dont get on, they are the dividing line between success and failure and we just cant get passed them.
Needless to say we lost and I was devistated I had convinced myself that the team could actually win, My friends and I cried for most of the night. Still the future looks bright and with the world cup less than a year away the team could make all my dreams come true.
As a Cleveland fan let me also add: Michael Jordan’s f*****g shot over Craig Ehlo in the 1989 NBA playoffs and the Indians blowing the lead in the 9th inning of the 7th game of the 1997 World Series.
I don’t want to hear any whining from any Cub or Red Sox fans.