# Times when a player/team did an amazing comeback, then lost anyway. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 14, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142 "2016-01-14T16:25:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/21 "2016-01-15T03:19:36Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > The St. Louis Blues Monday Night Miracle. Down 3 games to 2 in the conference finals, the Blues were losing to Calgary 5-2 with 12 minutes left to play. The Blues fought back to tie, and won the game in overtime. However, they lost Game 7. Scoring three in 12 minutes is considered miraculous in the NHL? ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/22 "2016-01-15T03:41:24Z")
The 2010-2011 Detroit Red Wings went down 0-3 in a best-of-seven playoff series, but won three straight games to tie the series 3-3, but lost game 7 and the series. The 2013 Toronto Maple Leafs overcame a 3-1 series deficit to force a game 7 against the Boston Bruins, and were leading 4-1 with about 10 minutes to go in the third period. Boston tied the game with 51 seconds remaining and won it in overtime. > [@Peremensoe](#): > > Scoring three in 12 minutes is considered miraculous in the NHL? The Blues scored 302 goals that season in 80 regular season games, for an average of 3.8 goals per game. Scoring 3 in the final 12 minutes of a game (which is 1/5th of a game), when the other team is going to be focused on playing defence and preventing you from scoring, definitely qualifies as miraculous. ---
**Author:** ![Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Last_Glacial_Maximum)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/23 "2016-01-15T20:22:59Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > May 17, 1979, Wrigley Field. Phillies score seven runs in the top of the first. > > But hold on! The Cubs get six in the \*bottom \*of the first. 7-6, Phils. > > Never mind. Phillies score 8 in the third and 2 more in the fourth to take a lead of 17-6. Cubs get 3; Phillies get 4. We’re halfway through the fifth and it’s Phillies 21, Cubs 9. > > Cubs get seven in the bottom of the fifth. 21-16 (a decent football score). > > Cubs get three more in the bottom of the sixth. 21-19. Ten runs of the twelve-run deficit have been made up. > > Phillies get a run in the seventh but the Cubs get three in the eighth. It’s tied at 22. The Cubs were down 7-0, 17-6, 21-9, and have completely erased it. > > Of course, the Phils get a run in the tenth and the Cubs…don’t. Phillies win anyway. I watched that game on T.V. with my Grandmother. I’ll never forget it. . ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/24 "2016-01-15T20:45:58Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > Scoring three in 12 minutes is considered miraculous in the NHL? Someone watching hockey for 12 minutes is considered miraculous. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/25 "2016-01-15T21:26:54Z")
2008 Women’s Volleyball Semifinals, Penn State vs Nebraska. Game was in Omaha, in front of a record 17K+ crowd, mostly Nebraska fans. Penn State had yet to even drop a set all season, 3-0 sweeps in every match. And they pretty well rolled over Nebraska in those first two sets. Out of the break, though, Nebraska started playing a lot better, the crowd got behind them, and the Penn State team that had crushed everything in their path started looking confused and didn’t seem to know how to deal with playing when they didn’t have the lead. Nebraska took set three, and set four as well. Penn State calmed down a bit in the fifth set, but Nebraska was still up a couple points when finally things clicked again, Penn State ran off a huge string of points and got the victory. ---
**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 16, 2016, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/26 "2016-01-16T01:58:18Z")
[St. Louis 23 - Tennessee 16](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXXIV) Super Bowl XXXIV. The Rams hold the Titans scoreless until midway through the 3rd quarter. Titans score three times to tie the game with 2:12 left. Rams score to lead 23-16 with 1:48 left. Titans then drive 78 yards ending up on the Rams 10 with 6 seconds left. On the final play Steve McNair completes a pass to Kevin Dyson, who’s tackled and falls just short of the goal line. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2016, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/27 "2016-01-16T04:28:51Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > The 2010-2011 > The Blues scored 302 goals that season in 80 regular season games, for an average of 3.8 goals per game. Scoring 3 in the final 12 minutes of a game (which is 1/5th of a game), when the other team is going to be focused on playing defence and preventing you from scoring, definitely qualifies as miraculous. You have a very low bar for miracles. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2016, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/28 "2016-01-16T19:07:26Z")
The River City Relay, I think, should get an honorable mention here, even though the Saints were only down 20-13 at the time of this play. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say: > [@](#): > > The Saints were on their own 25-yard line looking at second down and 10. Quarterback Aaron Brooks passed the ball to the right side of the field to receiver Donté Stallworth, who caught the pass at midfield. Stallworth then bounced off a tackle attempt by Jaguars cornerback Fernando Bryant and turned inside and broke two more tackles. The clock had already reached zero, and Stallworth pitched the ball to the 34-yard line to Michael Lewis, who ran the ball to the 25-yard line of Jacksonville. He then turned and pitched the ball to Deuce McAllister, who ran to the Jaguars’ 20-yard line. McAllister then pitched the ball to the right side of the field to Jerome Pathon, who caught the ball at the 24-yard line of Jacksonville. Brooks, who had hustled all the way downfield, then laid a block on the last Jaguars defender and Pathon dove into the end-zone. > > There was a lengthy delay while the officials determined that all of the ball transfers (after the pass to Stallworth) were indeed legal laterals. All the Saints needed was a John Carney extra point to send the game into overtime. And then Carney missed the extra point, allowing the Jaguars to win 20-19. ---
**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 16, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/29 "2016-01-16T23:08:35Z")
This might not be dramatic enough for the OP, but in Game 7 of the 2006 NBA Western Conference Semifinals, the Spurs clawed back from a 20-point deficit to take a 104-101 lead over the Mavericks with very little time remaining. But then a foolish foul by Manu Ginobili allowed the Mavericks to tie the game. The Mavs eventually prevailed in overtime, 119-111. The Spurs had fallen behind 3-1 in the series before winning two games to force a Game 7. ---
**Author:** ![Dajn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@Dajn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dajn)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/30 "2016-01-17T00:17:22Z")
Just to change it up a little bit. Ryan hughes almost won the 1995 125cc national championship. A broken chain at the last minute cost him. If I remember correctly it was either 2002 or 2003 and Ryan hughes (ryno) was riding a factory ktm 125 and he was in a battle with grant Langston. They were close in points coming down to the last race. It was canceled and ryno took another second. He is one of the most well respected people in the motocross world. I apologize that I am terrible at telling a story. It would help if I wasn’t drinking captain cokes watching the Patriots . ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/31 "2016-01-17T04:35:22Z")
I think we just saw it with the Packers/Cardinals game. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/32 "2016-01-17T04:44:14Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I think we just saw it with the Packers/Cardinals game. Right…because sometimes it’s not about the eventual loser making up a big scoring deficit late in the game, but rather the eventual loser making a very unlikely, difficult play to put them into overtime. This will be harder to quantify – surely there are plenty of examples – but tonight’s Packers-Cards game is one, for sure. (Packers QB Aaron Rogers competed a Hail Mary pass for a touchdown as regulation time expired, but the Cardinals scored a TD on s 75-yard run only a couple plays into overtime). ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/33 "2016-01-17T08:10:56Z")
The OP could not be more perfectly timed! ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/34 "2016-01-17T08:18:51Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > [1994 John Tyler vs Plano East high school football](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_John_Tyler_vs._Plano_East_high_school_football_game) in Texas. Plano East was down 41-17 with 4+ minutes left in the game. Scored 4 consecutive touchdowns aided by 3 recovered on-side kicks. Took the lead with 24 seconds left. Kicked off and John Tyler returned it for a touchdown to win the game. > > [Here is a youtube of the ending of the game.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHkABO0VwCg) At least one of the Plano onside kicks was not beyond 10 yards, and another was questionable at best----the right side won. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/35 "2016-01-17T08:23:20Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > [1994 John Tyler vs Plano East high school football](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_John_Tyler_vs._Plano_East_high_school_football_game) in Texas. Plano East was down 41-17 with 4+ minutes left in the game. Scored 4 consecutive touchdowns aided by 3 recovered on-side kicks. Took the lead with 24 seconds left. Kicked off and John Tyler returned it for a touchdown to win the game. > > [Here is a youtube of the ending of the game.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHkABO0VwCg) Listening to the audio of those idiots during the kickoff is priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142/36 "2016-01-18T01:01:46Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > At least one of the Plano onside kicks was not beyond 10 yards, and another was questionable at best----the right side won. They were touched by the opposition, weren’t they? It doesn’t matter how far the kick goes if the receiving team fumbles it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-when-a-player-team-did-an-amazing-comeback-then-lost-anyway/743142.md?page=1)