Most painful team loss

As Don Sicilia, goombah and I were discussing last night's heartbreaking loss by the Cardinals as well as some other come from behind wins in history, I started thinking of the question, What is your most painful sports memory involving your favorite team.

For me it was when Joe Carter hit the game ending, world series winning homerun to beat the Phillies in Game 6 of the 1993 Series.

In football it has to be the '94 Steelers losing the AFC Championship Game to San Diego despite outplaying them most of the game. It certainly would have been Bettis' fumble against the Colts last year if the Colts had pulled the game out.

I've got some doozies.

In football, as I said in the other thread, it was the 35 - 3 comeback by the Bills against the Oilers in the playoffs.

In baseball, two words. Steve. Bartman.

Basketball, I can't complain. Both of my favorite teams, Houston and Chicago, had an eight year run of championships in the 90's.

Does Bartman still live in Chicago? He's become part of Cubs lore, and I kind of felt sorry for the guy.

Great topic, bad memories!

Gosh, where does a Cleveland fan begin?

Cavs:

1989 Game 5 vs. Bulls where Jordan hit the game winning jumper.

I can't list the Game 7 loss to Detroit this year b/c I didn't expect them to win a game in that series.

Browns:

1986 - The Drive vs. Denver - playoff loss. Browns score go ahead TD with 5:00 left and lose on a 98 yard drive, including a 3rd & 18 conversion

1987 - The Fumble vs. Denver - playoff loss. Browns down 28-10 and come all the way back and are set to tie it when Ernest Byner is stripped of the ball at the Denver goal line. Byner is unfairly blamed for the loss - without the efforts he & Bernie Kosar displayed, they would have lost by 3 TDs.

1980 - Red Right 88 playoff loss to Oakland Raiders. In FG range, Brian Sipe tries throws into double coverage trying to win the game in a way they had won all year.

Indians:

1997 Game 7 vs. Florida Marlins. Jose Mesa couldn't hold 1 run lead in the 9th and, at the time, the Indians were the 1st team in WS history to lose a WS when leading in the 9th of a decisive game. Happily, Rivera did the same thing vs. Arizona in 2001.

1996 Game 4 loss to Baltimore in playoffs. Robbie Alomar should have been suspended for the playoffs after spitting on an umpire. Instead, he hits extra inning HR off Mesa.

Ohio State:

Loss to Michigan in 1998 after entering the game undefeated.

For that matter, any loss to Michigan. Thank goodness Jim Tressel is here and John Cooper is not.

Baseball- 1999 Reds lost to Mets in 1 game playoff for the platoffs, lead to the Reds thinking they needed Griffey and all down hill since then.

Football- 1997 #1 OSU lost to Michigan State, should have one the national title. And Superbowl XXIII Bengals vs 49ers, F'ing Joe Montana.

1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs - Brett Hull's illegal goal over the Sabres to "win" the cup.

All 4 Super Bowls with the Bills, but especially Norwood's wide-right against the Giants.

I'm not the biggest hockey fan and had little interest in this Series, but that one even stung me.

The guy disappeared from limelight (good thing he wasn't harmed) so I don't know where he is. I also felt sorry for the guy - it wasn't his fault that the Cubs imploded during the late innings of that Game 6.

2003 Fiesta Bowl.

When Art Model(sp) moved the Browns to Baltimore. ditto to what Goombah posted.

When the Oakland A's beat the Mets in game 7 of the 1973 World Series.


Don Cardi

Football: The horse shit "tuck rule" that screwed my Raiders.

Baseball: Game one of the '88 World Series. I want to puke every damn time I see Gibson limping around the bases pumping his fist.

The Red Sox' 1986 Game 6 (World Series) loss to the Mets. Nothing else even comes close.

It was the toughest game I ever watched. (I almost cried).

(Billy Buckner - I still love ya).

I almost cried too.......until that ball went between Buckner's legs.

(Billy Buckner - I still lova ya too).


Don Cardi

I was living in Boston at the time - my first year of law school. My roommate was trying to get me to go with him to Kenmore in the ninth inning to be part of the biggest party in the city since some patriots threw barrels of tea into the harbor.

He was anxious and left with 2 out and nobody on in the bottom of the inning. I stayed to watch the end of the game, telling him I'd meet him if I could find him.

He took the "T" to Kenmore and arrived ten minutes after Mookie Wilson touched homeplate, thinking the Sox were World Series Champions. He knew something was dreadfully wrong when he surfaced from the subway.

He turned around got back on an outbound train, walked into the house and asked in a soft voice, "Who blew it?" I reminded him it won't matter a bit if they win Game 7 tomorrow. He said, "This WAS Game 7 for the Sox."

The Billy Buckner fans on here might find this interesting...

Double Curse

Ok, England soccer team where do I start?

European Championship '96. England lose to Germany on penalties in the Semi Finals.

World Cup '98. England lose to Argentina on penalties in the first knock out stages.

World Cup '02. England lose to Brazil 2-1 in the Quarter Finals.

European Championship '04. England lose to Portugal on penalties in the Quarter Finals.

World Cup '06. England lose to Portugal on penatlies in the Quarter Finals.

The guy disappeared from limelight (good thing he wasn't harmed) so I don't know where he is. I also felt sorry for the guy - it wasn't his fault that the Cubs imploded during the late innings of that Game 6. [/b][/quote]I think I saw on Espn that Bartman lives in Florida now.

DC, if you haven't read my profile I must tell you I am from St. Louis, and well you're a HUGE Mets fan and game 7 is tonight......
GO CARDS!!! :p

Ace


My most painful losses in recent memory...

02 Duke Bball- getting upset by Indiana in the tournament
02 Rams- Adam V...enough said
04 Cards - getting thier ass kicked by the BOSox in the Series

Well in soccer terms i follow Newcastle United and England so i have far to many heartbreaks to catalogue!
Put it this way..i am 36 and neither team have won anything at all in my lifetime...
Sucks eh?

Hang in there, Yogi. There is a certain nobility in remaining loyal to a team that repeatedly breaks your heart.

I am proud to be a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, which has lost more games than any other team on earth in the history of organized sport.

I think it's interesting to read the non-US posters here discuss devastating losses in soccer. While certainly not everyone, there are many in the US who pay little to no attention to soccer. It's such a popular sport on a worldwide basis, but has never really caught on here except with kids up to the high school level. Why? IMO, it's because there's no US television money.

Thanks for the posts Turi & Yogi. Here's hoping your soccer teams win for you soon!

Hang in there, Yogi. There is a certain nobility in remaining loyal to a team that repeatedly breaks your heart.

I am proud to be a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, which has lost more games than any other team on earth in the history of organized sport. [/b][/quote]Please! The Phillies won in 1983 - that's not even a generation ago. Tug McCraw, Pete Rose, Tony Perez - that Philly team had a great roster. They also had a chance to win it again in 1993 as well, but Toronto was too strong of a team. I must say that I do feel sorry for Phillies fans to have that bumpkin Charlie Manuel as the manager. He's a great hitting coach, but that's all he's good at. He couldn't manage a pitching staff in Cleveland and will never win a thing in Philly.

My baseball team has not won a title since 1948, my football team since 1964, and my basketball team has never even been to the Finals. The only local team I root for that has won a title in my lifetime is Ohio State in 2002.

Some would say that you should add last nights game to the list.

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Originally posted by klydon1:

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Originally posted by Yogi Barrabbas:
Well in soccer terms i follow Newcastle United and England so i have far to many heartbreaks to catalogue!
Put it this way..i am 36 and neither team have won anything at all in my lifetime...
Sucks eh?