OT: Most Painful/Heartbreaking Sports Memories?
The Lions loss in the NFC Champ game made me think about the following topic: what are your most painful/heartbreaking sports memories (my earliest sports memories start in 1993, so I obviously didn't see/remember other famous heartbreaks like Bird's steal vs Isiah or Laimbeer's phantom foul)?
Mine:
- 1993: Chris Webber's Timeout
- 2013: Ortiz's grand slam in game 2 of the ALCS against the Tigers
- 2024: Lions NFC Championship game collapse
- 2016: Michigan vs OSU: self inflicted wounds and the refs
- 1998: NCAA tourney loss to UCLA
- 2021: Elite Eight loss to UCLA
- 2006: late hit out of bounds vs OSU
- 1993: Toronto beats Red Wings in OT in game 7
- 2005: Rasheed leaves Horry wide open for 3 in OT, Game 5 of the NBA Finals
I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting, but these are the main ones that come to mind for me.
February 5th, 2024 at 11:04 AM ^
1975 was also a killer. Up on OSU by 7, 14-7. They score with 3:28 left to tie it. We get the ball back and Leach throws an interception that they run back to our 3. They punch it in and we lose 21-14.
Another killer of an old game was 1988 v. #1 Miami, the defending national champs, coached by Jimmie Johnson. We are up on them 30-14 with less than 6 minutes to go and the crowd is electric all game. Steve Walsh throws a TD pass and they make a 2-point conversion, 30-22. They stop us and score again. they go for 2 and it fails. We're up 30-28, with 2:54 to go. Miami recovers an onside kick, takes it down the filed and kicks a FG with 43 seconds left. We lose 31-30. Total misery after being up 17.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:07 PM ^
I really try not to get too emotionally involved in Michigan games. I hate losing but I've trained myself to move on quickly. But ask me about my kids' games and a few of those will stick with me forever.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:11 PM ^
Watching Brian’s Song
February 4th, 2024 at 1:13 PM ^
Nothing will ever hurt me more than 2015 Michigan State.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:41 PM ^
Imagine watching it the day after your wedding with your wife's fam and your fam, with an msu alum brother and his wife. That was rough.
February 4th, 2024 at 4:17 PM ^
That’s rough, but I think I got you beat.
I was in undergrad 2013-2017. The conference adding Rutgers/Maryland and subsequent changes to the scheduling meant that my four-year class only had one MSU home game (13, 14, and 16 were away; only 15 was home).
Being from the state of Michigan, as well as all of my roommates (lived with five other guys in a house on Packard), made this a huge deal with equal parts of our friends/families being M/MSU fans. It was extremely personal, and being college-aged it felt like the most important thing in the world. That it was at the pinnacle of MSU’s reign (won 6 of the last 7 and coming off Rose/Cotton Bowl wins) and the first year of Harbaugh just added gas on top of the fire.
That weekend was maybe the most fun I had ever had in college. Our house became a hostel and all our friends’ friends’ friends were there. Friday night and Saturday were the largest party and tailgate we ever threw at our house.
We got to the the stadium relatively early and were maybe 20-30 rows up. Given that we were winning all game (and all the fun we’d been having up to that point), that was probably the most fun I’d ever had at UM. Moments before the play actually happened, my roommate literally said, “Best punter in the Big Ten!” Obviously the student section resides in that corner of the endzone where Jalen Watts Jackson took it in, so everything happened right in front of our faces. I see the small sections of Spartans in the stadium go absolutely berserk, 00:00 on the scoreboard, and the entire MSU team run to that corner of the endzone and taunt the students with Paul Bunyan.
The absolute most whiplash I ever felt, going from total euphoria to ultimate shock and despair. I felt like an absolute zombie walking back to our house.
And of course, all our MSU friends stayed back at our house to watch the game on the TV. So as soon as I get back home, I’m met with tons and tons of MSU people just rubbing the result of the game in my face. I go to my room (I was too distraught to stay up and party) and find some random kid sleeping in my bed, under the covers and all. Don’t even remember what I said to him.
I quickly turn on The Office to help cheer me up. But of course, having a house on Packard (which was a major thoroughfare for traffic leaving Ann Arbor) all night I hear chants of “Go Green / Go White” and cars honking to the tune of the MSU fight song.
It was the absolute worst.
February 4th, 2024 at 4:52 PM ^
Totally agree with this one, imagine being there in person with your cousin who it goes to Michigan State at the time and seeing the trouble with the snap play in real time… Whenever I see the highlight now on any sporting compilation video, I have a tendency to skip it. Still too much PTSD stored in my memory.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:13 PM ^
In addition to many of the memories already mentioned, Pistons-Celtics 1987 game 5. Went from winning the game on Rodman’s defensive play (and likely the series with game 6 in Detroit) to losing the game (and essentially the series) on Isiah’s inbounding mistake within a matter of seconds.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:14 PM ^
1965-66 Red Wings lose to Canadians in Cup final
1968 Formula 1 driver Jim Clark dies in crash
1972 Michigan loses 13-12 to Stanford in Rose Bowl
1972 Michigan loses to OSU 14-11
1973 Michigan "loses" to OSU 10-10
1974 Michigan loses to OSU 12-10
1976 #1 Michigan loses 16-14 to Purdue
1977 Michigan loses 14-6 to USC in Rose Bowl
1977 Michigan loses 6-5 in OT to Wisconsin in hockey NC game
1977 #1 Michigan loses to fucking Cornbread Maxwell and UNC Charlotte in NCAA tourney
1978 Michigan loses 27-20 to Washington in Rose Bowl
1979 Michigan loses 17-10 to USC in Rose Bowl
1981 Thomas Hearns loses to Sugar Ray Leonard
1984 Michigan loses 9-7 to fucking Al DelGreco and Auburn in Sugar Bowl
1985 Thomas Hearns loses to Marvin Hagler
1992-93 Fab Five lose to Duke and UNC
1994 Michigan loses 29-27 to Colorado
2006 Michigan loses 42-39 to OSU
2013 Michigan loses to incompetent and/or crooked officials and Louisville
2016 Michigan loses to incompetent and/or crooked officials and OSU
2023 Michigan loses to TCU
If the above list leads you to think that I care about U-M sports more than just about everything else, you're right.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:24 PM ^
On the plus side, Don, it would appear that you got better at processing all the UM sports pain starting around the mid-'80s. :)
February 4th, 2024 at 2:28 PM ^
One of the few advantages in getting old is that it takes a lot more for a sporting event to bother me emotionally the way it could in my 20s and 30s.
February 4th, 2024 at 3:39 PM ^
So, Don... you must have finally gotten over the last few seasons of the Harry Kipke era.
February 4th, 2024 at 6:52 PM ^
Nope.
1934–by far the worst season in U-M history—still stings.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:29 PM ^
no wonder you have no more flesh. Brutal.
February 4th, 2024 at 2:24 PM ^
1977 was a bad year. As was that entire decade.
February 4th, 2024 at 2:39 PM ^
at least slightly surprised you skipped the '76 loss to IU in the NCAA finals.
February 4th, 2024 at 6:57 PM ^
Most of the Michigan losses that killed me emotionally were close losses. Blowouts are certainly depressing, but they don’t bother me as much as agonizing one score or last-second losses.
1978 Rose Bowl against Washington hurt me far more than the 1992 Rose Bowl’s 34-14 ass-whipping by Washington.
February 8th, 2024 at 4:32 PM ^
I was a member of the Basketball Band that year. Attended every home game until the team went to the Final Four. The Band Director, George Cavender then decided to take only the first/second chairs to Philadelphia rather than the members who had been in the band the entire season. I never got over that slight. Losing the game was secondary to me at that time.
February 4th, 2024 at 2:00 PM ^
You forgot 1990 Michigan/MSU game when Desmond was tripped in the end zone on the 2 point conversion.
Also the 2001 Michigan/MSU game when we were all introduced to Spartan Bob.
For the record, I threw things at the TV when those games ended.
February 4th, 2024 at 4:40 PM ^
I threw a remote control against the wall and broke it when Mich lost the 2017 MSU game. That game just really pissed me off. Beers and/or Whiskey 🥃 probably also had something to do with it. Not my finest moment.
February 4th, 2024 at 5:59 PM ^
Don’s list is my list. 😔
February 4th, 2024 at 7:03 PM ^
Us old guys have seen some shit.
February 4th, 2024 at 9:57 PM ^
I’m from near Cleveland, how long is the character limit on these posts?
February 5th, 2024 at 9:47 PM ^
1968 Formula 1 driver Jim Clark dies in crash
I felt this way about Mark Donahue in 1975 at Austria.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:19 PM ^
Watching the Lions slowly drive the love of the game out of the greatest player to ever suit up.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:27 PM ^
As a long suffering Lions fan I think we all have hardened scars and are well used to tempering expectations.
There are some pretty obvious ones on your list - you left off a pretty big one. The App St. game was pretty devastating and will take a few generations until it's forgotten.
The time-out rule at the end of the game (when you don't have any left) is a weird rule that it ends up as a tech. Seems overly punitive. Like fumbling the ball out of the endzone. Just don't blow the whistle. Make it play out. If you dont get the ball over half-court in time it's just a turnover.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:38 PM ^
”And there’s a steal by Bird “…I instantly turn away if I hear that highlight
February 4th, 2024 at 1:41 PM ^
For me, nothing will ever top the Wings' loss to the Devils in the 95 Cup Finals. Going in looking like worldbeaters and then swept. And, at the time, my Red Wings fandom was greater than even my Michigan fandom. That one crushed me so badly.
Oh yeah, and this topic fucking sucks.
February 4th, 2024 at 3:40 PM ^
Wow that hurt to watch. Coffey shouldn't be in the HOF on that series alone. He was dreadful.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:48 PM ^
2006 and 2016 stand out for me. Biggest game, biggest spotlight, everything on the line, came up short again and again.
2005 OSU was just as bad really.
2017 not quite as bad (it would have been quite an upset) but also bad.
So, mostly OSU games.
Also, the Webber timeout. I was there, it sucked.
The Lions game they just lost doesn't bother me in the least, because they exceed expectations.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:50 PM ^
1) 2006 @OSU, #1 vs #2. After Bo's death the day before I thought it had to be destiny for us to win. Nope- that crappy Horseshoe turf kept causing Lamar Woodley and others to slip and be a step late and just miss getting to Troy Smith, again and again.
2) 1973 OSU 10-10 tie, Lantry narrowly missed on 2 FGs and we settle on the tie after throughly outplaying the Buckeyes in the second half. Throw in the aftermath with the screwjob vote and I miss out on going to what would have been my first Rose Bowl game.
3) 1990- Rose Bowl.Another ref screw job in Bo's last game (again I was in attendance, after the thrill of the comeback win the year before).
February 4th, 2024 at 1:51 PM ^
Phantom Foul on Bill Laimbeer guarding Kareem, 1988 NBA Finals Game 6.
Bird Stole the Ball, 1987 NBA Eastern Conference Finals
Desmond was tripped, 1990 MSU
3 Holding penalties on the last play, 2001 MSU (A lot of people think the most egregious thing about this was the extra second on the clock for the home team)
TCU game didn't have a single moment to ID, and is significantly less painful as it was a building block for this great season we are still enjoying.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:51 PM ^
1) Jim Joyce "kicked the call" on the last out of Armando Galarraga's perfect game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfCfjT5BH9o (By the way, Joyce knew instantly that he blew it, so why on Earth couldn't he call the other umpires over to discuss, and it seems like they could have changed the call? BUT NOOOOO! Miggy should have let the 2nd baseman field the ball anyway, would have been a cleaner play and the ball could have arrived sooner to 1B)
2) The Calvin Johnson Catch, Lions fucked (of course), should have won: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRQqN6UsRys
3) Also Calvin Johnson fumbles on the goal line, should have been "illegal bat", Lions fucked (of course), should have won: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLL1ByAJb6M
4) Lions vs Cowboys 2015, the officials pick up obvious pass interference flag, Lions fucked (of course), probably would have won: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_O67Vh0RiQ
5) Lions vs Packers Hail Mary, so stupid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0vVqStvh_8
February 4th, 2024 at 1:52 PM ^
That 2016 Mich-OSU is the first time I ever swore at my dad. My dad grew up in Cleveland and is an OSU fan. We typically go the Game in Ann Arbor and things have always been amicable regarding the game. He endured a painful 90s and I endured a painful 00s-10s. But that 2016 game put me over the edge and shouted a bunch of expletives at him as he was celebrating the win. I felt so bad.
February 4th, 2024 at 4:44 PM ^
I can’t imagine that dynamic. If it makes you feel any better, you were completely justified.
February 4th, 2024 at 6:39 PM ^
I felt justified, but it totally changed the relationship around that game. We went to the 2017 game together, but we never went to another Michigan-OSU game again. I have 2 season tickets, so I always save that game for us, but he always has some excuse for not going with me. Too cold, too early, too much traffic, etc.
In fact, we don’t even watch the away games together anymore.
February 4th, 2024 at 9:21 PM ^
Sorry to hear that. Reminds me of how much politics on social media has divided friends and families the past 10-15 years.
Some things just need to go away and not be discussed amongst family and friends. Focus on other things you can agree on.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:55 PM ^
Believe I've recounted this in a similar thread years ago here:
As a student, trudged through the rain, rebuffed an offer of 500 bucks for my ticket to see #1 ND @ #2 UM in '89. As the second of the ill fated kick offs to land in Raghib Ismail's arms took flight that day, some drunk guy in the crowd behind me bellowed out, "he can't do it again" pause, "can he?" And I that moment I knew it before I even saw it.
A few years later, returned to campus for another huge game. At the snap of the ball on it's last play, some drunk guy behind me bellowed out, "he can't even throw it that far" pause as Kordell Stewart takes the snap, "can he?"... .
February 4th, 2024 at 2:58 PM ^
I was at both of those games. I might have even been that drunk guy.
February 4th, 2024 at 3:28 PM ^
Have to admit, over the year's, I've often wondered if it was the same person.
February 4th, 2024 at 1:56 PM ^
The Horror and there is no reason to ever think about it again. Plus I'm a Browns fan so this is amateur shit.
February 4th, 2024 at 2:08 PM ^
Trouble with the snap was probably the last time I really got affected by a loss. As I got older the likelihood of a sports loss affecting me that much got greatly reduced. I think as a kid you kinda lack the perspective to evaluate these losses properly, but as a more mature individual you ideally are a little more even-keeled.
February 4th, 2024 at 2:08 PM ^
MSU ‘15
OSU ‘16
Basketball Indiana ‘13 (I was so upset that they blew this game that I punched a hole in my apartment bathroom door. I paid for it but don’t regret it.)
February 4th, 2024 at 2:25 PM ^
Most of these from the early 90’s on have burned holes in my retina, but I’ll add the 2009 cup finals vs Pittsburgh. I know Pit was damn good, but the Wings should’ve gone back-to-back. And I dislike me some Crosby, so seeing him hoist it on Red Wing ice killed me
February 4th, 2024 at 2:44 PM ^
The 2006 Crable late hit. How different the next decade of Michigan football could have been if we had beat Ohio that day.
February 4th, 2024 at 2:53 PM ^
Don’t have any painful memories of any sporting event. Seeing Buckeyes beaten three years running have washed them alllllllll. Awayyyyyyy
February 4th, 2024 at 2:57 PM ^
That time when we made it to the CFP National Championship game but we could not contain Washington and Michael Penix and we fell just short in a painfully close loss, watching our championship dreams go up in smoke yet again for the third year in a row.
Oh, wait . . . that never happened.
Instead we left no doubt and dominated in the CFP Final, and went undefeated 15-0 and won the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!
February 4th, 2024 at 2:58 PM ^
Welp, this was fun. Surprised no mention of 2021 MSU - getting Kenneth Walker'd and Macdonald not able to adjust to tempo was brutal, especially being up double digits late in the game. Also, I will always argue that 2018 OSU and giving up a million points after being the favorite is the more painful than even the 2016/2006 games
1. 2018 OSU
2. 2006 OSU
3. 2015 MSU
4. 2016 OSU
5. 2021 MSU
February 4th, 2024 at 3:27 PM ^
The fact that we bounced back to beat OSU and win the Big Ten took a lot of the sting away from that loss for me. Especially after Sparty's program promptly collapsed.
February 4th, 2024 at 2:59 PM ^
The one that always sticks with me was the Colorado 1994 Hail Mary.
I couldn’t watch the game because I grew up on the East Coast and ABC was showing some BC or Syracuse non-sense. So I followed the score on ESPN.
When it got to the end of the game, I believe it was Chris Fowler, was describing what was happening live on ESPN. He described the play and I thought he was joking. Once I realized he wasn’t joking, my heart sunk.
We would have other major disappointments over the years, but that one hit me hard. Still have a tough time watching that play in highlights.