Your worst days of your life as a sports fan v2

[TrueYankee26]

Similar thread was created in 2014 but is locked and I made this thread because I can add another dark moment in Yankees history... We just saw it on FS1. Astros walk off homer in game 6 of the 2019 ALCS.

[AustinFromBoston]

2003 ALCS

Super Bowl XLII

2013 Stanley Cup Final

2010 NBA Finals.

[DnBronc]

2012 AFC Divisional Playoffs (Ravens-Broncos)

2000 WCF Game 7

1991 WCF Game 6

1985 WS Game 6 (Denkinger)

[Burmy]

Super Bowl XXXII

2011 NLCS Game 6

2015 NFC Championship Game 

2018 NLCS Game 7

2019 NL Wild Card Game

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

The worst I have ever felt as a sports fan was in 1980 when the Yankees were swept in the playoffs by the Royals and the diabolical George Brett.

 

By contrast, getting swept by the Reds in the 1976 World Series had been a bit of a downer; but the season was still regarded as a great success, with the team winning its first pennant since 1964 and thereby ending the Lean Years, with Thurman Munson being the American League MVP, and with Graig Nettles becoming the first Yankee since Roger Maris to lead the league in homers. There was a book written about the 1976 Yankees that was entitled That Championship Season, notwithstanding the loss in the World Series. 

 

But no one was going to write any books about the 1980 season. The regular season was glorious. The fans had begun the year still in a state of shock and mourning over the tragic death of Munson the previous August. But this sadness was assuaged by the arrival on the scene of a great young catcher, a local kid from Newark, Rick Cerone, who performed wonderfully both behind the plate and at bat, eventually earning MVP votes including one for first place.

 

In addition, Reggie Jackson had his greatest season in 1980, hitting .300 for the only time in his career and leading the league in home runs. (Reggie would surely have been MVP if not for the fiendish Brett.) The surgically-repaired Tommy John had another great year in the rotation alongside Ron Guidry; and Nettles made a heroic comeback from a late-season bout of hepatitis to hit an improbable inside-the-park home run in the playoffs.

 

This team, which won 103 games and held off a challenge from a 100-win Orioles team, was so good that it was destined to go all the way, or at least to reach its fourth World Series in the past five years.

 

But someone forgot to tell the objectively evil George Brett. His three-run home run off of Goose Gossage in the seventh inning of the third game of the playoffs, which reversed a Yankee lead, was devastating. Brett is the opposing player whom I hated and feared the most, and never so much as on that night.

 

Eventually I came to appreciate the full story of the 1980 season, and to enjoy the memory of the Goose's bulldog-like saves (this was long before LaRussa invented the one-inning closer), of Oscar Gamble's clutch hitting, of Gaylord Perry's late-season cameo, and, most of all, of Rick Cerone's act of helping a city to get over its grief. 

 

But the villainous Brett really broke my heart. I hope he enjoyed his hemorrhoids.

[Rockstar Matt]

I just have four.

 

2007 Divisional Round loss to the Giants

2014 & 2016 Divisional Round losses to the Packers.

 

And I think the worst one of them all, the USMNT loss to T&T in 2017 to eliminate the US from the World Cup. 

 

That last loss changed me forever. I no longer get too happy or too down depending on if my team wins or loses. 

[Sport]

2015 AFC Divisional playoff round loss to the Steelers. I haven't cared about sports, especially the NFL, in the same way since. The 2012 NLDS choke against the Giants was devastating, but wasn't half as bad as that playoff game. 

[Dalcowboyfan92]

Cowboys playoff losses in 2007 and 2016.

 

I, to the day, still hate Patrick Crayton with every fiber of my being for breaking my heart. That 07 team was the best team I saw (because I was too young to remember their SB teams). And how they lost in 2016, just made me numb.

 

I didn't say a word, I went to bed a zombie, and eventually the numbness forced me to sleep.

 

God, I [censored] hate Aaron Rodgers.

[NoE38_Concepts]

Game 7, 2017 NHL ECF

Game 6, 2015 NHL ECQF

Double Doink

Every time the Cavs have played the Raptors in the playoffs

[AustinFromBoston]

20 minutes ago, Dalcowboyfan92 said:

Cowboys playoff losses in 2007 and 2016.

 

I, to the day, still hate Patrick Crayton with every fiber of my being for breaking my heart. That 07 team was the best team I saw (because I was too young to remember their SB teams). And how they lost in 2016, just made me numb.

 

I didn't say a word, I went to bed a zombie, and eventually the numbness forced me to sleep.

 

God, I [censored] hate Aaron Rodgers.

I also hate the 07 Cowboys & Packers.

Patriots would have beaten either of those teams if they didn’t allow the :censored:ing Giants to win. 
 

plus a Belichick vs. Parcells Super Bowl and a Favre vs Brady Super Bowl are 2 matchups I’m pissed we never got. 

[sky1324]

Super Bowl 50 (I ing hate Von Miller and his cheating .)

Every single day Michael Jordan has been the owner of the Hornets (outside of them actually changing to the Hornets).

 

(On the flip side, Super Bowl 51 is probably the best sports memory I have. Either that, or the 2015 NFCC Game where the Panthers stomped the Cardinals. Or, the 2015 Thanksgiving game where we murdered the Cowboys and Tony Romo on national TV.)

[tBBP]

This entire season is becoming dark for my Seminoles...

[Shumway]

- The Jon Paxson game-winning three against the Suns in 1993. I was 7 years old and in Disney World, and it ruined my vacation.

- 2009 ALCS. I could've seen my favorite team (Angels) play against my hometown team (Phillies) in a World Series. It would've been great, and I wouldn't have had any friends afterwards.

- Most days as a Detroit Lions fan, but specifically when the Eagles crushed them in the '96 playoffs. Wasn't a fun time at school the next day.

- Eagles Superbowl victory. I hate the Eagles, and I had to design Superbowl Champions banners and signs for the parade the day after (I work for one of their sponsors). We had Eagles themed parties at work, and "wear your [terrible chinese counterfeit] jerseys to work" days.

 

But hey, the Red Wings have been pretty good to me. I missed the '09 Stanley Cup game 7 against Pittsburgh for a bachelor party.

[alxy8s]

Been pretty lucky on the whole, but will never get over the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship.

 

By the time "2nd & 26" happened, I was beyond convinced Georgia was going to lose (and really already should have; Bama had missed a pretty short FG at the end of regulation), so it wasn't the gut punch you'd imagine. These two calls happened at the start of the 3rd quarter:

The "Tyler Simmons was onside" play which should have given Georgia the ball inside the 5 and a chance to go up 20-0 and then:

 

Three plays later, the defender pulls Swift's facemask a full 180 degrees and the entire crew pretends they don't see it. First and only time I've ever broken something during a game (RIP couch!). I don't know that I've ever enjoyed a sporting event less. We've had 3 postseason games with Alabama, and they're always so tense and miserable. Knowing the boys are going to have to play a damn near perfect game, have them actually do just that, and see it go up in flames is such a special experience.

[Sykotyk]

Indians v. Marlins game 7.

 

The Cubs series sucked. But not like the Marlins game 7.

[Crabcake]

Some immediately spring to mind. 
 

The Cundiff Game - 2011 AFC Championship. Lee Evans is one of the luckiest men in recent football history because everyone remembers Cundiff’s shank of the potential game-tying FG, yet many, many less remember Evans dropping the potential game-winning TD the play before. 
 

Liverpool losing the 2018 UCL Final by two goals. Goalkeeper Loris Karius had two bowlers and gifted Real Madrid two goals. 
 

The Caps have had plenty, but the two OT losses, to the Rangers in G7 in 2015, and to the Penguins in G6 in 2016, spring to mind. 
 

The O’s losing G5 of the ALDS to the Yankees, in the first time I remember seeing the Orioles in the playoffs in my lifetime. Getting swept by the Royals also sucked. 
 

I realize as I type this that I’ve been incredibly lucky, in that all of these (except the Orioles’) have been resolved later. The Ravens and Liverpool won titles the year after their heartbreaks, and the Caps won the Cup two years after. 

[Red Comet]

1997 divisional round game against the Broncos. Bastards put Vasoline on their jerseys and that was a touchdown by Tony Gonzalez. Refs have been screwing things up for years.

Derrick Thomas's last game. All the Chiefs had to do was beat the Raiders at home to go to the playoffs. Had a 17 point lead, blew it and lost to Oakland at home for the first time in over a decade. Didn't know it at the time but Derrick Thomas would be dead only a month later.

2003 No-Punt Game

2006 home opener against the Bengals. Trent Green getting nearly decapitated was something I got to see in person. Let's just say that under Marvin Lewis, orange and black was a fitting color scheme for his squad.

2007 Big 12 Championship Game. I stand by that KU bribed the BCS Committee to screw Mizzou out of a major bowl game. I'm praying that KU's basketball program gets the death penalty. It would be karma for all their bull :censored:.

Jovan Belcher's murder-suicide in 2012.

2013 wild card game against the Colts. Hell, any playoff game against the Colts can count but blowing a 28-point lead in the 2nd half was a ballbuster. 

2014 Game 7 of the World Series. No MadBum? The Royals win in 5 that year. 

Yordano Ventura getting himself killed because he thought driving drunk was a good idea.

2018 AFC Championship Game. That wasn't a roughing the passer call.

 

Really puts the misery in Missouri now that I think about it.

Edited October 20, 2019 by Red Comet

[Glover]

I was only 5 years old during Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, so that one didn't hurt as much for me as the 2016 Game 7.

 

But the first Cleveland sports loss that really hurt me was 2007 vs the Red Sox. Up 3-1 in the series, the Indians lose game 5 at home with Cy Young winner CC Sabathia on the mound, and then with Cy Young vote-getter Fausto Carmona in game 6. And of course Boston won game 7 easily, and go on to sweep the Rockies in the World Series. I was in high school when this happened and up until that point I didn't believe in any Cleveland Curse. After that...I became your stereotypical "woe is me" Cleveland sports fan for many many years. 

 

Going 0-16 was tough to swallow (obviously), especially having the final nail in the coffin occur in Pittsburgh the way it happened. We're driving late in the game, in Pittsburgh territory, right outside of the red zone...and then Corey Coleman drops it on 4th and 2. 

[Maroon]

When Oscar Taveras died.

When the 2004 Cardinals were swept in the World Series, as it was the first World Series the Cardinals had been in during my lifetime.

When Missouri State lost the MVC Tournament Championship game in an upset to Indiana State on March 6, 2011.

Every time the Patriots win the Super Bowl, but their championships over the St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks will forever go down as my least favorite ones.

 

I've considered the Colts losing to the Saints in the Super Bowl, but as miserable as that was I have zero animosity towards the Saints for it so the hurt isn't quite as severe.

[BC985]

The 2004 St. Louis Cardinals getting swept in the World Series. That team was so good. They won 105 games during the regular season. They had the MV3 of Pujols-Edmonds-Rolen and had Larry Walker, Edgar Renteria, Tony Womack, and Reggie Sanders. To their credit, especially Carlos Beltran, the Houston Astros took the Cardinals to the limit during the NLCS. Still, the Red Sox went 7 games against the Yankees, so it felt like it was going to be a competitive matchup. The Red Sox truly were a team of destiny. 2006 and 2011 helped, but this team will likely always feel like the team that should.