In light of the success of the other day's topic on the average joes' biggest sports achievements, why don't we eat a little humble pie and tell about our most epic sports failures. Reveal your biggest "Bill Buckner"esque moment. When and how did you choke in the pressure situation?
Biggest Sport's Failure
- Thread starter DawgNDCity
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In light of the success of the other day's topic on the average joes' biggest sports achievements, why don't we eat a little humble pie and tell about our most epic sports failures. Reveal your biggest "Bill Buckner"esque moment. When and how did you choke in the pressure situation?
In light of the success of the other day's topic on the average joes' biggest sports achievements, why don't we eat a little humble pie and tell about our most epic sports failures. Reveal your biggest "Bill Buckner"esque moment. When and how did you choke in the pressure situation?
during the district golf championship my ninth grade year. I was the #1 player for our team and came up to the 18th green in the last group. After conversing with my teammates I was told that we would make it to the state tournament if I simply two-putted from 25 ft. After the 3 wiggle which ensued we tied and then lost in a scorecard playoff (which I hate by the way). Epic Fail!
So that's my Jean Van de Velde moment.
Also, the fact that I couldn't think of anything that was postworthy as far sports achievements was pretty depressing (and I have played a lot of sports)
So that's my Jean Van de Velde moment.
Also, the fact that I couldn't think of anything that was postworthy as far sports achievements was pretty depressing (and I have played a lot of sports)
epic loss to natchez cathedral of 49 to 50. i sacked the quarterback late in the 4th quarter (i think). would have nearly ended it for them. definitely would have ended their drive. penalty... facemask. had his jersey and had no reason to go for the mask because he was coming down. the other hand just headed that way. HD still has nightmares about that game. i think he eats pork loin to make him feel better.</p>
My first game of high school football at defensive back. We were losing by 5 with about 2 minutes in the game. Our defensive end pulls the QB to the ground as he throws the ball in the air (think 07 Bama pick 6). The WR is running a fade route so he's out of the picture. I see the dead duck flying in the air and look and there's nothing but green grass in front of me. I was at full sprint when I came to the ball in the air. You can all imagine what happens next. Yep. Dropped the ball. They end up winning by 5. F my life.
Second one was, my senior year. We were up by 3 with about 25 seconds to go in the game. The other team was on our 2 yd line. They had a tight end that was bout 6'5. I was playing CB and they pulled all their receivers in so I was in beside the outside LB. They throw it up to the tight end, I go up with him, pick it off and return it about 101 yds for the TD. I wondered why no one was chasing me. Because there was a flag laying in the other endzone for pass interference. They scored on the next play as time expired. F my life.</p>
Second one was, my senior year. We were up by 3 with about 25 seconds to go in the game. The other team was on our 2 yd line. They had a tight end that was bout 6'5. I was playing CB and they pulled all their receivers in so I was in beside the outside LB. They throw it up to the tight end, I go up with him, pick it off and return it about 101 yds for the TD. I wondered why no one was chasing me. Because there was a flag laying in the other endzone for pass interference. They scored on the next play as time expired. F my life.</p>
clock was broken and no one was sure how much time was left, after the sneak the refs called the game over and fled the field because fans from both sides had surrounded the goal line and it was very tense. When we unpiled I was lying across the goal line by at least 1/2 yard, needless to say I still dream about that crap. Fans got in a big scrap after we unpiled and it appeared we had scored, it was one hell of a game.
State baseball camp......we were playing an inter-squad game at DNF. I am pitching and doing well. Ole #1 walks out on the field and stands behind the screeen just behind the right handed batter. He stands there and watches as I reach back for a little something extra to impress him. I throw a fast ball right into the shoulder of the hitter. Ole #1 walks off talking to the voluteer coaches, players, and other campers.
May not seem like that big of deal to most......However, to a 15 year old kid who always dreamed of playing for State, I felt like I blew a chance to impress Polk. Not that I would have made it anyway...but I didn't know that then.
May not seem like that big of deal to most......However, to a 15 year old kid who always dreamed of playing for State, I felt like I blew a chance to impress Polk. Not that I would have made it anyway...but I didn't know that then.
the toy bowl was an annual football all star game between Florence, AL and Town Creek, AL. The game was played where they hold the D2 national championship game (home of North Alabama). It was basically a big charity drive for xmas toys for orphans (bring a toy, get in free).
Anyway, ole gtown (the 13 year old version of gtown) was selected to play. Being one of 3 white kids on the entire squad I was made the default punter. Well, the game is tight and our offense was stuck deep in our own territory. 4th down comes and the coach yells, "[gtown]...get in there, and punt it out!!!!"
Ole gtown runs in...the lights were bright that night...the crowd was loud and the band was playing...I soiled myself just a bit.
Standing in our own endzone I called for the snap ("HIKE" I yelled). I tell you I blasted that ball all the way to the 2 yard line.......our 2 yard line. Basically the ball went straight up in the air. They scored the next play and eventually one the game.
Anyway, ole gtown (the 13 year old version of gtown) was selected to play. Being one of 3 white kids on the entire squad I was made the default punter. Well, the game is tight and our offense was stuck deep in our own territory. 4th down comes and the coach yells, "[gtown]...get in there, and punt it out!!!!"
Ole gtown runs in...the lights were bright that night...the crowd was loud and the band was playing...I soiled myself just a bit.
Standing in our own endzone I called for the snap ("HIKE" I yelled). I tell you I blasted that ball all the way to the 2 yard line.......our 2 yard line. Basically the ball went straight up in the air. They scored the next play and eventually one the game.
5A state tennis tournament in Jackson.
I was in 9th grade and my doubles partner was in 12th.
We came out of nowhere and scored two major upsets in the quarters and in the semis -- straight set whoopins. We were peaking. So focused and confident... "in the zone". "Treed" as the juniors used to call it.
In the finals, we played at that dump Tennis South. We played a team that had 2 great athletes that were playing tennis (not tennis players that had great athletic skills). We were the better team. We beat better teams to get there. We just didn't show up for the championship. The pressure made us lethargic and unfocused. I have a bitter taste in my mouth just thinking about it.
I was in 9th grade and my doubles partner was in 12th.
We came out of nowhere and scored two major upsets in the quarters and in the semis -- straight set whoopins. We were peaking. So focused and confident... "in the zone". "Treed" as the juniors used to call it.
In the finals, we played at that dump Tennis South. We played a team that had 2 great athletes that were playing tennis (not tennis players that had great athletic skills). We were the better team. We beat better teams to get there. We just didn't show up for the championship. The pressure made us lethargic and unfocused. I have a bitter taste in my mouth just thinking about it.
Basketball
I just remembered this one:
I was probably 11 years old. The ball was inbounded to me right under the basket, and I was shocked that no one was defending me. I lay it up and it falls off the rim. My teammates are yelling at me, the crowd is yelling at me -- it's so loud. But I ignored all of that and was determined to get this ball in... shoot again and it rolls off the rim. A teammate rebounded this time and calmly brought the ball up the court to the other side.
I was shooting at the wrong basket. My only comfort is that I missed. Twice.
I just remembered this one:
I was probably 11 years old. The ball was inbounded to me right under the basket, and I was shocked that no one was defending me. I lay it up and it falls off the rim. My teammates are yelling at me, the crowd is yelling at me -- it's so loud. But I ignored all of that and was determined to get this ball in... shoot again and it rolls off the rim. A teammate rebounded this time and calmly brought the ball up the court to the other side.
I was shooting at the wrong basket. My only comfort is that I missed. Twice.
9th grade- came up 5 feet short on a high fly to LF for a 3 run HR in the 6th inning during the Conference Tourney final. Lost by 2. Winning team stormed to state title blowing out the rest of the competition. 5 more feet and we win the state title.
10th grade- struck out 4 times and left 3 runners in scoring position at Parklane in a 2-1 loss. That loss created a 3-way tie for 1st and Prep won the tiebreaker. We won the conference Tourney over Prep, but since Prep won the regular season tiebreak, we had to have a 1 game playoff- lost the playoff game and the world missed out on the much anticipated JA-MRA state championship battle. Not coming through against Parklane cost us the South championship
those 2 still hurt
10th grade- struck out 4 times and left 3 runners in scoring position at Parklane in a 2-1 loss. That loss created a 3-way tie for 1st and Prep won the tiebreaker. We won the conference Tourney over Prep, but since Prep won the regular season tiebreak, we had to have a 1 game playoff- lost the playoff game and the world missed out on the much anticipated JA-MRA state championship battle. Not coming through against Parklane cost us the South championship
those 2 still hurt
Alabama district tournament. Senior year. We had three teams in our district Our team had not lost a set to a district team in three years and we were the four time defending district champion, so we were playing for a bye. Our #1 boys singles player was just damn sick. The kind of sick that you just can't do anything. Our coach (who had never played competitive tennis) decided to pull the freaking lineup out of a hat (literally, she used my hat). I was #1 boys doubles and ended up playing the mixed doubles court. I asked the coach why didn't she just switch two courts instead of seven, that way if things did not mesh, we'd only drop two courts. Her response was basically we were going to do it her way and that we should have no trouble beating this team.
We lost 6-1, winning on mixed doubles 6-0, 6-0. I was pissed. Luckily parents were pissed enough to have her back to teaching biology. We had an 8th grade kid playing singles that they said did not score a point for the first 10 games.
We lost 6-1, winning on mixed doubles 6-0, 6-0. I was pissed. Luckily parents were pissed enough to have her back to teaching biology. We had an 8th grade kid playing singles that they said did not score a point for the first 10 games.
Seriously...
Baseball - playing rec ball as a kid, we were down 2 or 3 runs, and we had the bases loaded in the bottom of the last inning. I was on 2nd. One of our weaker hitters was at the plate. I got too big of a lead at 2nd and got picked off for the last out of the game. I had no reason to get a big lead, but I did it anyway.
Basketball - Somehow me and 2 of my teammates got confused at the change of quarters, again playing rec ball. Two of us sprinted deep. We were wide open on the other end of the floor. The guy throwing it in found me all alone for a break away lay up. Only problem, we were on the wrong end of the floor, which explains why no one tried to get back to defend us.
Football - Fumbled on the goal line in a high school game. We won the game by about 3 TDs, but my fumble kept us from putting it away big enough to empty the bench.
I didn't participate in the other thread, but I have experienced a couple of game winning hits in baseball. I hit a half court shot to win a game in basketball. And I broke up a pass in the endzone late with about a minute left to preserve a 1 TD win. So, it wasn't all embarassing for me.
Baseball - playing rec ball as a kid, we were down 2 or 3 runs, and we had the bases loaded in the bottom of the last inning. I was on 2nd. One of our weaker hitters was at the plate. I got too big of a lead at 2nd and got picked off for the last out of the game. I had no reason to get a big lead, but I did it anyway.
Basketball - Somehow me and 2 of my teammates got confused at the change of quarters, again playing rec ball. Two of us sprinted deep. We were wide open on the other end of the floor. The guy throwing it in found me all alone for a break away lay up. Only problem, we were on the wrong end of the floor, which explains why no one tried to get back to defend us.
Football - Fumbled on the goal line in a high school game. We won the game by about 3 TDs, but my fumble kept us from putting it away big enough to empty the bench.
I didn't participate in the other thread, but I have experienced a couple of game winning hits in baseball. I hit a half court shot to win a game in basketball. And I broke up a pass in the endzone late with about a minute left to preserve a 1 TD win. So, it wasn't all embarassing for me.
Football:
Downed my own punt, I kicked SOB about 30yds straight up....still had a Net avg of about 38 yd
Baseball:
K'd looking in the bottom of the 13th inning with the bases loaded down by a run with 2 outs as a sophomore....</p>
Downed my own punt, I kicked SOB about 30yds straight up....still had a Net avg of about 38 yd
Baseball:
K'd looking in the bottom of the 13th inning with the bases loaded down by a run with 2 outs as a sophomore....</p>
Apparently my dumbass coach decided that game to make me the basestealing threat we needed. As he is yelling at me to get a bigger lead, I looked at him and said "what". I actually strained my shoulder diving back for the bag and was still out. I could have kicked the coach square in the balls at that moment.
I don't know if this counts as a failure or achievement, I hit both my roommates in the balls playing raquetball within like 3 minutes. Not just grazed the nutt but full blown square in the nuts. Both of them quit playing with me after that.
I don't know if this counts as a failure or achievement, I hit both my roommates in the balls playing raquetball within like 3 minutes. Not just grazed the nutt but full blown square in the nuts. Both of them quit playing with me after that.
i was 6th man on a undefeated team (didn't have one close game). I think it was in greenwood, I pulled up for a free-throw line jumper.....and launched it over the entire goal. For a few seconds after the shot, I could hear a pen drop in the gym.... then for the next couple minutes I couldn't hear anything from the hysterical laughter directed at me. I have never seen a better "WTF? face" than I did from my coach after that shot.
We were in the flag football national championships (Sugar Bowl tourney in NOLA) as the MSU representative, and made the Final Four fairly easily. We were playing defending national champs Southeastern Louisiana, who we had beaten twice earlier in the year.
We traded touchdowns until about a minute left in the first half. SE gets the ball, drives to midfield, then their QB throws a hail mary as time expires. Guy in front of me tips it, I tip it, SE guy in the back of the endzone dives and catches it for a TD. They go up 28-21. We trade TDs in the 2nd half, never able to pull ahead, and lose, I think 49-42.
They played the University of Florida in the NC game, winning a laugher by about 30 points.
Damnit. I feel sick all over again.
We traded touchdowns until about a minute left in the first half. SE gets the ball, drives to midfield, then their QB throws a hail mary as time expires. Guy in front of me tips it, I tip it, SE guy in the back of the endzone dives and catches it for a TD. They go up 28-21. We trade TDs in the 2nd half, never able to pull ahead, and lose, I think 49-42.
They played the University of Florida in the NC game, winning a laugher by about 30 points.
Damnit. I feel sick all over again.
in '86...we're playing Tulane at the Superdome. I had never been out of Mississippi, much less the Superdome, and my first trip there I'm a player. We drove in Friday and the buses drove right into the Superdome, letting us out in the end zone. It truly was a Hoosiers moment for me. As I got out, I could not help but stare all around at the magnitude of that place. As I'm walking the field and staring straight up at the ceiling, I stub my foot into the turf and trip forward and end up on my hands and knees. I look up and I'm right at the feet of Coach Felker and some Superdome administrator. Felker looks down at me and says "Those hash marks will get you, Mark." The fact that my name is not Mark did not help matters.
Basketball: shooting at the wrong goal and missing
Baseball: 4 strikes in one at bat. The ump couldn't count.
Golf: Picking up a club.
Tennis: I was at this tournament my high school team always got dominated at, and this particular year we missed winning the whole thing by one point. I got killed in singles and lost 6-4, 6-4 in doubles, blowing a 4-0 lead in the first set. If I had won either match we win the tourney. Those two matches were the biggest chokes of my life.
Baseball: 4 strikes in one at bat. The ump couldn't count.
Golf: Picking up a club.
Tennis: I was at this tournament my high school team always got dominated at, and this particular year we missed winning the whole thing by one point. I got killed in singles and lost 6-4, 6-4 in doubles, blowing a 4-0 lead in the first set. If I had won either match we win the tourney. Those two matches were the biggest chokes of my life.
Senior year in baseball, may have been a playoff game - can't remember that much. But I hit a dribbler to third & beat out the throw. The ump doesn't really call anything, just makes a loud grunting noise. I knew I beat it but asked my 1st base coach & he says he got me. So I start jogging across the field toward the 3rd base dugout & our head coach starts screaming to get back on the bag. The pitcher is as puzzled as me, but kind of walks up and tags me.
Apparently the ump gave a half-*** sign that I was safe (just a quick motion with his hands... not a full arm extended sign) and really didn't say an comprehensible word. Whatever he said, it was like he was trying to call me out & safe at the same time. Neither me or the 1st base coach saw the sign, so we thought I was out, along with anyone else that wasn't looking at the ump.
Apparently the ump gave a half-*** sign that I was safe (just a quick motion with his hands... not a full arm extended sign) and really didn't say an comprehensible word. Whatever he said, it was like he was trying to call me out & safe at the same time. Neither me or the 1st base coach saw the sign, so we thought I was out, along with anyone else that wasn't looking at the ump.
In the state playoffs for small schools,we were no.5 in the state playing no.3 in the state.My hometown has about 2,000 people in it.The other team probably has less than a thousand.There were 7,000 people at this game (we played at a (JUCO stadium)Anyway in a defensive game we had the ball 1st and goal from the 3.We ran an option play I pitched the ball just as I was getting hit by their DE,the pitch went about two yds behind my tailback and they recovered the fumble.We lost in overtime 7-0 and they went on to win the state championship.I'm well into my thirties and I still think about it alot.
About 30 or so years ago we had a pretty awesome basketball team - primarily because we had a negro on our team that was 6 foot plus which was a rarity for our parochial league back then. Any time the ball was shot by the opposing team, I cleverly learned to immediately snow bird to the other end because there was no doubt that "Otis" was going to get the rebound and chunk it to me standing under the goal. This upped my scoring average by about 10 points and pissed off some of my fellow team mates who hadn't thought of it sooner. Anyway, one game I bet I blew about 6 or 7 layups. It got in my head. I could hear the crowd groan when I went up. It got so bad, I didn't even want him to throw me the ball, but alas he kept throwing it. Mortifiying.
In 2000, I was playing in the local club championship and headed into the 36th and final hole up 3 shots. I striped a drive down the middle on the reachable par 5. At 210 yds I thought a 3 iron would put me safely in front of the green and keep the OB out of reach.....I was wrong. I must have been a little jacked up because I smoked it smoothly out of bounds by a yard. I dropped all the way to an 8 iron and still hit it in the front bunker. I lipped out a 10 foot bogey putt for the win and lost on the 1st playoff hole. I was Van de Velde on a much smaller scale....
In 2001, I was up 3 with 1 to go.....I hit the 8 iron the first time on that occassion...
In 2001, I was up 3 with 1 to go.....I hit the 8 iron the first time on that occassion...
I know I had plenty of failures as an individual but the ones that I remember most are team situations.
Not winning the CWS in 1981 sucked. Still bothers me today. We should have beaten ASU and South Carolina. We could beat any of the teams there. Funny thing doing research we were the only team there without any Notable Players. (G-Man and Don Mundie made the tournament team)
Not winning the CWS in 1981 sucked. Still bothers me today. We should have beaten ASU and South Carolina. We could beat any of the teams there. Funny thing doing research we were the only team there without any Notable Players. (G-Man and Don Mundie made the tournament team)
- Arizona State University: Alvin Davis, Donnie Hill, Lemmie Miller, Ricky Nelson, Kevin Romine
- University of Maine: Kevin Buckley, Joe Johnson, Bill Swift
- University of Miami: Neal Heaton, Mike Pagliarulo
- University of Michigan: Steve Ontiveros, Jim Paciorek, Chris Sabo
- Mississippi State University:
- Oklahoma State University: Gary Green, Mickey Tettleton, Jim Traber, Robbie Wine
- University of South Carolina: Don Gordon
- University of Texas at Austin: Mike Brumley, Spike Owen, Calvin Schiraldi