Name your top Ricky Bobby "if you ain't first, you're last" list

Jan 3, 2003
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What teams or athletes/players had the best season, the best performance, but did not come out on top (either team that was dominant but did not win a championship, or player that was dominant that did not win MVP)?

Who you got...

I will go with Ted Williams 1941 MVP (2nd place). Williams hit .406, with 37 HR, 120 RBI, a .553 OBP & a .735 Slg. The winner, DiMaggio hit .357, with 30 HR, 125 RBI, a .440 OBP & a .643 Slg; oh yeah and a little 56 game hitting streak (which he started the prior season) and a WS championship.

For teams, I think the 2015 Kentucky team and the 1991 UNLV team and the 1975 Indiana team have to be considered.
 
May 31, 2018
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Since you are referencing Ricky Bobby I will go with a NASCAR driver who won 11 races including the Daytona 500 and The Winston which was a payout of 1 million dollars but failed to win the Championship that year. Ladies and gents I present Mr Bill Elliott.

 
Jan 3, 2003
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15,709
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Since you are referencing Ricky Bobby I will go with a NASCAR driver who won 11 races including the Daytona 500 and The Winston which was a payout of 1 million dollars but failed to win the Championship that year. Ladies and gents I present Mr Bill Elliott.

How did that happen? Isn't that championship based on points accrued from ALL the other races. Did he either win or not finish every race?
 

cole854

Heisman
Sep 11, 2012
10,156
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Heisman style...

Dorsett or Bell should have won in 75 when Griffin won his second.

Woodson winning over Peyton was the ultimate hose job.
 
May 31, 2018
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How did that happen? Isn't that championship based on points accrued from ALL the other races. Did he either win or not finish every race?
He had a huge lead as 10 of the 11 wins came in the first 20 races but had some really bad finishes down the stretch and lost the championship in the final race of the season.
 
May 22, 2002
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Elgin Baylor. During his career with The Lakers they went to 8 NBA Championship finals. They lost all 8.

And (of course, non-sports related) the most infamous “he was second” will always be Buzz Aldrin.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
38,046
59,284
113
Buffalo Bills in the 90s. Four straight AFC champs, but will always go down in history as a joke.

Not sure about the last part though.. Jim Kelly, Andre Reed and Bruce Smith were no joke. The hangovers, poor division/conference, and the yips just got to them.
 
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TortElvisII

Heisman
May 7, 2010
51,536
96,646
66
Punchout was a better game than Mega Man
I went to see punchline with Tom Hanks and Sally Field. It was horrible. And I was alone and the only person in the theater.

That was almost 34 years ago now. It was after a blizzard in the Midwest. I just moved to a small town and didn't know anyone.
 
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Tskware

Heisman
Jan 26, 2003
25,276
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Sham in horse racing

Greg Norman lost all four majors in playoffs, had he won even half of those, his career would be remembered very differently
 

kywildcatsfan#1

All-American
Jun 21, 2018
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Matt Holliday in 2007 carried the load for the Rockies on the way to World Series when they lost to the Red Sox.