Greatest Collapses in Sports

[Ryan Fitzpatrick]

Who has snatched defeat from the clutches of victory better than anybody else, iyo?

The few that immediately come to mind are:

-2004 Yankees
-2008 NBA Finals Game 4 (ugh)
-2011 NBA Finals Game 2
-1992/93 Houston Oilers vs Buffalo Bills
-Game 1 of MEM/LAC series this past year
-Jan Van De Velde's EPIC British Open catastrophe in '99
-2000 Blazers in Game 7 4th quarter
-Ammo and Gonzaga choking against UCLA

so many others to think of...

[Findog]

Mavs in 2006. Yeah, they had some calls go against them, you couldn't get within 5 feet of Wade without the refs blowing a whistle, but at the same time, they were up 2.9 games to nothing and can't blame the refs for the Heat getting back into that series and eventually winning it. They showed a lack of poise and composure. They weren't the first team that got hosed on a few calls in a game and they let it affect the rest of the series and undo their vice-grip on it.

In 2007 they absolutely should have been able to handle it. A 67-win team shouldn't be losing to a .500 team period. They were so pathetic that it technically doesn't count as a choke since they never had a series lead.

[benefactor]

Ugh...The Comeback. I was 14. It was my first truly painful sports memory...the kind that sucks you so empty that you lose all sense of time.

[FkLA]

Mavs in 2006. Yeah, they had some calls go against them, you couldn't get within 5 feet of Wade without the refs blowing a whistle, but at the same time, they were up 2.9 games to nothing and can't blame the refs for the Heat getting back into that series and eventually winning it. They showed a lack of poise and composure. They weren't the first team that got hosed on a few calls in a game and they let it affect the rest of the series and undo their vice-grip on it.

In 2007 they absolutely should have been able to handle it. A 67-win team shouldn't be losing to a .500 team period. They were so pathetic that it technically doesn't count as a choke since they never had a series lead.

:tu

15 point lead heading into the 4th of Game 3 with a 2-0 series lead cant be blamed on the refs. They were clearly the better team that series and choked it away. Especially Dirk who inexplicably deferred to Terry in that Game 3 4th quarter and at other crucial points in that series. Bron and the Heat returned the favor in 2011 though. The Rangers should probably be up there as well tbh.

[Ryan Fitzpatrick]

Ugh...The Comeback. I was 14. It was my first truly painful sports memory...the kind that sucks you so empty that you lose all sense of time.
My only proud memory of being a Bills fan (other than owning Marino's ass his entire career). I was only 9 at the time, and was too stupid to turn off the TV (thankfully).

Now that I'm older and bitter, I'd have shut the tube off at the end of the 1st had it been this past year:lol

[Venti Quattro]

2004 Lakers in the NBA Finals. :( :depressed

[DPG21920]

Getting a flag taken away from your user name, then posting your stash of she-male porn was the number one sports related collapse in history IMO. Happened in '12 IIRC.

[benefactor]

FkLA<--got owned by an Argentine.

[Venti Quattro]

2003 Dallas vs LA when they lost a 27 point lead in the 4th.

[Clipper Nation]

Memphis' performances in Game 1 and Game 7 this past season are the two biggest chokejobs I've ever seen in all my years as an NBA fan, tbh.... Game 1, they let my Clippers mount the biggest comeback win in NBA history IN Memphis, and in Game 7, they lost to mainly the Clippers' bench also in Memphis....

OJ Mayo completely vanished, Rudy Gay looked horrible, and Lionel Hollins got outcoached by V:lolnny d:loll N:lolgr:lol....

Another huge collapse was when Mike Dumbleavy told fucking Daniel Ewing to guard Raja Bell, and the rest was history, tbh....

Also, last year's R:lold S:lolx come to mind, as do the 1995 Ang:lolls....

[FkLA]

Getting a flag taken away from your user name, then posting your stash of she-male porn was the number one sports related collapse in history IMO. Happened in '12 IIRC.

You rank it higher or lower than your collapse? You were such a calm and collected cat, untouchable, just talked basketball etc. Now youre an angry little guy. :(

[FkLA]

^that was also in '12 if im not mistaken

[DPG21920]

That doesn't make any sense.

[mavs>spurs]

You rank it higher or lower than your collapse? You were such a calm and collected cat, untouchable, just talked basketball etc. Now youre an angry little guy. :(

I take credit for that one.

[lefty]

2004 Lakers in the NBA Finals. :( :depressed

Collapse?

They got demolished by a better team

Edit: why didnt you use the blue font ?

[DPG21920]

Cool throw away line ^

Having to partner with She-male porn guy because you got so badly tore up. :lol

[Samuel Eto'o]

That doesn't make any sense.

Actually, tbh imho, your original sentiment didn't make any sense. To say fkla collapsed would imply he ever had something built in the first place. I'd actually say fkla has improved. At least now hes got the shemale thing to set him apart from the other hundreds of shitty gnsf on this site.

[FkLA]

^badpussy22 imo

[BRHornet45]

sons even though the teams mentioned above are more deserving, I think we should also nominate the 2011-12 LSU football team for Les Miles single handedly destroying any chance of their undefeated season and National Championship. choosing to go down with his pride, his ego, and his sexual obsession with Jordan Jefferson rather than doing what was best for the team in playing Jarrett Lee.

[irishock]

Spurs backdoor swept twice

[BRHornet45]

sons let us also not forget about the epic collapse of the Los Angeles Lakers after team leader Shaq left them with a glorified role player in Kobe Bryant to take over leadership.

Shaq left the Lakers after leading them to the NBA finals 4 out of his last 5 seasons (winning 3 of them) and Kobe Bryant went on to lead the Lakers to an overall record of 121-125 including not even making the playoffs in one of those seasons and getting stomped out in the first round in the other two seasons. then of course we all know how the rest of that story went. Kobe cried to be traded, Stern sent him Gasol, the Lakers immediately hit a 10-game winning streak and became title contenders again overnight.

[mavs>spurs]

Cool throw away line ^

Having to partner with She-male porn guy because you got so badly tore up. :lol

Messageboard tearing up sounds like a badass manly sport.

[mavs>spurs]

Hmmm thought about it I think I'll stick to basketball. Don't worry you weren't invited.

[Latarian Milton]

manchester United 1-6 defeat in the derby match to their rival manchester city last season, it just counted one game out of the total 38 of the season but it turned out to make a HUGE difference came the last round, where manchester city claimed the premier league title on goal difference (points tied)

[AussieFanKurt]

Yankees 2004 would have to be top or close to top. Being up 3-0 and losing..

[tlongII]

2000 Blazers was not a collapse. It was a league conspiracy!

:flipoff

[racm]

2012 WCF Game 6. Up by 15 at halftime and Parker already with a double-double. :lmao
2011 Lakers vs Mavericks. :lmao swept :lmao 122-86
2010 Finals Game 7. :lmao Celtics
2012 ECF Game 7. Tied score at the end of three quarters, Heat win 101-88 :lmao Celtics
2012 WCSF. Lakers choke away 7 point lead in Game 2. :lmao Steve Blake taking the last shot

[Brazil]

Speaking of Bristish Open I think Adam Scott 2012 collapse was also pretty epic with 4 straight bogeys on the last 4 holes

[Venti Quattro]

2000 Blazers was not a collapse. It was a league conspiracy!

:flipoff

Oh yeah, did someone whisper to the entire Blazers team to miss 15 straight shots in the 4th? :rollin :rollin :rollin

[Kidd K]

Cubs/Marlins in 2003
Yankees/Red Sox in 2004


Biggest, most disgusting collapses I've seen in my entire life.

Cubs: Nearly 100 years of failure at that point, 5 outs from World Series and soft opponent. Alou flips out over Steve Bartman catching a ball that was going to drop into Alou's glove, Prior melts down (and blows his arm out, never to be the same again), Cubs proceed to choke away that game, AND the next two games to cash in their best chance at a title in nearly 100 years.

Yankees/Sox. . .well we all know that epic meltdown. It's almost not even possible to fuck up with any more of a lead than the Yankees did in ANY sport. Rivera, best closer in baseball history, comes in with a lead and blows the save due to being put out for two innings instead of one, then the Yankees get backdoor swept after being up 3-0, which has never happened before in MLB history. . .until right then.


I can't think of any bigger meltdowns, at least with the same level of ramifications those two baseball series' had. Those series are still talked about frequently even among people who aren't fans of either team.

[Clipper Nation]

I can't think of any bigger meltdowns
I know of at least one bigger meltdown, tbh....


And right on cue, a butthurt Kobe stan enters the building and acts pissed as if I slapped the dick out of his mouth right before his favorite part.


Right on cue, the faggot who brought up faggotry in the first place is trying to blame his homosexual thoughts on the world rather than his own desire to meet other closet faggots on the internet.

Sorry to disappoint, but your quest will have to continue for now!

[whitemamba]

blazers and lakers 2000 no questions, that shit was pathetic... they couldnt hit the ocean from a fucking boat.

[phoenix219]

I *hate* to even go here, its horrible sad memories :( lol but the '94 and '95 Suns teams choked pretty fuckin bad against Houston. Fuck.

[Bill_Brasky]

Jean van de Velde.

Years later he came back to the same course and played the 18th using only his PW. Carded a 6, which woulda won him that Open.

[Kidd K]

I know of at least one bigger meltdown, tbh....

Failed troll attempt. Posting my second comment before the first and leaving out the fact that the person I was speaking to did indeed bring up faggotry first, doesn't change the facts.

Besides, someone with the name "Clippers Nation" shouldn't be talking about meltdowns, considering your team is the Clippers of the NBA.

[Clipper Nation]

Failed troll attempt. Posting my second comment before the first and leaving out the fact that the person I was speaking to did indeed bring up faggotry first, doesn't change the facts.

Besides, someone with the name "Clippers Nation" shouldn't be talking about meltdowns, considering your team is the Clippers of the NBA.
:lol Meltdown

[LnGrrrR]

2004 Yankees, and nothing really comes close. That series went to extra innings in both the fourth AND fifth game.

[LnGrrrR]

2012 WCF Game 6. Up by 15 at halftime and Parker already with a double-double. :lmao
2011 Lakers vs Mavericks. :lmao swept :lmao 122-86
2010 Finals Game 7. :lmao Celtics
2012 ECF Game 7. Tied score at the end of three quarters, Heat win 101-88 :lmao Celtics
2012 WCSF. Lakers choke away 7 point lead in Game 2. :lmao Steve Blake taking the last shot

How old are you? 12? You haven't been watching sports very long.

[Venti Quattro]

How old are you? 12? You haven't been watching sports very long.

I thought he was 12 by the way he posts, but fair enough.

[DeadlyDynasty]

Reggie Lewis

[baseline bum]

Reggie Lewis

Hank Gathers was better.

[DMC]

The Rangers world series loss needing just one fucking out being up a few runs.. that was pretty epic.

[AussieFanKurt]

I don't really think that was a collapse, just clutch as fuck by Freese and a pitiful effort in outfield by Cruz (I think)

[DMC]

That's kinda how collapse happens; the other team stomps your ass.

[Galileo]

1977 Chicago Cubs.

[irishock]

The correct answer is the 2011 Boston Red Sox season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn9TD8s0TBY&feature=related

[jacobdrj]

First one that comes to mind (and I don't even watch baseball) are the 2004 Yankees.

Next however are the more obscure 2001-2002 Bucks. They were the favorite to win the East before the season started. They had a horrendous loosing streak that took them from 1st place in the East to 1 game from being eliminated from the 8th spot. All they had to do was win the last game of their season to make it in, against the 49-32 Pistons who had locked up 1st place and had nothing to play for... The Bucks looked like they didn't want to be there, and the Pistons looked like their playoff lives depended on it...
Final Score: 123 - 89
They gave up 123 points to a team that couldn't score 30 points in a half against the Boston Celtics...
It was a sad fall of a good run for that trio of Ray Allen, Sam Cassell and Glen Robinson...

[DeadlyDynasty]

The Red Sox have their own subdivision of this thread...btw, KiddK being a Cubs fan just made my day even brighter. I have a Marlins' Bartman jersey...thanks for the boost, scro:tu

[Venti Quattro]

The Lakers in Game 2 of the 1984 NBA Finals. :depressed

:flipoff James Worthy

[FkLA]

The Cubs losing even though they had their two aces pitching in Games 6 and 7 was just sad. I was hoping Wood would come through in Game 7 but deep down I knew the Cubbies wouldnt recover. :depressed

[DeadlyDynasty]

^
Alex Gonzalez, not Steve Bartman, should be blamed, imho.

[Jodelo]

The correct answer is the 2011 Boston Red Sox season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn9TD8s0TBY&feature=related

Wow...

[FkLA]

^
Alex Gonzalez, not Steve Bartman, should be blamed, imho.

Agreed. Most reasonable people wont blame that collapse on Bartman. Id even blame Dusty being too preoccupied chewing toothpicks to go out and have a talk with Prior more than Id blame Bartman.

[DeadlyDynasty]

Agreed. Most reasonable people wont blame that collapse on Bartman. Id even blame Dusty being too preoccupied chewing toothpicks to go out and have a talk with Prior more than Id blame Bartman.
+1...he was too busy chewing toothpicks the year before too while watching SF collapse against the Angels.

[Kidd K]

The Cubs losing even though they had their two aces pitching in Games 6 and 7 was just sad. I was hoping Wood would come through in Game 7 but deep down I knew the Cubbies wouldnt recover. :depressed

Yeah, I was disappointed Wood didn't just lock it down. My name here's Kerry Wood's nicname, Kid K. He was always my favorite pitcher. Cubs offense didn't do shit either.

Terrible failure though, since there was massive momentum behind the team from the whole fanbase. I remember Cubs fans invaded Atlanta during the Braves series and drowned out all the Braves fans in their own ballpark. They were all chanting the tomahawk chop thing with their Cubs hats as they were owning the Braves on their home field and the PA couldn't be heard over them. Really big season failure. Worst collapse I've seen in terms of fans being rallied behind a team only to see it fail miserably.

[djohn2oo8]

Rockets in 04. 07.

[AussieFanKurt]

St.Kilda winning 20 of 22 regular season games then choking chronically in the grand final

[FkLA]

Yeah, I was disappointed Wood didn't just lock it down. My name here's Kerry Wood's nicname, Kid K. He was always my favorite pitcher. Cubs offense didn't do shit either.

Terrible failure though, since there was massive momentum behind the team from the whole fanbase. I remember Cubs fans invaded Atlanta during the Braves series and drowned out all the Braves fans in their own ballpark. They were all chanting the tomahawk chop thing with their Cubs hats as they were owning the Braves on their home field and the PA couldn't be heard over them. Really big season failure. Worst collapse I've seen in terms of fans being rallied behind a team only to see it fail miserably.

Ive only been a Cubs fan since the Sammy Sosa days and that loss sucked, I can only imagine how depressing it mustve been for the older generations. I always thought Prior was our true ace that year though, Wood was too inconsistent for my liking. Once Prior blew it in Game 6 I kinda felt it was over. :(

[Jacob1983]

Alou would have had a chance at catching that foul ball if Bartman had not reached for it. I don't think Bartman is the anti-Christ but he set off a chain reaction that led to a series of unfortunate events for the Cubs. If Alou catches that ball, a different set of events happen and it would have likely led to Cubs' victory and NL pennant.
When shit like that happens, it gets in the minds of players and makes them nervous as Hell.

[Heath Ledger]

Hank Gathers hands down....

[Kidd K]

Ive only been a Cubs fan since the Sammy Sosa days and that loss sucked, I can only imagine how depressing it mustve been for the older generations. I always thought Prior was our true ace that year though, Wood was too inconsistent for my liking. Once Prior blew it in Game 6 I kinda felt it was over. :(

Same. I started to watch the Cubs in '98 with Sosa's home run performance. It brings a whole new dimension to baseball when you get to watch a guy who's twice as likely to get a jack as a regular "good power hitter".

Cubs got a lot less interesting after they dumped him. They had a couple okay years, but right now they're awful. The new owner is a cheap piece of crap. Cubs are top 5 in income and bottom 3 in team salary. Only the Astros and A's have a lower salary. . .and the Cubs are trying to dump Garza and Soriano still, and if they do they will be below everyone. Ricketts is mad cheap. . .Cubs gonna lose 100 games this year and will prolly lose 110 next year if they dump Garza and Soriano. They won't win until Ricketts spends, which might not be for a few years so he can pad his pockets some more.



Alou would have had a chance at catching that foul ball if Bartman had not reached for it. I don't think Bartman is the anti-Christ but he set off a chain reaction that led to a series of unfortunate events for the Cubs. If Alou catches that ball, a different set of events happen and it would have likely led to Cubs' victory and NL pennant.
When shit like that happens, it gets in the minds of players and makes them nervous as Hell.

Yeah, it was a big momentum swing. Alou catches the ball, the Cubs continue to roll and go on to the WS. Can't assume they'd win, but they should've at least gotten there considering they only had a few outs left to go and a decent lead.