MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Your toughest losses as a sports fan

Your toughest losses as a sports fan

posted a year ago by GolfnGuitars (2394)
54 replies | jump to latest

I'm a fan of Ohio State football and they lost a heartbreaker tonight (42-41). Being a fan of mostly Ohio teams (and Kentucky basketball), I've experienced a lot of heartbreaking losses as a fan. Here are my 5 (actually 6) toughest losses as a sports fan:

5) 2012 Cincinnati Reds: Won the first two games on the road against the Giants, only to come back home and lose 3 in a row (and the Giants went on to win the World Series). I was talking to my brother and one of my sisters on the phone while watching Game 3 and, after Scott Rolen made an error to allow the game-winning run to score, my brother said the Reds were going to lose the series. How right he was.

4) OSU vs Clemson, 2019: Just a wild game that had a little bit of everything. OSU just made too many mistakes to win.

3) OSU vs Michigan, 1996: I could easily pick 6 or 7 games from the John Cooper era at OSU, but I'll pick this one. OSU was playing at home, a big favorite, but just stunk it up the second half...a gut-wrenching 13-9 loss.

2) Kentucky vs Duke, 1992: This was a gut punch...the Christian Laettner shot at the buzzer. I think I cursed at the TV for 15 minutes straight after Laettner's shot. A great game...but such a heartbreaking loss if you were a UK fan.

1) (tie) Cincinnati Bengals vs San Francisco 49'ers, Super Bowls XVI (1981) and XXIII (1988): Two heartbreaking losses in two different ways. Could've, Would've, Should've...but didn't. I didn't put last year's SB loss because I don't really follow the NFL anymore (although I pull hard for Joe Burrow...he's from Southern Ohio like I am) and I figured the Bengals would blow it anyway. 😃 But I couldn't even look at Joe Montana for a long time after these games (although I rather like and respect him now).

How about you...what are your toughest losses as a sports fan?

[–] [deleted] a year ago

The Falcons losing to the Patriots in the 2016 Super Bowl

[–] GolfnGuitars (2394) a year ago

Yes...one of my sisters lives in the Atlanta area and we were all pulling for the Falcons also. You could just tell how that game was going to end after a certain point!

[–] aliensalmon (5098) a year ago

Bears losing to the Colts in 2006 (?) Super Bowl

[–] GolfnGuitars (2394) a year ago

Yes...the pastor of our church at that time was a big Bears fan. I believe that was Peyton Manning's first SB win, if I remember correctly.

[–] samoanjoes (50969) a year ago

2016 MLS final - Toronto FC vs. Seattle Sounders. Toronto FC was all over Seattle who didn't have a shot on target the entire game. Toronto lost in penalties and Seattle were champions.

2013 NHL playoffs - Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins. Toronto made their first playoff appearance in 9 years. They had a 3-1 series lead but Boston tied it up to bring it to game 7. In game 7, Toronto had a 4-1 lead with 9 minutes left. Toronto ended up losing in overtime 5-4.

[–] GolfnGuitars (2394) a year ago

Ouch! Two tough losses there!

[–] [deleted] a year ago

the leafs since 1967.

[–] samoanjoes (50969) a year ago

That's not a loss though. It just sucks.

[–] jriley555 (7048) a year ago

The Blues never getting past the Red Wings during the 90s, when they very well may have been the 2d best team in the league. Took them 50 years to finally win a cup. That was SCHWEET.

Missouri losing to Nebraska on a kicked ball, back in the 90s. Nebraska went on to win the NC.

The St Louis football Cardinals I don't think ever winning a play-off game.

[–] GolfnGuitars (2394) a year ago

Interesting choices! Yes, those Detroit teams were so good...I imagine it had to be frustrating to be a Blues' fan during that time!

Regarding the Cardinals'...I'm curious how you felt about the Rams winning it all for St. Louis in 1999?

[–] jriley555 (7048) a year ago

That was beautiful. I was in Germany at the time. Then, a few years later, the Pats cheated their way past the Rams to the title, the Rams traded Kurt Warner - unforgiveable, and then Kronke just fucked STL out of a franchise, or ever really much chance of getting one again.

I don't live in STL anymore, but that's my hometown.

[–] GolfnGuitars (2394) a year ago

Awesome! I drove thru St. Louis a couple of times on my way to/from Oklahoma back in the late 80s. I loved seeing the Gateway Arch!

Those Rams' teams were so much fun to watch. I loved Orlando Pace when he was at OSU and he had a great NFL career also. I liked Kurt Warner a lot as well.

[–] jriley555 (7048) a year ago

He was the first QB i9n history to win the SB with two different teams. Then Brady did it with Tampa - definitely the GOAT.

[–] [deleted] a year ago

The Expos lost in the NL 1981 pennant to the Dodgers. Rick Monday hit the game winning home run for the Dodgers in the top of the 9th. I was heartbroken.

[–] GolfnGuitars (2394) a year ago

Yes...I can remember watching the conclusion of that game after coming home from school (back when they played "day baseball" more often in the playoffs, including the World Series). A tough loss for Expos' fans.

[–] [deleted] a year ago

yes. it was an afternoon game. i remember rushing home to see it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDtcLt8L2KQ&ab_channel=MLB

[–] samoanjoes (50969) a year ago

Also the Expos getting a possible World Series if not for a cancelled season.

[–] [deleted] a year ago

1994 was the year . Canada losing to the Czech at the 1998 Olympics.

[–] samoanjoes (50969) a year ago

Yeah it could have been 3 years in a row the World Series winners were from Canada.

[–] Kowalski (58188) a year ago

EVERY SEASON WITH KOBE THAT DIDN'T END WITH A TROPHY...ESPECIALLY THE SQUANDERED SHAQ YEARS.

[–] GolfnGuitars (2394) a year ago

Yes...I can understand that. FYI, I actually was a Lakers fan in the 80s...those teams were so much fun to watch (I switched to the Bulls in the 90s). Hard to believe that Kobe will soon be gone 3 years...he had such great form on his jump shot. RIP. 😢

[–] Kowalski (58188) a year ago

I GREW UP WITH THOSE 80S TEAMS...SUFFERED THROUGH THE 90S...I DID LOVE VLADE DIVAC THOUGH...KOBE WAS DRAFTD THE YEAR I STARTED HIGH SCHOOL...I LITERALLY DID NOT MISS A SINGLE LAKER GAME FOR THE NEXT 20 SEASONS...I TOOK EVERY LOSS ON THE COURT AND THE INCREDIBLE LOSS OF THE MAN HIMSELF EXTREMELY HARD. R.I.P.

[–] GolfnGuitars (2394) a year ago

Awesome! I don't watch the NBA much anymore, but it's interesting how certain athletes just become such a huge part of your life. Johnny Bench was like that for me as a kid. Kobe had such a presence about him....great player for sure.

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) a year ago

Vikings fans have quite a few disappointments over many years. Twins fans have to look back to the 1987 and 1991 World Series for sheer joy and good spirits. I'll never forget '87 - the first time is always the best.

[–] GolfnGuitars (2394) a year ago

Yes, I agree about both the Vikings and the Twins. The Vikings just didn't seem to have much luck in the Super Bowl.

Regarding the 1987 Twins...my college baseball team got to see the Twins up close during Spring Training in Orlando the next season. It was so great to see all the players and Tom Kelly (the manager). Kirby Puckett (RIP) took batting practice and kept hitting these high "moonshots" to dead center field. He signed every autograph request afterward. My best friend at the time asked Kent Hrbek for an autograph, but Hrbek declined (he was getting to head into the batting cage and I think was concentrating on his upcoming BP). The Twins also had a relief pitcher back then named Juan Berenguer, who threw extremely hard (I think his fastball was clocked at 98 MPH back then). I got to stand near his catcher while he was throwing off a bullpen mound...to this day, I don't know how someone can hit .300 facing someone throwing that hard. The pop of that catcher's mitt was something I'll never forget.

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) a year ago

Ah, yes! Señor Smoke, Juan Berenguer! I'll bet you remember his gesture after he struck out a batter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR-d7SJJWkM

Kirby and Herbie were definitely fan favorites, and always will be. It's unfortunate that Kirby's career ended so suddenly. Sadly, I don't think he handled life after baseball very well, but I still love him and his exuberance and joy playing the game of baseball. His smile was the greatest, as was Al Newman's.

[–] GolfnGuitars (2394) a year ago

Señor Smoke...I had forgotten that was his nickname! 😃 I loved the video...he was a lot of fun to watch pitch. Thank you for that!

Yes, Puckett's post-baseball career was sad. Seeing him up close in person was something...he had about the oddest shape of a professional athlete that one will ever see. He wasn't that tall and almost looked like he was fat. But what a player he was (I believe I read an article that, as short as he was--around 5'7" or 5'8"--he could slam-dunk a basketball). I've always wondered if part of his troubles post-baseball were because he was taking steroids or performance-enhancing drugs and if that affected him. I remember he had to prematurely retire because of a severe case of glaucoma in one of his eyes. He was a lot of fun to watch play.

Hrbek was a big guy in person. It was interesting to watch him take batting practice...he hit these screaming line drives that just kept carrying over the fence. Those Twins' teams were a lot of fun to watch.

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) a year ago

Kirby was a player who really radiated his joy when playing baseball - the sport he loved. The Twins were such a fun team that year. G-Man, Sweet Music, Herbie, Kirby, Lombo, Gags, Bruno, Frying Dutchman, Geno, Newmie, the Man from Glad, TK...so many great memories. The Twin Cites went wild during the series. I even painted large red letters saying "Go Twins" on my garage door. And once they won the series, I added "World Champions 1987" to it. I need to find the picture we took of that.

[–] GolfnGuitars (2394) a year ago

I remember watching Game 6 of the World Series...when Hrbek hit the grand slam, the announcers (I think ABC was covering the Series that year) had a "decibel reader" that measured how loud the crowd in the Metrodome was. I think it hit like 130-140 decibels, which was the equivalent of a jet taking off. You could tell on TV how loud the crowd was there.

Those guys were ballplayers. Greg Gagne and Gary Gaetti walked right by my friend and me. I got to see Jeff Reardon throw off the same bullpen mound after Berenguer finished. Great story about your garage door...glad you got to experience that!

[–] GlenEllyn (21089) a year ago

Oooh. Game six was a fun game. Cool that you got to see Gags and G-Man like that. Thank goodness we have YouTube now. We can relive those happy times.

[–] Theman (1068) a year ago

The Houston Oilers we’re winning by over thirty against the Bills in the NFL playoffs and lost.

[–] GolfnGuitars (2394) a year ago

Yes...I remember watching that game on TV. I almost turned it off, but didn't...what a game that ended up being. That game illustrated the weakness of the "run & shoot" offense back then...Houston just could not run out the clock (I think I remember Buddy Ryan, the defensive coordinator for the Oilers, punching Kevin Gilbride, who was the offensive coordinator, during that game). Frank Reich was the Buffalo back-up QB...I think he started because Jim Kelly was hurt and couldn't play. What a game he ended up having. One of the craziest, wildest games I've ever watched.