The Life of a Loser
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A curse laden rant directed at a television set is nothing new for most fans. Emotional outbursts during a game are normal, especially when a fans favorite team or player is losing. Worse still is when their favorite team or player blows a big lead. This evokes the rawest emotions in fans. They start to threaten those around them, they throw things around the room and ask the same question over and over: “What were they thinking?”
Imagine what the country of France went through in 1999 when Jean Van de Velde choked away a three-shot lead to lose the British Open at Carnoustie (Car-New-stEE). Van de Velde had a chance to become the first Frenchmen to win the coveted Claret Jug since 1907. Instead he pulled his drive onto the 17 th hole, hit his ball into the grandstands, duffed his ball into the Barry Burn, went on to make triple-bogey and lost to Paul Lawrie in a playoff.
Thursday the British Open returns to Carnoustie. This made me think, what are the biggest chokes in sports history?
10) John McEnroe, 1984 French Open Final: Entering the final day of the French Open John McEnroe had lost just one set during the first two weeks of play. He seemed poised to win his first French Open, and after he won the first two sets in the final it seemed inevitable. But McEnore’s famous temper finally appeared and his equally famous game disappeared. He lost the match 3-6 2-6 6-4 7-5 7-5 and never came close to winning a French Open again. In 2005 McEnroe said “(The 1984 French Open) was certainly my worst regret from a professional point of view. I was so close and gave it away.” He wasn’t the first choke artist and he won’t be the last.
9) Mickelson at Winged Foot, 2006 U.S. Open: Standing on the 15 th tee Phil Mickelson had a two shot lead and was just four holes away from winning his first U.S. Open Championship. All he needed was to play solid coming home, but Mickelson, in classic Mickelson fashion, began to implode. He bogeyed the 16 th hole and, needing a par to win the Championships on the 18 th hole, hung his drive out to the left. His shot bounced off a hospitality tent and into a grove of trees. Mickelson made a double bogey on the hole and Geoff Ogilvy won the U.S. Open. After supposedly conquering his demons by winning three majors Mickelson looked primed to challenge Woods for the world’s number one. Instead he remains number one in only one category: Worlds fattest choker.
8) Giants lose to 49ers in 2002 Playoffs: With the Giants all but assured to reach the next round of the playoffs in 2002 Jeremy Shockey dropped a sure touchdown pass late in third quarter. No one cared though because the Giants kicked a field goal and held a 38-14 lead. The game was over, or so Giants fans thought. What proceeded was the second worst collapse in NFL playoff history. San Francisco, led by Giant killer Jeff Garcia, scored 25 unanswered points and won the game 39-38. The culmination of this collapse came on a 40-yard filed goal attempt with 6 seconds left. Giants long snapper Trey Junkin snapped the ball too low for Matt Allen who dropped the ball. Allen picked the ball up and wildly threw it to an offensive lineman down field. The tubby line fell to the ground flopping around like a fish out of water, representing the entire Giants organization.
7) Michigan & Chris Webber lose 1993 NCAA Championship: Never, in the history of sports has calling a timeout been such a mistake. With the “Fab Five” dominating the 1993 championship game against UNC and the Wolverines leading by four points with just over four minutes Michigan looked primed to win its first NCAA. But a few stupid shots and one timeout, which they didn’t have, cost Michigan its chance to win. Chris Webber is the man who called the timeout, but he wasn’t the one to blow the game. Jalen Rose missed his final three shots, one an air ball, and Juwan Howard was a no show. In fact Webber scored Michigan’s last points, bringing it within one point of North Carolina. So while Webber called the timeout he was not responsible for losing the game. It was the entire “Fab Five” not just the best player of the five.
6) USA defeats U.S.S.R in 1980 Olympics: While most people consider this a win for America I consider it a choke by Russia. The Russians were the better team, filled with professional players including the best goalie in the world. The Americans were filled with College players who had just lost 10-3 to the Russians two weeks before the “Miracle on Ice”. The Russians held leads of 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 before falling 4-3. They allowed two cheap goals, including one with just one second left in the first period that tied the game 2-2. While the Americans played with heart and determination they were aided by the Russians lack of focus, which led to the Americans victory.
5) Greg Norman, 1996 Masters: Greg Norman played flawless golf for the first three days of the 1996 Masters. He built a six shot lead over Nick Faldo entering the final day of competition and was poised to win his first Green Jacket. But even Norman knew his job wasn’t complete. After finishing his round Saturday Norman said "I've got a lot of work to do; I've got 18 tough holes.” Even he didn’t know how true those words would be. Norman completely collapsed on Sunday shooting a 6-over-par 78, highlighted by shot’s into the water at the 12 th and 16 th holes. It remains the largest collapse in Masters history and is etched in golf fans minds as a huge choke, by the king of chokers, the Shark.
4) Buffalo Bills 32-point comeback in 1992 playoffs: After reaching the super bowl the previous two seasons the Bills 1992 postseason looked over at the start of its wild card game against the Houston Oilers. They fell behind by 25-points at halftime and trailed by 32-points at the start of the third quarter. But fate was on the Bills side this day. Led by backup quarterback Frank Reich Buffalo railed to a 41-38 overtime victory. The Oilers team completely fell apart allowing an onside kick to be recovered by Bills kicker Steve Christie. Warren Moon threw two second-half interceptions and the Oilers offense went into a shell. But the joke was on the Bills as they went on to lose their third straight Super Bowl, a 52-17 drubbing at the hands of Dallas.
3) Jean Van de Velde, Carnoustie 1999: Holding a three-shot lead entering the final hole Van de Velde had the British Open in his grasp. The Claret Jug may as well have had his name engraved on it. But instead Van de Velde blew up like the Hindenburg and handed the oversized wine holder to Paul Lawrie. Van de Velde could have hit four pitching wedges into the 18 th hole and still two putted and won the British Open. Instead his infamous collapse, which included a trip into the water of the Barry Burn, forced French fans to throw their TV’s out of the window.
2) Yankees collapse against Red Sox in 2004 ALCS: In 2003 the Red Sox were undone by Aaron “Fu#king” Boone’s home run to left field in Yankee Stadium. In 2004 things looked even bleaker as the Red Sox fell behind 3-0 in the ALCS including a 19-8 blow out in game three. The curse of the Bambino was alive and kicking until David Ortiz hit a 12 th inning home run in game four to extend the series. What proceeded was a collapse of monumental proportions. No team in baseball playoff history had ever come back from a 3-0 series hole, until this year. Ortiz came up clutch again in game five with a single in the 14 th inning. The Red Sox went on to win both games at Yankee Stadium and the World Series, leaving Yankee fans wondering where Aaron “Fu#king” Boone is when you need him.
'1) Buckner and Red Sox hand Mets 1986 World Series: After 68-years of heartbreak in “Beantown” Red Sox fans could taste a championship title in the sixth game of the 1986 World Series. After building a 5-3 lead in the top of the 10 th inning, and getting the first two Mets batters out in the bottom of the inning, the World Series trophy was in grasp. The Mets were down to their final strike twice but Boston, destined to choke, never got the final strike. Instead the Mets came up with a few key hits and received help from a wild pitch, allowing the tying run to score, and a miss played grounder by Bill Buckner, which allowed the winning run to score. Boston also held a 3-0 lead in game 7 but once again couldn’t hold it. Buckner and the Sox faithful were forced into hiding for the next 18 years until Boston finally won the title in 2004. '
