JOCKpost Top 10: Worst Individual Moments in Sports History

There have been many moments in sports history that have stood out as being bonehead, dimwitted, or even down-right retarded. Most s**tty mistakes in sports happen at local high schools (see below) or even small colleges. But there are other s**ttier moments that happen in front of millions of people, including what use to be dedicated fans.

Most of these moments you may have imprinted in your mind, or burned in your heart, depending on your team of choice. Others, maybe not so much.

And while some of these individuals might just be choke artists that deserved to lose,  I bet there are a few that will make you shake your head and say, “That would f**king suck!”

10. Scott Norwood – Kicker Buffalo Bills – Super Bowl XXV – Unless you are a Buffalo Bills fan, or your name is Bill Parcells, you may not remember the name Scott Norwood. Scott Norwood, aka “Ray Finkle”, was the guy who lost the Buffalo Bills Super Bowl XXV by going wide right on a 47-yard field goal at the end of the game against the New York Giants. This was the beginning of the Bills four straight Super Bowl losses, thus starting the acronym for the B.I.L.L.S (Boy I Love Losing Super Bowls).

9. Guillermo Coria – 2004 French Open – I agree. Tennis is boring. But when you are up 2 sets to 0, then have multiple chances at game-point to win, and still blow your chance at a Major Championship…you deserve to be on a Top 10 Worst List. Nicknamed “El Chino”, which means “The Chinese” in Spanish (wtf?), Coria defines the meaning of choke by basically blowing an 18-2 lead in a game of ping pong. (Speaking of…Jp14, MC McMahon, it’s time for a rematch) But hey, I guess worse things could happen during a tennis match. He could have been stabbed.

8. Ralph Terry – New York Yankees – 1960 World Series – Even though Terry pitched in 5 different World Series’, including winning MVP in 1962, he is best known as being the only pitcher in history to give up a walk-off home run in Game 7 of a World Series. Bill Mazeroski of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit the home run that gave the Pirates a 10-9 game 7 victory, and more importantly a slot on the JOCKpost Top 10 list.

I can’t even imagine having to live with this for the rest of my life. But good thing for Terry, he went on to become a professional golfer after his baseball career was over, thus proving that golfers are nothing but run-down baseball players posing as athletes. (Bring it Golfers)

7. atom – JOCKpost Writer – 1999 High School Football Season – Just for fun, I had to throw the most f**ked up sports memory of my lifetime in here. Hopefully, you will all get a good laugh out of this, because I have still not been able to live this down. While it was not a “game changing” moment, and it most definitely has nothing to do with all time moments in sports history, it is still pretty f**king embarrassing on my end. On the opening kick-off (yeah, I was the kicker, you got a f**king problem with it?) apparently my adrenaline was at an all time high, and instead of kicking the s**t out of the ball like I was supposed to, I instead kicked the ground before making contact with the ball leading to me completely whiffing on the kick. The entire kick-off team had already gone 5 to 10 yards past the ball when the safety on the kick off team figured he would boot the ball since I was also about 5 yards past the ball at this point. Needless to say, we were given a 5-yard penalty, and we had to re-kick. To this day it is the most embarrassing moment of my sports life. The article that was in the newspaper the next morning started off with, “Kicker (atom) whiffed on the opening kick-off and things just went down from there…” We ended up losing the game by more than 30 points. They failed to mention that I also had 8 catches for 120 yards, (Toot, toot)but I can’t really blame them. F**k that sucked.

6. Mitch Williams – Philadelphia Phillies – 1993 World Series – I know what you’re thinking. I must have something against Walk-off home runs. Well you’re right. I do. They have to be the most awful experiences anyone could possibly live through, especially when they have to do with losing the World Series. I gave up one walk-off home run in Middle School, and I can’t even get that thought out of my head. (Damn, this sounds like I must have really sucked at sports) Anyway, Joe Carter’s home run off Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams is one that I will never forget. The excitement that Carter had by almost missing 1^st base had to be the complete opposite as to what was going through Williams’ head. But at least he didn’t kill himself over it.

I’m not going to go home and commit suicide…I wish I hadn’t thrown it down and in to Carter. I was trying to keep the ball away from him. It was a mistake…It ain’t comin’ back…I can’t replay it and win it…I can’t change this one, much as I’d like to, if only because my teammates busted their butts. I let ‘em down…But don’t expect me to curl up and hide from people because I gave up a home run in the World Series. Life’s a bitch. I could be digging ditches. I’m not.

5. Bill Buckner – Boston Red Sox – 1986 World Series – Even though this could be the biggest bonehead memory stuck in most people’s minds, I think Buckner has suffered enough. Which is why he is only at #5 on this list. Giving up a walk-off would be bad, but letting a routine ground ball go right between your legs, forcing a game 7 which you would eventually lose, could possibly be worse. That season Buckner had over 100 RBI’s, and in his career he accumulated over 2700 hits, but he will forever be known for his one error. On a side note, apparently Charlie Sheen bought the “Buckner ball” for $93,000. Only to then beat his wife with it.

4. Nick Anderson – Orlando Magic – 1995 NBA Finals – Nick “The Brick” Anderson is probably still feeling sick about his performance in the ’95 NBA Finals. With time running out in Game 1, and Orlando leading Houston by 3, Anderson missed 4 consecutive free throws that could have all but locked the victory for the Magic. Houston went on to hit a 3 to send the game into overtime, which Orlando ended up losing. To make matters worse, the following seasons Anderson’s free throw percentage fell dramatically to 40.4 % in ’96 and 36.3% in the first half of ’97. If this doesn’t prove that a free throw is the most mental mind f**k in sports, then I don’t know what does.

3. Chris Webber – Michigan Wolverines – 1993 NCAA Finals – Everyone knows about this one. With 11 seconds left in the ’93 Championship Game, Webber called a time-out even though Michigan did not have any remaining, resulting in a technical foul. North Carolina went on to win the game, and this was the last time we saw Webber in a Wolverine uniform. Regardless of the outcome, the game would not have counted anyway due to Michigan being a bunch of f**king cheaters. All awards and victories that Michigan accumulated during Webber’s time at the school have since been vacated due to NCAA sanctions. I still remember the look on Webber’s face after he called that time out.

2. Earnest Byner – Cleveland Browns – 1987 AFC Championship – The F**king fumble. The god damn f**king fumble. With 1:12 left in the game, Byner fumbled the ball on the Broncos 3-yard line in what would have been the game tying touchdown. All he had to do was hold on to the ball, and the Browns organization could possibly not be as miserable as it is today. Of course, I am sure they would have found a different way to lose that game had he not fumbled, so what the f**k does it really matter? (Can you tell I’m a bitter Browns fan?) The previous year was known as “The Drive” in which John Elway broke the heart of all Browns fans, by going on a 98-yard game tying drive in regulation, only for the Browns to f**king lose in OT. Sorry, I have to stop talking about this…

1. Jean Van de Velde – 1999 Open Championship – In the final round of the ’99 Open Championship, Jean Van de Velde had a three shot lead heading into the 18^th hole needing only a double bogey to secure victory. Long story short, after numerous shots into the rough, grandstands, and water, Van de Velde went on to become the biggest choke artist in Golf history by scoring triple-bogey on the hole, sending the match into a playoff which he would eventually lose. That was the closest he ever got to winning a Major.

Here is video of this dreadful collapse. (In my mind I had an English accent)