Biggest chokes in sports history?

[muwarrior69]

Then there are the '69 Cubs, '64 Phillies and the '51 Dodgers. All choked in September.

[CTWarrior]

Then there are the '69 Cubs, '64 Phillies and the '51 Dodgers. All choked in September.

This shows you why the Red Sox are in a league of their own as collapsers or chokers.  The Red Sox had an almost identical collapse to the Cubs 1969 collapse in 1974.  Up 5 games on the Orioles on Sep 1 and finished 7 games out.  If you ask an old Red Sox fan about their teams top 5-10 chokes, that season wouldn't likely even garner a mention. That's how often the Red Sox choked before finally getting it done in 2004.

In 1981 with about 8 or 9 days to go the Red Sox were in first place and the Brewers were maybe a game or two behind, and I remember talking to a Brewers fan at MU who said, "We just have to hold off the Tigers (or Orioles, I forget which)"  I said, "What about the Red Sox, they are still in first place!"  and he said he wasn't worried because they always blow it.  Which, of course they did.  That stuck with me at the time, that a fan of a team that had never won anything at the time was confident that the Red Sox would choke.

[MU82]

In addition to the 1969 and 1984 choke-a-thons, Cubbie fans had the "honor" of witnessing amazing chokes in consecutive years a decade ago.

We've already discussed the 2003 NLCS choke: up 3-0 with five outs to go and a pitcher who had been practically unhittable for 2+ months on the mound. The following year, the Cubs lost 7 out of 8 games in the final week of the season to blow a seemingly sure playoff spot.

The 2003 choke was quite quick. The Cubs went from 3-0 up to 8-3 down in a half-hour. (They then extended the agony by a night when Wood, as described earlier in his own words, choked.)

The 2004 choke was a slow-motion, week-long, drip-drip-drip of a Cubbie Water Torture choke job. You could feel it coming and everybody was powerless to stop it.

People think this season's Cubbies are the most hyped ever, but the hype surrounding the 2004 Cubbies was off the charts. They got Greg Maddux just before the season to go along with Wood, Prior and Zambrano (and Matt Clement). SI said it was one of the great pitching staffs in generations and predicted the Cubbies would win the World Series. If only they had known that Maddux, like every other Cubbie, would crap the bed that last week (6 runs, 3 HR in 5 innings in his start).

Nobody alive today has ever lost a nickel betting against the Cubs to win the World Series.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

How about the 2011 Red Sox and the Braves. Those 2 had a playoff spot all but locked up. Craziest last day in baseball ever.

[tower912]

1984 Cubs choke.   Up 2-0 against the Padres, lose the next 3.

[real chili 83]

1984 Cubs choke.   Up 2-0 against the Padres, lose the next 3.

Effin Durham.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Effin Durham.

Was that the Steve Garvey series?

[dgies9156]

I have the 1978 Marquette Warriors. Defending national champions. Ranked 1 or 2 all season. Student body whose standard attire was "Meet me in St. Louis" t-shirts.

Never got out of the first round of the NCAA. Upset by what today would be a 16 seed, a school not  worthy of holding their jock straps.

You can blame the refs. you can blame Hank. You can blame the team. But the fact is we choked. I could see us losing to Kentucky or someone like that. But Hillbilly  U of Ohio? I don't think so.

Runner-up, either the 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers or the 1968 St. Louis Cardinals. The latter was up 3 games to 1 in the World Series and had two Hall of Fame pitchers starting in the last two games -- Bob Gibson and Steve Carlton. Ughhh!

Honorable Mention -- the Green Bay Packers of two years ago. Field a punt against Seattle and you're in the Super Bowl. Or  the year the Packers had the Eagles backed up on 4th and 26th late in the fourth quarter on the way to the Super Bowl. Gave up a first down on 4th and 26th. Wisconsin is still feeling the effects of that choke and rumor had it there was an earthquake in New Jersey somewhere near Vince Lombardi's grave.

[GooooMarquette]

I have the 1978 Marquette Warriors. Defending national champions. Ranked 1 or 2 all season. Student body whose standard attire was "Meet me in St. Louis" t-shirts.

Never got out of the first round of the NCAA. Upset by what today would be a 16 seed, a school not  worthy of holding their jock straps.

You can blame the refs. you can blame Hank. You can blame the team. But the fact is we choked. I could see us losing to Kentucky or someone like that. But Hillbilly  U of Ohio? I don't think so.

For the record, MU spent considerably more time at 3, 4 and 5 than we did at 1 or 2.  And UNC started the season at 1, spent most of the year at 2, and ended at 16 in the final poll.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/1978.html

I agree it was a huge choke, even after the awful call...but MU not advancing wasn't even the biggest choke that season.

[dgies9156]

For the record, MU spent considerably more time at 3, 4 and 5 than we did at 1 or 2.  And UNC started the season at 1, spent most of the year at 2, and ended at 16 in the final poll.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/1978.html

I agree it was a huge choke, even after the awful call...but MU not advancing wasn't even the biggest choke that season.

OK Top 5 all Season! And UNC was NOT defending national champion.

[GooooMarquette]

OK Top 5 all Season! And UNC was NOT defending national champion.

No denying it was a huge choke and disappointment.  I was in the stands in Indy that day, and missed the second game (MSU with a kid named Magic), because I was in such a fog that I left the arena.

[4everwarriors]

How 'bout Latrell squeezin' da piss outta Carlesimo's size 16, hey?

[MU82]

How 'bout Latrell squeezin' da piss outta Carlesimo's size 16, hey?

Or Bobby throttling Neil Reed.

[rocket surgeon]

anyone mention football johnny?  he goes from first college freshman to win the heisman to out of football in a few years.  the modern day ryan leaf. 

can you believe his lawyer accidently tweets that his client had just spent over $1k at a head shop after his bumper car incident?   that may not play out well in his domestic abuse situation.  going to jail may save his life

[RushmoreAcademy]

Or if it makes you feel better, Northern Iowa, 2016.

I just went back and watched it again.... and I still can't believe it.