I have sad news for both of my fans. We lost last night in intramurals eliminating us from the playoffs. The green team beat us in a thrilling game that came all the way down to the last sixteen minutes or so. But If I had to lose to any team it would definately not be that team. I hate losing to them dang! And if you want to crown them you can crown them but they are who we thought they were. They are who we thought they were! AND WE LET THEM OFF THE HOOK! All kidding aside it was a good season and now its time to move on to bigger and better things like hockey intramurals. Losing last night got me thinking a little bit about some of the biggest losses that I have personally gone through in my life time. I ended up making a list of the five biggest heartbreaking losses in my life. I am sure that some of you will know what I am talking about. First off there are some honorable mention losses that didn't quite crack my top five.
Honorable Mention
Chiefs Playoff loss to the Colts in 2006: Ok that was the last playoff loss that the Chiefs had but raise your hand if you actually thought that the Chiefs were going to win that game. Nobody? Thats what I thought.
Championship game losses to Campion 2000,2001: These losses almost cracked my top five. In 2000 our loss was pretty terrible but I was a sophomore and I knew I would get back to the championship game. In 2001 we didn't have anyone who could stop Brit but dang that was close.
Dis House(my intramural squad with Dice and D Force) loss to faculty: Anytime you lose to the faculty team at Union its bad. Especially if its to Ed Mejia.
Bucknell, Bradley: Nuff said.
Chiefs lose 10-7 in playoffs vs Indy: This would have been on my top 5 but just missed the cut. Lin Elliot misses three field goals for a team that had gone 13-3 and had homefield throughout the playoffs. He tried to hang himself after the game but when he tried to kick the chair out he missed.
Midland loses to Ozark at the Sunnydale tournament in 2000: This would probably be #6 We were winning by sixteen points at halftime when a guy who no one has ever heard from since hit three huge threes in a row to bring Ozark all the way back to win the game. We had beat Ozark earlier in the tourney by twenty and were looking to roll to the championship game to face a Broadview team that we had waxed by 14 earlier. We lost, Broadview killed Ozark. The hurt set in.
Logan vs Richard 2008 intramurals: Logan's team beat my team. Humiliating
Ok and now the moment that you all have been waiting for the top 5 worse losses of my lifetime.
#5 1991 World Series Braves lose to the Twins: Many have said that this was the best World Series of all time. As a child of 8 years it is my first remembered series. The home team won each game. My man Charlie Leibrandt gives up the homer to Puckett in game six. What made matters worse is we went to the parade for winning the National league after that and almost got murdered near underground Atlanta.
#4 KU loses to Rhode Island in Second Round of NCAA Tourney:
This was my first KU team that I followed closely. I know 96-97 was supposed to be a bigger loss but I didn't know what was goin on then. I do remember watching the Rhode Island game on sunday morning with my brother and sister. I knew the Paul Pierce led Jayhawks were going to win. But they didn't. It would be years before I would get redemption.
#3 Chiefs lose to Indy in 03 playoffs: This one was bad. If you don't remember this game neither team punted. We had the best offense in the NFL. Priest Holmes, Tony G, Trent Green breaking all the records. Dante Hall with the returns. But what do we have to show for it. NOTHIN!! I watched every Chiefs game that year at a place we called the Chiefs Zone. I have not been back there since that loss. Shook me to the core.
#2 KU loses to Syracuse in Championship game of NCAA tournament: Gerry Mcnamara. Is there anything else I need to say. That was my favorite KU team with my favorite basketball player of all time (Kirk Hinrich). Not only did we lose the game cause some kid hit a billion threes in the first half but after the game Roy Williams decides to go to North Carolina. Oh yeah and a couple years later he wins the national championship while we lose to Bucknell and Bradley. And in the game we took 30 free throws and only hit 12. Did I mention that we lost by 3. AHHHHHHHHHHHH! This game can be blamed on Michael Paradise and the quarter/elevator incident. Ask him about it.
#1 Chiefs lose to Broncos in 1997 Playoffs: You might be wondering why this is the worse loss for me in my entire life time. Well let me take you back to 1997. All year long we had played with Rich Gannon because Elvis Grbac had been injured. We went 13-3 Arrowhead was rockin every weekend. We had an amazing defense. For some reason that I don't know and have never heard about before we decide to give the ball to Grbac for the playoffs. We are playing my most hated team of all time. The Denver Donkeys. The game was a defensive struggle. I remember as the ball bounced off of Lake Dawson's hands in the endzone I knew that I would be changed forever. Earlier that day I had mentioned to my mom that I knew that we were going to win that game and that I did not see any way possible for us to lose. Since then I have never thought my team would ever win a game again. After the game we were in the car driving to a restaraunt and my sister asked me why I was crying. She didn't understand. No one ever understands.
Well that was it. Those were my top five losses. Maybe one of these days when I am feeling good or something good happens to me I will list my five best wins. But until then I am going to go slit my wrists in the bathroom. Have a great day!
7 comments:
So here is my list.
Honorable mention:
1991, 1993, 1998, 2003 Braves. All of these years the Braves were the best team in the league and lost to inferior teams in the playoffs.
1998 and 1999 Pacers. Lost to the LA Lakers in 6 games in the finals and lost to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals. I swear the NBA was rigged because we were better than the Lakers and the Bulls. But superstars win, Jordan, Pippen, Kobe and Shaq. Enough said.
1998 Masters- My favorite golfer of all time loses the Masters to Mark Omeara. Couples hits the ball into the drink on 13 and makes bogey, but then eagles 15. Should have won that one.
Here is the list though.
5. 1998 Super Bowl.
Falcons lost to the Denver Broncos. We turn the ball over 4 times in Bronco territory, Rod Smith beats us deep for 2 tds, and Eugene Robinson gets arrested the night before. We had such a magical season. 14-2 regular season, beat the hated 49ers in the divisional round, beat the 15-1 Vikings in OT after Gary Anderson misses his first FG of the season. Brookings rookie year. Jamaal Anderson rushed for 1800 yards. Terrance Mathis and Tony Martin as wideouts. Just sucked we played such a bad game in the Super Bowl.
2002 NCAA National Championship: Indiana vs. Maryland.
What a team. Tom Coverdale, Kyle Hornsby, Dane Fife, Jared Jeffries, Jeff Newton, Jarod Odle, AJ Moye. Beat #1 Duke sweet 16, avenged a loss to Kent State in the Elite 8 by hitting 17 3-pointers, beat Oklahoma in the Final Four. But Coverdale got hurt against Oklahoma and that was the difference in the National Championship. Juan Dixon was ridiculous and we couldn't make a 3 that night. Coverdale was not good and that was the difference. What a magical run though.
2004 Eastern Conference Finals; Indiana vs. Detroit.
Reggie Miller, DUNK THE FREAKIN BALL! Oh, how the series changed after that. Rasheed freaking Wallace guarantees a win in game 2 and fouls out and plays terrible, and they still win. Ron Artest and Jermaine Oneal got hurt. BS!!!! I am still mad about this one. We were such a better team than them. Then the next season Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine Oneal and David Harrison decided they wanted to fight some fans. That was the end of the Pacers being good.
2. 1997 NLCS. Atlanta vs. Florida.
We were the best team in baseball, again. we won 101 games, won our division by 9 games. Had a Hall of Fame rotation. Traded for Kenny Lofton, who was the best leadoff hitter in the game. Had Andruw Jones as our 4th outfielder. Chipper Jones had a ridiculous season. And then Eric Gregg was the homeplate umpire. Livian Hernandez was getting strikes called a foot off the plate. He set the record with 16 strikeouts in a game. The Marlins bought their team that year and we owned them in the regular season. But we choked. This after choking in 1996, which leads me to number 1.
1996 World Series. Atlanta vs. New York.
We were the best team in baseball. We won the World Series the year before. We rolled into New York and spanked them the first 2 games of the World Series. Andruw Jones hit 2 homeruns in Game 1 at 19 years old. John Smoltz won 24 games and the CY Young. We were up 6-0 in Game 3, and then Mark Wohlers, who threw 100 mph, threw a change up and we blew game 3. Then Jim Leyritz hits a homerun and beats us in game 4. We ended up losing 4 straight to lose the series. I swear that series was rigged. We looked so dominant in the first 2 games and had Maddux and Neagle pitching the next two at home. I still can't talk about 1996. That Yankees team was a fluke. We could have been a dynasty if we would have won in 96. Instead the Braves are known as the Buffalo Bills of Baseball.
Heart over physicality, passion over mechanics, Big Rich. Always.
What I lack in crossover goodness I make-up for in hustle. Not the quickness, skid-on-the-floor-Brian-Carlson hustle, I'm talking about the street game. The game of old wise guys with khakis, gold chains and fedoras. The hustle like a billiard hustle, sweet-stinky with cigar smoke and neon. The hustle that makes you laugh at my hairy belly, while a no-look pass is skidding by your pretty mixed-race face.
Passion, a slow game-plan, Ben-Gay, knee-braces, patience, a Biology professor from Hong Kong—These are the things a beautiful Faculty intramural playoff upset are made of.
You worried about double-teaming Brian Carlson and in the mean time Dr. Wong was dropping two-handed set shots on your team. You were looking at the belly and not the ball.
You're just a sweet middle-class kid from Kansas City, bless your heart.
This blog is good. Admitting defeat is the first step to becoming a hustler.
It'll never happen again to you.
Much love -Ed Mejia
P.S. Seth Groenoweg has experienced all of the above too. Ask him about his summer 6 years ago. He should still call me coach.
A quick note to whome it may concern.
As part of the Dream Team, I mean Green team, that derailed another one of Rich's fleeing hopes of a championship I would like to personally hand out a few thank yous.
Richard Young: Thank you for always drafting a team that allows "role players" to consistently beat you.
Justin Henry: Thank you for drafting a "role player" and winning two championships with him.
Thats everyone on my prestigous list. Oh, and also to Ed Mejia: You coached me?
Seth Groeneweg
Big Rich, first of all, throw that Chiefs loss to Denver out of the number one spot. It should clearly be the KU loss to Syracuse in the 03' NCAA Title game. KU goes something like 13-30 from the Free-Throw line, and loses by 3. They make 4 more of those FT's, and KU has 2 NCAA Titles in 6 years, and 4 overall. Enough said on my end about that. As far as my top 5 losses go, where does the hurt begin. I'll just list the five and attach a little note next to each loss.
#5: 1990-UK loses at Kansas 150-95. In Rick Pitino's 1st season as the Wildcats coach, he also endures the worst loss ever for a UK team to this day. I specifically remember reading an article about how KU's Roy Williams offered to call a Timeout for Rick Pitino's Wildcats team, only to hear Pitino yell over to the KU bench " we dont need any of your "F-ing timeouts". Thats the kind of competitor Pitino was.
#4: 2005-NCAA Tournament Elite 8, UK loses to Michigan State in Double Overtime 94-88. With four starters on this UK team who are now on NBA rosters (Chuck Hayes, Kelenna Azubuike, Rajon Rondo, and Randolph Morris), With the game tied in regulation, Kentucky holds for a last second shot, only to have Azubuike run aloof with the ball, and unable to even get a shot off before the buzzer sounds. UK's Patrick Sparks then hits a 3 at the buzzer to force a second overtime. UK starts out with a four point leading right into overtime, only to see Michigan State go on an insane run and win the game by 6. This one hurt alot, because this was Chuck Hayes, (One of my favorite all time UK favorites), last game in a Kentucky uniform.
#3: 2003-NCAA Tournament Elite 8, After UK runs through the SEC regular season a Perfect 16-0, UK loses to a Dwayne Wade led Marquette team 83-69. Wade records only the 3rd ever recorded triple-double in tourney history, Steve Novak hits 6-10 from 3-pt range, Robert Jackson has 24 pts, and 15 rebounds, and Travis Diener runs the show as Marquette goes dancing into the Final Four. To this day, I maintain that Marquette beats anybody in the country that day. And I mean ANYBODY.
#2: 1997 NCAA Title Game, UK loses to Arizona in Overtime 84-79. This is arguably the toughest loss ive had to endure. UK, playing the last 2 months of the season without 17.0 ppg leading scorer Derek Anderson, due to injury, still reaches the NCAA Title game against Arizona, falling in Overtime against UA. If Derek Anderson plays in this game, which many people believe he was healthy enough to play, UK wins 3 NCAA championships in a row. Its not even close. To UA's credit, as a 4-seed, they beat three #1's seeds to cut down the nets that year.
#1: March 28, 1992, NCAA Elite 8, DUKE 104-UK 103 OT Final. In arguably the greatest college basketball game ever played, Laettner goes a peferct 10-10 from the field and 10-10 from the Free Throw Line, and hits the luckiest shot of his life at the buzzer to beat the UK team, who's Seniors would later on become known simply as "The Unforgettables". The very next year UK would reach the Final Four.
And those are my five toughest losses of all-time my friend. And nothing elses in my sports world even comes close. Way to open up some old wounds, Richard.
God Bless,
Trey Sharp
Oh my gosh. I think I just threw up in my mouth reading that garbage. Being a Braves and Chiefs fan, I recall all of those very well.
-Honorable Mentions: Any Husker Football loss (although they've increased lately)
-2004 & 2007 NBA Finals--experts had the Lakers as heavy favorites and I guess that is what made it all the more disheartening;
-Atlanta Braves Playoff blunders in 97, 98, 99...well, who's counting?
-Chiefs lose to Colts in 2003. This one would have been worse, but honestly, I saw it coming with our defensive deficiencies in the last few games.
5.2001 Nebraska vs. Colorado. You remember this game. Eric Crouch was about to win the Heisman Trophy, the Huskers were undefeated and ranked #1 in the BCS on their way to the National Championship. Well, something happened in Boulder that day...and Husker Nation hasn't yet recovered from that 62-36 debacle. That game ended the option, brought Bill Callahan and still wreaks havoc on my head.
4. 1996 Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees Game 4. Deciding game of the series. The Braves were up 2-1 in the series and 6-0 in the game. It was over. Back to back, baby! Until Mark Wohlers started throwing gopher balls and Jim Leyritz launced one into orbit. I still remember Al Roaker talking the next morning on Good Morning America about how we Yankee fans are gracious, even in victory. Kill me now.
3. 1994 Orange Bowl, Florida State vs. Nebraska. You're heard of wide right? Well for us Nebraskans, wide left will always be more painful. We were 18 point dogs, but still in position to win the game despite being screwed by the refs all game (fanthom block in the back negated a return TD and William Floyd's goal line fumble before the day's of instant replay.) Replay exists, its the first of back-to-back-to-back undefeated national championships. I cried after this game. I was 6. The only reason it wasn't #1 is because we dominated the next two years.
1A and 1B. 1995 Chiefs vs. Colts, 1997 Chiefs vs. Donkeys. These two games represent the epic shift that is the Kansas City Chiefs. In the 1990s, we were one of the most successful franchises in the NFL, today we're a laughingstock. Big Rich said it best, after that game in 1997, we've never been able to bring ourselves to believe again. I cried after both of these losses. Why? You ask? I'm not going to explain...you wouldn't understand.
I'm now going to go sit in a corner and cry.
This one is easy my top five worst losses are:
5)Duke to Uconn in 04 that was greatest college game I have ever watched I am not even sure how many pro's played on those two (Okafor, Ben Gordon, Villanueva, Hilton Armstrong, Marcus Williams, Sheldan Williams, Duhon, Daniel Ewing, Loul Deng, Shavlick Randolph, and my boy J.J.) Even though they lost this is what opened up my world to college ball.
4) T-wolves loss to the lakers I had no idea at the time that the lakers were way better than the wolves, but since this time the wolves have sucked and ruined my love of pro basketball
3) Campion Soccer championship at Walla Walla we lost by one goal in the championship to Portland in a season we had dominated everyone in site.
2) Sr. year basketball at UC we struggled to beat T-rav, Zac, and Drew Bob after getting beat by 28 earlier. Then had nothing in the tank when we played CVA it was just tough to swallow because it was my last game.
1) Every Vikes fan's greatest nightmare. This was at the time the greatest offense in the history of the NFL. The greatest kicker statistically and we lost to the F****** falcons. This was the darkest day in my life as a little boy!
J. Odenthal
After an exhaustive search of many, many losses I give you my top five.
Honorable Mention: Any Vikings game that has ever had any importance.
5)2005 Semifinal Game @ Union Tournament: CVA vs. Campion. Chris McTaggart hits a game winning three pointer at the buzzer and we lose on our home court, my last game as a senior.
4)2005 Western Conference Finals: 'Wolves vs. Lakers. KG finally gets help in the form of Cassell and Sprewell. But we lost to the lakers...and haven't won 10 games in a season since.
3)2000 NFC Championship Game: Vikes vs. Giants. We lost a close one: 0-41.....I hate Daunte Culpepper.
2)KG to the Celtics: This isn't a game loss, but it will forever haunt me seeing Kevin host that trophy in the Green; and knowing that the 'Wolves still employ Kevin "McFail".
1)1998 NFC Championship game. Greatest Vikes team ever loses to the dirty birds. Gary Anderson doesn't miss all season, only to miss the game winning field goal. I still hate Jamal Anderson and Dan Reeves...I'm beginning to tear up just thinking about it.
Seth G.
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