If you’re a diehard sports fan, you’ve probably seen your fair share of epic collapses, but have you seen the worst games of all time? Losing, in any kind of professional sport, is inevitable and players are often encouraged to push through these moments to be able to concentrate on the next game. However, in the history of sports, there have been several downfalls, so epic, so embarrassing, and so mind-blowing, that we have decided to remind you of them.
While we might giggle a little at reading the outcome of the following sporting events, the players who were on the losing side likely felt the agony of defeat to its fullest.
No. 5: New York Giants v. San Francisco 49ers, 2002
Photo Credit: Schen Photography
The NFL playoffs have had their fair share of bad beats, but few losses have been as devastating as the one suffered by the Giants back in 2002, in their game against the 49ers. Halfway through the 3rd quarter, the Giants had a lead of 24 points over their opponents and victory seemed like a sure thing. The Niners were pretty much in the gutter, when Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens decided to take control of the game and help their team turn things around.
By the end of the game, San Francisco had scored 25 more points, winning the game by only one point, but this pales in comparison to the strangest sports stories on record.
Think that was bad by the Giants? It gets worse; continue reading for the worst games of all time:
No. 4: California Angels v. The AL West, 1995
Photo Credit: Ken Lund
Losing one match might be bad enough, but how about 18 games in a row? By mid-August 1995, the California Angels were sitting comfortably in the standings, with a 10.5 lead over their closest opponent, the Texas Rangers. However, between August 25 and September 13, the Angels managed to lose no less than 18 games in a row, making them drop out of first place. Guess you never can get too comfortable with your lead, right?
No. 3: Greg Norman v. The Masters, 1996
Photo Credit: SN#1
On the morning of the 1996 Masters, Greg Norman, one of the most prolific golfers of his time, was feeling pretty good about his chances of winning the major tournament, as he had a 6-stroke lead over his opponent, Nick Faldo. For the first three rounds, Norman had pretty much kicked Faldo’s butt and it seemed like spectators were in for a very embarrassing loss. And they got to see one, but the one losing didn’t end up to be Faldo, but Norman. In the final round, the Aussie went from leading with 6 strokes to spare, to losing by 5. Yikes.
No. 2: Jean van de Velde v. The 18th Hole, 1999
Photo Credit: gosheshe
Prior to the 1999 British Golf Open, no one had really heard of monsieur Jean van de Velde, a French pro golfer. However, by the end of the tournament everyone watching would take notice of his terrible decision-making. Van de Velde was sitting comfortably in the lead of the final round and, had he decided to play it safe, he would have probably won the Open. While on the 18th hole, van de Velde made one mistake after another which ended up costing him the victory.
No. 1: New York Yankees v. Boston Red Sox, 2004
Photo Credit: toddwickersty
By 2004, most Red Sox fans had pretty much accepted the fact that they would not see their favorite team winning the World Series that year. Admittedly, the Red Sox has had its fair share of historical downfalls, but in its 2004 ALCS games against the New York Yankees, it played the leading role in one of baseball’s most epic collapses. After the Yankees had secured a lead of 3-0, the Sox orchestrated a magnificent comeback by winning the remaining 4 games and virtually decimating the New York team.
