These sports collapses should be studied and never repeated. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most infamous defeats and breakdowns in the sporting world.
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00:00If this is the greatest comeback in sports history, is this the greatest collapse in
00:04sports history?"
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most infamous defeats
00:09and breakdowns in the sporting world.
00:10This is unfathomable!
00:11The Bills had won this game!
00:12It was over!
00:13Josh Seldin with a perfect postseason!
00:18Number 20.
00:19Barcelona implodes against PSG.
00:21In April of 2024, Barcelona had the Final Four in their grasp, looking to make the semifinals
00:26for the first time in five years.
00:27They were playing at home and were up 4-2 on aggregate over Paris Saint-Germain.
00:31It's ended up in the back of the net.
00:34Rafinha was coming in, whether he got the final touch, I'm not sure.
00:37He didn't instinctively celebrate, but it's a goal from their first real attack.
00:42The game was theirs to lose, and, well, they did.
00:45First they lost their star defender, Ronald Araujo, in a needless red card when he collided
00:49with Bradley Barcala.
00:50It was a sign of bad things to come.
00:53Barcelona later lost both their head coach and goalkeeper's coach to red cards and
00:56gave up three consecutive goals, losing 4-1 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate.
01:05And with that, Barcelona's dreams of a semifinal were dashed yet again.
01:09Number 19.
01:102007 New England Patriots.
01:12They'll be talking about the 2007 Patriots for decades to come, both for good and bad
01:16reasons.
01:17The good is that the team was 16-0 in the regular
01:26season, and Tom Brady won his first NFL MVP with a record 50 passing touchdowns.
01:31They were the first team in football history to go undefeated in the 16-game era.
01:34If they had won the Super Bowl, this would have been a mythical season.
01:37Yes, if they had won.
01:39However, they completely collapsed at Super Bowl XLII, losing 17-14 to the New York Giants,
01:44a wildcard team who finished 10-6 in the regular season.
01:52It was a Cinderella story for the Giants, a collapse of unbelievable proportions for
01:57the Patriots.
01:58Ah, the magic of sports.
01:59Number 18.
02:00Jordan Spieth's back nine.
02:01It's always tough seeing golf players suffer, all alone on the course, their faces growing
02:05ever more despondent as the crowd aahs and pity claps.
02:08Unfortunately, we had to witness just that at the 2016 Masters.
02:21The previous year's winner, Jordan Spieth, was heading into the back nine of the final
02:24round with a commanding five-stroke lead.
02:26His second consecutive green jacket was waiting patiently for its wearer.
02:30But a comedy of errors then occurred, with Spieth bogeying the 10th and 11th and quadruple
02:34bogeying the 13th, a mess that included two balls hit into the water.
02:38In just three holes, Spieth went from five strokes up to three strokes back.
02:48He ultimately lost by these three strokes, finishing in second to Danny Willett.
02:52Number 17.
02:53Bill Gramatica tears his ACL.
02:55Sports can be a fickle beast, one minute you're celebrating a field goal, the next you're
02:58writhing on the ground in pain, your professional career in dire jeopardy.
03:02This one will be from 43 yards out.
03:07It's got the accuracy, it's got the distance.
03:13Bill Gramatica was playing for the Arizona Cardinals in the 2001 season, and on December
03:1715th, they were facing the New York Giants.
03:19Gramatica kicked a 43-yard field goal to put his team up 3-0, causing him to do a little
03:24celebratory jump.
03:25But he landed awkwardly and tore the ACL in his right knee, collapsing to the ground and
03:29holding his leg in pain.
03:30Oops.
03:31To be fair, Gramatica finished the game, but tearing your ACL on a first-quarter kick to
03:37put your team up a whole 3-0?
03:39Fail.
03:40Number 16.
03:41Yana Novotna.
03:42Making the finals of Wimbledon is any tennis player's dream, so it's no surprise when
03:46nerves start to take over.
03:47In 1993, Yana Novotna was seeded eighth, so even making the final was quite the accomplishment.
03:52She played the top-seeded Steffi Graf, and they went into the third set evenly matched
03:56at 1-1.
03:57And in the third set, Novotna was up four games to one.
03:59It was the type of underdog Cinderella story that sports movies are made of.
04:03But this isn't a feel-good movie.
04:04Novotna completely unraveled as the nerves got to her, double-faulting her serve and
04:08making it 4-2.
04:09Graf then won four consecutive games, ending the set 6-4 and taking both the match and
04:14the women's singles title.
04:16Number 15.
04:17Tony Romo botches the snap.
04:18A Dallas Cowboys legend, Tony Romo holds several team records as quarterback, including passing
04:23touchdowns and passing yards.
04:25Maybe it was to make up for that disastrous performance in the 2007 Wild Card game.
04:29Stevens touchdown!
04:32Jeremy Stevens to put Seattle back up on top, and they'll go for two.
04:38The Cowboys were playing the Seattle Seahawks and were down 21-20.
04:41They went for a 19-yard field goal on 4th and 1, which, if successful, would have put
04:46them up 23-21 with just 1 minute, 19 seconds left to go.
04:50It was a very undemanding field goal, and one the kicker should accomplish 99 out of
04:54100 times.
04:55It's fumbled by Romo, and then Romo's going to run to the end zone, and he's going to
05:00get tackled by Jordan Babineau!
05:03Amazing!
05:04Unfortunately, he didn't get the chance as Romo fumbled the snap and was tackled short
05:08of the marker, turning the ball over and giving Seattle the victory.
05:11So not a great playoff debut.
05:14Number 14.
05:15Patrick Waugh's Statue of Liberty goof
05:16Considered one of the greatest goalies ever, Patrick Waugh had an incredible career, but
05:20he was also known for his arrogance.
05:22Waugh was playing for the Colorado Avalanche in the 2002 Western Conference Finals.
05:26Off the faceoff, he got tied up in the circle, Iserman, and sank exactly where the credit
05:31for the win.
05:32His team was up three games to two, so if the Avalanche won game six, they would proceed
05:36to the Stanley Cup Finals.
05:37With the score tied 0-0 in the first period, Steve Iserman took a shot that was caught
05:42by Waugh.
05:43It was a great save, so Waugh decided to raise his glove for a bit of showboating.
05:46And then he dropped it, right into the net.
05:55The goal counted, and the Avalanche lost both this game and the next, ruining all chances
05:59of touching that famous silver trophy.
06:01Number 13.
06:02The Falcons implode at Super Bowl LI
06:05History was made on February 5, 2017, when the New England Patriots made the biggest
06:09comeback in Super Bowl history.
06:10It came at the expense of the Atlanta Falcons.
06:12The Falcons were seeking their very first Super Bowl win, and that dream was seemingly
06:16coming true.
06:17They were demolishing the Patriots and were up 28-3 midway through the third quarter.
06:24But you know what they say about getting complacent?
06:26The Falcons' defense failed to take flight, allowing the Patriots 25 unbroken points to
06:31tie the game.
06:32It went to overtime.
06:33The Patriots won the coin toss, and the drive of the century was accomplished.
06:42The Super Bowl is now nicknamed 28-3 to honor the legendary collapse of the Falcons.
06:47Number 12.
06:481951 Brooklyn Dodgers
06:50Back in 1951, players on the Brooklyn Dodgers probably thought, that's okay, no one will
06:55remember this in 70 years.
06:56Sorry guys, the Dodgers dominated much of the 1951 season, and were 13 games ahead in
07:01August.
07:02But they fell apart just as the New York Giants were heating up.
07:12When both teams finished the season 96-58, they entered a three-game playoff to decide
07:16the National League winner, and the Dodgers were leading game three 4-1 in the bottom
07:20of the ninth.
07:21A double made it 4-2, and that's when Bobby Thompson stepped to the plate.
07:24With two men on base, Thompson made the shot heard round the world off of a pitch from
07:28Ralph Branca, hitting a three-run home run and giving the Giants the win.
07:32Number 11.
07:332016 Golden State Warriors
07:35The 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors entered the 2015-2016 season as the defending champions
07:42and went on to have the best season in NBA history, finishing with a record of 73-9 and
07:46breaking the 1995-96 Bulls record for most wins in the regular season.
08:00They returned to the finals to face the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second straight year, and
08:04appeared set to complete one of the greatest seasons in the history of sports when they
08:07jumped out to a 3-1 series lead.
08:09The Cavaliers recovered, however, and forced a Game 7, where LeBron James made a huge block
08:13in the final two minutes to help Cleveland complete the comeback and thoroughly embarrass
08:17Golden State.
08:27Number 10.
08:28Roberto Bojo's missed penalty at the 1994 FIFA World Cup
08:31Roberto Bojo had a pretty remarkable World Cup tournament in 1994, scoring five goals,
08:37four of which came during Italy's quarterfinal and semi-final matches, however he's remembered
08:48most for his worst moment of the tournament.
08:51Italy and Brazil remained scoreless after regular and extra time, sending the match
08:54to a penalty shootout.
08:56With Brazil leading 3-2, Italy sent Bojo up to keep his team alive.
08:59Unlike the earlier games, however, Bojo failed to deliver, sending the ball flying over the
09:03net and sealing Brazil's fourth World Cup victory.
09:07Number 9.
09:081993 Houston Oilers
09:09In the largest comeback in league history, the Oilers managed to blow a 32-point lead
09:14over the Buffalo Bills in the wildcard round of the 1993 NFL Playoffs.
09:28The Bills entered the second half down by 25, and the game appeared to be over when
09:32Bubba McDowell returned an interception 58 yards to increase Houston's lead to 32 early
09:37in the third.
09:38The Bills managed to score another 35 points, who would eventually win the game in overtime,
09:4241-38, all without star quarterback Jim Kelly, who missed the game due to an injury.
09:58In Houston, this infamous game is known as the choke.
10:00Everywhere else, it's called the comeback, but in 2022, the Bills collapsed, losing the
10:04divisional playoffs with just 13 seconds left on the clock.
10:08Number 8.
10:09John McEnroe at the 1984 French Open
10:11Things couldn't have been better for John McEnroe when he entered the French Open final
10:14in 1984.
10:15He hadn't lost a match all year and looked nearly unbeatable as he jumped out to a quick
10:19two sets to zero lead over Yvon Lendl.
10:22However, an ill-advised outburst directed at a cameraman marked the beginning of the
10:25end for McEnroe, as Lendl came storming back and won the next three sets to take home the
10:30trophy.
10:35While Lendl's resolve played a large role in the comeback, most people credit McEnroe's
10:38ridiculous outburst as the catalyst for his collapse.
10:42Number 7.
10:432013 Toronto Maple Leafs
10:44Leafs fans flooded the streets of Toronto as their team jumped out to a 4-1 lead in
10:48the third period of Game 7 against the Bruins in the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup
10:53playoffs.
11:05The Leafs had been down in the series 3-1, but rallied and only needed to survive ten
11:09minutes to clinch the victory.
11:11The Bruins scored three straight goals, however, including two in the final two minutes of
11:15the game to send it into overtime.
11:19Boston then scored six minutes into overtime to win the game in the series.
11:22As a result, Toronto became the first team to lose a Game 7 after leading by three goals
11:27in the third period.
11:28Number 6.
11:291986 Boston Red Sox
11:31As surprising as it may seem to fans of the team today, the Red Sox won a very, very long
11:35time without winning a World Series.
11:48Back in 1986, they were looking to break a 68-year drought, and appeared set to do so
11:52as they led the New York Mets 5-3, and needed only one out to clinch the victory.
11:57The Mets remarkably were able to tie the game at five when Mookie Wilson hit a slow grounder
12:01up the first baseline.
12:02Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner somehow let the ball roll through his legs, allowing
12:06the Mets to score the winning run.
12:10The Mets would win Game 7 and take home the series, and Buckner's name became synonymous
12:15with sports fails.
12:16Number 5.
12:17Steven Gerrard slips
12:18The name Steven Gerrard is like poison to any supporter of Liverpool FC.
12:22In 2014, the team was on a huge winning streak and had the Premier League title in the sights.
12:27Liverpool was leading the league, and had just three games to go when they faced off
12:30against Chelsea.
12:38It was during the game that Steven Gerrard received a routine pass from Mamadou Sakho,
12:43but he slipped on the pitch and allowed the ball to pass to Demba Abba.
12:46Abba scored, making the game 1-0.
12:48Chelsea would go on to win 2-0, utterly demoralizing Liverpool and making them lose control of
12:53the league.
12:54The loss ultimately allowed Manchester City to win, and most agree that Liverpool's season
12:57slipped away with Gerrard.
13:07Number 4.
13:08Jean van de Velde at the 1999 British Open
13:10The sport of golf has seen its fair share of epic collapses over the years.
13:14At that time, Greg Norman blew a six-shot lead in the final round of the 1996 Masters.
13:31But that was nothing compared to Jean van de Velde at the British Open in 1999.
13:35Van de Velde held a three-stroke lead going into the final hole of the tournament.
13:39He made a series of bad shots and decisions, however, and wound up taking a triple bogey
13:43on the hole.
13:44He eventually lost in a playoff, completing perhaps the worst choke in golf history.
13:48In fact, some have even coined the term pulling a van de Velde, when a golfer chokes away
13:52a lead.
13:59Number 3.
14:002004 New York Yankees
14:02Sometimes it's a good thing to be the first team to ever do something.
14:05In this case, it's the exact opposite, as the Yankees became the first team in MLB history
14:09to lose a series after leading three games to zero.
14:12For the Red Sox to go do this to the Yankees on their home field makes it even more special
14:16for the Red Sox and even, I think, a little bit more devastating to the Yankees.
14:20The Bronx Bombers certainly lived up to their name in the first three games of the series,
14:23pounding their rivals the Boston Red Sox with a total of 32 runs scored.
14:28The Red Sox remarkably escaped elimination in Game 4 after trailing in the bottom of
14:32the ninth and reeled off three more wins to complete their epic comeback and the Yankees'
14:36epic fail.
14:37The Red Sox become the first team in Major League history to win a best-of-seven series
14:42after trailing three games to none.
14:44Number 2.
14:45Patrick Steffen's failed breakaway
14:46A first-round pick by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Patrick Steffen
14:51never quite lived up to the hype, and is regarded by many as one of the biggest draft busts
14:55in NHL history.
14:56And this moment may, in fact, sum up his career,
14:59"...Steffen steals and he'll ice it.
15:01Oh, at least I thought he was gonna, until he blew it!
15:04That's unbelievable!"
15:06With just seconds remaining in the game, Steffen skated toward the empty net with the puck
15:10but somehow mishandled it, failing to score.
15:13Even worse, while falling, he knocked the puck back to the Edmonton player, who was
15:16able to move down the ice and ultimately set up a tying goal.
15:18"...he makes a remarkable move, and the Oilers somehow are gonna send this game to overtime!"
15:25Following this iconic fail, Steffen played in just 13 more games, scoring only two points.
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15:431.
15:442003 Chicago Cups
15:47The Cups appeared poised to return to the World Series for the first time since 1945,
15:52as they led the Florida Marlins 3-2 in the series and 3-0 in the game heading into the
15:56eighth inning.
15:58Then, in an instant, everything changed.
16:03A fan named Stephen Bartman reached for a foul ball and prevented the Cubs left fielder
16:07from making a play on it.
16:08The Cubs then suffered a meltdown of epic proportions.
16:26The Marlins proceeded to score eight runs in the inning and would come from behind again
16:30in Game 7 to win 9-6, knocking Chicago out of the playoffs.
16:34Did you happen to see any of these live?
16:36Let us know in the comments below!