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What was your most heart breaking moment as a sports fan?

Knoxtnhorn

By Knoxtnhorn
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Richard Kimball

Richard Kimball 1523

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When I was young, sports seemed a lot more important. I was a huge Cowboys fan. They'd lost to Green Bay in 66 and 67 on the last play of the championship game. In 1968, Green Bay was done, and the Cowboys finished the regular season 12-2. I was thirteen, and thought for sure they were going to win the Super Bowl. Cleveland beat the shit out of them in the divisional round. It was horrible. 

I don't think anything sports related ever hurt worse than that loss. It was like losing my first love (which I hadn't had, yet.)

Yeah, I may get disappointed over a loss now, but when I was a kid, it seemed like life and death. 

When I was writing this and reflecting back on my youth, it reminded me of why I hated Notre Dame so bad. Couldn't see the Longhorns in Texas, but EVERY SUNDAY MORNING the local station showed NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS. Frikkin hour of the Saturday Notre Dame game, with every good play by the opponent taken out. 

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Ignatius

Ignatius 4150

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6 hours ago, Murfdogg21 said:

2008 Tech/Gideon and the Alabama national championship games hurt the worst as a Longhorn fan because we were the best team in the country both years and could’ve should’ve had two more titles.

That’s why the Crabtree/Gideon game stings. We were more obviously the best team in 2008 than we were in 2005...

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Domedriver

Domedriver 655

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30 minutes ago, Richard Kimball said:

When I was young, sports seemed a lot more important. I was a huge Cowboys fan. They'd lost to Green Bay in 66 and 67 on the last play of the championship game. In 1968, Green Bay was done, and the Cowboys finished the regular season 12-2. I was thirteen, and thought for sure they were going to win the Super Bowl. Cleveland beat the shit out of them in the divisional round. It was horrible. 

I don't think anything sports related ever hurt worse than that loss. It was like losing my first love (which I hadn't had, yet.)

Yeah, I may get disappointed over a loss now, but when I was a kid, it seemed like life and death. 

When I was writing this and reflecting back on my youth, it reminded me of why I hated Notre Dame so bad. Couldn't see the Longhorns in Texas, but EVERY SUNDAY MORNING the local station showed NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS. Frikkin hour of the Saturday Notre Dame game, with every good play by the opponent taken out. 

I have blind, deep, unremitting hate of all things Notre Damn.  Wired in from growing up a Texas Longhorn.  

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Llewelyn Moss

Llewelyn Moss 220

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10 hours ago, MAUFRAIS said:

nelly cruz

Mine is easily Game 6 in 2011. 
I had to travel during this one and listened on the radio. I’ve never watched the replay. Still hurts. 
 

My others have been repeated here: 2008 Tech, 2009 MNC. 
 

Also, this one will put me in the minority, but when KD signed with Golden State, I was crushed, as a huge Thunder fan. It was so obviously a rejection of not just a team but a community. Hurt deep. 

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DonkeyCigars

DonkeyCigars 143

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9 hours ago, futureman said:

nobody has ever been kicked in the nuts harder than lifelong rangers fans in 2011. and you are correct, we will never get over it. 

Literally the only time I've ever shed a tear watching sports, in joy or pain. I was alone that night, hit the pillow and the tears flowed. I didn't know I had it in me. A kick in the nuts so hard, great way to put it.

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staboner

staboner 5098

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colt going down. there are plenty of miseries to rejoice in if we are sports fans. lots of this, that, what ifs, but that was the rug getting pulled out from under your feet after seeing how awesome it looked for 7 minutes. just brutal. wife drove my drunk ass home. head sunken into chest. just fucking sobbing. fucking offseasons

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UDontKnow

UDontKnow 10572

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I was in 3rd grade for the Oilers-Bills wildcard game that came to be known as 'The Comeback.' I will never understand how the Oilers blew a 32 point lead to Frank Reich, the Bills backup QB. It pretty much signaled the end for the Oilers as fans knew it. Four years later, the Oilers moved to Tennessee. Another two years later, the Oilers name was gone forever.

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NIUHuskies

NIUHuskies 505

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99 WI State Basketball semi-final. (Wasn't on the team.) My high school was down by 13 to the number 1 team in the state. Battled back. Good friend hits 2 free throws to goes up by 1 with 15 seconds left. Other team plays for the final shot. Takes it misses with 2 seconds left. Somehow gets a put back bucket off the rebound at the buzzer.

2011 Oklahoma State loss to Iowa State. Same day as the plane crash that killed the women's basketball coaches 

 

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tantric superman

tantric superman 4668

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9 hours ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:


I was just a twinkle in my parents eyes so that doesn’t hurt

Old Man Syndrome.  It was better when the teams didn't change so frequently.  Three of the four Purple People Eaters were together for 10 years.  (Right when I started watching football).

495px-The_Purple_People_Eaters.png

Purple People Eaters were the defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings from the late 1960s to the late 1970s. The term is a reference to a popular song from 1958, the efficiency of the defense, and the color of their uniforms. The motto of the Purple People Eaters was "Meet at the quarterback."[1]

Larsen was replaced in 1974 by Doug Sutherland.[6]

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Onboard 2.0

Onboard 2.0 9083

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9 minutes ago, tantric superman said:

Old Man Syndrome.  It was better when the teams didn't change so frequently.  Three of the four Purple People Eaters were together for 10 years.  (Right when I started watching football).

495px-The_Purple_People_Eaters.png

Purple People Eaters were the defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings from the late 1960s to the late 1970s. The term is a reference to a popular song from 1958, the efficiency of the defense, and the color of their uniforms. The motto of the Purple People Eaters was "Meet at the quarterback."[1]

Larsen was replaced in 1974 by Doug Sutherland.[6]

Free agency helped destroy my love of professional football and baseball... in that order.  The Purple People Eaters. football played on the frozen tundra, guys who weren't 300lb. behemoths.

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ztejas

ztejas 44285

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Another one comes to mind - SMU tourney loss in 2015 to UCLA in the first round. Yanick Moreira goaltends a 3 to win it for UCLA. I smashed my phone on the ground in disgust. Alcohol may have been involved.

Our loss in 2017 in the first round to USC sucked dick, too. We had an amazing team that year (Shake Milton, Sterling Brown, Semi Ojeleye - all NBA rotation guys) and the bitchass selection committee gave us a 5 seed and slotted us against a USC team that had already beaten us earlier that year. 

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TheBryMan81

TheBryMan81 2634

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19 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Ouch. Don’t remember the game but Mishak Rivas should have had the ball anytime you wanted to win.

That 1995 Cardinals team did not recover from the San Benito loss. Went on to lose bi-district to La Joya in a 4-0 game. Easily the most unwatchable game I ever sat through.

Yea, in hindsight, felt like our coach overthought himself. Everyone in the stadium knew Shak was gonna get the ball, so why not fake it to him and let our QB (who was also a very good athlete) get the first? Turned out, the other coach saw it coming.

 

16 hours ago, Helobious said:

 My cousin must’ve been in your grade or a grade below, said Mishak was dumb as a box of rocks. Teachers just let him pass anyway. He had unreal talent though, Madison was stout and he still shredded them. I hear he’s into coaching/speed training now. 

If your cousin was anywhere near my grade, then I probably knew him. Weslaco is still small enough that you played little league with just about everybody.

"Box of rocks" is probably a little far... But dude just didn't want to put in the effort in the classroom. Yea, he's doing speed training in both the Houston and RGV area I think.

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SwanderedTalent

SwanderedTalent 5761

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The 2003 loss to Oklahoma, because it never felt like the programs were further apart than that moment, and the gulf never seemed insurmountable until that day. I was disgusted and embarrassed by everything about that game. It was 58-13 and OU was trying to run out the clock and we wouldn't even put forth the effort to let them do that, so they tacked on another touchdown. 

2006 loss to A&M. Inexcusable, and hugely costly to the program's momentum. It essentially sold the notion that Mack Brown's program was nothing but Vince Young, and that contributed to the recruiting rot that started to set in.

The 2008 loss to Tech was more in the vein of "instant heartbreak", as I really thought we'd won the game on a Gideon INT. The 2009 BCSCG hurt because, maybe foolishly, I really thought when we got the ball down 24-21 that Gilbert and Shipley were going to be good for one more TD and we'd win against all odds, and because of how gypped I felt when we lost without getting to take a shot at them with our best player. 

The entire 2010 season was heartbreaking for what it irrevocably revealed about Mack Brown Texas Football and how it has seemingly permanently changed my emotional investment in Texas football. 

I haven't had my heart broken by Texas football in a long time. It's been mostly bitterly cynical chuckles the past ten seasons. 

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Guest

Guest

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43 minutes ago, Upgrayedd said:

1) Joe Fucking Germaine and David Fucking Boston (with an assist to Phil Snow and prevent defense)

 

David Boston's career as a pro...   I mean not tear-shedding material, but more of "What the fuck happened?"

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Knoxtnhorn

Knoxtnhorn 6312

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14 hours ago, kingkoopa6 said:

Wondolowski miss

Can’t get two rebounds before ray allen catches it 

GG gets blind sided

dez caught it 

 

 

Effing Wondolowski.  I feel for him though.  I still think about the time (Page 2) where I let down my rec softball team.  I can't imagine doing this in a World Cup with much of America watching.

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Al_4_ISU

Al_4_ISU 12663

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21 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

One of my teacher friends at school is the sister of Iowa State's QB from that game.  IIRC, I think he played because the regular starter got injured.  

He replaced the guy that started the season (Steele Jantz) because the starter completely shit the bed earlier a couple weeks prior.  He was a little banged up, but healed quickly and Herman stuck with Jared Barnett because he had the hot hand.  Barnett took over 4 weeks prior to that OK State game while we were playing Aggy in Ames.  We lost that game, but then won the next two, including an absolute fisting of Tech in Lubbock on Halloween.

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Knoxtnhorn

Knoxtnhorn 6312

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2 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

He replaced the guy that started the season (Steele Jantz) because the starter completely shit the bed earlier a couple weeks prior.  He was a little banged up, but healed quickly and Herman stuck with Jared Barnett because he had the hot hand.  Barnett took over 4 weeks prior to that OK State game while we were playing Aggy in Ames.  We lost that game, but then won the next two, including an absolute fisting of Tech in Lubbock on Halloween.

Coincidentally, if I'm remembering the story from his sister correctly, he then ended up transferring because Tom Herman (OC and QB coach) screwed him over.  Something about telling him (Barnett) that he was going to start the offseason as the 3rd string QB.  

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Al_4_ISU

Al_4_ISU 12663

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Most heartbreaking sports moments:

1)

 YFH2RASHMFFWZJBLB3HSAEM7WY.jpg

Iowa State vs. Hampton.  I really thought after getting so close (in a game that should make this list but won't) against Michigan State in the Elite 8 the year before, that ISU was going to roll into the Final Four.  I should have seen this coming after we lost to a shit-ass Baylor squad in the Big 12 tournament, but I brushed it off as the team being focused on the Dance.  I was 15 at the time, and so fucking mad that I punched a hole through my flimsy bedroom door.

2) 

1998 NFC Championship.  Enough said.  I was 13, and I cried like a little bitch.

3) 

2005 Iowa State at Kansas.  Clones blow a late lead against a bad squad to miss out on the Big 12 North crown for the 2nd straight season.  I was a junior at ISU at the time, and was at my cousin's place in Clear Lake, IA watching the game as it was Thanksgiving Break.  Proceeded to get hammered on Black Velvet and thrown out of the Surf Ballroom (where the music died) that night.

4) 

ISU had just won an absolutely wild Big 12 tournament, and had closed the year on fire.  This.  Was.  It.  This was the team that was going to overcome all the past bad juju, and get ISU over the hump nationally.  And then they went out and did the most ISU shit ever.  I watched the game in my office, after having taken off half the past week to attend the entire tournament in KC.  That was the greatest sports-watching experience of my life, and this was such a crash on the back side.

5) 

 

Bountygate.  8 million fumbles from AP.  Inexplicable late game turnover from Favre.  A true Vikings classic.  Watching New Orleans roll over Indy in the Super Bowl made it so much worse.

 

 

 

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Al_4_ISU

Al_4_ISU 12663

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7 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Coincidentally, if I'm remembering the story from his sister correctly, he then ended up transferring because Tom Herman (OC and QB coach) screwed him over.  Something about telling him (Barnett) that he was going to start the offseason as the 3rd string QB.  

Sounds pretty close, but not really Herman most likely.

Barnett got pulled in our bowl game against Rutgers in '11.  Herman had taken the job at Ohio State at the end of the year and wasn't around for the bowl game, IIRC.  Barnett started and played poorly, and was yanked pretty quickly for Jantz who didn't do much in that game either.  Jantz won the starting job in 2012 and was our starter for the first 3-4 games.  He crapped the bed against Tech in Ames, and Barnett started in an unannounced move against TCU, and we won a blow out.  Barnett then started in Farmageddon and at OK State, and his performance slid every week.  They went back to Jantz mid season, who played a career game against Baylor, before getting benched early in the KU game for Sam Richardson, who finished out that season and would be the on-off starter over the next few seasons.  Barnett was back down the depth chart, and it was clear the coaching staff preferred Richardson.

No one was surprised at all that Barnett transferred.  Always seemed like a great kid, and he played a handful of brilliant games.  By the same token, it was becoming clear that once teams had film on him, and were prepared to play him, that he wasn't cutting at the Big 12 level either.  I think the Rhoads staff generally mishandled the QB position, and it got really crazy after Herman left with Courtney Messingham (current KSU OC) calling plays and coaching QBs.

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PencilPusher

PencilPusher 454

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One of my Christmas presents in 1983 were tickets to the 1984 Tx/Ga Cotton Bowl. Never been so excited to get tickets to any sporting event. Great seats too...30 yard line ish...which were right in front of where Craig Curry dropped the infamous punt. Had to have a perfect view of that. After the Nebraska loss, it hurt even more because Texas would have won the National Championship that year. Of course 13 year old me didn't realize that it would be 2 decades before we would be back in position to get a crack at a national title. There have been multiple other disappointments since then, but for a young me, that was the most stunning.

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Tylerocks

Tylerocks 2603

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The 2000 OU game was one I should have added.

It was the first of Stoops ass kickings.  

It was cold and rainy.

I'm pretty sure OU scored in like 2 plays to start the 2nd half to make it 42 or 49-7.  I threw my full whiskey drink down on the field and walked out.  Swore off OU games on that day.

 

I finally went  back in 2009 and exorcised those demons

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Reynolds Woodcock

Reynolds Woodcock 5101

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In terms of in the moment suffering:


Game 6 2011 World Series. Can’t imagine that will be topped.

Games 2-6 of the 2006 NBA finals. Watching an officiating crew slowly but surely steal an NBA title really sucks.

2008 Tech game. This should be higher, but at the time I stupidly assumed we would still be fine.

2010 championship game. This one lacked the gut punch moment at the time, because in the stadium I couldn’t figure out why Colt wasn’t in. Just a slow depressing march towards the end.

 

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The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight 175

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Mine are like many that have been mentioned:

Spurs 2013 Game 6: I have been a Spurs fan since I was a kid and thus have had a lot of great moments with some heartbreaks in between. .4, 2006 series vs. Mavericks, 2011 series with Memphis were tough, but don’t compare to having the title in your hand and snatched away, as someone said. I couldn’t sleep that night and knew the series was over even with a Game 7. 2014 brought redemption, but I still can’t watch Allen’s shot and dread the highlight each Finals season.

Longhorns 2008 loss to Tech, Colt’s injury in the MNC for obvious reasons. You all noted that 2010 was a continuous gut-punch and really showed the program’s deterioration. 2016 loss to Kansas, while bringing Strong’s much-needed firing, was devastating especially since it was just so embarrassing.

I must admit I am glad I was too young to see or understand the 1984 Georgia loss. As I grew in my Longhorn fandom, just hearing the story became  upsetting. I don’t know how I would have handled living through it.

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Zone Read

Zone Read 299

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First is the 1984 Cotton Bowl as many others have mentioned.  Student at UT at the time.  Drove up from Austin and back the same day.  Capped off a perfect day by getting a speeding ticket a mile from home on the way back.  

Second is the 2010 NC game.  Took my 10 year old twin sons.  More disappointed for them than myself, I'd been to Pasadena 4 years earlier to see the greatest game in history.  At least they got to go to Universal Studios and see Hollywood tourist shit.  11 years later both are juniors at UT and the best game they've been to was the Sugar Bowl against Georgia.  If we'd won that day we might have somewhat prevented Alabama from becoming the dynasty they have.  And my sons would get to say to their fellow Longhorns "yeah, we were at that game," and I'd have been the best Dad ever instead of the mediocre one I am. 

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jw4381

jw4381 3251

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22 hours ago, TheAuditor said:

What's sad is the lack of recent heart-break in Longhorn Sports.  You've got to be good and you've got to be close to have something wrenched away.  Hard to get worked up losing OT at OU when you know more losses on the way.  Here's to some heart breakers for our opponents in our near future.  

fify

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Mole

Mole 4344

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By the time Colt’s injury game came around, I had more or less grown out of feeling the losses so deeply for myself, but I really wanted that win for him. Watching him process his heartbreak in real time during the postgame interview was hard.

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SuckitKevin

SuckitKevin 979

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Spurs vs Mavs 2006 Conference Finals, if Ginobili just lets Dirk dunk the ball the Spurs win, but he fouls making it a 3 point play. The best thing about Ginobili was his competitiveness but it got him on that night. I still get pissed when I think about it even though #20 will always be my favorite all time.

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