What was your greatest sports heartbreak?

[Bo Diddley]

After this thread has run its course, I'd be interested in hearing the greatest sports heartbreaks of others.

Learning that Jim McMahon was diagnosed with early stages of dementia in 2012 was truly heartbreaking. He was one of my first sports heroes.

If we're talking about coming up short in a game, I'd have to go with Game 5 of the NBA Finals in 1997 when Michael Jordan had the flu and beat the Jazz with a monster performance and a game winning last minute shot.

A close second is the 1982 Utah 3A football championship game between Pleasant Grove and Provo. Provo QB Sean Covey was a little too much for our defense.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I mentioned the Giants' '62 World Series loss in the other thread. It still hurts a little. LeBron's pretty awesome block on Iguodala in Game 7 of the '16 Finals was decisive and heartbreaking. Perhaps the worst off-the-field/court moment was when I was driving home from work and learned from sports radio that Brandon Davies had been removed from the team. What might have been...

[Jeff Lebowski]

The Michael Jordan flu game. So many terrible calls that cost the Jazz the game and the championship.

[Paperback Writer]

1983 Season Orange Bowl - Miami 31 Nebraska 30: Tom Osborne goes for 2 and the pass in the endzone is deflected at the last moment.
1993 Season Orange Bowl - Florida St.18 Nebraska 16: Undefeated Nebraska loses another national title. This time on the last play of the game - a missed 45-yard FG.
1986 World Series: Ball goes through Bill Buckner's legs and Mets win game 6 and go on to win game 7 against the Red Sox..
1978 Yankees-Red Sox playoff game: Bucky F****** Dent puts one over the Green Monster. Yaz pops out with the tying run on 3rd.

[Clark Addison]

Easy #1 for me is the 1984 Cubs. This was at the very peak of my baseball fandom, where I watched live probably 75% of the innings the Cubs played that year (and most of what I didn't was because I was in school). On top of that, you had, of course, the Cubs history of not being in the playoffs since 1945, and you also had a team that was VERY easy to like, with players most here will be familiar with like Ryne Sandberg, Rick Sutcliffe, and Gary Matthews, but also a bunch of players that were easy to love as a Cubs fan, like Jody Davis, Steve Trout, and Rick Reuschel.

I still remember the famous Ryne Sandberg game where he hit two home runs off of Bruce Sutter. The Cubs had been down 7-1, but battled back to be down 9-8 going into the bottom of the ninth. Sandberg, who had already batted in 4, hit a home run to take it to extra innings. Then, in the 10th, after the Cardinals had taken a 11-9 lead, he hit another one to tie it up again. I spent the first 6-7 innings of the game listening on WGN radio as I mowed our lawn, and the last few innings jumping up and down in the family room. At that point, I knew they were a team of destiny.

They went on to win the NL East, and went into the NLCS against the Padres. The NLCS was best of 5 back then, and they won the first two games by a combined 17-2. The newspapers were already printing info on world series tickets, and I was trying to figure out how to buy them. The series then went to San Diego (who had a worse record, I should add) where the Padres took 3 straight. I remember lying on the floor during the last game, feeling like I had been punched in the gut. I was depressed for weeks, and couldn't watch an inning of the world series (though I was very happy that the Tigers trounced the Padres).

My #2, and my son's #1, would be the 2003 Cubs (Bartman)

My #3 would probably be the PAC-mentioned Brandon Davies suspension. Of the three, that is the only one I am still actively mad about.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I forgot about the Davies suspension.

What a depressing thread topic. Ugh...

[BigPiney]

For me it was finishing 9th at the NCAA championships. Missing the event finals by one spot and also missing first team all american by that one place. Still, it was probably also my greatest achievement.

[Bo Diddley]

I forgot about the Davies suspension.

What a depressing thread topic. Ugh...

Hey, it was PAC's idea!

[beefytee]

Expos 1994. Ruined baseball for me.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Hey, it was PAC's idea!

Next up, Bo starts a new thread, "What is the greatest personal tragedy in your life?"

[Bo Diddley]

Next up, Bo starts a new thread, "What is the greatest personal tragedy in your life?"

So many to choose from. Let's get this online therapy session started!

[Clark Addison]

Next up, Bo starts a new thread, "What is the greatest personal tragedy in your life?"

If he does, is Piney going to one-up us all with something that makes our tragedies look like little fan-boy dramatics?

[grapevine]

Missing state bball by two points only to get clobbered in play in, having qb hurt and losing remainder of games some by large margins.

Ricks being undefeated and only getting third so they didn’t play for Nc. Ricks losing at end of season or earlier and not playing for championship. Ricks playing for championship only yo lose to Rudy Johnson. Dropping intercollegiate athletics altogether there.

Winning all our games only to lose to Leighton Vanderesch in semifinals. Same thing again only to lose to atomic lot team we beat earlier in season on quarterfinals.

Hs basketball team losing yo good team in early round of state after having good season.

Took rule costing Raiders and then losing in Suoer Bowl next year.

Bulls in game six beating Jazz. Haven’t they won enough. Lockout that kept Jazz from winning. Some disappointments. Though there have been times tends I follow win.

[Bo Diddley]

Missing state bball by two points only to get clobbered in play in, having qb hurt and losing remainder of games some by large margins.

Ricks being undefeated and only getting third so they didn’t play for Nc. Ricks losing at end of season or earlier and not playing for championship. Ricks playing for championship only yo lose to Rudy Johnson. Dropping intercollegiate athletics altogether there.

Winning all our games only to lose to Leighton Vanderesch in semifinals. Same thing again only to lose to atomic lot team we beat earlier in season on quarterfinals.

Hs basketball team losing yo good team in early round of state after having good season.

Took rule costing Raiders and then losing in Suoer Bowl next year.

Bulls in game six beating Jazz. Haven’t they won enough. Lockout that kept Jazz from winning. Some disappointments. Though there have been times tends I follow win.

I'm torn on this one. On the one hand, it kept the Raiders from winning the Super Bowl. On the other, it cemented Tom Brady as the starter for NE, which as a Steelers fan, has been costly.

[Clark Addison]

I admit to feeling a little guilty that one of my life's sports highlights is one of the greatest heartbreaks for several of you.