Top 6 most heartbreaking losses in championship games as a sports fan.

[Redman443]

In honor of last nights game, here are my top 6 most heartbreaking losses in championship games. For college ball I started watching LSU because that’s where my mother went but I go to auburn so that’s who I support now. Some of you probably remember these games.

6. 2012 bcs national championship game

Alabama 21 LSU 0. The reason I put this at 7 is because it wasn’t really close. Lsu had already beaten Alabama some weeks prior but Alabama sneaked back into the championship game. This was supposed to be a matchup for the ages but Alabama completely shut lsu down. Lsu didn’t even make it past the 50 yard line in the game.



5. 2010 nba finals lakers win over Celtics 4-3

The series was back and forth and the last time the Celtics big 3 matched up against Kobe Bryant. The Celtics had a 3-2 lead going into game 6 at home and subsequently got blown out in that game and in game 7 in Los Angeles, the Celtics had a lead but Kobe Bryant pulled the Lakers ahead in the 4th quarter earning Kobe his 5th championship


4. Super bowl 46 patriots 17 Giants 21

This was a rematch of super bowl 42 and ended up being the same result as the last one. The giants got pressure on Brady and scored a touchdown in the final minutes. Brady gets the ball back and subsequently gets sacked twice. The games final play was a Hail Mary that Gronkowski almost caught but fell short.


3. super bowl 52 patriots 33 eagles 41


This ranks up there because Tom brady played Well, He had 500 yards passing and 3tds and no interceptions. He even outplayed the super bowl MVP foles but the Patriots defense looked like Swiss cheese out there. Not to mention Belichick benched his best defensive player before the game for no apparent reason and it showed on the field. Nonetheless it looked like with 2 minutes left that Brady was going to lead them down and score but the eagles made a great play on defense and got the strip sack. It just wasn’t the patriots day.



2. 2017 Sec championship game Georgia 28 Auburn 7.

This one hurts. It hurts because I was so excited for this game, auburn had beat Georgia and Alabama and looked destined to go to the college football playoffs. I was so excited that I spent 550 bucks on a great ticket and drove all the way to Atlanta. The game started out good with auburn scoring first but after that, it was all Georgia. The dawgs were moving the ball at will against auburns defense and the auburn offense completely sputtered and looked pedestrian.



1. 2014 BCS national championship game. Auburn 31 FSU 34


This one still haunts me to this day because auburn literally snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Auburns great offense with Nick Marshall and Tre mason were moving the ball and had a 21-3 lead on FSU and then Heisman winner Jameis winston. The fourth quarter was all FSU due to a touchdown and a kickoff return for a td. Despite all of this, tre mason scored with one minute left on the clock and it really felt like auburn was going to bring home a championship. Jameis winston gets the ball and shreds the auburn secondary and got a PI call at the one yard line very next play, winston throws a dart to kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds left. It was heartbreaking and a game auburn should have won.

 

[Joey007]

You put this one in, but don’t even mention SB 42??

Wacky list. But I suppose rereading it again it’s your own opinion. So to each their own, I guess.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

Gonna be honest. Considering the opponent, what we've won in the last 17 years, and the way we lost (the way our defense played I don't even feel like we deserved a win) this one isn't even top 5 all-time heartbreaking Pats losses

 

[fair catch fryar]

1. SB 42

After that it's between
SB46 , SB52 , '06 AFCC, and for me personally
Maine vs. Minnesota 2002 NCAA Hockey Championship. They can change order on any given day.

 

[Redman443]

The Celtics should have won those finals.

 

[oldrover]

Gonna be honest. Considering the opponent, what we've won in the last 17 years, and the way we lost (the way our defense played I don't even feel like we deserved a win) this one isn't even top 5 all-time heartbreaking Pats losses

Agree. Pats alone, off the top of my head, I'd rank '76 loss to Raiders, 2005 playoff loss to Denver, 2006 AFCCG, SB42, 2010 vs Jets, SB46, and 2012 AFCCG as worse than this. And that doesn't even count Sox in 1972 pennant race, 1975 WS, 1978 1-game, 1986 WS, and 2003 ALCS... or any Celtics stuff at all.

One big Pats side factor: I hated all those other teams the Pats lost to. Raiders, Denver, Colts, Chargers, Giants, Jets, Ravens.

I don't hate the Eagles... and they played a helluva game. And they were well-coached.

It is... what it is.

 

[sean10mm]

Gonna be honest. Considering the opponent, what we've won in the last 17 years, and the way we lost (the way our defense played I don't even feel like we deserved a win) this one isn't even top 5 all-time heartbreaking Pats losses

I agree. This sucks, but not on the level of several past losses. All the previous SB losses were WAY worse IMO.

The Eagles were great and our D stunk... and that is just kind of it? Brady went down swinging but the D was just too bad to overcome.

 

[Redman443]

I agree. This sucks, but not on the level of several past losses. All the previous SB losses were WAY worse IMO.

The Eagles were great and our D stunk... and that is just kind of it? Brady went down swinging but the D was just too bad to overcome.

If Brady had time, we could have scored in the end but the DE made the perfect move and got his hand in the perfect spot to strip it. Just wasn’t our night

 

[Steve102]

this one is barely a blip on the radar.

1. perfect season loss
2. 1976 v raiders
3. colts comeback AFCCG
4. 05 Denver loss.
5. SB loss vs bears. (they were embarrassed)

Add in the 1978 wild card, the 1986 series, the 2003 ALCS, the JR JR sky hook, B's vs. Oilers in the Stanley cup, maybe in there. I'd put it ahead of the 2011 loss, those guys were lucky to be there.

 

[VectorPrime]

Super Bowl 42 was more heartbreaking but nothing has made me as angry as what occurred last night.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

Super Bowl 42 was more heartbreaking but nothing has made me as angry as what occurred last night.

Yea, last night's defensive performance gave me flashbacks of 2010 and 2011's defensive team. Such frustration

 

[ScottishPatriots]

This loss wasn't even one of the 3 worst in the Brady/Belichick era.

Both Giants losses especially the first one and the 2006 AFC Championship game in Indianapolis were worse than last night.

 

[Guts]

Yesterday was just frustrating and has me angry. Nothing will compare to SB 42.

 

[TB_Helmet]

At the time, the Red Sox '03 game 7 loss to the Yankees was the worst for me, personally (my Sox and Pats fandom is about equal). But the fact that it happened made '04 all the more special.

So now, Super Bowl 42 is the worst, and I'd probably put the '06 loss to the Colts as second, because it was a Pink Head comeback, pretty brutal.

This one sucks but the fact that we have 5 mitigates the hurt a bit. For me, everything is gravy after that 5th ring for Brady, which cemented him as the GOAT.

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

Funny you mention Alabama, this loss reminds me a lot of Alabama's 2016 championship game 35-31 loss. Not the game exactly, but the context

-Saban was going for his 6th ring (Like Belichick)
-Alabama were defending championship (Like the Pats)
-Albama had a late/slight 4th quarter lead (31-28, we were up 33-31)
-Their defense blew the game despite a great offensive performance (Likewise for Pats)
-Both games had people questioning if the respective coach's dominant run was over

Hopefully, like Alabama did this year, we recover as well.

 

[AzorianPats]

Gonna be honest. Considering the opponent, what we've won in the last 17 years, and the way we lost (the way our defense played I don't even feel like we deserved a win) this one isn't even top 5 all-time heartbreaking Pats losses

I’ll tell you why this one stings for me....

Because with both Brady and BB’s age, and all the turmoil that’s been reported this past season. This could be our last chance with this dynasty.

SB 42, 06 AFC Championshipand 2015 AFC championship all hurt more, but for the first time. I’m not certain we’ll get back to this spot next year.

 

[lancerman]

2006, 2007, 2011, 2010 I felt like the better team lost. Today I don't. I felt the need to defend those other team's and the players and legacies of those involved. Aside from Brady/Gronk/Hogan/Amendola, Belichick and everyone on defense deserves whatever people say about them today

 

[Simpelton]

I'm not heartbroken at all if I'm honest. It was one of the all time great Superbowls. I'm never embarrassed to see my team go to the Superbowl and lose to a great team that played well.

I mean it's one thing to be curbstomped or screwed by a bad call or a last second miracle play oir to have the team embarrass itself. That didn't happen. We just got beat, fairly, by a team that came together, worked hard, was well coached, played for each other, and hung in for 60 minutes. In other words they did all the things that we do, and did them slightly better -- fair dues as far as I'm concerned.

We had every chance to beat the odds on the last 2 minutes and the Eagles made the 1-2 critical plays they had to make to stop us. It takes a lot to destroy Brady's two minute drill and they pulled it off -- even rooting for the other laundry, that was damn impressive, I don't think anyone's actually managed to do that to him before on the big stage. They deserved the win for that alone.

This isn't a heartbreak. This is just a good game we didn't win. Congrats to the other team, let the bruises heal, and start thinking about next year.

 

[letekro]

Starting with the worst:

SB 42
2006 AFCCG
2005 Divisional Playoff
SB 46

SB 52 barely registers, tbh

 

[maust]

1) SB XLII
2) Bucky F Dent
3) Too Many Men on the Ice
----Both 2 & 3 were particularly brutal not just because they were de facto championship games but for the way they were lost, which they have in common with 1---
+++insert big drop here+++
4) '75 WS game 7
5) SB XXXI (that game was absolutely there to be won)
6) '71 B's/Canadiens game 7

The C's had some tough ones but I was fortunate enough to have experienced the amazing run of Russell's Celtics. When you witness your team do something like that as a sports fan you come to realize you have no right to feel heartbroken about anything that ever befalls them in the future.