Most painful playoff defeats you can recall

[SabresRule]

With the baseball playoffs on tap,

I was wondering what were some of the most painful/heartbreaking/devastating playoff losses you can ever recall?

It does not just have to be baseball; it can be for any and all sports.

Mine:

Sabres

Game 7, 2006 NHL East Finals vs. Carolina

Game 7, 1992 Adams Division Finals vs. Boston

Game 6, 1999 Stanley Cup Finals vs. Dallas

Bills

1989 AFC Divisional Playoffs vs. Cleveland (HD MM, your Browns got lucky Harmon dropped the ball!!!!!)

Super Bowl XXV (Wide Right. The explosive Bills lost to a Giants team that was a 9-7 team disguised as a 13-3 team, and maybe the most boring team to ever win a championship outside of the Spurs/Devils)

Super Bowl XXVIII (My last Bills game I ever saw when I lived in Buffalo.)

 

[risnuff]

Steelers

2005 AFC Championship Game

15-1 Steelers lose to Patriots, as Ben Roethlisberger in his first year waits for a bad time to finally start to play like a rookie, and receives his first NFL loss courtesy of the eventual Super Bowl champions.

Penguins

Game 6, 2008 Stanley Cup Final.

But it's OK, the Penguins will be back shortly. In fact, I'll say they win a Cup before they leave the Igloo.

Pirates

Oh wait, they haven't been to the postseason since I was two. Never mind.

 

[SabresRule]

Steelers

2005 AFC Championship Game

15-1 Steelers lose to Patriots, as Ben Roethlisberger in his first year waits for a bad time to finally start to play like a rookie, and receives his first NFL loss courtesy of the eventual Super Bowl champions.

At least they got their redemption.

 

[HD MM]

The most recent was games 5, 6 and 7 of the ALCS against the Red Sox.

I was at game 4 at Jacob's Field when the Indians went up 3 games to 1 in the 7 game series. Following the game, the city was electric. I partied on the streets till the wee hours and celebrated with fellow Tribe fans that I've never met before. Everyone seemed as if it was a given that we would be in the World Series. Hell, we had 3 games to win just 1! And with the Rockies being the eventual NL World Series foe, I thought our chances at seeing a Championship in this city was greater than ever. So much for that.....

 

[BillD1984]

Despite the recent success with my sports teams, there's been a number of crushing postseason defeats: 1978 Bruins-Canadiens too many men on the ice, 1976 Patriots-Raiders playoff game, 1986 World Series, 1985 NBA Finals, 2006 AFC Championship game, 2007 Super Bowl, but only one crushed me like no other:

2003 ALCS Red Sox vs. Yankees.

I literally couldn't sleep the night we lost game 7!

 

[mccoyrj]

The 1992 NLCS between my Pirates and the Braves.

In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7, with Atlanta down 2-1 and the bases loaded, the Braves' Francisco Cabrera cracked a two-run single that scored Dave Justice and Sid Bream (an ex Pirate). Bream famously slid to score the Series-winning run, beating the throw by Barry Bonds.

The Pirates haven't done a thing since.

 

[Hart5150]

Superbowl 42 lost a chance at perfection.

Assante Samuel and Brandon Merriweather dropping game clinching interceptions.

Ty Warren and Jarvis Green not being able to wrap up Eli Manning.

Harrison not being able to break up the fluke play.

Pierre Woods not recovering a fumble right as his feet.

 

[2x10]

In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7, with Atlanta down 2-1 and the bases loaded, the Braves' Francisco Cabrera cracked a two-run single that scored Dave Justice and Sid Bream (an ex Pirate). Bream famously slid to score the Series-winning run, beating the throw by Barry Bonds.

The Pirates haven't done a thing since.

Dude - u took mine --- the fact that they have not won since makes it one of the all time worst and every season that they suck, some TV station has to replay Sid sliding in to home

 

[hockeynut5150]

2003 ALCS Red Sox vs. Yankees.

I literally couldn't sleep the night we lost game 7!

Luckily I had been drinking all day, when the Yankees tied it I just couldn't hold on anymore and just passed out, woke up next day at 5am and saw the score on ESPN

Met Tim Wakefield a month later backstage at an Aerosmith concert in Boston, what a great guy

 

[hockeynut5150]

Besides the 2003 ALCS game, mine are

-Bruins losing the '04 playoffs first round to the Habs, blowing a 3-1 lead and games 5 and 7 at home. At least now we know Jose Theodore was on propecia

-Bruins losing 5-0 game 7 against the Habs '08 playoffs, after rallying to tie the series 3-3 and an amazing game 6 win in Boston

 

[jlhugh]

the romo botched snap at seattle 2 years ago. that really sucked.

 

[yourbeliefs]

1998-99 NFC Division Playoffs: 49ers vs Atlanta.

The 49ers were DESTINED to win the Super Bowl that year. If they played against the Broncos they would have beaten Elway yet again with their stellar defense and equally formidable offense and would have been the only team with 6 Super Bowl Trophies.

Star running back Garrison Hearst suffers an almost career ending injury early in the game. A major part of the offense is knocked out, and Atlanta lucks their way into one of the worst Super Bowls ever. The only way they got there to begin with was that stroke of luck and then the Vikings missing a late field goal. Apparently Atlanta's pact with Satan only extended to the Division Championship title.

Still, I guess it was nice to see Elway go out on top after all those years of never winning. Seeing them win the year before against the Packers was one of the greatest things I saw.

 

[SandraC]

Despite the recent success with my sports teams, there's been a number of crushing postseason defeats: 1978 Bruins-Canadiens too many men on the ice, 1976 Patriots-Raiders playoff game, 1986 World Series, 1985 NBA Finals, 2006 AFC Championship game, 2007 Super Bowl, but only one crushed me like no other:

2003 ALCS Red Sox vs. Yankees.

I literally couldn't sleep the night we lost game 7!

I trump that with the 2004 playoffs, where the Red Sox not only redeemed themselves, they sent the two franchises heading into totally opposite directions.

If you had told me after game 3, when the Yankees were ahead 3-0 (and won all three games convincingly), that the Red Sox would not only come back, they would win the world series that year, and again three years later, I would have laughed at you. The only ones laughing now are the Red Sox.

It can be argued the Yankees have never recovered from that series defeat, and have slipped further away from championship contention each year since then.

And personally, for me, it's a blot on my soul that will never go away, unless we somehow find a way to do the EXACT same thing to the Red Sox. Not going to hold my breath for that. Even a future series sweep of the Red Sox wouldn't be enough, it wouldn't inflict the pain we felt in 2004, and are still feeling.

As for other non-shining playoff moments...

The Devils' sweep of the Rangers three years ago. We were so non-competitive Sandis Ozolinsh was scored more goals for the Devils that series than I think the whole Ranger team scored. And Ozolinsh was on the Rangers.

Charles Smith getting his shot blocked three times...and not getting fouled.

Patrick Ewing's empty guarantees, year after year.

Joba losing to the bugs.

Beltran's knees buckling on a called strike three to end the 2006 playoffs

Mariano throwing the ball into center field agains the Diamondbacks

Chris Drury scoring AGAINST us in 2007 game 5 with 7.7 seconds left to tie it. We would have come back to the Garden up 3-2, and the faithful would not have allowed the Rangers to lose that game.

Not a defeat, but Zelepukin tieing game seven in 1994 with something like 7.7 seconds left. It enabled MATTEAU, MATTEAU, MATTEAU to become part of sports lexicon, but it felt like a punch in the stomach when they tied it.

Jim Tressel's look of bewilderment every time the Buckeyes lose control of a big game.

My brothers still talk about a Jet playoff game in 1986 or something (I think against Cleveland or Denver) when they were up 10 late and lost. Apparently my dad couldn't forget it.


Sandra

 

[Diamond Jim]

The Mazaroski home run.

 

[brainfry]

In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7, with Atlanta down 2-1 and the bases loaded, the Braves' Francisco Cabrera cracked a two-run single that scored Dave Justice and Sid Bream (an ex Pirate). Bream famously slid to score the Series-winning run, beating the throw by Barry Bonds.

The Pirates haven't done a thing since.

Being a Braves hater and a Pirates semi-fan, this one was especially tough. I had some friends over for that game (we were ALL for the Pirates), and the girl from Pittsburgh, bless her heart, stayed after everyone left and helped me wash dishes. I moped around for two days.

Fortunately, Ed Sprague became my hero shortly thereafter.

 

[SabresRule]

Being a Braves hater and a Pirates semi-fan, this one was especially tough. I had some friends over for that game (we were ALL for the Pirates), and the girl from Pittsburgh, bless her heart, stayed after everyone left and helped me wash dishes. I moped around for two days.

Fortunately, Ed Sprague became my hero shortly thereafter.

At least you got to see your Reds win a title in 1990.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Isaiah Thomas throwing the inbounds pass to Larry Bird. 1987(?) conference finals.

 

[mccoyrj]

All Raider fans should remember "The Immaculate Reception" game.

 

[brainfry]

At least you got to see your Reds win a title in 1990.

True, but for 10 years before and 18 years since, we've had almost nothing.

 

[BobMurdoch]

2006 Mets. Game 7 NLCS against the Cards. 9th inning, Beltran comes up with the go ahead runners on base.

Wainwright (I think that was who was pitching) unloads a curveball that buckles Beltrans knees as he watches it hit the glove. Strike Three. Game, Series, Season over.