after the Clipper collapse: time for a ten worst sports defeats thread

[OSR stands with Israel]

we had one of these many years ago.  one simple rule: you have to have been alive and witnessed the game(s) in real time.

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1. Oct 19, 1999, NLCS Game 6: Braves 10, Mets 9 (11 inn.).  Games 5 and 6 of this series were some of the craziest baseball I've ever seen.

2. January 17, 1999, AFC Championship Game: Broncos 23, Jets 10.  Jets held 10-0 lead early in 3rd quarter as 8.5 point underdogs to the defending champion Broncos.  a flurry of turnovers and miscues would fck the Jets in a game that was not as lopsided as the score suggests

3. Oct 21, 2000, World Series Game 1: Yankees 4, Mets 3 (12 inn.).  Most Mets fans remember Game 5, but Game 1 is where the series turned.  the Mets held a 3-2 lead entering the 9th.  they blew a chance at picking up insurance runs in the top of the 9th, with runners at 2nd and 3rd, 1 out.  in the bottom of the inning, the Yankees got a single run off of Armando Benitez to tie the game.  a bases-loaded single from Jose Vizcaino in the 12th ended it

4. Sept 12-30, 2007, Mets lose 7 gm lead w/17 to go: Mets blow 99.8% chance at postseason berth with 5-12 finish.  can't narrow this to a single game.  the Sept 30 game, which saw the Mets tied for 1st in the East and for the Wild Card, began with Tom Glavine allowing 7 runs in 1/3 of an inning against the Florida Marlins.  I was at Shea that day, and likened the experience to being on the Titanic as it sunk.

5. January 15, 2005, AFC Divisional Game: Steelers 20, Jets 17.  Doug Brien misses two field goals in the final two minutes that would have sent the 9-point underdog Jets to the AFC Title Game.

6. Oct 19, 2006, NLCS Game 7: Cardinals 3, Mets 1.  Game 2 was also a horror.  the heavily favored Mets simply ran out of pitching, having to give 3 starts total to Oliver Perez (3-13, 6.55 ERA in the regular season) and Steve Trachsel (who had the highest ERA among qualifying pitchers in the NL, despite a deceptive 15-8 record.)  Billy Wagner imploded, as Sam Spade warned he would (though the Phillies' Brad Lidge didn't implode in 2008, as Sam Spade also warned he would, en route to the first Phillies title since 1980.  Spade just had it in for every ex-Astro closer)

7. January 23, 2011, AFC Championship Game: Steelers 24, Jets 19.  Jets faced a 24-0 deficit, netted a field goal to cut it to 24-3 before half, and then got to work.  they moved the ball and the Steelers didn't in the second half, but, alas, a day late and a buck short.

8. May 14, 2015, Western Conf. Quarterfinals Game 6: Rockets 119, Clippers 107.  still digesting

9. January 4, 2003, Fiesta Bowl/BCS National Championship Game: #2 Ohio State 31, #1 Miami 24 (2 OT).  we all know about the phantom pass interference call thrown 4 seconds too late.  Miami's win streak snapped at 35.  an ignominious end to the grand Ken Dorsey era.  Miami has not been a national title contender since

10. April 30, 2002, Eastern Conf. Quarterfinal Game 7: Maple Leafs 4, Islanders 2.  this was my first taste of playoff hockey.  the home team won all 7 games in this series.  the Isles scored the first goal, went down 3-1, got a quick 3rd period goal to make it 3-2, but the Leafs held the fort and scored an empty-netter as the third period was winding down.  the series was colored by the loss of Michael Peca on a dirty hit from Toronto's Darcy Tucker.

Where 2008 NBA finals game 4 where LA held a 24 point lead and 20 with 18 minutes left in games then lose. Or 2000 WCF game 7 Portland up 15 with 9 minutes left then lose.