My buddy and I were talking recently about the toughest losses we as sports fans have endured. My buddy is from Los Angeles and this discussion was on the heels of Game 4 of the NLCS. That was a devastating loss for his beloved Dodgers. In Bill Simmons "Level of Losing" that was an absolute stomach punch loss. This got me to thinking, what are some of the toughest losses we as Houston sports fans have endured. For the sake of this discussion, I want to exclude the Pujols homer in Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS and of course the 1993 AFC Wildcard game against Buffalo. I know those two will take the cake for most people. As a result, I started thinking about other losses that really affected me for whatever reason. Not all of them were playoff games, but from the losses below all of them affected me pretty badly for whatever reason. Fellow Clutchfans, what losses from Houston sports affected you the worst. Again, for the sake of this thread, exclude Pujols and Buffalo as those are clearly the two that most fans will remember. For me in no particular order: 1) 1991 AFC Divisional Playoffs Oilers vs Broncos 2) 1993 AFC Divisional Playoffs Oilers vs Chiefs 3) 2004 NLCS Game 6 Astros vs Cardinals (Edmonds homer in the 12th) 4) 2007 NBA Playoffs 1st Round Game 7 Rockets vs Jazz ( I took this loss at home really really hard) 5) 2004 NLDS Game 4 Astros vs Braves 6) 1989 Oilers vs Browns final game of the regular season. AFC Central was on the line. Browns were up 17-3 and the Oilers came all the way back to lead 20-17 only to lose 24-17 with like 40 seconds left. 7) 1989 AFC Wildcard Oilers vs Steelers ( Gary Anderson 50 yd Field Goal in overtime) 8) 2005 NBA Playoffs Game 7 Rockets vs Mavericks 9) 2009 Rockets vs Mavs final game of the regular season ( I really wanted the Rockets to win the division) 10) 1988 NBA Playoffs Game 4 Rockets vs Sonics ( McDaniel with a last second tip in. 11) 1997 NBA Playoffs Game 6 Rockets vs Jazz ( Stockton 3pointer) I am sure there are more, but these are the ones that immediately came to mind. What do any of you have?
That game the Rockets actually won that cost them the opportunity to draft Brandon Roy. The braves/stros game when their shortshop pulled a miracle. Was John Rocker pitching? My memory is foggy The rockets/mavs playoff game in 05 when stackhouse stepped 3 feet out of bounds to save the ball The game 7 loss in Utah when Okur couldn't miss and we/Yao couldn't grab one freaking rebound to seal it
16 inning Playoffs against the Mets (Billy Hatcher foulpole blast notwithstanding). I still remember Kevin Bass striking out on a down and in slider from Jesse Oh-Gosh-No (Oroszco). One the alltime greatest games ever and yet oh-so-painful. Knowing Mike Scott was scheduled to shut down the Mets in game 7 did NOT make it any easier to swallow. They had absolutely no answer for Scott. NONE. Accusing him of scuffing only enraged him and made that splitty even more devastating.
I think Game 6 vs. the Jazz stings a lot more than Game 5 vs. the Cardinals. At least the Astros won that series. I still remember Super Bowl 25 1/2 against the Washington Redskins (the Ian Howfield game). Also the loss to Joe Montana and the Kansas City Chiefs in '93 still hurts. The Oilers were arguably the best team in the league that year.
Walt freaking Weiss was the shortstop. Bases loaded, no outs, Tony Eusabio batting. Yeah, I vaguely remember For us older guys, it was the 1978/79 AFC championships games between the Oilers and the Steelers. We just couldn't quite kick that door down
No mention of the 2005 NLCS Game 5? I was utterly wrecked by that loss, and was all panicked over Game 6. Thank god we won that series. Oh, and 2007 Game 7 loss was awful too. Went on an absolute frenzy after that.
2007 was a game 6 loss at home in the wcf. and it's my #1 if we're excluding the oilers game (the pujols hr game doesn't even register as we won the next game and roy made him look like a 7 year-old girl on his first ab). #2 is the edmonds hr in 04.
Toughest loses, and nary a mention of the 35-3 blown lead at Buffalo in the playoffs? I mean that one still hurts...... DD
That's exactly what I was going to say. Because of that "catch" we have instant replay in the NFL. I actually cried that day (at the tender age of 9). Such a tragedy...
Rockets '97 Game 6 loss to Utah Rockets '05 Game 7 loss to Dallas Rockets '07 Game 7 loss to Utah (this one might fade away over time but at the time we were starving for a winner and up until that loss I thought Van Gundy was the guy, then that all changed overnight). Oilers vs Bills infamous comeback game Oilers vs Steelers '78/'79 championship games - I wasn't alive but having heard the players talk about it, I get a sense for how devastating it was to come to the realization that we were inferior to Pittsburgh Astros vs Padres '98 series - no one particular game, but I had such high hopes that year after acquiring Randy Johnson and then we stunk it up in the playoffs.
Phi Slamma Jamma losing to NC State - I actually cried watching Drexler pounding his fists againt the court afterwards. Oilers losing to Broncos in 1992 - In many ways, this one hurt more than the Buffalo game the next year. Why? Because it was just so sudden. If the Buffalo game was Chinese water torture, this was like a car bomb. All those damn 4th down conversions Elway kept making. Each one tore my heart out a little more than the last. The Renfro catch game - My Dad took me out right before kickoff to get me a bunch of Oiler gear to wear during the game. He said I couldn't watch the Oilers go to the Superbowl without wearing the gear. We were the better team that year. Rocket losing Game 7 in Seattle in 1993 - Again, we were the better team. IIRC, we had the same record but the only reason Game 7 was in Seattle was because of a tie-breaker. Anyone remember that? Anyone remember Nate McMillen and Scottie Brooks getting into it? MAN, I hated those damn Sonics. Astros losing Game 6 to the Mets in 1986 - We all know Game 7 was just a formality, with Scott pitching. Oiler losing to Montana and the Chiefs - We had the better team. Maybe even the best team in the league that year. We would've rolled to the Superbowl. Who knows if the Oilers would've even left if that happened. After the game, they showed Moon on the sidelines. He knew he had just played his last game as an Oiler. Remeber that Chiefs receiver throwing the ball at that giant poster of Buddy Ryan? Seems like just a few years ago.
This one is #1. The Rockets still gave us championships, but the Oilers were poised to go all the way.
These are my top 5 lossess that kept me up for nights... 1) Chiefs in 03 divisional playoffs...WE HAD HOME FIELD AND UP TEN! DAM YOU GARY WELLMAN!!! 2) Astros vs Braves Game 3 in 99...Walt Weiss making one of the greatest plays in playoff history. 3) Rockets vs Jazz Game 6 in 97...just unfair truly unfair, made me hate the Jazz and still does. Only reason its not #1 is we had a 12 point lead and made stupid plays along with Stockton going bananas so I can see how it happened. 4) Astros vs Cards Game 5 in 05...We won the series but for that one moment in time I don't think I've felt worse. When Lidge walked Edmonds I called Pujols shot to my friend at the bar and when it actually happened my freaking heart broke. Only reason its not #1 is because it setup one of the most glorious moments in Houston sports history watching Roy O. destroy the Cards and close out Busch. 5) Zambrano's no hitter last year...Meaningless in the grand scope of things but watching the DBags in Chica...errrr Milwaukee celebrate while the city was torn apart was sickening. To have it later on revealed that Drayton's own greedness ultimately screwed the club really just made it worse.
Did you guys even read the OP? He said to not include the Buffalo game since it's the obvious first choice. WAKE UP.
the edmonds catch on ausmus' shot sucked in that game in 04 too also, the ian howfield loss for the oilers at the redskins I can't imagine how 1986 NLCS Game 6 isn't on any Houstonian's list, unless they weren't alive or just aren't interested in baseball. That game was numbing.
