the worst heartbreak in sports history?

[Mr.Marion]

As a football fan I gotta say Super Bowl 51. The Falcons never had a team that good and to completely give
that game away . The players and fans will never forget that one.

[J.B.]

As a football fan I gotta say Super Bowl 51. The Falcons never had a team that good and to completely give
that game away . The players and fans will never forget that one.

The only Super Bowl game that made me physically ill. As a Steelers fan, I didn't want the Patriots to draw closer to our 6 Lombardi's. This idiot, Matt Ryan, which will forever be known as "Melted Ice", gave up a 28 - 3 lead. I hope that day haunts him for the rest of his life.

[warlock664]

Most of the blame for the Falcon’s collapse goes to OC Kyle Shanahan, not Matt Ryan.

[J.B.]

Let's agree to disagree.

[rykerw1701]

The Falcons Super Bowl was a bad one. But being a Bills fan, Super Bowl 25, with Scott Norwood and the infamous "Wide Right" will forever haunt me. Giants fans may disagree. And while not a Bosox fan, or fan of any Boston sports teams, I'd say the 1986 World Series with Boston against the NY Mets, with Bill Buckner and the ball rolling between his legs has to rank up there, too.

[Mr.Marion]

Alot of Englishmen are still not over this one. Maradona's best goal came after of course

[Wee67]

The Falcons Super Bowl was a bad one. But being a Bills fan, Super Bowl 25, with Scott Norwood and the infamous "Wide Right" will forever haunt me. Giants fans may disagree. And while not a Bosox fan, or fan of any Boston sports teams, I'd say the 1986 World Series with Boston against the NY Mets, with Bill Buckner and the ball rolling between his legs has to rank up there, too.

These are both Super Bowl losses, which only add to the level of heartbreak. BUT... The Oilers losing a 28-3 lead to the Bills 38-41 wasn't just a heartbreaking quarter or field goal. It was an excruciatingly slow piece-by-piece heart dismemberment over the tortuous course of a second half AND overtime.

In my other favorite football, Paris St Germain's loss to Barcelona in 2017 must have been crushing for PSG fans. I'm a Barca fan, so I loved it!! Barcelona lost the first game of the home-and-away series in Paris, 4-0. Getting one goal is hard enough in soccer, let alone the 5 goals that Barcelona would need in the second game at home to win on aggregate. Barcelona scored 3 times to get within 1 goal of a tie and 2 for a win when PSG netted a goal to bring their aggregate lead back to 5-3. With only 7 minutes left in the match, Barcelona wen on a crazy tear, scoring 3 goals!!!

[J.B.]

being a Bills fan, Super Bowl 25, with Scott Norwood and the infamous "Wide Right" will forever haunt me.

Sorry, rykerw1701, but I just love this scene. I strongly recommend Buffalo 66 to anyone that hasn't seen it.

[Mr.Marion]

One of the biggest heartbreaks might also be the biggest shot in College Basketball History

[Earth 2 Chris]

^We don't mention that one from where I'm from. Pretty sure Laettner still has a hit out on him in some areas of KY. ;-)

[Wee67]

I'm not an Edmonton Oilers or Calgary Flames fan. I am, instead, cursed to be a Flyers fan. That said, it's bad enough be defending Stanley Cup champs (Edmonton) and losing, let alone losing to your rivals (Calgary), let alone losing because you scored on yourself! This rushed a player, a fan base and all of Alberta! Tied 2-2, Steve Smith's errant pass hit his own goalie's skate and bounced into the net!!

[TrekStar]

Well for me Super Bowl 51 was a TERRIFIC comeback for the ages just awesome baby absolutely loved it.
Late in the game and needing two touchdowns but also needing to go for the two point conversions both times and getting it both times to force overtime then winning the coin toss and Tom Brady marching them down the field at will and scoring a touchdown so easily.

That Falcons defense was just dog tired and it showed, so you can also blame the Falcons defensive coaching staff for that second half collapse and the fact that they were simply out coached in that second half and overtime.

But….those who want to get even with me for my gloating, all you have to do is mention Super Bowl 42 Patriots losing to the Giants costing them a perfect season, how the heck do you go 18-0 and lose the Super Bowl to a 3rd place wildcard team?

[Mongoose1983]

Playing in Brazil, the local team lost 0-1 to Uruguay in the final match of the 1950 Football Worldcup. That often is mentioned as one of the worst heartbreaks in sport's history. But I do believe what happened to the Netherlands team is really the most heartbreaking failure ever any voetbal squad ever experienced in the history of the sport.

By 1974 two Dutch teams had won the European Cup (now Champions League) four times starting in 1970 with the Feyenoord. The Ajax then won the trophy three-years in a row. Preceded by that team experience the international Dutch voetbal team went to Germany to play the Worldcup. The team's performance changed the game forever, and went straight to the final match in Münich (against the local team) unbeaten and having conceded just one goal (own goal, how's that for a lil irony!). The Germans did not even touched the ball when the Dutch already scored the 1-0. After that, disaster caught the then-called Clockwork Orange. And that magic team led by players like Cruyff, Krol, Neeskens, Van Haneghem, Rensenbrink and Rep lost 2-1 to a neat German team led by the incredible Bayern Münich players, Maier, Beckenbauer, and Breitner.

Four years later disaster got even worse, when the same Dutch (without leaders Cruyff and Van Haneghem) went to face again the local team in the final match against Argentina in South America. In one incredible match the Oranje came out to kill. None of these teams had won the Cup before so that made the football match felt a bit like a war. The Dutch had the incredible libero Krol as captain now, and genious like Neeskens and Rensenbrink still in their prime. They were close, but in front they had a great team as well. Argentina had two of their greatests-ever in names like Pasarella (their libero and captain) and the fantastic Kempes. It was him who scored the first goal. Holland tied the match ten minutes before the end of the time. And then something shocking happened. Robbie Rensenbrink, taking a long pass from Ruud Krol, shot to goal. It was the VERY LAST MINUTE of the game. And that beautiful Adidas "Tango" ball hit the post.

That goal that never came to happen meant not only the Dutch's first worldcup, but it also could have made Rensenbrink the scorer of the tournament! In the end, the match went to extra time and genius Kempes, and Bertoni closed it all up for the local team 3-1. To this date it must be one of the most extraordinary final matches in the history of the Worldcup. That Dutch squad is often refered to as the greatest football team to ever grace the sport. They were great indeed. They lost a third final match (against Spain in 2010, a team that played perfect "Dutch voetbal", which might as well be another huge and painful irony for the Dutch), and let go huge chances in 1994, 1998, and 2014.

I also have to say people not only forget the qualities of that 1978 Dutch team, but also that Argentinian squad was fantastic. In the world of Messi, and Maradona (who by the way was removed from the squad a few days before the beginning of the tournament by coach Menotti), Kempes is rarely recognized. He was really a fantastic player.

So if you're asking for heartbreaks in sport, I doubt there's much to compare the old Clockwork Orange. The greatest football Squad to never lift a Worldcup trophy. Totally and completely heartbreaking.

[rykerw1701]

Buffalo 66-

Good flick. Hits close to home.

[Wee67]

But I do believe what happened to the Netherlands team is really the most heartbreaking failure ever any voetbal squad ever experienced in the history of the sport.

With Cruyff being my favorite all-time player, it breaks my heart just reading about the '74 Cup. What he did with the Dutch side and later, Barcelona, really did change the game. I am glad he did win the Euro Cup/Champions Player as a player and as a manager.