Most Humiliating Sports Moments

I certainly agree with the Brazil versus Germany game earlier this year, when Brazil just completely collapsed. I had to watch that game twice, just to make sure I had actually seen what had evidently happened. I mean, Brazil, losing like that in the World Cup that it was hosting? There was just no way!

Also, the Patriots losing to the Giants in the final minute of Super Bowl XLII after going 18-0 prior to that? Absolutely humiliating! Hard to disagree with the Yankees dropping their 3-0 series lead and losing the American League Finals to the Boston Red Sox in 2004.

Some notable absences:

Butt Fumble - Who does not remember this play? The Jets were struggling (what a shocker!), and getting blown out by the Patriots on national television, when  quarterback Mark Sanchez ran with the ball and ran into his own lineman's butt, knocking him down to the ground and fumbling along the way. It was recovered by New England for a touchdown.

Super Bowl XXIV - This list mentioned the Broncos meltdown by 35 points this past January, but did not mention the most lopsided loss in Super Bowl history by the same franchise? The Broncos had boasted that they were going to shock the world and beat the 49ers prior to game day. But once it actually came time to play, the Broncos did not show up, spotting the 49ers a 41-3 lead well into the third quarter before scoring their first, and only, touchdown of the day, en route to a 55-10 humiliation, their third Super Bowl loss in four seasons. That came just two years after Denver had allowed 35 points in the second quarter to Washington in Super Bowl XXII, yielding the 10-0 lead that they had built in the first quarter, so that the game was effectively over well before halftime.

Super Bowl XXVII - The Buffalo Bills had lost the previous two Super Bowls against the New York Giants and Washington, but the Cowboys were probably the weakest of those three opponents that the Bills faced in the Super Bowl. Buffalo had achieved the greatest comeback in NFL history in the Wildcard, and then got hot in the AFC Playoffs to get back to the Super Bowl for a third season in a row, tying the record of the Miami Dolphins in the seventies. They even got off to a good start, taking an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter, and looking pumped up! From that point onwards, however, it was all downhill, as Buffalo did everything wrong. They committed a record nine turnovers, were dominated on both sides of the ball, and ultimately lost the game 52-17.

Greatest Comeback in NFL History - The Houston Oilers held a 35-3 lead in the second half of their Wild Card Game at Buffalo, yet found a way to lose that game!

Kimbo Slice knocked out by Seth Petruzelli in 14 seconds - Kimbo Slice was billed as the new Mike Tyson of sorts. He looked scary and like nothing could hurt him. He would plow through any opponent and then lay a hurting on them. That was what it seemed, anyway. Then, he fought Seth Petruzelli, in a match where he was heavily favored to make short work of him. Indeed, the fight was short, but not in the way that everyone expected. Petruzelli caught Slice with a kick that downed him, then just relentlessly pounded on him until the referee stopped the fight, and ended the illusion of invincibility for Kimbo Slice.

Crawford Grimsley knocked out in first two seconds of boxing match - His record of 20-1 going into the fight looked solid. His only loss had been to George Foreman, and so he obviously seemed like he could take a punch. But not the punch that James Thunder delivered less than two seconds into the first round. Thunder went for a second punch, but missed, mostly because Grimsley was already on his way down. He began throwing punches when the referee and his corner men were trying to help revive him. But the match stands as the fastest boxing match in history. Grimsley retired with a respectable record of 22-4-1, but he is best remembered for this unfortunate fight.

Ricky Hatton gets knocked out by Manny Pacquiao - Manny had his way with Patton, but the fight was supposed to be a feature match between two of the greats. Hatton had only lost once before going into the fight, but he was dominated and went to the mat several times, before Pacquiao delivered the knock out punch that knocked Hatton unconscious before a huge audience. Before too long, Hatton would watch his rival get similarly knocked out himself.

Manny Pacquiao Knocked out cold - No, it was not the first round. But when Pacquiao took that devastating punch from Juan Manuel Marquez right in the final seconds of the sixth round, he was knocked out cold, and fell face first. It was a shocking end to an incredible run that made the Pac Man seem virtually untouchable in the boxing ring, but that aura of invincibility ended, and the famous scenes of his wife crying in shocked horror continue to resonate.

Australia 31, Samoa 0 - You think Brazil's collapse against Germany was bad? Well, yeah, actually, it was, because they are supposed to be the most elite unit in the sport. But still, imagine how badly Samoa must have felt after losing 31-0! That looks pretty bad if it were an NFL score. But in international football/soccer? You just cannot get much worse than that!

Cleveland Indians 22, NY Yankees 0 - The most lopsided loss in Yankees history came in 2004, and when the Cleveland Indians came to town, the Yanks just got humiliated. For some reason, they just could not get anything going at all, and not only allowed 22 runs by Cleveland, but could not score any on their own. This stood as the worst loss that the Bronx Bombers have ever had in their entire history!

NHL Western Conference Finals Game 7 (2002) - This was the rivalry of the late 90's and early 2000's, but it ended in decisive fashion. The Avalanche were the defending Stanley Cup champions, and had forced a Game 7 in this series. It was exciting, and supposed to be a tough contest between two accomplished rivals that knew one another well. Instead, the Red Wings completely dismantled the Avalanche, 7-0, in an embarrassing route that I am not sure that Colorado ever fully recovered from. The Red Wings stayed among the elites, while the Avalanche sank to mediocrity pretty quickly, and have not yet climbed out.




The 10 Biggest Sports Humiliations of the Past 25 Years by Nick Bromberg, July 11, 2014:

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