I had never heard of Nick Dimengo, and do not believe that I have ever read anything by him before.
Still, anytime you see an article about the worst decisions in sports history, it is enticing not to take a look, is it not?
There are some that he shared here which I can definitely agree with. Brent Buckner speaks for itself, as his name lives on in infamy to this day, unfortunately. Chris Webber calling a non-existent timeout that cost his team the championship also would be another unfortunate, immortal moment in sports history. The shocking decision by Pat Riley to keep John Starks in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets, despite his having a horrible shooting day, and continually throwing up terrible shots (I still believe that this probably cost the Knicks the championship).
I think that Zinedine Zidane's mistake in the 2006 World Cup Final, which wound up being his final moment in an otherwise brilliant career, probably deserves to be higher, although as a fan of French soccer, I am not exactly sad that it is not number one or two. Up to that point, I actually felt like France was playing well enough to win. But after his headbutt, it felt like the air just went out of France, and there was this sinking feeling of inevitability. I was hoping against hope, but it honestly came as no surprise when France lost in the shootout.
Of course, Dimengo rates the decision by the head coach of the Seahawks, Pete Carroll, to go for it on 2nd and one with 25 seconds left to play as the worst mistake in history.
I have heard Pete Carroll's explanation, and on some level, it makes sense. But still, when you have Marshawn Lynch in the backfield, and you are fighting for the rare chance to win a second straight Super Bowl, you better exercise caution. This was not just another play, and the obvious choice to me is to live or die by your strength. If Lynch does not get in from one yard out in the most important game (arguably) of his career, then so be it. But to lose it in the fashion that Seattle lost it in?
Sorry to any who try to justify the thinking on that play, but that probably will go down in infamy as the worst mistake in sports history that I am aware of, although Zidane's mistake is close. I thought France was playing well enough to win the World Cup, but the outcome certainly was not as clear as it was in that Super Bowl, when the Seahawks seemed to own all of the momentum in those waning minutes. There was an air of inevitability after the miracle catch, and it looked to one and all like the Seahawks were going to win that Super Bowl in a similar, miraculous fashion as the Giants won Super Bowl XLII against those same Patriots.
And then, of course, the interception, which was so monumentally anti-climatic, that it is still stunning. To have that much on the line, and run a play that risky, is breathtaking on so many levels. I like Pete Carroll, I really do. And some of what he said makes sense.
But when you have 25 seconds left, and you are on the 1-yard line, and have a healthy Lynch to hand the ball off to, the decision seems obvious.
Of course, I wrote about that quite a bit in February after it happened, so I will not go too much into it again now. Suffice to say that I agree with Dimengo about that play topping this list.
There are some that I feel he left out, however. One involved Bill Belichick, who was the winning coach in this last Super Bowl over the Seattle Seahawks (and defended Carroll's decision in the process), as well as being featured for another bad play that he called in 2009 against the Colts. However, the Super Bowl is bigger than a regular season game, and I think that his decision to go for it in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLII, rather than kick a field goal, may have cost the Patriots the game. Remember, the previously undefeated Patriots lost that game by a field goal, and that could have proven to be the difference between a desperate attempt at a field goal in the final seconds, versus a more balanced and confident, and far less desperate, approach. The Patriots had won two Super Bowls prior in similar fashion, and might have achieved perfection that season, except that they were down by three and needed to score to stay alive, rather than going for the win.
The 1995 Dallas Cowboys under coach Switzer also made a huge faux pas, as they went for it on four and short not once, but twice. After being stopped the first time, a penalty was called, giving the Cowboys a second chance to avoid such a monumental screw up. But they showed their swagger, and this time, paid the price. It cost them the game, and seriously tightened the NFC East race in the process. The Cowboys wound up winning the division and, ultimately, the Super Bowl. But still, that play calling should live on in infamy.
Also, what about hockey? Where is Steve Smith's own goal against his Edmonton Oilers that cost them a chance at winning a third straight Stanley Cup and, given that they would win the next two cups after that, possibly cost them a chance at five in a row?
There were certainly other own goals scored in hockey, as well as in soccer, so there are plenty to choose from, although the Steve Smith goal that knocked the Oilers out of the playoffs surely took the cake.
Or since we were talking about the Knicks before, how about Charles Oakley's pass to Reggie Miller in Game 1 of the 1995 series against the Pacers that cost the Knicks a win? Or, staying on the Knicks, what of Charles Smith's going up not once, not twice, and not even three times, but four times for a layup while heavily guarded and outnumbered by Bulls defenders?
And what about Lennox Lewis, who was so confident entering a championship belt in thin air because of high altitudes in South Africa, that he did not properly prepare for the fight. Then, in what was clearly a more difficult fight than usual for him, he tried to play mind games with his opponents, dropping his fists and essentially daring Hasim Rahman to hit him with all that he got. Rahman did, and it was enough to knock Lewis flat on the canvass. He did not beat the count, and lost his title, mostly from his own arrogance.
So, how about it? Any opinions out there as to what the worst sports decisions of all-time may have been? Which play tops the list? What are some other infamous and costly sports mistakes that cost a team or an athlete a chance at victory?
Please feel free to share your opinion!
The 15 Worst Decisions in the History of Sports By Nick Dimengo on Mar 16, 2015:
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