Strangest ending to a game

(except Cal/Stanford of course)


Appalachin State was up on Furman 14-9. Furman scores with 0:05 remaining in the game to go up 15-14. They elect to go for two to make the score a FG difference and the pass is picked of and returned for a TD giving Appalachin State the 16-15 victory.

 

here's the amazing play to potentially tie the game... the missed PAT isn't in the video though

 

Dolphins vs. Cowboys - Thanksgiving 1993

Leon Lett strikes again.

 

This year's Fiesta Bowl between Oklahoma and Boise State.

Of course, there's "the band is out on the field!" 1982 Cal-Stanford Big Game.

 

Cal-Stanford with the band trumps all in this category.

This year's Fiesta Bowl was crazy, but still not in that category.

EDIT:
Video with a mix of coaches reactions, pretty good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyzTzwTFgcs

 

The strangest ending to a televised game had to be the Heidi Game back in the '60s. (Language note - the Wiki entry has a word not allowed here).

 

With the Heidi game, though, it wasn#t the game itself that was weird, but the tv network's coverag -- thinking the Jets lead over the Raiders insurmountable, they switched to a movie, Heidi. The Raiders then staged one of the most amazing comebacks in history, prompting the network (ABC?) to switch back.
Cal_Stanford was just flat out bizarre with the band on the field, thus the winner hand's down. The Leon Lett gaff is definitely up there, though I'd go back to college for a weirder one -- Colorado back in the early 90s when they were competing for the National Championship scored a touchdown on 5th down -- the refs miscounted.

 

Makes you wonder how in the world that could have happened - between all the different refs, the opposing team, the fans, etc. Someone has to notice something like that.

Although there was a basketball game just a few years ago that the road team had 6 guys on the court for a while and no one noticed, not even the fans (it was the road team with too many players, too) or the opposing team or the refs.

 

That New Orleans play was one of the most excited and heartbreaking moments I've ever seen while watching my beloved Saints. Man, we hated John Carney for a while after that missed XP.

Here's the Blue Grass Miracle from LSU/Kentucky. The best part is the Kentucky coach getting the Gatoraide bath and all the fans rushing the field, then realizing that they'd just lost the game.

 

I've got the winner here, and I'll argue with anyone who wants to disagree with me. The 1972 Men's Basketball Gold Medal Game at the Olympics featured the United States vs. the Soviet Union. The Soviets led 49-48 late in the game, when they fouled the U.S.' Doug Collins with three seconds left. Collins hit both free throws to give the U.S. the lead, and the Soviets inbounded the ball quickly, ending the game. BUT the referee stopped the clock with one second left because the Soviet coach attempted to call a time out during Collins' free throws, which was clearly against the rules. The Soviet's second inbound pass was intercepted by the U.S. and the game was over, UNTIL the head of FIBA (International Basketball Federation) awarded the Soviet coach the time-out and three more seconds. The Soviets then hit an improbable lay-up to win the game and the Gold, ending the U.S. winning streak. The U.S. players were so upset they refused to accept the Silver at the medal ceremony and appealed the decision. An appeals committee, consisting of the USSR, Cuba, Romania, Italy and Puerto Rico decided to reject the U.S. appeal.

Top that!

 

Top that!

The band. 'nuff said.

That at least comes close, though.

 

I was in Boston following that game on the internet while watching BC vs. Pitt, I think, on television. I saw that Kentucky had the lead with seconds to go and I thought "YES!! We're finally gonna beat somebody!" And then, they interrupted the BC game with the highlight at the same time the page on ESPN.com refreshed to show the final socre. Should've known. It's Kentucky football, after all.

 

Although there was a basketball game just a few years ago that the road team had 6 guys on the court for a while and no one noticed, not even the fans (it was the road team with too many players, too) or the opposing team or the refs.

Georgetown had 6 men on the court for an entire overtime session against Villanova

 

As a Missouri Tigers fan--even though I was too young to see it live--I definately know about that piece of crap end. There was also the kicked pass in a Nebraska in 1997(?).

 

Georgetown had 6 men on the court for an entire overtime session against Villanova

Yeah, that was it. I thought I remembered Georgetown being involved in that, though I couldn't remember whether they were the team with 6 or the home team. Also remembered it being late, but not that it was overtime. Still, how did the fans not notice?

 

That was in the back of my head when I was writing my earlier post, knew it involved Nebraska, but couldn't remember what happened.

The end of the US-USSR game was bizarre on a level nothing else can touch, not even Cal-Stanford. One gets the impression the refs would have found an excuse to let the Russians keep trying until they finally scored.

 

Can'tr believe I forgot this one: UNC-Georgetown NCAA final, 1982. Brilliant game, Worthy and Jordan vs Ewing and Sleepy Floyd. Right down to the wire. Heels take the lead, Georgetown comning down for a last attempt. Clock winding down, when the Hoya's Fred Brown passes the ball .. to James Worthy of Norht Carolina.

 

there's always Chris Webber's timeout call

 

The Chappell brothers' underarm against New Zealand.

 

That was karma after not calling the travel a few moments before. Though when you couple that with the Fred Brown pass, it is strange to get two such odd endings for national championships.


But I'm torn between the US Olympic basketball team against USSR or Cal/Stanford for my overall pick.

 

Packers and Vikings on Monday Night Football in 2000. The game is in OT, and Favre throws to Antonio Freeman. Freeman is on the ground, and the ball bounces off his back and he grabs it, then runs into the endzone. It was so bizarre, but I wasn't complaining.

 

Some of the loudest boos I've heard at a sporting event followed, the US/USSR's conclusion and for good reason.

Their was also a High School football game in Texas. Team A was winning 41-3. team B fought back from 38 down to take a 44-41 lead with 6 seconds to go. Team A returns the kickoff for a TD giving them the 47-44 win. The radio announcer was quoted "I fell so bad for these kids, I think I'm goint to throw up"

 

Agreed.

The world Cup 1999 Australia-Semi Final tie also ended with an underarm, but one more in tune with the spirit of the game