Watchdog

The most emotional one, for me, was when Benitez/Franco blew the Saturday afternoon game against the Braves in Sept. 2001. Benitez had already blown a save against the Braves the previous Sunday at Shea, but this one was the final straw for the season. I haven't had the pleasure of looking at the stats, but I would have to think that letting up 7 runs in the last inning of a game in which you were winning, but ended up losing, might be a Mets record. Last night's 6 might be second.

Jets blow 3 point lead, lose by 11 to Raiders in last 65 seconds, would have to rank right up there.
But that was Nov. 17, 1968 -- when the ending was pre-empted by Heidi, so no one outside the Oakland Coliseum got to see it.

Buck Showalter leaving David Cone throw 146 pitches in Game 5 of the 1995 ALDS so he could walk Alex Dios and Doug Strange to tie the game. Incidentally the tying run was scored by Alex Rodriguez who was used as a pinch runner for Tino Martinez.
2006 Japanese Grand Prix, next to last race of the Formula 1 season. After trailing by 15 points early in the season (big gap) Michael Schumacher and Scuderia Ferrari have tied Fernando Alonso of Renault for the drivers championship. One lap 37 (out of 53) Schumacher has the lead when his engine goes kablooey for the first time in six years. Alonso wins the race and essentially the championship.

Yeah. The one photo'd.

I still remember feeling like my heart was ripped from me, especially on that play, which, as the photo evidence suggests, WAS pass interference, which the refs apologized for blowing a few days later.

But that wasn't the play that cost the Giants the game, nor was the (ahem) Shockey drop in the end zone. What cost them was the lack of depth and injuries on the D-line...That game was the catalyst to the team stockpiling D-linemen, and quite possibly the spark to their winning XLII.

I need some help on this one....but....

Didn't the Cincinnati Royals blow a 9 point lead with (I think) 13 seconds to go against the Knicks in 1969 to give the Knicks their 18th victory in a row? Which was an NBA record at the time.
And this was before 3 point field goals.

Giants Niners was awful but since it's already mentioned I have to bring up a questionable one.

The Isles in April 2007 led the Devils late in the 82nd game of the year. A win against a team that clinched would put the Isles in the playoffs. But they allowed the Devils to tie the score with a fraction of a second on the clock in the third. Still won in a shootout but I swore a ton nonetheless.

Correction to the Knicks entry....

I just found the story.
Knicks were trailing by 5 with 16 seconds to go in the game against the Royals. Winning the game would give the Knicks the NBA record for consecutive wins with 18 (at the time-1969).
Knicks came back without fouling any Royals players.
They kept stealing the ball on the inbounds play.
I still have a fairly vivid cloudy memory of that game (eh, the numbers changed a little) from my little black and white TV.

hillary vs obama,she was way way ahead,and then she wasn"t

A more recent nominee would be Tino's Game tying home run against Byung Yong Kim in the 2001 WS.
I was there with son and friends.
First time ever I felt Yankee Stadium MOVE when that ball went out.

An even bigger highlight from that evening was a post game encounter with Tino in the lobby/elevator of the Marriott Times Square after the game.
We (4 or us) were coming down on our way out to grab some food.
As we got off the elevator, a large group was getting on and the bellman started making all kinds of funny eye contact with me. (I had been chatting with same bellman earlier about the game). Lo and behold it was Tino and his family getting on the elevator.
My group of 4 stood there as the glass elevator ascended and we did our best Wayne and Garth "we are not worthy" impression as Tino and family rose to the heavens.

A treasured memory.

Any number of Jets games over the years. And, with Wagner, Looper, ARMANDO, take your pick with the Stems.

well, i was on an airplane for the g-men-niners, so i can't say that one, but i have got a few for you...

Giants-Vikings in the playoffs - i totally forgot where I was on the jersey turnpike and litterally had to pull off to the side to compose myself.
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4 words. Reggie. Miller. The Garden.

Upon Further review....

I guess I kinda misread the rules Neil set out.

It was supposed to be about your favorite team blowing a lead.

Whoops.....sorry..back to the remedial class.

Aside from the Wild-Card Game vs. the 49ers- there's the "Miracle at the Meadowlands" from 1978 and another regular-season one that always irked me was the Giants blowing a 4th quarter lead vs. the Browns in 1985- ending with Eric Schubert missing a short FG and the Giants losing 35-33

How about the Knicks in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semis. They're up 6 with 18 seconds left. Reggie Miller hits a three, steals the inbounds pass, dribbles out to the 3-point line, and drains another three to tie the game. Then a few seconds later he hits two free throws to seal the victory. All this while taunting the Madison Square Garden crowd. Knicks go on to lose the series and Pat Riley resigns. Now that's a collapse.

Hey - don't forget the Jets gagging on a 20-10 lead in the last 4 minutes in the playoffs against Cleveland. Stupid gastineau roughing the passer on 3rd and long leads to tying TD and they lose in 2-OT.

Also - the Fake Spike. Jets led 24-6 in 4th quarter before Marino's fake spike in closing minutes gave Dolphins the win. Jets didn't win another game (6-5 going in), Pete Carroll got fired, and the Jets brought in Rich Kotite.