25. Cowboy Comeback - Dallas coming back in the 4th quarter to knock off Falcons in 1980 was the first real time this city felt heartbreak for a sports team. I barely remember this game which is why it falls at number 25. I was about 7 but the doom and gloom it put on this city was famous. Down all game, the Cowboys scored a couple of touchdowns in the end to win 30-27 and advance to the NFC Championship game. Atlanta's awful sports moments were just starting.
And so it begins!
24. Ice Ice Baby is gone - I'm combining this one. It was embarrassing enough losing one hockey team but two? Wow! The Thrashers did not win a single playoff game in a decade so I wasn't entirely sad that they left but the Flames went on to win a title in Calgary shortly after departing.
23. Bye-Walker - While many people don't discuss it, Herschel Walker's decision to "walk" after only 3 years at UGA was horrible. The USFL and the New Jersey Generals talked Walker into leaving. The same team that was bought by some guy named Donald Trump the next year and soon would go down in flames. The next year, Georgia won the Cotton Bowl and finished in the Top 5 but we all know bigger things would have happened had he stayed. By the way, back then, it was rare for players to leave prior to playing 4 years of college ball.
22. September 11, 1983 - The Braves trailed the Dodgers by 2 games and were crushing them 6-3 in the 9th inning in LA. They were about to move a game back. It had been a rough few weeks as the Braves had been ahead by 6.5 games left but had lost one of their best players Bob Horner to a season-ending wrist injury. The Dodgers came back in the ninth to claim the game 7-6 thanks to a below average player who only played well against Atlanta, RJ Reynolds. No, he did not smoke. The Braves lost the game and the division by 3 games. This was before the famed "chop" but the start of many "chokes" for the boys in red, white and blue.
21. The Cardinal Rule - In 2011, the Braves led the Cardinals by 10.5 games for the final playoff spot with just a month to go. The Braves fell completely apart and the Cardinals won the Wildcard and to make matters worse, they won the World Series that year, too. Worst collapse in baseball history. Fredi Gonzalez would earn the title "Mr. Not September or October." Ok, I gave him that one but it fits.
20. Where is he? - Then there's 2013. The Braves trailed the Dodgers 2 games to 1 but were leading 3-2 in the bottom of the 8th in LA and the 2 best pitchers in the game were out. Clayton Kershaw was out because he'd pitched most of the game for LA. Craig Kimbrel was out because Fredi Gonzalez is an idiot. He never brought him in to close and Juan Uribe hit a game winning 2-run homer. RJ Reynolds was probably smiling somewhere. I was not.
This could have been avoided.
19. Doing the Pack a "Favre" - Though it gets less fanfare everywhere except Atlanta, the Falcons quietly traded a QB in 1992 to the GB Packers for 2 first round draft picks. The QB was Brett Favre. He was pretty good I'd say if you consider winning a Super Bowl and being a Hall of Famer pretty good. The draft picks, well I'm sure they sucked. The reason they traded Favre was because the Falcons said they couldn't get him sober down here. Now no fan in Atlanta can stay sober watching this team. Not a fair trade-off.
18. The trade - No one talks about this 1983 trade that gave the Indians back 2 All-Stars in fan favorites Brett Butler and future All-Star Brook Jacoby. The Braves received starter Len Barker. Barker, who had a perfect game while pitching for Cleveland, was a perfect mess in Atlanta. The Braves fell apart and lost the division. Shocker. The Braves wouldn't be heard from again for nearly a decade.
17. The wrong suitor for Sutter - Bruce Sutter was the greatest closer in history and then the Braves signed him in 1985. Not only did Sutter become a bust but here was the deal. Bruce Sutter was to receive payments totaling $44 million over the next 36 years from the Braves . . . Sutter would receive a $750,000 salary for each of the next six years and a minimum of $1.12 million a year for the remaining 30 years of the contract. In addition, he would get the $9.1 million in so-called “principal” at the end. Yikes! Sadly, he may have been our best closer last year.
16. 10 seconds left - In 2016, things were looking good for Georgia. With a chance to take over the SEC East, Freshman phenom Jacob Eason threw a touchdown pass with just 10 seconds left to give UGA a 31-28 lead and what most assumed was a victory...unless of course you're an Atlanta/Georgia fan. We knew we left too much time on the clock. With 4 seconds left and no pass rush and no one who could knock down a pass, UT's Josh Dobbs threw his own Hail Mary touchdown pass with no time left. Neither team of course won the SEC East but Georgia's season would go up in flames after that one. Sadly, I was there with my wife who is from Knoxville. I'll leave it there. We did leave early THANKFULLY.
Glad I left!
15. Sorry Tony - The Falcons were cruising in the 2013 NFC Championship game against the 49ers and looked to be on their way to the Super Bowl where it would be like a storybook ending for the career of Tony Gonzalez. But then the 49ers came back and Harry Douglas forgot how to run without falling and we were reminded that Atlanta doesn't believe in storybook endings. We only believe in nightmares. We lost 28-24. Thanks again, Falcons. Oh, and Tony would play the following year, but the Falcons would not even make the playoffs. Oh well.
14. Sour sugar - I really started to hate the taste of sugar in the eighties and it started with the 1982 Sugar Bowl. People always say Dan Marino couldn't win the big game but he did that day throwing a touchdown with 33 seconds left to help Pittsburgh knock off number 2 Georgia in what some consider the greatest bowl upset of all time. I think Oklahoma-Boise State was bigger but I'm depressed about now so I'll say it was this game.
13. Sourer Sugar - The 1983 Sugar Bowl pitted number 1 Georgia against number 2 Penn State. Georgia had the best player on the field in Herschel Walker but it didn't matter. Penn State won 27-23 and took the national title. Herschel would add salt to the wound by announcing that he was forgoing his senior year shortly after.
12. Packing it in - In 2011, The Falcons had earned the number 1 seed and were facing the hottest team in football, the Green Bay Packers. Home field meant diddly as the Packers whooped our birds 48-21. The author of the article wrote the Packers punter didn't even need to make the trip.
11. Gator-AID - Down 20-13 with 2:30 left in the 4th, Georgia's David Greene (Not to be confused with the fictional character from School Ties who didn't quite have Greene's arm or the "E" at the end of his last name) found Terrance Edwards wide open at the 30. The ball slipped through Edwards fingertips and Georgia's undefeated season was over and of course to the hated Gators. It was their only loss of the season and kept them out of the National Championship game.
10. Not a Jewell of a moment - July 27, 1996 should have been another great day at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta but instead a bomb when off and most importantly killed a person and injured over a hundred more but secondly put a damper on the entire Olympic Games. People blamed security guard Richard Jewel until finally investigators realized they were wrong. Jewel died at the young age of 44 from kidney issues and diabetes. Sadly he did not get the glory that he deserved. Eric Robert Rudolph was the real perpetrator. He was found years later. Some on the Olympic Committee famously said Atlanta was the worst Olympic Games. Our Mayor Bill Campbell was arrested in the early 2000's and served several months in prison for tax evasion. He was accused of many other illegal acts but those charges were later dropped. I would disagree that Atlanta was the worst Olympic site ever but I do agree that What-Iz-It or Izzy for short was the dumbest idea for an Olympic Mascot. To think people actually agreed on that one still befuddles me. I was embarrassed to be a marketing major.
9. 10-10-10 is the new 6-6-6 - Another game I sadly attended was Game 3 of the Division Series between the Braves and Giants. One of the things that really bothered me about Bobby Cox was his loyalty. When it mattered most, he looked less at how the player was playing then but how they played months or even years before. No better example was Brooks Conrad whose defense suffered at the end of the season and he'd already made an error in the first 2 games of the series. It wasn't like Conrad had Chipper Jones' bat. There was no reason to keep him in the lineup. Cox did and Conrad booted 3 balls that night and allowed 2/3 of the Giants runs to score in a 3-2 loss. Most of the damage came very late. Basically BC should not have played BC that night. But that's Bobby! And that's Atlanta sports. And of course they lost the series.
8. Don't Catch It! - Then there's the SEC Championship in 2012. Georgia was driving to win the game against Alabama. Down 32-28, instead of spiking the ball, Murray threw the ball which was tipped and Conley who was not the intended receiver caught it without thinking that the clock would run out. The clock indeed ran out. Alabama won the National Championship against Notre Dame a few weeks later. Georgia lost and it just happened to be in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta or should I call it the House of Horrors?
Of course now we catch one!
7. Oh Canada - In 1992, the Braves were in the World Series again but this time they found other ways to lose that were painful. Ed Sprague, a little known pinch hitter, hit a 2-run homer off of Jeff "Call me Bruce Sutter" Reardon to come from behind and tie the series at 1 game all. During the series, Devon White made a miraculous catch, Dave Winfield had a big hit and Otis Nixon for some reason bunted to make the final out of Game 6 and end the series. Braves lose again and as usual the final out came in Atlanta!
6 (tie). Not on the Mark - In 1996, the Braves were up 2 games to 1 on the Yankees at home when Braves All-Star closer Mark Wohlers came in. The Braves at one point had been up 6-0 in this game but Wohlers threw a "Please hit me hard" pitch to an average player Jim Leyritz and Leyritz tied the game with a 3-run bomb. The Braves would of course lose the game, lose the series and to this date have still not won another one. Leyritz eventually was arrested but it should have been for stealing our dreams.
6 (tie). Nique vs. Bird - May 22, 1988, Boston Garden, Hawks vs. Celtics Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Hawks had just blown a chance to clinch at home after winning in the Boston Garden in Game 5 for the first time in years. That day Bird and Nique battled especially in the 4th quarter. Nique ended up with 47 points to Bird's 34 points but of course in the end the Celtics won 118-116.
5 (tie). No Eugene - Though it didn't happen "in the game," it affected the biggest game in Falcons history to that point. Safety Eugene Robinson was arrested for soliciting an undercover cop in Miami. The Falcons would end up getting crushed the next day by the Broncos at the Super Bowl in January of 1999. Oh and the kicker? Earlier that day, Robinson received the Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award, given annually to a player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community. After the arrest, Robinson agreed to return the award. DUH!
5 (tie). No more Nique - On February 24, 1994 - the Atlanta Hawks traded superstar and legend Dominique Wilkins for Danny Manning. The Hawks were number one in the East at the time but Manning did nothing to improve the team. Nique was the last superstar this franchise has had. He is an icon in this city. At least when the Braves traded Dale Murphy he was far past his prime. Nique was not.
4. FIXED - If there was ever a game that was fixed in any sport that Tim Donaghy did not referee, it was the Game 5 NLCS game between the Braves and Marlins in 1997. Gregg's strike zone that day for Livan Hernandez was so big that 5 Bartolo Colon's could have fit in it. The Braves lost the game 1-0. Gregg lost my respect that day as well. If it were the Yankees instead of the Braves, there's no doubt this would have been further investigated. The Marlins would go on to win the World Series. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR3eK5gCChM
McGriff the Crime Dog can spot a criminal!
3. The Infield Fly - You want to hear how karma even hates Atlanta. Here you go. Ted Turner fired Joe Torre as manager of the Braves in the early 80's. So in a single-elimination wild card game back in October of 2012, the umpires made one of the worst calls when Andrelton Simmons hit a pop up that the infielder didn't even get to. The bases should have been loaded with one out with the Braves trailing 6-3. The umpire called it an infield fly meaning Simmons was out and the runners would remain at first and second with two outs. Water bottles were thrown all over the field (I was there but restrained myself). The Braves lost and Joe Torre who now worked for MLB confirmed that the umpires got it right and did not allow a protest. Where did this happen "TED TURNER" Field? Karma is a mean lady! Congrats Mr. Torre!
2. Rise Up; Ummm, no - Up 28-3 in the 3rd quarter, most teams would start celebrating. Not Atlanta fans. The coaches made so many bonehead decisions to lose this game. I felt like I could hear Jason Bateman screaming "That's a bold move, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off." It didn't. We lost 34-28 in OT because our coaches forgot how to run the ball. Another year. Another Falcon disaster.
Run the Damn Ball!
1. Run Lonnie Run! - The only thing that trumps that Falcon loss is Lonnie Smith's baserunning blunder, bringing the worst member of our starting rotation (Charlie Liebrandt) into Game 7 when it mattered and losing in extra innings to the Twins. That was Game 7 of the World Series after a Worst to First season that was the most exciting in Atlanta history. Don't worry Braves. I'm sure someone will trump this next year. The Falcons came damn close!
Pinch-runner maybe?
Honorable mention: I decided to give Georgia Tech a good one. How about having to share a national title because Colorado got credit for 5th Down against Missouri?
The Falcons selecting Jami Germain of Miami instead of a homegrown product who played about 70 miles away in Athens. Hines Ward was the next receiver taken by the Steelers and went on to win a Super Bowl and get into the Hall of Fame. Germain went to prison. I guess the Steelers won that deal.
Dale Murphy and RHP Tommy Greene were traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Jeff Parrett and Victor Rosario. The only bright spot was Murphy was past his prime but he is still the favorite of many Atlantans today including me. Some forget though that Tommy Greene throw a no-hitter and had some very good years in Philadelphia. Parrett and Rosario were busts. I know you're shocked.
Anyone that former Hawks GM Billy Knight drafted (Marvin Williams, Josh Childress, Shelden Williams) should be considered a terrible sports moment in Atlanta and also who he didn't draft (Chris Paul).
The Atlanta Dream were swept both times in the WNBA Finals.
Just remember that the Atlanta United begins playing in the MLS next year. They have a lot to live DOWN to.
Wow, this was painful! See you next year!
Andy
No comments:
Post a Comment