Oh so close
A look at the top just-missed moments in sports history
USA TODAY
One reason, perhaps the main reason, we love to watch sports is for the thrill of victory. Everything builds toward a championship, a title, a gold medal.
But for every winner, there isn’t just one loser — but many of them. In March Madness, for example, only one men’s team in the field of 68 finishes its season with a win. So while it’s painful not to win, it’s REALLY painful to make it to the verge of winning ... and THEN lose.
So today we celebrate those teams and individuals who came oh-so-close to greatness, but fell just short. (Actually, we did that yesterday, too, with the story of Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga — who was one out away from a perfect game when an umpire’s blown call broke it up.) MLB
If anyone could identify with Galarraga’s plight, it would be Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Harvey Haddix, who tossed 12 perfect innings on May 26, 1959, but received no offensive support from his teammates. With the game still tied 0-0 in the 13th, Haddix lost his perfect game on an error and eventually took the loss on a walk-off hit by the Milwaukee Braves’ Joe Adcock. College basketball
The mid-major Butler Bulldogs reached the NCAA title game in 2010 as a No. 5 seed. Facing off against top-seeded perennial powerhouse Duke, the scrappy Bulldogs kept the game close throughout. Duke led 61-59 with three seconds left when Butler star Gordon Hayward grabbed a missed free throw, dribbled just past midcourt and launched what would have been the most incredible buzzer-beater in college basketball history ... but it bounced off the rim. NFL
The 1999 Tennessee Titans looked like a team of destiny. After improbably winning their wild-card playoff game on a kickoff return lateral — later known as the Music City Miracle — the Titans carried that momentum all the way to Super Bowl XXXIV. Trailing 23-16 in the final two minutes, Tennessee drove down to the St. Louis Rams’ 10-yard line. Quarterback Steve Mcnair hit wide receiver Kevin Dyson across the middle of the field, but Dyson was tackled just short of the goal line as time expired. Golf
Jack Nicklaus winning the Masters at age 46 was amazing, but at the 2009 British Open Tom Watson had an opportunity to win a major at 59. All Watson needed to claim a record-tying sixth Open title was a par on Turnberry’s 18th hole. With a one-shot lead over fellow American Stewart Cink, Watson pushed his birdie putt from the edge of the green 10 feet past the hole. He missed the comebacker and had to settle for a playoff, which he ended up losing. Olympic Games
The United States had never lost a men’s basketball game in the history of the Olympics, but that 63-game winning streak was put to the test in the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, Germany. Facing the Soviet Union, future NBA player and coach Doug Collins hit two free throws to put the USA ahead 50-49 with three seconds to play.
Due to a questionable time out call, controversial rules interpretations and confusion by the referees about the clock, the Soviet team was given multiple opportunities to put the ball in play after Collins’ second free throw. After two unsuccessful attempts, Alexander Belov scored on the third one to give the USSR a 51-50 win.
These are only a few of the many valiant efforts that could have produced incredibly memorable victories or historic championships — but in sports, the difference between winning and losing often comes down to a matter of inches.