The 16 Most Infamously Dumb Decisions In The History Of Sports

Sure, if you want to etch your name in the pages of sports history, you could tirelessly bust your ass to reach the pinnacle of your sport, breaking records and collecting championships like gift bags along the way.

Or, if you don’t have that kind of time, you could make one terrible decision that’ll force generations to remember you for how colossally screwed you rendered yourself and/or your team. Here’s the 16 most infamously dumb decisions in sports history.

16. Jim Joyce Blows Armando Galarraga’s Perfect Game

On June 2, 2010, with Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga one out from becoming the 21st pitcher to throw a perfect game, umpire Jim Joyce inexplicably called Jason Donald safe at first on an infield grounder. “I just cost that kid a perfect game,” Joyce said after the game.

“I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay.” The two became friends following the incident.

15. The Miracle At The Meadowlands

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Needing just to kneel the ball to run the clock out on a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants quartback Joe Pisarcik instead attempted to hand the ball to fullback Larry Csonka.

The duo dropped the handoff, and future NFL head coach Herm Edwards scooped the ball up and returned it 26 yards to win 19-17, sparking a run that’d take them to the postseason.

14. Chris Webber Calls Timeout

A year after losing to Duke in the NCAA tournament finals, the star-studded Michigan Wolverines found themselves in another championship game in 1993. They had a chance to tie or take the lead against UNC when Chris Webber secured a rebound with his team trailing by two with 19 seconds left.

But after advancing the ball up the court, he was trapped and called a timeout — his team didn’t have any left, so a technical was assessed, all but ending the game.

13. Grady Little Leaves Pedro Martinez In

Five outs from reaching the World Series in 2003, Boston Red Sox manager Grady Little went to the mound with the intention of pulling exhausted starter Pedro Martinez following three consecutive hits.

Now a Hall of Famer, Pedro talked his manager out of it, and the next batter Jorge Posada tied the game at five with a two-run double. In the 11th, Aaron Boone’s historic walk-off sent the Yankees past Boston, who hadn’t won a World Series in 85 years.