Do You Remember These Infamous Plays From Sports History?
In the world of sports, sometimes all it takes is one play to drastically change the outcome of a game, or even an entire season.
Some plays go down in history for a player’s heroic performance or feat of athleticism, but others stand out because of a boneheaded move on the part of a player, a coach, an official, or even a fan.
Here are some of the most infamous moments in sports that we remember for all the wrong reasons.
Steve Bartman’s Interference (2003)
In 2003, the Chicago Cubs seemed poised to end their 95-year World Series drought with a 3-2 lead over the Marlins in the National League Championship Series.
It all fell apart in the eighth inning of Game 6, when fan Steve Bartman interfered with a foul ball that outfielder Moises Alou had a chance to catch for the inning’s second out.
The Cubs led 3-0 at the time, but the Marlins would go on to score eight runs throughout the rest of the inning and knock the Cubs out of the playoffs the following day.
The Cubs’ already superstitious fanbase disproportionately blamed Bartman for the collapse to the point that he feared for his safety, but the Cubs made it up to him by giving him a World Series ring after their 2016 victory.
The Butt Fumble (2012)
After playoff appearances in his first two seasons in the NFL, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez’s career took a major turn for the worse, with his lowest point coming in a high-profile 2012 Thanksgiving Day game against the division rival Patriots.
In the second quarter, Sanchez botched a handoff and scrambled toward the line of scrimmage trying to salvage the play.
Unfortunately, he ran right into the rear end of his own offensive lineman Brandon Moore, knocking the ball loose for the infamous “Butt Fumble,” which New England returned for a touchdown en route to a 49-19 blowout.
Tony Romo’s Fumbled Hold (2006)
The 2006 season saw Tony Romo take over as the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback, coming in hot with a 5-1 record in his first six starts.
Romo cooled off toward the end of the season, but the Cowboys still managed to return to the playoffs for the first time in two years.
Their postseason run was short-lived, however, thanks to a mistake that would haunt Romo for the rest of his career.
Romo was the holder for the Cowboys’ chance at a field goal to take the lead late in the Wild Card game against Seattle, but he fumbled the snap and came up short when he tried to pick up the ball and run in for a touchdown.
J. R. Smith Doesn’t Shoot (2017)
The 2017-2018 season was LeBron James’s last chance to bring another title to Cleveland, and the Cavaliers did make it all the way to the NBA Finals to face the Golden State Warriors for the fourth time in as many years.
The Cavs kept it close in Game 1, with George Hill hitting a free throw to tie the game with 4.7 seconds left. Hill missed the second free throw and teammate J.R.
Smith got the rebound, but rather than attempt a shot or call Cleveland’s remaining time out, Smith inexplicably dribbled out most of the clock, sending the game to overtime where the Warriors won handily.
Golden State went on to sweep the series, but at least LeBron and the Cavs gave us one of the greatest sports GIFs of all time.