Week 1 of the NFL season featured some gut-wrenching losses and improbable finishes across the league. Take, for example, the Kyle Orton-to-Brandon Stokley 87-yard pass in the closing seconds of Denver's 12-7 win in Cincinnati. If that play had happened in a playoff game it would already have a fancy nickname and be talked about as one of the great fluke plays in the history of the NFL (which it most certainly is). If that wasn't enough, Buffalo, yet again, was on the receiving end of a heart-breaking loss when it snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, surrendering an 11-point lead with five minutes to play thanks in large part to Leodis McKelvin's fumble with just over two-minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
(And that doesn't even include Hines Ward fumbling at the two-yard line during the season-opener on Thursday night, only to have the Steelers rebound and win in overtime.)
It was enough to make us look back at a few other mind-blowing finishes in recent sports history. These plays are great ... unless you happen to be a fan of one of the teams that blows it late.
Patrik Stefan, Dallas Stars (NHL)
As the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Patrik Stefan was the first-ever pick of the Atlanta Thrashers. He's also likely to be remembered as one of the worst first overall picks of this generation, scoring just 64 goals in seven NHL seasons, and never registering more than 14 in a single campaign. While playing for the Dallas Stars during the 2006-07 season, Stefan gave us a memorable last-second gaffe when he attempted to seal a game against the Edmonton Oilers and missed an empty net from about three feet out, which gave the Oilers a final desperation rush up the ice that resulted in Ales Hemsky's game-tying goal with 2.1 seconds to play, forcing overtime. Fair is fair, however, as the Stars ultimately won the game, 6-5, in a shootout. Still, this is the stuff of legend:
LSU vs. Kentucky (College Football)
After a Taylor Begley field goal completed a 14-point fourth quarter comeback for Kentucky, giving the Wildcats a 30-27 lead against defending conference champion LSU, all hell broke loose in the final seconds of the November 9, 2002 SEC contest. With Kentucky fans poised to rush the field and rip down the goalposts in delirious celebration, and head coach Guy Morriss already receiving a Gatorade shower on the sidelines, LSU quarterback Marcus Randall heaved a desperation pass towards the end zone that bounced into the hands of Devery Henderson, hitting him in stride, as he walked in for the game-winning score.
Giants vs. Eagles (NFL)
There's a reason teams kneel on the ball in the victory formation to run out the clock late in games. Of course, tip of the cap to Herman Edwards and the Philadelphia Eagles for always playing to win the game.
Mets vs. Red Sox (MLB)
Bill Buckner had a lengthy 22-year career in Major League Baseball; he was a member of the 1981 American League All-Star team, collected over 2,700 hits, and finished in the top-10 in hitting six times (winning the batting title in 1982). Still, his career will forever be defined by a ground ball going through his legs in Game 6 of the 1986 world series, forcing a Game 7 that would ultimately be won by the Mets. You've seen the video probably a million times by now, but have you ever seen it in RBI Baseball form?
Pacers vs. Knicks (NBA)
The Indiana Pacers led Game 3 of the 1999 NBA Finals by three points with 11 seconds to play, setting the stage for Larry Johnson's miraculous four-point play. Don't foul him! The Knicks went on to win the series in six games.
