Is Big Brown the biggest collapse in sports history?

I have seen my fair share of sports flops during my lifetime

- Patriots losing to the Giants in Superbowl XLII

- Yankees unthinkable collapse in ALCS 2004

- Body Miller didnt win a medal in Torino '06

- Buster Douglas vs Tyson

- Nova defeats Georgetown '85

- Golden State beats Dallas 07 playoffs

But I think Big Brown collapse caught everyone by surprise, so much hype, so much hope and nothing to show for. Thats why I love sports, but the question is, is Big Brown the biggest collapse in sports history?

reply to post by Bunch


The short answer is no.


I think that it has to be the Yanks losing when they were up 3-0. That was unbelivable... ive never seen anything like that in sports...


Also, about 3 years ago, UCLA was down like 15 with 5 mins left in the game, and came back and won against Gonzaga in the sweet 16... that was a MAJOR clolapse...

Also, on MNF about 3 years ago, the Arizona Cardnels were up by 3 scores... 20-0 on the Chicago Bears... in the 4th... it was the first MNF game at Zona's new stadium, thier first year with Edge, and Leinhart...And the first time they were on MNF in a long time, the Cards had a Edge stripped at mid-feild, and Urlacher returned it, next drive they throw a pic that gets returned, and with about 2 mins left, they punt to Devin Hester, who returns it for a TV, Chicago wins 21-20 and Denny Green goes insane on the Interview stand... this lead to the phrase, "They were WHO we thought they were!" and him promptly getting fired at the end of the season... this was a chance for Arizona to become big, and they choked it out in the 4th, in the biggest single-game-NFL colapse ive ever seen...

Pats lost to the Gaints because Tryee's helemt can catch... and brady looked 50 yrs old.

Body was a joke, and always will be, mabye he is in the Most-over hyped award...

Boxing is a joke... and Can you say tyson having a mental breakdown a collapse?

I wasnt on the planet in 85...

And anybody that had watched the 07 Mavs v Warriors during the season, KNEW that this could happen, and the Warriors won the season series 3-1, and it was the Master(Don Nelson) vs the new guy (Avery Johnson), and the master schooled him...


I dont think Big-Brown was a dissapointment, he won the 1st two legs of the triple crown. How many other horses had the same thing happen in the last 10 years? Smarty Jones, Funny Cide... there were others... Everything i heard about Big Brown was that the cometition was weak, and he was not trained to run the mile and a half... also leading the weeks up to the last race, IT WAS OPENLY REPORTED that he had a injury... so no collapse...

The biggest total collapse HAS to be the Yanks blowing that 3-0 lead... it has turned the fortunes of those two baseball franchises...

The Arizona v Chicago MNF game has the be the biggest single game colapse ive seen...

there was a Collage footbal game a few years ago, where a team was leading 35-3 at halftime, and lost...

Biggest upset in my opinion was the University of Florida's blowout of Florida State 52-20 in the 1997 Sugar Bowl. FSU had already won against the Gators in the regular season and were looking for their second National Title (at the time) while still dominating most of the decade being ranked no less than #5 nationally since 1987. FSU came out flat and over-confident and paid the price.

God I hate the Gators....

Go Noles!

Not even close. Its the 2004 NY Yankees. Only baseball team ever to blow a 3-0 series lead. I will also say last years NY Mets, were pretty close. That was embarressing.

I wouldn't even put Big Brown on the map. Horse racing is way to unpredicatable. They 're animals, you never know what they are feeling or how they will react from day to day.

Well I think that the Yankees collapse was big but IMO excusable in the sense that the Red Sox was a pretty good team, the 4 game collapes was big indeed but is not like they were playing against a bad team, is there was a team that could pull that feat was that team.

Big Brown I think it should be there because he was competing against nothing, the set was stage for him to win, it wasn't like Funny Cide or War Emblem that they were running against good competition, this time the only thing could have beat Big Brown was Big Brown, he's rider or his trainer which indeed happen.

What gets me is that a ton of people bet for Big Brown and lost and the 30 to 1 shot which I forget the name is the one who won the race.

I smell a fix?

Id have to go with the "Miracle on Ice"

Or how about my schools little upset... I feel it should be one of the single best collapses of all-time. Though I may be biased since I'm a student.





[edit on 26-6-2008 by DarkHelmet]

reply to post by MrMysticism




I agree...I smell fix.

I applaud Appie State for going into The Big House and absolutely handing Michigan their behinds. As for a collapse, that is a short term collapse on Michigan's part that actually cost Coach Carr his job. As for the whoopin's in the last couple bowl games they have been in, that by far was the worst short term collapse that we have possibly ever seen.

As for the long term collapses, I give it to the Kansas City Royals. I mean that team has never made the postseason since 1993 I believe. What's sad about it is that both the Chicago Cubs and White Sox have both been in the playoffs. The White Sox even won the 2005 (sorry Astros fans!) What's sad about that collapse is that even the Tigers have been to the World Series since then.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the 1992 Oilers vs. Bills AFC Wild-Card game. The Oilers were ahead 35-3 in third quarter and ended up losing in overtime 41-38.