Worst sports call of all time?

[LisaM]

Easy. The Charles White phantom touchdown in the 1979 Rose Bowl.


"Wolverines fans will remember this for the phantom touchdown that never should have counted. Michigan was 10-1 and ranked fifth; Southern Cal was 11-1 and ranked third. The Trojans led, 7-3, when Charles White ran three yards into the end zone in the second quarter. TV replays showed he fumbled short of the goal and that U-M linebacker Jerry Meter recovered. But the line judge ruled that White had crossed the goal line before he lost control of the ball, and Southern Cal got the touchdown. It was the difference. White and Rick Leach were co-players of the game. Southern Cal 17, Michigan 10."

[JackDragna]

1. There's one even worse than that..

"5th down" between Colorado and Missouri. Screwing up a fumble is one thing, but to allow a violation of how the game itself is set up is beyond ludicrous. :)

[LisaM]

2. True, that was bad and unfair

I mean, shouldn't one of those referees have noticed?

[Braden]

3. that was the most screwed up thing

forget that the referee didnt catch it, how did either coach not see it. Did Colorado know and act as if they didn't?

Did all ten Missouri Coaches including those in the booth high above the field not even notice?

[LisaM]

11. I'm sure Colorado did know

I can't remember if it was McCartney or Neuheisel coaching them then, but neither has the integrity to point it out.

[GOPisEvil]

13. I believe it was "Promise Keeper" McCartney.

Although...not sure I blame him. All's fair in love and football. ;-)

[carpetbagger]

41. All's fair in love and football? Not for McCartney.

He'll take a national championship on 5th down, but when it comes to love, he thinks it's cool to act like thugs if someone happens to fall in love with a person who has the same part in their pants.

[Braden]

17. thats just not sporting

I don't care. If winning means selling out your honor then what have you won?

[LisaM]

19. How about jumping to "Heidi" during an OT game?

I don't remember that one either, but on a network anniversary show last year, they showed it just as the audience saw it. It was one of the funniest damn things I ever saw in my life. I had to hold my stomach from laughing.

[joeybee12]

31. Absolutely the worst! Because CO Coach founded Promise Keepers later!

If CO had never won a national title, then nobody would be paying attention to Bill What's-his-name!!!

[GOPisEvil]

4. Don Denkinger, 1985 World Series.

http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/D/Denkinger_Don.stm

A major-league umpire for 31 seasons, Denkinger is best remembered for being at the center of the most controversial play of the 1985 World Series. The St. Louis Cardinals led the Kansas City Royals in the Series 3-2 and were ahead in the ninth inning of the sixth game, 1-0. Denkinger called the Royals' Jorge Orta safe at first on a grounder to the Cardinals' Jack Clark, but TV replays showed that the throw to pitcher Todd Worrell had beaten Orta to the bag. Kansas City went on to rally for two runs, averting elimination, and the next day won the Series.

:grr: This one STILL burns my ass. Although, the Cards should have gone on to win game 7 the next day, but Joaquin Andujar flipped out. :-(

[Whitacre D_WI]

5. Anything that causes Michigan to lose...

cannot be THAT bad of a call.

GO BUCKEYES!

[LisaM]

9. Har har

as we now know, people are suing to get into Michigan, and suing to get OUT of Ohio State....

Which reminds me of the big NON call of the OSU player choking Wisconsin's QB last Saturday.

[Whitacre D_WI]

12. Yeah, he's a bastard.

Woody would've kicked his ass.

Literally. Woody Hayes would have punched him. Hard.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

6. Maradonna's fist of God

a handball goal against England in what I believe were the semi-finals of the 1986 world cup.

Perhaps the biggest goal ever in the biggest game in the world,

http://www.sptimes.com/News/100899/Sports/_Hand_of_God__beats_B.shtml

[FlashHarry]

24. Even Maradonna agreed that it was a handball.

Pathetic.

[bushisanidiot]

7. St. Louis/Milwaukee World Series 198??

Lonnie Smith was called out trying to steal home (1982), but he was safe. :)

[Whitacre D_WI]

25. '82

n/t

[HEyHEY]

8. Calgary - Vancouver 1989 Stanley cup playoffs

Overtime, I can't remember who took the shot, but Gary Roberts was well in the crease as he deflected it. ANd the goal was not called off as it should have been.

on edit: Should mention it was ovetime in game 7

[LisaM]

10. Oh! And Brett Hull's non goal against Buffalo.

Agonizing.

[HEyHEY]

15. yeah, that's another one.

[Rooktoven]

23. 2nd that--nt

[TEXASYANKEE]

34. Wait a minute!

As a Dallas Stars fan, I must say that the goal was accurately called! :-)

[bearfan454]

43. He Was in the crease.

No doubt.

[tsakshaug]

14. UNC-Michigan

NCAA finals. The beginning of the play where Weber calls the time out they did not have, he took about five steps before dribbling. IF he had not made that boneheaded play, the non-call would have been huge

[Gerard Winstanley]

16. Worst Sports Call

I don't think there can be any dispute that the worst officiating ever in a major athletic event was the the US/USSR Olympic basketball final of 1972. I don't remember the way it played out exactly, so won't type out a play-by-play, but it was absolutely corrupt.

[LisaM]

18. Oh, that's right

I don't remember it, but I did see something on that game in the last year or two, and it was borderline criminal.

[soleft]

20. That's the one I would have listed

[Lady President]

21. Steeler's coin toss

This might not be the most damaging bad call, but it has to be the worst call ever. Seriously, the officials screwed up a coin toss!


...Pittsburgh Steelers were victimized by one of the league's most bizarre finishes, one that someday may rank on the improbability scale alongside the Immaculate Reception.

As Steelers captains Carnell Lake and Bettis lined up for the overtime coin flip in Thursday's 19-16 overtime loss in Detroit, Luckett asked which captain would make the call. Bettis volunteered.
As Luckett flipped the coin, CBS-TV replays disclosed a slight pause before Bettis said, hurriedly but distinctly, "Tails."

Luckett picked up the coin, turned to the Lions captains, acknowledged it was tails -- and asked if they wished to kick or receive. The Lions subsequently drove for Jason Hanson's game-winning 42-yard field goal, and the Steelers never saw the ball again.

:grr:

[LisaM]

26. No, no, that one wasn't so clear cut

There were replays that showed the Steelers calling BOTH heads and tails (which apparently is somewhat common, I was shocked to learn.)

[VermontDem2004]

39. I watched that game

[BlueJazz]

22. You know ....as long as football has a "Replay" deal....

....How come baseball can't institute a similar thing?

Each team would be allowed, say....3 Replays per game.

At least, when there was a truly controversial call, the Manager could try to set things right.

And No...there would be no penalty for being wrong.

[Racenut20]

27. Kicked ball touchdown for Nebraska in Mizzou end zone.

[LisaM]

28. Also, in that so-called Classic Game where Duke "beat" Kentucky

Christian Laettner kicked a Kentucky player in the head and nothing was called. Then Duke threw it the length of the court and scored, and people still don't understand that Duke shouldn't have had the ball.

[Racenut20]

29. Simeon Rice "leaping" call vs. Panthers

[frylock]

30. the holy roller..

Raiders running back Pete Banaszak called for Stabler to throw him the ball by yelling, “Snake! Snake!” Stabler was hit and fumbled the ball forward to where Banaszak, in trying to scoop the ball up, botched his attempt and propelled it forward toward the Chargers’ goal line (forward lateral) before falling under a pile of bodies. The ball then hit the foot (kicked) of Raiders Hall of Fame tight end Dave Casper on the two-yard line and caromed into the end zone before Casper fell on it to tie the game at 20-20. Raiders kicker Errol Mann converted the game winning point-after with no time left on the clock for a 21-20 victory.

[BlueCollar]

38. "forward lateral" ?

actually, it was a fumble...:-)

As a Raider fan I loved it...but the Chargers and the Raiders had some ferociously exciting games. Between Fouts and Stabler you never knew what would happen in a game....

[kodi]

32. '88 Olympics, boxing Park Si-Hun, S. Kor decision over Roy Jones USA

first, roy jones is/was a great fighter, and he was robbed that night, plain robbed.

Jones nearly killed Park in the ring that night, bloodied the face and head of park and beat the ever living hell out of him throughout the fight and yet park was given the decision....home town refs..... Seoul, Kor

i was watching it with a bunch of friends who said no way park would get the decision, but i reminded them that it was the "Olympics" and judges were corrupt.... after an investigation of the decision, a couple of the judges from that fight were sent home.

[Awsi Dooger]

36. kodi got it right, and nothing else is even close

I have the '88 Olympics on videotape. That Roy Jones boxing final is equivalent to stopping last year's Super Bowl with 5 seconds left and voting Oakland as the winner. Jones dominated every round, dozens of punches landed to virtually none.

I can't believe this isn't virtually a unanimous choice. It is by the far the greatest robbery in recent sports history. To demonstrate: Jones was voted the best boxer of the Olympics despite the silver medal, and the amateur boxing rules were forever changed as a result of that one fight. Now the judges simply record punches landed immediately after they are thrown and do not score the winner of a round. The boxer with the most punches landed after three rounds is the victor.

[kodi]

40. attaboy doogie, you must be a boxing fan like me.

glad someone else remembered the theft of the century. you put it very well.

there was nothing in sports history like seeing jones get robbed that night...and he lost 5-3 in the judging too.

best fight?... hearns vs haigler (for the few rounds it was). it was like watching 2 circular saws crashing into each other...but the thrilla in manila comes close, if for nothing else but the raw courage frazier and ali showed in the ring that night. i wept as the fight ended with frazier in his corner.

damn, i am inspired to watch "Rocky" tonight...

[maveric]

33. 72 Olympics. Men Basketball Gold Medal game. USA vs USSR

Soviet refs adding time to the clock TWICE after team USA had the close game under wraps.
That call was so bad that team USA didnt show, rather protested, the medal ceremonies.

[alwynsw]

35. Olympic Games 1972

Whatintheheck business did the world basketball commissioner (or whatever his title was) have in adding time to the clock so that the CCCP could beat the U.S. team. Oh yeah, AND Christion Laettner should've been called for a tech when hw stonped Aminu Timberlake in the Eilte 8 in '92. THAT call (or lack thereof) gave the Dukkies the gamevand sent Kentucky home. Can't ever beat a zebra.

[Awsi Dooger]

37. Hey LisaM, it's USC not Southern Cal

Just one of my pet peeves. I'm an alumnus and that term is not accepted by the university. In fact, every 2 or 3 years the USC sports information director makes an attempt to discourage the national media from saying Southern Cal, with little success. In LA the proper term is 'SC, or USC or the University of Southern California.

I was at that '79 game, my freshman year. It was a running gag the next few years at our intramural football games to signal a touchdown at about the two yard line.

[bearfan454]

42. THE WORSE SPORTS CALL EVER BY A COACH IS

when Mike Ditka let fat ass fridge score a td in the Bears 85 Super bowl and not Walter Payton. I will never forgive Mike Ditka for that even after I am dead. Damn that was dirty.