Top 5 Biggest Blunders in Sports History

The sporting world has seen its fair share of blunders over the years, and you can add Korean baseball player Baek-ho Kang’s name to the list. After hitting a double during Thursday’s World Baseball Classic matchup against Australia, Kang celebrated a little prematurely, accidentally taking his foot off the bag and ultimately being tagged out. The miscue thwarted a Korean rally as Australia came away with a stunning 8-7 victory.

Kang’s lapse in judgment got me thinking, what are the biggest blunders in sports history? After sifting through the pile of unfathomable errors, I’ve compiled my top five selections in a list surely to generate considerable debate.

Let’s begin!

5) Patrik Stefan Misses Empty Net – January 4, 2007

Selected No.1 overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 1999 NHL Draft, Patrik Stefan failed to live up to expectations. However, his career hit a low point in a game versus the Edmonton Oilers while a member of the Dallas Stars. His team up 5-4 with 12 seconds left in the third, Stefan skated in all alone for what looked to be a routine empty net goal, only to have the puck bounce over his stick at the last moment. Edmonton capitalized on the unthinkable error, storming back up the ice and tying the game with two seconds remaining. Dallas ultimately came away with a 6-5 shootout victory, but all anyone could talk about was Stefan’s misfire.

4) J.R. Smith Forgets the Score – May 31, 2018

J.R. Smith never met a shot he didn’t like, which made his unforgettable sequence in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals all the more surprising. Tied at 107 with 4.7 seconds remaining in regulation, Smith, seemingly forgetting the score, elected to run out the clock after controlling a missed free throw. To say, superstar teammate, LeBron James was furious is putting it mildly, as the Cavs went on to lose 124-114 in overtime and were ultimately swept in four games.

3) Chris Webber’s Ill-Timed Timeout – April 5, 1993

Approaching the 30th anniversary of the biggest college hoops gaffe ever is perfect timing, with March Madness right around the corner. It’s more than fitting that former Michigan Wolverines star Chris Webber earns a spot on this list. Trailing North Carolina 73-71 in the NCAA Championship game with 11 seconds remaining in the second half, Webber attempted to call a timeout, a desired stoppage in play the Wolverines simply did not have. The Hall of Famer was given a technical foul, and Michigan went on to lose the game 77-71. 

2) The Butt Fumble – November 22, 2012

Is there a better name for a sports gaffe than the “Butt Fumble?” I’ll wait… New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez went down in infamy when he ran into his own offensive lineman’s buttocks during a Monday Night Football Game against the New England Patriots. He had a back-row seat to see the ball jarred loss and watch safety Steve Gregory waltz into the end zone. Gang Green were blown out by the Pats 49-19 in one of the more embarrassing losses in franchise history – Sanchez’s misstep at the center of it all.

1) Jim Marshall’s Wrong Way Run – October 25, 1964

For as great a football player as Jim Marshall was, the former Minnesota Vikings legend will forever be remembered for his infamous “Wrong Way Run,” aka, the biggest gaffe in sports history. The moment occurred against the San Francisco 49ers in which Marshall recovered an offensive fumble and ran 66 yards into his team’s own end zone. Believing he had scored a touchdown, Marshall threw the ball out of bounds in celebration, resulting in a 49ers safety. Minnesota, fortunately, won the game 27-22, Marshall redeeming himself by forcing a fumble which was returned for a touchdown by teammate Carl Eller – but no one remembers that.