Who were the most infamous goats (the old fashioned kind) in each of these main sports?
Estil
Posts: 7,058 ✭✭✭✭
Just so there's no confusion, I'm talking about the old fashioned kind of goat...a player who commits a key blunder that is perceived (rightly or wrongly) as costing his team a championship (or at least a reasonable chance at it).
Now for MLB there are at least a few contenders. Sure there's Bill Buckner (1986) but don't forget about Mitch Williams (1993), Ralph Terry (1960), and Fred Merkle (1908).
Now for these sports one moment most definitely stands out:
NFL: Scott Norwood misses field goal (1990 Super Bowl)
NCAAB: Chris Webber tries to call timeout when Michigan had none left (1993)
But what about the NBA or college football? Or any of the other sports? What are the most infamous goats for those sports?
Oh I almost forgot; in the 1986 ALCS (yes the same year/team as Buckner's blunder), Dave Henderson was the hero of Game 5 that saved the Red Sox from elimination and not even making the World Series...but a few innings prior would've been the goat had the BoSox lost. Observe:
https://youtu.be/78E6QXttKSMPS: Remember, I'm talking about the old fashioned kind of goat, not the new definition (Greatest Of All Time).
D's: 54S,53P,50P,49S,45D+S,44S,43D,41S,40D+S,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
74T: 37,38,47,151,193,241,435,570,610,654,655 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
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Fred Merkle, 1908. The Giants shortstop in that game was a man named. Al Bridwell. He and I corresponded via letters frequently up until his passing in 1968/9(?). In one of his letters he went into great detail about The Merkel's Boner Incident. Bottom line......the Cubs cheated and got away with it. With runners on first and third with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth, Bridwell hit a game winning single. Merkel was on first. Merkel never touched second base. So technically the game wasn't over. Chicago manager Frank Chance saw that Merkel did not touch second base. According to Bridwell, Chance then gave a baseball to some Cub player who took the ball and ran to the outfield with it. There were fans on the field by then and it was chaotic. Bridwell was watching as it happened. Bridwell stated in the letter, "I knew something was up because Frank Chance played dirty." Bridwell shouted to Merkel to go touch second base. But before that happened, the mystery ball came in from the outfield to the Cubs second baseman who then tagged second....game over....the run did not score. Bridwell said that the ball used for the final out was not the same ball that he hit for the single......Bridwell, said in his letter, "Poor Fred,(Merkle) he was so broken up after the game."
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/105755104/bonehead-is-forgotten/
D's: 54S,53P,50P,49S,45D+S,44S,43D,41S,40D+S,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
74T: 37,38,47,151,193,241,435,570,610,654,655 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
Not a player, but I will mention Steve Bartman (2003 Cubs)
Don't forget all the other guys around him also reaching for the ball. If the ball had been just a few inches in a different direction, THAT GUY would end up in Steve's position and I hope they realize that.
D's: 54S,53P,50P,49S,45D+S,44S,43D,41S,40D+S,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
74T: 37,38,47,151,193,241,435,570,610,654,655 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
Exactly. In retrospect, Bartman was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Wrong place wrong time...... Right place right time.....Basically, that's what life boils down to. Just do your best and hope for the best.....It's all a crap shoot.
Reminds me of what my Uncle once told me. He was a Marine on Iwo Jima......mortar shells falling everywhere!... Panic!.....Where do we go!......The Sargent told the boys, "One place is as good as the other."
Semper Fi
how about ralph branca? gave up the shot heard round the world.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
The fix was in on that that one too. Just like the 1908 Merkle Incident . Bobby Thompson, who hit the "Shot Heard Around The World" walk off homer against Branca, told the truth.... Just before he died.....good for him.....he was on his way to meet the Man at The Pearly Gates!.......Time to clear the conscience!!!!......Here's the REAL story....... The game was played at The Polo Grounds.....That was the Giants home field. In those days there was a man working inside the scoreboard who would place plackards on the score board indicating balls, strikes, errors, runs, etc. Manually. He was busy. It was before all the fancy electronic crap that we have today.....So, during that game, the score board man had a double duty. His regular job, and peeking out looking through binoculars at the Dodger catcher to pick up the pitch calls and then relaying the info to the Giants dugout. Thompson knew what the pitch was ahead of time.....The Giant's cheated.........Look it up........Can anybody say..........HOUSTON ASTROS TRASH CAN BANGING?????.....LOOK IT UP.
Polo Grounds Scoreboard
See the people inside the scoreboard?????🤔
D's: 54S,53P,50P,49S,45D+S,44S,43D,41S,40D+S,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
74T: 37,38,47,151,193,241,435,570,610,654,655 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
Estil......I love it!......Nancy Sinatra! What a HOTTIE!!!..... Long ago.....Anyway, here's a Nancy Sinatra/baseball story........Nancy's father, Frank (best singer EVER!) and Tommy Lasorda, Dodger manager, were good friends......Paisanos!..... Frank was always in Tommy's manager room at Dodger Stadium....Regular visitor...Well, Nancy posed for Playboy Magazine.....Nude!...On the cover too!....Her Dad was pis*ed but didn't know how to tell her......So......Tommy Lasorda read her the Riot Act......He told her........"You've Broken Your Fathers Heart!".....Wow!.....Tommy was an inspirational man....a leader....Always right to the point!
Hey, Estil.....post "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'". Please!!!!!
That's Nancy's best song...... Other than her duet with her Dad,..." Something Stupid.".....Thanks for bringing back old memories, Estil......Thank You!
NBA, a recent one is JR Smith in the 2017 NBA Finals, based on this famous meme
You already mentioned Scott Norwood...this might be one of the funniest custom jerseys ever
Okay...
D's: 54S,53P,50P,49S,45D+S,44S,43D,41S,40D+S,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
74T: 37,38,47,151,193,241,435,570,610,654,655 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
Thanks, Estil!.....What's not to like!......GO-GO DANCERS!
Oh you like go go dancers? Okay...
D's: 54S,53P,50P,49S,45D+S,44S,43D,41S,40D+S,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
74T: 37,38,47,151,193,241,435,570,610,654,655 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
Don't forget that Moises Alou - the Cubs outfielder going for the ball - admitted he couldn't have caught the ball anyway.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3324343
Class act that Alou - waiting 5 years to admit he couldn't have caught the ball and letting a guy have his life destroyed.
Well he sure didn't seem to think so at the time!
D's: 54S,53P,50P,49S,45D+S,44S,43D,41S,40D+S,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
74T: 37,38,47,151,193,241,435,570,610,654,655 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
In the moment, he's arguing the rule violation not whether he could have caught it.
I don't suppose there's any goats in the world of NBA or NCAA football that particularly stand out is there?
D's: 54S,53P,50P,49S,45D+S,44S,43D,41S,40D+S,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
74T: 37,38,47,151,193,241,435,570,610,654,655 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
Oh I almost forgot; in the 1986 ALCS (yes the same year/team as Buckner's blunder), Dave Henderson was the hero of Game 5 that saved the Red Sox from elimination and not even making the World Series...but a few innings prior would've been the goat had the BoSox lost. Observe:
D's: 54S,53P,50P,49S,45D+S,44S,43D,41S,40D+S,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
74T: 37,38,47,151,193,241,435,570,610,654,655 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
Last season it had to be Antonio Brown who had everyone, including, most of all, Tom Brady, go to bat for him and then go bonkers in the middle of a game.
The NBA has so many goats (small letters intended), it would take too much space to name them. That includes the league leadership and most owners. A hog calling contest is more entertaining than an NBA game.
Imagine the bettors if this happened today.
Wrong Way Riegels is probably the biggest NCAA football example.
When was this pic taken?
D's: 54S,53P,50P,49S,45D+S,44S,43D,41S,40D+S,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
74T: 37,38,47,151,193,241,435,570,610,654,655 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
During the 1984 Playoffs against the Padres. Think the Leon Durham as a goat that year.
Tavern owner William "Billy Goat" Sianis was stopped at the gate before Game 4 of the 1945 World Series at Wrigley Field with his goat, Murphy, in tow.
Murphy’s stench, rather than the fact he was, well, a goat, seemed to be the determining factor on why the animal wasn’t allowed into the game. The goat had his own ticket, after all.
Indians fans brought actual goats to the stadium in hopes of cursing the Cubs
“You are going to lose this World Series and you are never going to win another World Series again,” Sianis proclaimed.
The Chicago Cubs dropped Game 4, a defeat that evened the series at 2-2. The Detroit Tigers eventually won the championship in seven games and “The Curse of the Billy Goat” was born.