Hi Brian,

One that immediately comes to mind, and is either a great comeback or a terrible meltdown, is the football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers in the late 80′s or early 90′s. I don’t remember the exact date, but the Oilers were way up and and the Bills just went on drive after drive and ultimately prevailed.

I wasn’t at the game but was riveted watching it on TV. I remember watching it with my dad.

http://www.buffalobills.com/history/TheComeback.jsp

Stan

Posted by Stan on 3 October 2008 @ 12pm

Last year, my Cubs outing for work was on Friday, June 29, 2007. The Cubs were one game under .500 (you know, the old days of fighting everyday to get back to .500). Milwaukee was in first place in the central, we were 7.5 games back. I won’t pretend to know the ins and outs of the entire game; it was an outing after all. But I do remember the ninth inning. Milwaukee brought in their closer, Cordero. We were behind 3-5. Soriano scored on a D. Lee sac fly. So we are down by one. With Fontenot on base, Aramis Ramirez was up with two outs. The stands were still full, as usual (although a few “fans” from work had left to catch the early train. Regrettable). A coworker turned to me and said, “he just needs to hit a home run.” Like it was that easy. She’s a causal fan. I listen to every game. My days revolve around when the Cubs are playing. Of course I know he just needs to hit a home fun. But it just ain’t that easy.

Then Aramis jacked one out to left/center. As we all celebrated, the coworker said again, “see, I told you he just needed to hit a home run.” So maybe it is that easy. That game was the turning point for our season last year and it was a rockin’ good time.

We still have a chance. The odds aren’t great, but have a little faith.

Posted by angela on 3 October 2008 @ 12pm

Brian

No ancient pictures available, but how about the game against the Brewers on 9/18 that led them into the NLCD clinch a few days later. Cubs played sluggishly, no hope in sight, behind 6-2 against the hated Brewers, bottom of the ninth, two outs. Game over.

Not. After the non-hitting Cubs managed to get a few base runners on deck, they scored a run, then with 2 guys on, Soto steps up to the plate, smashes one of the hardest hit homers I have ever seen into the left field bleachers to tie the game. I was there, just to the right of home plate about 20 rows back, it was unbelievable. Also unbelievable was Wood getting him self out of trouble, despite the best efforts of the Brewers to get men on base and make Wrigley chew their collective nails every time the Brewers were at bat through extra innings. Even more unbelievable, was Jim Edmonds, after homering earlier in the game, getting tossed from the game DURING an at bat, for questioning two pitches that were at least a foot outside, leaving Daryl Ward to pinch hit stepping into a 1-2 count in the 11th. Then, in the 12th, with Jason Marquis on board, Derrick Lee pounds a line drive to center scoring Marquis for the win.

It ain’t over till its over…September 19th Magic is on its way to LA!

There, how it that. I am no play by play expert, but that is they way I remember it.

Go Cubs!

Posted by Don on 3 October 2008 @ 12pm

The Sox win at the end of this ’08 season is one for the ages. They need to take the makeup game with Detroit the previous day, and did. Then, they had to beat their season rival Twins in a one-game playoff, and prevailed. Magnificent pitching by Jenks throughout. A throw-out by Griffey Jr at the plate. Then a Thome homerun and great Andersen center-field catch to end it. Purer baseball moments there never were. A gleaming example of baseball perfection. What a game, what a win!

Posted by JiMcL on 3 October 2008 @ 12pm

I wasn’t at this game, but the game the Cubs came back from a 9-1 deficit against the Rockies this year was amazing… trying to keep the faith here people…

Game Stats here: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2008_05_30_colmlb_chnmlb_1

Posted by Benjamin Nelson on 3 October 2008 @ 12pm

At the 1949 Tri-Cities Open, Paul Wainwright came to the 72nd and last hole trailing by four shots. The 18th hole at the Moline Country Club is a 530 yard Par 5, which back then was considered a long hole (today, most pros could reach it with a driver and a 7 iron. Wainwright hooked his tee shot into the woods down the left fairway. A stray dog picked up the ball. Some spectators reached for the dog to try to get the ball, and he took off. One of the spectators starting chasing the dog, and the dog sprinted down the fairway. He didn’t stop until he reached the 18th green. The dog dropped the ball and miraculously the ball caught an incline and rolled into the cup for the only known triple-eagle in history. Wainwright then won the 18 hold playoff the next day over Lex Ridenhour.
This isn’t a true story, but you didn’t say the story had to be true.

Posted by Pat Hand on 3 October 2008 @ 12pm

The year was 1977. The place was Duke Childs Field in Winnetka. New Trier East varsity soccer head coach Tony Schinto paid a visit to watch the lowly sophomores play archrival Evanston. He wanted to see what kind of squad he might have in two years. At half, he left in disgust. The sophomore squad was being dominated 4-0, a seemingly insurmountable lead in soccer. But those gritty, never say die Sophomores battled back to tie the game 4-4 and send Evanston home in shame.

Well, it ended up a tie but was one helluva comeback. It may not do the karma trick but at least reminded me of a fond sports memory. Go Cubbies!

Phil

Posted by Phil F on 3 October 2008 @ 1pm

Need to look no further than last weekend’s Michigan-Wisconsin game. The single largest comeback by the wolverines ever in the Big House and the first Big Ten win of Rich Rodriguez’s head coaching career.

After a miserable first half where they gained 21 yards of total offense, made 5 turnovers, and all anxious alums were wondering how to get back the $2.5 million paid to WVU for Rich Rod the Maize n’Blue knocked off the then #9 team in the country with a fourth quarter comeback worthy of an instant ESPN classic.

Posted by Bob on 3 October 2008 @ 1pm

My favorite comeback, and you touched on it, was the 2004 Red Sox comeback from being down 3 – 0 to beat the Yankees 4 – 3 in the ALCS, This was something that had never been done before in major league baseball. I remember it like it was yesterday. After going down 3 – 0 and being a huge Red Sox fan, I thought “Just win a game. Don’t focus on the deficit. Just win a game.” Game 4 (in Boston) started on Sunday evening around 4pm central and the Red Sox were up 3 – 2 until the 6th. The Yankees scored 2 runs in the top of the inning, and I thought “Here we go again. The Red Sox are going to extend their World Series winless streak to 87 years.” The game stayed 4 – 3 until the bottom of the 9th. The Red Sox were facing Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer in MLB history. I was sure that we were toast. But to my surprise, Kevin Millar coaxed a walk and Dave Roberts pinch ran for him. On the first pitch he stole second and was safe by about 6 inches. Bill Mueller then hit a line drive up the middle and Roberts scored. The game was tied. It stayed tied until the bottom of the 12th when David Ortiz hit a walk-off 2 run homer to win the game. The game started at 5:30 and ended at nearly 10:00 central.

Game 5 was the following day in Fenway Park. I was “watching” the game online at work. I left to catch my train home and the Red Sox were up 2 – 1 into the 6th inning. On my walk to the train, I peered into bars and restaurants to get a glimpse of what was going on. It did not look good. Pedro Martinez was struggling. When I got off the train, I was bracing for the worst when I turned on my car radio and heard that the Yankees were up 4 – 2 in the 7th. “Here we go again, I thought.” But the Red Sox battled back to tie it in the 8th and then took the game into extra innings again. This time the game went 14 innings, and David Ortiz hit a walk off single that scored Johnny Damon to win the game. That game lasted almost 6 hours.

The following 2 games were in Yankee Stadium. I don’t remember much about these two games, other than Game 6 was won by Curt Schilling with his bloody sock and Game 7 was a Red Sox blow out with Johnny Damon hitting a grand slam. The Yankee fans were blown away. I remember seeing the front page of the New York Daily News with a picture of Pedro Martinez and the title: “Hell Freezes Over. Red Sox beat Yankees.”

The Dodgers aren’t the Yankees.

And the Cubs are only down 2 – 0, not 3 – 0.

The Cubs just need to win a game.

Posted by Bob Armour on 3 October 2008 @ 2pm

This is not a come back story, just more of a suggestion:

I was talking with my friend Gena Borson today. She works for the Red Sox now. She and her husband Bill both have World Series rings, as he was their EVP of Production for NESN after he left WGN as Executive Producer of WGN Sports. I think Harry Carey still says, “And we have our Executive Producer, Bill Borson here today with his lovely wife Gena,” from the sky box up high. Anyhow, they both still bleed blue for the Cubbies. (But don’t tell that to the Red Sox.)

Gena is Greek and she said there is NOTHING like a Greek curse. I guess the Cubs are realizing that now. So, we came up with an idea. The curse said the “Chicago Cubs” will never win the World Series. Well, what’s in a name? In order to eliminate the curse, we need to change the NAME of the team.

Our hapless heros could be the Chicago Flubs, I guess, but then we were thinking something Greek to really add punch and a nice curse wash. The Chicago Taramousaltas, The Chicago Saganakis, perhaps the Chicago Spanitikopitas. To add real verve—maybe sponsored by The Athenian Room, home of America’s best Greek chicken. That’s a nice honorary touch of the hat to Greece and chickens, which we understand Greeks like almost as much as goats!

So, not sure if this is helpful, or if it could be accomplished before the next game. However, as a former Tribune employee who went to her fair share of games, I am up for anything now. After all, a rose by any other name…

Think it would work?

Deb

Posted by Deb Dreyfuss-Tuchman on 3 October 2008 @ 3pm

One that I witnessed was seeing my alma mater Illinois play Arizona in the 2005 regional Mens Basketball final. they were down 15 points with four minutes left, went on a 20 to 5 run wiht Luther Head hitting a fall away three w. time running out. they went on to win in overtime 90-89 and then on to final game v. UNC; which they lost (: –was there for that amongst the sea of carolina blue and Illinois orange.

Posted by bill furlong on 3 October 2008 @ 4pm

Apple was essentially a failure by 1999 with 1-2% PC market share, but their core fans still held out hope. Many *lapsed* fans, like me, had given up hope and had migrated to Windows. Then Jobs came back, re-energized the company with a vision, and ultimately brought Apple back from the dead. Part of their comeback story was the way they re-connected with their long lost fan base.

While the Cubs don’t have a visionary founder returning to lead it, they do have the opportunity to break from the past and harness the energy of their core and lapsed fans. The tradition of the Cubs runs deep – but there has to be a harmony between the fans and the players for this comeback to work.

PS. Brian said I could post this – I thought it was a bit cheezy myself. :-)

Posted by Jason on 3 October 2008 @ 4pm

ONE MORE

In tennis there was Jimmy Connors vs. Patrick McEnroe in 1991 US Open 1st round. Connors was down 0-3 in the 3rd and came back to win the match 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2 6-4.

Posted by bill furlong on 3 October 2008 @ 4pm

I think Pat had the best comeback — I’d have to make up an entire sport to top THAT one!

Posted by Liz Hand on 3 October 2008 @ 5pm

I lived in Pittsburgh during the 70s and became a lifelong Steeler fan. For me, nothing will ever top the “Immaculate Reception” as a comeback. NFL films has chosen it as the greatest play of all time — and the most controversial. As every football fan knows, it happened on Dec 23 1972 in the AFC Championship game between the Steelers and the hated Raiders. I can see it now. Steelers trailing 7 – 6. It’s 4th and 10 on the Steelers own 40 yard line. 22 secs left and no time outs remaining. Bradshaw throws a desparation pass to “Frenchy” Fuqua at the Raiders 35 yard line before being knocked silly. Jack Tatum goes to hit Frenchy just as the ball arrives and it ricochets off of Tatum (or did it??) whereupon Franco Harris scoops the ball up just before it hits the ground (or did it??) and scampers 40 yards for the winning score. The stadium goes nuts. Steelers win! Steelers win!
It just goes to show that there is hope for the Cubs …. but I suspect they may need some divine intervention!

Posted by gian fulgoni on 4 October 2008 @ 10am

The greatest comeback I have ever witnessed was the 1980 Holiday Bowl between Brigham Young University and Southern Methodist University.

SMU had an extremely talented backfield with Eric Dickerson and Craig James dubbed as “The Pony Express,” who lived up to their billing. SMU ran all over BYU, as Craig James ran for 225 yards and 2 TDs on the ground and another receiving TD, while Dickerson ran for 110 yards and 2 TDs.

With 2:33 left in the game, SMU enjoyed a commanding 45-25 lead. Then, BYU QB Jim McMahon hit WR Matt Braga for a TD to cut the lead to 45-31 after a failed 2-point attempt. However, BYU recovered the onside kick and McMahon led the Cougars to another score and successful 2-point conversion, which further cut the lead to 45-39 with 1:58 remaining in the game. The ensuing onside kick, however, was recovered by SMU and it appeared the game was out of reach. But, the Mustangs could not convert on 3rd down and their punt on 4th down was blocked and recovered by BYU at the Mustang 41 yard line with 13 seconds left in the game.

After two incomplete passess and with only 3 seconds left in the game, McMahon heaved a pass from his own 46 yard line toward the end zone. Despite being surrounded by three SMU defenders, Cougar TE Clay Brown came down with the ball in the end zone and the subsequent extra point secured a 46-45 victory for the Cougars.

When asked after the game about the miraculous victory made possibly by a pass called a “Hail Mary” from an Irish Catholic quarterback named McMahon to a Catholic tight end named Brown, BYU head coach LaVell Edwards responded, “Well, that play only tied the game. But luckily a Mormon kid came in and kicked the extra point for the win!”

By scoring 21 points in 2:33, BYU won the most dramatic game I have ever had the opportunity to observe. You probably haven’t seen the footage, which I think is a much more impressive catch than the Flutie-Phelan play. Here is a 4 minute recap of the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b55Tn_YbLK8

Here is just the final play: http://www.jumpcut.com/view/?id=99F42FA64C3A11DC98E1000423CF0184

Posted by Bob Woods on 9 October 2008 @ 12pm

I have a graduate degree from Notre Dame but my undergrad is from Texas. There have been 3 huge comebacks for Texas football against the same team over the last four years: the 2004, 2005, and 2007 games with Oklahoma State.

From wikipedia:
The 2007 Texas vs. Oklahoma State football game was a college football game played November 3, 2007 between the 2007 Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Oklahoma State (OSU) took an early lead in the game and led 35–14 at the start of the fourth quarter. For the fourth time in five years, the Longhorns staged a big rally to win the game. This time, Texas overcame a twenty-one point fourth quarter deficit to win by three points as time expired in the game.[1] It was the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in Texas Longhorn history.[2] In 2004 the Cowboys led 35–7 in the second quarter, but the Longhorns scored 49 unanswered points to win 56–35. In the 2005 game UT trailed 28–9 but rallied to win 47–28.

Posted by Jason on 9 October 2008 @ 12pm

How can no one mention the 2000 MNF football game between the Jets and Miami. My roommate at the time was a huge ‘fins fan. He went to bed as he had to be up early. I stayed up to watch the game and woke him up with about 3 minutes left!

Posted by Trevor Shand on 9 October 2008 @ 4pm

I found a website with a much better description.

http://espn.go.com/abcsports/mnf/s/greatestgames/miaminewyorkjets2000.html

BTW, as a Dodgers fan, I must say, “Go Dodgers!!”

Posted by Trevor Shand on 9 October 2008 @ 4pm