The 15 Biggest Blown Calls in Postseason History

Image via Complex Original

Game: 1999 ALCS, Game 4
Match-up: New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

We're pretty sure Chuck Knoblauch wasn't expecting to get the call when he dispassionately waved his glove at Jose Offerman before throwing to the force at first. Much to his surprise—and to the stadium full of Red Sox fans—the second base umpire indicated a double play, killing the Bo Sox rally in the ninth inning. Instead of Nomar Garciaparra coming to the plate with a runner in scoring position, the inning and rally were brought to an arbitrary halt. The Yankees would go on to win the game, series, and their 25th World Series title. Yet another reason to hate the Evil Empire.

Game: 2009 ALCS, Game 4
Match-up: Anaheim Angels vs. New York Yankees

Sometimes a call is so egregious that it can't be ignored and third base umpire Tim McClelland's performance in the '09 ALCS deserves an especially bright spotlight. After blowing a sacrifice fly call an inning earlier, McClelland was given an opportunity to save his game with an easy call with a pair of stationary Yankees tagged out in front of him. 

In Game 4 of the ALCS, Yankees catcher Jorge Posada found himself in a rundown between third and home. As Angels catcher Mike Napoli ran Posada back to third, Robinson Cano approached the bag from second, the bottle neck resulted in Napoli standing between Cano and Posada—neither was on a base. Wisely, Napoli tagged both players in what was a clear double play. McClelland balked at the bizarre situation and inexplicably called Cano safe. The game's commentator, Tim McCarver, would say in shock, "This was an easy call." #noshitsherlock

Game: 1999 NFC Wild Card Game
Match-up: Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers

The lasting image of the '99 NFC Wild Card Game is Terrell Owens crying like a douche after catching the game-winning touchdown. But were it not for a blown call, Owens would have never had the opportunity to bask in self-aggrandizing tears after the 49ers win. In Jerry Rice's last game as a 49er, the receiver fumbled in the open field on the game's final drive. The game's referees mistakenly called him down by contact even though the ball was clearly loose beforehand, giving Steve Young the opportunity to find Owens between safeties moments later.

Game: 2002 Western Conference Finals, Game 6
Match-up: Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The takeaway most have from the '02 Western Conference Finals is Robert Horry's high-arching buzzer beater to win Game 4, but Sacramento's two dozen fans will be forever vexed by the horrible officiated, possibly rigged Game 6. At the heart of the Tim Donaghy scandal was a perplexing fourth quarter in which the Lakers took 27 foul shots, the Kings saw both of their centers foul out, and a blatant elbow from Kobe Bryant to Mike Bibby went without a whistle. In perhaps the weakest defense of officials ever, David Stern would say of the game, "You can watch it... My guess is it won't be pretty, but it won't be dishonest and it won't be illegal."

Game: 2002 BCS National Championship
Match-up: Miami Hurricanes vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

Back when the Big Ten didn't lose every game on the national stage by 60 points, Ohio State and a handful of other soon-to-be convicts represented the Midwest in College Football's biggest game and won—sort of. Facing fourth down on the Miami 5-yard-line and down seven, Buckeye quarterback Craig Krenzel threw a desperate pass to Chris Gamble. As the ball arrived, Hurricane cornerback Glenn Sharpe awkwardly hugged an airborne Gamble. While the two tangled together like a pair of middle schoolers slow dancing, the ball bounced out of the back of the end zone. 

Hurricane players, thinking they'd just won a National Title, stormed the field. As the celebration began, a line judge threw a flag for pass interference. The late and controversial call gave the Buckeyes new life, which eventually led to a double overtime win. 

Game: 1999 NHL Stanley Cup Finals, Game 6
Match-up: Buffalo Sabres vs. Dallas Stars

Brett Hull clinched the '99 Stanley Cup, sending a puck through the back of the net in the third overtime of Game 6. As Dallas players rushed the ice in celebration, Buffalo fans griped in disbelief. Hull's skate was clearly in the crease, a violation that would be wiped from the rule books a year later. Despite photo and video evidence to the contrary, the game's officials deemed the play legal and the Stars kissed the Cup.

Game: 2012 National League Wild Card Play-In
Match-up: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves

Well, Major League Baseball's new Wild Card format is off to an exciting start. With the Braves threatening in the eighth inning, Atlanta's Andrelton Simmons hit a pop up that landed safely in the outfield. Umpire Sam Holbrook made a late and controversial infield fly rule call that resulted in Simmons being called out and Turner Field turning into the world's largest recyclable bottles collection bin. The Braves went on to lose the game, eliminating them from postseason play. The game was delayed for 19 minutes as stadium staff cleared the debris thrown onto the field by disgruntled fans. If anything positive comes from this, maybe, just maybe, MLB will finally implement instant replay.

Game: 1995 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 5
Match-up: Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks

If ever there was an opportunity for Scottie Pippen to out-Jordan No. 23 it was during the '94 Playoffs. MJ left the team to ground into double plays in the White Sox organization, leaving Scottie to one-man-band the Bulls to a championship. 

With the :02 to go and the Bulls clinging to a one-point lead, Pippen harmlessly contested a three-point attempt by Hubert Davis. As the ball banked off of the right side of the rim, the Bulls celebration was silenced by a piercing whistle from Hue Hollins. He called Pippen for a shooting foul, sending Davis to the line with time expired. Davis hit his shots, the Knicks won the game, and Pippen was robbed of his best chance to outshine Jordan. Bulls coach Phil Jackson refused to take questions after the game, instead barking a 38-second diatribe that included, "I've seen a lot of things happen in the NBA, but I've never seen anything happen like what happened at the end of the game."

Game: 1979 AFC Championship Game
Match-up: Houston Oilers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

With HD cameras and coach's challenges, today's NFL operates with a pretty streamline set of checks and balances. Usually. But back in 1979 you had to rely on the knee-jerk reaction of officials without a safety net, and it sucked. 

Trailing 17-10 and deep in Steeler territory, Oilers quarterback Dan Pastorini found Mike Renfro in the end zone for what appeared to be a game-tying touchdown. The side judge thought otherwise, calling the play incomplete. Without a red beanbag, the only thing Houston coach Burn Phillips could throw was a temper tantrum on the sideline as the Oilers lost momentum and, ultimately, the game. 

Game: 2001 NFL AFC Divisional Playoff Game
Match-up: Oakland Raiders vs. New England Patriots

With the snow coming down in Foxboro, Tom Brady sits in the pocket like a sitting duck. All-Pro cornerback Charles Woodson delivers a bone-crunching hit to Brady's blind side, jarring the ball loose with Brady in the middle of a pump fake. An Oakland player dives on the loose ball, seemingly ending the Patriot threat and the game. After an official review, the fumble call on the field was overturned and everyone became familiar with the Tuck Rule:

"When [an offensive] player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body. Also, if the player has tucked the ball into his body and then loses possession, it is a fumble."

With a second chance, Brady found David Patten on a 13-yard-reception, which set up Adam Vinatierri for a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation. Vinatierri would later hit a game-clinching filed goal in overtime and the Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl.

Game: 1996 ALCS, Game 1
Match-up: Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees

If we've learned anything from Steve Bartman or Jeffrey Maier, it's that fan interference can be profound enough to warrant a biographical Wikipedia page. And while Bartman's transgression led him to go into hiding, Maier's become a pop culture phenomenon. The then-pre teen is famous for grabbing a Derek Jeter fly out away from Orioles right fielder Tony Tarasco. By bringing the ball into the front row seats at Yankee Stadium, Maier contributed to an egregious missed call by Umpire Richie Garcia and effectually tied the game for the Yankees. New York would go on to win the game in extra innings and, later, the World Series.

Game: 1988 Seoul Olympics, Gold Medal Round
Match-up: Roy Jones Jr.  vs. Park Si-Hun

As it turns out, numbers do lie. 86-32. That's how badly Roy Jones Jr. outhit Park Si-Hun, in the Gold Medal Round of the '88 Olympics. You don't have to understand how a score card works to know that's an ass-kicking. But when you're fighting a South Korean in South Korea numbers take on a more interpretive quality. Despite dominating the match, Jones lost the decision 3-2. Si-Hun would apologize to Jones for the decision and, later, South Korean officials were reported to have bribed the judges. 

Game: 1986 World Cup, Quarter-Final Match
Match-up: England vs. Argentina

In the 51st minute of a heated World Cup match, Argentinian soccer legend Diego Maradona drilled a go-ahead header through the back of the goal. Only instead of using his head, he used his hand. The similarities between volleyball and soccer end at the short shorts, smashing a goal like an overhead kill is illegal. The egregious violation of limbs went unnoticed by officials. Argentina went on to win the match and eventually the World Cup. 

Game: 1985 World Series Game 6
Match-up: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals

A mere out away from winning the 1985 World Series, Cardinals first basemen Jack Clark fielded what should have been a series-clinching grounder. He tossed the ball to Todd Worrell who stumbled clownishly over first base a step before the Royals' Jorge Orta. Go crazy folks, right!? Nope. Umpire Don Denkinger called Orta safe, triggering an onslaught of base hits and a Kansas City win. The Royals would go on to win Game 7 with the embattled behind the plate. Denkinger would later admit his mistake and claimed to receive hate mail and death threats as a result.

Game: 1972 Olympic Basketball Gold Medal Game
Match-up: USA vs. USSR

Nothing gives Americans a sense of national pride quite like sticking it to the Russians. If you need a reminder, try watching Rocky IV without crying. It's impossible. In the middle of the Cold War, the US was poised to win gold with :03 left in the game and the USSR trailing by a point. On the subsequent inbounds pass, the USSR ran the clock out without getting a shot off. As the buzzer sounded, the American team stormed the court in triumph. Then, things got weird.

The officials—who all spoke different languages—forced the teams to lineup again and play out the final :03, claiming the game clock was started improperly. The teams played out the final :03 again with the same result: goofy play, no shot, buzzer and celebration. Again, the officials colluded to, inexplicably, claim the game clock was rolled improperly for a second straight time. On the third inbounds attempt the Russians completed a full court pass that set up a game-winning lay-in. To this day players on the '72 US men's basketball team have not accepted their silver medals.