Come from behind victories can often seem like the best, especially if the team you are cheering for is the one that rallies for the win.
It seems to me, this year has already been full of dramatic games where one team built up what appeared to be an insurmountable lead, only to cough it away.
Examples include the Super Bowl, two recent CFL games, the Angels melt down against the Blue Jays, the Cavaliers collapse in Game Three against the Warriors, the Oilers Game Five crash versus the Ducks, and the Lethbridge Hurricanes having the wind taken out of their sails by the Prince George Cougars.
Here’s a closer look …
Number one on the list is, of course, Super Bowl 51 on February 5th.
The Atlanta Falcons gassed a 28-3 lead late in third quarter only to see the New England Patriots storm back with 31 consecutive points for a 34-28 overtime triumph.
The 25-point advantage was the biggest blown lead in Super Bowl history.
#OneMore: ✔#DriveFor5: ✔ pic.twitter.com/Icqe9yvfGP
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 6, 2017
In the CFL, on July 27th, the Montreal Alouettes appeared to have a game in the bag at Winnipeg, until the Blue Bombers pulled off the improbable.
With less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, the Als were ahead 40-28.
Winnipeg scored a touchdown with 48 seconds left, then recovered the on-side kick which led to Andrew Harris running for the winning score as time expired in the Blue Bombers 41-40 victory.
Strangely enough, the Winnipeg triumph followed a Blue Bombers gag in their previous game on July 21st.
On that night, the BC Lions rallied with 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to turn a 42-28 deficit into a 45-42 triumph.
In MLB, the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday provided their fans with the biggest ninth inning comeback in franchise history.
The Los Angeles Angels were on the verge of a three-game sweep at Rogers Centre, but got rattled and blew a 10-4 lead after eight-and-a-half innings.
The Jays scored seven runs in the bottom of the ninth, thanks to a Steve Pearce bases-loaded homer.
It was the second walk-off grand slam in less than a week for Pearce, who became just the third player in MLB history with two walk-off grand slams in one season.
NEVER give up. #Walkoff #DéjàVu pic.twitter.com/eErcKH3umd
— Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 30, 2017
The joy though did not last long …
The next night (July 31st), the Blow Jays would not hold a 6-0 lead after six innings as the Chicago White Sox stormed back for a 7-6 victory, thanks to four runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth.
In the NBA on March 8th, the San Antonio Spurs trailed the Memphis Grizzlies by 28 points with 4:42 left in the second quarter.
The Spurs won the game 114-104 even though San Antonio rested its top two players, Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge.
On June 7th, in an NBA game with much more meaning than the Spurs and Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors scored the final 11 points in last three minutes to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers, 118-113.
Overcame a 28-point deficit to win our 50th game of the season last night. #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/UNK8XF3ear
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 9, 2017
That gave the Warriors an insurmountable 3-0 lead in The Finals.
In the NHL on May 5th, who could ever forget the Edmonton Oilers going into the tank against the Anaheim Ducks?
It was Game Five of the Western Conference semi-final and the series was tied, 2-2.
The Oilers were in front 3-0 with three-and-a-half minutes left in the third period, yet the Ducks pulled off a miracle finish to win 4-3 in double overtime.
Anaheim eventually needed seven games to take the series.
In the WHL, the Prince George Cougars had a game where their opponent faded away.
On Friday the 13th (of January), the Lethbridge Hurricanes blew a 5-1 lead after two periods as the Cougars stormed back for a 6-5 shootout victory.
As we look back, isn’t it interesting how those two points earned in Lethbridge were the difference between the Cougars securing their first BC Division pennant and finishing in second place?
In the BCHL, the PG Spruce Kings had their season end on a bitter note on March 12th.
The Spruce Kings, in Game Six of a first round series against the Wenatchee Wild, led the BCHL regular season champions 3-1 after two periods and 3-2 with 61 seconds remaining.
However, Wenatchee tallied two goals in 54.5 seconds, both in the final minute to post a 4-3 win in a WILD finish.
These few benchmark moments, from 2017 alone, again emphasize why American baseball legend Yogi Berra, in one of his many celebrated “Yogi-isms” stated “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
FROM THE QUOTE RACK:
Allen Iverson has apologized for missing a Big3 basketball stop in Dallas. Apparently he didn’t show up because he thought it was just a practice.
*Comedy writer Jim Barach of WCHS-TV in Charleston, W.Va., http://jokesbyjim.blogspot.ca/
Julia ‘Hurricane’ Hawkins, 101, set an age group world record in the 100-metre dash. The runner-up in the race is expected to finish a week from Thursday.
*Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald
After seeing the CTC study, Ravens OL & MIT doctoral student, John Urschel, 26, abruptly retired. Guess this time it is rocket science.
*Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
Commenting on the dangers of playing football, NY Jets rookie Jamal Adams said he would rather die on a football field than anywhere else. Well, maybe he should go play for Hamilton, where the entire team was just buried 60-1 last weekend in Calgary.
*Comedy writer Tony Chong of Vancouver
The perfect golfing foursome for a par-5 hole would consist of Donald Driver, Chip Kelly, J.J. Putz and Eddie the Eagle.
*Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times http://www.seattletimes.com/author/dwight-perry/
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Chicago is experiencing a mini baby boom about nine months after the Cubs’ historic Game 7, 10th
inning World Series victory. You might say the game went into ova-time.
*Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com
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Hartley Miller is the sports director and morning news anchor for 94.3 the Goat.
He also is the 94.3 radio color commentator for P.G. Cougars home games.
His column appears Fridays on myprincegeorgenow.com.
Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to [email protected]
Follow him on twitter: @Hartley_Miller