The Top 10 Worst Calls in My Sports History

You’re on the edge of your seat. Your team is about to cinch the victory. You’re ready to go crazy.

Then it happens. The official blows a call so royally that you send threats, curses, and spit flying in all directions.

This happens all too often in major sports. Yet we never hear of how a referee, an official, or an umpire was fired, demoted, or placed on probation.

Conversely, every time a coach or a player goofs up, all we hear about is how they’ve let the team down, or how hot their seat just got.

Why are the men who sometimes decide the games not held to the same accountability?

I cannot count how many times I have disagreed with an official’s decision. I can tell you from experience that many times I am flat wrong and that those orange and white, or navy and red, or blue and white shaded glasses I look through can sometimes skew my opinion.

But some calls are just so blatantly missed it would take a blind man not to see what happened.

Then there are some times when the officials goof a call in favor of your team. Of course I'll take those calls, but no matter what, someone is going to be upset by a bad call.

With that in mind, I have decided to post the Top 10 worst calls I have witnessed. Some of these calls were for my teams, some were against, and on some I didn't have a rooting interest.

10. Colts-Chargers, Jan. 3, 2009: Tim Jennings Hold Call

This game was awesome until overtime. The entire OT was nothing but ticky-tack penalties against the Colts defense.

The worst of these was a 3rd-and-9 defensive holding penalty against Colts DB Tim Jennings. That phantom call gave the Chargers new life, and they won the game a few plays later.

9. Braves-Mets, May 12, 2009: Carlos Beltran Stolen Base

It's the reason I wrote this article.

The Braves are up 3-2. It's the bottom of the ninth. There's one out. Carlos Beltran is at second. He takes off trying to steal third. He slides right into Chipper Jones' glove before touching third base.

By definition, that's an out—but apparently not in third base umpire Greg Gibson's dictionary. He was called safe.

So instead of having two out and no one on base, the Mets had a runner at third with only one out.

A walk later, Beltran would score on a sacrifice fly.

One inning later, the Mets would win the game.

The series would have been a Braves sweep had it not been for this awful call.

After the game, Chipper Jones said, "That was top-notch baseball, and it was decided by a blown call."

8. Chargers-Broncos, Sept. 14, 2008: Ed Hochuli Blows It Up

There is 1:14 remaining in the game. The Broncos are down by a touchdown, and they're within a yard of the end zone.

Jay Cutler steps back and clearly fumbles the ball while attempting a pass. San Diego LB Tim Dobbins recovers it, ensuring the Charger win—or not.

Ed Hochuli, long considered one of the best refs in the NFL, is standing right behind Cutler. He calls it an incomplete pass, which signals the play dead.

Replay ruled it a fumble, but since the play was blown dead, possession could not change hands. The Broncos kept possession but had to back up to the 10-yard line.

The Broncos won the game a few plays later.

Hochuli would later apologize to Chargers fans.

"I'm getting hundreds of e-mails...hate mail...but I'm responding to it all," Hochuli wrote, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. "People deserve a response. You can rest assured that nothing anyone can say can make me feel worse than I already feel about my mistake on the fumble play.

"You have no idea. ... Affecting the outcome of a game is a devastating feeling. Officials strive for perfection; I failed miserably. Although it does no good to say it, I am very, very sorry."

The NFL made up for it in the playoffs against the Colts.

7. 1997 NLCS: Braves-Marlins: Eric Gregg's Strike Zone

Game Five of the 1997 NLCS. Fred McGriff gets called out on a pitch that is at least one foot outside to end the game.

Livan Hernandez pitched into the the right-handed batter's box all day for strikes. He struck out 15 on that day, thanks to Eric Gregg's generosity.

The Marlins would win the series and eventually the World Series.

6. Tennessee-Syracuse, September 1998: Pass Interference

This is the only call on the list that I was actually happy about.

It's the first game of the season; Donovan McNabb vs. a vaunted UT defense that included Al Wilson, Corey Terry, and Dwayne Goodrich.

Syracuse was up 33-31, 1:48 left on the clock. It's 4th-and-7 from the UT 35. Tee Martin throws to Cedrick Wilson, who gets hit as the ball arrives. A full two seconds later, a flag comes in for pass interference, continuing the drive.

Tennessee would drive down the field for the game-winning FG thanks to that call. The Vols went on to win the National Championship with a 13-0 record.

By the way, it was an SEC officiating crew.

5. 1998 NBA Finals, Bulls-Jazz: Greatest No-Call of All Time

It's the final shot of Michael Jordan as the greatest player in NBA history. Sure, he played with the Wizards a few years later, but he was far from the greatest at that time.

It's Game Six of the NBA Finals.

Jordan drives to his right, dribbles twice, pushes Bryon Russell with his left hand, and calmly sinks a 20-footer with five seconds remaining for the NBA Championship—his sixth in six tries.

At the time, I was livid. I didn't like the Bulls. But in retrospect, it was probably the greatest moment in NBA history. The Greatest goes out with style and a slight push-off. Jordan always received the benefit of the doubt.

4. 2003 NLCS: Cubs-Marlins: Do the Bartman

Steve Bartman. No other name inspires anger, fear, and frustration for Cubs fans as much as that one.

The Cubs were five outs away from their first World Series appearance since 1945. Mark Prior was pitching the game of his life! He had a three-hit shutout going in the eighth inning.

The Cubs are up 3-0. Juan Pierre is at second, and Luis Castillo is at bat.

Castillo fouls the ball toward the seats. Moises Alou runs toward the stands. Steve Bartman is sitting in the first row, next to the field. Alou jumps and reaches his glove over for the catch, but Bartman interferes and Alou can't make the catch.

Alou threw a temper tantrum, and the Cubs argued that it was fan interference. However, umpire Mike Everitt ruled that it wasn't interference since the ball was in the stands.

The bad call, in my opinion, was not made. The umpire should have called it interference given that it was the Cubs and they were that close to the World Series.

The Cubs would unravel in that Game Six and would lose Game Seven the next night.

I know it's a reach, but I still think Everitt should have called it an out.

3. 1996 ALCS, Yankees-Orioles: Jeffrey Maier Interference

Jeffrey Maier came to this ball game with hopes of catching a HR ball. He caught a ball, but it wasn't a HR until he caught it. Confusing, I know.

It was Game One of the ALCS. The Orioles were up 4-3 in the eighth inning. A young Derek Jeter hits a deep fly ball. Tony Tarasco moves under the ball and is poised to catch it for the out.

That's when the 12-year-old Maier reached his glove over the wall and interfered with the play.

It was ruled a home run. The Yankees would go on to win Game One and later the series.

1996 would become the first year of the Yankees' new dynasty as they would win their first of four World Championships over the next five years.

Right field umpire Rich Garcia would later admit that it was fan interference after reviewing the tape.

2. 1991 World Series, Braves-Twins: Ron Gant wrestled off first base

It's Game Two of the 1991 World Series. The Braves have a mini-rally going in the second inning. Ron Gant rips a single and turns at first base. He quickly returns to the bag.

That's when pitcher Kevin Tapani threw the ball to first baseman Kent Hrbek, who then pushed Gant off first base and tagged him. Gant was called out.

The Braves lost the game 3-2 and lost the series in seven.

1. Tennessee-Florida, Sept. 16, 2000: Jabar Gaffney Drops a TD Pass

Maybe this one stings so much because I was there.

Tennessee's defense and running game dominated all day long. Travis Henry ran for over 170 yards.

But something happened in the fourth quarter.

Tennessee is up 23-20 with 20 seconds left in the game. The Gators have just driven from their own nine-yard line to the Vols' three-yard line.

On first down, QB Jesse Palmer throws the ball to Jabar Gaffney, who drops the pass in the end zone. The call? Touchdown. The Gators win 27-23.

The boos were deafening, and many fans threw numerous objects onto the field below. It was probably the worst feeling I have ever felt, sports-wise. It was definitely a long drive home.