The 50 Biggest Brain Farts in Sports History
The world of sports is loaded with feats of strength, brilliance and athletic prowess. There are rooms full of highlights detailing the exploits of our most beloved athletic heroes.
This list has nothing to do with those moments. Instead, we're choosing to take a look at the biggest brain farts in the history of sports.
For those unfamiliar with brain farts, they are a fairly common occurrence in our society. They happen when a lack of brain function causes a person to make a terribly stupid decision that typically comes back to haunt them.
These 50 mental marvels were kind enough to provide us with some of the biggest incidents of cranial flatulence in the history of sports. Who made the cut? Will it be Sal Alosi, the knee-throwing strength coach from the New York Jets? Or has someone else made an even stupider decision over the years?
Read on to find out!
50. Randall Simon Assaults a Sausage
1 of 50During the 2003 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates took on the Milwaukee Brewers. Simon, a first baseman for the Pirates, was standing on the edge of the dugout as the Brewers ran their traditional "Sausage Race."
Since he was holding a bat and possessed a very short attention span, Simon decided it would be fun to bonk the Italian Sausage on the head.
So he did.
Two sausages went down in a heap and a national brouhaha began.
In the end, Simon was suspended three games and fined $2,000 for his actions. And he was banned from ever getting to use Bernie Brewer's slide, even if everyone else got to.
49. Swing and a Miss
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It was the 1983 British Open. Hale Irwin was putting for par on the 14th hole of the final round of the tournament. He was irked, having missed a gimme birdie putt just moments prior.
So when he swung the club to tap the ball in, he wasn't paying attention. Hence, the whiff. Irwin missed the ball, was still assessed a stroke and bogeyed the hole.
By the time the tournament ended, Irwin had missed out on a playoff by one stroke, one lousy swing-and-miss of a stroke.
48. Tony Wilson's Mother Saves Him
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Wilson was an English light heavyweight boxer in the '80s. In 1983, he took on Steve McCarthy. McCarthy pummeled the Brit and knocked him down for an eight count.
That's when Mina Wilson, Tony's mother, experienced the symptoms of cranial flatulence. Forgetting that she was at a boxing match, she leapt into the ring to protect her boy.
Ms. Wilson landed several blows with her high heel shoe on McCarthy before she could be escorted from the ring. Because the cut she opened on McCarthy's head required hospital attention, he was forced to retire and Tony Wilson was awarded the victory.
Don King immediately signed Mina Wilson to a six-year contract, with a guaranteed title fight in four.
.jpg?w=256 "Chiefs Giants Football")
47. Tom Osborne Goes for the Win
4 of 50The 1984 Orange Bowl pitted the Nebraska Cornhuskers, arguably one of the greatest teams in football history, against the upstart Miami Hurricanes.
Miami jumped on the Huskers early, but Nebraska rallied to within a point as time expired. The extra point from the touchdown would result in a draw and likely hand the Huskers a national title.
But Tom Osborne, ever the upstanding gent, decided that if he was going to win a national title, then by God he was going to earn it. So Nebraska went for two. It failed, Nebraska lost the game and the national title.
46. Les Miles Can't Tell Time
5 of 50Miles has a bit of a reputation for some questionable play calls, but none was worse than his clock management against Ole Miss in 2009.
Miles and LSU trailed the Rebels 25-23 late in the game. The Tigers held a timeout and had the ball in Ole Miss territory. They had just been stopped for no gain and allowed 20 out of 30 remaining seconds to tick off the clock before calling the timeout.
By the time the Tigers reached scoring range, they no longer had the time to run their field goal unit onto the field to win the game. Rather than having the team ready to go, Miles opted to spike the ball, something that doesn't work with one second left.
45. The Kandi Man Can't
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In the 1998 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers used the first overall pick on a little-known center out of the University of the Pacific, Michael Olowokandi. "The Kandi Man" had only played since he was 17 and was one of the most raw players in that year's draft.
Olowokandi's nine-year NBA career was marked by poor play and expectations not met. To make matters worse, some of the players the Clips passed on to get Olowokandi included Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce.
44. Tony Mandarich Makes Packer Fans Angry
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Mandarich was the second overall pick in the NFL Draft in 1989. The Packers hoped they had an offensive lineman of unprecedented stature, talent and skill.
But instead, they just got a 300-pound waste of space. Mandarich was a long holdout and a colossal disappointment as a player.
To make matters worse, the players drafted behind him included Barry Sanders, linebacker Derrick Thomas, Deion Sanders and wide receiver Andre Rison.
How is this a moment of cranial flatulence? You passed on Barry Sanders, that's why.
43. DeSean Jackson Forgets the Football
8 of 50During the 2008 season, Eagles' rookie wideout DeSean Jackson was having a stellar campaign. He was becoming renowned for his big-play ability and his blazing speed.
After a Monday night game win against the Dallas Cowboys, Jackson became known as something else: forgetful.
As in, on a deep touchdown strike from Donovan McNabb, he forgot to carry the ball into the end zone. Instead, he left it on the 1-yard line. Pacman Jones, a corner for the Cowboys, scooped up the ball, but officials ruled the play dead.
Maybe now Jackson will learn to take the ball into the painted rectangle next time.
42. Sean Landeta Whiffs
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Landeta was the New York Giants punter in 1985, when the team took on the Chicago Bears in the playoffs.
He took the snap perfectly, dropped the ball well and missed. As in, missed the ball. It plopped down underneath him and the Bears recovered the fumble for a score, en route to a 21-0 rout of the Giants.
Landeta's brain freeze was unprecedented and has never happened again. The punter managed to enjoy a lengthy, successful career despite his early gaffe.
41. Mike Holmgren Lets the Broncos Score
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In Super Bowl XXXII, Holmgren's Green Bay Packers took on the Denver Broncos. The Packers were tied 24-24 with the John Elway-led Broncos, but Denver was threatening to score, holding the ball on the Packers' 1-yard line with 1:48 remaining.
So Holmgren did what any coach suffering from cranial flatulence would: He let Denver score to give his offense time to work.
In hindsight, it's a call that sort of makes sense until you remember that it's not a foregone conclusion that Green Bay would score on their ensuing possession.
Which they didn't. And thus, John Elway's first title was handed to him on a silver platter by a brain fart.
40. Reggie Bush Tries to Bounce-Pass the Football
11 of 50The 2005 Rose Bowl was called "the game of the century" by many pundits (never mind that the century the game took place in was only five years old).
The undefeated USC Trojans took on the also-undefeated Texas Longhorns and right from the start, the game was a classic. At least it was, except for one play.
Reggie Bush, the dynamic, Heisman Trophy-winning Trojans running back, broke a run deep into Texas territory in the second quarter. As he was being tackled, Reggie's brain shut down and he attempted to lateral the ball to a fellow Trojan. Of course, the ball took a funny bounce after hitting the ground, and Texas recovered.
Why Bush wasn't happy with the massive gain is still unclear. What is clear is that USC wound up losing that game.
39. Minnesota Vikings Forget to Draft
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The NFL Draft is not a complicated thing to understand. You know when you're drafting well in advance and get 15 minutes for each pick on the day of the event to decide.
In 2003, though, the Vikings' entire executive team forgot that they were picking seventh. At least, that's what seemed to happen, as their 15 minutes ran out. Two other teams made picks before the Vikings remembered they'd missed their turn and they hastily submitted their pick.
Never mind that teams have months to figure out who they're drafting where, the Vikings had another 15 minutes to remember that they were picking and make the pick.
This was one of the first recorded cases of mass cranial flatulence.
38. Jeremy Giambi Forgets How to Slide
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The 2001 ALDS pitted the Oakland A's against the New York Yankees. Oakland trailed 1-0 in Game 3 of the series, but then got a hit from Terrence Long into left field.
Jeremy Giambi, the non-slugging brother of former A's slugger Jason Giambi, plodded towards home. The relay was too long and it looked like Giambi would score.
Then, out of nowhere, Derek Jeter, the Yankees shortstop, flew in, scooped the ball up and flipped it to catcher Jorge Posada.
Giambi, so stunned that his brain farted, forgot how to slide under a tag and ran smack into Posada's waiting glove for the out.
The Yanks went on to win the game and the series.
37. Leon Lett and the Super Bowl
14 of 50Super Bowl XXVII pitted the Dallas Cowboys against the Buffalo Bills. The Cowboys forced a Buffalo fumble, which was scooped up by hefty defensive lineman Leon Lett.
Lett took off like a shot towards the end zone, but the exertion of trying to score had caused a brain fart of epic proportions.
Lett celebrated at the 5-yard line and speedy Buffalo wideout Don Beebe caught him and popped the ball out of Lett's doughy hands. The play resulted in the Bills getting the ball back, but it didn't matter, as Buffalo lost 52-17.
36. Baylor Chokes
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On September 11, 1999, the Baylor Bears lead the UNLV Rebels 24-20 with precious little time remaining. The Bears were at the Rebels' 1-yard line and a kneel-down would end the game.
But Baylor head coach and MENSA member Kevin Steele ordered his team to run the ball into the end zone. The ball was stripped and returned 99 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
Steele said he was trying to give his team a confidence boost but, in reality, it was cranial flatulence at its worst.
35. Dane Fife's Stupid Foul
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During the 2002 NCAA tournament, the Indiana Hoosiers led the Duke Blue Devils by four points with just enough time remaining for one shot.
All the Hoosiers had to do was let the Blue Devils shoot and the game would end. But guard Dane Fife didn't get the memo and defended point guard Jason Williams as he took a three-pointer.
The whistle blew, the shot went in and suddenly, Fife was going to be the goat. Head coach Mike Davis knelt on the floor and pounded a chair with frustration.
Fife was spared when Williams missed the shot, but it doesn't excuse the fart, which Fife continues to deny having.
34. Pat Riley Forgets John Starks
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John Starks was one of the NBA's most feared shooters in the early 1990s. But in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets, the Knicks sharpshooter went cold, going just 2-for-8 in the first three quarters.
But rather than benching him and giving him a chance to sort himself out, head coach Pat Riley's brain farted so badly that he suffered from temporary localized amnesia, forgetting that Starks was having a lousy night shooting.
He left Starks in the game and the guard went 0-for-10 in the fourth quarter as the Knicks fell to the Rockets.
33. Brett Favre's Old Brain Farts
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Forty-year-old quarterback Brett Favre was on the cusp of taking the Minnesota Vikings to the Super Bowl in January 2010. His Vikes were tied with the New Orleans Saints late in the fourth quarter and held the ball at the Saints' 38-yard line, which put them within field goal range.
All Favre had to do was hand the ball to Adrian Peterson and kick the field goal. Instead, he opted to throw a pass which was, of course, intercepted.
The Vikings went on to lose in overtime and Favre hasn't been the same since.
32. Ricky Davis Gets Greedy
19 of 50My apologies for the terrible music on this one. Ricky Davis was a forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. His team was taking on the Utah Jazz and Davis was one rebound short of a triple-double with just seconds left on the clock.
So he did what any self-absorbed, petulant, stat-obsessed basketball player would do: He took a missed shot at his own rim, then grabbed the rebound.
Davis wasn't credited with the rebound (thank goodness) and he's now out of basketball.
31. Steve Bartman
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Look, I don't want to talk about this. You don't want to talk about Bartman interfering with Moises Alou's catch and costing the Cubs a potential World Series trip—let's just move on, okay?
30. Grady Trusts Pedro
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Game 7, 2003 ALCS between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Manager Grady Little opts to leave starter Pedro Martinez in the ball game despite clear signs of fatigue.
The manager's brain didn't just fart, it shut down completely, as the Red Sox went on to lose the game and the series, and prolonged their fans' misery for another season.
29. Gus Frerotte's Head Is Stronger Than Brick
22 of 50In what universe is it a good idea to headbutt any wall, much less one that has brick behind a half inch of padding?
The smack after a rushing touchdown apparently made the brain fart a permanent condition for Frerotte, a then-promising young quarterback who turned into, well, Gus Frerotte after the incident.
28. Guess Who Can't Count to Three?
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If your answer was "baseball players," you win! Players like Milton Bradley, Trot Nixon and Larry Walker have all made plays thinking it was the third out, then tossed the ball into the stands.
I guess when you're paid to play baseball, kindergarten math skills aren't really a requirement.
27. Marvin Austin Can't Shut Up
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Marvin Austin was an imposing defensive tackle formerly associated with the University of North Carolina. I say formerly because Marvin was kicked off the football team after it was revealed that he'd been to a party in Miami hosted by an agent, on that agent's dime.
How do we know this? Because Marvin Austin tweeted about it. That's right, this mental marvel thought it would be a good idea to talk about committing a violation of NCAA rules in a public forum monitored by the press.
Austin tried to deny the allegations, but the NCAA had proof in the tweets he had posted. Because, you know, no one checks Twitter for info like that.
26. The Band Is on the Field!
25 of 50Anytime a band is involved in a play, you know there was cranial flatulence of some kind going on. Here Stanford's band thinks the game is over and inadvertently ends it with their superb blocking ability.
25. Sven Kramer Got Some Bad Advice
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Bad advice can be killer. In the case of Sven Kramer, the Dutch speedskating sensation, it can cost you a gold medal.
Kramer thought he had won the men's 10,000 meter race at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. And, given his Olympic record time, he had.
The only problem was, Kramer had been sent down the wrong lane by his coach during the race. He was supposed to be on the outside and had gone to the inside.
The brain fart was enough to cost him his medal and earn his coach a place in the brain fart Hall of Shame.
24. Isaiah Thomas Telegraphs an Eastern Conference Championship
27 of 50It was Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons. Detroit had just forced a turnover with five seconds left and a one-point lead. All they needed to do was inbound the ball and a berth in the NBA Finals was all but assured.
But Pistons point guard Isaiah Thomas stared his target down on the ensuing play and lobbed a slow pass to him, the kind of pass Celtics-legend Larry Bird loved to intercept. Bird did just that and found Dennis Johnson for the game-winning, series-shifting basket.
23. Sam Bowie
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Yes, I realize the Blazers had a dynamic scorer in Clyde Drexler heading into the 1984 NBA Draft. I also realize that they needed a post presence.
But in what universe is a fifth-year senior center with bad knees better than one of the most dynamic talents in the history of the NBA Draft?
I mean, Sam Bowie had a decent, 10-year long NBA career. But he was no Michael Jordan, which puts his selection by the Blazers among the biggest brain farts ever.
22. Charlie Weis Can't Do Math
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In 2007, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish held a 46-year winning streak against the Midshipmen of Navy. However, the cadets gave the Irish all they could handle that season and the game was tied late.
But Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis was having issues adding to figure out how many points he needed to break the tie and opted to try for a touchdown, rather than kicking what would have been the game-winning field goal.
The touchdown pass was incomplete and Weis single-handedly ended the Irish's win streak.
21. Marty Mornhinweg Over-Thinks a Coin Toss
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In 2002, the moribund Detroit Lions looked poised for a rare win. They had forced overtime against the Chicago Bears and had won the coin toss. Victory looked imminent, especially with strong-legged kicker Jason Hanson at their disposal.
At least, victory was imminent until Mornhinweg opted to "play with the wind" and kick off. Needless to say, the Bears marched down and scored the game-winning points.
When you're in sudden death, you don't need to over-think things. Just take the ball, score and go home.
20. Sal Alosi
31 of 50By this point, we know the story behind Alosi's trip of Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll. Even if Alosi was ordered to form the wall and trip Carroll (he probably was), why didn't his brain kick in and tell him it was a bad idea?
19. Refs Let Henry's Rugby Goal Stand
32 of 50It was the deciding qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup between Ireland and France. After the Irish goal in the match, they needed simply to finish the match and force extra time.
But on a free kick late in the match, French forward Thierry Henry controlled the lob with his hand and knocked the ball to William Gallas, who buried the goal.
Despite the protestations of the entire Irish team, the referee refused to see the concrete evidence of Henry's handball, allowing the goal and putting France through to the World Cup.
Not since the days of Maradona had a referee's brain been so incapable of proper function, and the Irish are still somewhat peeved over missing the World Cup.
18. Darko Milicic
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Once again, when you've got two proven players in Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade still on the board and you choose a potential-laden but untested Darko Milicic, what are you thinking?
Was Joe Dumars even thinking at all in 2003?
In hindsight, we all knew someone with bleached hair couldn't succeed in the NBA unless their name was Dennis Rodman.
17. Leon Lett and the Field Goal
34 of 50Yes. During the 1993 regular season, just months after his Super Bowl brain fart, Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett did it again.
This time, it was a potential game-winning field goal by the Miami Dolphins on Christmas Day. The kick was blocked and as long as the Cowboys didn't touch the ball until it stopped, they would win the game.
Except Leon saw the ball on the ground and his brain immediately stopped. He lunged towards the ball, sliding and knocking it further away. The Dolphins recovered the now-live ball and kicked another field goal. This one was good, and the Cowboys took home a loss.
16. The Miracle at the Meadowlands
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It was 1978. The New York Giants led the Philadelphia Eagles 17-12 with enough time for one play left. If the Giants kneeled on the ball, they would win the game and score a major upset.
Except, offensive coordinator Bob Gibson felt the need to assert control over quarterback Joe Pisarcik, who he felt was differing too much from play calls he was signalling in. So, he called a handoff to Larry Csonka and Pisarcik did as commanded.
The ball popped out and was scooped up by Eagles linebacker Herm Edwards, who ran it in for the game-winning score.
Because of that brain fart, we now have the victory formation, designed to ensure nothing like this happens again.
15. The Hand of God Blinds a Referee
36 of 50It was the quarterfinal of the 1986 World Cup, pitting England against Argentina. The Brits were leading the Argentines 1-0 in the match, when talented Argentine striker Diego Maradona went to work.
Maradona weaved and zipped through the English defense, feeding Jorge Valdano and sprinting into the box.
Valdano chipped the ball and Maradona leapt, punching the ball into the net to tie the game. The English protested, but referee Ali Bin Nasser claimed he had not seen the infraction and the goal stood.
It represents quite a feat of cranial flatulence that Nasser didn't see the punch, considering you can see it fairly well even on this old footage.
14. Merkle's Boner
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In 1908, the Chicago Cubs were taking on the New York Giants. Fred Merkle, a 19-year-old rookie, was on first and Moose McCormick was on third as shortstop Al Bridwell stepped to the plate.
Bridwell hit a screamer into center field and the game appeared to be over as McCormick crossed home plate.
But as fans poured onto the field in celebration, Merkle headed into the dugout without touching second base, a violation of rule 4.09, which states a run is not scored if a player crosses home on a play when the third out is made by force out.
Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers saw Merkle head into the clubhouse and quickly tagged second. The umpires ruled him out and the game was replayed at a later date, when the two finished the season tied for the National League pennant. The Cubs won the pennant and the Giants had Merkle and his boner (as the mistake was named by the New York media) to thank.
13. Marcos Ambrose Forgets to Drive
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On June 19, 2010, at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, NASCAR driver Marcos Ambrose did something we never thought we'd see.
The race was in caution and Ambrose, who was leading the race, shut his car off to save fuel. Apart from being a rules violation (cars cannot slow to a crawl or stop during a caution), it was one of the dumbest things Ambrose could have done.
By the time he got his car started again, he had slipped back to seventh place and had given Jimmie Johnson his first win at the road course.
Who thinks to turn their car off in the middle of a race? And who, when they think of that, decides that it's a good idea?
12. Jean Van De Velde
39 of 50It was the 18th hole of the final round of the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie. Frenchman Jean van de Velde led the tournament by three strokes and needed no worse than a six on the par-four 18th to win.
But after a solid tee shot put the Frenchman in shallow rough, his second shot buried him in the thick stuff. His third plopped him in the Barry Burn and his fifth (his fourth was a drop) put him in a bunker. Van de Velde then missed the chip shot to cause a playoff. He eventually folded to Paul Lawrie in said playoff and descended into the bowels of infamy.
All of this could have been avoided if Jean van de Velde's brain hadn't locked up after his first shot.
11. Bill Buckner
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Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. The Boston Red Sox were tied with the New York Mets after what had been a tough inning. Still, they had a full count on left fielder Mookie Wilson and Bob Stanley delivered a pitch that Wilson blooped down the first base line.
Surely, Red Sox nation thought, first baseman Bill Buckner would come up with the ball. Except, in that moment, Buckner's brain locked up and the ball passed through his legs.
The winning run crossed the plate and the Sox lost the game and, eventually, the series.
10. Roberto Di Vicenzo
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The Argentine golfer was one of the sport's best in the 1950s and 1960s. But at the 1968 Masters, Di Vicenzo committed arguably the biggest mental error in a sport full of potential mental potholes.
In the final round, Di Vicenzo entered a four for his score on the par-four 17th, when he had actually birdied the hole. But after the 18th, he was so irritated that he didn't check his score. He signed the card and the extra stroke proved to be the difference between a victory and a playoff with Bob Goalby.
He would lose the playoff.
When told of the mistake, Di Vicenzo reportedly exclaimed, "What a stupid I am!" What a stupid, indeed.
9. Ed Hochuli Blows the Chargers' Season
42 of 50It was the end of the Week 2 clash between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers in 2008. The Broncos trailed 38-31 with just over a minute to go. Quarterback Jay Cutler rolled out and wound up to throw a pass.
But the quarterback dropped the ball in the process and what appeared to be the game-icing fumble was recovered by the Bolts.
Except Ed Hochuli hadn't seen it that way. To him, it was clearly an incomplete pass, and because the play was blown dead on the "incompletion," it couldn't be reviewed.
The play wound up costing the Bolts the game and nearly cost them a playoff spot. Hochuli later admitted the mistake and apologized to the Chargers' fans for his colossal brain fart.
8. Tikhonov Benches Tretiak, Brain a Healthy Scratch
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The Soviet Union had one of the greatest goalies in history in Vladislav Tretiak. So it came as quite a shock when the dominant keeper stayed on the bench after the first intermission of the Soviet clash with the United States in the semifinals of the 1980 Winter Olympics.
No one knows why head coach Victor Tikhonov benched his talented keeper, but the move ultimately came back to haunt him, as the Americans stole their miraculous win thanks to the inferior play of backup Vladimir Myshkin.
7. Zidane Loses His Head, World Cup
44 of 50The 2006 World Cup Final between France and Italy was one of the most closely contested finals in the tournament's history.
The French and Italians were tied 1-1 in extra time, when the talismanic French midfielder heard something from Italian pest Marco Materazzi he didn't like. Zidane whipped around and in a moment of stupidity, headbutted the Italian in the chest. A red card was instantaneous.
Without Zidane's deft scoring touch, the French folded in the shootout.
6. Lindsey Jacobellis Tricks Out of a Gold Medal
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It was the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. American downhill snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis was leading the field by a mile in the finals. Everything looked in line for her to nab her first-ever Olympic gold.
Until her brain farted. Jacobellis attempted a method air, grabbing her board in midair. She came down funny and wiped out, eventually being passed and finishing second.
Why you would showboat after such a dominating performance is beyond me, but if you do, please make sure you know you can land the trick.
5. Andres Escobar
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It was the 1994 World Cup. The Colombian national team was heavily favored to advance out of the group stages and a win against the American hosts would all but guarantee safe passage through.
In the 33rd minute of the match, a cross from American midfielder John Harkes came into the box. Escobar, a Colombian defender, stretched to clear it. The ball glanced off his leg and into the net. The Americans ultimately won the game 2-1 and Colombia crashed out in the group stage.
As a result of Escobar's brain fart, many Colombian gang members lost money in betting. So, they took it out on the defenseman, shooting him 12 times outside a Medellin nightclub, shouting "goooooooaaaaaaaaalllllll" as they did so.
4. Jim Joyce Brain Farts on History
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It was June 2, 2010 in a game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. Tigers pitcher Armando Galarragga was one out from a perfect game and induced a ground ball to the right side of the infield. The pitcher sprinted to the bag and beat Luke Donald there by a split second.
Unless you were first base umpire Jim Joyce. In a moment of stupidity, Joyce ruled Donald safe, blowing not just Galarragga's perfect game, but his no-hitter as well.
Joyce admitted his mistake and apologized to the pitcher, but Major League Baseball still hasn't fixed Joyce's brain fart in the annals of history.
3. Don Denkinger and the World Series
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Game 6 of the 1985 World Series. The Kansas City Royals trailed the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 in the game and 3-2 in the series. In the bottom of the ninth, leadoff hitter Luis Orta hit a chopper to second and there was a close play at first.
While most believed Orta out, first base umpire Don Denkinger ruled him safe. The Cardinals were livid and eventually lost the game 2-1.
After the game, commissioner Peter Ueberroth was waiting for Denkinger in the umpires' locker room. The ump asked Ueberroth whether he thought he got the call right. Ueberroth reportedly shook his head and said simply, "No, you didn't."
The Cardinals were so flustered by the call that they were routed 11-0 in Game 7, as the Royals took home their first and only World Series title.
2. Fifth Down
49 of 50It was midway through the 1990 season when the Colorado Buffalos traveled to take on the Missouri Tigers. The Buffs were one of college football's best teams that season, but they found themselves down 31-27 late in the game.
CU orchestrated a fantastic drive, giving themselves first-and-goal at the 1-yard line with 40 seconds left. On first down, Colorado spiked the ball. On second down, running back Eric Bieniemy was stuffed and the Buffs took their final timeout. But the sideline officials didn't flip the down marker to third down for the next play, another run by Bieniemy, and on fourth down, Colorado spiked the ball.
The officials, thinking it had just been third down, gave Colorado a fifth down and the Buffs scored. After some consultation, the Buffs were awarded the touchdown, but made to try the extra point, which they sat on to take a 33-31 win.
It's rare to see a team get a fifth down like that. It's rarer still to see it decide a game. Because of the magnitude of this brain fart, it has to go high on the list.
1. Chris Webber's Timeout
50 of 50The ultimate brain fart. Webber and Michigan were down two with 18 seconds to play in the 1993 NCAA tournament final against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Webber pulled down a free throw rebound, and promptly traveled (a brain fart by the official standing two feet away from him, who ignored it). He then dribbled down court at top speed, and ran straight into the teeth of the UNC defense.
Once there, he called a timeout so the Wolverines could draw up a play.
The only problem was, Michigan had no timeouts. A technical foul was levied and Dean Smith won his final national title.
Not only did the ref have a brain fart on the travel, Webber's brain shut down once he got down court. For the rare double brain fart, Chris Webber has the distinction of having the biggest in history.
.jpg?w=480 "Chiefs Giants Football")
