The Worst Mental Mishaps in Sports History

Combining pressure with the spotlight can do crazy things to the mind. In fact, it’s the primary reason the history of competitive sports is so littered with mental meltdowns and mishaps.

Take, for example, Chris Webber, who, on the biggest stage and in the most pressure-packed of moments, forgot his favorite sport’s most basic rules.

Or DeSean Jackson, who, on a Monday night in 2008, lost both his mind and the football exactly one yard shy of scoring the game's go-ahead touchdown.

And in 1993, Leon Lett also lost a nationally public battle with pressure, committing a mindless mistake that cost his Cowboys a Thanksgiving Day win over the visiting Miami Dolphins.

Of course, the athletes above would like nothing more than to forget these moments. They are, however, ones we can't help but remember.

So, with these historically pitiful plays in mind, we’ve compiled a list of our 10 favorite mental mishaps in sports history.  

While some of the chosen mistakes were more costly than others, each tells a similarly tragic tale. Combined, they chronicle the way in which pressure and the spotlight confront athletes when they're mentally the most fragile.

Randolph for Three

Before Zach Randolph revitalized his career in Memphis, he wasted his talent for a year in New York. There, he managed to put up some decent numbers—he averaged 20.5 PPG and 12.5 RPG in one season with the Knicks—but his overall focus and attention to detail were wholly lacking.

As fate would have it, everything came to a head in Toronto on February 22, 2009.

In the final minute of the first half, Randolph had it all—the ball, space and plenty of time.

Somehow, though, in just a split second, he lost control of everything, his mind included.

Fumbling the ball backwards, the burly forward sought to avert disaster, regaining possession roughly 35 feet from the hoop and with plenty of time to spare.

But then, out of nowhere, he decided to take one of the most ill-advised shots in NBA history.

With nearly 10 seconds remaining on the shot clock, rather than wisely resetting the offense—because why would he do that?—Z-Bo instead crossed over his defender and pulled up for a high-percentage, 30-foot jumper.

And, to everyone’s surprise, the shot fell well shy of what we can only assume was the intended target—the hoop—hitting nothing but air.

In only an instant, then, Randolph proved he was on the floor but far from in the game, creating a rare and impressive blend of complete disinterest and total ineptitude.

Raiders Rejoice

In 2014, the Oakland Raiders discovered a new low, redefining rock bottom en route to a 0-10 start to the season.

It didn’t appear as though things would get any better in Week 12, either, as the men in silver and black had an impending Thursday night date with the Kansas City Chiefs, who at the time were 7-3 and winners of five straight.

Yet, with hundreds of their fans cheering them on, the Raiders found themselves nursing a 24-20 lead late in the fourth quarter.

And when Khalil Mack and Sio Moore combined to sack Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith with less than 40 seconds remaining in the game, Oakland looked to be well on its way to big win No. 1.

True to the Raider way, though, Mack and Moore did everything they could to keep the winless streak alive.

With better things to do—like celebrating their awesome sack, for example—the two heroes pushed football aside.

Forget lining up for the game's final play.

They had just dismantled the Chiefs and were going to let the world know about it…from an offsides position, in the Kansas City backfield, 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

In contrast, veteran defensive end and former Super Bowl champion Justin Tuck was actually concerned with both the game and its outcome, wisely calling timeout to save the day. Not, however, before his Raiders were embarrassed in front of the nation once more.

Wrong Way Jim

When Minnesota’s Jim Marshall recovered a fumble and raced 66 yards for a score against the San Francisco 49ers in 1965, a few thoughts crossed his mind.

First, the defensive end wondered, “Man, when did I get so fast?”

Next, he thought, “How come no one’s chasing me?”

Finally, as Marshall crossed the goal line and tossed the ball away in utter jubilation, a member of the Niners approached and delivered the unfortunate, but nonetheless accurate news.

It turned out Marshall had raced the wrong way and into the wrong end zone. His memorable touchdown, then, was really just an embarrassing safety.

His special moment didn’t end there, either.

Inspiring a whole new generation of mixed-up specialists, Marshall created a football climate absent of barriers and limitations, where athletes like Andre Parker of Kent State can run freely and in whichever direction they want.

Julian Not so Wright

If you pick a man’s pocket to set up the breakaway dunk, the "stage" is all yours.

You must, though, be sure to deliver the goods. If, on the other hand, there’s even the slightest doubt you can’t, go with the layup.

In 2007, Kansas forward Julian Wright failed to follow these few simple rules, and we're still talking about him today as a result.

Upon stealing the ball away from Colorado’s point guard, Wright had all the time in the world, or at least enough of it to consider the many different aerial assaults from which he could choose.

In fact, from the looks of it, the cerebral Jayhawk had too much time, overthinking the play from the start.

Of course, even though it ended tragically, Wright was hardly the first player to miss a breakaway dunk.

He was, however, the first to reject his own attempt, an accomplishment that will likely never be matched.

Which leads us to the most important consideration of all: In that night’s box score, did Julian Wright get credit for the block?

Leon's Lapse

For some, Thanksgiving is a special day, a time to celebrate friends and family. For others, it elicits bad memories—of friends and family.

When it comes to football, for a certain player and fanbase, one infamous Thanksgiving still inspires cold sweats and sleepless nights.

By now, we’re sure the day's protagonist wishes we’d just Lett it go, though that will never happen.

The year was 1993, the day November 25. The visiting Miami Dolphins, 8-2 at the time, trailed the 7-3 Dallas Cowboys, 14-13.

With the ball and little time remaining in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins sent Pete Stoyanovich on to attempt a 40-yard, game-winning field goal. But when Dallas blocked the kick, it all but ensured a Cowboy victory.

Or did it?

Instead, Leon Lett was, well, Leon Lett.

While the Cowboys, who knew how to play football, immediately celebrated the blocked field goal, they were aware that as long as they didn’t touch the ball, their offense would regain possession and run out the clock. The Big Cat had other ideas, wasting little time before racing downfield to pounce on the pigskin.

Of course, Lett’s poorly conceived idea was also poorly executed.

Though he meant to gracefully recover the ball, he actually slipped, fell and batted it all the way back to the Dallas 1-yard line, where Miami eventually regained possession.

And if you know anything about the great Pete Stoyanovich, you know he was money from the 1-yard line, and that day was no different.

In the end, Lett’s blunder was the difference in the game, a 16-14 Miami win.

More importantly, though, it reminded us all of something both important and astounding: Less than one year earlier, the exact same guy did this.

Jackson's Jaunt

Have you ever been right on the edge of accomplishing something great before ultimately failing while simultaneously embarrassing yourself in front of an entire nation?

Well, even if you haven’t, DeSean Jackson has.

The moment occurred in 2008, Jackson’s first year in the league, and on the biggest of stages—Monday Night Football.

With his Eagles trailing the Cowboys 21-20 in the middle of the second quarter, the speedy Jackson managed to get well behind the Dallas defense. His quarterback, Donovan McNabb, delivered the perfect pass, eliminating any chance No. 10 could be caught from behind.

And he wasn’t.

He was, however, overcome with joy. Too excited to delay celebrating any longer, Jackson spiked the ball even though he had not yet reached the end zone.

And in a game Philadelphia lost by just four points, the wideout's mental meltdown was as costly as it was laughable.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t Jackson’s fault at all.

More recently, Utah’s Kaelin Clay had us wondering if the football field at Long Beach Poly—where both Jackson and Clay attended high school—is really only 99 yards long, which would exonerate Jackson all together.

Gators Blocking Gators

Take care of yourself. Do your job. Limit mistakes.

Each of the phrases above—or demands, depending on context—can be frequently heard in locker rooms across America.

Most commonly referred to as coach speak, the offerings really just boil down to one simple realization: Football games are tough enough to win; the other team doesn’t need any additional help.

This basic football tenet was reinforced, perhaps more profoundly than ever, at the end of the 2013 college football season.

When Georgia Southern—at the time a I-AA team—traveled to Gainesville to take on the Gators last November, virtually no one expected the visiting Eagles to compete for very long.

That, of course, was before people realized the Gators would be aiding the Georgia Southern cause.

In fact, when teammates Jonotthan Harrison and Quinton Dunbar locked arms and began tussling on a red-zone play at the beginning of the second quarter—effectively turning 11-on-11 football into 11-on-9—one thing became clear: It was going to be a long day for the Gators.

Not surprisingly, Georgia Southern went on to beat Florida that afternoon—26-20—becoming the first FCS school ever to do so.

As for Will Muschamp—the coach whose guys were too busy doing Georgia Southern’s jobs rather than their own—well, he has since been relieved of his duties.

Wrong Team, Fred

When it comes to one-of-a-kind moments, it’s awfully tough to top college basketball’s 1982 title game.

For starters, it featured Michael Jordan’s first iconic moment, a championship-winning jumper from the left wing.

It also, however, produced one of the biggest bonehead plays in sports history.

Following Jordan’s bucket—with Georgetown trailing UNC, 63-62—the Hoyas still had enough time (17 seconds, to be exact) for one final possession.

Unfortunately for Georgetown, though, the ball found its way into the hands of one Fred Brown, who—instead of finding an open teammate—inexplicably passed the ball to James Worthy.

And for those who don’t know, Worthy played for the other team, the one that, because of Brown, won the game. 

More than 30 years later, Brown, a successful real estate investor, has found a way to move on, though not everyone can say the same thing.

To this day, the people at Brown's local Y still don’t let him handle the rock late in games.

Lindsey's Lesson

If you count your chickens before they hatch, you should know you’re likely putting the cart before the horse.

Generic cliches aside, it’s true that a happy and healthy life often depends on a sound and logical order of operations.

This truth extends to sports, too, where, for example, premature celebrations can be both costly and embarrassing.

And perhaps no one learned this lesson as harshly as Lindsey Jacobellis.

While the 2006 Winter Olympics were supposed to serve as the American snowboarder’s time to shine—and win gold—they instead came to represent her very own “Buckner Blunder.”

Holding a sizable lead coming down the stretch of the Women’s Snowboard Cross final, Jacobellis decided it was an appropriate time to celebrate her victory, even though she had yet to finish the race.

For the premature act, Jacobellis paid dearly, losing her balance midair before falling to the ground and into second place.

The silver medal she won serves as a constant reminder of her mental collapse.

She does, however, deserve some sympathy.

Just 21 years old at the time, Jacobellis displayed an arrogance and immaturity with which many can relate.

After all, on virtually every college campus in America, bad decisions and premature “acts” are the norm, not the exception.

Webber Asks for Time

Even after watching him star in the NBA for 17 years, it’s rather easy to feel sorry for Chris Webber.

In fact, if we could, we’d give him an extra timeout right now.

Unfortunately, though, there’s nothing we can do to erase the monumental mistake Webber made in 1993 while playing for an NCAA basketball championship.

By now, everyone’s familiar with the events:

With 18 seconds remaining in the game and Michigan trailing UNC by two, Webber rebounds a UNC missed free throw and then proceeds to bring the ball up the court. Upon crossing half court, the college All-American signals to the ref to call a timeout.

But what would ordinarily have been the smart play was in this case a dreadful one—with the Wolverines out of timeouts, Webber’s gesture resulted in a technical foul, erasing any hope Michigan had of winning the game.

The decision—made frantically in an instant—still haunts Webber today.

We should acknowledge, though, two aspects of the play that don’t get enough attention.

First, upon realizing his mistake—and he should have known his team was out of timeouts—Webber looked toward the Michigan bench, in desperate search of someone else to blame.

Second, and far more importantly, Webber actually traveled after rebounding the basketball at the beginning of the possession.

It’s fascinating to consider, then, that Webber’s mental mishap should never have even taken place; rather, the play should have been preemptively negated by, get this, an equally embarrassing mistake committed by none other than…Chris Webber.

On that day, he was simply destined to be the goat. 

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