Texas Rangers and Top Chokers in Sports History

The Texas Rangers held a 3-2 series lead over the St. Louis Cardinals before watching the Fall Classic slip through their grasp. They were up by three runs with two innings to play in Game 6 and witnessed the lead evaporate in the blink of an eye as Nelson Cruz came up short in his pursuit of the final out.

The Rangers proceeded to blow another two-run lead in the 10th before David Freese's walk-off home run, as well as a 2-0 lead in Game 7. While you could argue both games were on the road, it's hard not to use the word choke to describe Texas' meltdown.

Here are some of the other teams that choked away golden opportunities.

Buffalo Bills (1990-1993)

The Buffalo Bills went to four straight Super Bowls in the early '90s and lost them all. Including the playoffs, they had a combined record of 58-19 during that span of seasons but failed to capture the ultimate prize.

Buffalo had a high-powered offense led by Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed, which was virtually unstoppable most weeks. The defense, led by sack master Bruce Smith, held up its end of the bargain as well.

The most (or least if you're a Bills fan) memorable moment from their run was kicker Scott Norwood missing a field goal wide right against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV. If he makes that kick, who knows what comes of the Bills moving forward.

New York Yankees (2004 ALCS)

After the New York Yankees dismantled the Boston Red Sox 19-8 to take a 3-0 American League Championship Series lead, most fans assumed the series was over. However, the Red Sox weren't about to roll over and admit defeat.

Down 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth of Game 4 with Mariano Rivera, the greatest pitcher in postseason history, on the mound, the Red Sox comeback began. Kevin Millar walked and was pinch-run for by Dave Roberts, who stole second base and eventually scored.

The rest is history. Boston found a way to win the series' final three games, including two in front of a stunned Yankee Stadium crowd, and sent their bitter rivals into one of the most disappointing offseasons of all time.

Detroit Red Wings (1942 Stanley Cup)

The Detroit Red Wings won the first three games of the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs, which included two games in Toronto, before choking it away. It was the only time in Finals history a team let a 3-0 lead slip away.

Detroit lost Game 4 by one goal but was outscored by 11 goals over the final three games as momentum got the better of them. The Maple Leafs turnaround after Game 3 is unlike anything hockey fans have seen since, not just coming back, but doing so in such convincing fashion.

The extra day between Games 3 and 4 might have done the trick for Toronto, because whatever they brought to the rink following the off days was too much for Detroit to handle.

San Jose Sharks (2009)

Even though the San Jose Sharks won the Presidents' Trophy during the 2008-09 season, they didn't even make it out of the first round in the playoffs. The Anaheim Ducks beat them in six games.

The Sharks have gained a reputation of being a team that does well in the regular season but fails when it matters most. That was illustrated in this series, where the vaunted Sharks' offense failed to put up a fight and were quickly sent packing.

While several other eight seeds have knocked off one seeds in the NHL playoffs, just the way San Jose was trounced and how it perpetuated their stereotype as playoff choke artists put this one over the top.

Soviet Union Hockey (1980 Olympics)

The Soviet Union hockey team was so stacked heading into the 1980 Olympic Games that they weren't only supposed to win the gold medal, they were expected to do it easily. Instead, they fell victim to the “Miracle on Ice” against the United States.

Even though the Americans were led by a ragtag group of amateur players, they stunned the Soviet Union 4-3 and proceeded to win the gold medal by defeating Finland in the team's final game. It wasn't a bracket-style tournament like today's games.

The Russians' downfall led to players like Mike Eruzione and Herb Brooks becoming household names throughout the United States.

New England Patriots (Super Bowl XLII)

After going undefeated in the regular season thanks to a dominating offensive attack, the Patriots were upset by the New York Giants in the Super Bowl to stop them from becoming the first team to ever complete a 19-0 season.

Despite being favored by 12 points, New England's offense could never find a rhythm and a late drive highlighted by a miracle David Tyree catch helped New York shock the Patriots. Eli Manning was named the Most Valuable Player for leading that final scoring drive.

The play throughout the game wasn't the greatest, so the best Super Bowl ever talk was unfounded. That said, it was definitely a memorable game with historic ramifications.

Boston Red Sox (2011)

There have been several MLB teams that let big leads slip away during the final month, including the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves in recent seasons, but due to the turmoil that emerged from this season's Boston Red Sox collapse, they get the nod.

Boston let a 10.5-game lead slip away, as the division rival Tampa Bay Rays ended up stealing the playoff spot. Following the season, Terry Francona was let go, Theo Epstein bolted for the Chicago Cubs and “rally beers” became a headline story.

It will be very interesting to see how the Red Sox talented roster responds to the mass chaos that was September 2011. One thing's for sure, the microscope will be on them even more closely than usual in 2012.

California Angels (1986 ALCS)

Up three games to one and leading 5-2 in the ninth inning of Game 5 in the 1986 American League Championship Series, the California Angels proceeded to let it get away. After Donnie Moore blew the save, the Angels lost in 11 innings and the Boston Red Sox advanced to the World Series in seven games.

The Angels lost the next two games by a score of 18-5, including a 8-1 loss to Roger Clemens and Co. in Game 7. Like so many other teams on this list, once things started going bad, they weren't able to right the ship in time to save it.

It wasn't an isolated incident, either. Following the loss, the Angels didn't win another postseason game against the Red Sox until 2009, when they finally ended the nine-game losing streak.

Houston Oilers (1992 Playoffs)

Leading by 28 at halftime, the Houston Oilers were all but guaranteed to defeat the homestanding Buffalo Bills in the 1992 AFC playoffs. However, with Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas both sidelined, Frank Reich led the biggest comeback in NFL history.

The Bills scored 28 points in the third quarter alone, pulling themselves back within four points before the final 15 minutes. Andre Reed caught a touchdown pass late in the final quarter to send the game to overtime.

Buffalo intercepted a pass on the first drive in overtime, and Steve Christie kicked a field goal to cap the comeback. The Oilers proceeded to fire their defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. And the Bills, as mentioned earlier, ended up losing in the Super Bowl.

Portland Trail Blazers (2000 West Finals Game 7)

This was an interesting series because if the Los Angeles Lakers didn't make a fourth-quarter rally against the Portland Trail Blazers, they probably would have been on the list themselves. The Blazers led the series' final game by as many as 15 points and 13 in the fourth, before the Lakers prevailed.

Before the Lakers, no team had come back from more than six points in the final quarter of a Game 7 in NBA history. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led a 15-0 run to stun Portland, which was previously stout on defense throughout the series.

Los Angeles avoided the embarrassment of choking away a 3-1 series lead and proceeded to win the NBA Championship, while Portland was left to wonder what could have been. The Blazers haven't made it past the first round since.