Want to know which are the worst blown calls in sports history? Officials, referees and umpires are human and make mistakes like the rest of us, but we do hate it when they miss a key call and alter the entire course of sports history. The fun and excitement of watching sports, each and every one of them, can easily turn into rage and a thirst for vengeance when we witness a blown call. Many fans can also believe a fix is in when such calls are made, and that the umpires have a bias towards one team, which of course ruins the appeal of the match (though it’s also highly unlikely).
The worst blown calls in sports history are repaid by sports fans with eternal booing of referees and umpires, and long memories of the event in question. On a happier note, you should check out our list It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over: The 10 Most Incredible Comebacks in Sports History. If you feel the negative emotions flowing after you witness the most appalling blown calls ever, chances are that you’ll stabilize with some amazing comebacks that showcase the purity and greatness of sports.
Let’s take a look at the current countdown now and find out which are the worst blown calls in sports history.
7. The ‘No Goal’
The 1999 Stanley Cup will be forever remembered for the ‘no goal’ controversy that took place in Game 6 of the Finals. In that match, the Dallas Stars’ Bret Hull scored a decisive ‘goal’ in the triple over-time: the puck was not in the crease, but his foot was. The debatable “skate in the crease” rule stated that if a player scored but had entered the crease before the puck had, that goal would not count. The dubious goal brought the series to an end and the Dallas Stars to victory. Naturally, soon after this incident the controversial rule was taken out of the NHL rule book.
Six more of the worst blown calls in sports history are coming up, don’t miss these debacles of sports refereeing.
6. Jeffrey Maier, the Infamous Fan
Yankee Stadium, Game 1 of the 1996 American League Championship Series, and a 12-year-old kid was about to star in an historic moment in baseball history. The young fan, Jeffrey Maier, interfered with outfielder Tony Tarasco’s catch, but the umpire called it a home run for Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees. The Baltimore Orioles eventually lost the game and the series, forever blaming that meddling kid.
5. Fail Mary
The final play of the 2012 NFL Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers resulted in a huge blown call, courtesy of replacement referees and their incompetence. The Seahawks defeated the Packers after a controversial touchdown that should have been waved off due to offensive interference by Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate. That play triggered a hot debate in the media over the replacements employed during the referee lockout. Only two days after the infamous game, the NFL Referees Association reached an agreement with the NFL and the lockout ended.
4. Manny Pacquiao v. Timothy Bradley
Timothy Bradley won the 2012 WBO Welterweight Championship by a split decision that was quite controversial. Both ‘Pac Man’ and the crowd were stunned and appalled when the result was announced. However shocked Pacquiao was by his first defeat in 7 years, he accepted the decision gracefully. This event was probably one of the worst blown calls in boxing history.
3. Don Denkinger’s Epic Mistake
Game 6 of the 1985 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals resulted in a horrendous blown call that may have cost a team the championship. Infamous umpire Don Denkinger incorrectly called Jorge Orta safe, giving the Royals an unfair advantage over the Cardinals. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the umpire refused to overturn his call and later claimed that he hadn’t actually seen the play but instead ‘heard’ it. St. Louis never recovered and the following night the Royals won Game 7 and the Series.
2. Cold War Blown Call
At the 1972 Summer Olympics, the Soviet Union and the United States were playing for the basketball gold, but also for the victory in a PR battle. The USA team had not lost since the sport was first included in the Olympics in 1936, so their loss was twice as hurtful (still to this day the players haven’t claimed their silver medals). The USSR won after some really shady officiating decisions: the Russians got three chances to inbound the ball and they were also given inexplicable extra time. Bluntly, America’s deepest open wound in basketball history.
1. Hand of God
Argentina won the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals match against England thanks to divine intervention. Widely known as the “Hand of God”, Diego Maradona’s first goal of the memorable match was scored more with his hand than with his head. However, lucky for the South American team, the referee, Ali Bin Nasser, missed the call. Four minutes after the infamous goal, Maradona would score again, only now in an epic unmistakable fashion: The Goal of the Century. Two games later Argentina took the World Cup home.
