If you could change the outcome of one play, what would it be? (1 Viewer)

[kutta]

1983 state high school chess championships. My high school was undefeated all year. 5 boards play each match, I'm 3rd board for my team. Our 4th and 5th boards set records for their domination all year. 5th board won every game he played. 3rd round of the state tournament, first board draws, 2nd board draws, I win on 3rd board, so we just need one win from fourth or fifth board to play for the championship and holy hell they both lose! Our fifth board hangs a rook and loses his first game ALL YEAR!

So I would take back the move Paul made when he hung his rook that day.

 

[pats3in4]

If you could change the outcome of one play, what would it be?

For me, David Tyree

you have other SB titles, no?

Yes but, perfection, so close. Stuffing it to those Miami snobs. ETA: and it will almost certainly never happen again for my team

Tyree happened on 3rd down. Who is to say the Giants don't convert on 4th-and-5?

I'd pick the Asante Samuel almost-interception the play before. Let's say he picks that. Giants have only two timeouts and under 1:20 to go. Let's say the Pats play clockball and kneel on both 1st and 2nd down in which the Giants use their timeouts. Pats kneel on 3rd down and the clock burns off 40 seconds. Pats punt from around their own 35yd line with about 30 seconds left and no Giants timeouts, needing a touchdown drive of about 75 yards (unless they pull off a sick punt return).

I think the Giants have better odds of pulling off 4th-and-5 than a field-length drive with no timeouts.

How many skin of their teeth Super Bowl wins do the Pats need? Be happy with what you've got.

19-0. If it was just about super bowls, I would have said Welker catches that ball in SB46. That probably would be the one play to change that most easily adds to the Lombardi case.

 

[Tom Servo]

If you could change the outcome of one play, what would it be?

For me, David Tyree

you have other SB titles, no?

Yes but, perfection, so close. Stuffing it to those Miami snobs. ETA: and it will almost certainly never happen again for my team

Tyree happened on 3rd down. Who is to say the Giants don't convert on 4th-and-5?

I'd pick the Asante Samuel almost-interception the play before. Let's say he picks that. Giants have only two timeouts and under 1:20 to go. Let's say the Pats play clockball and kneel on both 1st and 2nd down in which the Giants use their timeouts. Pats kneel on 3rd down and the clock burns off 40 seconds. Pats punt from around their own 35yd line with about 30 seconds left and no Giants timeouts, needing a touchdown drive of about 75 yards (unless they pull off a sick punt return).

I think the Giants have better odds of pulling off 4th-and-5 than a field-length drive with no timeouts.

How many skin of their teeth Super Bowl wins do the Pats need? Be happy with what you've got.

19-0. If it was just about super bowls, I would have said Welker catches that ball in SB46. That probably would be the one play to change that most easily adds to the Lombardi case.

And the evidence continues to pile up that BAHS-tun fans are insufferable twits.

 

[Mr.Pack]

Chicago ahead 3–0 and holding a 3 games to 2 lead in the best of seven series, several spectators attempted to catch a foul ball off the bat of Marlins' second baseman Luis Castillo. One of the fans, Steve Bartman, reached for the ball, deflecting it and disrupted a potential catch by Cubs outfielder Moisés Alou. If Alou had caught the ball it would have been the second out in the inning, and the Cubs would have been just four outs away from winning their first National League pennant since 1945. Instead, the Cubs ended up surrendering eight runs in the inning and shortly afterward lost the game, 8-3. When they were eliminated in the seventh game the next day, the "Steve Bartman incident" was seen as the "first domino" in the turning point of the series.[1]

Can the Cubs win the National League and then World Series ONCE in my lifetime?!?!?!!

This is the one for me. Waiting since 1972 . . .

And the people who blame Bartman are just idiots and know nothing about the game.

 

[Jack White]

If you could change the outcome of one play, what would it be?

For me, David Tyree

you have other SB titles, no?

Yes but, perfection, so close. Stuffing it to those Miami snobs. ETA: and it will almost certainly never happen again for my team

Tyree happened on 3rd down. Who is to say the Giants don't convert on 4th-and-5?

I'd pick the Asante Samuel almost-interception the play before. Let's say he picks that. Giants have only two timeouts and under 1:20 to go. Let's say the Pats play clockball and kneel on both 1st and 2nd down in which the Giants use their timeouts. Pats kneel on 3rd down and the clock burns off 40 seconds. Pats punt from around their own 35yd line with about 30 seconds left and no Giants timeouts, needing a touchdown drive of about 75 yards (unless they pull off a sick punt return).

I think the Giants have better odds of pulling off 4th-and-5 than a field-length drive with no timeouts.

How many skin of their teeth Super Bowl wins do the Pats need? Be happy with what you've got.

19-0. If it was just about super bowls, I would have said Welker catches that ball in SB46. That probably would be the one play to change that most easily adds to the Lombardi case.

You know what cracks me up about that play?

To this day, people still say Brady missed on that throw. Yet, ESPN's Eric Mangini clearly demonstrated with the telestrator that Brady intentionally threw the ball to to outside because the Giants' safety was coming over from the middle of the field to break up the pass.

The ball hit Welker in both palms, yet he didn't catch it. That's a drop.

 

[Juxtatarot]

I haven't read the thread. Did anyone mention Bartman?

 

[Juxtatarot]

Second choice is Pippen's "foul" on Hubert Davis.

 

[Jack White]

Chicago ahead 3–0 and holding a 3 games to 2 lead in the best of seven series, several spectators attempted to catch a foul ball off the bat of Marlins' second baseman Luis Castillo. One of the fans, Steve Bartman, reached for the ball, deflecting it and disrupted a potential catch by Cubs outfielder Moisés Alou. If Alou had caught the ball it would have been the second out in the inning, and the Cubs would have been just four outs away from winning their first National League pennant since 1945. Instead, the Cubs ended up surrendering eight runs in the inning and shortly afterward lost the game, 8-3. When they were eliminated in the seventh game the next day, the "Steve Bartman incident" was seen as the "first domino" in the turning point of the series.[1]

Can the Cubs win the National League and then World Series ONCE in my lifetime?!?!?!!

This is the one for me. Waiting since 1972 . . .

And the people who blame Bartman are just idiots and know nothing about the game.

I don't blame Bartman. But in the interest of being a life-long suffering Cubs fan -- and this thread -- that's the play I would change.

But you know what's interesting about Bartman and all the other fans who were reaching for that ball?

When ESPN ran its Web Gems of the Season for 2003, they showed multiple plays where fielders at home parks made spectacular catches in foul territory, and in every case, savvy home fans backed off and didn't try to catch it for themselves.

I've always said that the fans (Bartman and the others) should have known by virtue of their seat locations that a play like that could happen, and they should have let Alou try to catch the ball.

If anything, I blame two Cubs for the loss:

Moises Alou, for throwing a temper tantrum and casting a pall over the crowd.

Alex Gonzales, for booting an easy double-play grounder that would have ended the inning.

Bartman is a tragic figure. He has my sympathy. It's not his fault the Cubs didn't win. But the fact is he should not have reached for that ball.

 

[Mr.Pack]

Chicago ahead 3–0 and holding a 3 games to 2 lead in the best of seven series, several spectators attempted to catch a foul ball off the bat of Marlins' second baseman Luis Castillo. One of the fans, Steve Bartman, reached for the ball, deflecting it and disrupted a potential catch by Cubs outfielder Moisés Alou. If Alou had caught the ball it would have been the second out in the inning, and the Cubs would have been just four outs away from winning their first National League pennant since 1945. Instead, the Cubs ended up surrendering eight runs in the inning and shortly afterward lost the game, 8-3. When they were eliminated in the seventh game the next day, the "Steve Bartman incident" was seen as the "first domino" in the turning point of the series.[1]

Can the Cubs win the National League and then World Series ONCE in my lifetime?!?!?!!

This is the one for me. Waiting since 1972 . . .

And the people who blame Bartman are just idiots and know nothing about the game.

I don't blame Bartman. But in the interest of being a life-long suffering Cubs fan -- and this thread -- that's the play I would change.

But you know what's interesting about Bartman and all the other fans who were reaching for that ball?

When ESPN ran its Web Gems of the Season for 2003, they showed multiple plays where fielders at home parks made spectacular catches in foul territory, and in every case, savvy home fans backed off and didn't try to catch it for themselves.

I've always said that the fans (Bartman and the others) should have known by virtue of their seat locations that a play like that could happen, and they should have let Alou try to catch the ball.

If anything, I blame two Cubs for the loss:

Moises Alou, for throwing a temper tantrum and casting a pall over the crowd.

Alex Gonzales, for booting an easy double-play grounder that would have ended the inning.

Bartman is a tragic figure. He has my sympathy. It's not his fault the Cubs didn't win. But the fact is he should not have reached for that ball.

Agree with everything you said.

 

[Eephus]

I'd like to see Gordon Hayward hit his half court shot at the end of the 2010 NCAA hoops title game. I'm no great Duke hater or Butler lover but it would have been one of the greatest endings in sports history.

 

[Thorn]

If you could change the outcome of one play, what would it be?

For me, David Tyree

you have other SB titles, no?

Yes but, perfection, so close. Stuffing it to those Miami snobs. ETA: and it will almost certainly never happen again for my team

Tyree happened on 3rd down. Who is to say the Giants don't convert on 4th-and-5?

I'd pick the Asante Samuel almost-interception the play before. Let's say he picks that. Giants have only two timeouts and under 1:20 to go. Let's say the Pats play clockball and kneel on both 1st and 2nd down in which the Giants use their timeouts. Pats kneel on 3rd down and the clock burns off 40 seconds. Pats punt from around their own 35yd line with about 30 seconds left and no Giants timeouts, needing a touchdown drive of about 75 yards (unless they pull off a sick punt return).

I think the Giants have better odds of pulling off 4th-and-5 than a field-length drive with no timeouts.

How many skin of their teeth Super Bowl wins do the Pats need? Be happy with what you've got.

19-0. If it was just about super bowls, I would have said Welker catches that ball in SB46. That probably would be the one play to change that most easily adds to the Lombardi case.

And the evidence continues to pile up that BAHS-tun fans are insufferable twits.

undefeated season has happened once. Probably never will again. To be that close and have it gone on a fluke play is maddening. Not sure how that = being a twit.

 

[Eminence]

James Harrison's record setting Interception Return against the Cardinals in the Super Bowl.

 

[Jack White]

James Harrison's record setting Interception Return against the Cardinals in the Super Bowl.

Good one. A mere 14-point swing in a game that came down to the final possession.

 

[GoFishTN]

Any goal that would have allowed Spurs to finish 3rd in 2012 instead of Aresnal.

 

[Jack White]

Any goal that would have allowed Spurs to finish 3rd in 2012 instead of Aresnal.

Shut the thread down. No one can possibly top this.

 

[parrot]

Hamlet lives.

Thanks for the spoiler warning guy.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Wide right is the first that comes to mind, but I haven't seen these two mentioned....

Wondo's miss against Belgium - Wondo scores with 1 minute left in added time, USA wins 1-0 in regulation (rather than losing in extra time) and advances to the World Cup quarterfinals. America, still on the brink of the soccer tipping point after John Brooks' winner against Ghana and Tim Howard's unbelievable game against Belgium, finally goes soccer-crazy.

Frings misses handball/USA awarded PK - plenty of what-ifs in this game, but if Frings misses that handball (1:46 - 2:20 in here), the Americans score a deserved goal to tie the game at 1-1. Or they're awarded a PK. US lives on to fight and possibly beat a strong German team to advance to the World Cup semis for the first time in modern history.

 

[GoFishTN]

Any goal that would have allowed Spurs to finish 3rd in 2012 instead of Aresnal.

Shut the thread down. No one can possibly top this.

Sorry it doesn't meet your lofty expectations, but it was actually a big deal and has had an effect on the team for years.

 

[Jack White]

Any goal that would have allowed Spurs to finish 3rd in 2012 instead of Aresnal.

Shut the thread down. No one can possibly top this.

Sorry it doesn't meet your lofty expectations, but it was actually a big deal and has had an effect on the team for years.

C'mon man, it's just a joke.

You don't think a third-place finish in soccer in a thread like this is worthy of some harmless jocularity?

 

[Eephus]

Any goal that would have allowed Spurs to finish 3rd in 2012 instead of Aresnal.

Shut the thread down. No one can possibly top this.

Sorry it doesn't meet your lofty expectations, but it was actually a big deal and has had an effect on the team for years.

'Arry would be Prime Minister by now

 

[glock]

Charles Smith "layup." :(

 

[jomar]

Webber doesn't call timeout but instead launches a fade away jumper to win the 1993 NCAA Championship

I was actually at that game. He travelled in the backcourt anyway, so that wasn't that big of a ripoff.

Traveling wasn't called so I'm not changing that.

Agree it wasn't a ripoff, but that's not the point

 

[Frostillicus]

I'd like to see Gordon Hayward hit his half court shot at the end of the 2010 NCAA hoops title game. I'm no great Duke hater or Butler lover but it would have been one of the greatest endings in sports history.

This is a good answer.

 

[Frostillicus]

Also, I agree that Thorn is an unsufferable twit.

 

[Ilov80s]

The phantom foul call on Rumeal Robinson to close out the 1989 NCAA Tournament Championship game giving Michigan two free throws and a 80-79 OT victory.

I have to disagree strongly here. If you change it, I'm going to have use my one change to put it back.

Maybe we can work something out. Can you at least let me have it for the rest of that night? It really changed the course of the party in the dorms that night.

That sucks. We can work something out, I was only 6.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Tuck rule

 

[pats3in4]

If you could change the outcome of one play, what would it be?

For me, David Tyree

you have other SB titles, no?

Yes but, perfection, so close. Stuffing it to those Miami snobs. ETA: and it will almost certainly never happen again for my team

Tyree happened on 3rd down. Who is to say the Giants don't convert on 4th-and-5?

I'd pick the Asante Samuel almost-interception the play before. Let's say he picks that. Giants have only two timeouts and under 1:20 to go. Let's say the Pats play clockball and kneel on both 1st and 2nd down in which the Giants use their timeouts. Pats kneel on 3rd down and the clock burns off 40 seconds. Pats punt from around their own 35yd line with about 30 seconds left and no Giants timeouts, needing a touchdown drive of about 75 yards (unless they pull off a sick punt return).

I think the Giants have better odds of pulling off 4th-and-5 than a field-length drive with no timeouts.

How many skin of their teeth Super Bowl wins do the Pats need? Be happy with what you've got.

19-0. If it was just about super bowls, I would have said Welker catches that ball in SB46. That probably would be the one play to change that most easily adds to the Lombardi case.

And the evidence continues to pile up that BAHS-tun fans are insufferable twits.

OP asked for one play to change. Boston fans have been blessed with titles to celebrate in recent times. And in the other times the Boston teams were usually more than one play away. So the choices pretty much boil down to the Pats' near misses. It's a nice problem to have to nitpick on the lost opportunity of another Lombardi trophy, but that's just how things played out.

 

[sho nuff]

Obvious would be the onsides kick or several plays from the NFC Title game.

Id almost go with playing the fake FG right. IF that happens...likely so much else goes different in that game and its never that close.

But...Id go with Harrison's 3 not going in against Wisconsin in the final 4 last year giving the Badgers a chance at the title.

Would love seeing Wisconsin play for a title in something in other than Hockey. Going to be damn hard tomorrow.

 

[comfortably numb]

Bo Jackson would have been pushed out of bounds.

 

[Despyzer]

"Our American Cousin"

 

[flysack]

Norwood.

But in second place - call it greedy - Bottom of the 9th, Game 7, 2001 World Series - Mariano Riveria gets Tony Womack to ground into a double play. Game over. 4 in a row.

 

[B Maverick]

I'd make sure Steven Gerrard had longer cleats to play against Chelsea

You can have that one, if JT converts against van der Sar in Moscow.

Nope on both.

 

[comfortably numb]

Matteau!

Matteau!

Matteau!

I'd take my chances further on in OT and against Vancouver

 

[Buc in Exile]

Nick Anderson makes ANY one of four free throws.

 

[Ilov80s]

Sheed doesn't leave Horry wide open after the inbound.

 

[Bogart]

Nelson Cruz catches the ####### ball.

 

[Tom Servo]

If you could change the outcome of one play, what would it be?

For me, David Tyree

you have other SB titles, no?

Yes but, perfection, so close. Stuffing it to those Miami snobs. ETA: and it will almost certainly never happen again for my team

Tyree happened on 3rd down. Who is to say the Giants don't convert on 4th-and-5?

I'd pick the Asante Samuel almost-interception the play before. Let's say he picks that. Giants have only two timeouts and under 1:20 to go. Let's say the Pats play clockball and kneel on both 1st and 2nd down in which the Giants use their timeouts. Pats kneel on 3rd down and the clock burns off 40 seconds. Pats punt from around their own 35yd line with about 30 seconds left and no Giants timeouts, needing a touchdown drive of about 75 yards (unless they pull off a sick punt return).

I think the Giants have better odds of pulling off 4th-and-5 than a field-length drive with no timeouts.

How many skin of their teeth Super Bowl wins do the Pats need? Be happy with what you've got.

19-0. If it was just about super bowls, I would have said Welker catches that ball in SB46. That probably would be the one play to change that most easily adds to the Lombardi case.

And the evidence continues to pile up that BAHS-tun fans are insufferable twits.

undefeated season has happened once. Probably never will again. To be that close and have it gone on a fluke play is maddening. Not sure how that = being a twit.

I don't care about a perfect season; all I see is aa Pats fan #####ing because they didn't win ALL THE SUPER BOWLS!

 

[bushdocda]

Keith Smart = miss

 

[Jack White]

Keith Smart = miss

Just so Boeheim could have another win vacated?

Just kidding. I think the very concept of vacating wins is preposterous.

 

[TheAristocrat]

Being from Minnesota, there are numerous events that could get mentioned here. I'm not sure I'd want to change Gary Anderson's missed FG because a potential outcome could be "Super Bowl winner head coach Dennis Green" which just doesn't sound right (I'm sure he would have found a million ways to lose the SB to the Ponies anyhow). There are various moments from the Twins in the early 2000's that might have been significant. T-Wolves can suck for all eternity, I wouldn't care. The Wild haven't really had a giant sucker punch game and have really done well with their development.

When I really think about it, I'd change Holy Cross getting that goal in OT to defeat the Gophers in Engelstad in 2006. Kessel, R. Potulny, B. Wheeler, R. Stoa, Irmen, Gordon, Briggs, Goligoski, Harrington...what if? We weren't afraid of North Dakota that year (even in Engelstad, which would have been the next game). We were gunning towards Wisconsin who eventually went on to win it all. I really think that team making the Frozen Four would have set the tone for the next couple of years of Gopher hockey and maybe even produced a championship.

 

[badmojo1006]

Mcovey's line shot is 2 more feet to the left

 

[Sabertooth]

Bostick's flubbed onside catch attempt. What a loser that guy is.

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

Ted Marchibroda doesn't call a flea flicker in the final preseason game with his franchise QB still in the game.

 

[oukurt]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFsBSbx5UKY

I am sure most Dallas Cowboys fans will agree.

 

[tdoss]

That tuck rule was BS.

The recent debacle with that Dez Bryant catch is huge.

I have a couple that resonate in my memories...

Riggins Super Bowl breakaway run

Miami/OSU pass interference call

 

[Eephus]

Mcovey's line shot is 2 more feet to the left

Dang, you must be older than me.

2010 probably wouldn't have been quite as sweet if the Giants had won another title since moving SF.

 

[johnnycakes]

1982 NCAA Championship game. Georgetown's Freddie Brown throws the ball right to NC's James Worthy, mistaking him for a GU forward with just seconds in the game and NC leading 63-62.

 

[sports_fan]

Can you change a play so that a guy doesn't get injured?

 

[johnnycakes]

Can you change a play so that a guy doesn't get injured?

No! Don't change the Theisman play!!

 

[jerry jones]

Dallas TE Jackie Smith dropping that touchdown pass in Super Bowl XIII