Losses occur all the time in sports, but there a those select few losses which can absolutely devastating to a sports team and its fans. Some cities have suffered more than others and in the grand scheme of things, Pittsburgh sports fans haven’t had to deal with quite as many horrific losses as some other towns (like our neighbors up the turnpike for example). Nonetheless, there have still been plenty of tough losses. This week’s America Loves Countdowns® series takes a look at the ten worst.

1994 Backyard Brawl (Pitt vs West Virginia)
Trailing 31-6 at one point in the game, Pitt came all the way back to take a 41-40 lead with just 38 seconds remaining in the game. But it was all for not. WVU walk-on WR Zach Abraham somehow managed to get open in the final seconds against Pitt CB Denorse Mosley. He caught a 60 yard bomb to stun the 60,000 fans at Pitt Stadium. It was devastating because the win could have helped revive the program. Instead Johnny Majors went on destroying it for another three seasons.

1939 National League Playoffs (Pirates vs Knights)
The Pittsburgh Pirates had the New York Knights down to their final out, but OF Roy Hobbs was at the plate. Despite having spent most of the playoffs in a hospital bed and despite the loss of his beloved bat, Hobbs hit a dramatic game-winning home run. Hobbs hit the ball with such force that it slammed into the stadium light tower, showering the field with fireworks as the Pirates looked on in defeat.

1988 NCAA Tournament (Pitt vs Vanderbilt)
In 1988, Pitt fielded one of its most talented basketball teams ever. They won the Big East and were ranked in the top ten in the country with future NBA players like Charles Smith and Jerome Lane. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament that year, Pitt held what should have been a solid 67-63 lead with just 12 seconds left in the game. Even after Vandy hit a 3-pointer to make it 67-66, Smith nailed two free throws to give Pitt a three-point lead with only 4 seconds left. However, Barry Goheen somehow managed to hit another three to tie the game, and his team won it in overtime. It was one of the most shocking losses ever, and it took years for Pitt’s hoops program to recover.

1976 AFC Championship Game (Steelers vs Raiders)
The Steelers of the 1970′s were arguably the greatest dynasty in NFL history, and many of their players still insist that the best team they ever had was in 1976. During a stretch of 9 games that season, the defense allowed just 28 points, a ridiculous statistic that will likely never be matched. Yet the Steelers fell apart in the AFC title game against Oakland, the team they had defeated in the previous two AFC Championship Games. Many fans point to the cruel fate of having both Franco Harris and Rocky Blier sidelined with injuries, but the defense still couldn’t stop the Raiders from racking up 24 points. Had the Steelers taken care of business, there is little doubt that they would have taken out Minnesota to become the only team to ever win three straight Super Bowls.

1996 NHL Playoffs (Penguins vs Panthers)
The 1995-96 season was a record year for the Penguins. They dominated the league in almost every major offensive category, with Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr each scoring more than 60 goals. The Pens marched thru the playoffs and seemed destined for another appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. All they had to do was beat the upstart Florida Panthers in the conference finals, but it proved to be an insurmountable task. Tied 1-1 in the 3rd period of Game 7, Florida’s Tom Fitzgerald launched a seemingly innocent-looking slap shot that somehow beat Tom Barrasso and ultimately won the series for Florida.

1975 NHL Playoffs (Penguins vs Islanders)
In the history of the NHL, NBA, and Major League Baseball (the three major sports which feature seven-game playoff series), there have only been three teams who have blown a 3-0 series lead: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, the 2004 New York Yankees, and the 1975 Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens and Islanders were two 1960′s expansion teams whose fortunes were finally on the rise in the mid-1970′s. They met in the second round of the NHL playoffs that season and the Pens took the first three games. But New York battled back to force a Game 7 at the Civic Arena, and Eddie Westfall scored a late goal to give the Islanders a 1-0 victory. New York would go on to build a dynasty while the Penguins would soon declare bankruptcy.

Super Bowl XXX (Steelers vs Cowboys)
The Steelers had worked so hard to reach the Super Bowl in 1995. They overcame a disastrous loss in the previous year’s playoffs, a 3-4 record to open the season, and a 4th quarter deficit against the Colts in the AFC title game. In the final period of Super Bowl XXX, the Steelers were once again poised to overcome adversity. After trailing Dallas for much of the game, Pittsburgh had used an onside kick and a dominate defensive effort to claw its way back. They trailed 20-17 and were in the process of driving for a game-tying or game-winning score when Neil O’Donnell – either in a misread with his receiver or a moment of pure choking – threw the ball right to Dallas defender Larry Brown, who was busy covering grass at the time. It was the second interception thrown to Brown that half, and this was from a QB who almost NEVER made mistakes. It would be the Cowboys, not the Steelers, who would get their one for the thumb.

1993 NHL Playoffs (Penguins vs Islanders)
Much like the 1976 Steelers, the 1993 Penguins were quite possibly the best team in franchise history. Like the 1976 Steelers, they were two-time defending champions who managed to put together their best season ever, posting a league record 17-game winning streak late in the season. And just like the 1976 Steelers, they failed to win it all, and they managed to do so in the most heart-breaking way imaginable. In the second round of the playoffs, the New York Islanders battled the Pens to overtime in Game 7 at the Civic Arena. Islanders forward David Volek scored the series-winner in OT, shocking the hometown fans (not to mention the hockey world) who thought the Pens were unbeatable.

1994 AFC Championship Game (Steelers vs Chargers)
The Steelers were all set for a trip to the Super Bowl in 1994. Their “Blitzburgh” defense was tops in the NFL and they were up against a non-descript opponent in San Diego. It should have been an easy win, but instead it turned into the biggest travesty in Steelers history. The defense made several big mistakes and the offense failed to move the ball well. It all came down to a last-second 4th and goal play from the 3 yard line. Chargers LB Dennis Gibson batted away what would have been a game-winning touchdown pass from Neil O’Donnell to Barry Foster. Three Rivers Stadium went dead quiet as the Chargers ran onto the field to celebrate their improbable victory.

1992 NLCS (Pirates vs Braves)
After three years of choking in the post-season, the Pirates were finally ready to advance to their first World Series since 1979. They led 2-0 heading into the bottom of the 9th inning at Atlanta. They had no idea they were about to start an inning which would completely destroy the entire franchise. It all started with an Atlanta double on a fly ball which, according to Pirates skipper Jim Leyland, should have been caught by RF Cecil Espy. Later in the inning, Jose Lind – the second baseman whose defense was so good that year that he beat out nine-time winner Ryne Sandberg for the Gold Glove – made an error at the worst possible time. Reliever Stan Belinda gave up a hit to a scrub player named Francisco Cabrera. LF Barry Bonds made a terrible throw to home plate. And perhaps most crushing of all, Sid Bream – the fan favorite whom the Pirates had uncerimoniously dumped two seasons earlier – slid home for the winning run. The Pirates did not simply lose the game or the series. That inning ruined baseball in Pittsburgh. The team has suffered through 15 consecutive losing seasons (and counting) since that night, and the Pirates may never recover. It was by far the most devastating moment in Pittsburgh sports history because its impact is still being felt almost two decades later.

Honorable Mentions:

• 2000 NHL Playoffs (Penguins vs Flyers): The Pens took a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against arch-rival Philly. The Flyers took game 3 and then took game 4 as well, but not after battling the Penguins for an astounding 5 overtime periods. Keith Primeau’s goal at 92:01 of overtime won it for the Flyers, and essentially ended Pittsburgh’s playoff run. Although the series was tied, there was no way the loser of a game that long had any shot to win the series.
• 2001 AFC Championship Game (Steelers vs Patriots): The Steelers had put together a dominate season and were heavy favorites to beat the upstart New England Patriots. However, two incredibly costly special teams plays gave the Patriots the upset win at Heinz Field, adding to the legacy of AFC Championship Game losses at home during the Bill Cowher era.
• 1972 NLCS (Pirates vs Reds): In Game 5 (which was the deciding game because at the time the NLCS was only a 5-game series), the Pirates carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the 9th inning, but from there things turned disastrous. Johnny Bench hit a solo homerun to tie the game, then after a few more hits and two outs, Pirates pitcher Bob Moose yielded the series-winning run on a wild freaking pitch!
• 2003 Pitt vs Toledo: After years of struggling in the 1980′s and 1990′s, Pitt was finally back as a college football powerhouse. They started the season ranked in the top ten in the country and had a legitimate Heismann candidate in Larry Fitzgerald. But everything fell apart against Toledo, a school who was only on Pitt’s schedule because the Panthers were looking for easy non-conference wins. Things weren’t so easy when QB Bruce Gradkowski shredded Pitt’s defense for 461 yards. The shocking upset set the tone for Pitt’s entire underachieving season.