The All-Time "We'll Take It!" Moments in Seattle Sports History
Sometimes you earn a win, and sometimes the other team gives you one. Here are the all-time screw-ups by opponents that helped Seattle teams win big games.
1) Tony Romo
We've pretty much covered this, and it's got to be #1.
2) Jim Sweeney and the 1975 Apple Cup
Up 27-14 with 3:01 left and the ball deep in Husky territory, the Cougar coach let his players talk him into passing for a touchdown. The Dawgs' Al Burleson (whose son Nate is a Seahawk) intercepted the ball and ran it back 93 yards for a touchdown. After a Wazzu punt The Huskies got the ball back and with 1:22 left, a Warren Moon threw a long pass that bounced off the hands of a Cougar defender to the Dawgs' Spider Gaines, who snatched it and raced to the end zone for a 78-yard td. The Dawgs won 28-27. This was probably the game that defined "Couging it."
3) Jay Feely
The Giants kicker missed three potential game-winning field goals--one at the end of regulation and two in overtime--and Josh Brown finally won the game for the Hawks on a day when their offense couldn't do anything. The lasting memory of this game is Jeremy Shockey posturing into the camera as the first kick went up--then his face falls and he clearly mouths "wait--what happened?" Good times.
4) Mark Langston
In the one-game playoff for the 1995 A.L. West title, Luis Sojo hit a groundball down the 1st base line that Gold Glove Angels 1B J.T. Snow misplayed. It rolled into the bullpen and by the time Langston cutoff the relay from the outfield, two Mariners had scored and one was about to. Nevertheless, Langston fired the ball at about Mach 8 toward Angels catcher Andy Allanson. Langston's throw was wide, permitting Sojo to score from third and give the M's a 5-run lead.
5) Kelly Wunsch
Kelly Wunsch faced only one batter in his appearance in game three of the M's/White Sox 2000 ALDS, and allowed a single to John Olerud. The single was a line drive off of Wunsch's stomach. He gamely retrieved the ball, then threw it down the rightfield line. Olerud advanced to second, and was replaced by pinch-runner Rickey Henderson, who scored the series-winning run two batters later.
6) Antoine Carr
In the waning moments of game seven of the 1996 Western Conference Finals, during a critical possession, Utah's Carr had the ball in the high post, turned and passed it back out to the wing--but nobody was there. The ball bounced into the crowd, the Sonics got it back and won the game by 4.
7) David Cone
Cone got a little too cute on his 147th pitch of game five of the M's/Yankees 1995 ALDS. He tried to trick Doug Strange with a bases-loaded 3-2 split-fingered fastball, but missed, walking in the tying run. The M's won the game, and the series, in extra innings.
Can you think of any more? Feel free to add them in the comments.
