This is the converse of the other thread on the best play of your life. What was the worst play of your life? (Not counting first wives).

Mine is easy. Intramural basketball at Davis. We were in the finals in a high level league, mostly consisting of former high school players. We were down by a point and the other team had the ball with about 10 seconds left.

I somehow got the other team's point guard to dribble into me for an offensive foul. With about 5 seconds left, one of our players missed a shot. I got the offensive rebound but was fouled on my attempted put back.

To the line I went. First free throw. Bounces off. Second free throw. Also bounces off. But! I flew through the lane and captured my own rebound. Again I was fouled--really hacked this time--on my put back attempt.

Back to the line I went. (Well you know where this is going.) I missed both attempts. Fricking 0-4. Hitting just one would have tied the game. Of course, my girlfriend was there to watch all this inglorious meltdown. She married me anyway (and remains Mrs MSaviolives to my great fortune).

Years later, I was watching the NBA finals between Orlando and the Rockets (1995). Nick Anderson (a 70% lifetime free throw shooter) went to the line to help ice a three point lead near the end of the gam. He pulled an MSaviolives--missing four in a row. The Rockets then hit a three to tie and went on to win the game in OT. Thereafter, Anderson was known as "Nick the Brick." It made me feel a little better, since even an NBA player can choke as I did...

Blew by the corner and safety on a fade route against Will C Wood High in Vacaville, WIDE OPEN, so open that the ball went straight through my hands. Pisses me off to this day. We ended up tying 20-20 since it was a non-league game with no overtime.

1. Buying MCI multiple times on the way down during internet bubble.
2. Selling netflix at 90 pre split.

Man, this is a tough one, so many. I guess my worst 'play' was when I first started coaching baseball. I probably wasn't even 20 and coaching a 6th grade CYO team. We are out in the field and the other team has a runner on third and looked like they were going to try a squeeze play. I yell out to my pitcher, "If he squares to bunt throw at him.". As soon as the words left my mouth I knew they were wrong. I could hear the gasps from all the parents in the stands...on both sides. I raised my arms and said sorry. Not my finest moment.

burritos said:

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1. Buying MCI multiple times on the way down during internet bubble.
2. Selling netflix at 90 pre split.

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No biggie, Netflix is only 248 today

82gradDLSdad said:

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burritos said:

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1. Buying MCI multiple times on the way down during internet bubble.
2. Selling netflix at 90 pre split.

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No biggie, Netflix is only 248 today

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The 90 was pre 7 to 1 split. I'm assuming you knew that with the rubbing salt in the wound commentary. Soon after that I bought Valeant pharma thinking it couldn't drop any further than 50 after a high of 250. I was wrong. As they say pigs slaughtered and this oinker now just does target funds.

burritos said:

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82gradDLSdad said:

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burritos said:

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1. Buying MCI multiple times on the way down during internet bubble.
2. Selling netflix at 90 pre split.

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No biggie, Netflix is only 248 today

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The 90 was pre 7 to 1 split. I'm assuming you knew that with the rubbing salt in the wound commentary. Soon after that I bought Valeant pharma thinking it couldn't drop any further than 50 after a high of 250. I was wrong. As they say pigs slaughtered and this oinker now just does target funds.

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We've all been there brother

82gradDLSdad said:

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burritos said:

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82gradDLSdad said:

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burritos said:

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1. Buying MCI multiple times on the way down during internet bubble.
2. Selling netflix at 90 pre split.

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No biggie, Netflix is only 248 today

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The 90 was pre 7 to 1 split. I'm assuming you knew that with the rubbing salt in the wound commentary. Soon after that I bought Valeant pharma thinking it couldn't drop any further than 50 after a high of 250. I was wrong. As they say pigs slaughtered and this oinker now just does target funds.

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We've all been there brother

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Well did you buy bitcoin at 19,000 per coin? I might have had I had any mad money left.

In Junior College...we're playing Butte JC..last game of the season, I was a right tackle. A RB screen is called, and instead of holding the end for a few seconds and releasing him..I just released him at the start....realizing my mistake instantly..I turn around to the QB and yell "LOOK OUT!" ...he got drilled. I come over to him and his face is all bloody and he's taken out of the game. Only sack I gave up the entire season and it was a doozy.

burritos said:

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82gradDLSdad said:

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burritos said:

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82gradDLSdad said:

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burritos said:

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1. Buying MCI multiple times on the way down during internet bubble.
2. Selling netflix at 90 pre split.

---

No biggie, Netflix is only 248 today

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The 90 was pre 7 to 1 split. I'm assuming you knew that with the rubbing salt in the wound commentary. Soon after that I bought Valeant pharma thinking it couldn't drop any further than 50 after a high of 250. I was wrong. As they say pigs slaughtered and this oinker now just does target funds.

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We've all been there brother

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Well did you buy bitcoin at 19,000 per coin? I might have had I had any mad money left.

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I'm not buying anymore single stocks. My last two are large amounts of AT&T and Verizon. I bought them with all my bond money two years ago. They've done what I wanted but I'm tired of the single stock risks. Just waiting for bonds to come down a bit more, maybe 10 year at 3% will do it.

OK, I'll play.

. Marky Crane fumble, near the end of the 1976 Big Game, noth end zone, California Memorial Stadium (my furst Big Game, Coach Mike White calls fir a pitch out, fumble, LSJU recovers, LSJU scores a couple of plays later, I cry the rest of the weekend).

. The last three or four plays of the end of the 1992 Big Game in the south end of the California Memorial Stadium (Cal leads by 8 with around 30 seconds to go, LSJU scores an unlikely long TD but misses the two point conversion, LSJU recovers the on-side kick, questionable roughing the passer call on Cal puts LSJU in the FG range, I cry the rest of the weekend).

Go Bears!

My third day of martial arts training, (Hapkido). Instructor wants me to try a roundhouse kick on the kicking bag. Class was held in a large room top floor of the Embarcadero YMCA. Room had very high ceiling. Bag was hanging from a chain attached to the ceiling. I positionedmyself for the kick, and actually made solid contact, but lost my balance and ended up on my back. On instinct, I sat back up. I had kicked the bag hard enough for it to swing. It promptly swung back and knocked me hard in the back of the head. Somehow I stayed conscious but was woozy for a few minutes. How my instructor kept from laughing is beyond me to this day.

We were playing Arizona at Memorial in 1980 and I was a third team backup interior lineman on the punt team. You had to have three deep but it was just your name up there on the chart. I never even practiced with the punt team given the fact that my services would not be required unless the first two guys went down, which happened that day mid-way through the first quarter. So some coach looks at the depth chart sees that I am the next man up and waves me onto the field. I know where to line up but that is all. I don't know if I block down or out and nobody will tell me. So the punt gets blocked by the guy over me and Arizona subsequently scores. That was the second worst play in my life.

The worst play was the second blocked punt that came a couple of minutes later over still clue-less me. That led to an Arizona victory.

WoodlandBear said:

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We were playing Arizona at Memorial in 1980 and I was a third team backup interior lineman on the punt team. You had to have three deep but it was just your name up there on the chart. I never even practiced with the punt team given the fact that my services would not be required unless the first two guys went down, which happened that day mid-way through the first quarter. So some coach looks at the depth chart sees that I am the next man up and waves me onto the field. I know where to line up but that is all. I don't know if I block down or out and nobody will tell me. So the punt gets blocked by the guy over me and Arizona subsequently scores. That was the second worst play in my life.

The worst play was the second blocked punt that came a couple of minutes later over still clue-less me. That led to an Arizona victory.

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Testify Brother Woodland

Don't know if it counts as a "play" but I took my young daughters to a Cal v UCLA volley match at Pauley to inspire them. A ball goes out of play into the stands. Of course there's a very small crowd and no one is sitting by the ball, which is about 10 rows below me. My youngest runs down and picks it and carries it back up to me. The ball girl at the bottom of the stands emphatically signals for me to give her the ball. So I foolishly throw it to her, but since it's a volleyball and a long way, it catches an updraft and sails over her head onto the court. Unfortunately play has now resumed and the players don't expect a random ball to roll through the court. Cal's All American/All World/Olympic medal setter Carli Lloyd jumps up and literally lands an inch away from the rolling ball. Play stops and everyone looks up at me, Rich Feller gives me a dirty snarl and fans for both teams loudly boo me. I hide my head in shame. I almost single handedly destroyed the career of perhaps our greatest volleyball player ever, for she would have certainly seriously injured her ankle/knee/leg if she had landed on the ball. At least I had a Cal sweatshirt on so everyone could see I was not trying to injure the opposing team.

WoodlandBear said:

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We were playing Arizona at Memorial in 1980 and I was a third team backup interior lineman on the punt team. You had to have three deep but it was just your name up there on the chart. I never even practiced with the punt team given the fact that my services would not be required unless the first two guys went down, which happened that day mid-way through the first quarter. So some coach looks at the depth chart sees that I am the next man up and waves me onto the field. I know where to line up but that is all. I don't know if I block down or out and nobody will tell me. So the punt gets blocked by the guy over me and Arizona subsequently scores. That was the second worst play in my life.

The worst play was the second blocked punt that came a couple of minutes later over still clue-less me. That led to an Arizona victory.

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Ouch man. You would think after the first one someone would have taken you aside and gave you the assignment. Yikes.

Vandalus said:

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WoodlandBear said:

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We were playing Arizona at Memorial in 1980 and I was a third team backup interior lineman on the punt team. You had to have three deep but it was just your name up there on the chart. I never even practiced with the punt team given the fact that my services would not be required unless the first two guys went down, which happened that day mid-way through the first quarter. So some coach looks at the depth chart sees that I am the next man up and waves me onto the field. I know where to line up but that is all. I don't know if I block down or out and nobody will tell me. So the punt gets blocked by the guy over me and Arizona subsequently scores. That was the second worst play in my life.

The worst play was the second blocked punt that came a couple of minutes later over still clue-less me. That led to an Arizona victory.

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Ouch man. You would think after the first one someone would have taken you aside and gave you the assignment. Yikes.

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Roger Theder was detailed when it came to QBs and offense but not much else. He was a nice man too.

High school baseball, playing center field. Someone hit a soft liner to center and I started to run in to get it. I backed off and caught it on the hop giving the batter a base hit, which prompted a five-run rally and we lost a game 8-7. Winning the game meant a trip to San Diego for a state championship for really small schools (this was 1980).

I had wheels and could have made a shoestring catch. Even if I had flubbed it, the right fielder had come over to back me up. I had trouble making friends in high school and this did not help. Needless to say that was a long bus ride back to campus.

WoodlandBear said:

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We were playing Arizona at Memorial in 1980 and I was a third team backup interior lineman on the punt team. You had to have three deep but it was just your name up there on the chart. I never even practiced with the punt team given the fact that my services would not be required unless the first two guys went down, which happened that day mid-way through the first quarter. So some coach looks at the depth chart sees that I am the next man up and waves me onto the field. I know where to line up but that is all. I don't know if I block down or out and nobody will tell me. So the punt gets blocked by the guy over me and Arizona subsequently scores. That was the second worst play in my life.

The worst play was the second blocked punt that came a couple of minutes later over still clue-less me. That led to an Arizona victory.

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Me: I'll post about the time I made a basket for the other team in a high school basketball game...there's no way anyone will be able to top that play!

WoodlandBear: Hold my beer....

Gladly.

Not really a play per se but it was certainly the worst something.

Alex Mack and I (yes, that Alex Mack) were scuba diving in Australia on a liveaboard dive boat a few years ago. We were doing a relatively deep dive (100 feet) and a drift dive, meaning a strong current where you just drift and fly through the water. As his dive buddy, it's my responsibility to make sure his equipment is secure before getting in the water. Well, we'd already done a few dives that day and we both got a little lazy. We get down to depth and he makes a hand gesture to me indicating something is wrong (the last thing a diver ever wants to see) and it turns out his tank isn't attached to his BCD and is trailing behind him like a cape Not good. Even though we're drifting, I had to straddle him on his back and try to re-attach the tank at 100 ft down. Scary stuff. I was imagining headlines of "NFL player dies while dive buddy fails to make sure tank is properly secured". Fortunately, I got it secured (with adrenaline on full throttle) and we continued the dive safely but cut it short because both of us were unnerved by what happened.

I've done over 150 dives but no dive has ever scared the crap out of me more than that one.

"Cats"

In High School with Dontrelle Willis on the mound, we're playing Dublin High School. 1st inning I'm playing 1st base and someone hits the ball off the end of the bat. I'm charging home to catch it but decide to let it drop in case I don't make it in time for the catch. The ball has a crazy side spin, bounces and skips to the side. In what felt like slow motion, it skips by me and barely hits the corner of the bag which led to a run scoring. Dontrelle ends up shutting them out the remainder of the game, but their pitcher Sean Parker is shutting us out too. Last inning with 2 outs one of my teammates hits a solo shot to tie the game, but we lose in extra. Not only did my play cost us the game, but I went 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and all three at bats were shown Sports Focus with the one I put in play getting play of the week.

Worst play was probably my first! 7 years old playing Oakland youth soccer at Chabot field, our teams first game, and they stuck me starting at goalie although I'd never practiced that position. Bunchball ensues, but after a few minutes a kid on the other team gets a clear shot at goal from like 5 feet away and blasts it right into my groin.I don't remember if they scored or not because the world stopped at that point. I didn't have much down there to hurt at the time, but it took the wind out of me, and generally hurt, plus the embarrassment of it all, got the tears flowing pretty good, to the point that my dad had to come out to check on me. After a minute of two, I regained my composure and played the rest of the game, even stopping a shot or two. But I basically hated soccer after that.

More infamous play was in my junior year of high school, I was a backup point/shooting guard for Bishop O'Dowd and we were playing St. Joe's at Cal State Hayward in the NCS Finals, at some point in the second half, Ray Young from St. Joe's, 1998 McDonald's All American that went on to UCLA, tip dunked on my head, and the gym went nuts. I was 5'10" and standing under the basket and he could really get up. I had a terrific view of it, it was really impressive lol. The game was being televised by BayTV (remember them!) and they basically replayed that clip as part of their high school basketball broadcast montage and ads for several years.

MSaviolives said:

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This is the converse of the other thread on the best play of your life. What was the worst play of your life? (Not counting first wives).

Mine is easy. Intramural basketball at Davis. We were in the finals in a high level league, mostly consisting of former high school players. We were down by a point and the other team had the ball with about 10 seconds left.

I somehow got the other team's point guard to dribble into me for an offensive foul. With about 5 seconds left, one of our players missed a shot. I got the offensive rebound but was fouled on my attempted put back.

To the line I went. First free throw. Bounces off. Second free throw. Also bounces off. But! I flew through the lane and captured my own rebound. Again I was fouled--really hacked this time--on my put back attempt.

Back to the line I went. (Well you know where this is going.) I missed both attempts. Fricking 0-4. Hitting just one would have tied the game. Of course, my girlfriend was there to watch all this inglorious meltdown. She married me anyway (and remains Mrs MSaviolives to my great fortune).

Years later, I was watching the NBA finals between Orlando and the Rockets (1995). Nick Anderson (a 70% lifetime free throw shooter) went to the line to help ice a three point lead near the end of the gam. He pulled an MSaviolives--missing four in a row. The Rockets then hit a three to tie and went on to win the game in OT. Thereafter, Anderson was known as "Nick the Brick." It made me feel a little better, since even an NBA player can choke as I did...

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You are not alone. This stuff does happen sometimes, even to the best of them. I remember a Laker game where Jerry West had score over 40 points, but the game came down to the wire, with the Lakers down, and West was fouled on a shot and awarded three free throws, and missed all three to lose the game. Go figure.

SFCityBear said:

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MSaviolives said:

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This is the converse of the other thread on the best play of your life. What was the worst play of your life? (Not counting first wives).

Mine is easy. Intramural basketball at Davis. We were in the finals in a high level league, mostly consisting of former high school players. We were down by a point and the other team had the ball with about 10 seconds left.

I somehow got the other team's point guard to dribble into me for an offensive foul. With about 5 seconds left, one of our players missed a shot. I got the offensive rebound but was fouled on my attempted put back.

To the line I went. First free throw. Bounces off. Second free throw. Also bounces off. But! I flew through the lane and captured my own rebound. Again I was fouled--really hacked this time--on my put back attempt.

Back to the line I went. (Well you know where this is going.) I missed both attempts. Fricking 0-4. Hitting just one would have tied the game. Of course, my girlfriend was there to watch all this inglorious meltdown. She married me anyway (and remains Mrs MSaviolives to my great fortune).

Years later, I was watching the NBA finals between Orlando and the Rockets (1995). Nick Anderson (a 70% lifetime free throw shooter) went to the line to help ice a three point lead near the end of the gam. He pulled an MSaviolives--missing four in a row. The Rockets then hit a three to tie and went on to win the game in OT. Thereafter, Anderson was known as "Nick the Brick." It made me feel a little better, since even an NBA player can choke as I did...

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You are not alone. This stuff does happen sometimes, even to the best of them. I remember a Laker game where Jerry West had scored over 40 points, but the game came down to the wire, with the Lakers down, and West was fouled on a shot and awarded three free throws, and missed all three to lose the game. Go figure.

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The first sport I played was tennis. I started out playing in the 11 and under age bracket, and as I became older, like many other players I entered more than one bracket in a tournament to see what I could do. When I was 13, I entered the under 13, 15, and 18 age brackets. In the 18 and under bracket, I drew Chris Crawford as my opponent, and he was 18 and a member of the Junior Davis Cup Team, and the best 18 year old player in the country. He slaughtered me in the first set 6-0, and I don't think I got a point. There were some girls he was flirting with in the gallery, and he told them he could beat me even playing left handed. He switched to left handed, and I started winning points, and he had to go back to playing right handed, and he beat me 6-0, 6-0. My worst defeat ever.

In basketball, I remember four bad games. First, a Boys Club League game where I committed 7 personal fouls. It was the same foul each time, reaching in. I was stubborn and kept doing it. Only six of our players showed up for the game, and our substitute figured he was never going to get a chance to play, so he had gone home at halftime, so the referees let me continue playing and making a fool out of myself, and I set a record with seven personals.

Second, playing on a Lowell 130s team vs Washington, which was losing 26-0 at half-time. I don't ever remember any of all the basketball teams I played for not scoring a point in a half of play. We ended up losing by 26 also. I could not stop my man Lorrell Anderson. I remember getting in a fistfight in the locker room with a teammate who said it was all the coach's fault, and I said it was the players fault.

Third, in a Recreation and Parks League game vs Chinese Playground, I guarded Norm Owyoung, and he scored 30 points off me. I don't remember anyone else except Anderson (mentioned above) getting more than 10 points off me. On one fastbreak, Norman is driving toward me, and I am backpedaling like crazy. He fakes one way like he is going to pass to someone behind me. I bite on the fake, get my feet tangled, and fall on my rear end, while Norman switches hands and goes around me for a layup. Most embarassing moment in my short BB career. Owyoung was an All-City Player but never played college. He got married in high school, I think, and had to go to work to support his family. Tom Meschery got him a tryout with the Warriors. Even though he was 5'-4" tall, he was the star of the tryouts, but the W's let him go with a letter saying he was too short to play. What an injustice.

When I was a soph at Cal, I got into a pickup game with Tom Meschery, and I had to guard KC Jones, the Boston Celtic Hall of Famer. He made a bounce pass between my legs to Hal Perry for a layup. Even with the huge difference in abilities, it was still an embarrassment.

Then I take up golf. I never was a very good golfer, but did get the handicap down to 6 for a year. But I was an excellent putter. I entered a tournament called "The National Open Putting Championship." There were 13,000 entries, including a number of PGA Tour Pros, and the Finals were held in Las Vegas. First place was worth $20,000. There was sectional qualifying at various sites around the country to win the right to play in the Finals in Las Vegas. The Northern California Sectional was held at Harding Park. There were 18 holes were laid out on two of the practice putting greens. The holes were all different lengths from 10 ft. to 75 ft. in length. It was scored by the total strokes you had for 18 holes. I won this sectional qualifying, actually sinking the 75 footer, and won the free trip to Las Vegas for myself and one other.

The Finals were held on the practice putting green and the 18th green at the Tropicana. There were about 100 finalists competing. Several of my friends and wives from California and from New York flew in to Las Vegas to watch me compete. The event was 90 holes played over three days, and the final 18 holes were televised on ESPN. After two days I was far in the lead, but came down with the flu. The next day I felt miserable, and lost my lead, but at the end of 90 holes, I was tied for first place with 9 other players, and we ended up in a playoff. One of the holes they chose for the playoff was a hole I had three-putted earlier in the day. One of those weird things where the putt looks like it breaks, but it doesn't, and I could not control what my body wanted to do. I hit it to break again, and I missed. I ended up in third place, and the prize was a sleeve of balls and a putter. Whoopee. My best chance for the brass ring, and I flopped.

Hmmm...

GaryT said:

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Hmmm...

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Perfect. You win. Well done.

SFCityBear said:

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MSaviolives said:

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This is the converse of the other thread on the best play of your life. What was the worst play of your life? (Not counting first wives).

Mine is easy. Intramural basketball at Davis. We were in the finals in a high level league, mostly consisting of former high school players. We were down by a point and the other team had the ball with about 10 seconds left.

I somehow got the other team's point guard to dribble into me for an offensive foul. With about 5 seconds left, one of our players missed a shot. I got the offensive rebound but was fouled on my attempted put back.

To the line I went. First free throw. Bounces off. Second free throw. Also bounces off. But! I flew through the lane and captured my own rebound. Again I was fouled--really hacked this time--on my put back attempt.

Back to the line I went. (Well you know where this is going.) I missed both attempts. Fricking 0-4. Hitting just one would have tied the game. Of course, my girlfriend was there to watch all this inglorious meltdown. She married me anyway (and remains Mrs MSaviolives to my great fortune).

Years later, I was watching the NBA finals between Orlando and the Rockets (1995). Nick Anderson (a 70% lifetime free throw shooter) went to the line to help ice a three point lead near the end of the gam. He pulled an MSaviolives--missing four in a row. The Rockets then hit a three to tie and went on to win the game in OT. Thereafter, Anderson was known as "Nick the Brick." It made me feel a little better, since even an NBA player can choke as I did...

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You are not alone. This stuff does happen sometimes, even to the best of them. I remember a Laker game where Jerry West had score over 40 points, but the game came down to the wire, with the Lakers down, and West was fouled on a shot and awarded three free throws, and missed all three to lose the game. Go figure.

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Why was he awarded three free throws?

GaryT said:

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Hmmm...

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We are honored to have you grace this humble thread Gary

I think prior to 1981 in the NBA, there was a 3 free throws to make 2 rule. It was eliminated in either '81 or '82. Prior to the 1954-55 season, the NBA established the rule that a backcourt foul would result in a "three to make two" situation (up to three attempts to make two free throws) if the violating team was over the team foul limit.By 1979, the rule had been extended to the penalty situation for flagrant fouls, fouls made in the act of shooting (resulting in a miss), and fouls due to the swinging of the elbows.[5] Prior to the 1981-82 season, this rule, as well as the related "two to make one" rule were abolished. Perhaps someone with better basketball knowledge can elaborate on this better than I can.

sonofabear51 said:

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I think prior to 1981 in the NBA, there was a 3 free throws to make 2 rule. It was eliminated in either '81 or '82. Prior to the 1954-55 season, the NBA established the rule that a backcourt foul would result in a "three to make two" situation (up to three attempts to make two free throws) if the violating team was over the team foul limit.By 1979, the rule had been extended to the penalty situation for flagrant fouls, fouls made in the act of shooting (resulting in a miss), and fouls due to the swinging of the elbows.[5] Prior to the 1981-82 season, this rule, as well as the related "two to make one" rule were abolished. Perhaps someone with better basketball knowledge can elaborate on this better than I can.

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Good knowledge. I award you 100 points and may God feel blessed when you arrive.

Where can I redeem those points?