I offer this up as the starting point for a conversation on great sports comebacks. Is my list a little skewed towards my favorite sports teams? Of course it is. But lets use this as the jumping off point to allow you to chime in on what you feel the best sports comebacks have been. I am using the four major North American sports leagues as my points of reference. Once again, if you have something else to offer, then lets hear it.
- January 3, 1993 - The Comeback
To Buffalo Bills fans it is simply known as "the comeback." To Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans fans it is known as that "goddamned playoff game." By the time it was over, the people of Houston were throwing their Oilers gear out onto their lawns and burning Warren Moon in effigy.
It was the wild card round of the 1992-1993 playoffs and the Bills were in rough shape. Injuries meant that there was no Jim Kelly or Thurman Thomas available to play in the game at all. By the time halftime came around, the Bills were down 28-3.
But back-up quarterback Frank Reich and back-up running back Kenneth Davis orchestrated a comeback that stands as the greatest in playoff history. The Oilers scored the first touchdown of the second half before Buffalo roared back to score 28 points in the third quarter. Steve Christie's kick to win the game in overtime sealed the greatest comeback in NFL history.
- February 6, 1986 - Bouncing The Bruins
Dave Andreychuk was given a lot of nicknames when he played for the Buffalo Sabres. He was called the "Gentle Giant" because he usually avoided physical contact. The nickname "Garbagetruk" came about because he had a habit of getting most of his goals off rebounds in front of the net. But on February 6, 1986, the Garbagetruk was nothing short of spectacular.
The Sabres were not one of the more competitive teams in the Adams Division that year, but it was a team on the brink of greatness. The 1985-1986 season was one of the most prolific seasons of Andreychuk's career in Buffalo. He scored 36 goals that season, but it was the five he netted on February 6 that everyone will remember.
The Sabres had always had problems beating the Bruins in Boston, and this game entered the third period with Boston holding the lead. Andreychuk had scored a goal earlier in the game, but was otherwise not much of a factor. In the third period, Andreychuk scored four goals to push the Sabres to an 8-6 win over the Bruins in the Boston Gardens.
- 2004 ALCS - Boston Red Sox versus New York Yankees
The 2004 Red Sox called themselves the "Idiots." They were not clean shaven nor were they very cultured. They certainly did not look like the Yankees. Thankfully for Red Sox Nation, that Boston team did not play like the Yankees either.
When game four of the ALCS rolled around that year, the Red Sox had lost the first three games including a rather embarrassing 19-8 home loss. The Red Sox were down 4-3 in the ninth inning of game four when the game was tied due to some timely hitting and good pinch running. In extra innings, David Ortiz hit the home run that started the greatest comeback in baseball history. The Red Sox went on to beat the Yankees in seven games and then swept the Cardinals to win the 2004 World Series.
I'm not too sure about basketball comebacks, but I am willing to learn. If you have a basketball comeback to add, then let me know. If you have any comments about these comebacks, then let's hear them. But I doubt you will be able to convince me that these are not the three greatest sports comebacks of all time.
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