Football can be such a unforgiving sport, can’t it? Each and every week, fans plop down on their couches or into stadiums hoping to see big plays, bigger hits and a dope game, and then crazy stuff happens that makes the experience a little less thrilling.
Of course, that’s only when bad things happen to your team, though—fantasy or real—leading to a week’s worth of anger and frustration.
Continuing our weekly column, here are the shittiest things that happened in both college and pro football this week—and you can bet your ass people are pissed off about all of these.
5. The New Orleans Saints-New York Giants Game
In terms of fantasy football purposes, the New Orleans Saints-New York Giants game on Sunday was one of the best things ever witnessed. Seriously, it was like a football viagra, giving fans who started Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr. and/or Benjamin Watson an instant rager in below the belt.
When talking about the quality of defensive football and game management, though, this game was u-g-l-y.
From the 14 point lead that the Giants blew with just under 10 minutes to go in the game, to the terrible decision to punt the ball to a returner in a tight game with under a minute left, the G-Men really fucked themselves over in losing this one.
Making matters worse for Big Blue was that, after the punt, the team’s punter grabbed the facemask of the returner, giving NOLA a free 15 yards for a game-winning field goal attempt.
The game was exciting and action packed, but it was more like a video game than a content between real football teams.
4. Tedd Ginn Jr.’s (Almost) Costly Drop
While this is a shitty thing that happened this week, at least Ted Ginn Jr.’s drop on a wide open pass from Cam Newton didn’t end up costing the Carolina Panthers in the end—but it was really close to screwing them out of their undefeated record.
Already blowing a huge, fourth quarter lead against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football, when the game went to overtime, Newton spotted a wide open Ginn Jr. down the left sideline that would have, arguably, been the game-winning score.
One of the fastest guys in the league, the wide receiver had the ball hit him in the fucking hands and fall to the ground rather than sprint into the end zone for the final tally.
The only reason this isn’t higher on the list is because the Panthers ended up winning later in the game, but Ginn should probably rub some super glue onto his hands from here on out, because he can’t quite catch the ball as well as he can run with it already in his hands.
3. New Mexico State Ends Their 17-Game Losing Streak With A Foot Interception
How many times have you seen a player intercept a ball with his feet? You have to see it to believe it » https://t.co/wuvNe33MfH #SCtop10 — ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) November 1, 2015
Sitting at 0-7 on the season and riding a 17-game losing streak that stretches back to last season—no, that’s not a typo—the New Mexico State Aggies found themselves in a 23-point hole at halftime against Idaho and were all but ready to lose again.
Then, something happened.
Staging a crazy comeback, the Aggies came all the way back, forced overtime and won the game when a player intercepted a pass with his feet, corralling it as he went to the ground.
For Idaho, who came in at 3-4 and had dreams of a bowl game in their minds, losing in that fashion to such a shitty team has to be one of the worst feelings in the world.
2. Shane Lechler’s Tackle Attempt
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Looking back, it was actually a really shitty week for punters in the NFL—but Shane Lechler of the Houston Texans reminded everyone why the position continues to get shit on by people.
Lechler, who is one of the best in the league, attempted to tackle Tennessee Titans returner Dexter McCluster in what can only be described as the biggest fail of a tackle in the NFL this season, not only coming up short, but getting flipped over and onto his ass by McCluster—who is 67 pounds lighter than the punter.
To say that Lechler set the position back 100 years would be an understatement.
1. That Whole Duke-Miami (FL) Lateral Fiasco
Where can one even begin with this one? Every team can make a case for bad officiating every once in awhile, but to actually have a league come out and admit that the play should have been ruled down before it ever even got started is just a backbreaker for fans to hear.
Here’s what happened.
With Duke leading Miami (FL) in the closing seconds of their game this past Saturday, the Canes used an eight-lateral play on the kick return to score one of the most improbable game-winning scores anyone will ever see—but it shouldn’t have counted.
Even with the ACC suspended the officiating crew after admitting the zebras completely fucked over the Blue Devils—who, with the loss, are all but doomed in the conference title race—the final outcome stands and the Canes keep the W.
From the play to the pitiful refs and to the fallout/response, this might just take the cake as the most pathetic thing I’ve ever seen in a football game and will most definitely go down as the winner of the Shittiest Thing Award come season’s end.
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