The 7 Biggest Sports Robberies Of The 21st Century

It’s no secret that in sports, the better team doesn’t always win. But what’s harder to swallow is when the team or athlete that deserves to win gets the short end of the stick, and that was certainly the case with these brutal robberies that have unfolded since the start of the new millennium.

These Are The 7 Biggest Robberies In Sports Since The Start Of The 21st Century

No one will argue that these teams did everything they possibly could have to get the desired result. Usually, if it’s close enough to be considered a robbery, it could go either way. But this list focuses on unjust outcomes and moments that left people with a bad taste in their mouths.

Florida State Robbed Of A Spot In The College Football Playoff In 2023

The 2023 FSU football team started their campaign 11-0, but in their 11th game, a gruesome leg injury ended the season of their Heisman hopeful and starting QB Jordan Travis.

It was a brutal roll of the dice, but the Seminoles seemingly still controlled their own destiny if they could go into the swamp and beat Florida. They did just that and followed it up with an ACC Championship victory over Louisville, which was ranked in the Top 15 at the time.

Then, for the first time in playoff history, an undefeated power conference team was left out. The committee selected two teams with losses (Alabama and Texas) over undefeated Florida State. It’s incredibly sad that a group of people decided they know so much about football that they knew this team, which hadn’t been beaten all year, couldn’t win a championship.

FSU looked vulnerable without Travis, and there’s no guaranteeing they would have won it all, but it is truly a lifelong tragedy for the players who never got a chance to compete.

Star defensive end Jared Verse would go on to win rookie of the year. Braden Fiske, Trey Benson, and Keon Coleman have all carved out solid starts to their NFL careers. Quarterback is the most important position, but this team was talented and deserved a shot.

Armando Galarraga Robbed Of A Perfect Game In 2010

On June 2nd, 2010, Armando Galarraga had seen 26 batters and retired them all. He was one out away from a perfect game.

The next batter would softly ground it to first, where Miguel Cabrera fielded the ball, tossed it to Galarraga, who covered in time and recorded the final out. Or so we thought; instead, umpire Jim Joyce decided he wanted his moment and called the batter safe.

The shocking moment turned depressing when replay review showed the batter clearly out. An inexplicable call robbed Galarraga of a perfect game. Galarraga would go on to get the final out on the next batter and settle for a one-hit shutout.

This is potentially the only moment on this list where one could argue there is nothing more a player could have done. It wasn’t even a bang-bang play. A full-stride separated runner and base at the time out of the out. The MLB has only had 24 perfect games, which makes it a real shame one was taken away.

The Saints Get Robbed On A No-Call In The NFC Championship Game In 2019

With under two minutes to go and the score tied at 20 in the NFC Championship Game in 2019, Drew Brees and the Saints had a crucial 3rd and 10 the Rams were trying to stop. Converting it would let them run the clock down and kick a chip-shot field goal to potentially send them to the Super Bowl.

Brees fired down the sideline, and one of the most blatant pass interferences you will ever see was committed, as cornerback Nickell Roby-Coleman flat-out leveled receiver Tommylee Lewis well before the ball was near them.

When everyone waiting for the flag realized it wasn’t coming, chaos ensued. The home crowd berated the refs with boos, and Sean Peyton had to be restrained by his team. The Saints felt robbed, and they were right.

In all fairness, however, this game went to overtime. New Orleans got the ball first, and Brees was picked off. The Rams then kicked a 57-yard field goal to win the game. This was a robbery, but Brees and company had their chance afterward and didn’t convert.

Dez Bryant Robbed Of A Catch In The Playoffs In 2015

The 2015 Divisional Playoff game featuring the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys came down to the wire.

Down 26-21, the Cowboys couldn’t settle for a field goal and had to go for it on 4th and 2. Tony Romo dropped back and launched it down the sideline to his best player, Dez Bryant. Bryant went up and over the defender, hauled in the pass, and reached for the goal line.

The catch was called, and Dallas had 1st and goal at the one-yard line.

But then Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy challenged the play, arguing Dez Bryant did not maintain possession through the ground. Upon further review, officials overturned the call. Green Bay got the ball, and the Packers never gave it back. That play would be the last offensive play run by Dallas that year.

Granted, the ball moved a lot in the process of this “catch.” People still debate this play to this day, and the rules change yearly on what counts as a catch and what doesn’t. What makes it feel like a robbery is that it was overturned, and it was such a close call.

Bill Belichick Robbed Of Being A First-Ballot Hall Of Famer

Bill Belichick has the second-most wins of all time as a coach and the most playoff wins. He has won eight Super Bowls, two as a coordinator and six as head coach. He is a three-time Coach of the Year and widely regarded as the best coach of all time.

Yet in his first eligible year for the Hall of Fame, Belichick was left out.

This will go down as an all-time trivia question. Somehow, Belichick will not be remembered as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. There is no reasonable explanation for this; he came up one vote short.

Some argued they figured he was a shoo-in and gave their votes to people on their last ballot. Others think the “Deflategate” or “Spygate” controversies may have played a role.

One could argue Bill coached the best offense (Tom Brady), defense (Lawrence Taylor), and special teams (Adam Vinatieri or Matthew Slater) players of all time, and yet Roger Craig was elected instead.

Dominick Reyes Robbed Of A Win Against Jon Jones At UFC 247

The UFC 247 main event featured the GOAT and light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, facing off against undefeated Dominick Reyes.

The five-round fight started out great for the challenger, as Reyes stuffed all of Jones’ takedown attempts, keeping the fight on the feet for the first three rounds. He proceeded to outbox and outland Jones in all three of those rounds.

The UFC uses round-by-round scoring, so a fighter can win by winning three of the five rounds. Reyes thought that is what he did, despite losing the final rounds; he survived till the bell rang. At the end of the fight, he raised his hands in victory, and everyone, including the commentators, thought he had pulled off the upset.

Shockingly, not one judge scored the contest for Reyes. Every judge gave at least one of the first three rounds to Jones, with one judge giving him two out of three.

The decisions left fans wanting a rematch, but Jones would never return to the light heavyweight division. Reyes went on to get KO’d in his next three fights, leaving no doubt that the decision drastically affected both fighters’ careers.

Western Michigan Robbed Of A Massive Upset Against Michigan In 2026

Week one of the 2026 College Football season looked to be featuring an all-time upset. Western Michigan had thoroughly outplayed Michigan for four quarters. Down 12-7, the Wolverines were forced to chuck up a Hail Mary with only a few seconds left in the game. The pass was incomplete, and Western Michigan celebrated.

However, the Big 10 officiating crew reviewed whether there was a second left on the clock. The TV audience was then shown that there was not. But then they were told that the real game clock, which only officials can see, showed that when an out-of-bounds Western Michigan player touched the ball, time remained.

Amazingly, with their one-second play, Michigan completed an all-time walk-off Hail Mary that crushed the Broncos players and fans; all they had to do was not give up a 50-yard touchdown on the last play.

Evidence emerged that suggests the officials made the right call, but it failed to convince many disappointed fans who felt like they had the upset taken away.