Worst premature celebration in sports history?

[pokerfan]

Bill Shoemaker in the 1957 Kentucky Derby mistaking the 16th pole for the finish line and standing up in the saddle on Gallant Man, enabling Bill Hartack on Iron Liege to win by a nose.

The Stanford band, thinking the game was over, marching onto the field in the 1982 Big Game allowing California's Kevin Moen to run through the crowd of band members for the winning touchdown.

Nigel Mansell with a commanding lead in the 1991 Canadian Grand Prix slowing his car on the final lap to wave to the crowd and stalling.

Leon Lett starting his end-zone dance a couple of steps early in the 1993 Super Bowl.

Lindsey Jacobellis with an insurmountable lead in the snowboard cross in the 2006 Winter Olympics decides to hotdog the penultimate jump and crashes.

[Zomby Woof]

1. The Yankees in the 2004 ALCS

The Yankees fans on DU (and everywhere else in the world) had all kinds of gloating threads posted - pictures of brooms, etc. They were up 3 games to 0 in the series.

Didn't turn out so well for the Yankees fans in the end. :D

[krispos42]

5. That was the same year they lost 22-0 one game, right?

I figured if any team could lose a 3-0 advantage in a best-of-7 series, it would be that team. So I wasn't totally surprised when they blew it

[Iggo]

2. College football. LSU was one of the teams.

Team had already dumped gatorade on their coach. Other team scores on next play. Can't remember if it was LSU or the other team.

[Iggo]

12. LSU @ Kentucky, 2002

Kentucky coach gets gatorade bath. LSU scores on a 75 yard TD pass. Kentucky fans tear down goal post, not realizing they'd lost.

[LostInAnomie]

3. Leon Lett

It wasn't the first time he'd fucked up like that.

Lindsey Jacobellis's was very satisfying for some reason.

[mix]

13. The Leon Lett one is a classic, but inconsequential.

The Cowboys won 52-17.

His bonehead play against the Dolphins the next year was a worse fuck-up, it did cost them the game.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. It's gotta be Willie Shoemaker...

He had a lot more experience when I saw him ride in Saratoga, back in the '80s. He was my Dad's favorite jockey. :kick:

[Wetzelbill]

6. Jacobellis was bad

I about hit the floor when I watched that. All the hard work, all the sacrifice, and then to lose it like that, it had to be soul crushing. That has to haunt her. I hope she wins and redeems herself, I would hate to think that she would have to live her whole life with that eating at her.

[Aristus]

7. I couldn't say, but I can't count how many times I've seen some dipshit running back

start celebrating his presumed touchdown run five yards out and then get creamed by a defensive back.

It's very simple: WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE IN THE END-ZONE, SHITHEADS!

[pokerfan]

14. Alternatively, one could just forgo the silly endzone antics

and act like you've been there before. Ah, who am I kidding? What's the point of competition if you can't really rub your opponent's face in it? :sarcasm:

[Blue_Tires]

8. Felipe Massa at the 2008 Brazilian GP

Thought he had crossed the finish line winning the World Driver's Championship until Lewis Hamilton in the last turn made what historians will call "The $100 million pass"... To see the Ferrari garage go from celebration to agony in 10 seconds never gets old...

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x80zcf_brazil-gp-2008-highlights_sport

[Swede]

9. DeSearn Jackson has had a couple

http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/09/16/desean-jackson-has-a-long-history-of-not-scoring-touchdowns/

[gratuitous]

10. Easy

West Albany in their rivalry game with the mighty South Albany Rebels in 1976. No doubt about it. When Luther hit Starbuck with that 91-yard touchdown pass in the waning seconds, I looked across at the West bleachers and laughed my ass off. You've never seen such a look of collective shock in your life.

[Arugula Latte]

11. As a Cal alum, I've gotta go with "Stanford band gets flattened."

:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fZCCAqoSwY

The announcer at the end is priceless.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

15. I hate it when they celebrate prematurely...

...because then they just roll over and go to sleep.