Everyone loves watching a good drama, whether it’s a soap opera, reality television or a dramatic film. Well, sports can combine all of those into a single event, and there’s certainly no shortage of drama in watching two foes duke it out.
But the most dramatic of sporting events are those that have you on the edge of your seat, as one player or team is tasked with a seemingly impossible deficit to overcome. Yes, we’re talking about the comeback — arguably the most exciting thing to watch in sports — and the sporting world has gifted us with many unforgettable ones.
Great comebacks can come in the form of games or even postseason series. They can also come from individual players who get hot at just the right time or from entire teams who catch lightning in a bottle. Reggie Miller, the Boston Red Sox and the Buffalo Bills are just some of the names many think of when sports comebacks are brought up, but there are many more.
We’ve selected our top 30 from 11 different sports. Which is your favorite sports comeback?
Bottom Line: 2001 Duke vs. Maryland
Ed Reinke / AP Photo
The Terrapins were the No. 8 team in the country and seemed to be well on their way to upsetting No. 2 Duke. Maryland was up by 10 with under a minute remaining, but that next 60 seconds would forever be remembered as the Miracle Minute in Durham, North Carolina.
Jay Williams made a layup to cut the deficit to eight, and then a trap forced a turnover and Williams hit a 3P to cut it to five. Maryland then proceeded to brick two free throws, and Williams hit another 3P to make it a two-point game … and there were still 30 seconds left.
Duke then forced another turnover, went to the free throw line and tied the game before the end of regulation. With momentum on their side, Duke scored two more in the extra period to win 98-96. To make matters worse, Duke would then eliminate Maryland in the Final Four en route to winning the national championship.
Bottom Line: 1994 Plano East vs. John Tyler
The Dallas Cowboys won three Super Bowls in four years in the 1990s, but none of their games were as memorable as a high school game played in their stadium. Two undefeated schools met in the regional semifinals, and the game appeared to be over with 3:03 remaining in the fourth quarter as Tyler High took a 24-point lead with a 41-17 score. But then Plano East did something that seems even improbable for Madden when playing on the easiest setting. Plano East scored a touchdown and then successfully recovered three straight onside kicks, converting each of those into touchdowns!
Plano East came back and went on top 44-41 with 24 seconds remaining, and the key part of this sentence is “with 24 seconds remaining.” On the ensuing kickoff — and with no need to do another onside kick after getting the lead — Tyler High took the kickoff back 97 yards for a touchdown to put them up 48-44 with three seconds left! The player who scored the TD was the same one who had muffed two of the onside kick recovery attempts, and it was the only TD of his career. John Tyler’s comeback overshadowed Plano East’s comeback, as seven touchdowns were scored in the last 4.5 minutes of the game.
Who doesn’t love a great plot twist at the end?
