The selection process is tough, because there are a ton of factors. You have referees botching the coin flip, NFL players celebrating straight to the ambulance, and others that just aren't sure which direction they're going. All of these are problematic, and all will find themselves in the list. So, without further ado, let's get to the best of the brainless!
Leon Lett -- Super Bowl XXVII and 1993 Thanksgiving Game -- It really takes a special person to make this list twice, but I guess Lett is that special. In one of the biggest botches ever in a Super Bowl, Lett recovered a fumble against the Bills in the fourth quarter, and as he waddled to the end zone, he decided the 10-yard line was the perfect spot to start the celebration. Little Don Beebe knocked the ball out of his outstretched hand, forcing a touch-back and a place in the Moron Hall of Fame. Previously that year, Lett actually lost a game for the Cowboys because of his clumsy maneuvers. Up 14-13 over the Dolphins with just seconds left in a snowy game in Dallas, the Cowboys blocked Miami's field-goal attempt and as everyone with four ounces of common sense stayed away from the ball, Lett slid in, hitting the football, thus making it live. The Dolphins recovered on the one-yard line, kicked a game-winning field goal, and forever made Lett a true Thanksgiving Day turkey.
Deion Sanders -- 1994, San Francisco vs. Atlanta -- Deion, always one that might find himself on this list just for being alive, sure enjoyed his celebrating. In 1994, when playing for the 49ers, he enjoyed it a little too much, returning an interception 93 yards and dancing his way to a pulled groin along the way. Hey, who ever said Deion wasn't tough?
DeSean Jackson -- 2008, Philadelphia vs. Dallas -- There is nothing like a rookie making one of the most bonehead plays in NFL history. Jackson, the receiver right now for the Eagles, caught, in stride, a bullet from Donovan McNabb and was trotting to the end zone untouched. Honestly, where is the fun in that? Before breaking the plane, Jackson dropped the ball in celebration on the one yard line, causing the Eagles to have to run another play before punching the ball in the end zone. Jackson was lucky the Cowboys defensive backs weren't paying close enough attention, or they could have recovered the fumble.
Bill Grammatica -- 2001, Arizona vs. NY Giants -- This might be one of the most amusing idiotic moves in football history. Fresh off pointless field goals for the Cardinals in a 17-13 loss, the wee Grammatica jumped, jumped, JUMPED in celebration, but unlike Kerry Strug, couldn't stick the landing. The kicker tore his ACL and missed the rest of the season.
Jim Marshall -- 1964, Minnesota vs. San Francisco -- You know, before everyone introduced all this paint and flair in the end zone, it probably was tough to tell which one was yours. Marshall, a member of the Purple People Eaters, snagged a fumble from the 49ers, started running and returned the ball 66 yards -- to the wrong end zone. To add insult to injury, Marshall celebrated by spiking the ball, which, of course, rolled out of bounds for a safety. Not exactly the two-time Pro Bowler's finest moment.
Plaxico Burress -- 2001, Pittsburgh vs. Jacksonville -- It was a miserable rookie season for Plaxico, but this was just the spoiled cherry on top of a forgettable few months. With limited playing time, Burress was in the game against the Jaguars, and after catching a ball in the fourth quarter and thinking he was down by contact, Burress did what anyone would do: He spiked the ball. You know where this is going. Live ball, Jags recovered, and Plax earned the nickname "Spike Lee", which was not a compliment.
Deltha O'Neal -- 2003 Wild Card Game, Denver vs. Indianapolis -- One of the old jokes about defensive backs is that they are receivers with no hands. O'Neal showed he didn't have any awareness, either. Covering Marvin Harrison in the AFC Wild Card game, Deltha not only allowed Marvin to catch a 20-yard pass over the middle, but he decided not to touch him after he hit the ground. Harrison laid on the turf for a few seconds, got up, and ran for a touchdown, untouched. Mike Shannahan was not pleased.
Marty Mornhinweg -- 2002, Detroit vs. Chicago -- Do you want to know the best way to lose your head coaching job and probably never land another one? Win the coin toss in overtime and then decide you'd rather kick than receive. Mornhinweg, or as some called him later "Moron-weg," decided after winning the toss that he'd defer because he liked the wind direction. No, seriously. The Bears won the game, and Marty wasn't asked back the following season.
Dwayne Rudd -- 2002, Cleveland vs. Kansas City -- When compiling a list like this, you soon realize that taking your helmet off at any point in a game is a bad idea. The Browns were winning the game by two points with 10 seconds left when Rudd thought he had sacked Chiefs quarterback Trent Green. It turns out Green had lateraled the ball, but Rudd didn't see it and tossed his helmet off in celebration. But with the ball out of bounds at the 25 and the clock at 0:00, the game is over, right? Nope, games can't end on an NFL penalty, and Rudd got an unsportsmanlike conduct for his helmet gesture. The Chiefs kicked a field goal to win and Rudd walked off the field, helmet in hand.
Garo Yepremian -- Super Bowl VII, Miami vs. Washington -- Yepremian's antics could have cost the 1972 Dolphins their perfect season. Leading 14-0 and attempting a field goal, the kick was blocked and instead of falling on the ball, Yepremian tried to pick it up and throw it. Amazingly, a kicker isn't that great at throwing, and the ball ended up slipping awkwardly out of his hands and into the hands of the Redskins, who scored a touchdown. No harm, no foul, Miami still won 14-7, but that sure made it interesting.
Aaron Brooks -- 2004, New Orleans vs. San Diego -- You know you're having a bad game when the defense is swarming you so badly that you throw a forward pass backwards. (It's also bad when the pass becomes such a huge joke that the makers of Madden added it as a glitch feature.) Brooks was being swarmed by the Chargers defense, so he went to throw the ball away -- behind him. He might have only lost 30 yards, but his confidence was pretty much broken at that point.
Gus Frerotte -- 1997, Washington vs. NY Giants -- Ways to celebrate that are acceptable: high-fives, spiking the ball (after you get in the end zone), the Mile Hile Salute, the Dirty Bird or even something Terrell Owens comes up with. Not a proper way to celebrate, ramming your head into a wall after you score on a one-yard run. Frerotte, after scoring a touchdown to tie the game 7-7 with the Giants, went and rammed his head into a padded wall to celebrate. But behind the pad? Straight cement. Frerotte had to leave the game and get X-rays on his sprained neck, which came back negative.
Matt Hasselbeck -- 2004, Seattle vs. Green Bay -- You know, sometimes it's better to just watch.
Comments (Page 1 of 2)
DeSean is the dumbest because he's done it before:
http://www.rivals.com/video.asp?section=football&pkey=&vidtype=publisher&vidid=6249
This guy could have cost them the game he is a show off he's another Micheal Vick they should kick off the team
Mental much? What does Vick have to do with it?
And for the record, they did lose the game and he had more to do with making it close than costing it.
Idiot.
Can't blame a guy for celebrating. I mean that is what it's all about right? Not important to actually get the job done first. Talk about being caught up in yourself.
Unfortunately nobody outside of KC or Oakland watch their game this weekend. Kansas City punted the ball and it was rolling around the 5 yard line with 3 or 4 KC players around it waiting to pick it up to down it. Out of nowhere, an Oakland player jumps between them to try and pick up the ball. He whiffs and the Chiefs cover the ball. Luckily (for Oakland), Kansas City had touched the ball briefly around the 10, downing it and the Raiders kept possession. But it doesn't get much dumber than that.
Actually Wade.. the rule says if the kicking team touches the ball, the receiving team can attempt to advance it and even if they fumble they still retain possession where the kicking team touched it. I saw this on ESPN. I had no idea about that rule. I bet the Raider didnt either...lol
If you pay closer attention, it looks like Pacman actually makes a move towards the loose ball before looking up and seeing the official signal touchdown, thus making it a dead ball and moot point. It's the same ruling as the Denver game, where the official made an incorrect call on a fumble, and thus gave the ball back to Philly at the point of the fumble.
Hey Wade,
The reason the Oakland Raiders attempted to grab the ball was that they had a free shot, since KC had already touched the ball. As even you admitted, the ball stays in possession of the receiving team. That's called taking a free shot.
Bench and fine his DUMB ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#5 is right. Pacman was heading for the ball and stopped when the TD was signaled/whistle blew. He couldn't recover the ball because the play is dead. You need to update your post for accuracy. The refs suck this year.
Worst call I ever saw was in a Jets-Dolphins game. The Dolphin was running up the sideline alone and just dropped the ball, ten yards plus up field the Dolphin gets knocked out of bounds and the ref blows the whistle before a Jet fell on the loose ball. To add insult to injury Miami is given the ball where the guy was knocked out of bounds, not even where he dropped it.
Hey who was the guy a few yrs ago, playing against the Browns, I think?? at the beginning of the season, sacks the QB, with time running out, and then takes off his helmet in a celebration, and gets called for a penalty... Well the Browns QB, then heaves a hail mary, to win the game lol????? I think it was in 2005????
No, it was the Browns who blew the game against the Chiefs by having the defender yank off his helmet to celebrate what he thought was a game-ending sack. That penalty moved the Chiefs into range for the game-winning field goal.
You guys are all too young. Several years ago, one team (I think the Eagles) had the lead, the ball, and only seconds remaining in the game. Instead of "taking a knee" the QB tried to hand-off to a half-back. The exchange was fumbled, the opponent (I think NYG) picked up and returned for a TD; changing the game's outcome.
Oh yeah, The Miracle at the Meadowlands. You've got the teams backwards; it was Joe Pisarcik, the Giants QB, who fumbled, and Herm Edwards who returned it for a TD.
Are you guys kidding me?
11: It was actually the Browns player that thought he had sacked the KC QB, and dropped his helmet in celebration, giving the chiefs time for a FG. And what's more, the play is acutaly IN the article (Dwayne Rudd)
12: The play you are referring to is known as the Miracle at the Meadowlands, and one of the most memorable in NFL history (directly elading to kneeling beeing seen as acceptable by most coaches). The Giants were the ones who lost the ball (and the game), and it was recovered by Her Edwards (yes, THE Herm Edwards) of the Eagles.
The Giants' Joe Pisarcik fumbled the handoff to Larry Csonka, Herm Edwards returns the fumble for a TD for the Eagles....and they would eventually wind up in the playoffs. It's known as "The Miracle in the Meadowlands."
You have it reversed. Giants handed off and fumbled with seconds left innstead of taking a knee. Eagles recovered and ran it in for the win. Eagles fans refer to that play as "the miracle in the meadowlands". I remember it well watching it with my dad.
No, It was the giants Joe Pisarchik (spelling?) who fumbled the ball on the handoff and the other team won the ball. The coach ended up being fired, I can't remember if it was right away or at the end of the season.
You guys got it all wrong. It was Piscarcik who botched the handoff to Csonka and Herm Edwards picked up the fumble and returned it for the touchdown.