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Sports are a cruel mistress. There's nothing better than the highs of winning a nail-biter, while losing a close game will have you questioning what went wrong.
The year 2015 was full of incredible wins and demoralizing losses. These are the kinds of L's that will stick with the fans and players for a long, long time.
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This year, Serena Williams had the opportunity to make history in women's tennis. She won the first three Grand Slam tournaments with a pure Grand Slam only one tournament win away. In the semifinal round of the U.S. Open, Williams lost to Roberta Vinci in one of the biggest upsets in tennis history.
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The Seahawks were only 1 yard away from becoming back-to-back Super Bowl champions. Instead of running the ball with their star back Marshawn Lynch, Seattle decided to pass it. Russell Wilson's short toss was intercepted by rookie Malcolm Butler to seal the Patriots' unbelievable Super Bowl victory.
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Credit: Mark J. Rebilas, Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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No one really knows what a catch in the NFL is anymore. That was evident in the Cowboys' 26-21 loss to the Packers in the NFC divisional round. Dez Bryant appeared to make an amazing catch that would send the Cowboys to the next round. Instead the "catch" was reviewed and reversed, and Dallas was bitterly eliminated.
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In his first season as the Michigan coach, Jim Harbaugh has led the Wolverines back to national prominence. On the verge of upsetting in-state rival Michigan State, the Wolverines punt was mishandled and returned for a touchdown with time expiring. The heartbreaking loss was deemed "The Gift Six."
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Last-second lateral plays never work, right? Think again. Down by three with seconds to go, the Hurricanes unleashed an eight-lateral desperation play to score a game-winning touchdown as time expired. Despite some "egregious errors" by the referees, Miami would win in miraculous fashion.
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Once the Clippers beat the Spurs in an epic seven-game series, it seemed like a lock for the Clippers and Warriors to meet in the Western Conference Finals. However, that wasn't the case. The Clippers choked away a 19-point lead in Game 6 to the Rockets, and eventually lost Game 7, too.
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In one of the biggest upsets of the season, Georgia Tech defeated No. 9 Florida State after blocking a last-second field goal and returning it all the way for a touchdown. Everyone was stunned as the Yellow Jackets won 22-16.
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Following Dez Bryant's "drop," the Packers advanced to play the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. With four minutes remaining, the Seahawks trailed by 12 points until the Packers collapsed. Seattle was able to tie the game and force overtime. Just minutes into OT, Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse for a 35-yard TD to advance to the Super Bowl.
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Credit: Kyle Terada, Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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Many believe that college football's overtime is the best in sports. If you're one of those people, you loved the Arizona State-Oregon triple-overtime heart-stopper. In the third and final OT, ASU had a chance to tie and perhaps take the lead. Instead, Arrion Springs intercepted Mike Bercovici's pass in the end zone to seal the game. Oregon would win 61-55.
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Credit: Matt Kartozian, Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
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It's widely known that the Western Conference is absolutely stacked. With the abundance of quality teams, fans were given a first-round playoff gift of the Clippers versus the Spurs. It came down to Game 7 where the Clippers edged the defending-champion Spurs.
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It's hard enough to be a factor in your team losing, but to contribute to your country losing is even worse. In extra time with the game tied at 1, England's Laura Bassett accidentally scored an own goal to give Japan the lead. Minutes later, England was eliminated, while Japan was on its way to the 2015 Women's World Cup final.
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Credit: Erich Schlegel, Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
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The NBA offseason is usually full of twists and turns, but this summer had one day jam-packed with drama. DeAndre Jordan, the incredibly athletic center, committed to signing with the Mavericks. The Clippers were shocked and did not take this news lying down. Members of the Clippers team and coaching staff traveled to Jordan's house after hearing he had second thoughts. The group went into lockdown until Jordan decided to re-sign with the Clippers.
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Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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As Dustin Johnson teed off on the par 5 18th hole at the U.S. Open, he needed a birdie to send the tournament to a playoff. Johnson made the green in two shots and was set to win with a makeable eagle putt. Instead, Johnson three-putted to lose the major.
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If used correctly, bunting has plenty of advantages in baseball. This was not one of those times. Trailing by a run in the ninth, Anthony Rendon squared around to bunt with a favorable 3-1 count. Rendon hit the bunt too hard and the runner on first was thrown out. The Nationals would go on to lose and not make the playoffs.
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The men's steeplechase race at the Pepsi Team Invitational had one of the craziest endings you'll see in track and field. As Oregon's Tanguy Pepiot was celebrating while coasting the last 100 meters of the race, Washington's Meron Simon put on the afterburners to pass him at the last second. Pepiot was disappointed to say the least.
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Credit: Kirby Lee, Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
