“It ain’t over ’til it’s over”. Yogi Berra, the great and ever-quotable Yankee legend, was on to something when he said, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” When it comes to sports, no one has ever said it better. Great comebacks, whether by teams or individuals, are legendary. It might be underdogs who pull off upsets, aged players reawakening memories of glory past, snake-bitten teams ultimately capturing a championship…. In other situations, the full collapse of an opponent who had built up what appeared to be an invincible advantage could constitute the other side of the comeback.
To compile a list of 20 of the most amazing sports upsets and comebacks of all time, we have looked extensively through numerous sources and have compiled a final list. So did your favorite sporting moments make the cut? Find out on below.
The Greatest Comebacks In Sports History
Soccer: West Germany’s Comeback
West Germany defeated Hungary in the 1954 World Cup final in Bern, Switzerland, after coming back from a two-goal deficit. The Hungarian squad came into the competition as one of the best in the world. It had gone four years without losing a match and had won its second Olympic gold medal during that time. Hungary scored two goals in the opening eight minutes of the World Cup encounter. Before the end of the first half, West Germany had roared back to draw the game. Helmut Rahn scored the game-winning goal six minutes into the second half, giving Germany its first of four World Cup victories.
Soccer West Germany’s Comeback
Tennis: Ivan Lendl Wins The French Open
Ivan Lendl won the French Open in 1984, the first of his eight Grand Slam singles victories, after derailing the John McEnroe juggernaut. McEnroe has won 39 consecutive matches and the French Open’s first two sets. Then Lendl came back to beat McEnroe, 3-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5.
Tennis Ivan Lendl Wins The French Open
Football: Buffalo Bills Route To The Super Bowl
On Jan. 3, 1993, the Buffalo Bills completed the biggest comeback in NFL history, allowing them to advance to the Super Bowl. By the third quarter of the AFC wild card playoff game in Buffalo, the visiting Houston Oilers had built a 35-3 lead behind four touchdown passes from future Hall of Famer Warren Moon. The comeback was orchestrated by Bills backup quarterback Frank Reich. Before the Oilers tied the game with a field goal in the waning seconds of regulation, the Bills scored 35 consecutive points. Buffalo intercepted a Moon pass in overtime. The Bills went into field goal range, and kicker Steve Christie kicked a 32-yard field goal to clinch the comeback victory that set a new record.
Football Buffalo Bills Route To The Super Bowl
High School Football: Plano East Panthers ‘Comeback’
Two undefeated Texas high school teams famed for their defense were John Tyler and Plano East. Few expected offensive fireworks when the two powerhouses met in a third-round playoff game at Texas Stadium in 1994. Plano East came back from a 41-17 hole with just over three minutes left to take a 44-41 lead after recovering three consecutive onside kicks. John Tyler, on the other hand, used the final arrow in its quiver to win 48-44 on a kickoff return for a touchdown with 11 seconds left.
High School Football Plano East Panthers ‘Comeback’
Golf: Paul Lawrie’s Comeback
Paul Lawrie of Scotland made his country proud by winning the 128th British Open Championship in dramatic fashion at Carnoustie, Scotland, in 1999. Lawrie came back from a 10-stroke deficit to force a playoff, which he won by three shots. It was the first time a player had ever come back from such a huge disadvantage in PGA history. The tournament is also renowned for Van De Velde’s epic meltdown on the 18th hole, when he carded a triple bogey.
Golf Paul Lawrie’s Comeback
Baseball: Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians staged one of baseball’s greatest comebacks in front of a national television audience on Sunday night, Aug. 5, 2001, at Jacobs Field in Cleveland. Cleveland recovered from a 14-2 deficit in the sixth inning to upset the Seattle Mariners with 13 unanswered runs. The Indians tied the game with five runs in the ninth inning and then won it in the bottom of the 11th. It was only the third occasion in MLB history that a team had climbed out of such a deep hole.
Baseball Cleveland Indians
Football: Indianapolis Colts Comeback
In the year 2003, The Indianapolis Colts, led by quarterback Peyton Manning, scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to tie the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in regulation and win the game in overtime on a field goal. With less than four minutes remaining in regulation, Indianapolis became the first NFL team to win after trailing by 21 points or more.
Football Indianapolis Colts
Basketball: Indiana Pacers Rapid Comeback
In the 1990s, Reggie Miller was the focus of a racial smear campaign by New York Knicks supporters. And in the first game of the 1995 Eastern Conference playoffs, the smooth-shooting forward for the Indiana Pacers became a nightmare for the Knicks, scoring eight points in 11 seconds to propel Indiana to victory. Miller hit a three-point shot, intercepted the inbounds pass, then moved back beyond the three-point line to hit another three to tie the game with 18.7 seconds remaining. Miller got a rebound, was fouled, and made both free throws to give Indiana the victory after the Knicks missed two free throws and a shot to win it.
Basketball Indiana Pacers Rapid Comeback
Baseball: Boston Red Sox Comeback Kings
The Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series in 2004, becoming the first club in MLB history to come back from a 3-0 hole in a best-of-seven championship series. When the Red Sox faced Yankee closer Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning and trailed by a run, they were on the verge of being swept. They tied the game in the 12th inning when Dave Roberts stole second and scored on Bill Mueller’s single. Following that, the Red Sox went undefeated in the postseason, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in four games to win their first World Series since 1918.
