Sports Blue Balls

[Batman]

Watching some football this afternoon, it hit me how exciting a play it is when a team is backed up to its own 1-yard line. There's so many possibilities for unusual plays -- a 99-yard touchdown, a safety, a defensive touchdown -- that that first play of the drive might be one of the most sneaky fun moments in all of football to watch.
And then the offense uses a pretty mundane running play to get to the 5-yard line and out of the danger zone and it's a pretty big letdown.

What are some of the other blue ball moments in sports? Moments where there's anticipation of something fun happening, but it often turns into a routine play where nothing special happens?
Here's a couple of others I thought of:
• A foul ball on a 3-2 pitch with runners on.
• A half court shot at the buzzer that misses.
• A trick play in football that's snuffed out by the defense or the offense doesn't execute.

 

[3_Octave_Fart]

Onside kick.
From great thrill to watching a fat guy jump on the rock like it's a live grenade.

 

[DanOregon]

onside kick out of bounds

icing the kicker

basketball timeouts

A team rolling down the field as time is winding down, they get to the line to spike the ball for a fg and someone false starts mandating a runoff that ends the game.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Basketball team gets set up to inbound the ball for the final shot of the game. Everyone gets lined up, then the defensive team calls a timeout.

 

[Batman]

A team rolling down the field as time is winding down, they get to the line to spike the ball for a fg and someone false starts mandating a runoff that ends the game.

Similarly, a team lines up for a super long game-winning field goal -- bonus points if it's 60 yards or more -- and it gets blocked. I at least want to see if the guy could've gotten it there.

 

[Vombatus]

Chris Webber

 

[LongTimeListener]

Replay review. Even when it confirms the touchdown, it still takes the wind out of the sails for celebrating.

 

[Riptide]

A long pass to a wide-open receiver, and the ball clanks off his hands.

 

[copperpot]

Missing a FT on purpose because the deficit is larger than a point and time is running out.

 

[Batman]

A hail mary pass that gets intercepted or knocked down five yards short of the end zone. Even one that goes off a receiver's hands or into a pack offers a bit of a thrill.

 

[HandsomeHarley]

A bunch of late-game laterals that end up being fumbled or tossed out of bounds.

 

[Batman]

A bunch of late-game laterals that end up being fumbled or tossed out of bounds.

Especially when it ends with the second or third lateral being fumbled. I always enjoy when they keep it alive for about 30 seconds, get to the other team's 30, then start working their way backward and finally get tackled or fumble at their own 20.

 

[Riptide]

"And now here's Ken Rosenthal, joined by Tommy Lasorda."

 

[Stoney]

The fair catch. A punt return by a lethal open field runner is about the most exciting play in football--if not ruined by that damn fair catch signal.

 

[bigpern23]

A team rolling down the field as time is winding down, they get to the line to spike the ball for a fg and someone false starts mandating a runoff that ends the game.

Similarly, a team lines up for a super long game-winning field goal -- bonus points if it's 60 yards or more -- and it gets blocked. I at least want to see if the guy could've gotten it there.

Disagree. A block is always exciting, and if it preserves a win, even more so.

 

[mpcincal]

Any pivotal football play that gets delayed because of a false start, or a great play that gets negated because of a penalty.

A tight NASCAR race is into the last 3-5 laps and someone has a wreck or car trouble, bringing out the caution. Which of course happens in every race.

Big baseball at-bat being interrupted by pick-off attempts.

 

[User 1019]

Two-minute warning in the middle of a game-winning drive ...

 

[Batman]

A team rolling down the field as time is winding down, they get to the line to spike the ball for a fg and someone false starts mandating a runoff that ends the game.

Similarly, a team lines up for a super long game-winning field goal -- bonus points if it's 60 yards or more -- and it gets blocked. I at least want to see if the guy could've gotten it there.

Disagree. A block is always exciting, and if it preserves a win, even more so.

I don't mind it so much on field goals of normal length (under 50 yards, let's say), but when someone lines up for a 65-yarder I want to see them get a clean look at it. Even if it misses, that's still an exciting play.
Now, the exception to that is if the team returns the blocked FG for a touchdown. Those are always awesome, too.

 

[bigpern23]

A team rolling down the field as time is winding down, they get to the line to spike the ball for a fg and someone false starts mandating a runoff that ends the game.

Similarly, a team lines up for a super long game-winning field goal -- bonus points if it's 60 yards or more -- and it gets blocked. I at least want to see if the guy could've gotten it there.

Disagree. A block is always exciting, and if it preserves a win, even more so.

I don't mind it so much on field goals of normal length (under 50 yards, let's say), but when someone lines up for a 65-yarder I want to see them get a clean look at it. Even if it misses, that's still an exciting play.
Now, the exception to that is if the team returns the blocked FG for a touchdown. Those are always awesome, too.

I'm with you on that. I was thinking more of the normal length FGAs (I'd say under 54 yards) because they're just not blocked often.

 

[Riptide]

Every timeout and forced free throw
in the last five minutes of a basketball game.

Let 'em play. This ain't a chess match.