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The Agony of Defeat [ 1 ] Trivia Quiz

For every team or person who experiences the thrill of victory, there is a team or person who must face the agony of defeat. See how much you know about famous and unforgotten losers.

A multiple-choice quiz by cag1970. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
cag1970

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
113,337

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
4 / 10

Plays
4330

Awards
Editor's Choice

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Bill Buckner's infamous booted grounder in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series cost the Boston Red Sox more than a championship. It also cost which player the Series MVP award? Hint

Bruce Hurst

Dwight Evans

Jim Rice

Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd

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Question 2 of 10

2. In 1993, the Charlotte Hornets scored a dramatic series-clinching victory in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Center Alonzo Mourning's jumper in the closing seconds helped them beat which team? Hint

Philadelphia 76ers

New York Knicks

Atlanta Hawks

Boston Celtics

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Question 3 of 10

3. In 1999, the Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup on a controversial goal by Brett Hull. Replays clearly showed that Hull was in the goal crease before the puck, which should have nullified the goal. Which team was victimized by this blunder? Hint

Buffalo Sabres

New York Rangers

Boston Bruins

Philadelphia Flyers

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Question 4 of 10

4. In Super Bowl XXV in 1991, the New York Giants narrowly escaped with a 20-19 win, thanks to Buffalo placekicker Scott Norwood missing a field goal in the waning seconds. How long was Norwood's field-goal attempt? Hint

51 yards

47 yards

49 yards

53 yards

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Question 5 of 10

5. In 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first African-American man to win at Wimbledon. Who did Ashe defeat to achieve this historic milestone? Hint

Bjorn Borg

Illie Nastase

Ken Rosewall

Jimmy Connors

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Question 6 of 10

6. In 1985, the St Louis Cardinals squandered a 3-2 series lead and eventually lost the World Series to the Kansas City Royals. In Game 6, the first-base umpire ruled Royals' player Jorge Orta safe at first, even though he was clearly out. Which umpire made the call that shifted the momentum of this World Series? Hint

Mark Hirschbeck

Harry Wendelstadt

Don Denkinger

Eric Gregg

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Having lost in the 1983 ACC Tournament semifinals to arch-rival and eventual conference champion NC State, the North Carolina's men's basketball team began its defense of the National Championship in Greensboro. Ultimately, they fell to which team in the East Regional Finals at Syracuse? Hint

NC State

Georgia

Louisville

Houston

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Question 8 of 10

8. A Japanese marathon runner took his own life after winning a bronze medal at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.

True

False

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Question 9 of 10

9. In 1940, the Washington Redskins suffered the worst loss in professional football during the 20th Century, at the hands of the Chicago Bears. In fact, the Bears shut them out. How many points did the Bears score in that game? Hint

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Question 10 of 10

10. The Rose Bowl nearly didn't become the granddaddy of all bowls. That's because the first Rose Bowl, in 1902, ended when what team, on the short end of a 49-0 score, gave up? Hint

Duke

Michigan

Stanford

California

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Bill Buckner's infamous booted grounder in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series cost the Boston Red Sox more than a championship. It also cost which player the Series MVP award?

Answer: Bruce Hurst

Hurst won two games in the 1986 World Series (Game 1 by a score of 1-0 and Game 5 by a 4-2 score). He also started Game 7, and had in fact, been elected the Series MVP before the Mets' historic rally. Hurst retired from baseball in 1994, never again to taste glory in the World Series.

Answer: Boston Celtics

Known as a fierce competitor with shot-blocking skills and a soft mid-range jump shot, Alonzo Mourning was forced to retire during the 2003 NBA season to battle a rare kidney disease. At the time, he was playing for the New Jersey Nets, who had picked him up from the Miami Heat.

Answer: Buffalo Sabres

After beating the Toronto Maple Leafs to get to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Buffalo Sabres were crushed by one of the worst calls in sports history. Hull scored his goal on Sabres' goalie Dominik Hasek, at 14:51 of the third overtime.

Answer: 47 yards

Even though they didn't win the Super Bowl in the 1990's, the Buffalo Bills accomplished quite a lot. In addition to being the only football team to appear in four consecutive Super Bowls, they also managed to make one of those (Super Bowl XXVII) as a wild card.

They also orchestrated the biggest comeback in pro football history, roaring back from a 32-3 deficit to beat the Houston Oilers 41-38, in overtime, during the AFC Wild Card Round in 1992.

5. In 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first African-American man to win at Wimbledon. Who did Ashe defeat to achieve this historic milestone?

Answer: Jimmy Connors

Connors was seeking to win his second straight Wimbledon men's singles championship, after defeating Ken Rosewall in straight sets the year before. He lost to Ashe in four sets. The world lost Ashe, who had been infected with HIV after receiving a blood transfusion during surgery, in 1993.

Answer: Don Denkinger

The all-Missouri World Series proved to be a nightmare for St. Louis. After the blown call, the Royals went on to score two runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to win the game. Game 7 wasn't even close. Bret Saberhagen held the Cardinals to five hits as the Royals blanked the Cards 11-0.

Answer: Georgia

Hugh Durham's Georgia Bulldogs beat Dean Smith's Tar Heels 82-77, in front of a capacity crowd at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. The Bulldogs would lose to eventual National Champion NC State in the national semifinals in Albuquerque, 67-60.

8. A Japanese marathon runner took his own life after winning a bronze medal at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.

Answer: True

Sadly, this story is very true. Kokichi Tsuburaya won a bronze medal in front of his countrymen. In most other countries and for most other people, this would have been cause for celebration. But Tsuburaya was tortured by his loss so much that he killed himself while training for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Answer: 73

The Redskins had beaten the Bears during the regular season in Washington, 7-3. After the game, Redskins players crowed about how soft the Bears were. In the championship game, also in Washington, the Bears, under coach George Halas during his second tenure with the team, proved just how soft they weren't, delivering a monumental beating. Washington would have its revenge on Chicago, beating them 14-6 in the 1942 NFL Championship Game.

10. The Rose Bowl nearly didn't become the granddaddy of all bowls. That's because the first Rose Bowl, in 1902, ended when what team, on the short end of a 49-0 score, gave up?

Answer: Stanford

Rose Bowl organizers were so disheartened with the results of the game, that they discontinued it in favor of other activities, such as chariot races. In 1916, though, they decided to bring the game back. It has been a New Year's Day tradition ever since.

Source: Author cag1970

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
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