Sports have always had a way of turning a single moment into a lasting story, and this Friday the 13th countdown gathers five of them: a 2013 Iron Bowl field goal that became a run to the end zone, a 1986 World Series grounder that slipped through a legend's legs, a 2019 kick that bounced off both the post and the bar, a 1993 fly ball that struck an outfielder's head, and a Super Bowl celebration that cost a touchdown. Each is a reminder that in competition, the gap between triumph and ruin can be a few inches or a second, and that fans keep retelling these moments because they reveal how frag
Five of Sports History's Unluckiest Plays, From the Kick Six to Leon Lett's Super Bowl Blunder
Canseco got one baseball to the dome and a lifetime of internet humiliation.
Mark
Why does a list like this resonate? These are old games.
Mimi
Because each one is a single second people can replay. A kick, a grounder, a ball off the head. The stakes were huge, and the mistake fit in one frame.
Mark
The Kick Six seems the most dramatic.
Mimi
Alabama was No. 1, tied at 28 with one second left, and Chris Davis returned the miss 109 yards. Auburn fans stormed the field.
Luke
Worth asking whether all of these are really bad luck, though. Lett slowed down and held the ball out. That sounds more like a lapse than misfortune.
Mimi
Fair. The article itself says Buckner's case could be called poor concentration or bad luck, and it admits Boston had already lost its lead.
Mark
And the Double Doink?
Mimi
That one feels closest to pure luck. Two metal hits on one kick, and a fingertip from Treyvon Hester made it officially a block.
Luke
Keep in mind this is an entertainment ranking. The order is the writers' opinion, and there's no new reporting behind it.
Mark
Anything the piece leaves out?
Luke
It doesn't say how it chose these five, or whether Lett's snow-game play was bad luck at all. It just calls it bizarre.
El Pulso
- With one second left in the 2013 Iron Bowl, a 57-yard attempt for top-ranked Alabama fell short and Auburn's Chris Davis ran it back 109 yards.
- Boston's 1986 World Series hopes collapsed when a slow grounder rolled between Bill Buckner's legs in Game 6, with the Mets poised to take the title.
- Chicago's 2019 playoff season ended on a 43-yard kick that struck the upright and crossbar before falling harmlessly into the end zone, officially ruled blocked.
- Leon Lett's Super Bowl XXVII touchdown was lost when he slowed to celebrate and Don Beebe knocked the ball out just short of the goal line.
- The list is light, playful entertainment built from well-known games, with no new reporting and affiliate and betting disclosures attached.
Sports have always had a way of turning a single moment into a lasting story, and this Friday the 13th countdown gathers five of them: a 2013 Iron Bowl field goal that became a run to the end zone, a 1986 World Series grounder that slipped through a legend's legs, a 2019 kick that bounced off both the post and the bar, a 1993 fly ball that struck an outfielder's head, and a Super Bowl celebration that cost a touchdown. Each is a reminder that in competition, the gap between triumph and ruin can be a few inches or a second, and that fans keep retelling these moments because they reveal how fragile certainty really is.
The countdown opens in the 2013 Iron Bowl, with the score tied at 28 and one second on the clock. Alabama, ranked No. 1 and chasing a third straight national championship, sent freshman kicker Adam Griffith out for a 57-yard field goal. It fell short, and Auburn's Chris Davis, who had been waiting in the end zone for exactly that possibility, caught it and ran 109 yards for a touchdown while the Auburn crowd poured onto the field.
The list then turns to the 1986 World Series, where Boston had not won a title since 1918 and was one out from victory in Game 6 against the Mets. The Mets tied the game in the 10th, and with the winning run on second, Mookie Wilson hit a slow grounder that rolled between Bill Buckner's legs. Boston had already squandered its lead, and it still had a Game 7 to play, but the error became one of baseball's most infamous moments.
Next is the 2019 "Double Doink." Trailing 16-15 in the final seconds of an NFC Wild Card game, the Bears watched Cody Parkey's 43-yard attempt strike the left upright, then the crossbar, and drop into the end zone. Because Eagles lineman Treyvon Hester had grazed it, the kick was ruled blocked, ending Chicago's season.
The fourth entry is José Canseco's 1993 moment. Drifting back for a deep fly ball, he was struck on the head, and the ball bounced over the fence for a home run. It is remembered as both comical and unlucky.
The top spot belongs to Leon Lett in Super Bowl XXVII. Recovering a fumble with Dallas well ahead of Buffalo, he slowed near the goal line to celebrate, and Don Beebe caught him and knocked the ball loose. It rolled into the end zone for a touchback, costing him a touchdown that would have been his only one. Dallas still won 52-17, and later that season Lett touched a blocked field goal that helped Miami win a snowy game.
The piece is playful and offers no new reporting, closing with Friday the 13th advice: beware black cats, avoid ladders, and hold the football until you reach the end zone.
With one second left in the 2013 Iron Bowl and the score tied at 28, Alabama coach Nick Saban sent freshman kicker Adam Griffith out to try a 57-yard field goal against Auburn. Alabama was ranked No. 1 and chasing a third straight national championship. Griffith's kick came up short, and Auburn's Chris Davis, who was waiting in the end zone for exactly that possibility, caught it and ran 109 yards for a touchdown. The Auburn crowd stormed the field. It is the first entry in a Friday the 13th countdown of five of the unluckiest plays in sports history, assembled by Fox News's OutKick team.
The list moves next to the 1986 World Series. Boston had not won a championship since 1918, a drought fans long tied to the Babe Ruth trade and the so-called Curse of the Bambino. Leading the New York Mets three games to two, the Red Sox were one out from the title in Game 6. The Mets tied it in the 10th inning, and with the winning run on second, Mookie Wilson hit a slow grounder to first baseman Bill Buckner. It rolled between his legs, and Ray Knight scored. The piece acknowledges Boston had already blown its lead before the error and still had a Game 7 to win. The Mets won that game, and Buckner's miscue became one of baseball's most infamous moments.
Third is the "Double Doink" of Jan. 6, 2019. The Chicago Bears trailed the Philadelphia Eagles 16-15 in the final seconds of an NFC Wild Card game, and kicker Cody Parkey lined up from 43 yards. The ball hit the left upright, then the crossbar, and fell into the end zone, ending Chicago's season. Eagles lineman Treyvon Hester had gotten a fingertip on the kick, so it was officially ruled blocked. Parkey had also hit the uprights four times in a single game earlier that season.
Second is a play from May 26, 1993. Texas Rangers outfielder José Canseco drifted back toward the warning track to field a deep fly ball hit by Cleveland's Carlos Martínez. The ball struck him on the head and bounced over the fence for a home run. The article calls it both comical and unlucky, and notes that it has followed Canseco online ever since.
The top spot goes to Leon Lett of the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVII. Lett recovered a fumble and headed for the end zone with the Cowboys already dominating the Buffalo Bills. A touchdown would have been the only one of his career. Near the goal line he slowed and held the ball out away from his body in celebration. Buffalo receiver Don Beebe, who had chased him the whole way, caught up just short of the goal line and knocked the ball loose. It rolled through the end zone for a touchback. Dallas still won 52-17.
The piece adds that Lett was at the center of another odd play later that same year. In a snowy game against the Miami Dolphins, he touched a blocked field goal, which let Miami recover it and eventually kick the game-winning field goal.
The article is a light, playful piece with no new reporting. It recounts well-documented games and closes with a Friday the 13th joke: watch for black cats, skip the ladders, and hold onto the football until you are actually in the end zone. It also carries affiliate and betting disclosures and says it was produced independently of the Fox newsroom.
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