The Vikings went down in agonizing defeat in the playoffs yesterday. Ho-hum. Just another sporting event that went against me. In my entire life, I am still yet to see a team I’ve cheered for in ANYTHING win a title. Am I cursed?! I even have two favorite football teams and their franchises’ crushing defeats continuously out-do each other. Throw in high school athletics and I figured it was time to rank everything from most to least devastating. Mind you, these are only the 25 worst defeats that come to mind (complete with box or line scores).

  1. **1997 SD Girls Basketball B Championship: Tulare 42, Willow Lake 41
  2. **2003 ALDS, Game 2: Yankees 7, Twins 6 (12)
  3. *2001 SD Boys Basketball District Semifinals: Waverly 53, Willow Lake 51
  4. 2009 NFC Championship: Saints 31, Vikings 28 (OT)
  5. 2010 AFC Divisional: Jets 17, Chargers 14
  6. 2015 NFC Wild Card: Seahawks 10, Vikings 9
  7. 2008 AL Central Tiebreaker: White Sox 1, Twins 0
  8. 2004 ALDS Game 4: Yankees 6, Twins 5 (11)
  9. ***1998 NFC Championship: Falcons 30, Vikings 27 (OT)
  10. 2010 ALDS, Game 1: Yankees 6, Twins 4
  11. 2007 AFC Divisional: Patriots 24, Chargers 21
  12. 2002 ALCS, Game 5: Angels 13, Twins 5
  13. 2005 AFC Divisional: Jets 20, Chargers 17 (OT)
  14. 2008 AFC Championship: Patriots 21, Chargers 12
  15. 2009 ALDS, Game 2: Yankees 4, Twins 3 (12)
  16. 2002 ALCS, Game 3: Angels 2, Twins 1
  17. **1999 SD Girls Basketball B Championship: Selby Area 36, Willow Lake 28
  18. 1995 Super Bowl: 49ers 49, Chargers 26
  19. **2005 SD Girls Basketball B Championship: Mt Vernon 40, Willow Lake 32
  20. **2006 ALDS, Game 1: Athletics 3, Twins 2
  21. **1996 SD Girls Basketball B Championship: Baltic 53, Willow Lake 41
  22. 2003-04 NBA Western Finals, Game 6: Lakers 96, Timberwolves 90
  23. **2004 SD Girls Basketball B Championship: Mt Vernon 50, Willow Lake 26
  24. 1999-00 NBA Western 1st Round, Game 1: Blazers 91, Timberwolves 88
  25. **1996 SD Girls Basketball B Championship: Baltic 61, Willow Lake 39

* The only one of these games I participated in. We were heavily favored but couldn’t stop some kid who sank 10 3-pointers.
** I was at these games.
*** I was hesitant to include this, as I was yet to adapt the Vikings as a favorite team. I was solely Chargers at this point. But it was such a precursor for future failures.