Blowouts Happen in Sports Too
By Shawn Stewart
In any case most blowouts in sports are not fun to watch or be a part of, but they can provide some interesting statistics, and there is a possibility a few records could be broken along the way. In sports, a blowout is an easy or one-sided triumph. It occurs when one athletic team or individual player outscores another by a hefty margin or in such a fashion, allows the second team or individual little possibility of a victory from a point early in the competition, game contest or event.
This actually got me thinking about some of the biggest blowouts in sports history, and there were plenty to choose from, but I decided to focus on 3 particular blowouts in sports history. Before I reveal my top three, here are a few honorable mentions. Some of these you might not even be aware of. On December 17, 1991, the Miami Heat paid a visit to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers. The final score was Cleveland 148 and Miami 80. The Heat went into complete collapse mode in the second half and were outscored 75-27 in the second half. The Cavaliers had eight players in double figures that night.
Another honorable mention goes to the National Hockey League in one of the biggest blowouts in NHL history. This occurred on January 23, 1944. The game included the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers. This was more of a football score, than a hockey score. I think the Rangers forgot to take the ice that night, because the Red Wings not only blew them out, but they shut them out too. The final score was 15-0 in favor of the Red Wings. They were the first team in NHL history to score 15 consecutive goals, a record that still stands today.
The last honorable mention goes to the youngsters, because they do not receive enough credit, and High School sports don’t receive as much recognition as it should, so I decided to let the youngsters join the list. The Haven High School football team took on Sylvia High School football team on November 16, 1927. 93 years ago, in the small town of Haven, KS, which had a population of 1,200, a high school team not only pulled off the most lopsided victory in high school history, but went undefeated and did not allow a score all season. Oh, by the way, the final score in the game was 256-0. Yes, you read that correctly.
Now to my top three biggest blowouts in sports history. Number three on the list goes to the San Francisco 49ers and their blowout Super Bowl XXIV victory against the Denver Broncos. This is still the most lopsided game in Super Bowl history, with the final score 49er's, 55, and the Broncos, 10. The only mistake the 49ers made in that game was a missed extra point. I am sure this is a game that still haunts John Elway, who finished the game 10 of 26 for 108 yards and two interceptions. As a small side note, Gary Kubiak, who was a former head coach for the Houston Texans, and is now an assistant coach for the Vikings, actually threw three passes in that game for the Broncos, completing one pass. Joe Montana was named the MVP in this game, and he finished 22 of 29 for 297 yards and five touchdowns, which is still a Super Bowl record.
John Elway gets pummeled as the Broncos lose to the 49ers.
Number two on the list is actually considered the biggest blowout in NFL history. This occurred on Dec. 8, 1940, in a game that featured the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins. This was the NFL Championship game, because the first Super Bowl did not take place until 1967. Prior to the game the Redskins coach George Preston Marshall told reporters that the head coach of the Chicago Bears at the time, George Halas and his team were a bunch of "quitters" and "cry babies". The Bears decided to let their play do the talking and they trounced the Redskins 73-0. This remains the largest margin of defeat in NFL history, let alone a championship game. I guess it is a good thing they named the NFC championship trophy after George Halas and not George Preston Marshall.
The biggest blowout in sports history belongs to the Georgia Tech Engineers (now called the Yellow Jackets). This was a college football game against the Cumberland College Bulldogs on Oct. 7, 1916. Cumberland had discontinued the football program prior to the season starting, but it was not allowed to cancel the game against Georgia Tech. I am sure they would have rather stayed home that day. This could have possibly been a revenge game, because earlier that year, the Cumberland baseball team trounced Georgia Tech, 22-0, I guess you could say Georgia Tech was still bitter about the defeat? Cumberland finished the game with -96 yards rushing, and 14 yards passing, yes you read that correctly. On the other hand Georgia Tech finished the game with 1,620 yards rushing with not a single pass thrown in the game, and the final score was 222-0.
Most times blowouts are not fun to watch, but it could also be exciting at the same time to see if any records were broken. Not every game in sports is going to be close or exciting. You are bound for upsets and blowouts, but try to take the positive from a blow out game, there is always the next game on the schedule.
You can follow Shawn on Twitter @ShawnSportsNut.
