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Since I'm often asked some variation of "Is it really that bad?", here's a thread of logic-defying Houston sports heartbreaks in the postseason just since 2018.
(Obviously, you can go back much further than that and do Oilers/Bills, Astros/Braves, Astros/Mets, etc.)
(Obviously, you can go back much further than that and do Oilers/Bills, Astros/Braves, Astros/Mets, etc.)
March 2018, NCAA Tournament: Houston leads Michigan by 2 with 3.6 seconds left. They have to go the full length of the floor. Poole buries it at the buzzer, from 30 feet.
There hasn't been an NCAAT buzzer-beater to win a game since.
There hasn't been an NCAAT buzzer-beater to win a game since.
May 2018: Rockets one game from defeating the defending NBA champions and arguably the most talented team ever assembled. Until, in the final 60 seconds...
May 2018: Somehow, even after losing Chris Paul, those Rockets take a 15-point lead in a home closeout game... only to then suffer a 1-in-72,000 outlier of a shooting stretch. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-odds-of-the-rockets-missing-that-many-3s-1-in-72000/
May 2018: Scott Foster. Enough said.
October 2018: With a chance to tie the ALCS at 2, Joe West takes away a 2-run HR from Jose Altuve... when he was hundreds of feet away and had no clear view of what took place. The #Astros lost the game... by 2 runs.
October 2018: Later in that same game, the #Astros loaded the bases with 2 outs in the 9th for Alex Bregman. Then this happened.
Benintendi had a 21% catch probability on the play, the lowest on any catch he had made the entire season.
Benintendi had a 21% catch probability on the play, the lowest on any catch he had made the entire season.
October 2018: Jackie Bradley Jr. was named ALCS MVP after posting a .400 OBP and 1.067 OPS for the series.
For the season? He had a .314 OBP and .717 OPS.
For the season? He had a .314 OBP and .717 OPS.
April 2019: This is a regular-season game, but I'm including it due to direct playoff implications.
#Rockets had the ball and a 4-point lead in OKC with under 30 seconds left, chance to clinch the No. 2 seed. CP missed. Russell Westbrook (<30%) stuck an improbable running 3.
#Rockets had the ball and a 4-point lead in OKC with under 30 seconds left, chance to clinch the No. 2 seed. CP missed. Russell Westbrook (<30%) stuck an improbable running 3.
Exchange of Harden FTs, Westbrook dunk, Harden fouled again. Makes the first.
With Houston up 2 and an 88% shooter at the line, #Rockets plan to foul before a tying 3 can even be attempted.
Except Harden misses, and then... No. 4 seed.
With Houston up 2 and an 88% shooter at the line, #Rockets plan to foul before a tying 3 can even be attempted.
Except Harden misses, and then... No. 4 seed.
May 2019: Looks like the #Rockets finally caught a break! After the CP3 injury in 2018, KD goes down in this Game 5.
Except Andre Iguodala, who had shot 31% on 3s in the last two years at an average of 0.6 per game, buries 5 to eliminate Houston at home.
Except Andre Iguodala, who had shot 31% on 3s in the last two years at an average of 0.6 per game, buries 5 to eliminate Houston at home.
October 2019: Astros lead the World Series, 3-2, with two shots to clinch at home. They led early in both.
In Game 7, multi-run lead with 8 outs left. The decisive swing was an oppo foul pole shot, fair by inches. Only 336 feet. Gerrit Cole never pitched.
In Game 7, multi-run lead with 8 outs left. The decisive swing was an oppo foul pole shot, fair by inches. Only 336 feet. Gerrit Cole never pitched.
January 2020: The Texans catch an enormous break when Tennessee stuns Baltimore, putting Houston one win away from having a HOME game for the Super Bowl.
#Texans race out to a 24-0 lead. Win probability at 92%. Then, outscored 51-7 in under three quarters https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1216502534916857856
#Texans race out to a 24-0 lead. Win probability at 92%. Then, outscored 51-7 in under three quarters https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1216502534916857856
March 2020: The coach/GM responsible for that unfathomable collapse not only manages to keep both his jobs, but trades away the team's best player without even getting a 1st-round pick in the deal.
The rumored reasons for the trade are insane: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/03/michael-irvin-reveals-shocking-details-of-conversation-between-deandre-hopkins-bill-obrien
The rumored reasons for the trade are insane: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/03/michael-irvin-reveals-shocking-details-of-conversation-between-deandre-hopkins-bill-obrien
September 2020: After averaging 9.0 points on 18.4% shooting on 3s in the first six games of the series, a rookie named Lu Dort scores a game-high 30 in a decisive Game 7 and buries six 3s (at 50% accuracy).
Miraculously, though, Houston somehow escapes!
Miraculously, though, Houston somehow escapes!
October 2020: #Texans finally fire the GM/coach responsible for the historic playoff collapse.
If he was on such thin ice that he could lose his job after only four games, why on earth was he allowed to trade away the team's best player in the offseason? https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30048287/sources-houston-texans-fire-coach-gm-bill-obrien-0-4-start
If he was on such thin ice that he could lose his job after only four games, why on earth was he allowed to trade away the team's best player in the offseason? https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30048287/sources-houston-texans-fire-coach-gm-bill-obrien-0-4-start
October 2020: The #Astros go down 0-2 in the ALCS despite outplaying their opponent in basically every meaningful statistical category in both games. https://twitter.com/Aarcraft9/status/1316001358760349701
Thread finally complete.
Again, this is all in basically 2.5 years. You could add to this significantly if you go back further.
I am not entitled. It is hard to win a championship. I get it. What I'm complaining about is losing in insanely stupid ways on the biggest stage.
Again, this is all in basically 2.5 years. You could add to this significantly if you go back further.
I am not entitled. It is hard to win a championship. I get it. What I'm complaining about is losing in insanely stupid ways on the biggest stage.
Since 2018, Houston has suffered an extremely high share of "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory" games in the postseason. In nearly all sports. It's frustrating.
Am I quitting? Of course not. And at the end of the day, these are just games. There are way bigger concerns.
Am I quitting? Of course not. And at the end of the day, these are just games. There are way bigger concerns.
But at the same time, insanely stupid losses for this city's sports teams are absolutely a trend. Let's not pretend that it doesn't exist. It does. [/rant]
