Comeback (sports)
A comeback occurs when an athlete or sports team overcomes a substantial disadvantage in points, position, or series. It has been described as the single greatest aspect of competition that most embodies the spirit of what makes sport extraordinary. Fans often feel better about a team that loses after staging a comeback that fell just short than a team that lost by the same score after playing evenly throughout the match. Dramatic play seems to involve both players; cheering would often escalate when one player gained momentum and then his opponent suddenly turned the tables. Such results draw more enthusiasm than one competitor defeating the other without giving up any points. Todd Harper wrote about this dynamic in The Culture of Digital Fighting Games: Performance and Practice published in 2013.
One study indicated that in basketball, football, and ice hockey, the team leading at the beginning of the final period wins 80% of the time. The trailing team overcomes this disadvantage only 20% of the time according to Paramjit S. Gilla's research in The American Statistician from May 2000. Another determined that home teams are more than three times as likely to make a fourth-quarter comeback than visiting teams. This probability stands at 33.3% for home teams versus 10.5% for visitors based on data from Harris Cooper, Kristina M. Deneve, and Frederick Mosteller in CHANCE Volume 5 Issue 3, 4 from 1992. A comeback by one competitor may coincide with or be characterized as a choke by the opponent allowing the comeback. Alan W. Heaton and Harold Sigall explored this psychological phenomenon in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology in September 1989. Tony Lee noted how Red Sox fans called their greatest comeback the biggest choke in sports history when referring to the Yankees rivalry.
The Comeback refers to a specific NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers played the 3rd of January 1993. It featured the Bills recovering from a 32-point deficit shortly after halftime to win in overtime 41, 38. This was the largest comeback in terms of points at that time in NFL history postseason or regular season according to R. D. Griffith's To The NFL: You Sure Started Somethin' published in 2012. The record was later broken by the 2022-23 Vikings coming back from a 33 point deficit at halftime and scoring 32 unanswered points outscoring the Indianapolis Colts 39 to 3. Super Bowl LI played on the 5th of February 2017 saw the New England Patriots down by 25 points defeat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime 34, 28 for its second championship title in three years. The 2006 Michigan State vs Northwestern football game featured the largest comeback in NCAA Division I-A history when the Spartans rallied to score 38 unanswered points to beat the Wildcats 41, 38 after falling behind 38, 3 with 9 minutes and 54 seconds left.
Liverpool came back from a 3, 0 deficit in the first half after scoring three goals in 7 minutes to make it 3, 3 eventually winning the match 3, 2 on penalties during the 2005 UEFA Champions League final. The match was later dubbed The Miracle of Istanbul. FC Barcelona overcame a four-goal deficit against Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on the 8th of March 2017 at Camp Nou. It was the first time in UEFA Champions League history that a team had overcome a four-goal deficit to qualify for the quarter-finals. Liverpool also came back from being down 3, 0 after the first leg against Barcelona in the 2018, 19 semi-finals. Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum netted two goals each while Trent Alexander-Arnold delivered an extraordinary corner kick giving the Reds a 4, 3 lead on aggregate. Real Madrid completed three successful comebacks in the 2021, 22 UEFA Champions League knockout phase including a hat-trick by Karim Benzema in just 17 minutes against PSG.
The greatest comeback in National Basketball Association play occurred on the 27th of November 1996 when the Utah Jazz down by 36 points to the Denver Nuggets late in the second quarter won 107, 103. The Jazz trailed 70 to 36 at halftime and the lead increased by 2 points in the third quarter to make it a 36 point deficit. Karl Malone scored 31 points and Jeff Hornacek contributed 29 points leading the victory according to Dustin Long's Greatest Comebacks in Sports published in 2014. In the 2019 NBA playoffs the Los Angeles Clippers trailed by 31 points before overcoming the Golden State Warriors 135, 131. The greatest comeback in NCAA Division I history occurred on the 22nd of February 2018 when Drexel overcame a 34-point deficit against Delaware surpassing the previous record from February 1994 between Kentucky Wildcats and Louisiana State University Tigers where the Wildcats were down by 31 points but came back to win 99, 95.
In limited overs cricket teams each get one innings with comebacks looking significantly different than other sports because only one team scores during the first half of the game. Australia won the 1996 Cricket World Cup semi-final against West Indies by taking eight wickets while allowing only 37 runs reaching a final score of 202 despite needing to concede less than 4.77 runs per remaining over. Hanif Mohammad batted for 16 hours against the West Indies in first-class cricket to salvage a draw. In ice hockey the largest single-game comeback in NHL playoff history happened the 10th of April 1982 when the Los Angeles Kings trailed the Edmonton Oilers 5, 0 going into the third period. The Kings rallied to score five unanswered goals winning the game 6, 5 in overtime on a goal by Daryl Evans. This game was dubbed the Miracle on Manchester referring to the Kings arena on Manchester Boulevard.
Common questions
What is the definition of a comeback in sports?
A comeback occurs when an athlete or sports team overcomes a substantial disadvantage in points, position, or series. It has been described as the single greatest aspect of competition that most embodies the spirit of what makes sport extraordinary.
When did the Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers play their famous 1993 playoff game?
The Comeback refers to a specific NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers played the 3rd of January 1993. It featured the Bills recovering from a 32-point deficit shortly after halftime to win in overtime 41, 38.
Which match was dubbed The Miracle of Istanbul during the 2005 UEFA Champions League final?
Liverpool came back from a 3, 0 deficit in the first half after scoring three goals in 7 minutes to make it 3, 3 eventually winning the match 3, 2 on penalties during the 2005 UEFA Champions League final. The match was later dubbed The Miracle of Istanbul.
Who holds the record for the largest point comeback in NBA history?
The greatest comeback in National Basketball Association play occurred on the 27th of November 1996 when the Utah Jazz down by 36 points to the Denver Nuggets late in the second quarter won 107, 103. Karl Malone scored 31 points and Jeff Hornacek contributed 29 points leading the victory according to Dustin Long's Greatest Comebacks in Sports published in 2014.
When did the Los Angeles Kings achieve their largest single-game comeback in NHL playoff history?
In ice hockey the largest single-game comeback in NHL playoff history happened the 10th of April 1982 when the Los Angeles Kings trailed the Edmonton Oilers 5, 0 going into the third period. The Kings rallied to score five unanswered goals winning the game 6, 5 in overtime on a goal by Daryl Evans.