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USA Sports: They Came Second Trivia

USA Sports: They Came Second Trivia Quizzes

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They came second, or it was an upset and they won!
17 quizzes and 175 trivia questions.
1.
  The Underdog: Don't Deny Me   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is about 10 underdogs who would shock the sports world.
Tough, 10 Qns, Anton, Nov 08 11
Tough
Anton
6011 plays
2.
  Not Great Moments in Sports    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
When people reminisce about sports usually their minds tend to indulge in the greatest, most thrilling moments. But what about the awful, embarrassing and/or ridiculous moments? Lest we forget, this quiz is dedicated to dredging them up...enjoy!
Average, 10 Qns, thejazzkickazz, Nov 08 11
Average
thejazzkickazz gold member
2913 plays
3.
  Second to One    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Winning isn't everything or the only thing. Let's give some love to coming in second. Concentration is on USA sporting scene.
Average, 10 Qns, Nealzineatser, Jan 20 15
Average
Nealzineatser gold member
492 plays
4.
  You Lose, Winner    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Sometimes a player's greatness is acknowledged, even when his team doesn't see success. These ten players earned trophies despite failing to secure victories in their respective championships. Can you spot them all?
Average, 10 Qns, klinski_1987, Apr 02 16
Average
klinski_1987
395 plays
5.
  Biggest Blowouts in USA Sports   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A look at some of the biggest blowouts in competition, and an embarrassment for one of the teams.
Average, 10 Qns, salami_swami, Feb 24 11
Average
salami_swami gold member
509 plays
6.
  And the Winner's Not...    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz based on shocking upsets and meltdowns in competitions, where history remembers the loser for various reasons more than the winner.
Average, 10 Qns, Spaudrey, Nov 08 11
Average
Spaudrey
386 plays
7.
  "V" Is For Victory! And a LOT of Them!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Lots of teams, both pro and amateur, have gone on winning streaks. And people take notice when they get close to proportions people have never seen before. See if you can name these teams with the uncanny ability to not lose.
Average, 10 Qns, Spaudrey, Apr 26 15
Average
Spaudrey
292 plays
8.
  The Agony of Defeat [ 1 ] editor best quiz    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
For every team or person who experiences the thrill of victory, there is a team or person who must face the agony of defeat. See how much you know about famous and unforgotten losers.
Difficult, 10 Qns, cag1970, Nov 08 11
Difficult
cag1970
4323 plays
9.
  They Didn't Have a Prayer   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Despite facing long odds and being given no chance at victory, the little guy can win. Sometimes David does beat Goliath. This quiz focuses on some of the biggest upsets in the history of sports.
Average, 10 Qns, deaconblues63, Jun 15 14
Average
deaconblues63
371 plays
10.
  Missed It By That Much    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A number of sports situations in which a team or person came extremely close to accomplishing something, but couldn't get it done. From a wide variety of sports.
Average, 10 Qns, Jordanar18, Nov 08 11
Average
Jordanar18 gold member
389 plays
trivia question Quick Question
Which colorfully nicknamed old-time Hall of Fame baseball pitcher finished his career with 417 wins, second all-time to Cy Young's 511?

From Quiz "Second to One"




11.
  They Broke the Record (it wasn't vinyl)...    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Can you correctly answer questions about athletes who have set amazing records in their respective sports?
Average, 10 Qns, nyirene330, Aug 30 15
Average
nyirene330
346 plays
12.
  Sport Faux Pas   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
"The fault...lies not in our stars but in ourselves". In sports a millisecond of time can label a player as a 'goat', responsible for a faux pas at a most inauspicious time.
Average, 10 Qns, Rehaberpro, Nov 08 11
Average
Rehaberpro
420 plays
13.
  A Wing and a Prayer    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Let's take a look back at some miraculous comebacks in sports history.
Average, 10 Qns, tee611, Jul 16 13
Average
tee611
518 plays
14.
  The Thrill of Victory    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Few things are greater than winning that big game. Here's a quiz devoted to some of the more magical moments in sports.
Difficult, 10 Qns, cag1970, Oct 19 05
Difficult
cag1970
696 plays
15.
  The Agony of Defeat [ 2 ]    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Victory can only be had by a select few. For the rest, there is the bitter sting of defeat. Here is a second helping of heartbreakers and disasters in the world of sports.
Difficult, 10 Qns, cag1970, Nov 08 11
Difficult
cag1970
528 plays
16.
  The Runner-Up    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
This quiz will encompass the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League. It is about the teams that came "Oh So Close" but received no cigar. Good luck!
Average, 15 Qns, superferd, Nov 08 11
Average
superferd
720 plays
17.
  Sports' Greatest Choke Artists!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Sports are meant to break you heart, all right. These guys proved it.
Average, 10 Qns, hornmafia, Jul 13 15
Average
hornmafia
2804 plays

USA Sports: They Came Second Trivia Questions

1. Which Los Angeles Lakers legend, who was an NBA All-Star in each of his 14 seasons with the team, became the first player to win the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award despite being on the losing team?

From Quiz
You Lose, Winner

Answer: Jerry West

He also managed to win the "Most Outstanding Player" award in the 1959 NCAA Men's Division I tournament despite a second place finish for his team. His inclusion on the USA's 1960 Olympic Men's basketball team helped the nation win a gold medal. Over the course of his NBA career, he led the Lakers to nine Finals appearances, although he only managed to hoist the trophy once. Known as "Mr. Clutch" for his incredible playoff performances, his 60-foot buzzer-beater to force overtime in game three of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks is considered one of the most memorable moments in NBA Finals history. You may recognize Mr. West if you are familiar with the NBA's logo, its silhouette is based on a photo of him.

2. BASEBALL: Who pitched his 511th career win on September 22, 1911 against the Pittsburgh Pirates?

From Quiz They Broke the Record (it wasn't vinyl)...

Answer: Cy Young

By the way, his 511th win was a 1-0 shut-out. I guess that's why the award for the best pitchers in Major League baseball (in both the American and the National Leagues) is called the 'Cy Young Award'. The award was first introduced by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick to honor Denton True "Cy" Young (1867-1955). Young's career spanned 21 years and 5 different teams. He produced his 511th win with the Boston Rustlers; that is 94 wins ahead of #2, Walter Johnson. Among his other records achieved at the time: most innings pitched (7,356), most games started (815) and most complete games (749). He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.

3. In National League Football, a team over two years (2003-04) put up 21 straight wins, including a Super Bowl win over the Carolina Panthers. What team stretched the streak from October 2003 to October 2004?

From Quiz "V" Is For Victory! And a LOT of Them!

Answer: New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are also the only team to go undefeated in a full 16-game regular season (2008). They came one game away from full season perfection, losing to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. The Pittsburgh Steelers ended the 21-game winning streak on Halloween 2004.

4. In parimutuel wagering on the horses, which bet pays off only if the designated horse finishes either first or second in a race?

From Quiz Second to One

Answer: place

The "show" bet also pays if the horse finishes third. The daily double refers to a bet where the wagerer picks the winning horse in two (usually the first two) consecutive races. Silver is the lone ranger's horse, not a wager.

5. Which Scottish golfer came from 10 strokes back in final round of the 1999 British Open Championship?

From Quiz A Wing and a Prayer

Answer: Paul Lawrie

Lawrie shot a final round 67 to close the gap to 3 at the end of his round. His comeback was completed by an epic collapse by Jean van de Velde. Van de Velde had a triple bogey on the 18th hole, to force a 3 man playoff, which Lawrie won.

6. On June 29, 1950, a United States team that consisted of, among others, a hearse driver, a mail carrier, a dishwasher and a teacher defeated what heavily favored team in the 1950 FIFA World Cup by a score of 1-0?

From Quiz They Didn't Have a Prayer

Answer: England

The odd were 500-1 that the United States would win the 1950 FIFA World Cup and 3-1 that England would reign as champions. The United States were such heavy underdogs that even their own coach, Bill Jeffrey, stated that "we have no chance" and that his team were "sheep ready to be slaughtered."

7. In 1940, the Washington Redskins of the NFL were embarrassed during the NFL Championship game. Which team defeated them 73-0?

From Quiz Biggest Blowouts in USA Sports

Answer: Chicago Bears

The other all joined the NFL in the 1970 merger. The Bears won the West Division and went only 8-3 in the season. One of those losses was at the hands of the East Division champion Redskins in week 9, 7-3. The Redskins went 9-2 in the season. In the championship game, the Bears would come back in a big way by leading 21-0 by the end of the first quarter. By the end of the third quarter it was 54-0, and the Bears didn't stop there. Sid Luckman led the Bears to the win.

8. The Phoenix Suns lost the 1993 NBA Finals to the Chicago Bulls in six games. Which Bull hit the shot that caused the Suns and their vocal power forward, Charles Barkley, to set without the championship?

From Quiz The Agony of Defeat [ 2 ]

Answer: John Paxson

John Paxson became a hero in Chicagoland, hitting a three-pointer as time wound down to give the Bulls a 99-98 win over Phoenix to clinch their third straight title. For the Suns, it marked a second heartbreak in the NBA Finals. They also lost an epic series against Boston in 1976.

9. The Minnesota Twins capped one of the greatest Cinderella seasons in all sports by beating another Cinderella, the Atlanta Braves, in the 1991 World Series. Which Twin drove in the game-winning run in game seven of that series?

From Quiz The Thrill of Victory

Answer: Gene Larkin

In one of the best pitching performances in World Series history, Jack Morris scattered seven hits and shut Atlanta out during the 10-inning finale. It was the second World Series win for the Twins under Tom Kelly, but it was also the point at which the Braves would begin to dominate the National League.

10. In 1989, this city could have had banners hanging all over town stating, "Always a bridesmaid and never a bride." Which city fits this description?

From Quiz The Runner-Up

Answer: Chicago

None of the Chicago teams reached the pinnacles of their sport in 1989, but each was eliminated in the game before. In January of 1989, the San Francisco 49ers won in Chicago 28-3 in the NFC Championship game leading the 49ers to a decisive 55-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Superbowl XXIV. Later that year, the Chicago Blackhawks lost 4-1 to the Calgary Flames in the Western Conference Finals before the Flames would hoist the Stanley Cup with a win over the Montreal Canadians. The Chicago Bulls followed suit with a 4-3 loss to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals before the Pistons won their second NBA title in a row, 4-1 over the Portland Trailblazers. It was the Bulls third straight loss to the Pistons in the Eastern Finals and the fourth straight season that the Pistons ended their season. Finally, in the National League Championship, baseball's Chicago Cubs were beaten 4-1 by the San Francisco Giants. The Giants went on to get swept 4-0 by the Oakland A's in a "battle of the bay" series that was remembered for an earthquake that struck during the warm ups for game 3, delaying the series.

11. Bill Buckner's infamous booted grounder in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series cost the Boston Red Sox more than a championship. It also cost which player the Series MVP award?

From Quiz The Agony of Defeat [ 1 ]

Answer: Bruce Hurst

Hurst won two games in the 1986 World Series (Game 1 by a score of 1-0 and Game 5 by a 4-2 score). He also started Game 7, and had in fact, been elected the Series MVP before the Mets' historic rally. Hurst retired from baseball in 1994, never again to taste glory in the World Series.

12. What Colombian soccer player scored an own-goal to help the U.S. upset Colombia in the 1994 World Cup?

From Quiz Sports' Greatest Choke Artists!

Answer: Andres Escobar

He was tragically gunned down by members of the Colombian mafia several weeks after the World Cup.

13. OLYMPICS: Which track & field star was the first woman to score over 7,000 points in the Olympic heptathlon?

From Quiz They Broke the Record (it wasn't vinyl)...

Answer: Jackie Joyner-Kersee

At the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, Jackie Joyner-Kersee set a world record of 7,291 points in the contest of seven different events called the heptathlon. She won a total of 6 Olympic medals in 4 different Olympics: three gold in the heptathlon and the long jump (in 1988), and the heptathlon in Barcelona in 1992; one silver in the heptathlon in Los Angeles in 1984; two bronze medals in the long jump in both Barcelona (1992) and in Atlanta in 1996. What I find most amazing is that she accomplished all of this with severe asthma and a (ham)string of injuries, yet in 2000, 'Sports Illustrated' named her the greatest female athlete of the 20th Century!

14. A Major League Baseball American League winning streak was dropped in 2002 when a team put twenty wins in a row together. Movie fans will remember this streak being commemorated in the 2011 film "Moneyball". What team was this?

From Quiz "V" Is For Victory! And a LOT of Them!

Answer: Oakland Athletics

Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman played the focal characters behind the overhaul of the Oakland A's and the improbable streak featuring almost no star players and minimal payroll. Oakland's twenty-game streak was the first over sixteen games in over sixty years; no team ever got past sixteen straight games since the National League Cubs put up 21 straight. The New York Giants had an UNDEFEATED streak of 26 games in 1916. But that involved a tie in the middle of it.

15. Which racehorse captivated the American public in 2004 by winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, only to be denied the Triple Crown by finishing second in the Belmont Stakes?

From Quiz Second to One

Answer: Smarty Jones

Smarty Jones was born and bred in Chester County, PA, outside the usual racing inner sanctum. Because of his smaller than normal physical stature and outsider status, he developed a huge following as a blue collar champion and an underdog (underhorse?). Unfortunately in the Belmont, several other strong horses ran at him early and he weakened in the stretch, just losing out to Birdsong.

16. Which National League baseball team, down to their final strike twice, came back to win the 2011 World Series?

From Quiz A Wing and a Prayer

Answer: St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals were down 2 runs in both the 9th and 10th innings of game 6. David Freese hit a tying 2 run triple in the 9th inning. Lance Berkman tied the game in the 10th with a single, Freese then won it with a walk off homerun in the 11th. This became the 4th walk off homerun in World Series history.

17. In the 1960 World Series, on the strength of Bill Mazeroski's seventh game walk-off homer, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated what heavily favored team that had dominated them in almost every statistical category?

From Quiz They Didn't Have a Prayer

Answer: New York Yankees

Going into this World Series, the heavily favored New York Yankees had won ten of the previous twelve American League Pennants and won seven of the previous twelve World Series. Led by future Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra, the Yankees lost to the Pirates despite outscoring them by a combined total of 55-27 over the seven games.

18. Which golfer might as well played all by himself when he won the 2000 U.S. Open by 15 strokes?

From Quiz Biggest Blowouts in USA Sports

Answer: Tiger Woods

Pebble Beach had never seen a blowout like this one on the golf course. Woods had a one stroke lead at the end of the first round, a six stroke lead after two, six after three, then won it by 15 strokes. Tigers' rounds were 65-69-71-67=272. He finished 12-under in the Open. Ernie Els from South Africa was the runner-up, but finished at +3.

19. In the 1980 AFC Divisional Playoffs, Cleveland's last-minute scoring drive failed when quarterback Brian Sipe threw an interception in the end zone. Which Oakland Raider ensured the Browns' defeat?

From Quiz The Agony of Defeat [ 2 ]

Answer: Mike Davis

The play was called Red Right 88, and it would've put a nail in the Raiders playoff chances had Sipe connected with his intended target, Hall of Fame tight end Ozzie Newsome. Pressure caused Sipe to throw the interception, sealing Cleveland's 14-12 defeat. Red Right 88 was the first of three infamous plays to crush the Browns' march to the Super Bowl in the 1980s.

20. In 1993, the Charlotte Hornets scored a dramatic series-clinching victory in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Center Alonzo Mourning's jumper in the closing seconds helped them beat which team?

From Quiz The Agony of Defeat [ 1 ]

Answer: Boston Celtics

Known as a fierce competitor with shot-blocking skills and a soft mid-range jump shot, Alonzo Mourning was forced to retire during the 2003 NBA season to battle a rare kidney disease. At the time, he was playing for the New Jersey Nets, who had picked him up from the Miami Heat.

21. What Buffalo Bill's kicker saw his Super Bowl game-winner sail wide right?

From Quiz Sports' Greatest Choke Artists!

Answer: Scott Norwood

Anderson also had a memorable miss. After converting every opportunity in the 1998 season, he missed a game-winner in the Vikings' upset NFC Championship Game loss to Atlanta.

22. TENNIS: Who was the first to win a total of 74 consecutive matches in the open era of tennis?

From Quiz They Broke the Record (it wasn't vinyl)...

Answer: Martina Navratilova

Czech please...yes, that is the extraordinary tennis player, Martina Navratilova born in 1956. Navratilova is the first player in history to have achieved the rank of #1 in both singles and doubles for over 200 weeks, and she is one of three women (including Margaret Court and Doris Hart) to have won the Grand Slam "boxed set", i.e., Grand Slam in singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. She was in the world's top 10 in singles for a record 20 consecutive years (1975-1994) and at the U.S. Open in June 2006 (yes, 2006), she won the mixed doubles crown just a few months shy of her 50th birthday (32 years after her first Grand Slam title!).

23. Which college basketball team, from the bluegrass state, came from 31 points down in 1994 to defeat LSU in what is known as the "Mardi Gras Miracle"?

From Quiz A Wing and a Prayer

Answer: Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky trailed 68-37 with 15 minutes and 30 seconds to play. They took their first lead with 19 seconds to go (since leading 1-0 at the start of the game). The Wildcats beat the LSU Tigers 99-95.

24. On March 19, 1966, the Texas Western College Miners won the NCAA Basketball Championship by defeating what heavily favored basketball powerhouse coached by future Basketball Hall of Fame coach, Adolph Rupp?

From Quiz They Didn't Have a Prayer

Answer: Kentucky

The first team to win the NCAA Basketball championship with a starting line up of all black players, the Miners defeated the Wildcats 72 - 65. Kentucky, led by future Basketball Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley, had lost only one game all season and had won four previous championships.

25. The Belmont Stakes is the third leg of horse racing's Triple Crown. Which horse won the 1973 race at Belmont Park in New York by an amazing 31 lengths, to win the prestigious Triple Crown?

From Quiz Biggest Blowouts in USA Sports

Answer: Secretariat

Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the Triple Crown, and the Preakness which is the second leg. In a small field of horses, Sham seemed to be Secretariat's only competition, finishing second both at the Derby and the Preakness. Secretariat broke the previous record of Count Fleet, who won the 1942 Belmont Stakes by 25 lengths.

26. After the strike-shortened 1982 season, the Washington Redskins beat which team to win the NFC Championship?

From Quiz The Thrill of Victory

Answer: Dallas Cowboys

Being divisional rivals, the Redskins typically face the hated Cowboys twice a season. But during the 1982 season, they only met once, with the Cowboys winning 24-10 at Washington. The Redskins would have the last laugh, dominating Dallas 31-17, again in Washington, and sending the Cowboys to their third straight conference championship game loss. Washington would go on to beat Miami 27-17 in Super Bowl XVII.

27. In 1999, the Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup on a controversial goal by Brett Hull. Replays clearly showed that Hull was in the goal crease before the puck, which should have nullified the goal. Which team was victimized by this blunder?

From Quiz The Agony of Defeat [ 1 ]

Answer: Buffalo Sabres

After beating the Toronto Maple Leafs to get to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Buffalo Sabres were crushed by one of the worst calls in sports history. Hull scored his goal on Sabres' goalie Dominik Hasek, at 14:51 of the third overtime.

28. Tight End Jackie Smith dropped an easy touchdown pass that prevented what team from beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl?

From Quiz Sports' Greatest Choke Artists!

Answer: Dallas

The Steelers and Cowboys have played three times in the Super Bowl.

29. HOCKEY: Which former professional hockey player was the first to win 11 Stanley Cups?

From Quiz They Broke the Record (it wasn't vinyl)...

Answer: Henri "Pocket Rocket" Richard

No, it wasn't "The Great Gretzky" or Lemieux or Hull, Orr or even Maurice Richard, but his younger brother Henri who achieved this amazing feat. Joseph 'Henri' Richard played center for the Montreal Canadiens professional hockey team in the NHL from 1955-1975. Maurice had been a star right-wing with the Canadiens since 1942, and the players all thought it was a joke when "little" Henri showed up at their training camp, but Henri proved them wrong. He was one of hockey's most "relentless forecheckers" and, although not as famous as Maurice, he was said to be a more complete player.

30. In men's college basketball, one team stands alone with an amazing 88-game winning streak that garnered three national championships during that span. Led throughout the streak by "The Wizard of Westwood", who was this team?

From Quiz "V" Is For Victory! And a LOT of Them!

Answer: UCLA Bruins

John Wooden had several iconic teams throughout the 1960s and 1970s but perfection is difficult to come by when everyone wants to beat Number One. That's why 88 straight games over four different seasons (meaning two seasons were undefeated) is such a feat. Since the streak ended only one team in over 40 seasons has even completed one full season undefeated.

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