Greatest Wildcard and Cinderella Runs

1969 New York Mets

A franchise that had never finished better than 8th place went from laughingstock to World Series champion in one surreal summer. The 'Miracle Mets' beat the heavily favored Orioles in five games behind Tom Seaver and a bizarre bounce off Cleon Jones' shoe. Preseason odds against

Year(s): 1969Starting Position/Odds: ~100-1 preseason oddsFinal Outcome: World Series ChampionsSignature Moment: Beat heavily favored Orioles in 5 gamesLegend Status: 9.5/10

added by IJRin 3 rankings

1980 US Olympic Hockey Team ('Miracle on Ice')

A ragtag squad of amateur and college kids faced the greatest hockey team on Earth, the Soviet Union, at Lake Placid during the Cold War. Al Michaels' 'Do you believe in miracles? YES!' call punctuated a 4-3 upset that is arguably the single most famous underdog moment in America

Year(s): 1980Starting Position/Odds: Heavy underdogs vs. 4-time defending champsFinal Outcome: Olympic Gold MedalSignature Moment: 4-3 upset of the Soviet UnionLegend Status: 9.7/10

added by IJR

Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson (1990)

James 'Buster' Douglas was a 42-1 afterthought stepping into the ring against an 'unbeatable' Mike Tyson in Tokyo. Fighting through the recent death of his mother, Douglas got up from a 10th-round knockdown and floored Tyson in the same round for one of sports' all-time shocks. I

Year(s): 1990Starting Position/Odds: ~42-1 underdogFinal Outcome: Won by 10th-round knockoutSignature Moment: Knocked out previously undefeated TysonLegend Status: 9.3/10

added by IJR

Leicester City (2015-16 Premier League)

Bookmakers priced Leicester at 5000-1 to win the title, longer odds than finding the Loch Ness Monster. Under Claudio Ranieri, a squad built on castoffs and a $1M striker named Jamie Vardy went unbeaten for stretches and shocked the traditional 'Big Six' to lift the trophy. It's

Year(s): 2015-16Starting Position/Odds: ~5000-1 preseason oddsFinal Outcome: Premier League ChampionsSignature Moment: Jamie Vardy's scoring streak and title clinchLegend Status: 9.8/10

added by IJRin 2 rankings

Villanova 1985 NCAA Championship

As an 8-seed, Villanova remains the lowest seed ever to win a men's basketball title, and they did it by shooting a nearly perfect 78.6% from the field against heavily favored Georgetown. Rollie Massimino's Wildcats slowed the game to a crawl and executed a near-flawless upset in

Year(s): 1985Starting Position/Odds: 8-seedFinal Outcome: NCAA ChampionsSignature Moment: Beat #1 Georgetown in title game shooting 78.6%Legend Status: 9.4/10

added by IJR

NC State 1983 NCAA Championship ('Cardiac Pack')

Jim Valvano's Wolfpack needed miracle finishes just to survive the ACC tournament and reach the dance, earning the nickname 'Cardiac Pack.' They capped it by beating Houston's star-studded 'Phi Slama Jama' team on a buzzer-beating dunk by Lorenzo Charles off an airballed shot. Va

Year(s): 1983Starting Position/Odds: 6-seedFinal Outcome: NCAA ChampionsSignature Moment: Buzzer-beating dunk to beat HoustonLegend Status: 9.2/10

added by IJR

George Mason 2006 Final Four

An 11-seed with no NCAA tournament pedigree, George Mason wasn't even a lock for an at-large bid before shocking a loaded field. They knocked off defending champion North Carolina, then Wichita State, then top-seeded UConn in overtime to become the first mid-major Final Four team

Year(s): 2006Starting Position/Odds: 11-seedFinal Outcome: Final FourSignature Moment: OT upset of #1 seed UConn in Elite EightLegend Status: 8.7/10

added by IJR

VCU 2011 Final Four

VCU had to win a First Four play-in game just to enter the bracket as an 11-seed many analysts called an undeserving selection. Shaka Smart's squad then ripped off five straight tournament wins, including a blowout of #1 seed Kansas, to reach the Final Four. It remains the deepes

Year(s): 2011Starting Position/Odds: 11-seed (First Four)Final Outcome: Final FourSignature Moment: Blowout win over #1 seed KansasLegend Status: 8.5/10

added by IJR

Loyola Chicago 2018 Final Four

An 11-seed led by 98-year-old team chaplain Sister Jean captured America's heart with clutch buzzer-beaters and a fearless brand of ball. Loyola won four straight nail-biters, including upsets of Tennessee and Nevada, before falling just short of the title game. Sister Jean's sco

Year(s): 2018Starting Position/Odds: 11-seedFinal Outcome: Final FourSignature Moment: Buzzer-beater wins over Tennessee and MiamiLegend Status: 8.6/10

added by IJR

Wichita State 2013 Final Four

A 9-seed with little national buzz, Wichita State stunned #1 overall seed Gonzaga and then blew out #2 seed Ohio State to reach the Final Four. Gregg Marshall's Shockers proved a mid-major could physically dominate blue bloods, not just sneak by them. The run set the stage for an

Year(s): 2013Starting Position/Odds: 9-seedFinal Outcome: Final FourSignature Moment: Rout of #2 seed Ohio State in Elite EightLegend Status: 7.8/10

added by IJR

UCLA 2021 Final Four

UCLA had to survive the First Four just to squeak into the field, then reeled off five straight wins over Michigan State, BYU, Abilene Christian, Alabama, and Michigan. Johnny Juzang's scoring barrage carried the Bruins within a heartbreaking overtime half-court shot of the natio

Year(s): 2021Starting Position/Odds: 11-seed (First Four)Final Outcome: Final FourSignature Moment: Five straight tournament wins from the play-in gameLegend Status: 8.3/10

added by IJR

2007 New York Giants (Super Bowl XLII)

Squeaking into the playoffs as a wildcard, the Giants were 12-point underdogs against the 18-0 New England Patriots chasing a perfect season. Eli Manning's escape from a sack and David Tyree's 'helmet catch' set up a game-winning touchdown that shattered the Patriots' perfect rec

Year(s): 2007-08Starting Position/Odds: NFC 5-seed (wildcard)Final Outcome: Super Bowl ChampionsSignature Moment: Helmet Catch upset of undefeated PatriotsLegend Status: 9.6/10

added by IJR

2010 Green Bay Packers (Super Bowl XLV)

Battered by injuries and needing a win-and-in finish just to make the playoffs as the 6-seed, the Packers caught fire at the perfect time. Aaron Rodgers led them through road wins at Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Chicago before beating the Steelers in the Super Bowl. It remains one

Year(s): 2010-11Starting Position/Odds: NFC 6-seed (wildcard)Final Outcome: Super Bowl ChampionsSignature Moment: Three straight road playoff winsLegend Status: 8.4/10

added by IJR

2012 Los Angeles Kings (Stanley Cup)

Barely sneaking into the playoffs as the 8th seed in the West, the Kings were given little chance against the conference's elite. Behind Jonathan Quick's stellar goaltending, they swept the top-seeded Canucks and never trailed a series en route to the franchise's first Stanley Cu

Year(s): 2012Starting Position/Odds: 8-seed (Western Conference)Final Outcome: Stanley Cup ChampionsSignature Moment: Swept #1 seed Vancouver in Round 1Legend Status: 8.9/10

added by IJR

2019 St. Louis Blues (Stanley Cup)

On January 3, 2019, the Blues sat dead last in the entire NHL standings, prompting jokes about a Stanley Cup 'reverse curse.' Rallying around the song 'Gloria' and rookie goalie Jordan Binnington, they climbed to a division title and then beat the Bruins in a decisive Game 7 on t

Year(s): 2018-19Starting Position/Odds: Last in NHL standings (early Jan)Final Outcome: Stanley Cup ChampionsSignature Moment: Worst-to-first turnaround, Game 7 road winLegend Status: 9/10

added by IJR

Greece (UEFA Euro 2004)

Greece had never won a match at a major tournament before 2004 and entered as roughly 150-1 outsiders. Under Otto Rehhagel's defensively disciplined system, they beat host Portugal in the opener, then eliminated defending champion France, and beat Portugal again in the final. It'

Year(s): 2004Starting Position/Odds: ~150-1 preseason oddsFinal Outcome: Euro 2004 ChampionsSignature Moment: Beat host Portugal twice, including the finalLegend Status: 9.5/10

added by IJR

2011 St. Louis Cardinals (World Series)

On August 25, 2011, the Cardinals sat 10.5 games out of a wildcard spot with little hope of a playoff berth. They stormed back to clinch on the season's final day, then beat the Rangers in a Game 6 for the ages when David Freese hit a game-tying triple and walk-off homer while fa

Year(s): 2011Starting Position/Odds: 10.5 games back of wildcard (late Aug)Final Outcome: World Series ChampionsSignature Moment: David Freese's Game 6 walk-off homerLegend Status: 9.1/10

added by IJR

2023 Miami Heat (NBA Finals)

Squeaking in via the play-in tournament as the 8-seed, the Heat were given minimal odds of advancing past the postseason's first round. Jimmy Butler dragged them past the top-seeded Bucks and the Celtics, overcoming a 3-0 deficit blown lead to reach the NBA Finals. It's the deepe

Year(s): 2023Starting Position/Odds: 8-seed (via play-in)Final Outcome: NBA Finals (runner-up)Signature Moment: Overcame 3-0 series deficit vs. Celtics to reach FinalsLegend Status: 8.2/10

added by IJR