(Fun Thread) Bad performances gone good (or the inverse)

[tgjdlc]

I've noticed in my ten years of being involved with forensics (as a competitor and coach) that there are moments that will forever stand out in my mind. Some great, some bad, some ugly, and some just straight up weird. I want us to share the latter of these with each other, just because I think it'll add to the amusement and wonder that is Forensics.
I'll start off with an example.

Setting: My So. year of high school. La Costa Canyon Christmas Classic (SD, CA). Final round of HI (was first speaker because I had to get to my other final round). Had just memorized my HI the day before the tournament (2002). Packed with an audience of competitors, 3 judges, and coaches/parents.

Piece: The Bible (abridged)<--- keep in mind, this piece was fairly fresh game around this time.

My teaser starts off marvelously, I'm getting into the groove of the performance and getting the best reaction I'd had all day... then... I get to the Moses and the Top Ten Rejected Commandments.

10- gets a laugh. -pause for laughter-
9- Bigger laugh -pause for laughter-
8- mediocre laugh -pause for laughter-
7- -pause for remembering- -pause I can't remember- -turn bright red- -silent room- -embarrassment-
"Crap, I forgot my commandments" (acting as Moses throwing the tablets away)
"which leads me to my number 1 rejected commandment" :nervous laughter:
"S-h-i-t happens" :uproar: :1 judge falls to the ground in laughing fit: :students giving an applause break:

Finish the rest of the piece with no problem. I walk out of the room after excusing myself and I cry. (I was a sophomore, it was embarrassing) I'm on my way to my final in DI and my coach is trying to tell me that I did just fine, it wasn't going to hurt me (blah blah) I get to my DI round completely flushed, but perform the best I can.

Awards. I go up when they call HI finalists expecting 6th place.

In 6th- not me. "huh, maybe my earlier scores helped me"
In 5th- not me. "Ok, I'm for sure in 4th"
4th-- not me. "wtf"
3rd- not me. "this can't be right"
2nd. "holy (expletive)".From Foothill, Juan ... "this can't be right"

I got 2nd in DI. however, I'm most shocked by HI.
I get on the bus bound for home, my coach comes to my seat, hands me HI ballots and says "go to the final round ballots"

One of them was "This was hilarious... and honestly, you messing up and keeping in character and applying the 's-h-i-t happens' was the funniest **** thing I've ever seen"

The other ballots remarked on it as well. I will forever keep those ballots.

I hope you get the point. Share your story (of any round- of any event) I'd like to read these.