If you believe in momentum in sports -- and really, how can you not? -- then you believe in moments that are particularly demoralizing to a team and its fan base.

In baseball, there are few things worse for a team than when its pitcher gets into a jam, nearly wriggles free, then gives up a crushing two-out hit. Or, of course, when a team breezes through eight innings with a seemingly comfortable lead, only to have it all go awry in the ninth.

In hockey -- talking about the college or high school stuff because who knows when we will be lucky enough to see demoralizing moments again in the NHL -- the air going out of players is almost audible if a team lets in a goal just as a power play expires.

When a basketball team is making a run in an attempt to get back into a game, nothing stops it faster than the other team making a desperation basket near the end of its own shot clock (extra demoralizing if it's a three-pointer, and multiply by 10 if it goes in off the glass).

Soccer? Own goal. Golf? Putt that lips out. You get the idea.

And football? Well, we don't need to speak in hypotheticals here. If you watched the Vikings game Sunday you saw not one, not two, not three, but four of the most demoralizing plays in the sport -- all in one game. Naturally, three of them went in the Colts' favor.

1 The Vikings forced a Colts punt on the first possession of the third quarter. But on the punt, Andrew Sendejo was flagged for roughing the kicker. The Colts offense trotted right back on the field. Demoralization factor on a scale of 1-10: 8.

2 Still, Minnesota regrouped and looked as though it had the Colts stopped again. But as Andrew Luck was sprinting out of bounds well short of a first down on third-and-16, the Vikings' Jared Allen was called for hitting him late. Personal foul, drive extended, and the Colts ended up getting a field goal. Demoralization factor on a scale of 1-10: 7.

3 Those three points proved to be huge later when the Vikings made a comeback. On fourth-and-goal, Christian Ponder's pass was tipped at the line. It then bounced off the hands of tight end Kyle Rudolph ... and went right to Stephen Burton, who accepted the gift touchdown. Demoralization factor on a scale of 1-10: 8.

4 But the Vikings got the ultimate payback from last week -- and the ultimate demoralization. There is nothing worse than driving for what seems to be the tying or winning score late in a game, only to have the opponent pull off a desperation rally like the Colts did Sunday. Demoralization factor on a scale of 1-10: 10.

MICHAEL RAND