Super Bowl Stunner: The Modern History of Choking*
NFL February 4th. 2008, 9:14am
Feel free to add any glaring omissions in the comments. [UPDATE: Some of you don't think this was a choke, but Pats DB Ellis Hobbs told Hashmarks: "We choked."]
Feb. 3, 1920 – Henry Jay Heimlich born in Wilmington, Delaware.
July 21, 1967 – Baseball Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx dies, apparently from choking on a bone.
Jan. 12, 1969 – The Jets, 17-point underdogs to the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, win 16-7.
June 19, 1974 – The Seattle Post reported that retired restaurant owner Isaac Piha used the Heimlich procedure to rescue 1st choking victim in Bellevue, WA.
Feb 25, 1983 – Playwright Tennessee Williams dies after choking on a eyedrop bottle cap.
Jan. 3, 1993 – Houston Oilers blow 35-3 lead in AFC playoff game against Buffalo Bills, lose 41-38 in overtime.
July 18, 1999 – Jean Van de Velde blows three-stroke lead on the 18th hole with a triple bogey, loses British Open in three-man playoff to Paul Lawrie.
June 4, 2000 – Portland Trailblazers waste 15-point fourth quarter lead on the road to LA Lakers, lose in Western Conference Finals.
January 13, 2002 – President George Bush seriously injures self choking on a pretzel.
October 2004 – New York Yankees become first team in baseball history to blow 3-0 postseason series lead, allow the Boston Red Sox to win four games in a row – including the final two at Yankee Stadium – and advance to the World Series.
Feb. 3, 2008 – The New England Patriots, 12-point favorites in Super Bowl 42, and needing a victory to achieve the greatest season in NFL history (perfection!), lose to the New York Giants, 17-14.
69 Responses to “Super Bowl Stunner: The Modern History of Choking*”
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February 4th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Wo, wo, wo, back the truck up. The heimlich manuever was first demonstrated in Ohio. I was taught that in elementary school my man.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:17 am
1999- Minnesota Vikings lose to Atlanta in the NFC Championships on a missed FG by a guy who hadn’t missed all season. That is choking at it’s finest.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Greg Norman. 96 Masters.
Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:21 am
I really don’t see this game as a choke. These two teams played a month ago and it was a 3 point game.
IMO that 12 point line was a joke in terms of how close these teams were. For betting a line of 12 was fine, whatever. But when comparing these two teams? Nope. Giants were better than 12 point underdogs and they proved it.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Jayson Williams (Duke); 2 free throws.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:22 am
2007: Up 2-0, Pistons salt away 4 straight as the King takes over.
Go Cavs
February 4th, 2008 at 9:23 am
December 1, 1997 – Latrell Sprewell has to be separated from PJ Carlesimo after being asked to put a little mustard on his passes.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Shit! Knew I forgot Sprewell. Great catch, CRM.
The Pats loss is def. a choke.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:26 am
this is 100% a choke game…the biggest chokers are the pats oline
February 4th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Feb 3, 10:20pm until the rest of his life – Tiki Barber choking on his words. There is no maneuver that will ever save him…
February 4th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Jimi Hendrix? Who the fuck knew that shit? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_choking_deaths
February 4th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Sorry TBL, don’t see it that way. This game was set up to be close right from the start.
You guys need to stop getting your opinions from Vegas.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Not sure how the Pats O-line choked. The Giants have been pressuring the QB since September. It is what they do.
Anyone who thought Brady wasn’t going to get beat around hasn’t been paying attention to the Giants.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:30 am
@Dornoch: We get it. You predicted a Giants victory. Congrats. So did I. (More so from hate than reason, but I did.)
February 4th, 2008 at 9:32 am
TBL – I really dont think its a choke. I thought it was played at an incredibly high level in all aspects (except the Oline of the Pats.) Choking would have been actually screwing up (Asante), the Giants won it. Saying the Pats choked is like saying the Giants didnt deserve it.
It kills me to say this..
Duke @ UMD….Jay Williams…
February 4th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Umm, haven’t said anything in this post about predicting anything.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Nick, you think your opinion is the only one that matters, we get it.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:34 am
@Dornoch: Yeah mine and the other 90% of the world who thinks it was a collapse/choke/disaster.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:36 am
@dornoch
Yeah dude, if this wasn’t a choke then what is? The line is obviously meant for the house to win and shouldn’t be involved in whether it was a choke, but it was a choke none the less.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:37 am
What was it, a football game played between two good teams, one of which the publick is too blind to recognize.
I don’t care that 90% of you say it was a choke. That is only because 90% of you said the Patriots were going to win. It beats saying you were all wrong.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Do all of the media predictions for the last three years that Eli Manning was a loser who never had heart and could never lead a team qualify as choking?
February 4th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Someone explain how the Pats choked?
Did Brady throw 4 picks? Did the defense play any worse than they had all season? Did the K miss some field goals and an extra point?
What happened on the field that proves it was a choke? Just the score isn’t good enough.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Coughlin haters? Eli lost me a boat-load of cash this season, so any hater of him is welcome in my den.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Last night this girl choked on my…
February 4th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Brady played like shit the entire game. Whether it was ankle-induced or not, we may never know. Doesn’t change the fact that he missed receivers all night and played generally *awful*
Yes, he got some pressure, but so did Peyton Manning in all of his playoff defeats pre-Super Bowl win. He was called a choker then; see no reason Brady doesn’t deserve it now.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I got two…
1) Mama Cass on her ham sandwich
2) Jose Mesa in the ‘97 Series
February 4th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Dornoch–following your logic, the Pats O Line played much, much worse than they had all season. As you said, the Giants d-line has been pressuring the QB, but they didn’t pressure Brady all that much in Week 17. I don’t know that it’s so much a “choke” but the pats o-line was pretty horrible, especially compared to the way they played the rest of the year.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:45 am
@Dornoch, don’t you think 50 comments stating the same is enough? Yesterday in the 2nd half post you try and keep trying enforce your opinion in other people. So it’s funny when you accuse others from thinking their opinions is the only ones that matters, when it’s clear that one person here that thinks that way it’s you. It was the same thing with the Gasol Trade to LA. Most people think in a way, then you have another opinion and you try and try to change other people opinions. Respect the others opinions even if you think they are wrong. Geeezz it’s not that hard, if you can’t go play with an anti-stress ball…
February 4th, 2008 at 9:45 am
I think choking is folding under pressure. The Pats o-line did that. They hung 38 on the Giants in the reg season and allowed Brady enough time to operate. Not so yesterday. Pats also had a 4-point lead with just over 2 minutes to go and couldn’t hold it. The Pats D played a great game but cracked under the pressure at the end. Choke.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:46 am
@Dornoch- This was a choke. Sorry dude but the Pats were the better team and they didn’t play up to their potential.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:49 am
No Greg Norman?
February 4th, 2008 at 9:49 am
The six loss team beat the undefeated team. That’s choking.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:49 am
@Dornoch: Sorry to keep harping on this, but the Vegas line IS entirely relevant, because it is in fact based on perception of how much better one team is than another. And really when we talk about “collapse” or “choke,” it’s all based on how we (the royal we) thought a team should play. There’s no quantitative statistical measure for determining a choke. It’s all opinion. The general opinion was that the Pats were much better than the Giants. They got beat…they choked.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Norman was on here, but didnt want back-to-back golfers. And that 18th hole is, i think, considered the worst golf collapse of all-time (one hole being more significant than one day).
February 4th, 2008 at 9:50 am
I would agree that the Pats O-Line gagged, but I cant fault the Defense (except Asante). That was the Giants just making perfect plays, no one stops that.
Using your logic the Giants Def. also choked, they cracked under the pressure of the final drive, the Pats Off. rose to the occasion and got it done (The 25sec drive notwithstanding). I wouldnt say the Giants Def. choked but under you line of thinking they did.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Random observation: The last time we were debating whether a football team was the best ever was before the USC-Texas BCS championship game. The commonly held view was that if USC won, as it was expected to, then they arguably would be the best college team ever. Interesting parallel to what happened last night, right down to the underdog’s game-winning drive followed by the favored team with the explosive offense being unable to do respond on their last possession.
About the choking: I don’t think the Pats players choked, but their coaches did. They had all game (and the full two weeks before the game) to figure out how to deal with the Giants front four, but never came up with an answer.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:52 am
TBL – I dont know…watching Norman that day was a 4hr slow death. I hate the guy and still could barely watch. Much worse than Van De Velde getting caught up in the moment and gagging. With Norman you could see it happening on his face and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Pats – the second the Pats got randy moss, they were the favorites to win the SB. then, they didnt lose in the regular season. they beat everyone in the first half of the season badly; they set all sorts of NFL offensive records.
The Giants started 0-2, and were a goal line stand away from 0-3 vs. the Skins. The Giants were not Super Bowl contenders in the preseason. They were not when the postseason began.
When you take into account the whole quest for perfection, and that the Pats beat the Giants a few weeks ago … the case could be made that this is the most unlikely super bowl result, ever. (I’m not saying it is the most unlikely result ever, but the case could be made.)
February 4th, 2008 at 9:56 am
@Kid cleveland: Nice urban legend, but Mama Cass died of heart failure. No food found in her throat or trach–
February 4th, 2008 at 9:56 am
T-Web: I think you bring up a good point. I actually think it is HARDER to play as a team like the Pats/USC with all this build up. With the media/blogs/ect. the way it is and the downtime btw. games (especially USC) its hard not to get complacent/arrogant because we are all human. The Horns/Giants got to hear the “We dont have a chance” stuff and could sit back and do their thing. I think overcoming that (a USC/Pats) is greater than what the Giants/UT had to do. They were spoonfed crap by the media that the Pats/USC (i think) didnt ask for.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:56 am
I gotta agree with others on Norman over Van de Velde. I was born and raised in Augusta, and worked at the course growing up. I was working that day, and the feeling around the course was unreal. The fact that he had all day to try and curb the slide and couldn’t…as opposed to Van de Velde who had what could be attributed to a momentary lapse in skill/concentration…I think Norman’s is worse. Plus given all of his previous near misses (Larry Mize in ‘87 Masters), it makes ‘96 worse
February 4th, 2008 at 9:58 am
What about both tOSU v. Florida games last year? Or tOSU v. Miami?
February 4th, 2008 at 9:59 am
@Virginia4lovers:
That’s exactly what those people on E! want you to believe.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:01 am
so thankful that the giants beat the patriots. now we don’t have to hear anymore about how great boston sports teams are.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:03 am
That’s why they play the game, bitches!
February 4th, 2008 at 10:04 am
CHOKE: To fail to perform effectively because of nervous agitation or tension, especially in an athletic contest: choked by missing an easy putt on the final hole.
The perfect Patriots failed. Miserably. No running game, offensive line folded all night long, and the defense failed miserably in the fourth quarter against a mediocre offense.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Let’s not leave off the Mavs choke to the Miami Heat in the 06 finals. Granted, the officials helped tighten the fingers around the neck with their bullshit Dywane Wade worship, but that was still a choke.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:06 am
@TBL, I don’t think it was nervous agitation or tension. I think it was real agitation in the form of 4 really big dudes who can run fast. I don’t think it was nerves that knocked Brady down, I think it was Strahan.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:10 am
@Hef–I would tend to agree with you, except that in Week 17, nothing close to that happened. The D-Line barely got to Brady in that game. Again, I don’t know about the term “choke”…I think it’s unnecessary to place a label on it, but either the Pats O-Line played a helluva lot worse or the Giants D-Line played a helluva lot better…
February 4th, 2008 at 10:15 am
The O-Line choked. Brady I though played well (excpet for two passes) and when Manning was pressured in years past he heaved 5 picks, Brady didnt toss a pick and rose to the occasion and got them the lead. The Giants were just better, plain and simple.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:19 am
The D line didn’t get close to Brady in week 17 is a sign that the Pats choked? I guess it’s only the Patriots who can make adjustments.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Or another way to look at this game is the Giants were the better team in the Week 17 game and “choked” away a 13 point second half lead.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:22 am
@Darrell–if you’re responding to me, note that I’ve said a couple of times already that I don’t think the Pats “choked”…that I think their O-line played MUCH worse in this game than it has all year, week 17 included. If you’re not responding to me, then never mind…
February 4th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Steve Tasker stepped out of bounds.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:42 am
tOSU florida football last yr was an epic choke(although there was a key early injury) but that kind of a blowout was a choke
osu vs florida basketball wasnt a choke Florida was supposed to win and did
now what about tSUN vs App state this yr?
February 4th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Comparing the Pats to Greg Norman at the 96 Masters is ridiculous. Would we be calling Norman a choke if he shot 66 but Faldo shot 59? He still would have “blown” a 6 shot lead.
Why can’t it just be said that the Giants played well? The O-Line choked because they got run over by one of the best fronts, EVER?
You guys say choke, I say predictable.
February 4th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Nick, you keep buying those lines Vegas gives you.
Let us know when you strike it rich.
February 4th, 2008 at 11:28 am
the best team in the history of pro football, who was a double digit favorite lost to a team no one gave a shot at winning
they chocked, the line brady running game defense they all choked. end of story. the heavily favored and team that was expected to win lost, they choked the very definition of choking
February 4th, 2008 at 11:30 am
I remember watching that Oilers-Bills game. I remember thinking as a kid “Wow a team from Houston is actually about to go to a Championship” (this was pre back to back Rockets titles). Then our defense just couldn’t seem to stop them. The thing that pisses me off is that Don Beebe stepped out of bounds and then back in bounds before he caught that long pass from Frank Reich to make it 35-28. He went out and then back in right in front of the official and it wasn’t called. I couldn’t believe it.
Also, I have to nominate the 1980 Holiday Bowl when SMU lost a 20 point lead with 4 minutes left in the game and lost to BYU 46-45. That’s a pretty bad choke (for the record, I am an SMU alum and I watch the highlights of that game on Youtube all the time hoping that just once it’ll end differently).
February 4th, 2008 at 11:42 am
How about Chris Webber’s time out call in the national title game.
February 4th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Dammit…… y’all had to mention the Oilers/Bills game? I’m all happy and shit that the Pats lost, and now I’m sad again after being reminded of this game. Oh, and ms621, let’s not talk about that SMU game. Thanks.
Beebe was out of fucking bounds, dammit!
and Ernest Givens was held on Moon’s OT INT!!!
February 4th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
* Feb. 3, 2008 …patriots choke on their humble pie
February 4th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Can I trademark “18-Choke”?
February 4th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
2006 – number one seed redwings get bitched in six games by the eighth seeded oilers
February 4th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
If you’re someone who watches sports from a gambling or fantasy aspect, then it was a choke job because the favorite is supposed to always win. If you’re someone who watches from the sporting aspect, then it was one team finding a way to be better than the other. Gambling lines don’t make that type of acknowledgement.
February 4th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Keith Moon.
The aforementioned Greg Norman.
February 4th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
@Dornoch: I’m not a sports better.
February 4th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Uconn losing to George Mason in the elite 8 in 2006. I’m a Husky and still can’t even talk about it.
February 4th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
@Nick
I think you mean “sports bettor”. It sounds like you’re saying, “I’m not a sports elitist.”