The Wallabies sensational defeat of the All Blacks last week has got me all pumped up for the upcoming Rugby World Cup and the thought of the World Cup got me thinking about how the mighty All Blacks have spectacularly failed as raging favourites in numerous quests to capture the "Billy" Webb Ellis trophy.
The Kiwi crashes then directed my mind to other great/horrific chokes in sporting history and the causes behind them. We must remember, a choke is a one off capitulation, where a team or individual is unable to cut the mustard when it counts. It's a failure on the big stage, when triumph appeared to be a forgone conclusion.
A choke is not a form slump, a drought, a hoodoo or a collingwobble...do I make myself clear? There have been some rippers in history that are generally the sports equivalent of a train wreck. They're horrible to watch, yet compelling viewing. It's impossible to look away.
Poor old Gregory Norman is a famous choker. He had the coveted US Masters in the bag on a few occasions, only to have it ripped away by the curse of nerves, pressure, expectation and a huge dose of arse from his competitors. Unfortunately the "Shark" has been unfairly tarred with the choker brush, even though his career was dotted with amazing achievements. A few dramatic meltdowns have become a big part of his legacy.
Elite sports people are just that...people and can easily become overwhelmed under extreme pressure. The all time greats are the rare exceptions that are able to block out any distractions, negativity or nerves and produce a business like performance with robotic precision time and time again.
Getting back to the chokers. LeBron James pissed off the entire city of Cleveland last year to join a bevy of stars at the Miami Heat. After strolling through to the finals, it looked elementary that LeBron and co. would give the Dallas Mavericks a pasting. Guess what happened? That's right, the Heat crapped the bed and Mr James produced his worse batch of games for the season. Again unfairly, James was ridiculed and left with egg on his face, the folks of Cleveland were happy again.
There's something we love about seeing the mighty fail or is it the joy in an under-dog victory. Either way, sports chokes are big news and can radiate shock waves through the sports mad community. Another casualty of a catastrophic panic is the high stakes sports punter. Thousands of dollars are wagered on "sure things", in the knowledge that a safe collect is imminent. Chokes often create rumours of foul play or teams/players/athletes "taking a dive".
This season 1 million was staked on the mighty Geelong Cats in the AFL to knock over the struggling Essendon Bombers. A Cats victory appeared certain, but they had an off night, with the Bombers taking the chocolates and the mystery punter losing his mill. Granted, this was probably more an upset than a choke, but it clearly illustrates how much money can be wagered on a supposed sure thing.
Personally I love a good choke every now and then (as long as it's not one of my teams). A meltdown adds to the excitement and drama of a sometimes dull contest. It also reinforces that it's never over until that fat bird sings....tragic.
