millbank Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 I agree. I have a hard time calling it a choke when there is another team or player that is making things happen. For that reason, the #1 choke of all time in my book -- never to be surpassed -- was Jean Van de Velde. No one else was in the pic...just him. Make a double bogey six for the British Open crown. His choke was mental and physical. He completely lost his head and his game for about 15 minutes while playing that hole and threw away the title. That was truly painful to watch. The fact that he's french did make it tolerable though 79616[/snapback] Thats kind of who i was thinking of, year after year, it seems players going around amen corner on Sunday at the Masters making decisions to lay up , or go for fives in two, these are thought processes where clearly guys are looking at the leaderboard and reacting, Sady Van de Velde had played fabulously and then rolling up his trousers and trying to hit out of the water , never will forget that and the groans of all watching, just had to feel bad for the man. Gregg Norman gets similar rap the difference being he lost to guys who played well better or just made great shots ,no choke sometimes you lose. Same deal with lefty got rap for being choker, as he had come up second so many times, not way he choked more a case of being to aggressive. Choke can be such a flat out wrong label, it demeans and doesnt give credit where its due.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiew Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 I'm surprised that when thinking of "choking" in it's implied sense, no one has thought of the 3rd quarter of the Bills vs. Cowboys SB in Atlanta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Except that game was already tied. 79607[/snapback] That may be the most unbelievable fact in sports history that nobody seems to get....and another reason I hate Sox fans. There's probably 800,000+ other more crucial plays in playoff history that made the difference between winning/losing, and that play would've kept the game TIED? God, what whining stinkin brats. And for the record, the Oilers DID choke away that game. Watch it on Classic next time you get the chance. Just a total meltdown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 You got the history. I think the key is that the Yankees somehow won the 3 games? The annomally is the three game lead. It is not a matter of collapse but, the illusion they looked good in their three wins. Blowout wins the Yankees are good at... The close games near the end, and the pitching is exposed. Even with a big lead in game 1... The BoSox almost came back. Very quirky series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Great series, here in Boston today it is crazy. A bit tough for a Yanks fan like myself, but I always thought the Sox had a better team this year. The better team won the pennant and that's how it should be! Now, can they win the World Series? The Bills lost the Super Bowl--if they won the SB that year it would have made that comeback even more special, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 I agree. I have a hard time calling it a choke when there is another team or player that is making things happen. For that reason, the #1 choke of all time in my book -- never to be surpassed -- was Jean Van de Velde. No one else was in the pic...just him. Make a double bogey six for the British Open crown. His choke was mental and physical. He completely lost his head and his game for about 15 minutes while playing that hole and threw away the title. That was truly painful to watch. The fact that he's french did make it tolerable though 79616[/snapback] Great point. I totally agree. "Choke" is one of the most overused terms in sports, especially team sports. I'm on board with the Van de Velde choke though. That was a classic gagger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMIEBUF12 Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 just read the bills story,god i miss those old uniforms! go bills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 I agree. I have a hard time calling it a choke when there is another team or player that is making things happen. For that reason, the #1 choke of all time in my book -- never to be surpassed -- was Jean Van de Velde. No one else was in the pic...just him. Make a double bogey six for the British Open crown. His choke was mental and physical. He completely lost his head and his game for about 15 minutes while playing that hole and threw away the title. That was truly painful to watch. The fact that he's french did make it tolerable though 79616[/snapback] Absolutely - great call. A pro golfer should be able to make a double bogey on any hole he plays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts