Biggest Choke Jobs in Sports

[Chicat]

Very glad the Illinois game didn't make this list...

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/1668 ... ts-history" target="_blank

[97cats]

i will never forget watching Frank Reich pull off what he did in the second half -- coming back to beat the then Houston Oilers trailing 38-3 in the third quarter.

[ghostwhitehorse]

Very glad the Illinois game didn't make this list...

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/1668 ... ts-history" target="_blank

Lotta baseball on the list. . .

[Merkin]

Yea, lotta baseball.

Any professional sports team no matter the sport up 3-1 in a best of 7 has to make that list.

[JMarkJohns]

So much baseball, yet nothing from the 2001 World Series.

Kim, not once but twice? Kid looked like he was going to end his life once he stepped off the mound in game 5.

But also, Rivera? The hammer of God?

Single, error, double, HBP, single? All allowed or committed by Rivera.

That may not be a choke. But holy hell was it an epic collapse from someone not known for them ever.

At the time it was unthinkable Rivera would lose. That one run was as insurmountable as any lead in any sport ever.

Rivera was perfect up to that point in the series. He'd been all but perfect for his career.

For me, it's one of the most inexplicable happenings ever.

My editor was just yelling "holy shit!" over and over.

[Chicat]

If it had gone homer, double, HBP, double, then I'd say it was a choke by Rivera. But he made a great pitch to Gonzalez and yet he somehow muscled that broken bat wounded duck over the infielders. Hmmm, wonder how that happened....

Kim is a pretty good call, but they won. I think they were looking more at total team collapses.

I had a hard time getting over '01 as a Yankee fan. I needed that year. I feel like New York needed that year. And maybe in some way America needed a team from New York to be champions.

I still see that DBacks team as being undeserving. Like they stole something from me.

[JMarkJohns]

If it had gone homer, double, HBP, double, then I'd say it was a choke by Rivera. But he made a great pitch to Gonzalez and yet he somehow muscled that broken bat wounded duck over the infielders. Hmmm, wonder how that happened....

Kim is a pretty good call, but they won. I think they were looking more at total team collapses.

I had a hard time getting over '01 as a Yankee fan. I needed that year. I feel like New York needed that year. And maybe in some way America needed a team from New York to be champions.

I still see that DBacks team as being undeserving. Like they stole something from me.

I understand all of this. But of everyone in every sport, Rivera is most infallible. He's like the North Star.

He had a throwing error and HBP.

But like I said, probably not a choke. But just a weird failure in a career not known for even blips let alone game 7 ninth inning World Series with the lead blips.


Kim had two appearances in the series and gave up 3 HRs, two tying, one walk-off, all within 24 hours.

He also had like 5 strike outs in the first 3 batters faced each game.

Such a weird series.


As for the series winner.

I get ya. I have that same feeling regarding the 2007 Suns/Spurs and the 1995 Suns/Rockets. I also have the 2009 Super Bowl and the toe-tap that may not have tapped but appeared to tap, so touchdown to suffer through for the rest of my life.

But the Diamondbacks dominated that series. Had the Yankees won, they would have done so despite being outscored by like 20 runs. So, honestly, the correct team won. But the year and the sentiment, I understand. It felt ordained after game 5.

[UAEebs86]

If it had gone homer, double, HBP, double, then I'd say it was a choke by Rivera. But he made a great pitch to Gonzalez and yet he somehow muscled that broken bat wounded duck over the infielders. Hmmm, wonder how that happened....

Kim is a pretty good call, but they won. I think they were looking more at total team collapses.

I had a hard time getting over '01 as a Yankee fan. I needed that year. I feel like New York needed that year. And maybe in some way America needed a team from New York to be champions.

I still see that DBacks team as being undeserving. Like they stole something from me.

Torre's fault for playing the infield in with a pitcher who made a living jamming lefties up and in with his cutter. Plus even if it doesn't drop, it's still extra innings on the road in a stadium going crazy and Randy Johnson still on the mound.

Great night - second to only March 31, 1997 in my sporting life.

[scumdevils86]

If it had gone homer, double, HBP, double, then I'd say it was a choke by Rivera. But he made a great pitch to Gonzalez and yet he somehow muscled that broken bat wounded duck over the infielders. Hmmm, wonder how that happened....

Kim is a pretty good call, but they won. I think they were looking more at total team collapses.

I had a hard time getting over '01 as a Yankee fan. I needed that year. I feel like New York needed that year. And maybe in some way America needed a team from New York to be champions.

I still see that DBacks team as being undeserving. Like they stole something from me.

Mehhhh....at least fans of New York teams have about 60 other sports championships to fall back on so I really don't feel all that bad for ya. Arizona has nothing else besides that 1 DBacks title

[EVCat]

i will never forget watching Frank Reich pull off what he did in the second half -- coming back to beat the then Houston Oilers trailing 38-3 in the third quarter.

I was a secondary Bills fan due to our players and being a Jim Kelly fan in the USFL. I was in school for this game...was pissed at the half and went to grab some music at the Warehouse on Oracle and River and some lunch. I had the game on in the car as I left my place at Ft Lowell and Mountain. By the time I got to the Warehouse, the comeback had started. I got in my car after some shopping and they were even closer. I grabbed some food at the Jack in the Box across the street and while I was in the drive thru, the Bills scored again. They scored as I flew home and I got to see the end of the game at my condo.

It should have taught me a lesson. All it taught me is to leave when my team is in a hopeless situation. Did the same in 1997 USA opening round game, and made it back right about when we evened the game up. I wound up buying the DVD from the NCAA Vault a couple years ago because I had never seen the comeback

[splitsecond]

So much baseball, yet nothing from the 2001 World Series.

Kim, not once but twice? Kid looked like he was going to end his life once he stepped off the mound in game 5.

But also, Rivera? The hammer of God?

Single, error, double, HBP, single? All allowed or committed by Rivera.

That may not be a choke. But holy hell was it an epic collapse from someone not known for them ever.

At the time it was unthinkable Rivera would lose. That one run was as insurmountable as any lead in any sport ever.

Rivera was perfect up to that point in the series. He'd been all but perfect for his career.

For me, it's one of the most inexplicable happenings ever.

My editor was just yelling "holy shit!" over and over.

I was sitting at Gentle Bens on the deck upstairs watching that game. When the Yankees took the lead some of those typical Yankee Douchenozzles that find their way to Tucson for school lost their minds, were talking shit to everyone in the bar and acting like general twats. But we knew they were right, that Rivera wasn't going to give up the lead. Until he gave up the lead. I suppose it's debatable whether that was a choke job or supreme grit and hitting by the D-Backs. Doesn't matter, it is still the greatest World Series finish I have ever witnessed and something I will never forget.

[Merkin]

i will never forget watching Frank Reich pull off what he did in the second half -- coming back to beat the then Houston Oilers trailing 38-3 in the third quarter.

Never was a Bills fan, but always felt sorry for them being a Super Bowl loser 4 times, so that was pretty cool for Bills' fans.

Always felt sorry for Minnesota too when Fran Tarkenton was QB, never could get that SB win in 4 tries.

Hated Miami, so glad when Marino never won a SB. What a choker.

[gumby]

Lindsay Jacobellis, snowboarding. Choked away sure gold. Choked away shots at ensuing Olympics.

[gumby]

Probably not choking, but Jim Ryun was a dominant middle-distance runner. Probably the greatest high school athlete ever. But never won gold.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Ryun" target="_blank

In 1968, Kip Keino ripped off the greatest 1,500 meter race up to that point. Olympic record stood for 16 years. Ryun ran a great time, but finished second. He was tripped in the 1972 Olympics.

Mary Decker Slaney is another track star who was snakebit.

[Spaceman Spiff]

How is Jean Van De Velde so low? I hate golf, and his crash and burn is legend. Throwing away a 3 shot lead on the final hole doesn't even get you a top ten?

Also, in Arizona lore, this is underrated.

https://youtu.be/EQYveX7hXvg" target="_blank

[Chicat]

Surprised this year's OKC Thunder squad didn't make the list. They were up 3-1 and had a 7 point lead with five minutes to go in game 6 only to completely collapse and lose the entire series.

[cpt]

What about the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS? Really, up 3-0 to the Red Sox and lose games 4 and 5 in epic extra innings only to lose the final two going away? Either greatest comeback ever or greatest choke. Maybe both.

[Chicat]

What about the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS? Really, up 3-0 to the Red Sox and lose games 4 and 5 in epic extra innings only to lose the final two going away? Either greatest comeback ever or greatest choke. Maybe both.

It's at #2...

[JMarkJohns]

What about the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS? Really, up 3-0 to the Red Sox and lose games 4 and 5 in epic extra innings only to lose the final two going away? Either greatest comeback ever or greatest choke. Maybe both.

It's both, and it's #2 on the link's list.

It was first a comeback, then choke.

It seemed like if the Yankees got punched in the mouth, they folded.

Whether it be 2001, 2003, or 2004.

They were great if they could dominate. They were good if you let things stay close. But you do something they didn't expect, and they never recovered.

[gumby]

Melania ... uh ... wrong thread.