Who are the biggest chokers in World Sport?

[GIMH]

14 and 10 are opposite sides!

Yeah, White came up against some crackin players in his career, but 6 consecutive finals says he could more than hold his own against the best, the fact he lost all 6, including 2 he should've bagged, doesnt reflect well on him

I mean a total of 14 or more, rather than hitting the exact number...

 

[wpdavid]

Jana Novotna's jib at Wimbledon in the 1993 final must be biggest choke in tennis. She was serving @ 40-15 & 4-1 up in the final set (having taken the 2nd set 6-1) against Graf only for her arse to go completely & end up losing 6-4.

Round here she lives on as a verb: to Jana it means to choke badly.

Not quite in that league, but Sue Barker blew up bigtime on at least one occasion. IIRC it was the year that Wade won it (1977 maybe) and, after Virginia had played the game of her life to beat Evert in one semifinal, Barker only had to hold her nerve and, by the final set, her serve, to progress to the final at the expense of the very ordinary Betty Stove, who had astonished everyone by getting that far. Perceived wisdom at the time was that Barker would actually be favourite to win it against the usually nerve-ridden VW. She may even have been ranked above her at that stage of her career. Anyway, having put herself in pole position to see off Stove, her game disintegrated, as had what turned out to be the chance of her lifetime. Thereafter, she was never the same again, and "Sue Barker exits in tears" was usually a headline by Thursday in week 1.

 

[Salamuddin]

France are qualifying well aren't they...

I'm sorry what was that again sunshine ?

 

[Salamuddin]

Well my dear Brumby, it is my turn to have a solid laugh at the glorious performance of the English national football team

 

[Salamuddin]

Haha Salamuddin, you are an embarassment to all societies, our footy team is just fine, thank you, and just for the record, how was the Rugby for you tonight, sunshine?

"our footy team is just fine" - surely the statement of the year

 

[1-9-7-7]

The french cycling team

 

[TT Boy]

"our footy team is just fine" - surely the statement of the year

Below the belt... Although, tbf as chokes go last nights capitulation was sublime.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Yeah, last night was a huge choke. We really should be drawing at home with Croatia. Especially an already-qualified Croatia.

As I think I've already said in this thread, not every English defeat is a choke, but last night qualifies; hamstrung as we were by McClient's ****witted slections and "tactics".

 

[Pratters]

England were poor really from all I hear and read. A bit like India crashing out of World Cup 2007 - was dire performances rather than choking.

 

[BoyBrumby]

England were poor really from all I hear and read. A bit like India crashing out of World Cup 2007 - was dire performances rather than choking.

Froze on the occasion, yeah, but to get it back to 2-2 and still throw it away counts as a choke for mine. Arguably did against Russia too; 1-0 up and cruising to 2-1 and reliant on a favour in 4 minutes.

No disrespect to either Croatia or Russia, but they're teams we should be beating. Usually we exit to teams we might beat (yer Germanys, yer Argies & yer Portugals).

 

[Pratters]

Froze on the occasion, yeah, but to get it back to 2-2 and still throw it away counts as a choke for mine. Arguably did against Russia too; 1-0 up and cruising to 2-1 and reliant on a favour in 4 minutes.

No disrespect to either Croatia or Russia, but they're teams we should be beating. Usually we exit to teams we might beat (yer Germanys, yer Argies & yer Portugals).

Was it really choking over all though? Seemed a poorly prepared team for the campaign. The tactics sucked, the spoilt players were handled poorly and all that jazz.

England were 2-2 on a penalty and really, should not need a 3-2 win v Croatia to qualify. Shows how the team was poor right through out. India usually defeat Bangladesh and stuff too. Doesn't mean that they deserved to defeat Bangladesh in world cup 2007. Maybe the English team choked at times in the campaign but over all, I would call the Euro qualifiers a poor team not qualifying much more than a choke.

 

[Matteh]

I'm sorry what was that again sunshine ?

World Cup finalists about 5 minutes away from not qualifying because of Scotland is embarassing and doesn't really give any French person bragging rights.

As it is, shall be supporting the country of my birth in the Euros.

 

[cpr]

England choked it last night. No arguments.

Manager bowed to public pressure (IMO thats enough evidence to sack him, and any other national boss) and dropped the keeper and arguably are best big game player. Should've stuck to what got us (almost) so far in the first place.

Carson, talk about only first competitive international etc, but lets face it, he's a guy who plays infront of 40,000 each week, and he completely tossed up the first goal. No excuses. Like Robinson in the first Croatia match, he missed the golden rule of keeping. Get the body behind the ball, that way if your so inept to catch/kick it, it'll smack you in the face and give everyone a laugh. (How many here were taught cricketing fielding to stop a ground ball by going down on one knee and using your leg as a back up to your hands, to stop the ball whizzing off to the boundary? Same principle).

Second goal, well, you've got 2 league champion defenders in Bridge and Campbell. Supposidly the best right back in the country (i say supposidly, because i'm not biased against the Neveller just because of his dodgy tache), and, well, some Everton guy. Still though, 4 top class Premiership defenders, who couldnt organize themselves all night. And it cost.

Even at 2-2 (managed through Beckham's 110% attitude, Crouch being the only England player worth his start, Joe Coles obligatory one piece of worthwhile skill per game, and Defoe going down easier than a hooker who's paid by the gallon), we completely bottled it, never got possession, sat back and almost awaited the knockout goal, and when it did come, it was a 30 yard shot that the defenders turned there back on. Another first rule ignored. Let the ball smack you, who cares, NEVER turn your back on the opposition/ball.

Utter disgrace tbh.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Will argue to the death that Robinson was not at fault away to Croatia (or in Russia for that matter).

 

[PhoenixFire]

I was going for Croatia all the way tbh, can't stand English footballers (except Beckham).

 

[Tom Halsey]

Wasn't really fussed, but it's probably a blessing in disguise for England that they lost, because it got rid of McDonut. I did find it quite funny though.

 

[cpr]

Will argue to the death that Robinson was not at fault away to Croatia (or in Russia for that matter).

Thats fair enough, being someone who played in net regularly (and to a pretty high standard. Stopped growing at around 5ft10, if i'd been taller i'd have probably tried making a living out of it), i personally think he could've done things differently that would've saved the goal. Yes it was a hell of a bobble, and thats plain tough look, nowt can be done about that. But iirc he had time to control it then kick it, he wasnt overly pressed down. Given a miskick ends up in a goal, its something you really should do. Secondly, and lesser i suppose, was the mannor he was trying to kick it. You can tell he was trying to pick someone out, and was going for precision. When you do that you naturally swing your leg wider, and your foots at a 90 degree angle to the body when you strike it. Double crime there, as you shouldnt try that unless you've got the ball pretty much under control, and if you do feel rushed to hit it without control (as he must've to take a swipe first time at it), you dont go for precision, but power. Thus you bring the full force of your body through the ball, meaning you legs straighter when you hit it (added bonus is the bobble hits your shin, not the onion bag)


Also, Neville was at serious gaffe n all....... Rule 1, when passing the ball back to the keeper, play it at an angle away from the goal, just incase........ He should've put the back pass 5 yards further right, thus it'd only be a corner.

 

[Pratters]

The South African cricket team by miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiles.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Thats fair enough, being someone who played in net regularly (and to a pretty high standard. Stopped growing at around 5ft10, if i'd been taller i'd have probably tried making a living out of it), i personally think he could've done things differently that would've saved the goal. Yes it was a hell of a bobble, and thats plain tough look, nowt can be done about that. But iirc he had time to control it then kick it, he wasnt overly pressed down. Given a miskick ends up in a goal, its something you really should do. Secondly, and lesser i suppose, was the mannor he was trying to kick it. You can tell he was trying to pick someone out, and was going for precision. When you do that you naturally swing your leg wider, and your foots at a 90 degree angle to the body when you strike it. Double crime there, as you shouldnt try that unless you've got the ball pretty much under control, and if you do feel rushed to hit it without control (as he must've to take a swipe first time at it), you dont go for precision, but power. Thus you bring the full force of your body through the ball, meaning you legs straighter when you hit it (added bonus is the bobble hits your shin, not the onion bag)

Hmm, all technically true, however I'm willing to bet that 90% of 'keepers do it the way Robinson did and simply don't get caught out. I also played in goal (basially played there because I couldn't control a ball at my feet at all) and always got rid of it first time due to the fact that I felt easier that way. Obviously you would hope a top level 'keeper such as Robinson would be able to play the ball, but it's a possible reason why he'd have hit it first time, apart from the obvious "not expecting the bobble, done it all my life before and got away with it".

I agree about Neville.

 

[aussie]

Thats fair enough, being someone who played in net regularly (and to a pretty high standard. Stopped growing at around 5ft10, if i'd been taller i'd have probably tried making a living out of it), i personally think he could've done things differently that would've saved the goal. Yes it was a hell of a bobble, and thats plain tough look, nowt can be done about that. But iirc he had time to control it then kick it, he wasnt overly pressed down. Given a miskick ends up in a goal, its something you really should do. Secondly, and lesser i suppose, was the mannor he was trying to kick it. You can tell he was trying to pick someone out, and was going for precision. When you do that you naturally swing your leg wider, and your foots at a 90 degree angle to the body when you strike it. Double crime there, as you shouldnt try that unless you've got the ball pretty much under control, and if you do feel rushed to hit it without control (as he must've to take a swipe first time at it), you dont go for precision, but power. Thus you bring the full force of your body through the ball, meaning you legs straighter when you hit it (added bonus is the bobble hits your shin, not the onion bag)


Also, Neville was at serious gaffe n all....... Rule 1, when passing the ball back to the keeper, play it at an angle away from the goal, just incase........ He should've put the back pass 5 yards further right, thus it'd only be a corner.

Your reasoning seems pretty solid mate. But i don't know really how can you blame Robinson or Neville. I was sitting infront of the TV & England as usual 1-0 moving things around slowly & nervously Neville played the ball back to Robinson for a routine get out jail clearance & i was like WTF at first as i thought the idiot totally missed the ball & it went in. But the replay showed it hit bounce up very unfortunately just as he was about to kick. Since then the media & fans have made mockery of the situation & it has definately affected Robinsons form especially this season where the Spurs defense has been injury plagued because i'm sure you would agree that since he became England number 1 up to that incident he was pretty solid between the sticks.