Sports' greatest chokers

[Moses]

The All Blacks have topped a list of the greatest chokers in sport, beating the likes of golfer Greg Norman and the South African cricket team.

The 1999 All Blacks, a team that were shocked by France in the Rugby World Cup semifinals, finished number one in the Times Online's 40 greatest chokers in sport.

The All Blacks led 24-10 at one stage before France out-scored New Zealand 33-7 to stun the tournament favourites 43-31.

The 2007 All Blacks also featured on the list. The side which lost to France in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals finished 20th on the list.

The 1999 All Blacks beat out the 1999 South African cricket team in second place, a team which missed out on the World Cup final after botching their semifinal tie with Australia, followed by Greg Norman who infamously threw away a six stroke lead going into the final round of the 1996 US Masters.

Sprinter Asafa Powell and 1989 US Masters choker Scott Hoch rounded out the top five.

Times Online writer Patrick Kidd, who compiled the list, said the All Blacks could have featured on the list more than twice.

"It may be cruel to include the All Blacks twice in this list, but has self-belief and potential ever exploded so often, so predictably?," he wrote.

"As well as 1999 and 2007, we could include the World Cups in 1995 World Cup (damn that food poisoning), 1991 (two moments of brilliance by David Campese upset the tournament's best side in the semi-finals) or 2003 (averaged 62 points per game until the semi-final then blew it against Australia). How will they self-destruct on home soil in 2011?"

Kidd cited cockiness as the reason the 2007 All Blacks threw away their halftime lead to France to crash out of yet another World Cup.

"It's all Wayne Barnes's fault, embittered All Blacks fans protest. If the English referee hadn't sin-binned Luke McAlister for blocking Yannick Jauzion and if he had annulled one of France's tries for a possible (and fairly marginal) forward pass, New Zealand would have won this World Cup quarter-final.

"In fact, New Zealand paid the price for arrogance in the second half. They led 13-3 at the break and assumed the game was won. Discipline went, cockiness entered and it was only halfway through the second period that New Zealand realised the game might be lost. They led 18-13 with 12 minutes to go, but Jauzion snatched victory for France and broke New Zealand hearts yet again."

Other teams that featured on the list included the 2004 New York Yankees (lost a 3-0 series lead to old rivals the Boston Red Sox), the 2006 England cricket team (lost the second test to Australia from an unbeatable position) and England's soccer team at this year FIFA World Cup (lost 4-1 to Germany).

British individuals Andy Murray, Lewis Hamilton, Tim Henman and Paula Radcliffe also made the list.

The 40 greatest chokers in sport
40: Andy Murray, 2010
39: Barcelona, 1986
38: Lewis Hamilton, 2007
37: England rugby union team, 1991
36: Bernhard Langer, 1991
35: Alex Bogdanovic, take your pick
34: Frank Bruno, 1996
33: England cricket team, 1987
32: David Bedford, 1971
31: Tony Romo, 2007
30: New York Yankees, 2004
29: Europe Ryder Cup team, 1999
28: Roberto Duran, 1980
27: England cricket team, 2006
26: Tim Henman, 2001
25: Paula Radcliffe, 2000
24: Gareth Southgate, 1996
23: Devon Loch, 1956
22: England football team, 1970
21: Jana Novotna, 1993
20: New Zealand rugby team, 2007
19: England football team, 2010
18: Gavin Hastings, 1991
17: Newcastle United, 1995-96
16: Scott Norwood, 1991
15: Colin Montgomerie, 2006
14: Jimmy White, 1992
13: Chris Waddle, 1990
12: Dustin Johnson, 2010
11: Don Fox, 1968
10: Houston Oilers, 1993
9: Doug Sanders, 1970
8: Guillermo Coria, 2004
7: Somerset cricket team, 2010
6: Jean van der Velde, 1999
5: Scott Hoch, 1989
4: Asafa Powell, 2007
3: Greg Norman, 1996
2: South Africa cricket team, 1999
1: New Zealand rugby team, 1999

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10676933

 

[Moses]

This was my favourite moment from that list

 

[Ruggo]

That's fucked. They forgot 1991 and 2003 NZ Rugby team. :lmao:

 

[whatty]

This was my favourite moment from that list

Not mine it will forever be painfully etched in my memory, however not a single event the last test series loss in SA after winning in AUS would surpass that single event for me.

More than happy to give the kiwis this title though!!!

 

[Brumby Jack]

 

[PaarlBok]

One thing about choking is that it make the revenge so sweet and it all look like happening next year round about this time.

Vokket Moses that one still hurts.

 

[Scorz]

One thing that always makes me smile whenever someone falls back to the "chokers" tag on the AB's - if they do win it, there's nothing left in the bag for you to say.

...And it means all the other World Cup winners were upsets and therefore a bit lucky.

 

[whatty]

...And it means all the other World Cup winners were upsets and therefore a bit lucky.

Or they showed more determination around a big events and boxed above there weight.

 

[Scorz]

Or they showed more determination around a big events and boxed above there weight.

So the underdog won, therefore an upset.

 

[whatty]

Every team bar the favourite (See choker) is the underdog

 

[qwerty51]

Am I the only one who thinks the chokers tag is somewhat good? By calling someone a choker you're saying they're actually better than the rest and should've won but didn't. I like to think we won against SA in cricket and NZ in rugby because we were the better side and deserved it - not the opposition playing poorly that day.

 

[PaarlBok]

One thing that always makes me smile whenever someone falls back to the "chokers" tag on the AB's - if they do win it, there's nothing left in the bag for you to say.

True Skorsie, myself been to long involve in sport, top players seems to need always something new to motivate them or to lift them and need challenges. Our Bokke lot have done that last time and I am worried and hoping and praying they will do it next year. As kak as every mouse and dog try to make Snor and the has been Bokke (myself included here) , pretty sure they will lift themself this last time next year. This years hurt will be long forgotten if they do it one more time.

 

[Scorz]

Conversations with whatty:

 

[PaarlBok]

Am I the only one who thinks the chokers tag is somewhat good? By calling someone a choker you're saying they're actually better than the rest and should've won but didn't. I like to think we won against SA in cricket and NZ in rugby because we were the better side and deserved it - not the opposition playing poorly that day.

Well last time you lot choke in Aus in cricket against us if memory serve right. That made more then up for all the times we suffered.

 

[Ruggo]

One thing that always makes me smile whenever someone falls back to the "chokers" tag on the AB's - if they do win it, there's nothing left in the bag for you to say.

...And it means all the other World Cup winners were upsets and therefore a bit lucky.

If you boys win it, I would say congratulations and welcome you too the two time RWC winners club, cementing SANZAR dommination of world rugby.

 

[Scotty]

Well last time you lot choke in Aus in cricket against us if memory serve right. That made more then up for all the times we suffered.

The 1999 cricket world cup was a colossal choke. Not only once, but twice in a row. That run out and the preceding few balls were the definition of choke, in that SA had it in the bag, and the only way they lost it was due to themselves, not the Aussies good play.

 

[PaarlBok]

The 1999 cricket world cup was a colossal choke. Not only once, but twice in a row. That run out and the preceding few balls were the definition of choke, in that SA had it in the bag, and the only way they lost it was due to themselves, not the Aussies good play.

You enjoy hurting me, Skotsman?

Winning a test series in Aus was the best medicine for that pain.

 

[Gagger]

Fuck me, you've been choking for so long you've actually grown to like it? I guess at your age Scorz you've never known any better.

I imagine it's like doing the spade work on some chick all night, for a guy in a gold jersey - who's been pissing it up in the corner with his mates - to turn up at closing time and score the root. I guess you get to cry into your beer and blame Wayne Barnes or some mythical waitress.

I say all this, but am slightly surprised Ricky Ponting hasn't made his way onto this list.

 

[qwerty51]

Where will the Dragons place after Sunday?

 

[Scorz]

Nah Gagger, it fucking sucks that the AB's haven't won it again since 87. I just know one day the AB's will win it and the rest of the Rugby world will have fuck all left to do but whinge some more and make a video. RWC would be finished and dead as a comp by now if the AB's had won it every time anyway, so you should really be thanking us for saving that too.

Australian rugby fans will never know what it's like to be the team every one wants to beat. That's exclusive to the AB's and the Bokke. You'll never know how it feels to have a single team unite the nation as rugby fans either - again, that's exclusive to the AB's and the Bokke. I wouldn't trade that for another World Cup. I wouldn't trade that for anything.