Sports' greatest chokers

[Spewn]

I'm not sure the ABs lack of success is choking though. The differences between the teams are never great so that losing can never be a choke unless the margin is huge.

For genuine chokes you can't go past the SA loss in the cricket world cup when Klusener and White Lightning threw it away or the grand choker himself, the GWS.

 

[qwerty51]

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.

Bullshit. We were the #1 team from 99-01

 

[cyclopath]

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.

Maybe Scorz. More than a few of your compatriots like to point out that Australia were in fact favourites for 1987, 1991 and 1999, so maybe the ABs got a bit lucky in '87...I mean, they didn't have to play us!!

 

[Scorz]

Bullshit. We were the #1 team from 99-01

Mate, my point is that Aussie will never be a rugby nation. Even in those years, you weren't. And I wouldn't trade that.

 

[Scorz]

Maybe Scorz. More than a few of your compatriots like to point out that Australia were in fact favourites for 1987, 1991 and 1999, so maybe the ABs got a bit lucky in '87...I mean, they didn't have to play us!!

Haha, if you want to believe that and agree with those compatriots we'll just have to disagree Cyclo!

 

[qwerty51]

Mate, my point is that Aussie will never be a rugby nation. Even in those years, you weren't. And I wouldn't trade that.

Of course we won't. That just makes our achievements even greater.

 

[Scorz]

Of course we won't. That just makes our achievements even greater.

So you'd rather live in a League and AFL country and have two World Cups - I don't expect you to say anything else.

 

[cyclopath]

Haha, if you want to believe that and agree with those compatriots we'll just have to disagree Cyclo!

Oh, I don't agree with them; it is a statement usually aired after the subject of the ABs not winning since 1987 and seems rather convenient to me.
Phil Kearns was right - the ABs are ALWAYS the favourites, even when England are / were!!
And it is a tad condescending when you state Australia will never be a rugby nation - it sounds a little as if you are dismissing us as a serious threat due to our lack of monomania. History would suggest that might be foolish...
If nothing else, Australia is a nation that competes pretty well at many sports.
But not being a "rugby nation", well, it beggars belief we have managed to compete with the 2 true believing nations.

 

[qwerty51]

So you'd rather live in a League and AFL country and have two World Cups - I don't expect you to say anything else.

No of course not. I'd love rugby to be #1 here but it won't ever happen. I can only tell you that if it was, we'd dominate everyone.

 

[Thomond78]

Thing is, England aren't a rugby nation either.

But they've been in more RWC finals than NZ, which is.

Which doesn't argue much for NZ as a non-choking-before-they-even-get-to-the-final rugby nation, does it, Scorzie...?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

We were favourites going into the 1987 tournament after knocking off the AB's at their house in 86. We choked on that occasion. Great semi final though.

And we do fairly well for a country that is apparently not a rugby nation, with a winning record against just about everyone.

As far as choking in cricket, the Ashes 2005 I will give you and maybe even last year, but the Saffers won over here pretty comfortably. They were the best team the whole summer. They did choke at home in the series that immediately followed though.

 

[Scotty]

You enjoy hurting me, Skotsman?

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

Didn't mean to (that time anyway), it just stands out to me as an example of a team that has beaten itself.

The only other that I can think that matches it is Norman's choke against Faldo.

 

[cyclopath]

Didn't mean to (that time anyway), it just stands out to me as an example of a team that has beaten itself.

The only other that I can think that matches it is Norman's choke against Faldo.

One of the most painful things I ever watched.
Read a very interesting article in a golf mag with 4 big time coaches, including Leadbetter and they all talk about the great players, what they had, what they didn't. Norman had it all, except the ability to play good conservative golf when it needed to be played. At the British Open in '93 apparently he reined in his iron shots to keep it under the wind (and hit them just about perfectly), and when asked why he didn't just play them that way all the time replied "No, that's not an iron shot". Steve Williams says he also could not let go of a bad shot, whereas Tiger can. Williams says that is their main difference. And 12 Majors!! He would probably know.

 

[Scotty]

And anyway, it isn't real cricket, so you shouldn't be too worried about it.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

And what a good thread for my new avatar.

 

[PaarlBok]

And anyway, it isn't real cricket, so you shouldn't be too worried about it.

Thing with that one dayer was when Gibbs drop Steve Waugh earlier and told him he just drop the WC. We were struglling when the Zulu brought us back and brighten the hope again. Myself played a bit of cricket and I love the never say die attetude of the sport. Learned a few times it aint finish till the winning run/wicket is scored/down. Thats the one thing I like about Protea/Aus cricket tests, there is always a fight back from somewhere and long may it continue. Still that Zulu/Donald/Gibbs one hurts when ever recalled.

 

[Tangawizi]

I think Jana Novotna deserves to be far higher up that list. Her's was a genuine choke - had it in the bag, thought about it, got nervous and completely went to shit.

The All Blacks haven't choked at a Rugby World Cup - they just haven't been good enough to win one since 1987.

"Jana Novotna
Wimbledon final, 1993

Novotna led Steffi Graf 6-7 6-1 4-1 and at 40-30 in the sixth game of the deciding set had a service point for a 5-1 lead over the German. But Novotna double-faulted and arguably the greatest disintegration in a Wimbledon final had begun. Not much more than 10 minutes later Graf had won 7-6 1-6 6-4. The Duchess of Kent, trying to console the Czech player at the awards ceremony, said: 'Don't worry, Jana, you'll be back next year.' That did it for Novotna - 'I wanted to handle myself well,' she said, 'but when she smiled at me I just let go' - who wept uncontrollably on the Duchess's shoulder."

 

[PaarlBok]

One of the kakkest chokes I saw on a rugby pitch was in Wellington SA in a S12 matche between the Stormers and the Sharks. Robbie Fleck got tackle from behind while looking at the crowd by Deon Kayser. That was huge.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

The list is a typical Pommie list. By and large they are very balanced people with chips on both shoulders.

They revel in their former colonies demises, when in most instances their former colonies surpass them on nearly every occasion.

It is a bit fuzzy now but was it our Sammy in the final of the French Open this year? This was a reasonable choke.

I am sure that there are numerous examples from sports which are not popular in the UK that would make the list of the Worlds 40 best chokes.

 

[PaarlBok]

The list is a typical Pommie list. By and large they are very balanced people with chips on both shoulders.

They revel in their former colonies demises, when in most instances their former colonies surpass them on nearly every occasion.

It is a bit fuzzy now but was it our Sammy in the final of the French Open this year? This was a reasonable choke.

I am sure that there are numerous examples from sports which are not popular in the UK that would make the list of the Worlds 40 best chokes.

They choke in poofball.