Definition of a choke?

[mickdo]

What if we're up say, I don't know, 18-4 with 10 to go and lose?
We'd be asking dragons fans for the number of their shrink.

All depends on the circumstances. You get a player sent off in a BS decision leading by 14 with 10 to go then lose on the back of it, tough to call that a choke.

 

[B-Tron 3000]

I've watched the game a few times since, and the players you could tell were as nervous as all sh*t throughout the early part of the game. Yes we did make alot of stupid decisions, but that was definately a choke, we were star struc by the occasion.

Before the GF we played Brisbane after the week off, that particuloar game we were god awful, and anyother side perhaps may have beaten us, i put that down to the week off andloosing some continuity as passes were goingall over the place. The game before that we belted the Warriors 56-12.

Well there you go. I take your word for it re: the decision making and it may well have been a choke.

 

[ROGUE]

What if we're up say, I don't know, 18-4 with 10 to go and lose?
We'd be asking dragons fans for the number of their shrink.

Na mate cos of our start this season where we were languishing at 14th spot and we have arisen from the ashes we'll be able to say that we've over achieved and had a great season but look out next year;-)

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Well there you go. I take your word for it re: the decision making and it may well have been a choke.

Believe me it may go against your theory but it was a choke simply due to their body language alone, they looked like lost children out there at the start of the game:lol: and before they knew they were donw 18-0.

 

[Ridders]

And that poor form going into the finals was part of the choke. When the business end of the season kicked in, they went missing. They got top spot, a home final, played 8th, and lost. Then they got a second bite at the cherry against 6th, and lost. Somewhere on the freeway down the Canberra, they began to feel a tightness in the throat, and it just kept getting tighter.

I would see it more as the playing group wearing down after dominating the season for the early and middle sections. It's asking alot for a team to play superbly for the entire season and not see a lull in form. Unfortunately for the Dragons, their lull came a month or so preceding the Finals. Again i'm not connected to the team so i don't know all the circumstances.

Again its just my opinion but the choking tag is something i feel is used too liberally and is used basically whenever a team doesn't perform as expected.

 

[B-Tron 3000]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choking

verb
1 [ intrans. ] (of a person or animal) have severe difficulty in breathing because of a constricted or obstructed throat or a lack of air : Willie choked on a mouthful of soda.

While this is supposed to be a funny post, the fact is that it highlights how choking is now used way too much to describe ordinary nerves.

Choking is supposed to refer to situations where people get so nervous they can't function properly - ever seen someone hyperventilate from nerves? That is why it is considered choking - they work themselves into a state that they cant' breathe, or perform some other normal function properly. Normally, in sport, the function that is not being performed properly is thinking.

 

[Eelectrica]

All depends on the circumstances. You get a player sent off in a BS decision leading by 14 with 10 to go then lose on the back of it, tough to call that a choke.

Yeah fair enough. I wouldn't call that situation a choke either.

You can bet someone would though. Either way I don't want to find out.

 

[Covellius Maximus]

The worst choke of all time! NO TEAM. NO TEAM i repeat has been a minor premier before and knocked out in week 2 in the history of the game! week 3 yes, but not week 2. The Dragons thought they had it in the bag. Its just a shame another team I loathe in the Broncos had to live on. But Wallace's injury should see them farked next week.

 

[B-Tron 3000]

Believe me it may go against your theory but it was a choke simply due to their body language alone, they looked like lost children out there at the start of the game:lol: and before they knew they were donw 18-0.

It doesn't go against my "theory" at all. I said that I haven't watched it again. I'm not a sports psychologist and I didn't do a study on the damn 2001 Grand Final team!

* It may have been a choke.
* It may have been that they were nervous, and Knights came out fired up and aimed at some areas where we were vulnerable, and all of a sudden we are behind. That wouldn't be considered a choke in my eyes. (Ron, please note that that does not mean that I am saying that they didn't choke!! I'm just saying that there are many alternatives to the simple one of "choke")

* It doesn't change my belief that Saints didn't choke. They weren't good enough, were on a bad run of form (the only game of the last 6 that they won was against an Eels team having a rest), and in my opinion Bennet's insistence on playing boring footy, whereby they only had one real attacking option, cost them dearly when the games got tougher. Bloody Phil Gould said halfway through the season that their attack would get found out in the Finals.

 

[mickdo]

Unfortunately for the Dragons, their lull came a month or so preceding the Finals.

You don't become minor premiers without being able to perform to a certain level on the field. When that all disappears come finals time and don't have injuries as an excuse, what else is it but a choke? You're playing 8th first up! I can't believe you are so willing to dismiss them being the first minor premiers to go out in straight sets as anything but...

 

[TheBourbonBeast]

Dragons were known as chokers before this game...and now after it, the tags just gunna stick a whole lot longer...

 

[_snafu_]

Saints have been winding down the back end of the season and that carried into the finals. Not a choke.

The question is - now the Eels are "red hot" if they lose to the Bulldogs, id that a choke?

 

[Eelectrica]

Saints have been winding down the back end of the season and that carried into the finals. Not a choke.

The question is - now the Eels are "red hot" if they lose to the Bulldogs, id that a choke?

No. If the dogs play better on Friday night, they're the better team. They finished 2nd. They've had the week off to get everyone fit and healthy.

They're entitled to be favorites and to feel pretty good about there chances.

 

[B-Tron 3000]

The worst choke of all time! NO TEAM. NO TEAM i repeat has been a minor premier before and knocked out in week 2 in the history of the game! week 3 yes, but not week 2. The Dragons thought they had it in the bag. Its just a shame another team I loathe in the Broncos had to live on. But Wallace's injury should see them farked next week.

See, this is the perfect example of people not understanding the definition of choking.

You can't "choke" and "think you have it in the bag" at the same time!

Choking is nerves affecting your thinking and performance.
Thinking you have it in the bag is the opposite - its being too confident.

if you really want to get complicated there are people that act like they don't care, or act like they are too confident, to mask their nerves. (Eric Grothe is the perfect example of someone who acts like he doesn't care because he gets nervous), but that is not really relevant here.

 

[Ridders]

You don't become minor premiers without being able to perform to a certain level on the field. When that all disappears come finals time and don't have injuries as an excuse, what else is it but a choke? You're playing 8th first up! I can't believe you are so willing to dismiss them being the first minor premiers to go out in straight sets as anything but...

They had lost 3 of their last 4 games going into the Final's, it just didn't "disappear come finals time" as you said. I understand and appreciate the fact that being the first to achieve such a "feat" certainly is significant, i just feel that most people are simply going to label this as a choke without really looking at the circumstances.

 

[mickdo]

They had lost 3 of their last 4 games going into the Final's, it just didn't "disappear come finals time" as you said. I understand and appreciate the fact that being the first to achieve such a "feat" certainly is significant, i just feel that most people are simply going to label this as a choke without really looking at the circumstances.

Oh please. When the Canberra game came about they were already measuring up the cabinet for the JJG shield. The media had practically given them the minor premiership, and it went to their heads. That was 'come finals time', and that's when the windpipe closed up. Choke.

 

[mickdo]

Saints have been winding down the back end of the season and that carried into the finals. Not a choke.

The question is - now the Eels are "red hot" if they lose to the Bulldogs, id that a choke?

2nd beats 8th so it's a choke? :lol:

 

[Ridders]

2nd beats 8th so it's a choke? :lol:

Who do you think is the favourite for the Eels vs Dogs game? I would be VERY surprised if it was the Dogs, especially given how we played against the Knights.

 

[Knightmare]

Defination of a choke:

Dragons playing in September

Definition of a choke:

Leading 18-2 with 11 minutes to go in a semi final and you already know where this is headed....

 

[Ridders]

You know what Mickdo, me and you tend to disagree on ALOT of things, but i reckon we'd be great mates if we met in real life ;-)

And no i am not cyber-hitting on you