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SAN ANTONIO – It's a terrible word, harsh and unforgiving. It's not the same as poor performance or lack of execution or even miscommunication.
Choke.
And it seems to be the most popular expression in the English language right now.
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| This was some Shakespearean collapse by Chris Douglas-Roberts & Co. (Getty Images) |
One team was clutch, the other choked. Is it possible to have one without the other? Is it sometime a hanging curve, or did the player have a great at-bat?
Those questions might be too big for today, but this one is not. Where does the Memphis meltdown rank on the list of all-time Titanic failures? The Tigers led by nine with 2:12 left in the game. The game was essentially over. But Douglas-Roberts and Rose missed four of five free throws, made a mental mistake on defense and Memphis lost in overtime 75-68.
Is it up there with Greg Norman, Scott Norwood or Chris Webber's timeout? Is it worse than Jana Novotna, but not nearly as bad as Bill Buckner?
Let's review. In the opening round of the 1996 Masters, Norman shot a course record 63. By the end of the weekend, he'd blown a six-shot lead, the biggest in Masters history. He finished five shots behind Nick Faldo.
Scott Norwood was an All-Star kicker, but at Super Bowl XXV in Tampa, his 47-yard field goal attempt that sailed (deep breath Buffalo fans) wide right with time running out gave the Giants the 20-19 win. A year later, Norwood was out of the game.
Jana Novotna led Steffi Graf 6-7-6-1, 4-1 and had a point for a 5-1 in the Wimbledon final in 1993. Fewer than 10 minutes later, Graf won. The Czech player was so disconsolate the Duchess of Kent had to embrace her on the court.
Roberto Duran was known as the most fearsome Panamanian boxer, yet in 1980, he was so outclassed against Sugar Ray Leonard in the welterweight title that he didn't even care if everyone knew he quit. Duran was so confused by the Leonard's quickness and strength that he finally yelled repeatedly, "No mas, no mas."
Baseball teams have had some epic chokes, too. In 2004, the Yankees blew a three-game lead over the Red Sox in the ALCS that included the memory of Alex Rodriguez slapping at Bronson Arroyo's purse, I mean glove.
The 2003 Cubs had a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning of the sixth game of the NLCS when the foul ball that Moises Alou said he could (or now, couldn't) have caught was blocked by fan Steve Bartman. The Cubs said they lost their concentration. Their bullpen also disappeared.
The '64 Phillies and the '78 Red Sox might have retired the Trophy.
In the Alamodome on Monday night, one of the greatest games in tournament history was unraveling.
Throughout the season, John Calipari bitterly defended his team's lack of free-throw shooting prowess.
He said, "Mentally tough players make important free throws at important times." He dismissed the fact that the Tigers were among the worst free-throw shooting teams in the NCAA field of 65. Until the final game, though, Memphis had been shooting 70 percent, and had crushed Michigan State, Texas and UCLA to reach the national title game.
And in the final, what Calipari said was almost coming true. His players were hitting free throws until the fire got too hot. Douglas-Roberts sank a pair to make it 60-51, a seemingly insurmountable lead with 2:12 to go, then CDR added a second pair to make it, 62-56, with 1:39 left.
But Kansas had mentally tough players of its own, and Memphis couldn't close the deal.
After the game, the Tigers were in tears. Rose was even consoled by Rev. Jesse Jackson. Everyone was at a loss for words.
"I can't explain why I missed them," Douglas-Roberts said. "I guess it did boil down to our Achilles heel."
Many Tigers made mistakes -- Antonio Anderson's ill-advised pass, Dorsey's mindless fifth foul, not fouling Sherron Collins or Chalmers on the final play of regulation.
"We're hurting right now," said Calipari after the game. "We're numb."
It is to Calipari's credit that he wanted his team to have fun, to stay near the Riverwalk and soak up the experience. But it might be to his everlasting regret that he didn't feel the same way about fundamentals.