Choke?

[ChicosBailBonds]

So if the US Men's hockey team was up 2-0 with 3:40 to play and lost is it a choke?   Women's US hockey team did that today.  Some interesting discussion as to how it is viewed and if the views would be different if the men's team had done it.

[jesmu84]

http://www.barstoolsports.com/boston/super-page/is-the-us-womens-loss-the-worst-loss-in-the-history-of-sports/

"I know I may be prone to exaggerations here at the Stool, but I’m convinced this is the worst loss in the history of sports. The only thing that can possibly compete with it would be the Pats 18-1 Superbowl loss. Now before you call me crazy here is my logic. Unlike the mens game these chicks have nothing else. They play 1 game every 4 years that matters. They practice together for 4 years for this one game. This is it. The men play together for 2 weeks and then go back to the NHL and play for millions of dollars and compete for the Stanley Cup. These girls have nothing after this. It’s over. Some of them will never play another meaningful hockey game the rest of their lives. A game where two entire countries are watching and hanging on the results. Combine this with the fact that Canada had won the last 3 Gold Medals coming into these Games. Combine this with the fact the US was winning with 1:30 to go and was a post away from sealing the game. Combine this with the fact that Canada scored the tying goal with 30 seconds to go. Combine this with the fact there were 2 phantom penalties called in OT. Roll all that into one and I honestly think it’s the most devastating loss in the history of losses. To spend 4 years working to this one moment and being so close only to have it ripped away. Flat out brutal."

[ATWizJr]

I'm sure they are devastated and shocked at the way it ended.  But, how do you go to leading by two with 3:26 to play to letting the other team tie the game?  And then get into a 5 v 3 and have a sloppy line change at a critical moment?  I think the coaching staff should be embarrassed.

[Tugg Speedman]

I'm sure they are devastated and shocked at the way it ended.  But, how do you go to leading by two with 3:26 to play to letting the other team tie the game? And then get into a 5 v 3 and have a sloppy line change at a critical moment?  I think the coaching staff should be embarrassed.

Because your not the Boston Bruins in game 6 of the Stanley Cup ... they only need only 17 seconds to give up two goals and choke away the cup the the Blackhawks.

So the women have a way to go to match the men.

[Benny B]

How one could consider a gold medal game between the top two teams in the world "the worst loss in the history of sports" is beyond comprehension.   Heartbreaking? Yes.  Devastating?  Absolutely.  But the worst ever?  Not even close.

There's no shame in losing a 2-0 lead late in the 3rd.  It happens... not often, but more often than you think.  A choke would have been losing in the quarters to Japan or Switzerland.

[Tugg Speedman]

How one could consider a gold medal game between the top two teams in the world "the worst loss in the history of sports" is beyond comprehension.   Heartbreaking? Yes.  Devastating?  Absolutely.  But the worst ever?  Not even close.

There's no shame in losing a 2-0 lead late in the 3rd.  It happens... not often, but more often than you think.  A choke would have been losing in the quarters to Japan or Switzerland.

You mean losing in the quarters on home ice with a team packed with NHL stars to Finland with 3 or 4 NHL players.  That's a choke!

[brandx]

It's only a choke if it's the team you are rooting for. Otherwise, it's a great comeback.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Interesting answers.  Thank you.

I'm sure the ladies are beyond devastated.  Shame

[Tugg Speedman]

Chicos,

When referring to "choke" and "hockey," you can come with many different definitions.  Here is another one ....

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Boston turns to porn after Game 6 loss in Stanley Cup Final

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/blog/eye-on-hockey/22524719/chart-boston-turns-to-porn-after-game-6-loss-in-stanley-cup-final

For many die-hard fans of the sport, hockey is their mistress. It is something to escape with for a while, have some fun with and experience the ultimate thrills.

When the mistress lets you down, you apparently can just turn to, you know, pornography.

That's the conclusion from a study of the metrics done by the good folks at the adult website Pornhub.com. They decided to take a look at their traffic on Monday night in Boston and Chicago. Wouldn't you know it ... between the hours of 8-11 p.m. ET, the site's traffic was down in those two cities from normal levels. Perhaps it had something to do with a certain hockey game between the Bruins and Blackhawks?

Interestingly, when the game ended around 11 p.m. ET, something funny happened. The people in Chicago were busy celebrating their second Stanley Cup in four years, so traffic stayed down. But in Boston? Obviously, it skyrocketed from people looking for a ... relief.



This is what the press release from the site had to say:

Last night marked the end of the NHL Championships, and much like the NBA Finals did, the battle for the Cup managed to take users away from their beloved porn once more. Until, of course the end of the game marking the Bruins' loss, which saw all of Boston turning to Pornhub to take out some of that pent up aggression.

That's right -- the statisticians at Pornhub.com carefully analyzed each hour of the game to track traffic changes in Chicago, Boston, and across the US by the hour; comparing each location relative to the rest of the country.

Yup, that really happened.

Well, there is one takeaway that we can seize from this: hockey is better than porn, but only until you lose the Cup. Yeah, that's it.

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Best part of the story above … statisticians at Pornhub.com.  Yes there are people with business cards that say “statistician, pornhub.com”

[JWags85]

I think the fact that the US was 3 inches from a game sealing, albeit flukey, empty net goal, only to give up the tie off the ensuing faceoff and scramble, made it particularly rough.  Everyone knew that Canada had all the momentum and would likely win in OT.

If this was Mens, we'd be talking about it in the same breath, albeit with different emotions, with the Miracle on Ice in terms of Olympic significance.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

It was choke.

But the more important USA vs. Canada game is noon eastern today with a local kid in goal.

[Benny B]

I think the fact that the US was 3 inches from a game sealing, albeit flukey, empty net goal, only to give up the tie off the ensuing faceoff and scramble, made it particularly rough.  Everyone knew that Canada had all the momentum and would likely win in OT.

If this was Mens, we'd be talking about it in the same breath, albeit with different emotions, with the Miracle on Ice in terms of Olympic significance.

You've got to be kidding me.... did you even watch the US/CAN game in Vancouver?!?  Were you alive in 1980?  The 2010 game was an instant classic, and like the women's game yesterday, it was the gold medal game that went to OT on a last-second, 6 on 5 goal.  Yet not even the Canadians thought that game anywhere close to the significance of Lake Placid.

The only way today's game comes within 1000 miles of the significance of 1980 is if we find out during the 2nd intermission that Canada is amassing nuclear weapons along our northern border.

[Benny B]

Well, there is one takeaway that we can seize from this: hockey is better than porn, but only until you lose the Cup. Yeah, that's it.

FIFY.

I appreciate you capitalizing "Cup" to clarify the reference, but one can no longer responsibly use the words "porn" and "cup" in the same sentence, lest you be into that sort of thing.

[Coleman]

Absolute choke job.

That said, I think its pretty ridiculous to cry on the podium when recieving a silver medal representing your country. Have some pride in your achievement. Stop crying on a world stage because you didn't win a gold medal, when people in half of the countries participating in the Olympics don't have regular access to clean water (at the risk of sounding like Keefe), in the grand scheme of things, this game wasn't that important.