I was going to write a post about yesterday’s game – but I dropped the keyboard.
A commenter (Flash, from Centrisity) left me a note in yesterday’s post about the game – really about big sports fans – in which I referenced Berg’s Fourth Law, which notes that the more people start to think the Vikings won’t choke, the more likely they will choke.
Generally a team favored to win, and win big, that ends up losing, is a choker…If the club from MN gets spanked, I’d call that a choke, if they lose by anything less then 10 Points, I would be hard pressed to call that a choke.
Which would ordinarily be one of those things you’d decide to settle at Flash’s garage over the summer.
But then, Flash decides to try to deny settled science:
As for Berg’s law, another one bites the dust! The Local Media was on the Bandwagon the instant Favre showed up in Chilly’s SUV, and after 17 games, the remain contenders. Win or Lose, another Faux Berg Law is tossed to the wayside.
Nope. Indeed, yesterday’s result only reinforces Berg’s Fourth. The exuberance did seem almost rational; if you leave out the turnovers, the Vikes actually played a better game in terms of offensive stats than the favorite Saints did, which is a little like saying “other than the assassination, Mrs. Lincoln loved the play”. Favre had a good game against a brutal Saints pass rush, shaking off over a dozen hits and leading the team effectively.
But when the blackened redfish chips were down, and the time came to convert that great offensive effort to points to put the Saints away, what happened? Two Peterson fumbles, one inside the five – and, the biggest buzzkill of all, that last pass, where Favre converted what could have been a simple 5-10 yard dash to set up a decent-percentage field goal that would have ended the game into one of the dumber interceptions I’ve seen since high school, sending the game into an overtime that the Saints would not waste.
One needn’t call that a choke – but if you pick some other word, I’m sure the etymology will eventually reveal it to be a synomym.
At any rate, it was a great run for the ‘queens. It was one of those rare seasons when I actually paid attention to the NFL after the Bears dropped out of contention (which, after a smokin’ hot start, happened pretty quickly).
But at the end of the day, I end the “Mitch is interested” phase of the season right where I always do…
…by noting that Twins pitchers and catchers report in just about four weeks!
“and, the biggest buzzkill of all, that last pass,”
My buzz was killed just before that when they got a stupid penalty for 12 men in a huddle (what the eff), to move them from a 51 yard field goal to a 56 yard field goal.
“a simple 5-10 yard dash ”
I’m not sure Favre could have dashed 5-10 yards at that point.
I’m amazed Favre could still walk at that point.
Berg’s Fourth Law could be challenged as being a bit too general, the Twins the obvious exception. They’ve won 2 of 3 World Series, and the loss was to the great Sandy Koufax on short rest in game 7. The Vikings on the other hand will obviously never win a Super Bowl. There is no amount of talent they cannot squander.
don’t question the laws, they come back and bite you in the ass.
Speed, I mentioned those, honestly from what I’ve understood those series were flukes, they could have very easily gone the other way. I mean Jack Morris pitching a 10 inning shut out in game 7 of the world series?!
Ben, that is what championship teams are made of.
For expample, if Fav-rey would have run it (ok, hobbled it) for a few yards instead of the interception… to set up a field goal… to go on to win the game… limping in severe pain… yep, that’s what championship teams are make of.
NFL overtime is a joke. Why not allow a few minute (6-7 maybe) to allow real competition? High schools and colleges at least give equal chance to each team. 60 minutes to get to a tie and then an instant finish? Stupid, but expected in the No Fun League.
But the Twins series didn’t go the other way. Was it Knoblach that faked having the ball to freeze what might have been the winning run for St. Louis? They invent ways to win, while the Vikings find ways to lose.
“They invent ways to win, while the Vikings find ways to lose.”
That’s an easy way to separate the champions from the just really good teams.
BLNY
timpf – You don’t want to lose to a coin flip, win in regulation. Alternatively, play good defense.