That is the question for so many of our modern athletes.
And if, perchance, to fail before the eyes of the world, what does it mean?
Just last weekend, we saw the U.S. women’s soccer team become the latest to succumb to the massive pressure that often accompanies our games.
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Two blown in the leads in the late stages of a Women’s World Cup final against Japan, a team that had never beaten the top-ranked Americans in 25 previous tries.
Three straight botched penalty kicks by the U.S., which had gone 5-for-5 in that same situation one week earlier against Brazil.
They choked, right?
Of course, they did.
Just like LeBron James in the NBA Finals or Rory McIlroy at the Masters or Scott Norwood in the Super Bowl.
“I think it happens to everybody,” says former Heat great Alonzo Mourning, now a team community-relations executive. “We, as professional athletes, when we’re put in that situation, the public, the team, everybody watching expects you to respond at that moment because you’re a highly paid athlete.”
But these are human beings, not machines, so more often than anyone would care to admit our sporting contests are decided by who blinks first.
“There are certain pressure points where the sense of responsibility rises,” Mourning says. “Anxiety increases and people, for lack of a better word, get nervous. People tighten up. You do things that you would not do when you’re at a comfort level.”
That’s not just a sports phenomenon either.
“All choking is,” says CBS college football analyst Spencer Tillman, “is when external situations impact what has traditionally been routine and normal for you.”
Tillman, who won a national championship in 1985 as a running back at Oklahoma, tells a story from his days as a Houston-area TV sportscaster. The Knicks’ Allan Houston, one of the league’s top free-throw shooters, missed a pair of critical foul shots to give the Rockets a gift win.
“I remember asking him after the game, ‘Allan, did you choke?’ ” Tillman says, “and his PR guy just jumped all over me.”
Houston quickly stepped in and answered the question.
“This was one pro to another, saying, ‘Look, I know what choking is,’ ” Tillman says. “It’s human nature a lot of times. When those clappers are back there and something is going on to catch your attention, something abnormal, it happens. It doesn’t mean anything more than that.”
So all those who want to rip the women’s soccer team or seize on LeBron’s disappointing Finals as evidence of some deep character flaw might be wise to step back and consider the full landscape.
McIlroy, two months after blowing up at Augusta, roared back to destroy the field at the U.S. Open.
Peyton Manning finally got past the Patriots and won his Super Bowl.
Dirk Nowitzki finally survived the first round and carried the Mavericks to the NBA title.
“I think a lot of it can be resolved,” Mourning says. “Somebody choking can be resolved through preparation. If you feel like you’re fully prepared for that moment, any moment that comes at you, you’ll feel comfortable in making the right decision.”
Even chokers can steel themselves to become champions.
mberardino@tribune.com
