Quote:
Originally posted by Helli
this is off topic (don't mean to jack my own thread) but as I was watching Chris Webber flail about in yet another post season desperately trying to get rid of the basketball instead of shooting the big shot - I thought of baseball, and how anybody could contend that there isn't emotion in the game of baseball, and that some players couldn't control those emotions better at important moments, thus perform better.
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I think people mistakenly attribute the 'clutch' label to a performer, when in reality it's the opponent losing focus and making mistakes. Mariano Rivera is not 'clutch' in the playoffs. He simply continues to do his job well and not become distracted. His pitches don't magically become better. He throws the exact same way. It's more likely, given the pressure of the situation and the fact that they haven't been in it as often, that certain batters will perform worse than normal against him as they lose their focus.
Would you call the player who guards Chris Webber clutch?