The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

26_V1_WAT_Dec07 26 • WATERLOO CHRONICLE • Th ursday, December 7, 2017 Serving your community since 1856 Back in 2011, I wrote a column about some of the most infamous brain cramps in sports history. Dumb decisions or plays that were so egregious, they have stood the test of time. In that piece, I cited exam- ples such as Michigan basket- ball player (now broadcaster) Chris Webber calling a timeout his team never had in an NCAA championship game versus North Carolina; Boston Red Sox manager Grady Little leaving pitching ace Pedro Martinez in way too long in the 2003 Ameri- can League Championship Series; and French golfer Jean Van de Velde blowing the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie with a series of phenomenally bad decisions that had him snatch defeat from the jaws of victory while holding a three-shot lead heading into the fi nal hole. I've decided to revisit this topic because two boneheaded boo-boos from NFL games this fall put this theme back on my radar. The first one occurred in a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Fal- cons, in which Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, no stranger to dumb decisions (e.g. a last- second pass attempt from the one-yard line that was inter- cepted and handed the Super Bowl to the New England Patri- ots), called for a fake fi eld goal with seven seconds left in the half. The problems here were threefold. First, the Seahawks had no timeouts left. Secondly, by run- ning the ball, there was only time enough left for a single play. And thirdly, Luke Willson, who took the fl ip pass from the holder, would have had to run 20 yards to score a touchdown -- a prospect that was doubtful at best. To make matters worse, Carroll defended his decision, later saying that he was just try- ing to put some points on the board. Wait -- what? If your objective is simply to put some points on the board, why wouldn't you just let your kicker do his job and attempt a fi eld goal? It was still the fi rst half and the ball was only on the 17-yard line. Not surprisingly, Seattle lost by -- you guessed it -- a fi eld goal, 34-31. The other recent head- scratching decision was cour- tesy of Buff alo Bills head coach Sean McDermott. With the Bills sporting a 5-4 record and very much in the middle of a wild-card playoff race, McDermott decided to replace starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor with backup Nate Peterman for a road game against the San Diego Chargers. Th is was a decision that was both dumb and dumber, and here are the reasons. Although Taylor wasn't exactly having a Pro Bowl season, he was steady, if not spectacular. The formula for the Bills' success this season (they started off 5-2) had been to combine solid defence with mistake-free football. Taylor had only three interceptions through the fi rst nine games. Continued on page 27 � e dumb decisions continue BRIAN TOTZKE THE FIFTH QUARTER Buy and sell in your neighbourhood. Tradyo Turns Your Clutter Into Cash. Chat Call orText Lifejacket Posted by MikeToolGuy $15 Visit www.Tradyo.com flyers • coupons • deals • cash back Get this coupon and more at www.save.ca/coupons *Coupons subject to availability. by Agropur save $150 on selected agropur fine cheeses* *VALID ON: L'EXTRA BRIE (170g and up), OKA L'ARTISAN (180g and up), AGROPUR GRAND CHEDDAR (200 g and up), or CAMBOZOLA (variable weight wedge of 160g and up). DON'T LET YOUR VEHICLE L EASE CHAIN YO U DOWN. BUST OUT . LeaseBusters.com is the largest vehicle lease marketplace in Canada - we'll unlock you from your vehicle lease commitment... save time, early termination fees and penalties. Call now for a free consultation 1-888-357-2678 or visit us at www.LeaseBusters.com