Reed,

I used the term "choke" because I was in a foul sports-related mood and was trying to belittle the Hurricanes, not take anything away from Penn St. That game was one of the formative experiences of my childhood. I was a Penn State fan, who had just moved to S. Florida and was, it seemed, the only person in the state rooting for PSU. This caused me a ton of grief in my new school, including regular fights (me getting beat up) and mocking, and every time the Hurricanes did something provocative (like show up to the team dinner in fatigues and then walk out in the middle, or breath), it meant that I was getting my ass kicked in school.

So that game took on a very real quality of good v. evil for me, and that 'Canes team has always been my least favorite collection of pro athletes. I rooted against each and every won of them for their entire pro careers (except for Jerome Brown, although I only grudgingly didn't boo him), and Irvin and Jimmy Johnson going to the Cowboys cemented my antipathy for that team.

(by the way, all of this is set-up for when the time comes that I am placed in a position to defend the Eagles fans cheering of Michael Irvin's career ending injury at the Vet.)