Why we love sports

The Dagger

There is nothing more enjoyable in sports then when the announcer yells "_______ with the Dagger!". Especially if it is your favorite team. The dagger, for those who are currently scratching your head, is when one team makes a play (most common in basketball) that in essence ends the game. Examples include....

The "thanks for trying but NO" Dagger

This dagger usually is followed by a lot of exhales and sighs of relief from fans. Your team built up an early lead and have lead comfortably throughout. But all of a sudden a funny thing happens on the way to the finish line. The opposition begins grinding away at the lead and next thing you know you look up from your fridge and your up by 4 points rather than 14. This is a scary moment in time. So much racing through your mind. Why was our bench in so early? Will we ever hit another shot? How will I ever come up with the money? But before you turn off your phone to avoid any human contact for the rest of the night, the dagger is dagged (dagged?). With about 2 minutes to go and the lead shrinking like wrap, your team gets a key defensive stop and hits a big three in transition to increase the lead back to where a comeback is near impossible. Gus Johnson yells something about "The Dagger!" and everyone is happy again.

The "everyone is gonna remember me" Dagger

This dagger comes in a game where you have no time to head to the kitchen for last nights leftovers. In a game like this the Lead Changes and Ties stat will pop up above the bottom line numerous times. Concession sales are down in a game like this as no one can bare the thought of leaving for just a minute. The dagger is approaching but no one is really sure even what side is going to nail it. One team will pull away to about a two possession lead, enough of a lead where the losing team knows they can't waste too many more possessions. This is when the team doing the dagging (dagging?) gets a steal, rushes down the court, and throws one down, similar to that of Jerome, and draws the foul putting the game out of reach and spinning the momentum their direction. The player responsible for the this dagger will end up on front pages of newspapers and talked about for at least a couple days. Again, "DAGGER!" is yelled loudly for all to hear.

The "Ok theres, the game is over now, can we go home yet?" Dagger

This dagger is more common in football or baseball (the term dagger seems to be underused in these two sports) than in basketball. A team builds a comfortable lead and seems to be teetering on Mount This Game is Over. There is still a chance for a comeback but it has to be made soon. In baseball this might happen in a 5 - 1 game in the 6th inning. In football this might happen in a 24 - 10 game midway through the third quarter. In baseball the Dagger is usually nailed by a bat and lands in the stands. Perhaps with two outs Prince Fielder gets a hold of one and sends it to Souvenir City and the lead is now somewhere around 7 instead of 4. In football this might come on a kick off return or long Touch Down run that puts one team up by about three scores. "Dagger!" may not be yelled at this point but everyone and their cab driver knows the the deal is done.

The "Got a little excited there" Dagger

This is a Dagger faux pas. An announcer gets a little too excited and emphatically yells "WITH THE DAGGER!" as a ridiculous tomahawk is thrown down in the face of some European born player with 4 minutes left to play before the TV timeout. Little does the announcer realize that the lead is only 7 points and there are some sharp shooters on the other squad. With in the next two minutes the game is once again tied and the team that supposively put the dagger into the hearts of the opposition, is intentionally fouling and watching their victory slip away one free throw at a time.

So next time you yell "Kobe with the Dagger!" remember, this is why we love sports.