The Atlanta Falcons' meltdown in Super Bowl LI is one of the most infamous collapses in sports history. It also cost NBA legend Charles Barkley $100,000 in a hefty wager.
Barkley spoke about some of his gambling exploits on “The Dan Patrick Show,” saying Atlanta's stunning title-game defeat was one of his only notable losses in recent years:
“The only time I lost in the last three or four years was those Atlanta Falcons,” Barkley said, via Chris Bumbaca of USA TODAY.
“What they (did) in the Super Bowl and what they did against the Cowboys (in Week 2) are two of the biggest choke-jobs in the history of civilization,” he added, saying he lost $100,000 on the Super Bowl loss.
“Chuck” also detailed how he began the celebration early when the Falcons took a 28-3 lead, taking shots and growing more inebriated.
Naturally, there was not much for Barkley—or the Falcons—to celebrate in the second half of that game.
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots built some momentum late in the third quarter after Brady found James White for a five-yard touchdown. Still, the Falcons held a 28-9 lead after that score.
But things went downhill in a hurry for Atlanta.
The Falcons stalled on their next drive following New England's touchdown and—after a Stephen Gostkowski field goal—turned the ball over when Dont'a Hightower strip-sacked Matt Ryan. New England scored on each of their next two possessions to tie the game before ultimately winning in overtime.
Super Bowl LI will forever go down as a classic in the annals of NFL history. But Barkley's memory of the game is rather sour.
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