It was a dramatic finale. Only 9 seconds remained in the National Football League’s 2004 Super Bowl, which pitted the New England Patriots against the Carolina Panthers. The score was tied. The Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri was set to kick a game-winning, 40-yard field goal.
At that crucial moment, the Panthers called a timeout. The team hoped that this extra time would “ice” Vinatieri, getting him to think more about the situation he was in—and making him more likely to miss.