Thrill of Crazy Call Gave Mark Dantonio a Heart Attack

Ever have a tense, nail-biting moment during a sports event you’re watching and tell your friends that the suspense almost gave you a heart attack? Ever hear that phrase “cardiac kids” for teams that win by incredible comebacks? The joke is that thrilling moments in games put us through incredible amounts of stress as fans. Well, it turns out that this phenomenon is not a joke. Contrarily, it’s very real.

Michigan State beat Notre Dame in overtime Saturday evening 34-31 by scoring a touchdown on a fake field goal. Everyone was sure the Spartans were trotting out their kicker to try and tie the game at 31 and send it to another overtime. Little did they know Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio had a trick up his sleeve. The play worked and the Spartans pulled off the crazy upset.

What was more crazy than the ballsy call was hearing that Mark Dantonio suffered a heart attack after the game. The coach appeared to be subdued in his postgame interview but that’s probably because he had just peed his pants. Unbelievable. Check out this video if you haven’t seen it yet. And for a twist, watch the play clock expire before the snap and ask yourself how it might feel to be a Notre Dame fan:

Now I pose the question to you: what was crazier, Dantonio’s heart attack, or the decision to try a fake field goal to beat the Irish in overtime?