The Sound That Haunts Chicago
On January 6, 2019, Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey’s 43-yard field goal attempt in the NFC Wild Card playoff game against Philadelphia Eagles hit the left upright, then bounced off the crossbar and fell incomplete as time expired. The “double doink”—hitting two parts of the goalpost—gave the Eagles a 16-15 victory and became one of NFL’s most memed playoff moments, ending Chicago’s season on the cruelest possible note.
The Pressure Kick
The Bears led 15-10 with 10 seconds remaining. They’d driven to Eagles’ 25-yard line, setting up a 43-yard field goal attempt—well within Parkey’s range. The kick would seal Chicago’s first playoff win since 2010 and advance them in the playoffs for first time since Super Bowl run in 2006.
Parkey had hit the uprights a league-leading 10 times during the 2018 regular season, earning the nickname “Cody Doink.” His struggles made Bears fans nervous, but 43 yards on dry conditions should be automatic.
The Devastating Sequence
Parkey’s kick had good distance but drifted left. It struck the left upright with a distinctive “doink” sound. Instead of bouncing away incomplete, the ball deflected onto the crossbar—“DOINK”—and fell harmlessly to the turf as time expired.
The sound echoed through Soldier Field. Bears players collapsed. Eagles celebrated. The double doink—hitting two separate parts of the uprights—felt cosmically cruel. Replays showed the ball bouncing off metal twice, each impact echoing like a death knell.
The Aftermath & Blame
Initially blamed entirely on Parkey, later analysis showed Eagles defensive lineman Treyvon Hester got a finger on the ball. The slight deflection likely caused the left drift. But Parkey received overwhelming blame and death threats from Bears fans.
The Bears released Parkey in March 2019. He appeared on The Today Show for a sympathetic interview, discussing the mental toll of being the city’s villain. Chicago sports talk radio debated the kick for months.
The Meme Immortality
“Double Doink” entered sports lexicon permanently:
- Any ball hitting uprights became “Parkey’d” or “doink’d”
- The sound effect “DOINK… DOINK” became meme audio
- Sports highlights replayed it endlessly
- Bears fans used it as shorthand for cursed franchise moments
- Urban Dictionary entries defined “double doink” variations
The phrase transcended the play—“double doink” became verb, noun, and symbol of catastrophic failure.
The Broader Kicker Narrative
The double doink contributed to broader discussions about NFL kickers:
- Special teams coaching importance
- Mental health support for kickers (single-player failure, public blame)
- Upright width debates (should NFL widen goalposts?)
- Kicker job security and fan treatment
Parkey never regained NFL employment after 2020. The double doink defined and potentially ended his career, making him a cautionary tale about how one play can overshadow everything else.
Source: Game footage, Cody Parkey interviews, NFL kicking statistics