Sport strips away personality, letting the white bone of character shine through. Sport gives players an opportunity to know and test themselves.
—Rita Mae Brown (b.1944) American Writer, Feminist
There is a syndrome in sports called “paralysis by analysis.”
—Arthur Ashe (1943–93) American Tennis Player
In 1883 while I was working at the London Hospital I chanced to turn in to one of D. L. Moody’s great tent meetings in the slums of East London. I was amazed to see on the platform with him several men whose athletic prowess was world-famous. That was a credential to me that it was worth stopping to listen to what was going to be said. I still believe athletic success is an invaluable asset to a preacher. Christ, I am sure, wants football, baseball, and track-team men in an age when theological expositions, however deep and learned, when orthodoxy, conventionality, or even correct vestments and ritual, have so little attraction for the young men who will be leaders tomorrow.
—Wilfred Grenfell (1865–1940) Canadian Humanitarian, Doctor
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.
—Michael Jordan (b.1963) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
So you wish to conquer in the Olympic Games, my friend? And I, too… But first mark the conditions and the consequences. You will have to put yourself under discipline; to eat by rule, to avoid cakes and sweetmeats; to take exercise at the appointed hour whether you like it or not, in cold and heat; to abstain from cold drinks and wine at your will. Then, in the conflict itself you are likely enough to dislocate your wrist or twist your ankle, to swallow a great deal of dust, to be severely thrashed, and after all of these things, to be defeated.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Most sorts of diversion in men, children and other animals are an imitation of fighting.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist
The Lord does not deduct from the hours of man those spent in fishing.
—Herbert Hoover (1874–1964) 31st American President
Sports is like a war without the killing.
—Ted Turner (b.1938) American Businessperson, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
Two things only the people anxiously desire, bread and the circus games.
—Juvenal (c.60–c.136 CE) Roman Poet
One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than fifty preaching it.
—Knute Rockne (1888–1931) American College Football Coach
Since the Bible and the church are obviously mistaken in telling us where we came from, how can we trust them to tell us where we are going?
—Anonymous
If all the year were playing holidays, to sport would be as tedious as to work: but when they seldom come, they wished for come, and nothing pleaseth but rare accidents.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Sports is the toy department of human life.
—Howard Cosell (1918–95) American Journalist, Columnist, TV Personality, Radio Personality
Sport inevitably creates deadness of feeling. No one could take pleasure in it who was sensitive to suffering; and therefore its pursuit by women is much more to be regretted than its pursuit by men, because women pursue much more violently and recklessly what they pursue at all.
—Ouida (Maria Louise Rame) (1839–1908) English Novelist
Business is a combination of war and sport.
—Andre Maurois (1885–1967) French Novelist, Biographer
When we lose, I eat. When we win, I eat. I also eat when we’re rained out.
—Tommy Lasorda (1927–2021) American Baseball Player, Coach
Winners never quit, and quitters never win.
—Vince Lombardi, Jr. (1913–70) American Football Player, Coach
Winners make it happen – losers let it happen.
Winners make choices – losers take chances.
Winners never quit and quitters never win.
—Vince Lombardi (1913–70) American Football Coach
I played golf some time ago with John D. Rockefeller. The other day, I played with Charles M. Schwab…. Both played exactly the same. Neither overreached (or) tried to do more than he was capable of…. Most golfers, like most businessmen, swat the ball with all their might and trust more or less to luck as to the result…. Now, both Rockefeller and Schwab hit a straight ball nine times out of ten. In fact, in the first 17 holes I played with Schwab, he didn’t foozle a single shot. I could drive a ball 25 to 50 yards further than he, but quite often it flew wild. The result was that Schwab licked me decisively.
—B. C. Forbes (1880–1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher
Academy: A modern school where football is taught.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.
—George Will (b.1941) American Columnist, Journalist, Writer
Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting.
—George Orwell (1903–50) English Novelist, Journalist
Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter’s honor.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
When a man wants to murder a tiger he calls it sport: when the tiger wants to murder him he calls it ferocity. The distinction between Crime and Justice is no greater.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only one to whom the torture and death of his fellow creatures is amusing in itself.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
A day for toil, an hour for sport, but for a friend is life too short.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
We have not made cricket and football (soccer) professional because of any astonishing avarice or new vulgarity. We have made them professional because we would have them perfect. We have dedicated men to them as to some god of inhuman excellence. We care more for football than for the fun of playing football.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?
—Jane Austen (1775–1817) English Novelist
It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
It’s too bad that one has to conceive of sports as being the only arena where risks are, [for] all of life is risk exercise. That’s the only way to live more freely, and more interestingly.
—William Sloane Coffin (1924–2006) American Presbyterian Clergyman, Peace Activist
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