There is a syndrome in sports called “paralysis by analysis.”
—Arthur Ashe (1943–93) American Tennis Player
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
I have a lifetime contract. That means I can’t be fired during the third quarter if we are ahead and moving the ball.
—Lou Holtz (1893–1980) American Stage Performer
What is sport to the cat is death to the mouse.
—German Proverb
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
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
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.
—Michael Jordan (b.1963) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
Sports is like a war without the killing.
—Ted Turner (b.1938) American Businessperson, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
There are people who think that wrestling is an ignoble sport. Wrestling is not sport, it is a spectacle, and it is no more ignoble to attend a wrestled performance of suffering than a performance of the sorrows of Arnolphe or Andromaque.
—Roland Barthes (1915–80) French Writer, Critic, Teacher
The minute you start talking about what you’re going to do if you lose, you have lost.
—George Shultz (1920–2021) American Politician, Economist
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
In the great department store of life, baseball is the toy department.
—Unknown
A day for toil, an hour for sport, but for a friend is life too short.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Skiing: the art of catching cold and going broke while rapidly heading nowhere at great personal risk.
—Unknown
I strongly believe the black culture spends too much time, energy and effort raising, praising, and teasing our black children about the dubious glories of professional sports.
—Arthur Ashe (1943–93) American Tennis Player
People in the States used to think that if girls were good at sports their sexuality would be affected. Being feminine meant being a cheerleader, not being an athlete. The image of women is changing now. You don’t have to be pretty for people to come and see you play. At the same time, if you’re a good athlete, it doesn’t mean you’re not a woman.
—Martina Navratilova (b.1956) Czech-born American Sportsperson
Sports plays a societal role in engendering jingoist and chauvinist attitudes. They’re designed to organize a community to be committed to their gladiators.
—Noam Chomsky (b.1928) American Linguist, Social Critic
Academy: A modern school where football is taught.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
Said in sport, meant in earnest.
—German Proverb
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
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
The mark of great sportsmen is not how good they are at their best, but how good they are their worst.
—Martina Navratilova (b.1956) Czech-born American Sportsperson
Football today is far too much a sport for the few who can play it well; the rest of us, and too many of our children, get out exercise from climbing up the seats in stadiums, or from walking across the room to turn on our television sets.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than fifty preaching it.
—Knute Rockne (1888–1931) American College Football Coach
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
Most sorts of diversion in men, children and other animals are an imitation of fighting.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist
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
We are inclined to think that if we watch a football game or a baseball game, we have taken part in it.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
How many charming talents have been spoiled by the instilled desire to do ‘important’ work! Some people are born to lift heavy weights. Some are born to juggle with golden balls.
—Max Beerbohm (1872–1956) British Essayist, Caricaturist, Novelist
What counts in sports is not the victory, but the magnificence of the struggle.
—Joe Paterno (1926–2012) American Sportsperson