Baer, BugsSportswriter/columnist The crowd rose as one raccoon.
There was larceny in his heart, but his legs were honest.
Allen S. Sothoron pitched his initials off yesterday.
Bahr, MattNFL place kickerI have one thing to say about the union: It's like Christopher Columbus. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't know where he was when he got there. He lost two-thirds of his ships along the way. And he did it with someone else's money.[Referring to the NFL Players' Association] Bailey, BobMajor league playerThere are cases when a crowd should boo a player; like when it's obvious he isn't trying. But the kind of booing that gets me is when you're going bad and the fans get on you. It doesn't help. It never helps to get booed when you're trying.Bailey, SamCollege football coachHe's big as a gorilla and strong as a gorilla. Now, if he was smart as a gorilla, he'd be fine.[On a freshman player] Baker, RussellNew York Times columnistIn America, it is sport that is the opiate of the masses.Baker-Finch, IanProfessional golferHis driving is unbelievable. I don't go that far on my holidays.[On the long drives hit by John Daly] Balding, AlProfessional golferYou drive for show and putt for dough.Ballard, HaroldNHL ownerAnyone who thinks that God wins or loses games has to have an awfully weak mind.Balogh, HarryRing announcerAnd may the superior pugilist emerge victorious.[His variation of "may the better man win"] Banks, ErnieMajor league playerIt's a great day! Let's play two! (See also Mike Hargrove) Bannister, RogerFirst miler to break four minutesThe man who can drive himself further, once the effort gets painful, is the man who will win. If a man coaches himself, then he has only himself to blame when he is beaten. Barber, BillNHL playerI was 14 when I lost them [his front teeth]. The main thing was, we won that game, so I was the happiest. You hate to lose your teeth and the game, too. Barber, MillerProfessional golfer If I grew tomatoes, they'd come up sliced.
Barber, RedBaseball announcer Sittin' in the catbird seat.
Barnard, Frederick A. P.President of Columbia UniversityI congratulate you most heartily upon the splendid victory you have won, and the luster you have shed upon the name of Columbia College. I thank you for the Faculty of the College, for the manifest service you have done to this institution. . . I am convinced that in one day or in one summer, you have done more to make Columbia College known than all your predecessors have done since the foundation of the college by this, your great triumph.[addressing the Columbia crew after winning the intercollegiate regatta] Barzun, JacquesEssayist and literary criticWhoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball, the rules and realities of the game.Basilio, CarmenMiddleweight championI loved boxing. I loved every minute of it, every round in the gym, every skip of the rope, and every foot on the road. The fights were the dessert.Battle, BillCollege football coachClass is, when they run you out of town, you look like you're leading a parade.Baugh, SammyNFL quarterback and coachHe knocks the hell out of people, but in a Christian way.[Of a very religious linebacker] Bavasi, BuzzyMajor league executivePlayers have lost all loyalty to their club, to their teammates, and perhaps even to themselves.Bavasi, PeterMajor league executive (and Buzzy's son)When the last great scorer comes to mark against your name, it's not whether you won or lost, but how many paid to see the game.[Paraphrasing Grantland Rice's famous poem] Bavier, BobAmerica's Cup skipperI just a little bit deplore that you've got to work for two years every working day to prepare for a sailboat race.Bayi, FilbertTanzanian distance runnerTo say that politics is not a part of sports is not being realistic. When I run, I am more than a runner. I am a diplomat, an ambassador for my country.Baylor, ElginNBA player and coachCoaching is easy. Winning is the hard part.Beard, FrankProfessional golferI'm having problems with my putting. But it's the puttee, not the putter.Beban, GaryHeisman Trophy winnerAnger doesn't win games.Beck, BarryNHL playerWe have only one person to blame, and that's each other.[After an embarrassing loss] Belinsky, BoMajor league pitcherI regret that I can't sit in the stands and watch me.Bench, JohnnyMajor league catcherI was thinking about making a comeback until I pulled a muscle vacuuming.[His reaction when Carlton Fisk broke his record for most home runs by a catcher] Benchley, RobertHumoristAn ardent supporter of the hometown team should go to a game prepared to take offense, no matter what happens. All that a spectator gets out of the game is fresh air, the comical articles in his program, the sight of twenty-two young men rushing about in mysterious formations, and whatever he brought in his flask. Benoit, JoanDistance runnerIt's funny. I'm attracted to things that don't have any impact on life. People say I've done a great thing for women. I don't think I have. People say I've given people courage. That makes me feel good, but I don't see how I do that. I think my running is a selfish thing. But it provides the challenge that allows me to feel good about myself. How can I expect to do well in other activities if I don't feel good about myself? Bentley, RayNFL linebackerThere's a very fine line between winning and losing. Every team in the NFL has talent, but attitude is the biggest thing that counts - that, and playing together as a team. If you can capture that feeling, then you'll have success. Berra, YogiMajor league catcher and managerThe other teams could make trouble for us if they win. Nobody goes there anymore because it's always so crowded.
I didn't really say everything I said. I want to thank everybody who made this day necessary.
He's learning me his experience.
If people don't come out to the ball park, who's going to stop them? Berning, JackieDenver Bronco team nutritionistThey didn't hesitate: Wendy's, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Burger King.[After asking players to name the four basic food groups] Berry, RaymondNFL wide receiver and coachIt may be that your body reaches a point all at once where you are more prone to injury, and it seems to me that I have probably reached that point.[Announcing his retirement as a player] Bird, LarryNBA player and coach I don't like talking about money. All I know is the good Lord must have wanted me to have it.
I can see why fans don't like to watch pro basketball. I don't, either. It's not exciting. Blaik, RedFootball coachGolf has humbled, humiliated, and just about licked every great athlete I ever knew who tried it. Blake, ToeNHL player and coachIf the day ever comes when I can swallow defeat, I'll quit. You get four goals off them, or five, but the goal you've got to have to win, somehow the great ones don't let you get it.
The toughest job for a coach today is handling the press after a game. Blanda, GeorgeAFL/NFL playerIn twenty-six years in the pros, I haven't noticed many changes. The players are faster, bigger, smarter, and more disloyal to their owners, but that's about it. Blefary, CurtMajor league outfielderHome runs are the root of all evil. You hit a couple and every time up, you're looking to hit the ball out. Next thing you know, you're in a slump. Blood, JohnnyNFL player and coachThe whole point of life is to maximize your emotional income. Getting that ball and going is a tremendous physical thrill, an ego thrill, a personal power satisfaction. We professional athletes are very lucky. Unlike most mortals, we are given the privilege of dying twice - once when we retire and again when death takes us. A coach can't be concerned with the poor ballplayer. If the player can't make it, he's got to be out right away. It's a very tough aspect of coaching, and in this aspect I was weak. Also, some guys get fat on coaching, they get healthy and strong, but other guys get ulcers. Blue, VidaMajor league pitcherSure, it's nice to win. But there's only one thing that's important to me and that's the money we're going to get, win or lose. . . I don't love baseball, I like it. And to me, baseball means money, and that's all I care about. Blyleven, BertMajor league pitcher The problem with being Comeback Player of the Year is it means you have to go somewhere before you can come back.
Bodie, PingMajor league outfielderI don't room with him [Babe Ruth]. I room with his suitcase.Bolton, TomMajor league pitcherI'm too lazy to work and too scared to steal.[Explaining why he kept playing despite seven years in the minor leagues] Borg, BjornTennis playerHe [Jimmy Connors] has one weakness. He can never say his opponent played well. That's why it feels good to beat him and that's why other players would rather beat him than any other player.Borgia, SidNBA refereeA good pro referee will know when the player or coach has had his say, and will know when to walk away. An average one won't.Boros, JuliusProfessional golferRetire to what? I'm a golfer and a fisherman. There's nothing to retire to.[To a sportswriter who asked if he was thinking of retirement] Bowden, BobbyCollege football coach If it was, Army and Navy would play for the national championship every year.
You want to know what a real test of faith is? When you go to church and reach into your pocket and all you've got is a twenty-dollar bill. Bower, JohnnyNHL goalie I just made up my mind that I was going to lose my teeth and have my face cut to pieces.
Brabham, JackRace car driver To win in the slowest possible time.
Braden, VicTennis player and teacherYou don't play people. You play a ball. You don't ever hit a guy in the butt and knock him over the net - unless you're really upset. Bradley, BillNBA player and U. S. SenatorI cannot imagine anywhere else on earth that I would rather be at this moment than right here, about to play in the final game of the championship of the world. The athlete approaches the end of his playing days the way old people approach death. But the athlete differs from the old person in that he must continue living. Behind all the years of practice and all the hours of glory waits that inexorable terror of living without the game. Bragan, BobbyMajor league managerSay you were standing with one foot in the oven and the other foot in a bucket of ice. According to the percentage people, you should be about perfectly comfortable. Brandt, GilPro football scoutIt's sort of like a beauty contest. It's very easy to pick the top one, two, or three girls, but then the rest of them look the same. It's like that in scouting.Breen, JohnNFL executiveWe were tipping off our plays. Whenever we broke from the huddle, three backs were laughing and one was as pale as a ghost. Breslin, JimmyNewspaper columnistFootball is a game designed to keep coal miners off the streets. Bressler, RubeMajor league pitcherThose conferences out there on the mound really get me. The pitcher knows he's in a jam. What can they say to him? They just remind him of it, that's all. . . All it does is make you even more worried than you already were, which was plenty. There are mighty few pitchers who can survive those conferences on the mound, take it from me.Bridges, RockyBaseball player, coach and managerThe main quality a great third base coach must have is a fast runner. I think it's a good idea; it keeps the parents of the streets.
You mix two jiggers of scotch with one jigger of Metrecal. So far, I've lost five pounds and my driver's license.
I managed good but, boy, did they play bad. Bridwell, AlMajor league infielderThe reason [John] McGraw was a great manager - and he was the greatest - was because he knew how to handle men. Some players he rode, and others he didn't. He got the most out of each man. It wasn't so much knowing baseball. All of them know that. One manager knows about as much about the fundamentals of baseball as another. What makes the difference is knowing each player and how to handle him. And at the sort of thing nobody came close to McGraw. Bristol, DaveMajor league managerA win in April is just as important as a win in September. Brock, LouMajor league outfielder and noted base stealerIf you aim to steal thirty or forty bases a year, you do it by surprising the other side. But if your goal is fifty to a hundred, the element of surprise is gone. You go even though they know you're going to go. Then each steal becomes a contest, matching your skills against theirs. Anxiety is the edge I have on the pitcher and the catcher. I know that when I'm on base, they're filled with anxiety, and that gives me an edge. Brosnan, JimMajor league pitcher turned writerThe fans want the player to be, not what he inherently is, but what they think he ought to be. Broun, Heywood HaleSportswriter and commentatorI talk about the philosophy of sport, the assumption that excellence in sport is a splendid thing to achieve. But those of us who cannot achieve it should not continually attack ourselves on the grounds that we are not going to run the four-minute mile, and a goal slightly above your previous accomplishment is triumph enough. I think we've taken the fun out of sport by insisting that everybody must be a champion or a failure. Sports do not build character. They reveal it. Brown, DarrylCollege basketball coachBasketball was fun in high school, but you find as you get into big-time time college ball that it gets to be a business and less pleasure. Brown, Drew "Bundini"Muhammad Ali corner man Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
Brown, HubieNBA coachThe trouble with athletes today is that they are great at rationalizing. Too many won't stand up and take the blame and admit they didn't produce. When one does, you have a rare man. Brown, MikeNFL ExecutiveWhat I find sometimes is that all of us may have too much money. Players. Owners. TV. It's like pigs fighting in a trough, and sometimes we don't appreciate what we have. Brown, PaulFootball coachPeople are needed, but nobody is necessary. I can't stand it when a player whines to me or his teammates or his wife or the writers or anyone else. A whiner is almost always wrong. A winner never whines. People think there are great mysteries connected with the game, but there are not. It's just teaching fundamentals. When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less. Nothing devastates a football team like a selfish player. It's a cancer. Browne, Mary K.Tennis championWhy should I have become elevated to a position of first-page importance merely because I am somewhat more dexterous than most in manipulating a contrivance of catgut and wood which is commonly called a tennis racquet?Brue, BobProfessional golferI used to play golf with a guy who cheated so badly that he once had a hole in one and wrote down zero on his scorecard.Brundage, AveryLong-time president of the International Olympic CommitteeSports is an international phenomenon, like science or music. The Russians are no more professional than the Americans, who give their athletes free college educations. Bryant, BearCollege football coach When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Winning isn't everything, but it beats anything that comes in second. I don't hire anybody not brighter than I am. If they're not brighter than I am, I don't need them. Television exposure is so important to our program and so important to this university that we will schedule ourselves to fit the medium. I'll play at midnight, if that's what TV wants. There are three types of football players. First, there are those who are winners and know they are winners. Then there are the losers who know they're losers. Then there are those who aren't winners but don't know it. They're the ones for me. They never quit trying. They're the soul of our game. First year, a .500 season. Second year, a conference championship. Third year, undefeated. Fourth year, a national championship. And in the fifth year, we'll be on probation, of course.
Bryant, JoeNBA playerHe [Magic Johnson] comes into the league with all that fancy stuff and they call it magic. I've been doing it for years and they call it schoolyard. Bubka, SergeiRussian pole vaulter My jump was imperfect, my run-in was too short and my hands were too far back at takeoff. When I manage to iron out these faults, I am sure I can improve.
Burdette, LewMajor league pitcher I exploit the greed of all hitters.
Burke, JackProfessional golferThe average golfer doesn't play golf, he attacks it. Burr, ChuckBuffalo Bills public relations manOnce we were whining losers, but now we're arrogant winners. Busby, SteveMajor league pitcherBaseball, to me, is still the national pastime because it is a summer game. I feel that almost all Americans are summer people, that summer is what they think of when they think of their childhood. I think it stirs up an incredible emotion within people. Butkus, DickNFL linebackerI wouldn't ever set out to hurt anybody deliberately unless it was, you know, important - like a league game or something. Butts, WallyGeorgia football coachThe definition of an atheist in Alabama is a person who doesn't believe in Bear Bryant. Byers, WalterExecutive director of the NCAARecruiting is the Achilles' heel of intercollegiate athletics. Byrd, RobertU. S. SenatorIt is time we realize that few things are less vital to our national survival than a fall without NFL football, the outcome of a single baseball game, or the location where high school athletes choose to continue their athletic training. |
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