They said it in 2024
These quotes actually came out of human mouths this year.
“They had to win tonight. If that’s the case, just let us know so we don’t show up for the game. Just give them a win. It’s complete crap.” – Darko Rajakovic, Raptors coach, protesting the officiating in a 132-131 loss to the Lakers, Jan. 9.
“You know that if Tomlin comes back he will be back in Pittsburgh. The question is, does he finally want to take a year and just kind of decompose a little bit?” – Mike Francesa, talk-show host, on Steelers’ coach Mike Tomlin, Jan. 17.
“I didn’t think I was going to have to deal with a fricking college kid shooting 60 today.” – Justin Thomas,, two-time major champion and Alabama alum, after Alabama sophomore Nick Dunlap shot 12-under-par at the American Express the day before he won the tournament as an amateur, Jan. 20.
“The stupidity that went into that loss is unexplainable.” – Todd McLellan, L.A. Kings coach, after a 5-2 home loss to Buffalo, Jan. 24.
“I told the guys whenever we play a Top 25 team it feels like we put on our big boy drawers, so let’s do that.” – Kyle Sturdivant, Georgia Tech guard, after a 74-73 win over third-ranked North Carolina, Jan. 30.
“Every time I scored, all I heard was ‘oooh.’ It wasn’t even like a boo. It was like ‘all right.’ It was crazy.” – JuJu Watkins, USC freshman, after she scored a school-record 51 points with 10 rebounds in a win over Stanford, Feb. 2.
“It’s a break. I don’t know, I don’t think everyone wants to come here and compete.” – Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves, after the East beat the West 211-186 in the NBA All-Star Game, Feb. 18.
“Wives are fine with it.” – Caroline Means, wife of Orioles pitcher John Means, on the see-through feature of the new MLB uniform pants, Feb. 22.
“I don’t believe in space. I don’t think there’s other planets and stuff like that.” – Tyler Owens, Texas Tech defensive back, at the NFL combine, Feb. 29.
“That’s what we used to do to teams.” – Stephen Curry, Warriors guard, after Golden State’s 140-88 loss at Boston, March 3.
“We need six of their guys to get Covid.” – Rick Pitino, St. John’s coach, when asked how his team planned to beat Connecticut in the Big East tournament, March 6.
“Nevada ruined my Senior Night so I thought it was my turn to ruin somebody else’s, honestly.” – Max Rice, Boise State guard, after his 40-footer in overtime led to a win in San Diego State’s last home game of the season, March 8.
“The stat sheet does not define, and properly show, how their guts are still lying on that court.” – Lindsay Gottlieb, USC coach, after the Trojans beat UCLA 80-70 in double overtime in the Pac-12 tournament, March 7.
“Did you see the Seinfeld episode when George was trying to get fired and couldn’t lose his job, still going to work every day? That’s me. I’m a ‘Seinfeld’ episode going on right now in real life.” – Dan Monson, Long Beach State coach, after his team got to the NCAA tournament five days after he was fired, March 20.
“Everybody makes mistakes. It’s not gonna be my last mistake. I hope it’s my last mistake that involves me being arrested.” – Jared Anderson, heavyweight boxing contender, after he was charged with a third-degree felony while fleeing a police officer, March 21.
“The amount of times I’m standing up there and we may have a 10-point lead and the spread is 11 and people are yelling at me to leave the guys in, so we can cover the spread...it’s ridiculous.” – J. B. Bickerstaff, Cavaliers coach, on betting in the NBA, March 21.
“Meet my wife Lisa. I’m just glad she hasn’t gone into the transfer portal.” – Pat Kelsey, at the press conference introducing him as Louisville’s new coach, March 25.
”I’ll never get it. They’re not giving it to me. The league doesn’t like me. I’m the best defensive player in the league.” — Anthony Davis, Lakers’ center, after being passed over for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, April 21.
“Do you guys play Wordle? The goalie tonight will have two vowels in his first and his last name.” – Jim Montgomery, Bruins’ coach, fending off reporters’ questions on whether Jeremy Slayman or Linus Ullmark will play Game 2 against Toronto, April 22.
“What a player. He still can’t get into the casino and play cards. It’s unbelievable.” – Peter DeBoer, Dallas Stars coach, after Wyatt Johnston, 20, scored the overtime goal at Vegas in Game 3 of a Stanley Cup first-round series, April 27.
“Hell of a year for D’Angelo. Humbly saying that.” – D’Angelo Russell, Lakers guard, after Denver eliminated L.A. in the first round of the NBA playoffs, April 29.
“I’m not Tiger Woods. I’m Tiger wish-he-could.” – Keon Coleman, receiver and first-round pick of the Bills, on his golf hobby, May 3.
“ There’s nothing worse as a player and as a coach, than waking up with the R&R sisters, Regret and Remorse. They’re waking up with the sisters this morning.” – Craig MacTavish, former OIlers coach, after he watched Edmonton blow a 4-1 lead and lose at Vancouver, 5-4, in Game 1 of the Western semifinals.
“I continue to think we have some smart fans here and they know when they are watching bad baseball.” – Michael King, Padres’ pitcher, after San Diego fans booed during a 8-0 loss to Colorado that extended the Rockies’ winning streak to six games, a first since 2019, May 15.
“When he swings at a breaking ball in the dirt I want to tase him. I don’t know if that’s legal.” – Pat Murphy, Brewers manager, on rookie third baseman Joey Ortiz, May 18.
“Like what are we doing? That’s a little strange to me. That’s a lot of money to fine a guy. It’s like, ‘It’s not OK, but we’re going to blast it all over everything to get more clicks’.” – Chase Elliott, NASCAR racer, after Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was fined $75,000 for punching Kyle Busch at North Wilkesboro, and then NASCAR posting the video, May 24.
“He defiantly competed for every moment in life to be the greatest it could possibly be. That’s the best way to describe it.” – Rick Carlisle, Pacers coach, reacting to the death of Bill Walton, May 27.
“Until you’re the one going out there and putting a helmet on for 18 of these games, yeah, then come talk to me.” – Ryan Kelly, Colts center and vice president of the NFL players union, after commissioner Roger Goodell suggested an 18-game schedule, June 6.
“World championship of what? The United States?” — Noah Lyles, winner of the 100 meters at the 2003 World Championships, after the Celtics claimed the title upon winning the NBA championship, June 19.
“Coming back after injury, a lot of teams don’t give you any runway. It’s, ‘We’re glad you’re healthy. Now go home.’’’ — Michael Petersen, Dodger pitcher, after his major league debut, June 24.
“My wife and I, we never, ever wavered. When they won Game 6, Teresa looks at me and goes, ‘This is great. We’re going to win it at home.’” – Vinnie Viola, Panthers owner, after Florida lost a 3-0 Stanley Cup Final lead and then won Game 7 over Edmonton, June 24.
“I do feel like a cow on ice sometimes.” — Alexander Zverev, after injuring a knee during a fall at Wimbledon, July 6.
“We’re going to drink so much damn bourbon tonight it’s going to be a bad deal. I’m probably going to wake up naked on the bathroom floor again. That’s just part of this deal sometimes.” – Alex Bowman, after winning a NASCAR Cup Series race, in Chicago, for the first time in four years, July 7.
“I need to lie down in a dark room.” — Matthew Southgate, after he shot 78 in the second round of the Open Championship at windy Troon, July 19.
“If I really had to lose it, I couldn’t imagine a better place. It will remain forever in the riverbed of the City of Love.” — Gianmarco Tamberi, Italian high jumper and flagbearer for the Olympic team, after his wedding ring slipped off his finger and disappeared into the Seine River during the opening ceremony, July 26.
“I can be rational most times, but I felt so emotional in that state to where I was butt-hurt about how I played and then sorta proud and happy that Scottie won it. It's hard to explain, the swing of it. I think it's just being American.” – Xander Schauffele, after fading in the fourth round of the Olympic golf competition that Scottie Scheffler won, Aug. 4.
“You get to stab some people. Doesn’t that sound like a good time?” – Nick Itkin, Olympic fencing bronze medalist, promoting the sport for the ‘28 Olympics in LA, Aug. 16.
“He’s just kind of better than everyone.” – Aaron Boone, Yankees manager, after Aaron Judge hit his 17th home run in a 34-game stretch and his 49th of the season, Aug. 23.
“I give shots to my friends every day at home, but my friends are not Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele.” – Shane Lowry, ex-British Open champion, Aug. 27.
“Some advice to the fans: If you’re going to be loud, you have to be loud when we’re huddling. Can’t be loud once we break the huddle. By that time, there’s no point. We communicated already.” – Cam Ward, U. of Miami quarterback, after the Hurricanes’ 41-17 win at Florida, Aug. 31.
“I do not want to go to Brazil and you want to know why? They already told us not to leave the hotel. I’m like, NFL, why do you want to see us somewhere where the crime rate is this high?” – Darius Slay, Eagles cornerback, before their NFL season opener with Green Bay in Sao Paolo, Sept. 3.
“If it ain’t from the horse’s mouth, it’s probably bullshit.” – Davante Adams, Raiders receiver, on reports that he isn’t happy in Las Vegas, Sept. 4.
“You put yourself in positions. It’s only a matter of time and the game is open. It’s not like it once was when you make quarter-finals, you play Rafa and you’re looking at flights.” – Frances Tiafoe, after he made the U.S. Open tennis semifinals, Sept. 4.
“I’m human like everybody else. I have blackout moments where I’ll lose my mind.” – Brian Callahan, Titans coach, after yelling ‘What the fuck are you doing?’ at quarterback Will Levis during a loss to the Jets, Sept. 15.
“I think that’s a bad move, baseball-wise, karma-wise, baseball-gods-wise. You go after him and see if you can get him out. Out of respect for the game, we were going after him.” – Skip Schumaker, Marlins’ manager, after electing to pitch to Shohei Ohtani with a base open and watching him hit his 50th home run on a 10-RBI day, Sept. 20.
“I just gave the game ball to somebody else, so I feel awful.” – Dan Campbell, Lions’ coach, who didn’t know Jared Goff was 18-for-18 against Seattle when he gave out game balls after a 42-29 victory, Sept. 30.
“I had a little run-in with my cattle over the weekend. I guess they’ve been watching us play and I got head-butted.” – Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State coach, explaining an eye injury, Oct. 14.
“They’re barely won 30 percent of their games in the last 10 years. The owner being the owner….ready, fire, aim.” – Bill Belichick, former Patriots coach, commenting on the Jets’ firing of head coach Robert Salah. Oct. 15.
“Yeah, I think it just starts with the team name, New England. I think it’s easy for UK fans to be attracted to that.” – Drake Maye, Patriots quarterback, on why British fans should root for New England in a Wembley Stadium game vs. Jacksonville, Oct. 18.
“All the headlines will be, ‘Reeve cries foul.’ Bring it on. Bring it on. Because that shit was stolen from us. Bring it on.” – Cheryl Reeve, Lynx coach, after Minnesota lost the deciding game of the WNBA Finals to New York, Oct. 20.
“If I wanted it to look like me, I’d just stand outside the arena and y’all could take photos.” – Dwyane Wade, former Heat All-NBA player, pushing back against critics who said Wade’s new statue outside the arena doesn’t resemble him, Oct. 28.
“That’s one thing I like to say – turn the knife. When you’ve got a team down, don’t just stab them. You’ve got to turn the knife.” – Tre Mann, Hornets guard, after he scored 30 points in a win over Toronto, Oct. 30.
“I told them to make America great again and beat the Celtics.” – Steve Kerr, Warriors coach, on what he told his team about the Presidential election before a game Golden State won in Boston, Nov. 6.
“They didn’t ‘find’ DK. You don’t ‘find’ the SEC Player of the Year. The other 16 teams fucked it up.” – LeBron James, after watching rookie Dalton Knecht, 17th player picked in the 2024 draft, score 37 against Utah, Nov. 19.
“The way I would like to be remembered is as a good person from a small village of Mallorca.’’ – Rafael Nadal, 22-time Grand Slam tennis champion, after the final match of his career, Nov. 19.
“At the end of the day, some people got to learn how to lose.” – Kalel Mullings, Michigan running back, after a 13-10 win at Ohio State and a brawl at midfield afterward, Nov. 30.
“Part of the reason I want to play better teams is, like, it’s 2 degrees outside, it’s snowing, I don’t recall liking the idea of Nobody U coming in here. What do we learn playing a game where we win by 20?’ – Doug Gottlieb, Green Bay coach, referring to an upcoming game against Michigan Tech, which wound up beating Green Bay, 72-70, Dec. 14.
“Last time I drank champagne I had a full body cramp the next day.” – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks forward, after the 2021 NBA champs won the NBA Cup, Dec. 17.
Tremendous!!!!