Say what?
"I think they hustle and they look good and they don't have a lot of fat kids." -- Penn State coach Joe Paterno on the Temple team coached by one of his former players, Al Golden
"I don't expect you people to have agreed with what I've done -- and if I did (care), I would have asked your opinion." -- Bob Knight, after winning his 800th game
"Let's go, squirrel!" -- Chant by fans when a squirrel climbed the foul pole in Yankee Stadium for the second consecutive night
"He had a look in his eye that said, 'It's my night.' " -- Robert Indeglia, chief judge of the Westminster Dog Show, on Diamond Jim, an English springer spaniel who won best in show over a dog co-owned by comedian Bill Cosby
"I would like to apologize to all the fans that were at the stadium that day, especially the children."-- former major-league All-Star Jose Offerman, after he attacked two opponents with a bat during an Atlantic League game
"Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event. It may be 9-11, which sort of changed the spirit of America relative to catastrophic events. Pearl Harbor kind of got us ready for World War II, or whatever, and that was a catastrophic event." -- Nick Saban, Alabama coach, after his team lost to Louisiana-Monroe
Winners and losers
"I'm happy." -- Bill Belichick, the effusive Patriots coach, after his team completed a 16-0 regular season
"It's the most impossible thing to get done, and we got it done. And (three) years later, we did it again." -- David Ortiz, after the Red Sox swept the Rockies in the World Series
"I'm going to praise them today and bark at them tomorrow." -- Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore, explaining how he gave his players an extra day off to enjoy their victory over Michigan
"I didn't want to turn around at all and look at it." -- LeBron James, who snuck off the floor amid pandemonium after his Cavs were swept by San Antonio in the NBA Finals
"I like fast cars, but not too fast. I don't want to get myself into trouble." -- Sidney Crosby, to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, before he became the youngest player to win the NHL scoring title
"We just got in a funk at the wrong time." -- Outfielder Shawn Green, after the Mets blew a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining and missed the playoffs
"This will probably go down in history as one of the greatest games ever." -- Boise State running back Ian Johnson, after the Broncos beat Oklahoma in overtime in the Fiesta Bowl. Johnson proposed to his cheerleader/girlfriend in the immediate aftermath. She said yes.
"It sure wouldn't have been as romantic if we had lost." -- Boise State QB Jared Zabranski, on Johnson's marriage proposal
"This wasn't the best team we've played." -- Florida safety Ryan Smith, after the Gators beat the Buckeyes 41-14 in the BCS title game
Scandal related
"The report is simply not true." -- Roger Clemens, one of the biggest names mentioned in the Mitchell Report, which provides a sketch of steroid use in baseball
"I know when all of this is over, I'll be vindicated because I am innocent." -- Barry Bonds, on his Web site, after he pleaded not guilty to perjury and obstruction charges during a federal probe of BALCO
"I don't have any thoughts on Barry. I don't even know how to spell his name." -- Hank Aaron, before Bonds broke his career home run record
"We don't say anything about people shooting deer or other animals. From what I hear, dog fighting is a sport. It's just behind closed doors." -- Stephon Marbury, Knicks guard, on the Michael Vick indictment
"Is there any other question on the Chargers? OK. Yep. That's all. OK. Thank you." -- Belichick, after being asked about his practice of illegally stealing signals. Belichick then walked out of his weekly news conference
"I don't think you can ruin my legacy. How can you ruin it? What I've done, I've done. You can't take it away, can you?" -- Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, after a raft of his players were suspended for cheating on exams
"Marion Jones will be remembered as one of the biggest frauds in sporting history." -- International Association of Athletics Federation president Lamine Diack, after Jones admitted steroid use and relinquished her Olympic track medals
"This is the most serious situation and worst situation that I have ever experienced either as a fan of the NBA, a lawyer for the NBA or a commissioner of the NBA." -- David Stern, on referee Tim Donaghy, who allegedly bet large sums on games he worked
Farewell
"He walked with generals, senators and secretaries of state, but he never lost his common touch." -- Harry Edwards, eulogist at Bill Walsh's funeral
"I almost expect Coach to start rounding us up for the bus." -- Gary "Big Hands" Johnson, among former teammates at Eddie Robinson's funeral
"One of our sons said that, on the phone, David sounded like God, if He had called." -- Anna Quindlen, eulogist at David Halberstam's funeral
"He was to football what Jackie Robinson was to baseball, and he did it before Jackie Robinson." -- Jim Tressel, upon the retirement of Bill Willis' No. 99 in Ohio Stadium. Willis passed away three weeks later.
Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.
Pete Sampras
