Inspirational Sports Quotes to Kick Off 2016

The start of the New Year is a lot like the honeymoon period of relationship: You hardly know each other, so everything is mysterious and interesting. Right now, you and 2016 are both on your best behavior, but like any long-term relationship, eventually you’re going to let your guard down.

Even though the honeymoon can’t last forever, you might as well enjoy it while it lasts—as far as 2016 is concerned, you’re totally going to follow through on all your New Year’s resolutions and your favorite sports teams are making all the right moves.

In the spirit of hope and renewal, we’ve put together some of the best pie-in-the-sky sports quotes—soak them in now, before the messy breakup. 

Charles Barkley, NBA Hall of Fame

AP Photo

Moral of the story: Don’t let the negative opinions of others influence how your feel about yourself…because those people are probably stupid. 

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Bobby Orr, NHL Hall of Fame

AP Photo

Moral of the story: Winning ugly is better than losing pretty. 

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Dizzy Dean, MLB Hall of Fame

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Moral of the story: If the talent is there, it’s not called trash-talking, it’s called telling the truth. 

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Charles Oakley, Former NBA

AP Photo/Pat Sullivan

Moral of the story: Pretty self-explanatory—be content to leave a good thing alone! 

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Gene Mauch, MLB Hall of Fame

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Moral of the story: It doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong—as long as you’re the boss. 

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Tiger Woods, PGA

AP Photo/Elise Amendola

Moral of the story: Stuff happens—deal with it. 

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Robert Horry, Retired NBA

AP Photo/Dave Martin

Moral of the story: Pressure isn’t always a bad thing, especially when channeled properly.

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Sam Snead, Former PGA

AP Photo/Ed Widdis

Moral of the story: More often than not, the greatest challenges come from within. 

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Yogi Berra, MLB Hall of Fame

AP Photo/Ray Howard

Moral of the story: A failure to plan is a plan for failure—anticipate potential mistakes and adjust. 

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Charles Barkley, NBA Hall of Fame

AP Photo/Pat Sullivan

Moral of the story: Always keep an eye on your goals because sometimes a change in course is absolutely necessary. 

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Hank Aaron, MLB Hall of Fame

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Moral of the story: Success is about making a name for yourself, not about taking anything away from others. 

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Dan Marino, NFL Hall of Fame

AP Photo/Jane Rudolph

Moral of the story: Give it your all every time, just in case. 

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Bill Russell, NBA Hall of Fame

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Moral of the story: Always try to give more than what is expected of you.

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Arnold Palmer, Former PGA

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Moral of the story: The most successful lucky people aren’t really lucky at all. 

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John Wooden, Legendary UCLA Coach

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Moral of the story: Doing it right the first time is less time consuming than doing it and then redoing it—just get it right the first time.

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