The Most Awesome Sports Quotes of the Year

Sports fans have a tendency to roll their eyes when an athlete says something outrageous, but sometimes there’s nothing to do but laugh or nod your head in agreement when you hear the most awesome sports quotes of the year.

These were the cream of the crop, the funniest, harshest or most wickedly profound words uttered by athletes, many of whom were not known for their gift of gab.

But sports are more interesting when athletes are outspoken and bold enough to make statements that they know will go viral, and some do it just for that purpose.

The social media age means that no quote ever dies, so if you’re an athlete, it behooves you to choose your words carefully, lest they are replayed, analyzed and made public for years to come.

But these sports quotes are awesome, because they should bring a smile to your face, make you think or just leave you somewhat baffled by the intended message.

Which is a lot like real life.

Michael Bennett

Michael Bennett has always been kind of a free spirit, which fits right into the vibe created by Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.

So this quote is one that is rooted in his DNA of being outspoken, smart and funny.

On December 21 during the team’s media availability session (via Sean Quinton of the Seattle Times), Bennett said in regards to the flag he drew for his infamous sack dance in Seattle’s win over the Los Angeles Rams on December 15:

“I’m never clear on the NFL rules. ... Two pumps gets you a baby. Three pumps get you a fine.”

Hmmm…takes a few seconds before you understand the gist of Bennett’s quote, and then it’s a quote you just have to read over and over, because it’s clever and hilarious, which aptly describes Bennett as well.

And it kind of points to the arbitrary nature of the NFL rules on unsportsmanlike conduct and taunting penalties, but we’ll take more flags if it means more of Bennett.

Tyronn Lue

Don’t mistake Cleveland Cavaliers coach Lue’s diminutive stature for weakness. He was a fierce competitor during his NBA playing days, and that fiery disposition has not dissipated just because he’s now telling players what to do.

And that strength was definitely needed if Lue was going to earn the respect of the team’s best player (and the best player on the planet), LeBron James, who doesn’t always play nicely with his coaches (sorry, David Blatt).

Per Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, Lue asserted his control over James and the rest of the team when, during a timeout in a game shortly after he took over from the fired Blatt as head coach, he overrode James’ propensity to issue orders and said, “Shut the f--k up, I got this.”

It may seem like a small thing, but the statement let everyone on the team and the organization know that Lue wasn’t going to get run over by James, and the result was the franchise’s first NBA title.

Joe Flacco

By his own admission, the Baltimore Ravens’ Super Bowl-winning quarterback has never been hot on the idea of traveling across the pond to play football in London.

But per Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com, Flacco recently changed his mind about the rigors of traveling overseas when he said during a media scrum:

“I kind of always had a negative stance on it, but I’m warming up to the idea. I have four kids now. I think that’s probably why I’m looking at it a little bit more optimistically. It’ll be good to get away from them.”

Well that’s…hmmm…that’s not the quote of a man who’s angling for Father of the Year, but then again, any parent out there knows that a house filled with four children may actually be more stressful than dodging 250-pound linebackers who run a 4.4.

Either way, Flacco gets cool points for expressing the realities of modern-day child-rearing in a joking manner, or at least we think he was kidding.

Say it ain’t so, Joe.

Stan Van Gundy

Never one to mince words, the coach of the Detroit Pistons always seems to be on the verge of spontaneous combustion as he stands on the sideline, often perplexed by his team’s play.

Honest to a fault, Van Gundy was not happy with his team’s performance in mid-December, including a three-game losing streak that prompted a classic Van Gundy quote.

Per Vince Ellis of Detroit Free Press, Van Gundy was in no mood to coddle his players who were presumably mumbling about their lack of touches on the offensive end.

“And these guys got to change their thinking a little bit,” Van Gundy said. "'Well, I’m not getting my touches and my minutes’ and whatever excuse it is you have. Like, who cares? Who cares? You’re getting paid very, very well.”

And as Ellis wrote, Van Gundy can pretty much say what he wants without fear that his direct boss will get upset, because well, he is his own direct boss, being that he also holds the title of president of basketball operations for the Pistons.

Talk about job security.

Keep those bon mots coming, Stan.

Gregg Popovich

The San Antonio Spurs coach has a wit that can slice through steel, and he doesn’t suffer fools (or sideline reporters).

But under that gruff exterior beats the heart of a man who feels passionately for the things he cares about, including the late and not-soon-forgotten TNT reporter Craig Sager.

Sager interviewed Popovich on many occasions prior to his death from leukemia, and the two always had a playful rapport that took the edge off the Spurs coach’s usual antagonism.

Per Brett Pollakoff of FoxSports.com, Popovich’s reaction after Sager died on December 15 showed that the coach was clearly emotional about and saddened by the death of a man he had come to call a friend:

“…The most amazing part of him is his courage,” Popovich said. “What he’s endured, and the fight that he’s put up, the courage that he’s displayed during this situation is beyond my comprehension. And if any of us can display half the courage he has to stay on this planet, to live every (day) as if it’s his last, we’d be well off. We all miss him very much.”

Sometimes, sports is just a way for people to connect, form lasting bonds and say farewell when one of them passes away.

Rest in peace, Mr. Sager.

Craig Sager

There wasn’t much more Sager could do to be more loved than he was during his 65 years on the planet.

The inimitable and always-pleasant NBA sideline reporter never seemed to have a bad day, even after he announced that he had leukemia and was in the fight of his life.

That fight ended on December 15, but Sager’s legacy will live on in the way he chose to handle his illness with dignity, strength and optimism.

At this year’s ESPYS in July, Sager was presented with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and per Alysha Tsuji of For the Win, Sager’s speech was filled with hope as well as defiance about his illness.

But it was his quote about how his perceptions about time had changed since he was diagnosed with leukemia that will endure for years.

“Time is something that cannot be bought, it cannot be wagered with God, and it is not in endless supply,” Sager stated. “Time is simply how you live your life.”

Profound words from a man who, in addition to his outrageous suits and sunny personality, was also gifted with wisdom.

Richard Sherman

Sherman is a thought-provoking football player who is as intelligent as he is controversial.

He will never shirk from stating his opinion, even if it devolves into a threat on a hapless radio reporter who dared ask him a question about his confrontation with Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell during the team’s 24-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams on December 15.

The day before Seattle played the Rams on Thursday Night Football, Sherman took to the Players’ Tribune to air his grievances about playing two games in four days:

“I guess this is what happens when you have people in suits who have never played the game at this level dictating the schedule,” Sherman wrote. “I’d like to put Roger Goodell in pads for a late game on a Sunday, in December, in Green Bay, on the frozen tundra — then see what time he gets to the office on Monday morning, knowing that he would have to suit up again on Thursday.”

Strong words from a player with a resume that includes three Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl title, which means attention must be paid.

And the truth is, nothing Sherman said is incorrect, although the image of Goodell in a snug football uniform does elicit both horror and laughter.

Plus, Sherman opened his piece with the word “Poopfest” to describe Thursday-night games, so he gets props for a strong hook to draw attention to the rest of his article.

Tim Kennedy

Kennedy is a UFC fighter, and a genuine American hero, a Green Beret and Army Ranger as well as a Special Forces sniper who loves his country and isn’t afraid to express his opinions about those he thinks want to destroy the U.S.

Because of his profession as a soldier, Kennedy often receives hate messages on his Twitter page, and in January, he responded to threats supposedly issued from members of the terrorist organization ISIS, which indicated that he was on its death list.

“They can send who ever they want, as long as they don’t want them back,” Kennedy wrote on his Twitter page.

Not only was the quote something you would hear in a movie trailer, the really cool thing is that Kennedy is a guy who could live up to his own words, given the level of training and skill he has acquired during his career as a soldier.

Phil Jackson

Jackson hasn’t had a good last few months, even though he is general manager of a New York Knicks team that appears to be in the hunt for a playoff spot.

The Zen Master made a major misstep earlier in December when he referred to LeBron James’ “posse” during an interview about the power the Cleveland Cavaliers star wielded during him time in Miami.

But when queried about the use of medicinal marijuana in the NBA, Jackson admitted that he indulged in the Mary Jane during an injury year while playing for the New York Knicks.

Per James Herbert of CBSSports.com, Jackson was a guest on CBS Sports Network’s “We Need to Talk” on December 6 and discussed how he missed the entire 1969-70 NBA season due to his back injury and what he did during recovery.

“I don’t know about its medicinal ability," Jackson said. "I had back surgery, and the year I was off, I was smoking marijuana during that period of time. I think it was a distraction for me as much as a pain reliever. But I've never thought of it as ultimately a pain medication for that type of situation. I know ocular things, stomach, digestive issues and other things, I think it is regarded quite highly.”

To no one’s surprise, the Zen Master added that there was no way for the NBA to stop marijuana use among its players, and that the issue of medicinal use of the drug would have to be addressed in the future.

It appears, however, that Jackson made his decision a long time ago.

Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins

Optimism is a much-needed quality in the sports world, especially from those given the power to hand massive checks to players who are then expected to perform and bring home championship hardware.

But for a team that hasn’t seen real success in nearly a decade, fanciful predictions of future glory are often viewed with a jaded eye.

Thus Martins quote, given in an interview with Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel, had little chance not to be ridiculed.

“I certainly believe by 2030 we will have won at least one championship,” Martins said, “And I say ‘at least.’ I firmly believe we’re going to get there and once you get there, you got the kind of team that hopefully can come back. I believe we will have won a championship.”

This is probably why NBA CEOs should work behind the scenes and think of new ways to increase those record profits that allowed the collective bargaining agreement to be renewed without a fuss this year, rather than make public comments.

Because the thing is…well…YOU CAN’T PROMISE A TITLE 14 YEARS FROM NOW!

What are fans in Orlando supposed to do until then?

And how exactly did Martins select 2030 as the year by which his team would have hoisted a trophy?

Eric Dickerson

Even retired legends got into the habit of making great quotes about hot sports issues, so it’s no surprise that former Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson took his shots at Jeff Fisher weeks before the coach was finally let go.

Per Cindy Boren of the Washington Post (via “The Herd with Colin Cowherd"), Dickerson expressed his bafflement that Fisher had been given a two-year extension prior to the start of the season, a fact that was not revealed until a few weeks before Fisher was fired.

“…I asked him [Rams Vice President of football operations Kevin Demoff] ‘Where are the naked pictures at?’ He must’ve got something on someone because five years is enough. It really is. You can’t subject all the Rams fans to this for another year. If you brought another coach in, they would say, ‘Okay, no problem. We got a new coach. Something new. We’ll give him the year. We’ll give him some time.’”

Not much to add to this, other than millions of NFL fans have also wondered where Fisher put those damning pics he had that ensured his job even after so many losing seasons.

Doc Rivers

The Golden State Warriors remain a thorn in the side of the Los Angeles Clippers, who continue to talk confidently about having the talent and grit to match up with the Warriors and then promptly get snuffed like a lit candle in a hurricane whenever the two teams clash.

So it’s not surprising that Clippers coach Doc Rivers would feel a little salty when discussing his team’s nemesis (not rivals, because you actually have to beat the other team to start a rivalry).

Per a tweet by ESPN’s Arash Markazi, Rivers acknowledged the Warriors talent but made sure to remind everyone that there was a caveat:

“They’ve only won one title, by the way,” Rivers said, and you could just hear the pump-the-brakes intonation in his voice.

Yes, it’s true that the Cleveland Cavaliers vanquished the 73-9 regular season record holders in seven games last season, leaving them with only one championship, but Rivers had his own superteam back in the day and only managed…one title.

In fact, the way in which Rivers’ former Boston Celtics team lost a heartbreaking seven-game series to the hated Los Angeles Lakers in 2010 is similar to the way the Warriors lost to the Cavs this past June, with the major difference being that Golden State can change that narrative, but Rivers can’t, at least not with the Celtics.

And probably not with the Clippers either, given how thoroughly Golden State dominates his team, but yeah, it is factually correct to state that until June 2017, and maybe not even then, the Warriors only have one championship.

Todd Gurley

The Los Angeles Rams have one of the worst offenses in the NFL, so fans in Los Angeles would celebrate a 40-yard vertical pass as a miracle.

And Gurley, the team’s superstar-in-the-making running back, seems to have wilted more with each game, unable to juke his way past nine-man fronts geared to stop him cold.

Like any reasonable person, Gurley reckoned that if he had a quarterback who could throw downfield, and an offensive scheme that could draw defenders away from the line of scrimmage, he could actually, you know, run the ball well.

Which is why his quote to Ventura County Star’s Joe Curley rang so true and indicted the entire offensive philosophy (or lack thereof) of the Rams.

“It looked like a middle school offense out there,” Gurley stated after the Atlanta Falcons blew out the team 42-14 on December 11.

Less than two weeks later, Rams coach Jeff Fisher was mercifully terminated, but Gurley’s indictment tainted the entire coaching staff and likely played some role in Fisher’s firing.

But more than that, it was an unfiltered assessment about a team’s performance, one that is rarely seen in the NFL, attesting to Gurley’s level of frustration.

Jim Harbaugh

After Jeff Fisher was fired as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, you just knew the rumors would fly about the team’s candidates, which many presumed would include Michigan Wolverines strongman Jim Harbaugh.

Per Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com, Harbaugh issued a strong rebuttal that he was a candidate for the Rams opening:

“I’m not leaving Michigan,” Harbaugh said. “A lot of this talk is coming from our enemies. From coaches who, and you know the names. You probably know the names of the top three that I'm referring to. They like to say (I'm leaving) to the media, they like to tell that to recruits and their families to try to manipulate them into going to another school besides Michigan. But we know them as jive turkeys.”

A little refresher.

Harbaugh used the term “jive turkey” when he was till the coach of the San Francisco 49ers back in 2012, so his callback was not entirely surprising.

Harbaugh’s 2012 reference was related to a question about then-quarterback Alex Smith’s confidence, to which he replied that it was all “Just gobble, gobble, gobble, turkey from jive turkey gobblers….”

The 2016 "Jive turkey" replay was hilarious and very Harbaughian, which is to say nonsensical, funny and somewhat oblique.

And it left everyone with a burning question is: How many jive turkeys live in Ohio State?

Dwyane Wade

“I’m a chef, he’s a cook. I’m trying to make him a chef. He’s on a fast track to doing that.”

Per the Twitter page of ESPN’s Nick Friedell, Wade made that comment about being a mentor for rising star Jimmy Butler.

Wade is a future first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee, so he has the suction to say whatever he wants, but this one was awesome because there was so much to digest.

It's no stretch to say that Wade isn’t the best player on the Chicago Bulls roster this season, and that Butler is, and that furthermore, Butler probably thinks of himself as a chef when it comes to his skill set.

Or maybe Wade wasn’t even using metaphors, and really meant that he could whip up a souffle a lot better than Butler, so he was going to tutor him on how to elevate his game from sous chef to head chef?

Hmmm…maybe sometimes a cigar really is a cigar.

Darrelle Revis

Revis may have shut down enough playmakers on the opposing team to have earned a ticket to Canton five years after he retires, but this hasn’t been one of his finest seasons.

Through 13 games, he has 40 tackles and no interceptions after stealing five passes last season.

He hasn’t been a difference-maker against the best receivers in the game, which is part of the reason the New York Jets are 4-10 heading into the final two contests.

Per Gary Myers of the New York Daily News, Revis was asked why he no longer dominated opposing receivers and his answer was short and painfully honest:

“Because I’m old,” Revis stated.

He said some other things about “bumps in the road” and executing with more precision, but the first quote was the most revealing.

Athletes are often the last to know that their time has come, that the ravages of time have mercy on no one, especially those who are blessed with outsized physical talents.

When veteran players get cut in the NFL, no one tells them the truth, but with one memorable quote, Revis provided the reason so often whispered by many NFL general managers and owners.

Conor McGregor

The Irish-born UFC champion has always cashed the checks his mouth has written, and often in spectacular knockout fashion.

At UFC 205, which took place on November 12 in New York, McGregor knocked out Eddie Alvarez in the second round to become UFC Lightweight Champion.

After the fight, McGregor pulled a great feint in which it appeared as if he would make amends for all the crazy and offensive things he has said about other fighters.

In the post-fight interview with UFC’s Joe Rogan, McGregor said:

“I’ve ridiculed everyone on the roster. I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, I’d like to take this chance to apologize, to absolutely nobody.”

Predictably, the crowd ate it up, loving the Irishman’s braggadocio, especially since he proved his point in such an emphatic way by destroying Alvarez, a quality fighter.

The UFC’s biggest draw and highest-paid athlete can do no wrong.

Whatever future path McGregor chooses, including perhaps a third bout with Nate Diaz or a move up to welterweight for a potential superfight with former champion Georges St. Pierre (who has yet to re-sign with UFC), fans will be waiting.

Greg Oden

You have to feel for Oden, 28, the former No. 1 pick in the same NBA draft in which Kevin Durant was selected No. 2.

It’s not just that Oden couldn’t stay healthy and show his talent, but that in comparison to Durant, who is on a path to the Hall of Fame and multiple championships, Oden’s fall seems even greater.

In a sit-down with ESPN’s Outside the Lines, Oden looked back at his disappointing career and said, “I’ll be remembered as the biggest bust in NBA history. But I can’t do nothing about that.”

That’s a stunning admission from a former player who must still burn with competitiveness and yet has the self-awareness to know how NBA fans will view him in the coming decades.

The quote is sad and yet refreshing in its honesty, but it is merely the cliffhanger ending of one chapter in what everyone hopes will be a book of victories and success for Oden.

Per Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, Oden is studying at Ohio State to earn his degree and is also a student assistant coach for the Buckeyes basketball team, so the best may truly be ahead of him.

It just won’t be as an NBA player.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Ibrahimovic, 35, has shown spectacular form in his first season with Manchester United, and the voluble soccer star continues to provide some of the finest quotes around.

After a match on December 4 against Everton in which he was accused of intentionally kicking Everton’s Seamus Coleman in the head as they tangled for control of the ball, Ibrahimovic responded the way only he could.

Per Telegraph Sport, Ibrahimovic said, “I heard one of the commentators say I kicked someone in the head on purpose, but it was a 50-50 duel and he pulled me down. Trust me, if I want to kick someone in the head, I know how to kick someone in the head and make him fall asleep. That is the only thing I have to say.”

A little context is needed here.

You see, Ibrahimovic earned a black belt in taekwondo as a 17 year-old in Sweden and also received an honorary black belt from the Italian national taekwondo team in 2010, per Cameron Macphail of the Telegraph.

So when he talks about knowing how to put someone to sleep with a high kick, he’s not just bragging. He really means it.

Jose Mourinho

The Manchester United manager is known for his acerbic wit, so it’s not surprising that he would make an appearance on this year’s list.

After a 2-0 December victory at West Brom, Man U players rushed to the side of the pitch where their fans had provided vocal support throughout the match and threw jerseys into the crowd.

The traveling fans were overjoyed by this gesture, especially since stars Paul Pogba, Wayne Rooney and Marcus Rashford were among the players who gave away their jerseys.

So leave it to Mourinho to make it all about him and to do it with a hilarity that makes him one of the most-quoted and controversial soccer managers on the planet.

“I told them to do that,” Mourinho said, per BBC.com. “It is Christmas time. A shirt for a fan coming directly from the game with sweat means a lot. It is a pity that not everyone can get one but for the ones that can get it, it is a great feeling. For them [the players], it is just one more shirt. They will arrive in the dressing room and give it to the kitman, to a friend or change with a West Brom friend.”

The gesture was undoubtedly good, and the fans loved it, but did Mourinho really have to add that part about sweat?

Just another detail that makes the Man U manager a font of fantastic quotes.