May 20, 1946 - July 12, 2008  RIP Bobby Murcer

“I feel especially blessed to have been able to hear from and see all these Wonderful People. Through this entire ordeal, their prayers and support have been so gratifying. You have no idea what a strength the fans have been for me.”  

When recovering, Murcer said, “God has blessed me so much since I was diagnosed with this brain tumor and so many blessings have come my way.  Its changed our lives for the better”

On returning to broadcasting, Murcer said, “I can’t tell you I know everything about baseball, but I’ll just make it up like I always do.” 

You decide you’ll wait for your pitch. Then as the ball starts toward the plate, you think about your stance. And then you think about your swing. And then you realize that the ball that went past you for a strike was your pitch.

“Trying to hit him [Phil Niekro] was like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks.”

“Any time I walk through these halls and be in this place here, talking about baseball, man, that’s right up my alley,” Murcer said in May.

Quotes by Bobby Murcer Peers:
“It’s a sad day.  Just a wonderful person, a great teammate and a heck of a baseball player. [Wife] Kay and Bobby were good friends. I was informed about this about five minutes ago, and I knew that he was struggling. But, boy, you just don’t think these sort of things happen, but they do. They happen frequently.”  ~Lou Pinella

“All of Major League Baseball is saddened today by the passing of Bobby Murcer, particularly on the eve of this historic All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, a place he called home for so many years. Bobby was a gentleman, a great ambassador for baseball, and a true leader both on and off the field. He was a man of great heart and compassion and made many wonderful contributions to the Baseball Assistance Team and to the game. All of us in baseball will miss him. We pass on our sympathies and condolences to his family and to his many friends.”  ~Allan “Bud” Selig

“Bobby Murcer was a born Yankee, a great guy, very well-liked and a true friend of mine. I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Kay, their children and grandchildren. I will really miss the guy.”  ~George Steinbrenner

“He was so great in the clubhouse, just a pleasure to have in the clubhouse. The players really loved having him around. Old-Timers Day was always a special day for Bobby. When the Yankees would come to Kansas City when I was growing up there, he was always one of the guys I was trying to get an autograph from. He was a really good player, a really solid left-handed hitter.”  ~David Cone

“Bobby was one of the finest human beings I’ve ever met. He handled his battle with a grace and class that was hard to fathom. For me personally, it’s an incredible loss. He was my idol growing up. I was lucky to work with him as a broadcaster, and it showed me that I had great taste as a kid. He was everything that you’d want in someone that you once looked up to. He lived up to every ideal that a little boy set for him. I’m going to miss him a lot. I miss him a lot already.”   ~Broadcaster Michael Kay

“He was a great Yankee, but more importantly, he was a great friend to all of us. He cared about the game — he cared whether we won or lost every day. He wore his emotions on his sleeve — in the booth and as a player.”  ~Joe Girardi

“From Day 1, through all my struggles, he was always there with a smile. He stayed very positive, very uplifting. He’s a symbol for what the Yankees stand for — he’s a real champion.”  ~Alex Rodriguez

“He loved to talk hitting all the time. He was a great hitter, made a lot of adjustments playing in Yankee Stadium with that short right-field wall, but the biggest thing was the spirit that he had. He was always happy, always had a positive spin on something, whether you were struggling or not. He always was that guy who would come down and root you on.”  ~Jason Giambi

“Ever since I was a young player, any time I did something good, he would always come over and congratulate me. He always stayed positive, even when you struggled. He was always someone you looked forward to seeing.” ~Derek Jeter

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• Beloved Yankee Remembered as an Example

“Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.”
Unknown


“There is no coming to consciousness without pain.”
Carl Jung


“The pain of disipline is far less than the pain of regret”
- Sarah Bombell, swimmer

“Sweet is Pleasure after Pain”
- Dirigo Rowing

“Your training partner’s name is pain. You start out trying to ignore him. Can’t do it. You attempt to reason with him. No way. You try to strike a bargain. Hah. You plead. You say “Please stop, please go away. I promise never ever to do this again if you just leave me alone.” But he won’t. Pain only climbs off if you do. Then you’re beaten. ”
- Scott Martin

“The Truth is that Running Hurts. No one gets faster without meeting their personal pain barrier straight on. No amount of junk miles, fun runs or affirmations are going to get you over the hill at the five mile mark in a 10k. However, what will pull you through is solid prep with hard hill runs and interval work.”
- Manciata

Pain is nothing compared to what it feels like to quit.  ~Author Unknown

We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.
Jim Rohn

Pain is only temporary but victory is forever. - Lance Armstrong

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What can be said about Howard Cosell?  I hope you’re old enough to remember his broadcasts.  Below are some quotes by Cosell and by his peers.
Without me, the nature of the telecasts was entirely altered. I had commanded attention. I had a palpable impact on the show, giving it a sense of moment. If that sounds like ego, what can I say? I’m telling it like it is.  - Howard Cosell Quote

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“He become a giant by the simple act of telling the truth in an industry that was not used to hearing it and considered it revolutionary. Every person working in sports journalism today owes a tremendous debt to Howard Cosell. His greatest contribution was elevating sports reporting out of daily play-by-play and placing it in the larger context of society.”
– Roone Arledge quote, ABC News president
Famous Howard Cosell Quotes

“Sports is the toy department of human life.”

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“Courage takes many forms. There is physical courage, there is moral courage. Then there is a still higher type of courage–the courage to brave pain, to live with it, to never let others know of it and to still find joy in life; to wake up in the morning with an enthusiasm for the day ahead.”

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“The ultimate victory in competition is derived from the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your best and that you have gotten the most out of what you had to give.”

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“What’s right isn’t always popular. What’s popular isn’t always right.”
 
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“Mommy, why does daddy cuss the TV and call it Howard?”

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“Joe Schmidt, he couldn’t motivate a frog,”
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“Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these. Of course, I am.”

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“I see nothing to sanctify any sports event.”

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“The man has a cash register where a heart should be.”
About Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley.

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“Look at that little monkey run.”
About wide receiver Alvin Garrett.

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“Boxing is the only sport in the world where the clear intention is for one person to inflict bodily harm upon the other person, mainly to the head where brain damage must ensue … I don’t think improvements or controls are the answer. I think the answer is abolition.”

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“Like President Reagan, he is a Teflon man. No matter how many mistakes he makes during a telecast, no matter how glaring his weaknesses as a performer, nothing sticks to him. The television critics, wooed by his smooth off-camera personality, generally rave about him, rarely taking him to task on purely objective standards.”
About colleague Frank Gifford.
Famous quotes by Howard Cosell’s peers:

“Howard Cosell was a good man and he lived a good life. I have been interviewed by many people, but I enjoyed interviews with Howard the best. We always put on a good show. I hope to meet him one day in the hereafter. I can hear Howard now saying, Muhammad, you’re not the man you used to be.’ I pray that he is in God’s hands. I will miss him.”
– Muhammed Ali

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“He rose to prominence during a time of drama and upheaval in sports. His style — part journalist, part carnival barker — made him unique.”
– NBC sportscaster Bob Costas

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“He was loud, boisterous and extreme, but he really got people’s attention and he was really bright.”
– Former tennis champion Billie Jean King

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“I used to kid him, You couldn’t diagram an end run,’ but he memorized the press guides, everything.”
– Sportscaster Curt Gowdy

• Remembering Howard Cosell, 13 Years Later [Howard Cosell] [via Zemanta]

Every game is an opportunity to measure yourself against your own potential.
Bud Wilkinson

It is how you show up at the showdown that counts.
Homer Norton

Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period.
Lou Holtz

Close doesn’t count in baseball. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Frank Robinson

Discipline is not a dirty word.
Pat Riley

Statistics are used much like a drunk uses a lamppost: for support, not illumination.
Vin Scully

The only way I’m coming to Washington is if I am elected. And if I do, I will paint the White House pink and turn it into a Mexican restaurant.
Bill “The Spaceman” Lee

I think about the cosmic snowball theory. A few million years from now the sun will burn out and lose its gravitational pull. The earth will turn into a giant snowball and be hurled through space. When that happens it won’t matter if I get this guy out.
Bill The Spaceman” Lee

I have four basic pitches: fastball, curve, slider and change-up, plus eight illegal ones.
Tommy John

A life of frustration is inevitable for any coach whose main enjoyment is winning.
Chuck Noll

Success isn’t something that just happens - success is learned, success is practiced and then it is shared.
Sparky Anderson

Character is that which reveals moral purpose, exposing the class of things a man chooses or avoids.
Aristotle

Make yourself necessary to somebody.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Everyone I meet is in some way my superior.
William Shakespeare

The only way to maximize potential for performance is to be calm in the mind.
Brian Sipe

Playing golf is like going to a strip joint. After 18 holes you’re tired and most of your balls are missing.
Tim Allen

Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher in baseball. He is always pitching when the other team doesn’t score any runs.
Tim McCarver

Sports fans, I have the final score for you on the big game between Harvard and William & Mary. It is: Harvard 14, William 12, Mary 6.
Steve Allen

Baseball owners have moral scruples against taking any man’s dollar when there is a chance to take a dollar and a quarter.
Red Smith

Why do people sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” when they’re already there?
Larry Andersen

If he’s a good fastball hitter, should I throw him a bad fastball?
Larry Andersen

I am going to turn this team around 360 degrees.
Jerome Bettis

A hot dog at the ballpark is better than a steak at the Ritz.

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The best of the best team up and face each other at in Baseball’s Midsummer Summer Classic, the All Star Game.  The 2008 game is to be held at Yankee Stadium.  The last All Star game at “The House That Ruth Built” before they move to their new location next year.

All Star Sports Quotes from some famous All Star people:
“The only thing bad about winning the pennant is that you have to manage the All-Star Game the next year. I’d rather go fishing for three years.”
Whitey Herzog
 
“We knew we had to keep playing until the game was decided one way or the other. We played 10, 15 innings sometimes. The All-Star Game was important to us. We weren’t worried about setting records. We were worried about winning.”
Willie Mays
 
“If I ain’t startin’, I am departin’.” - Garry Templeton (1981 All-Star Game)

“In All-Star Games the players are chosen by balloting. Millions of fans vote. It is Democracy at its most transcendent. All the voters get out of it is the loss of a three-cent stamp or a two-cent postal card. Dishonesty in counting the votes has never been charged.” - Fred Schwed

“I think the National League has better biorhythms in July.” - Earl Weaver (1979 All-Star Game)

“It’s right up there with lobster.” - Gary Gaetti in The Sporting News on being voted to the All-Star Game (August 1, 1988)

“They invented the All-Star game for Willie Mays.”
Ted Williams

He’s such a big, strong guy he should love that porch (in Tiger Stadium). He’s got power enough to hit home runs in any park, including Yellowstone.” - Sparky Anderson (1971 All-Star Game on Willie Stargell)
“The 1930s also saw an effort to apply the principles of business to baseball, especially in the area of advertising and promotional techniques. The first major breakthrough came in 1933 with the institution of the All-Star Game.” - Richard Crepeau

• Midsummer Classic 2008: First Base [via Zemanta]
• MLB to honor Hall of Famers in All-Star ceremony [via Zemanta]

Call it “football” or “soccer“, he was the greatest.  Born, Edison Arantes do Nascimento here are some quotes by the Brazilian soccer player better known as, Pele.

 
“A penalty is a cowardly way to score.”
 
“For 20 years they have been asking me the same question, who is the greatest? Maradona or Pele? I reply that all you have to do is look at the facts - how many goals did he score with his right foot or with his head?”
 
“He is the best in the world right now, … Without a doubt, he is the player who gives [Brazilians] the most joy.”
 
“I’m worried with this front-runner status, … We have had several examples of teams that were heavy favorites … but ended losing.”
 
“the most talented kid we’ve ever seen at that age.”
 
“For me it’s a proud moment to be here today,”
 
“it is encouraging to hear that men of great ability themselves think that we have talent in our ranks.”

“It helps a lot, … We get a jump start and get to know everything and be together as a team when a lot of teams aren’t.”

“Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string.” 
 
“I’ve come to accept that the life of a frontrunner is a hard one, that he will suffer more injuries than most men and that many of these injuries will not be accidental.”
 
“Everything is practice.”
  
“He was something very special, … I couldn’t believe it when Sven spoke of Wayne in the same breath but it just goes to show how special he has become and how highly thought of he is now.”

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• David Beckham Honors Soccer Legend Pele

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Quotes by Red Sox players, Red Sox Coaches and Media:

Terry Francona: “If we could have scored one more run than the White Sox in each game, I think we would have won the series.”

Jason Varitek: “I’m the best catcher in the league when it comes to managing a pitching staff … as long as that pitching staff has Pedro Martinez, a healthy Curt Schilling, a focused Derek Lowe and some semblance of a bullpen.”

John Henry: “We’re co-champions of the AL East. And, I’ve asked our grounds crew to keep our name up on top on the left field scoreboard all winter long.”

Charles Steinberg: “Oh, Tessie …”

NESN’s Tom Caron: “Well, at least the Yankees aren’t going to win. They got the worst of it when they won they AL East and had to travel to Anaheim to play the Angels. The Red Sox got the easier opponent, and only had to fly to Chicago. Right, Eck? Huh, Eck? Please say yes, Eck. Oh, please, Eck.”

Keith Foulke: “How’d the Bruins do last night?”

Red Sox Idiot Nation: “This year doesn’t count. Only 2004 really matters. Yankees suck. Yankees suck. Yankees suck …”

– Bill Bingham, Westerly, RI

Kevin Millar: “What’s the problem? We came back from 0-3 last year didn’t we? We’re loose. The guys will just take a shower, go home, rest and come back and give it our best shot tomorrow.”

Manny Ramirez: (Sorry. Couldn’t get a quote from Manny … he was still completing his trip around the bases after admiring his home run that brought the Red Sox to within one run of the White Sox.)

WEEI Big Show Co-Host, Pete Shephard: “I just hope that Schilling doesn’t have to warm-up, sit down, warm-up, sit down and warm-up again on Saturday if it rains.”

Johnny Damon: “This team revolves around me. I should be paid $10 million a year. You saw what I did in the clutch in the sixth inning, didn’t you? If I got a hit there, we surely would have won. So, I’m sure you would all agree that if we’re going to win, it’s because of me. Manny is great. David is great. But without me hitting, neither one is going to get a chance to get a big hit. I think I proved that in the 6th inning when I popped up to the catcher with the bases loaded.”

“To compete in the Olympic Games has always been a dream. The opportunity I have to represent my country at them is unbelievably exciting.”
 David Beard
 
 
“It has been said that the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games is something that an athlete will remember for the rest of their life. It is true. That moment when you walk into the Olympic Stadium as part of the Australian Olympic Team, is a moment that I will never forget.”
 Jeff Fenech
 
“The Olympic Games is the ultimate level of competition.”
 Russell Mark
 
 “Walking into the Olympic stadium at the Opening Ceremony of my first Olympic Games is a moment that I will never forget.”
 Steve Kettner
 
 
“Nothing I have done professionally will top the feeling I got when singing with John Farnham at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.”  Olivia Newton-John

“So you wish to conquer in the Olympic games, my friend? And I too, by the Gods, and a fine thing it would be! But first mark the conditions and the consequences, and then set to work. You will have to put yourself under discipline; to eat by rule, to avoid cakes and sweetmeats; to take exercise at the appointed hour whether you like it or no, in cold and heat; to abstain from cold drinks and from wine at your will; in a word, to give yourself over to the trainer as to a physician. Then in the conflict itself you are likely enough to dislocate your wrist or twist your ankle, to swallow a great deal of dust, or to be severely thrashed, and, after all these things, to be defeated.”
 Epictetus
 
“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.”
 Pierre de Coubertin
 
 
“Holding an Olympic Games means evoking history.”
Pierre de Coubertin
 
 
 “It is the inspiration of the Olympic Games that drives people not only to compete but to improve, and to bring lasting spiritual and moral benefits to the athlete and inspiration to those lucky enough to witness the athletic dedication.”
Herb Elliott
 
“The Olympic Games are for the world and all nations must be admitted to them.”
Pierre de Coubertin
 
“When badminton was accepted into the Barcelona Olympic Games it showed that there was an acceptance of my sport internationally.”
Rhonda Cator

“The Olympic Games must not be an end in itself, they must be a means of creating a vast programme of physical education and sports competitions for all young people.”  Avery Brundage

 
“For too long the world has failed to recognise that the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement are about fine athletics and fine art.”
 Avery Brundage
“The Olympic Games are the quadrennial celebration of the springtime of humanity.”
 Pierre de Coubertin
  
 

I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat.
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I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.
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I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don’t do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results.
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I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.
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I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
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I’ve never been afraid to fail.
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If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.
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If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
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Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.
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My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength.
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My body could stand the crutches but my mind couldn’t stand the sideline.
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My heroes are and were my parents. I can’t see having anyone else as my heroes.
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Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.
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As athletes, we’re used to reacting quickly. Here, it’s ‘come, stop, come, stop.’ There’s a lot of downtime. That’s the toughest part of the day.
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Even when I’m old and grey, I won’t be able to play it, but I’ll still love the game.
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I can accept failure, but I can’t accept not trying.
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I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.
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I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot… when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.
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I never thought a role model should be negative.
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I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.
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I realize that I’m black, but I like to be viewed as a person, and this is everybody’s wish.
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Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
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Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.
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Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.
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The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.
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There is no “i” in team but there is in win.
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To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don’t isolate.
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You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.
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Michael Jordan

Kevin Harvick
“As a race car driver, driving is the easy part. The hard part is containing the emotions on the race track.”
“On any given day, I don’t think there’s anybody who can outdrive me. That’s the mind set I have going into every race.”

Tony Hulman
“Gentlemen, start your engines!”

Mark Martin
(About Jeff Gordon) “You can’t argue with results. And I can’t compete with his record.”

Steve McQueen

“When you’re racing, it’s life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.”

Shirley Muldowney

“I want to be the fastest woman in the world - in a manner of speaking.”
“People think it’s easy because you drive in a straight line. What they don’t realize is you’ve got to react in a hurry.”

Danica Patrick
“Hey, I’m just a racer who happens to be a woman. I made several mistakes today but I am with a great team and they helped me get back in the fight for the lead. At one point, I thought, ‘Wow, I could actually win this thing.’”

Richard Petty
(About his 1988 Daytona accident) “I closed my eyes, held my breath and then everything went black.”
“We drove for the sheer fun of driving because there wasn’t that much money to be made.”

Tom Sneva
“You just have to treat death like any other part of life.”

Gilles Villeneuve
“I will drive flat out all the time. I love racing.”
“If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula One, my third to drive for Ferrari.”

Darrell Waltrip
“Boogity, Boogity, Boogity! Let’s go racing, boys.”
“Fire, wind, rain, and black cars with the No. 3 on them…these things are natural disasters, and you have to steer clear of them.”

Steven Wright
“I watched the Indy 500, and I was thinking that if they left earlier they wouldn’t have to go so fast.”

Mario Andretti
“The crashes people remember, but drivers remember the near misses.”
Marco Andretti
(About the Indy 500) “Woulda, coulda, shoulda… Second place is nothing. Nobody remembers who finished second here.”

Eddie Arcaro
“I believe Kelso was the best horse I ever rode.”

Dave Barry
“Auto racing is boring except when a car is going at least 172 miles per hour upside down.”

Kurt Busch
“Dale Earnhardt told me it doesn’t matter if fans boo or cheer, as long as they’re making noise.”

Rudolf Caracciola
“When speed gets in the blood, one must drive to live.”

George Carlin
“Have you ever noticed? Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac.”

Jimmy Clark
“When you are racing, there isn’t time to worry about the dangers.”

Frank Collison
“The Ocean of Fire is not just a race…if the elements don’t kill you, your fellow riders will.”

Robert Duvall
“He didn’t slam into you, he didn’t bump you, he didn’t nudge you. He rubbed you. And rubbin’, son, is racin’.”
“When you shift the gear and that little needle on the tach goes into the red and reads 9,000 rpm, that’s bad.”

Dale Earnhardt
“The most important things in my life are God, my family and that black No. 3 Goodwrench car, in that order.”

Jeff Foxworthy
“If you think the last four words of the national anthem are ‘Gentlemen, start your engines,’ you might be a redneck.”

Janet Guthrie
“You drive the car, you don’t carry it.”