Memorable quotes from 2005
"Well, welcome back."
— President Bush to Bill Belichick and his New England
Patriots, honored for a second straight year with a trip to the White House.
***
"I'm not going to coach anywhere but Detroit. It's my last pro coaching
job."
— Larry Brown on Jan. 31. Five months later he signed to coach the
New York Knicks.
***
"I have never used steroids. Period."
— Rafael Palmeiro, in front of a
Congressional panel. Months later, he was suspended by Major League Baseball
for testing positive for steroids.
***
"Forgiveness in our hearts has helped us move forward."
— Graham Snyder,
at the sentencing of NHL star Dany Heatley, who was driving a car in 2003 at
an excessive speed that crashed and killed his son, Dan Snyder. Heatley was
sentenced to three years probation.
***
"No one gave me a chance in the world to play — except me."
—Terrell Owens,
who played in the Super Bowl despite being sidelined for three weeks with an
ankle sprain.
***
"I'm glad he did that. He needed to vent. I'm fine with it."
— David
Wells, coming to the defense of fellow pitcher Kenny Rogers, who got fined
and suspended for pushing a TV cameraman.
***
"Will this man not take no for an answer."
— Jules Spencer of the Manchester
United Supporters' Association after Malcolm Glazer's second bid to buy the
famed soccer team was turned down. Four months later, Glazer successfully
completed acquistion of Manchester for $1.47 billion.
***
"It takes a real 'chicken man' to shoot defenseless animals."
— Dan
Shannon of PETA, reacting to news that Hall of Famer Wade Boggs had been
recognized by the Safari Club for having killed a lion, a leopard, a
buffalo, a hippo, and a crocodile in Mozambique.
***
"My career was over in 1990. I'm finished."
— Mike Tyson, after losing to
Kevin McBride.
***
"We profoundly regret the suffering this has caused our fans, our business
partners, and the tousands of people whose livelihoods depend on our
industry."
— NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, announcing that the 2004-05
season has been canceled.
***
"This is old stuff. It's like 'Sanford and Sons.' It's almost comical,
basically. Are you guys jealous, upset, disappointed, what?"
— Barry Bonds,
to reporters in spring training as questions about steroids continue.
***
"Actually, Playboy wanted to do an interview with me. I turned it down. My
buddies in the office were saying, 'You can't say no. What if they let you
in the Playboy mansion?' So I told them, 'OK, I'll do it if you bring me and
my 10 buddies from the office to the Playboy mansion and let us have a party
there.'."
— Theo Epstein, in April, talking about how he cherishes his
privacy, something he loses by being general manager of the Red Sox.
***
"The good thing is, I can still smile. I have that going for me."
— Nomar
Garciaparra, at a press conference to announce that he would miss 2-3 months
with a ruptured tendon in his groin.
***
"Enough is enough. I am bitterly disappointed as I'm sure all Yankees fans
are by the lack of performance by our team."
— George Steinbrenner on April
17, after New York loses for the eighth time in 10 games to fall to 4-8.
***
"Mine's not made out of cubic zirconia, is it? Becuse of the World Series
[ball] thing?"
— Doug Mientkiewicz of the Mets, after receiving his 2004
Red Sox World Series ring from co-owner Tom Werner. Mientkiewicz is
embroiled in a dispute with the Red Sox over possession of the ball that was
in play for the final out of that World Series triumph.
***
"With T.O., I think we can do a lot of great things. Without him, I still
think we can do a lot of good things."
— Philadelphia quarterback Donovan
McNabb, in May. Five months later, Owens is thrown off the team and the
Eagles' season falls apart.
***
"I pushed that envelope ethically and morally because if I could take
something that would help me perform better and it wasn't on the list, I was
going to take it."
— Former Boston College linebacker and NFL All-Pro Bill
Romanowski, confirming that he took steroids.
***
"No, daddy, I want you to play for the Patriots."
— Sir'mon Brown, to his
father, Troy, as the wide receiver was contemplating where he would be
playing his football in 2005.
***
"I just told her to be safe, Godspeed, and go 500 miles."
— Bev Patrick,
to her daughter, Danica, who put up a valiant bid to become the first woman
to win the Indianapolis 500. She succeeded in becoming the first woman to
lead a lap in the event, but finished fourth.
***
"I just got killed, straight up."
— Bronson Arroyo, after giving up 10
hits and 7 runs in just 2 2/3 innings in a May game against Baltimore.
***
"I'll even wear a kilt and shave my legs."
— Jean Van de Velde, claiming
he's serious about trying to enter the Women's British Open as a protest for
a new rule that allows women to try and qualify for the British Open.
***
"We ain't going anywhere without him. Period."
— Red Sox catcher Jason
Varitek, on closer Keith Foulke, whose woes early in the season put the team
in a tough spot.
