Who said what this year — a selection of the best sporting quotes of the year:
SOCCER
“Crisis, what is a crisis? We are not in a crisis. We are only in some difficulties and these will be solved.”
— FIFA president Sepp Blatter amid allegations of corruption engulfing soccer’s governing body.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
“Aren’t you the one who screwed me over last time? Don’t even look at me. If I see you in the corridor don’t even walk past me ... a code violation for expressing my opinion, we’re in America ... you’re unattractive inside ...”
— Serena Williams after being handed a code violation by umpire Eva Asderaki during her US Open final defeat to Samantha Stosur.
MEN’S TENNIS
“I had an unbelievable year. -Nothing can really ruin that. I will always remember this year as the best of my life.”
— Novak Djokovic on winning the Australian Open, Wimbledon, the US Open and five Masters events, as well as replacing Rafael Nadal as world No. 1.
GOLF
“It was my aim to shove it right up that black asshole.”
— Tiger Woods’s former caddie and confidant Steve Williams, celebrating a win with new charge Adam Scott months after the former world No. 1 had fired him.
CRICKET
“This is ridiculous. Damn. World Cup with so much security and this happens. Big joke. Trust me I am not keen here. Every player lay flat. This is some bullshit ... Bangladesh stoning our bus!!! Freaking glass Break!!! This is crap, can’t believe ... what next, bullets!!!!”
— West Indies batsman Chris Gayle on Twitter after the team bus was stoned in Dhaka.
RUGBY UNION
“I was down the Waikato River whitebaiting. I think Ted [coach Graham Henry] had missed me a couple of times and then I finally got a call from Milsy [Mils Muliaina] and he said: ‘Start answering your phone, you idiot.’ So that was sort of the message I needed.”
— Kiwi fly-half Stephen Donald after getting a surprise call-up to replace injured Colin Slade in the World Cup.
FIGURE SKATING
“I didn’t just skate for myself. In Japan we’re having a really hard time right now. Skating is really important there and so many people are watching the competition.”
— Miki Ando after winning women’s gold at the world -championships which were moved to Moscow from Tokyo after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
FORMULA ONE
“I think Europe is finished. It will be a good place for tourism but little else. Europe is a thing of the past.”
— F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone on Europe’s future as a top motor racing destination.
NBA
“I feel like my kids on X-mas day! So juiced!!”
— Miami Heat star LeBron James tweeted after hearing that a tentative deal had been reached to end the NBA’s lockout and play a shortened season starting on Christmas Day.
ICE HOCKEY
“They’re destroying the city.”
— A distraught resident as rioting fans torched cars and smashed buildings in Vancouver after the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup 4-0 over the Canucks.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WORLD CUP
“I truly believe that something bigger was pulling for this team.”
— Stunned US goalkeeper Hope Solo on the determination shown by the Japanese in the wake of the tsumami disaster, which saw the Asians rally twice with late equalizers to beat the US 3-1 on penalties in the July 17 final.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was