They Said What?

SI Staff | Jul 31, 2013

They Said What?

Riley Cooper

Rich Kane/Icon SMI

"I will jump that fence and fight every n----- here." <italics>--- Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper at a Kenny Chesney concert.</italics>

Gordon Gee

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

"The fathers are holy on Sunday, and they're holy hell on the rest of the week. You just can't trust those damn Catholics on a Thursday or a Friday, and so, literally, I can say that." <italics>--- Ohio State president Gordon Gee at a December 2012 meeting in which he commented on why Notre Dame was never invited to join the Big Ten Conference.</italics>

Don Cherry

Leon T Switzer/ Icon SMI; Lou Capozzola/SI; Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images

"The ones that I am really disgusted with ... are the bunch of pukes that fought before: Stu Grimson (top inset) , Chris Nilan (bottom inset) and Jim Thomson. [They say] 'Oh, the reason that they're drinking, [taking] drugs and alcoholics is because they're fighting.' You turncoats, you hypocrites. If there's one thing I'm not it's a hypocrite. You guys were fighters, and now you don't want guys to make the same living you did." <italics>--- NHL commentator Don Cherry, criticizing three former NHL tough guys for speaking out against fighting in the wake of the recent tragic deaths of three NHL players.</italics>

Rashard Mendenhall

<italics>The NFL running back drew the ire of many with his remarks concerning the death of Osama Bin Laden:</italics> "What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side..." <italics>He also added,</italics> "We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style" <italics>and then said,</italics> "I'm not convinced he was even behind the attacks we have really seen no evidence to prove it other than the gov telling us."

Clinton Portis

Damian Strohmeyer/SI; Aaron M. Sprecher/Icon SMI

"You put a woman and you give her a choice of 53 athletes, somebody got to be appealing to her," Clinton Portis said. "You know, somebody got to spark her interest, or she's going to want somebody. I don't know what kind of woman won't, if you get to go and look at 53 men's (bodies). ... I know you're doing a job, but at the same time, the same way I'm going to cut my eye if I see somebody worth talking to, I'm sure they do the same thing." <italics>--- Redskins running back Clinton Portis after learning that Azteca TV reporter Ines Sainz was allegedly harassed at a New York Jets practice.</italics>

Bob Griese

Al Messerschmidt, Geoff Burke/Getty Images

''He's out having a taco.'' <italics>--- ABC college football analyst Bob Griese after a fellow analyst asked why Juan Pablo Montoya's name wasn't listed on a graphic showing the top five drivers in the NASCAR standings.</italics>

Jerry Manuel

John Cordes/Icon SMI; Rich Kane/US Presswire; Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

''It's very, very fertile ground for growth in Shea Stadium. It's fertile ground for a team's growth and development. Sometimes, fertile ground has fertilizer.'' <italics>--- Mets manager Jerry Manuel, alluding to the fans at Shea Stadium, after being asked how reliever Aaron Heilman was holding up to the booing.</italics>

Don Imus

Spencer Platt/Getty Images; AP

<italics>When discussing the fact Pacman Jones has been arrested six times since being drafted in 2005, Don Imus asked,</italics> ''What color is he?'' ''He's African-American,'' <italics>Mr. Wolf responded.</italics> ''Well, there you go,'' <italics>Imus said.</italics> ''Now we know.''

Johnny Miller

Simon Bruty, Robert Beck/SI

''Yeah, he's a character. He looks more like the guy who cleans Tiger's swimming pool.'' <italics>--- NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller, on golfer Rocco Mediate during the U.S. Open.</italics>

Hank Steinbrenner

AP; Richard Carson/Reuters

''My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century, 'They need to grow up and join the 21st century. Am I [mad] about it? Yes, 'I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s.'' <italics>--- Hank Steinbrenner after Chien-Ming Wang was injured.</italics>

Kelly Tilghman

Fred Vuich, Robert Beck/SI

<italics>While handling play-by-play duties during the PGA Tour's season opener in January, Kelly Tilghman said that today's young players should</italics> "lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley."

Mike Milbury

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Fred Vuich/SI

''You know what? I'm gonna change the name now. It's gonna be Tiger Wuss. Here's a guy that took about three months to get over a simple arthroscopic surgery. You look at [Penguins forward] Ryan Malone. His face exploded with a slap shot last night -- he's back out in 10 minutes! Keep your yap shut, Tiger, or I'll send a couple of wingers down there -- [Penguins forward] Gary Roberts -- to tidy you up a little bit, meathead.'' <italics>--- Hockey analyst Mike Milbury on Tiger Woods (after Woods remarked that no one watches hockey anymore, and before Woods went out and won the U.S. Open on a bad knee)</italics>

Ozzie Guill&eacute;n

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images; Tom Fluegge/US Presswire

''We have the worst owner (Jerry Reinsdorf) -- the guy's got seven [bleep]ing rings, and he's the [bleep]ing horse[bleep] owner.'' <italics>--- White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén in an early season tirade</italics>

Isiah Thomas

AP

''I think we've been consistently competitive for a while here. We haven't been able to close out close games. Our fans have been great the whole season, showing up, supporting us. Tonight we have another sellout. I think people enjoy the basketball that's being played.'' <italics>--- Former Knicks coach Isiah Thomas with New York sporting an 18-44 record in early March.</italics>