“Putting gloves on the fighters was a symbolic change that suggested that we were now making it a civilized sport, and it was no longer this crazy gladiatorial throwback to ancient Rome. It's even in our language: If you want to get serious and violent, what do you do? You "take the gloves off." Bare-fisted is supposedly a much more dangerous way to hit someone. But we've got it completely backward. The glove is a weapon. It massively accentuates the ability of the fist to do harm.” IfsWayWantLanguageSportsAbilityCrazyDangerousSeriousWeaponsAncientHarmViolentFighterCivilizedRomeFistsSymbolicGlovesAncient RomeAccentuateThrowback Author:Jonathan Gottschall
“Sport, which mimics the language and emotional intensity of war but eliminates the fatal destruction, may be a form of redemption.” MayWarFormLanguageSportsEmotionalDestructionRedemptionIntensity Book:The Longest Race: A Lifelong Runner, An Iconic Ultramarathon, and the Case for Human Endurance Source: The Longest Race: A Lifelong Runner, An Iconic Ultramarathon, and the Case for Human Endurance
“Kids don't know the language of figure skating. If you ask them to do a compulsory figure, they don't know how to, and that's so important for the edge quality. I think that's why the older skaters are still as popular as they are - because they have that quality that people are missing in this generation.” PeopleIfsThinkingKnowsStillsImportantKidsAsksLanguageSportsQualityKnow HowGenerationsMissingFiguresEdgesSkatingThis GenerationFigure SkatingCompulsorySkater Author:Brian Boitano
“I think I am good in the department of body language and fighting, and stuff like that. It's just natural to me, maybe because I love sports.” ThinkingBodyFightingLanguageStuffSportsNaturalDepartmentBody Language Author:Antonio Banderas
“Martina Navratilova is not a 'girl,' nor is Debi Thomas or Katarina Witt, and the women skaters weren't 'cute' in 1988. The problem with describing women as girls is that they never grow up and therefore can't take positions of authority in the world of sport. But the good news is that you can change language, so ultimately you can change the picture of women in sports.” WorldProblemGirlLanguageGrowsSportsGrowing UpPositionAuthorityNewsCuteGood NewsDescribingSkater Author:Anita DeFrantz
“Sport is a universal language, building more bridges between people than anything else I can think of.” PeopleThinkingI CanLanguageSportsBuildingUniversalBridgesUniversal Language Author:Sebastian Coe
“In my later years I have sought to become simpler, straighter and purer in my handling of the language. I've had many writing heroes, writers who have influenced me. Of the ones still alive, I can think of E.B. White. I certainly admire the pure, crystal stream of his prose. When I was very young as a sportswriter I knowingly and unashamedly imitated others. I had a series of heroes who would delight me for a while and I'd imitate them--Damon Runyon, Westbrook Pegler, Joe Williams.” ThinkingWritingYearsStillsI CanYoungLanguageSportsWhiteAliveHeroPureSeriesDelightAdmireStreamsProseCrystalsDamon Author:Red Smith