“Play me or trade me”
"Play me or trade me" is a demand that a little-used player makes to the management of the team. "Trade me or play me" was supposedly said by St. Louis Cardinals player Pepper…
“Play stupid games, win stupid prizes”
"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying usually doesn't refer to "stupid games," but rather "stupid…
“Play the ball and don’t let the ball play you” (baseball adage)
"Play the ball and don’t let the ball play you" has been popular baseball fielding advice since at least 1902. If you "let the ball play you" by sitting back and waiting for…
“Players win games and coaches lose them”
"Players win games and coaches lose them" is a popular sports adage, especially in football and basketball. The players play the game; fans come out to see the players play. A coach…
“Playing golf is like playing fetch with yourself”
"Golf: The art of playing fetch with yourself" is a one-line saying that has been printed on many images. "Golf: Playing 'fetch' with yourself" was posted on the…
“Please, spare me the lane bowling jokes”
Several bowling puns use the expression "spare me." "Want to hear a joke about bowling? Spare me" was posted on Facebook by Jim Abbas on February 28, 2012. "Please, spare…
“Pole vaulting is just reverse limbo”
Pole vaulting is sometimes said to be the opposite or the reverse of limbo. A pole vault is for one to get over a bar, while limbo is for one to get under a bar. "another kristenism:…
“Pole vaulting is the opposite of limbo”
Pole vaulting is sometimes said to be the opposite or the reverse of limbo. A pole vault is for one to get over a bar, while limbo is for one to get under a bar. "another kristenism:…
“Polo is a passport to the world”
“A polo handicap is a passport to the world" has been credited to British statesman Winston Churchill (1874-1965), a lifelong polo enthusiast, but it's uncertain when he said it.…
“Posting and toasting” (basketball terminology)
"Posting and toasting" is a basketball term popularized by Walt Frazier, a New York Knicks player and later a color commentator for the team. To "post up" in basketball means to…
“Potential is what gets coaches fired”
"Potential is what gets you (coaches) fired" is a popular sports saying. Players are often acquired based on potential, such as great athletic attributes. It's a coach's…
“Power stays with a fighter for years” (boxing adage)
A boxing adage states that while speed might decrease as a fighter ages, punching power stays around longer. "I guess speed is what fades first in the old fighter. Technique and punching power…
“Practice as if you are the worst. Play as if you are the best”
"Practice as if you are the worst. Perform/Play as if you are the best" is a motivational saying that has been printed on many images. "Practice as if you are the worst, perform as…
“Practice doesn’t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect”
"Practice makes perfect" is a proverb from at least 1730, frequently used in sports and other fields. The popular variation -- "Practice doesn't make perfect; perfect practice…
“Practice puts brains in your muscles”
"Practice puts brains in your muscles" is a sports saying that has been printed on many images. "I figure practice puts your brains in your muscles" has been credited to…
“Prayers work best when you have big players”
University of Notre Dame head football coach Frank Leahy (1908-1973) wrote 10 thoughts in 1946, one of which was: "7 -- Prayers work better when your players are big." The line is often…
“Pressure can burst a pipe or pressure can make a diamond”
"Pressure can burst a pipe or pressure can make a diamond" means that pressure can bring out the best or the worst. ""Pressure made the diamond," entertainer Diana Ross…
“Prospects will break your heart” (baseball adage)
"Prospects will break your heart " is a baseball adage, used and popularized by Baseball Prospectus in February 2011 and in following years. The saying especially applies to pitching…
“Publicity is like poison. It doesn’t hurt unless you swallow it”
The Penn State football team in 1962, under head football coach Rip Engle (1906-1983), had high expectations. (The team would finish 9-2.) Engle was quoted in the Philadelphia (PA) Inquirer on…
“Punch above one’s weight” (boxing metaphor)
In boxing, there are weight classes so that boxers never "punch above their weight." In a street fight, however, a little man must "punch above his weight" to defeat a bigger…