The Guardian (USA)

'I just count money, that’s all I do': the sporting quotes of 2018

- Tom Bryant

Football

5 January: “We have money for sardines and I’m thinking lobster. I will do my best to try and bring in the best players. I will look to the lobsters and sea bass, but if not we must buy sardines. But sometimes the sardines can win games” – Perhaps, Carlos Carvalhal, but they couldn’t keep Swansea in the Premier League.

19 January: “I didn’t actually eat the worms. It was a bit of banter where you get a nice, big juicy worm hanging out the edge of your mouth as if you’re chewing it. Of course the worm comes out and you wash your mouth out with water” – Burnley’s Sean Dyche is forced to deny, er, going to ground while a player at Bristol City.

22 February: “It could have been worse as the cow ran at him for a second time but he managed to get out of the way” – Queen of the South assistant manager Dougie Anderson explains how a runaway cow on backup keeper Sam Henderson’s family farm led to a selection crisis.

1 March: “Eight months ago I was a bag of bones knelt over a basin being violently sick from the effects of chemo after being diagnosed with cancer for the second time! Last night I ran out at Wembley for the club that I hold dear to my heart” – Rochdale’s Joe Thompson shares a proud moment.

7 March: “I think everybody found it amusing afterwards – including the referee” – Hemel Hempstead chairman Dave Boggins sees the funny side of Dean Hulme sending off Sanchez Watt for dissent after asking for his name and hearing “what?” after being repeatedly told: “Watt.”

23 March: “Dear Los Angeles, You’re Welcome” – a full-page ad taken out by Zlatan Ibrahimovi­c in the LA Times as he signs for the Galaxy.

19 April: “Piss off. Eleven!” – Sam Allardyce marks himself out of 10 after Everton sent out a survey to fans asking them to do the same of the club’s then manager.

20 April: “I have some bad news” – Arsène Wenger breaks the news to his squad that he is to step down at Arsenal.

4 May: “Most of all mate I will miss bumping into you and catching up and I always left your company with a smile on my face and a spring in my step” – Joe Cole pays tribute to Ray Wilkins, who died aged 61.

27 May: “Haven’t really slept until now … the scenes are still running through my head again and again … I’m infinitely sorry to my teammates, for you fans, and for all the staff. I know that I messed it up with the two mistakes and let you all down” – Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius apologises for his performanc­e in the Champions League final.

13 June: “This is a very hard day and now we have decisions to make just two days before the World Cup starts” – Spanish Football Federation president, Luis Rubiales, sacks manager Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the World Cup after Real Madrid announce that he is to take over as the club’s manager. Lopetegui would by sacked without ceremony by Madrid in October.

16 June: “I honestly did not know that no one can smoke in the stadium. I apologise to everyone” – Diego Maradona after lighting up a sizeable Cuban in the stands during Argentina v Iceland. Ten days later, he was treated by paramedics after appearing to collapse during the country’s victory over Nigeria.

1 July: “There’s a lot of them round about us just now and I’m not really happy about this” – Ayr United manager Ian McCall halts a TV interview when a dead seagull thuds into the pitch beside him.

2 July: “I’m a big fan of Samara … I’ll tell you right now. You’re probably aware it’s Russia’s sixth-largest city. Believe it or not, Second world war, it was destined to become capital of the Soviet Union had Moscow fallen to the Germans. We’re obviously delighted that didn’t happen” – just one of many brilliant World Cup dad-takes from ITV co-commentato­r Ally McCoist.

2 July: “People should recognise that I am one of the best defenders in the world” – Croatia and Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren. Yep, that Dejan Lovren.

2 July: “It is just shameful that so much time could be lost over one player. The delay for one player lasted four minutes, and that is a lesson for even children who play. This should be a game of men and not so much clowning around” – Mexico boss Juan Carlos Osorio speaks for the world when discussing Neymar’s play-acting.

10 July: “Blame my dad. Vards calls me slabhead” – England’s Harry Maguire on Leicester and England teammate Jamie Vardy’s unflatteri­ng nickname for him.

15 July: “Sometimes the better teams don’t win” – Croatia’s Luka Modric does not take losing to France in the final well.

15 July: “It is quite heavy, and very shiny!” – France’s N’Golo Kanté on what holding the World Cup trophy feels like.

23 July: “I am German when we win but I am an immigrant when we lose” – Mesut Özil retires from internatio­nal duty, citing racism as one of his reasons.

6 August: “There are people who are diagnosed with cancer that is terminal. I was given a chance – and I’m grateful to have that” – Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme retires after announcing he is in full remission after being diagnosed with acute leukaemia.

12 August: “Haters gonna say I didn’t mean it” – Lauren Hemp has a wry take on her fluke goal at the Under-20 World Cup.

28 August: “3-0, 3-0. Do you know what this is? 3-0. But it also means three Premiershi­ps and I won more Premiershi­ps alone than the other 19 managers together. Three for me and two for them two [Pep Guardiola and Manuel Pellegrini]. So respect man, respect, respect, respect” – José Mourinho demands some respect from Jamie Jackson.

31 August: “I am the manager of one of the greatest clubs in the world but I am also one of the greatest managers in the world … Did you read any philosophe­r? You spent time reading Hegel? Just as an example Hegel says: ‘The truth is in the whole,’ is always in the whole” – Mourinho again, turning to philosophy.

16 September: “Memphis? He came on at Stoke away and messed up for their goal so Louis van Gaal made him play for the reserves the next day. I said, ‘Look, it’s a bit difficult [for you]. Just don’t come in with all your fancy stuff’.’ And he turned up for the reserve game in his Rolls-Royce, wearing a leather jacket and a cowboy hat. And I just thought, ‘What’s the point?’” – Wayne Rooney on where it all went wrong for Memphis Depay at Manchester United.

17 September: “He was on a protein diet so we had a chicken curry. He even had a cup of tea. He beat us all at Fifa and then we watched Match of the Day. It was a really nice evening” – N’Golo Kanté spends an evening at a fan’s house after missing his Eurostar from St Pancras after Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Cardiff.

2 October: “It sums up the society we are in at the moment. There’s no respect for anyone” – Steve Bruce is unimpresse­d at having a cabbage lobbed at him during Aston Villa’s 3-3 draw with Preston.

25 October: “Mr Bonucci and Mr Chiellini could go to Harvard University to give classes about how to be a central defender” – Mourinho explains why Manchester United could not beat Juventus in the Champions League.

26 October: “His first touch is like a trampoline. He’s not going to make it” – former Republic of Ireland striker and Perth Glory’s Andy Keogh on Usain Bolt’s prospects as a footballer.

28 October: “It is difficult to put into words how much you meant to this football club and to the city of Leicester. Never have I ever come across a man like you. So hard working, so passionate, so kind and so generous in the extreme. You changed football. Forever! You gave hope to everyone that the impossible was possible. You literally made my dreams come true” – Kasper Schmeichel pays emotional tribute to Vichai Srivaddhan­aprabha after his death in a helicopter crash outside the King Power stadium.

27 November: “This grave and unacceptab­le mistake was completely out of character and was made by a person who has been experienci­ng severe personal difficulti­es unbeknowns­t to any other members of the club” – Ballybrack FC apologise after falsely reporting the death of one of their players in order to get a game postponed. Minutes of silence were held at other grounds in honour of Fernando Nuno La-Fuente, who was still very much alive.

4 December: “No” – Ada Hegerberg responds to DJ Martin Solveig asking her to twerk after she won the inaugural women’s Ballon d’Or.

6 December: “¡Hola, Madrid!” – River Plate arrive in Madrid to play the muchdelaye­d second leg of the Copa Libertador­es final just five days after saying: “River Plate reject the change of venue. Argentine football as a whole and the Argentine Football Associatio­n cannot and should not allow a handful of violent [fans] to impede the Superclási­co taking place in our country.”

9 December: “So for all the newspapers that don’t understand why people are racist in this day and age all I have to say is have a second thought about fair publicity” – Raheem Sterling calls out the media after being subjected to alleged racist abuse at Chelsea.

19 December: “Each time a chapter is closed I show my deepest respect and I don’t make any comments about my former colleagues” – Mourinho gives his thoughts after being sacked by Manchester United.

22 December: “A break in play as the Referee asks that a jobby is shovelled off the pitch” – Spartans FC’s Twitter account with an unusual update. A fox was responsibl­e.

Cricket

25 March: “I panicked quite a lot. That obviously resulted in me shoving it down my trousers” – Cameron Bancroft on Sandpaperg­ate.

29 March: “It was a failure of leadership, my leadership. I will regret this for the rest of my life. I’m gutted” – Australia captain Steve Smith breaks down in tears as he takes the blame.

31 March: “In the back of my mind I suppose there is a tiny ray of hope that I may one day be given the privilege of playing for my country again, but I am resigned to the fact that that may never happen” – David Warner expects the worst.

7 June: “There is plenty of room for banter or what we call sledging. If I play Uno with my daughter, there’s lots of banter, we sledge each other, but we don’t abuse each other” – new Australia coach Justin Langer does not rule out sledging completely.

5 August: “Shame the way it ended, but oh well” – Jay Darrell is phlegmatic after being left on 98 not out after Purnell CC bowler Decland Redwood threw the ball over the boundary to give Minehead the runs they needed to win and deny him the chance to make a maiden century.

14 August: “Now that the trial is over, Ben is keen to get back to cricket being his sole focus” – England cricketer Ben Stokes is cleared of affray.

10 September: “I was never going to be the best player the world has ever seen but one thing I can be proud of is that I genuinely believe I have become the best player that I could have become” – Alastair Cook brings his record-breaking England career to a close … with a century.

12 September: “It will be nice to get someone in at first slip who can actually hold on to a few. Who knows how many wickets I could have got if he could catch?” – Jimmy Anderson cannot resists a dig at his friend Cook after going past Glenn McGrath to become the most prolific fast bowler in Test cricket.

22 September: “Geez Davey! This celebratio­n is the equivalent of Sir Ed Hillary giving it large climbing his front steps, post Everest!” – Brendon McCullum’s verdict after Warner’s big celebratio­n following a century … in Sydney grade cricket.

10 December: “It was played in good spirits. Today was a nice snapshot of the way we want to go about it” – Tim Paine on his Australia’s side’s post-Sandpaperg­ate non-aggression pact after India won the first Test.

17 December: “I know he’s your captain but you can’t seriously like him as a bloke?” Paine again, sledging an India batsman in the second Test – which Australia won – after clashing with Virat Kohli.

Gymnastics

19 January: “I am here to face you, Larry, so you can see I’ve regained my strength, that I’m no longer a victim. I’m a survivor. I am no longer that little girl you met in Australia, where you first began grooming and manipulati­ng. As for your letter yesterday, you are pathetic to think that anyone would have any sympathy for you. You think this is hard for you? Imagine how all of us feel. Imagine how it feels to be an innocent teenager in a foreign country, hearing a knock on the door, and it’s you. I don’t want you to be there, but I don’t have a choice” – gymnast Aly Raisman faces her abuser, former USA team doctor Larry Nassar, in court with an powerful victim statement.

Rugby union

‘He doesn’t play in a dinner suit’: Robert Kitson’s 25 best rugby union quotes of 2018.

Rugby league

26 August: “We’ve had a fire in our belly and it’s why we are so proud to achieve this” – Catalans captain, Rémi Casty, on his club’s history-making Challenge Cup final win.

30 September: “Entering is the realisatio­n of a dream” – Red Star Belgrade’s applicatio­n to join the 2019 Challenge Cup is accepted by the Rugby Football League

9 October: “Some of the women in our game are such units and sometimes they run at me and I think: ‘Oh dear’” – Castleford teenager Georgia Roche

wins the inaugural Woman of Steel award.

3 December: “I was happy to be sacked” – Wayne Bennett’s spell at Brisbane Broncos ends on a sour note. Motor sport

29 June: “It only makes it stronger and stronger. At the end of the day I know I will always be right” – Max Verstappen on dealing with criticism.

21 October: “Fucking finally” – Kimi Raikkonen wins a Grand Prix for the first time in more than 100 races, in Austin.

23 November: “Who knows? Life is long and beautiful. I like Formula One. I will always love Formula One, so if I will be here in the future as a driver, as a father, as an FIA boss or whatever. I will think” – Fernando Alonso retires as an F1 driver after 17 years on the grid.

27 November: “I’m still here, walking and everything is good. I will be back racing and chasing my dream. This happened and I survived thanks to the hospital. Now I’m going to continue and work back again to where I ended” – F3 driver Sophia Floersch vows to return to the scene of her horror crash in Macau.

17 December: “Nowhere is perfect but we’ll go high & say we are #ProudofSte­venage” – Sharon Taylor, Stevenage Borough Council leader, responds to Lewis Hamilton referring to the New Town where he grew up as “the slums”.

Snooker

8 May: “Twelve months ago I was thinking about chucking it and here I am doing an interview having won the 2018 world championsh­ip, naked” – Mark Williams keeps his word after promising to strip off if he won the 2018 World Championsh­ip.

15 October: “It’s a bit of a hellhole. I don’t know what this gaff is, but I’ve just done an interview and all I can smell is urine” – Ronnie O’Sullivan takes issue with Crawley’s K2 Leisure Centre, venue for the English Open.

3 December: “[I am] incredulou­s as usual with Ronnie. He gets headlines, I will give him that, but it’s a nonsensica­l thought” – Barry Hearn, however, has no truck with O’Sullivan’s plans for a breakaway snooker competitio­n.

Golf

8 July: “Look, I don’t mean disrespect to anybody. I know it’s a two-shot penalty. At that time, I just didn’t feel like going back and forth … I’ve had multiple times where I’ve wanted to do that, I just finally did. If somebody’s offended by that, I apologise. But toughen up” – Phil Mickelson takes the rules into his own hands.

22 July: “I was a little hungover. I won’t lie. I had too much to drink last night. And I was so frustrated yesterday, that today was really, I wouldn’t say a write-off, but I didn’t feel I was in the golf tournament. Whether I shot 69 or 73 today, it wouldn’t have been heartbreak­ing. But as it happens, I shot 67. So, you know, it’s a funny game” – Eddie Pepperell on secret of his final round charge at The Open.

8 August: “I wouldn’t even know if I’d been paid or not because I don’t really look” – Tommy Fleetwood responds to news that the £120,000 he earned for finishing 12th at The Open were paid to a Florida teacher with the same name.

30 September: “Let me put it this way, it’s going to go on a part that only [my girlfriend] Grace will see. The worst decision I made all week” – Thomas Bjørn on promising to get a tattoo of the winning score should Europe win the Ryder Cup. He kept his word.

1 October: “The issue’s obviously with Jordan not wanting to play with me. I don’t have any issue with Jordan. When it comes right down to it, I don’t care if I like the person I’m paired with or if the person likes me as long as it works and it sets up the team for success” – things are less rosy in the USA camp as Patrick Reed lashes out at Jordan Spieth in the aftermath.

Tennis

14 January: “I just count money, that’s all I do. I count my millions” – Bernard Tomic makes himself popular after failing to qualify for the Australian Open.

27 January: “Being here tonight as a grand slam champion, Australian Open champion, it’s very special. Daphne is going home with me tonight. I’ll be cuddling with her” – Caroline Wozniacki has a special night planned with the Daphne Akhurst trophy after winning her first major title at the 43rd attempt.

28 January: “I didn’t see that through my thick tears. I couldn’t lift my head. I was so embarrasse­d” – Roger Federer on Rod Laver taking a video of him receiving his record 20th grand slam crown at the Australian Open.

27 May: “Let’s say for a few years your pieces of writing have been crap every time when you come into Roland Garros. Right? Just crap. And then your colleagues start to say: ‘You know, you really suck around that time.’ How would you guys digest that and would you feel any sort of lingering: ‘Oh, you know what? I want to prove these bastards wrong.’ And it’s just kind of lingering there. So it’s not something I would like to buy into, and I don’t think I do. However, you guys don’t make it easy” – Johanna Konta turns on the British media after her first-round exit at the French Open.

31 May: “Where you from, buddy? If they ever make a tournament there I’m definitely coming because of that accent. Love it” – Alexander Zverev makes friends with the British media after being confused and then charmed by a reporter’s Yorkshire accent.

30 August: “I want to help you, I want to help you; I’ve seen your matches: you’re great for tennis. I know this is not you” – chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani gives Nick Kyrgios a controvers­ial pep talk at the US Open.

9 September: “You are a liar. You will never be on a court of mine as long as you live. When are you going to give me my apology? Say you are sorry” – Serena Williams talks herself into a game penalty during her infamous meltdown in the US Open final against Naomi Osaka.

1 October: “Have you ever eaten green tea ice cream? This is a serious question. When you bite into it, it’s, like, sweet but also very strong. That’s how that memory feels to me” – Osaka reflects on that bitterswee­t victory at Flushing Meadows.

Cycling

10 April: “What went wrong is we failed to tick a box a few days ago on an allocation to add to an event. We found that out at the technical meeting” – Team England chef de mission Sarah Winckless reveals cyclist Melissa Lowther’s Commonweal­th Games dream is over due to administra­tive error that ruled her out.

2 July: “I am very pleased that the UCI has exonerated me” – Chris Froome is cleared to race in the Tour de France after the UCI closed its case against him.

24 July: “My throat, nose and eyes were burning … I think we were all grateful for the temporary neutralisa­tion just to have a couple of kilometres to clear our eyes, nose and throat out and then the race continued again” – Froome reacts to being accidental­ly pepper-sprayed by the police, along with thepeloton, during the Tour de France.

26 July: “Fuck you” – two days later, Froome takes on another gendarme.

29 July: “I remember running home from school to watch the Tour de France. The dream was just to be a part of it … now I’m here stood in the yellow jersey. It’s just a dream, it’s just insane … With hard work everything pays off in the end” – Geraint Thomas on what winning the Tour meant to him.

5 November: “What I should have done is murder someone because then I’d have had proper rights. I’d have had more rights as a murderer. There’d have been no articles and I’d have had a fair trial. I’d have been cleared or found guilty. Not somewhere in the middle where you can’t find any evidence of wrongdoing” – Bradley Wiggins on the Jiffy-bag scandal.

12 December: “Either we move on as a team with a new partner, or there’ll come a timescale when that’s not going to be possible and people move on” – Sir Dave Brailsford on the struggle ahead after sponsor Sky pulls the plug on backing his cycling team.

Athletics

10 June: “He’s flying” – Juan Miguel Echevarria’s coach, Daniel Osorio, as his charge – with wind assistance – very nearly jumps the entire pit to win the long jump title at the Diamond League’s Stockholm meeting.

8 October: “I can count the number of paracetamo­l I’ve taken in my life on one hand. I don’t like taking anything. I don’t even drink coffee” – Laura Muir on her regime.

19 November: “You go from fear to anger asking: ‘Why did this happen to me?’ The first thing doctors say is not to smoke, lose weight, work out and get fit – well that is what I was doing when this happened. I was pretty angry for half a day” – Michael Johnson reveals his anger after discoverin­g he had suffered a stroke.

9 December: “I’m very happy to win for the second time” – Jimmy Gressier brushes over his knee-slide embarrassm­ent after winning the European under-23 Cross Country title.

Darts

16 November: “Every time I walked past there was a waft of rotten eggs so that’s why I was thinking it was him. It definitely wasn’t me. I thought he had a shit and I went ‘That’s dirty’. It was bad. It was a stink. Then he started to play better and I thought he must have needed to get some wind out. If somebody has done that they need to see a doctor” – Gary Anderson causes a stink by accusing Wesley Harms of farting on the oche. The Dutchman’s retort? “If the boy thinks I’ve farted he’s 1,010% wrong.”

Modern pentathlon

14 September: “It’s a bit of a rookie move. He was completely right when he said he felt stupid – it is stupid” – Jamie Cooke reflects on becoming Britain’s first male world champion for 25 years after snatching victory from Frenchman Valentin Prades, who had started celebratin­g 50 yards from the line thinking he had won. Racing

16 January: “If you’d told me I was going to win the Welsh Grand National a year ago, I’d never have believed you because I was still pony racing” – James Bowen, 16, after becoming the youngest jockey to win the race.

16 March: “I’d have liked to have ridden a tidier finish” – amateur jockey Harriet Tucker, after winning at the Cheltenham Festival despite dislocatin­g a shoulder during the race.

23 May: “I’ve had a lot of practice” – At The Races presenter Hayley Moore wrestles a runaway horse under control.

11 August: “We’re racing against the best jockeys around the world and we’ve beat them on level terms. Just saying” – Hayley Turner after a female team of jockeys beat three male teams in Ascot’s Shergar Cup, in which she was top jockey for the first time at the 11th attempt.

Boxing

8 May: “If my dad hadn’t stepped in they were talking about me getting the six-pack – elbows, knees and ankle. But my father convinced them to only give me one bullet” – Eamonn Magee tells Donald McRae about his punishment from the IRA.

3 May: “To say I’m disappoint­ed by this decision is an understate­ment. To not be given the chance to demonstrat­e my ability to the BBBoC through the standard assessment afforded to others is hard to take” – Rio Ferdinand is refused a profession­al boxing licence.

25 May: “I am taking this very righteous step, I believe, to correct a wrong that occurred in our history and to honour a truly legendary boxing champion” – president Donald Trump grants a rare posthumous pardon to boxing’s first black heavyweigh­t champion, clearing Jack Johnson more than 100 years after what many saw as a racially charged conviction for violating the Mann Act.

16 October: “I sincerely apologise to the brave man. I have the up most high respect for him, his participat­ion, willingnes­s and courage” – Deontay Wilder breaks the jaw of an ESPN mascot after being invited to punch it in what was supposed to be a lightheart­ed moment.

27 November: “If they ever invent something that will allow a man to carry a child, I want to sign up for it. I really do. I would say to my girl: ‘Let’s have a baby, and I’ll carry it.’ I would love to experience what women go through to bring life into this world” – Wilder’s ambitions go well beyond just being heavyweigh­t champion.

3 December: “I’ve been living like a rock star. But that ain’t a great thing, by the way, because I’ve had a very low time doing it. And I’ve fought back from suicide and mental health and depression and anxiety and I wanted more than anything tonight to show the world that it can be done. Anything is possible with the right mindset” – Tyson Fury on getting back into the ring and earning a draw against Wilder. Chess

28 November: “So, there I was enjoying a pint in a Wetherspoo­n’s pub in Holborn, central London, when who should walk in but Magnus Carlsen? Actually, I did not see him walk in – I was busy postmortem­ing two games from this night’s London League division three match between Battersea 2 and Mushrooms 2. I congratula­ted Magnus on his win … But getting back to more important matters, my draw means my Battersea unbeaten streak has reached 18 games” – chess blogger Tim Spanton reveals Magnus Carlsen celebrated his world title victory over Fabiano Caruana in a London ‘Spoons.

Winter sports

10 February: “I am really Pumped watching the Winter Olympics. I am watching events I never thought I would watch before, like curling. You heard me, curling, fool!” – Mr T: curling fan.

19 February: “[People doubting me] actually motivates me to improve more. I worked really hard to come here and there are only 24 women in the world that could be in this final. So I use this as motivation” – Elizabeth Swaney, the world’s most underwhelm­ing Olympic finalist.

25 February: “I sent it too hard, too early and peaked out. All the Kiwis got there and asked ‘where’s Billy’ but I’d gone. I don’t remember but apparently I was taken back in a trolley” – British snowboarde­r Billy Morgan celebrates his Winter Olympics bronze a little bit too hard.

25 February: “Everyone knows him as Mad Eddie because he is a bit of a loose dude. He’s an engineer so he made some crazy stuff in his day. Once he even shot himself with a booby trap – he was in the papers for that. We had burglars come into our house. It wasn’t actually going to be a booby trap to hurt them, just to go ‘bang!’ if they climbed over the fence. But he shot himself in the stomach with a 12-gauge cartridge. He was like testing it out and fiddling with it and, yeah, he had to go to hospital” – Morgan again, this time on his dad.

19 November: “They went out to curl and they were extremely drunk and breaking brooms and swearing. Enough was enough” – Wade Thurber, facility manager at Red Deer Curling Centre, on why he ejected an Olympic champion’s team from a tournament in Canada.

NFL

5 February: “I think the big thing is don’t be afraid to fail. I think, you know, in our society today, Instagram, Twitter, it’s a highlight reel. It’s all the good things. Failure is a part of life. It’s a part of building character and growing. Without failure, who would you be?” – Nick Foles after winning Super Bowl MVP.

5 June: “The Philadelph­ia Eagles Football team was invited to the White House. Unfortunat­ely, only a small number of players decided to come, and we cancelled the event. Staying in the locker room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespect­ful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!” – Donald Trump cancels the Eagles’ visit as a number of players said they would not attend.

22 October: “I would say he’s a neocolonia­list. He is a sell-out” – the NFL’s protest movement starts to fracture as Eric Reid and Malcolm Jenkins confront each other during a game.

NBA

1 March: “I think he had forgotten which side he was on. It reminded me of Anchormanw­hen Brick ends up on the wrong side of a fight, and he’s like, ‘Yeah!’ They’re like, ‘No, Brick, you’re on this side,’ and he’s like ‘Oh, OK’” – Golden State Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr on Trump’s fickle stance on gun control.

22 November: “Fuck Thanksgivi­ng” – the Boston Celtics’ Kyrie Irving gives his opinion on the holiday season. He later apologised.

 ??  ?? The year that was, in quotes. Composite: Getty Images
The year that was, in quotes. Composite: Getty Images
 ??  ?? Sam Allardyce was annoyed Everton asked fans to rate his performanc­e as manager. Photograph: Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images
Sam Allardyce was annoyed Everton asked fans to rate his performanc­e as manager. Photograph: Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images

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