Memorable Quotes Of The Year

They haven't really done anything wrong. Shooting is an Olympic sport -- shooters don't get in trouble for posing in their Speedos. -- Australian swimmer Eamon Sullivan, on his teammates being disciplined for posing with guns and posting the pictures online.

I've been five times round this block and each time people say the bubble has burst. -- EPL CEO Richard Scudamore, after a 71% increase in the league’s three-year media rights deals with BSkyB and BT was announced.

Sport is doing so much more and is being asked to do so much more than crash, bang, wallop at Stamford Bridge on a Tuesday night. -- LOCOG Chair Sebastian Coe, on the importance of sponsors in building London's Olympic legacy.

There's nothing good about the Madison. Anyone who's been there understands that arena is no longer suited to modern hockey. -- KHL VP Vladimir Shalaev, on playing two games next year in Brooklyn's Barclays Center instead of Madison Square Garden.

Manchester City won the championship this year and I hear they're going to lose $156 million. I would rather give that money to charity if I had it. -- New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft, on why the economics of the EPL keep him from buying into the league.

Why force one or two host countries to build 10 new stadiums and airports? Here, there would be one stadium per country, per city, throughout Europe, it would be a lot simpler and less expensive. -- UEFA President Michel Platini, on his proposal that the Euro 2020 tournament be played at venues all over Europe.

To establish peace and stabilise a country, one must not only focus on training soldiers. -- Afghanistan Football Federation President Keramuddin Karim, announcing the country's first professional football championship.

G4S has let the country down and we have literally had to send in the troops. -- Labour MP Keith Vaz, on the British Home Office having to call up troops for Olympic duty after security provider G4S could not meet the demand.

Athletes are sleepy, hungry and need to pee. Could we get to the Olympic Village please. -- U.S. hurdler Kerron Clement, on a tweet after he was stranded for four hours on a bus from Heathrow when the driver got lost.

We Brits are incredibly good at looking for problems when things are actually going incredibly well. -- U.K. Cultural Secretary Jeremy Hunt, writing in the London Independent to call on the British public to get behind the Games.

He was already being asked to play some places with very nice appearance fees, but as they say in the game … the price of poker just went up. -- Ernie Els' agent Vinny Giles, on the impact the South African golfer's Open Championship victory has had on requests for him to play in tournaments.

There must be a way where seats are empty half an hour in to an event that they can be filled by sports fanatics -- we owe it to the teams, and we owe it to the country. -- British Olympic Association Chair Colin Moynihan, on the controversy over the large number of empty seats at Olympics venues.

The best analogy is that you can't turn an ocean liner around like you can turn a speedboat. -- Liverpool FC Owner John Henry, explaining that it will take some time to get his club on equal footing with Europe's football elite.

For our game it is the greatest deal ever done. -- Australian Rugby League Commission Chair John Grant, on the league's billion-dollar plus deal with Nine Network and Fox Sports.

My inbox is less choked now with emails from Mr. Outraged from Leamington Spa. -- McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh, on how F1 fans have warmed to races being broadcast by pay-service Sky.

Capabilities have nothing to do with age. There are 70-year-olds who are young in the head. -- FIFA President Sepp Blatter, on why he opposes age limits for the association's leadership.

For the next two years, I am Australian, so to speak. -- Italian football player Alessandro Del Piero, who signed with Sydney FC for A$2M, the highest salary ever paid by an Aussie club.

My God, there's a lot of you. Every single one of you -- this was your achievement, you brought this country together in a way we never expected. -- London Mayor Boris Johnson, addressing Britain's Olympians at Monday parade.

There's a lot of tribalism involved: In part, it's the tribal aspect that gives rugby its special magic, but we can't allow it to get in the way of cool-headed, sensible commercial decision-making. -- Leicester Chair Peter Tom, on talks over the future of the Heineken Cup.

You don't live your whole life at home, even though the fridge is always full and the laundry gets done for you. At some stage you have to move out. Grow up. Become a man. -- Former F1 driver David Coulthard, writing about Lewis Hamilton leaving McLaren, where he'd been since he was 13.

I have always said that netball is the sleeping giant of South African sport and now finally it can take its rightful place alongside the major codes. -- Netball South Africa President Mimi Mthethwa, on the league signing a five-year deal with broadcaster SuperSport.

Nobody is entitled. Everything is earned. -- Former Aussie tennis player and current coach Darren Cahill, arguing against increasing prize money for players who lose in the first round.

I feel tempted to cry God for Harry, England and St. George, but I really don't want to lower the tone by bringing my brother into it. -- FA President Prince William, quoting William Shakespeare's line from "Henry V," at the opening of the $168M St. George's Park football training facility.

We want to combine Hollywood and Bollywood and integrate celebrities into this entertainment product that we’re building. -- Cricket Holdings America CEO Neil Maxwell, on the upstart cricket league's plan to gain a foothold in the U.S. market.

Words don't buy football clubs; Money buys football clubs. -- Leeds Supporters' Trust Chair Gary Cooper, calling for Dubai-based investment firm GFH to show it can afford to buy the club.

If I were a fan, I'd be booing too. -- Former England Manager Graham Taylor, after the England-Poland World Cup qualifier was postponed because the stadium roof was left open during a deluge.

There is a clear and present danger of talent being hollowed out of our game. -- Yomiuri Giants President Tsunekazu Momoi, voicing his concern on the impact of Japanese high school player Shohei Otani opting to play in the U.S.

They threw us out of the league and are now pursuing title stripping, and for us to sit down and think that after all that has come to fruition that I will say 'OK, everything's forgotten,' you’re in cloud cuckoo land. -- Rangers CEO Charles Green, vowing that the Rangers will never return to the Scottish Premier League.

The truth is, I'm a little tired of it. -- Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, on constantly being compared to Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

The shirt is the identity. It would really be the ultimate, ultimate recourse to sell the family's jewelry. -- French Rugby Federation President Pierre Camou, on why his organization will not follow the All-Blacks and sell a jersey sponsorship.

Brazil is not a country where people love football. It is a country where people love to party around the World Cup. -- Brazilian writer Juca Kfouri, on why Brazilian football clubs are struggling to fill stadiums.

I think the sleeping giant metaphor, we've moved beyond that now. The giant is well and truly awake, out of bed, and out the front door. -- Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop, on the growth of the league over recent months.

Should you still call it Champions League then? If you integrate the Europa League into the Champions League then it is more like a Europa League. -- VfB Stuttgart Sport Dir Fredi Bobic, putting the kibosh on UEFA President Michel Platini's idea to merge the two leagues.

We want to put this club and this city back on the map -- football clubs can do that. -- Bradford City Manager Phil Parkinson, after his League Two side shocked Premier League club Arsenal in a Capital One Cup match.