Legends of Sports

Disney, believe it or not, stretched a few of Herb Brooks' lines during his pregame speech to the ragtag group of American collegiate hockey players who took down the Russians. But thanks to the movie Miracle, hockey fans can have an idea of what the great coach said to his players before that win.

"Great moments are born from great opportunity. And that's what you have here, tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. One game. If we played 'em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them. And we shut them down because we can! Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players. Every one of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. It's over. I'm sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw 'em. This is your time. Now go out there and take it."

"Win one for the Gipper" became a permanent fixture in American society after Notre Dame head coach Rockne delivered his halftime speech to the Irish in 1928 against Army.

Rockne was trying to salvage one of the worst seasons in Notre Dame history at the time and brought up the tragic death of George Gipp, a former Notre Dame player. In 1940, this speech was immortalized on the big screen in the film Knute Rockne -- All American:

"Well, boys, I haven't a thing to say. Played a great game ... all of you. Great game. I guess we just can't expect to win 'em all. I'm going to tell you something I've kept to myself for years. None of you ever knew George Gipp. It was long before your time. But you know what a tradition he is at Notre Dame. And the last thing he said to me, 'Rock,' he said, 'sometime, when the team is up against it, and the breaks are beating the boys, tell them to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock,' he said, 'but I'll know about it, and I'll be happy.' "

What would this list be without Lombardi's speech prior to Super Bowl II? That pregame speech would prove to be the last Lombardi gave his Packers as he retired a year later after a season coaching the Redskins. Needless to say, the heavily favored Packers, led by Bart Starr, won that 1968 Super Bowl in Miami by a score of 33-14.
They weren't the only motivational words the legendary coach ever expressed.

"Winning is not a sometime thing. It's an all-the-time thing. You don't win once in a while. You don't do things right once in a while. You do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that's first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don't ever want to finish second again. There is a second-place bowl game, but it is a game for losers played by losers. It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win."

3. Lou Gehrig – Luckiest Man

The Yankees announced Gehrig's retirement on June 21, 1939,and proclaimed that Independence Day would be "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day." On July 4, Gehrig gave the rousing farewell speech between doubleheader games against the Washington Senators. While it was a sad day for baseball, it also provided one of the most memorable and heartfelt phrases spoken in American history.
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth."

Although struggling with lung cancer, the legendary baseball broadcaster Buck took the field in one of his final public appearances on Sept. 17, 2001 -- the day baseball resumed after the 9/11 attacks. Buck delivered one of the most spine-tingling, patriotic pieces this national pastime has heard. The 77-year-old concluded the poem by telling critics who felt that baseball returned too soon by stating: "I don't know about you, but as for me, the question has already been answered: Should we be here? Yes!"

Shortly before Valvano's death, the longtime North Carolina State head coach spoke at the inaugural ESPY Awards on March 3, 1993, to accept the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award. Valvano was diagnosed with bone cancer just a year earlier and used his speech to announce the creation of the "Jimmy V Foundation," an organization dedicated to finding a cure for cancer.
Before he said the legendary motto for the foundation, "Don't give up, don't ever give up," Valvano kept things light. When the teleprompter notified him that he had 30 seconds left, Valvano responded, "They got that screen up there flashing 30 seconds, like I care about that screen. I got tumors all over my body, and I'm worried about some guy in the back going 30 seconds."

One of the great offerings Valvano left the world with that night was his "three things we should do every day. ... Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.”

"Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever. I thank you, and God bless you all."


Also don't forget to see the rest of 5 best speeches.....