| Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley
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| | surrender."
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| College football's annual bowl season is
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| | "Show me a good loser, and I'll show you
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| full of surprises and spectacular
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| | a loser."
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| moments. Famous coaches have had some
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| | "Once you learn to quit, it becomes a
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| memorable remarks about American's most
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| | habit."
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| popular sport, and here are some of them
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| | "If you can accept losing, you can't
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| by legendary Green Bay Packer coach Vince
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| | win."
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| Lombardi, who many consider to be the
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| | "Perfection is not attainable, but if we
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| best of the best.
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| | chase perfection we can catch
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| Lombardi's head coaching record in the
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| | excellence."
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| National Football League was second to
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| | "Practice does not make perfect. Only
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| none. In 9 years with the Green Bay
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| | perfect practice makes perfect."
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| Packers, Lombardi's regular season
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| | "Success demands singleness of purpose."
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| won-loss percentage was 73% (96-34-6),
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| | "It's not whether you get knocked down,
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| his postseason was 90% (9-1) and his
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| | it's whether you get up."
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| total was 75% (105-35-6).
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| | "It's easy to have faith in yourself and
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| He took a 1-10-1 team in 1958 to an NFL
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| | have discipline when you're a winner,
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| title in 3 years, and went on to win 5
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| | when you're number one. What you got to
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| NFL titles in 9 years (1961, 1962, 1965,
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| | have is faith and discipline when you're
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| 1966 and 1967) and three titles
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| | not a winner."
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| consecutively. He led the Packers to the
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| | "The measure of who we are is what we do
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| first two Super Bowl titles in 1966 and
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| | with what we have."
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| 1967.
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| | "We didn't lose the game; we just ran out
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| Lombardi's discipline was legendary. A
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| | of time."
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| lifelong Catholic, he spent 4 years in
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| | "Teamwork is what the Green Bay Packers
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| Cathedral Preparatory Seminary to become
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| | are all about. They didn't do it for
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| a Catholic priest before becoming a
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| | individual glory. They did it because
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| standout football player at St. Francis
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| | they loved one another."
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| Preparatory High School.
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| | "The difference between a successful
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| An undersized guard at 5 foot 8 and 185
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| | person and others is not a lack of
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| pounds, he was offered and accepted a
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| | strength, not a lack of knowledge, but
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| football scholarship to Fordham
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| | rather a lack of will."
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| University in the Bronx to play for
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| | "Coaches who can outline plays on a black
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| "Sleepy" Jim Crowley, one of the Four
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| | board are a dime a dozen. The ones who
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| Horsemen of Notre Dame in the 1920s. He
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| | win get inside their player and
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| would become part of the "Seven Blocks of
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| | motivate."
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| Granite" that held Fordham's opponents
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| | Here are some quotes by Lombardi's
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| scoreless several times during a 25-game
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| | players:
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| winning streak.
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| | "When Lombardi said 'sit down,' we didn't
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| After coaching at Fordham, Lombardi
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| | look for a chair." - Forrest Gregg, Hall
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| became the offensive line coach for West
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| | of Fame tackle.
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| Point under another legendary head coach,
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| | "He prepared us so well, and he motivated
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| Colonel Red Blaik. Lombardi then became
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| | us so well, I felt he was a part of me on
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| the offensive coordinator for the New
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| | the field." Fuzzy Thurston.
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| York Giants, working with defensive
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| | "He pushed you to the end of your
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| coordinator Tom Landry and head coach Jim
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| | endurance and then beyond it. And if
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| Lee Howell, before becoming Green Bay's
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| | there was reserve there, well, he found
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| head coach in 1959.
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| | that too." Henry Jordan, Hall of Fame
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| Lombardi was 59 years old when he died of
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| | defensive tackle.
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| cancer in 1970. Grown men and Hall of
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| | "He made us better than we thought we
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| Fame football players openly wept at his
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| | could be." Jerry Kramer.
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| funeral.
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| | "Coach Lombardi showed me that by working
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| Here are some of Vince Lombardi's best
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| | hard and using my mind, I could overcome
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| known quotes:
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| | my weakness to the point that I could be
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| "If it doesn't matter who wins or loses,
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| | one of the best." Bart Starr, Hall of
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| then why do they keep score?"
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| | Fame quarterback.
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| "I firmly believe than any man's finest
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| | "The fear in my mind was not him but that
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| hour, the greatest fulfillment of all
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| | for some reason I would not be a part of
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| that he holds dear, is that moment when
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| | the team and be with this man." Forrest
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| he has worked his heart out in a good
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| | Gregg.
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| cause and lies exhausted on the field of
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| | "He made you a believer. He told you what
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| battle-victorious."
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| | the other team was going to do, and he
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| "There is no room for second place. There
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| | told you what you had to do to beat them,
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| is only one place in my game and that is
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| | and invariably he was right." Willie
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| first place. I have finished second twice
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| | Davis, Hall of Fame defensive back.
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| in my time at Green Bay and I never want
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| | (Editor's Note: I have read and studied
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| to finish second again."
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| | one of the best biographies on Lombardi:
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| "Winning isn't everything, it's the only
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| | When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of
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| thing."
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| | Vince Lombardi. Written by Pulitzer
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| "Confidence is contagious. So is lack of
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| | Prize-winning author David Maraniss, I
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| confidence."
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| | highly recommend his book as a great
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| "The harder you work, the harder it is to
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| | read.
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