McGuirisms
A collection of colorful phrases and metaphors from legendary coach and broadcaster Al McGuire
“French pastry” – an unnecessary flashy play (such as an over-the-top dunk or behind-the-back pass).
“A time tunnel game” – a wild, unpredictable contest that takes fans back and forth emotionally.
“Aircraft carrier” – a dominant big man who controls the paint.
“Tap city” – when a game or season is all but over.
“White knuckler” – a tense, nerve-wracking game that goes down to the wire.
“Downtown” – a long-range field goal, often said with flair long before the three-point era.
“Cupcake city” – a soft schedule of easy opponents.
“Seashells and balloons” – exuberant joy or celebration after victory.
“Curtains” – the moment a team’s hopes are finished.
“The streets talk to me” – McGuire’s way of saying he instinctively understood players’ emotions and motivations.
“The best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores.”
“Live in the moment you are in.”
“Help one kid at a time. He’ll maybe go back and help a few more.”
“You measure a player from the head up.”
“If winning weren’t important, nobody would keep score.”
“The Big Dance” - the NCAA Tournament
“Going uptown” - a flashy or bold move on the court…confidence with flair
“Thoroughbreds” - an elite, high caliber basketball player with speed, skill and grace
“I’m an Einstein of the streets and an Oxford scholar of common sense.”
“Winning is overrated. The only time it is really important is in surgery and war.”
“When a guy takes off his coat, he's not going to fight. When a guy takes off his wristwatch, watch out!”
“I think everyone should go to college and get a degree and then spend six months as a bartender and six months as a cabdriver. Then they would really be educated.”
“You can’t just win, you have to win right.”
“If you’re not having fun, you’re in the wrong business.”
“Basketball is a great metaphor for life — it teaches you about teamwork, patience, and dealing with adversity.”
“I’ve got more job security than the Pope.”
“I don’t like practice. You know what I like? Winning.”
“I like a kamikaze basketball team — one that goes all out on every play, no matter what the score is.”
“The only mystery in life is why the Kamikaze pilots wore helmets”
“I don’t use basketball; I let basketball use me”
“You don’t recruit kids to Marquette to make them basketball players; you recruit them to make them men”
“There are two kinds of people in this world – cloth napkin kind of people and paper napkin kind of people. Me and Herb (Kohl), we’re paper napkin kind of people”
“I think the world is run by C students”
“I need a deaf priest”
“I like to go up to Lake Geneva and drive around, stop at little places, and talk to people. You learn something new every day.”
“I saw the first sign of spring in Milwaukee the other day…. the curb”
“I’m not a basketball coach who happens to be a broadcaster. I’m a broadcaster who used to be a basketball coach.”
“If the waitress has dirty ankles, the chili is good”