Conor McGregor had one of the sporting quotes of the year. Photo / AP
Conor McGregor had one of the sporting quotes of the year. Photo / AP
It's been a helluva sporting year. And what better way to look back on 2016 than through the words of the combatants themselves? Here's your quotes of the year, category by category.
Today Part III...Insults, Sporting Feuds and the Moments that wowed us in 2016.
If you haven't already, check out parts one and two.
INSULTS
Former Irish lock Neil Francis on the performance of Jaco Peyper after the Dublin test between the All Blacks and Ireland: "We had a eunuch refereeing the game."
Featherweight UFC champion Conor McGregor after knocking out Eddie Alvarez, becoming the first fighter in UFC history to claim UFC championships in two weight classes: "I'd like to take this chance to apologise ... to absolutely f***ing nobody. The double champ does what he wants ..."
Wayne Bennett, coach of Great Britain's rugby league team, at his charmless best, with the British press: "I haven't read [about rugby league,] for over a decade now and I don't watch television shows. As soon as I see something on rugby league come on, I turn it off. So I'm immune to anything you say out there. It doesn't interest me."
Mal Meninga on his relationship with Wayne Bennett: "I know there is a perception that he and I are friends. We're not enemies, but we're not friends either. There's no bad blood - there's just no blood at all. There is no relationship there. We don't talk."
World Cup-winning All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry on the Wallabies: "I think it's probably the worst Australian team I have ever seen and that's a real worry for the game."
waited in the tunnel, before hurling abuse at the Chilean official: "You want to make yourself famous at my expense, you son of a b---h."
Reporter's question of
Lydia Ko
: "When's the last time you played for New Zealand?"
Ko: "I always play for New Zealand."
Kiwi boxing figure Lance Revill on the Joseph Parker v Andy Ruiz fight: "I'm embarrassed being a Kiwi after last night. Something stinks about this fight, something stinks about the whole set-up."
Former Aussie skipper Michael Clarke reopens old wounds from an Indian tour three years ago: "I said that there is a number of players, a group in this team at the moment, that are like a tumour and if we don't fix it, it's going to turn into a cancer. Shane was one of those players, yes."
Shane Watson returns serve, with a cross-court back-hander, to Clarke's melon: "For me I think it was more a reflection of the person he is more than what it was directed towards me. In the end it is really disappointing that things like that start to come out two or three years later on when we are all very content in retirement."
World champion Nico Rosberg on his decision to retire: "I have climbed my mountain, I am on the peak, so this feels right."
Rosberg's Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton, who ended runner-up: "It appears currently the 'guy above' doesn't really want me to win right now."
Troubled Kiwi league star Kieran Foran in an Instagram post defending himself against match-fixing allegations and reports on his marriage: "I am incredibly disappointed in the media prying into my personal life, especially my family's. They choose to write stories based on total lies.
Sydney underworld figure Eddie Hayson, defending his involvement with Foran which included taking the footballer - fresh from rehab for gambling problems, etc - out to the races and facilitating placing bets at the TAB: "If I wasn't in his life this year, he probably wouldn't be alive."
Bec Pope, estranged partner of Foran and mother of his children, on Hayson's remarks: "How dare you!!!!! You are absolute scum of the earth, Eddie Hayson."
Johnathan Thurston yells at Paul Gallen after winning game two of the 2016 State of Origin series. Photo / Getty Images
"I don't want to get into a slanging match here but it was pretty disrespectful. I think that typifies what that team is about. I think it is disrespectful to walk off while our captain speaks." - Queensland league star
"You talk about disrespect, you've only got to look back in game two and the end of that game Johnathan Thurston looks directly at me and says, 'F*** your Blues'". - Paul Gallen responds to Thurston's claim of disrespect.
MOMENTS
Usain Bolt after winning his nine gold medal and announcing his retirement from the Olympics: "There you go, I'm the greatest."
Ryan Lochte describes the moment he and three other US swimmers were 'robbed' at gunpoint in Rio: "And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, 'get down' and I put my hands up."
Fernando Veloso, head of the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, on Lochte's version of events: "The only truth they told was they were drunk."
Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps' coach, after the swimmer sealed his 23rd gold medal: "Will there be another Michael Phelps? Absolutely not. I'm not even looking. He's too special. It's not even once in a generation - it's maybe once in 10 generations that a Michael Phelps comes along."
Michael Phelps at the end of the Rio Olympics: "I'm out. See you later. Yeah. No more. Hanging up the competitive suit. Never putting one of those on again."
Cronulla captain Paul Gallen after the Sharks won the first NRL premiership in the club's history: "To the people in the Shire, turn your porch light off 'cause we're comin' home with the trophy."
70-year-old Western Bulldogs fan Sam Hall after his AFL team won its first grand final in 62 years: "Barracking for the Bulldogs is like being in love with a blonde. You have really gorgeous times but you know in the end that she's going to break your heart. And the Bulldogs have got so close so many times but they've slipped up. I didn't feel confident until about two minutes from the finish. My wife said I just looked stunned."
Tearful All Black halfback Aaron Smith apologises for you-know-what: "I've made a huge mistake, a huge error in judgment. I'd firstly like to say a huge sorry to my partner Teagan, her family, my family. I'm also sorry to my team-mates, NZRU and the New Zealand fans."
Aaron Smith fights back tears as he speaks to media. Photo / NZME screengrab
Lomano Lemeki celebrates after scoring a try for Japan. Photo / Getty Images
after Japan's upset Olympic win over New Zealand: "To knock out New Zealand along the way feels pretty good, being a Kiwi," he said. "I'm probably one of the most hated ones at the moment. Feels good!"
