Allan Jeans: 'It is the best time of your life. Don't waste a moment of it', Richmond guernsey presentation - 1992

March 1992, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia

Mr. President, Mr. Chairman, members of the board, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: Firstly, I, as coach of the Richmond Football Club, I would just like to endorse the remarks of our President and congratulate each and every player, firstly, on making the list and, secondly, for receiving your jumper tonight.

To the young players, I say this. Welcome. I hope that each and every one of you have a very long, happy, and successful stay at the Richmond Football Club.

To the old players, I say this. I just hope, and I know you have received your jumpers on previous years, but I just hope that this year receiving your jumper has much more significance than it has in the past. 'Cause at the end of your career, I hope you can look back and say, "It was this year, the year I received my jumper in 1992, that was the turning point in restoring the pride of the Richmond Football Club."

To all the players, I say this: In receiving your jumper, and it is a great honour today to make a football list, with the list being reduced to smaller numbers each year. And I know there's many disappointed boys that didn't make the list this year. There was a lot of hard decisions in finalising the list. But I say to all the players that did receive a jumper tonight, "Are you prepared to accept the responsibility that goes with receiving the jumper?"

It doesn't matter what position you take in life, there is a certain amount of responsibility attached to it. Even as a parent, we take on that position in our life. There is a certain amount of responsibility. You must, you can't expect your own children not to overindulge in drink and drugs, and cigarettes, and all this business, if you do not set an example.

And the responsibility this year, and particularly to the older players, I say this. This is your responsibility. You must be a real role model for the younger players. It's you who are the ones that must set an example for the young players. It's the method of how you go about your training, the punctuality in getting there, the way you play in a game, when you get three and four goals behind - whether you drop your head and put your tail between your legs.

Whatever you do out in the ground, you've got to set the example for the younger players. That is your responsibility, and that is the question I ask all the senior players here.

Admittedly, the players haven't had a great deal of experience compared with other clubs. We've only got two players that's played over 100 games. But to some of the young players that's been thrust into real positions of responsibility, that is the part that you must understand. The best way to teach anybody is by example, and if the senior players here can really set the example, then it is natural that the young players just follow through.

I say to the young players, this. It is a golden opportunity. It is the best time of your life. Don't waste a moment of it. Fill your boots and make the most of it. Because at the end of your career, you've always got to ask yourself the one question, 'Did I achieve the things I should have achieved with the amount of ability I've been blessed with?'

Unless you can say, "Yes," you'll always end up a frustrated person. All I say is this, "Your football career is very short compared with the rest of your life. It might go for 10 years, if you're fortunate enough to get that long. But at the end of your career, then it only becomes memories of the things that you achieved during your playing career.

So, I say to you, all of you, "Make the most of it." But understand this, because of the rules, and because of the regulations, it is not a permanent position. We've got to keep turning players over if they do not make the grade.

The other thing I must say is this. I've been here six months now, and I must say the enthusiasm has been great here at the club. I have not tried to predict anything at this particular stage. The only thing I said, that I will endeavour to restore the pride of the Richmond Football Club, and make them more competitive.

The last time I spoke to Graeme Richmond, just before his death, he said it would be fabulous to go to the football every Saturday, and know that you've got a chance to win. It would be fabulous to go to the football every Saturday, and just see our players competitive again.

That is my prime objective here. I won't predict how many games we win, but as long as every Saturday that each and every player can walk off the ground, and say, at least, "I gave my best for the Richmond Football Club." Then, at least, I can look them straight in the eye and know that we've set out, we've achieved the things we set out to achieve.

I suppose, being such an important occasion, just on the eve of our first game, I suppose I would like to tell you a little story that had the greatest impact on me of all time. I like to relate it on very special occasions. The story goes something like this:

Once upon a time there was a group of young fellows that had to go on a long trip across some arid land. After they had been travelling for two or three days, they came to a crossroad and when they got to the crossroad, they found that somebody had broken the signpost and left it lying on the ground.

The young group of men did not know which way to turn, so they sat there pondering.

Along came a wise old man and saw the plight of the young fellows. He said, "What is your problem?" They said, "We are on this way to this destination, but we've come to the crossroads, and we found that somebody has broken the signpost, and we do not know which way to turn."

The old man said, "You know which way you come from?"

The group of young fellows said, "Yes, we come from Richmond," and pointed in that direction.

Then the old man said, "That makes it easy." Then he picked up the signpost and with the finger point, he turned it in the direction of Richmond.

And then they knew exactly which way to turn.

Now, the moral of the story is this: If you know where you come from, then you'll always know which way your heading. And that's what it's all about in life. You've got to understand this: That you come to many crossroads in life, and sometimes when you do get to the crossroads, you find there is no signpost there at all. What do you rely on then?

Then you've got to rely on your values. What you were taught in your home, what your faith taught you. All these things that you were  taught in your infancy, the values that you have in your life. They're the things that you must rely on, to know which way to turn.

It is the same with your football career. During your career you will come to many crossroads, and you won't know which way to turn. The same in every football match, there is a turning point. There is a crossroad. What do we have to rely on then?

We have to rely on the things that make this club great. You have to rely on your tradition, the cause of the whole thing. These are the things, the indicators, that makes you turn in the right direction, and keep you going when everything tells you to stop.

And this, I hope, will come through the tradition of the club and when these boys receive their jumpers tonight, not only were they receiving their jumper, they were passing on the tradition that was formed by the great players of this club previously. Now it's up to each and every one of those boys, in receiving their jumper, that they carry on the great traditions of this club.

You, the people, the supporters of the club, you stuck to the club. You gave it everything you possibly can, and I can guarantee you one thing: Long as we are competitive out on the field, then we'll be starting to head in the right direction. And that's all I ask of every player.

All I say to you, look out and see that marvellous stand out there. It is a wonderful stand, but it's no good having the best seats in the theatre if we can't put the entertainment on out in the field.

And that is our responsibility.

That is my obligation,

To make sure that we are competitive out in the field, and we do turn this club around, and we do restore the prize.

I just hope that this year will be remembered as the year that we turned Richmond in the right direction.

Thank you, very much.

Vince McMahon: 'Life sucks, and then you die', WWF Smackdown #39, promo - 2000

9 May 2000, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Now, I understand, that there are a number of you... ["Asshole"-Chants] I understand that there are a number of you... I understand that... I understand that some of you feel as though that the McMahon-Helmsley Faction, last Monday on Raw, just wasn't fair to Chris Jericho. I understand that many of you feel as though, since the McMahon-Helmsley Faction made Chris Jericho compete on three different occasions, defending the Intercontinental title until he lost it, that it just wasn't fair. Well, that's just too damn bad.

Because, if you don't think it was fair Monday, you're probably the same kind of people who wait in line, you wait forever in line, like sheep all lined up, you wait in line, waiting your turn, and then you'll see someone like myself very aggressively cut in the front of the line, and you'll say, "Wait a minute! That's not fair!" And what about ... the parking lot, we've all been there. There you are, patiently waiting for your little parking space, and it suddenly appears, you start driving your car - Oops! Someone zips in, cuts you off, parks their car, and you say "Wait a minute! That's my parking space, that's not fair!" ... What about - What about on those few occasions, when you will honestly, and objectively, look into the full-length mirror... Alright, now we're getting somewhere. And you women, look into the mirror, and you look at yourselves, and you say "Ewwww, eeeeh. Look at the cellulite hanging from my hips and my buttocks! That's not fair!" And you men, you men won't come close to the mirror! But on that rare occasion where you might take a quick glimpse, you say "Oh, That can't be me... No, that can't be with the potbelly, and the small genitalia! Oh no, that's not fair!" And you look at yourselves - Go ahead, look at yourselves! Look at the person sitting next to you, yeah, look at ‘em! Look at the person sitting in front of you! Go ahead, look at all of you! You look at yourselves, and you compare yourselves to the beautiful people here in this ring, and you say "That's not fair!"

And, forget about the looks, what about the money, huh? What about the money?! Uh-huh! You scrimp and you save, you work yourselves half to death, and still, you can't afford what you really want? "That's not fair!" It's not fair that some people are rich, and you're not! "That's not fair!" And you know, you have to face the facts, that the vast majority of you are just born with inferior DNA. And you say "It's not fair I'm born with inferior DNA!" But you feel sorry for yourselves, you wallow in your self-pity, and then you have to face the facts, that life is not fair. And some of you, a select few, you might as well go ahead and admit it, you might as well own up to the philosophy, for some of you, and that is that - Life sucks, and then you die!

Michael Sheen: 'The mighty dragon of Wales is stirring from ancient slumber,', Welsh rally speech for Homeless World Cup - 2017

6 July 2017, the one show, London, UK

Hosts invite the Underworld actor to pitch for Wales right to host 2019 Homeless World Cup

The mighty dragon of Wales is stirring from ancient slumber, from the snowcapped mountains of Snowdonia, along the windswept valleys of the Rhondda, across Cardiff's great fields of glory, the land is awakening.

The land of Llewellyn. The land of Owain Glyndwr. The land of Rob Brydon.

From those old dreaming men of Harloch, to the wild women of the western shores. All of the children are joining together as one voice. To send a song of welcome to the world and that dragon, that mighty red Dragon, shall rise once more, spread wide its wings, take flight, and roar!

Jason Kelce: ‘Just keep moving forward’ post Superbowl victory - 2018

4 February 2018, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

You know the last two weeks, after we beat Atlanta and after we beat .... the last two weeks after we won, I found myself ine shower crying. dreaming of this moment.

You work so hard your whole life to get here.

Everything culminates ... i can't help but think back to a quote my grandfather gave me by Calvin Coolidge about persistence, I'm not going to say it, because it's a little long, and it will drag on ...

But .,. her gave me that quote when I was eighteen years old ... when I was not given a scholarship to play at any division one university,

My father and mother, my father and mother told me to stay after my dream, and I've officially accomplished the best thing in this sport with a group of guys that mean the world to me.

Becasue really persistance has summed up my whole career. Summed up my whole life. Just keep going, jsut keep moving forward, no matter what obstacles come in your way, just keep moving forward.

The resiliency of this team is incredible. We've all talked about it, but when you really sit back and think, a lot of you guys picked us to finish dead last in the NFC East. As they went along, nobody gave us any inclination that they thought we were the best team in the NFL. Especially after injuries started happening. This is understandable.

But the fact that we were able to overcome everything ... just keep moving forward, I can't help but be a little emotional.

Frank Thomas: 'You can't win any game without teammates, and I had the best of them', Baseball Hall of Fame induction - 2014

27 July 2014, Cooperstown, New York, United States

Give me a second. Thank you, Mr. Commissioner, Ms. Jane Forbes Clark.

Today I would like to thank the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the baseball writers for selecting me as a first ballot selection in this 2014 Hall of Fame class. I'm so humbled and honored to be a part of this historic class of first ballot Hall of Famers. To share the stage in front of all the legendary men who made the game better for us all, I'm speechless.

I want to personally thank you all for being great role models and making this great game what it is today. Hard work, dedication and commitment. No short cuts to success, thanks for having me in your Club.

I would like to thank my parents, Charlie Mae Thomas, who’s here today, and the late Frank Thomas, Sr., for giving me the love and support that keep me involved in team sports in a lovely town Columbus, Georgia.

I would also like to thank my parents for working so hard to instill core values to make the best of life. We didn't have much but my parents worked tireless for me and my four siblings. Frank Sr., I know you're watching and smiling from heaven. Without you, I know 100 percent I wouldn't be here in Cooperstown today.

Thanks for pushing me and always preaching to me: You can be someone special if you really work at. I took that to heart, Pops. Look at us today. We're a long way from Columbus, Georgia. Mom, thanks for hanging in there and believing in the same vision. I know it wasn't easy, but I thank you for the motherly love and support.

Raising all of us was tough, but you and Dad made sure we made it. You guys made it look easy for us. I thank you and I love you, Mom.

I would now like to thank my beautiful wife, Megan, and my five wonderful children: Sterling, Sloan, Sydney, Frankie and Ashleigh Kate for making life so unforgettable for me. I know all five of you are different, and all five of you complete me day by day.

That's what makes me feel so blessed. You guys are my everything. There are no words to describe how much I love you guys.

I especially want to say thanks, Megan, for coming into my life 15 years ago. When we met, life was throwing me a curveball, one I could not hit. But meeting you really put pep in my step and made me believe in love again.

I thank you for teaching me the value of family first. You took my three older kids immediately as your own and changed my world forever. I know this wasn't easy but you proved your love for me from day one. I'm so blessed to be married to such a wonderful person. You complete me; I love you baby.

I would like to thank my siblings for all the love and support. My older sister, Gloria, Mary, Sharon and Michael. I can't name all my extended family and friends, I know you’re here, and I love you guys, but thank you for coming.

My older brother, Michael, thanks for being my best friend and for always having my back. Mike World, I can tell you everything and you always have advice for me, some good some and some bad, but thanks for being honest. I love you, Bro.

In life, you have infrastructure. I would like to thank my team who has kept me grounded and in touch with reality from day one. First, the late Robert Fraley. I know you're not here, my friend, but thanks for watching my career and giving me professional guidance you gave me. It's priceless.

Robert, you once said to me, "Life is not fair. You have to work hard and earn your respect." You were so right. I thank you for being honest with me. I know you're somewhere in heaven directing traffic because that's what true leaders do.

I would like to thank Frank Bumstead. I thank you for becoming my father figure in my life after I lost my father. Robert Fraley introduced us, and without you, I have no clue where I would be today. I love you, man. Taryn Anderson, thank you for dealing with me on a daily basis, keeping me straight. I appreciate everything you do, because I know it's not easy. Thank you.

And Lisa Rybicki, I thank you for managing my life for 16 long years. Without you, my career could have fell off a long time ago. I thank you for keeping everyone in check. You did a wonderful job. Thank you, Lisa.

Also like to thank Arn Tellum and Joel Wolf for picking up the pieces later in my career and guiding me to new beginnings in Oakland and Toronto. I thank you guys.

Now, I would like to thank the Chicago White Sox organization for drafting me into professional baseball. Special thanks to Jerry Reinsdorf, Eddie Einhorn, Larry Himes, Al Goldis, Howard Pizer and Mike Rizzo for taking a chance on a kid from a small town with many big dreams.

Jerry, thanks for a long and wonderful ride in that Chicago White Sox uniform. You did a lot for me and you still mean a lot to me. Thank you, my friend.

Also I would like to thank all my general managers and managers along the way in Chicago: Ron Schuler, Danny Evans, Jeff Torborg, Gene Lamont, Terry Bevington and Kenny Williams, Jerry Manuel and a special thanks to Ozzie Guillen, 11 years as a teammate, three years as a manager, and I can thank you for getting me my only ring because we had that special bond for many years. I thank you, Ozzie, thank you very much.

A special thanks goes out to Ken Hawk Harrelson. Hawk thanks for penning me the Big Hurt. Your nickname for me really changed my life forever.

Hawk, I’d also like to thank you for being a friend and a source of guidance all those years on the plane, through the ups and downs, through the good and bad times, it was priceless picking your brain. Thank you, Hawk.

I would like to thank the Oakland A's and Toronto Blue Jays for believing in me as a free agent and signing me into their organizations. Lou Wolf, Billy Beane, Dave Forrest, thanks for taking a chance on me, twice. That 2000 season was magical. Without it, I doubt I would be speaking here today.

JP Richardi, Alex Anthopoulos, I thank you and the wonderful Toronto organization for bringing me to Toronto. Hitting No.500 in that Blue Jay uniform was a dream. Thanks for taking a chance on a 39 year old, I really appreciate that.

In my career, I had so many magical moments in all three uniforms. It was a career filled with great memories and great people in all three great organizations. I will always be thankful for all of you. I would like to thank all the coaches who really made me tick and put in many hours of hard work with me.

You know I couldn't forget you guys. Bobby Howard, I know you're here somewhere, it started with you. You made me grow up in a hurry. Your no nonsense approach to the game was needed at an early age. Winning was the only option. You preached that and you made me work for it. Playing for you set my foundation for life. Love you and I thank you.

I would like to thank Pat Dye, Jay Jacobs, Hal Baird, under your guidance at Auburn University I became a man and you guys pushed me to new heights and instilled toughness and a will to win that I really never knew existed.

Coach Barrett, thanks for treating me like a pro before my time. I thank you, my friend. I know I couldn't make it here today, but I thank you.

Coach Dye, it's the same. I know you couldn't make it either, but I really thank you for letting me play both sports. The decision changed my life. I thank you for letting me follow my dreams. Your passion for what's right led me to my current package in baseball. I thank you Coach Dye and War Damn Eagle.

And this is a tough one. I have a special love for this man, Walt Hriniak, my favorite hitting coach of all time. I thank you for being honest from day one. You taught me to only want to be the best. You would always say to me, "Anyone could be good, Frank. But the special ones want to be great." Our work sessions were very consistent every day. It didn't matter if we were 10 for 10 or 0 for 10. It was the same process every day, no free lesson. Consistency and dedication was what made you tick, and I'm so grateful for your tutelage.

Having you first in the big leagues made it difficult for me when you left. Preparation for games wasn't the same any more, but I can always remember you saying, "Keep your f'ing head down and finish, Frank."

Thanks, Walter. Without you, I know I wouldn't be here in Cooperstown here today. Thanks to my other coaches who put in time with me. Sorry I can't ramble all day. I've been told by the rookie has to hurry you have.

Doug Mansolino, Mike Gellinger, Ron Jackson, Greg Walker, Gary Ward, Tom Pachoriek, Gerald Perry, Ron Washington, Ken Macha, John Gibbons, Mickey Bradley, Wallace Johnson,Dave Laroche, Joe Nossek, Cave Man Art Kushner, Mark Salas, Tommy Thompson, the late Kevin Hickey, Chet Demedio, Steve Odgers, Walt Pasternak, Allen Thomas, Clarence Cockrell and Donovan Santas and a special thanks to my friend and coach, Jim Fannin, I know you're here somewhere, Jim. You told me to live in the zone, on and off the field, and even today, I thank you, Buddy.

A heartfelt thanks to all my trainers. Thanks for all the hard work getting me to the post every day. Herm Schneider, I thank you for all the overtime you put in with me, 16 years of TLC. Hermie, thanks my man, you gave me the best professional care year in and year out. I'm so appreciative of you.

Mark Anderson, Brian Ball, Larry Davis, Steve Soupy Sales, Walt Horn, George Poulis - my main man George Poulis, Dave Abraham, Scott Takoe, Amy George and Tim Soder, I thank all of you for your help along the way. Just like to say special thanks to my clubhouse managers, I know they never get any love. Clubhouse managers, pr managers, traveling secretaries; the late Chicken Willie Thompson, Vinnie Fresso, Gabe Morrell, Steve Vuchinich, Jeff Ross, Scott Refeirt, Jay Steinhouse, Glen Rosenbaum, Mickey Morabtio, Mike Shaw, I thank you all for taking care of me. You're all great at what you do. Thanks for all the love.

I want to have a special thanks to all my doctors, I couldn't include all of you today, but a few of you, I'd like to say, thanks again, James Boscardin, Dr. Price, Lowell Wyle, Sr. Dr. Elliot Schwartz, I know Elliot is here. Thank you for what you did for me in Oakland, you're a friend and buddy.

But I have to say one special thank you to Dr. Richard Ferkel. Yes, Dr. Ferkel is here. You repaired my navicular fracture when everyone said I was done. I was sitting at 452 home runs and you looked at me and said, "I'm going to get you back on the field." You never doubted putting me back there and you helped me finish my career. And getting to Cooperstown, I never thought it would happen. I thank you, you mean so much to me and you mean more to me now as a friend. Thank you, Dr. Ferkel.

Getting here was a reflection of my teammates. You can't win any game without teammates, and I had the best of them. Over 850 of them in my time. Getting here as a series of reflections of their talents. I don't have all day here, I only have ten minutes and I might be over – I’m sorry, I'm an emotional guy because I wear my heart on my sleeve. So I'm going to give my guys a verbal montage, please bear with me.

Please bear with me: One Dog, Rock, Grabek, R.V., Ozzie, Joey, Pudge, Karko, Psycho Lyons, Bo, Ellis, Black Jack, the Deacon, Sugar Ray, Alex, Wilson, Bere, Roberto, Thiggy, James Baldwin, Billy Bob, Buehrle, Hot Rod – thanks for the program Hot Rod. D. Bo., Magglio, Carlos, Rowand, Jermaine Dye. He’s here today along with Aaron Rowand. Ivan, Phil, Paulie, Crede, Uribe, Charles Johnson, Sandy, T. Phillips, Harold, Melido, Howry, Foulke, Mike Jackson, Flash, Kenny, Sandy, A.J., Robbie, McElroy, Marullo, Spanky, Julio, Willie Chill, Singleton, Mouton, Davey, El Duque, Fordyce, Leifer, G. Bell, C. Everett, Danny Pasqua, D.J., McCaskill, Paul, Huff, Valentin, Abbott, Devereaux, Kammy Kam (mentioned him twice by accident), John Kruk, Sirotka, Magrane, Freeman, Krueter, Norton, Tartabull, D. Lew, Scott Eyre, Navarro, Bradford, Castillo, Mark Johnson, Garland, Lowe, Eldred, Graffanino, Marte, Bartolo, Cotts, Glover, Loaiza, Contreras, Freddy, Politte. I know it’s long. Sorry. Jenks, Lee, B.A., Podsednik, Blanton, Kiko, Duke, Gaudin, Harden, Haren, Kotsay, The late Joe Kennedy. He left us too soon and was a special friend of mine. Saarloos, Huston, Zito, Kendall, Melhuse, Swisher, Chavy, Crosby, Ellis, D.J., Scutaro, Milton, Kielty, J. Payton, Doc Halladay, Accardo, A.J., Downsie, Frasor, Rios, Casey, League, McGowan, Marcum, B.J., Towers, A. Hill, Vernon, Johnny Mac, Orlando, Reed, Raja and Big Red.

Yeah, it was real. You guys are my family away from home. I miss all of you, I’m glad to have known all of you, I’m sorry I couldn’t name the rest of you guys. I’d probably be getting hit on the head right now from the guys in the back, but I thank you man.

In closing I would like to say thank you to the city of Chicago. You guys make the Big Hurt who he was in the greatest sport town in America. I know I'm biased, but I thoroughly enjoyed every moment playing for you all. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Oakland and Toronto, I thank you for great fan bases, also making me feel at home. It was short lived but I appreciate the love from both of you great cities.

To all you kids out there, just remember one thing from today. There are no shortcuts to success. Hard work, dedication, commitment, stay true to who you are. God bless you all, and I thank you.

Brendon McCullum: 'Cricket was meant to be a game, not a life or death struggle'', Cowdrey Lecture - 2016

6 June 2016, Lords, London, United Kingdom

To Roger Knight, President of the MCC and Derek Brewer, Chief Executive and Secretary of the MCC; thank you for the opportunity to deliver this lecture in the name of Colin Cowdrey.

To Mike O'Farrell and Richard Goatley, Chairman and Chief Executive of Middlesex CCC respectively; thank you for the opportunity to play for Middlesex and to be in London.

To the members of the late Colin Cowdrey's family - it is a privilege to be with you.

And to the members of the MCC - thank you for being here this evening.

I was the kid in South Dunedin who lived for Saturday mornings, when I'd pull the curtains back and hope it wasn't raining, that the wind was blowing from the north and the sun shining. Any of you who've spent a summer in Dunedin will know I was often disappointed. Scottish mist, the locals call it, but there's a time and place for everything, and you could argue that summer in the South Pacific is neither. So I grew up not taking summer for granted. A day of sunshine was precious, because a day of sunshine meant cricket.

I remember the excitement of travelling to the ground with kit bags in the boot of our mum and dad's car, finding a park some distance from the entry to Logan Park, and walking past dozens of games being played by children of all ages.

Turning up at the ground, my thoughts were not of nervousness or fame or fortune; nor of disdain for the opposition. It was all about the game; it really was the beauty and innocence that sport can bring.

There were no concerns that if I didn't perform I may lose my contract.

No worries about lost fame or relevance in a game that can make you a household name in countries all over the world. There was no anxiety of having to testify against a former team mate in the Southwark Crown Court.

No concern about how to integrate a team-mate who had lost the captaincy which I had since taken over. No media that seemed to delight in criticism.

No second thoughts about charging the spinner only to check myself because I remember the mortgage, the mouths to feed at home and the ramifications if I ran past the ball.

My father Stu played 76 first class games for Otago - he must have been a great team man and tourist as he sat on the bench for about the same number of games! The Otago team at the time are held in folklore back home as a group of gnarly uncompromising men from the deep south of New Zealand. They played the game hard, very hard. According to lore, they were remunerated with a per diem that covered a pie, a pint and a punt, of which my old man enjoyed all three in abundance.

When dad talks today about his cricketing experiences he doesn't refer to runs, wickets, averages or aggregates but, rather, the friendships, camaraderie and experiences of his time as a semi-professional cricketer.

It is, of course, cricket that's brought me here, to the other side of the world, to stand before you, one of the proudest and most distinctive sporting clubs in the world, to deliver the Spirit of Cricket lecture named after the great Colin Cowdrey.

I may be a veteran these days, as my knees and back keep reminding me, but I'm almost ten years younger than Cowdrey was when he finally called an end to his involvement in Test cricket.

I never saw him play, but he was one of the first great players I remember becoming aware of as a boy. My friend and lawyer, Garth Gallaway, who is here this evening, remembers the England side touring New Zealand in 1970-71. Cowdrey, a man of the church, missed the first Test in Christchurch through illness and travelled to Dunedin at the invitation of Garth's father, Iain, to preach at St Paul's Cathedral. He had dinner at the Gallaway home and brought with him the Telegraph cricket correspondent, Michael Melford - and Cowdrey and Melford spent an hour on the back lawn bowling to seven-year-old Garth.

Unfortunately, I can't see that happening these days - a seven-year-old boy would be far too good for most of the cricket writers I know!

Cowdrey's record is there for all to see and, to my mind, he personified everything that is wonderful about cricket. He was (from all accounts) a courageous and skilful player but never combative and unpleasant - elegant, prodigious, calm and, most of all, he played the game fairly.

Against the West Indies in 1963, Cowdrey's arm was broken on the fourth day of the Lord's Test, fending a Wes Hall bouncer from his unprotected face. On the fifth day England were battling for a draw and, with just a couple of balls to go and England nine down, Cowdrey, plaster-cast on his left arm, went to the crease and helped see England home.

Just as inspirationally, he was summoned to Australia in 1974-75 after England had been hammered in the first Test at the Gabba. He hadn't played a Test in four years and there he was, with no warm-up game and coming out from an English winter, batting at three for England against Thomson and Lillee.

It's no wonder the crowd gave him a standing ovation as he walked out to bat.

Legend has it that he looked at Jeff Thomson and said, "Mr Thomson I believe? How good to meet you." To which the Australian quick said, "That's not going to help you fatso, piss off."

Some things never change!

Cowdrey made 22 in the first innings facing 101 balls and batting for over two hours. In the second innings he offered to open and, in scoring 41, he withstood Thomson, Lillee, Walker and Mallet for over two hours. He was nearly 42 years old!

If ever we needed proof that the game can be played with grit and determination, with courage and with dignity and, above all, in the appropriate spirit - we need look no further than Michael Colin Cowdrey.

So it's with considerable humility that I stand before you today and deliver this lecture in his name.

Even though, for much of my career, I'm bound to say (sadly), I was very unlike Colin Cowdrey.

In the early days of my international career I was proud to be called brash, aggressive and perhaps even arrogant.

When I first made the New Zealand ODI team, there were at least a couple of guys who were my heroes who had a swagger and sense of entitlement and arrogance about them.

Did I want to be like them? You bet I did!

I became incredibly competitive; winning was everything and I didn't really care what it took to win.

I now look back on that part of my game with regret. There are many things I would change if I could. I guess growing up in a cricketing sense is no different to growing up in life, except that it's a much more public rite of passage where everything you do is scrutinised.

There's no escaping some of the things I've done. It's on video - posterity in the worst possible way.

You probably want an example and fair enough too. Much as it pains me to talk about it publicly, I'll tell you how I ran out Muttiah Muralitharan.

We were playing Sri Lanka at Lancaster Park in Christchurch in late 2006. Kumar Sangakkara scored a magnificent 100 in the second innings. When Kumar reached his 100, Sri Lanka were nine down - the ball was still in the air being returned to me as wicketkeeper when Murali left his ground to congratulate Kumar. When the ball arrived in my gloves, I removed the bails and appealed. Murali was given out and we went on to win the match.

Not surprisingly, the incident created controversy and bad feelings. The Sri Lankans were stunned. Their captain Mahela Jayawardene said at the time: "Legally it was run out, the ball was alive, but we play in an age where we talk about the spirit of the game. Hopefully it won't happen again. It's not the way to play cricket."

If I could turn back time, I would. We were within the laws of the game but not the spirit and there is a very important difference which is glaringly obvious to me years later, and it's that aspect that I want to focus on a little more this evening.

Because nearly ten years after running out Murali, I view things very differently and I would hope that I am am a very different person. Kumar Sangakkara is here tonight. Sanga, I admire you enormously. I regard you as a friend. And I take this opportunity to apologise to you and Murali for my actions on that day.

I want to share with you the things that I think were the primary catalysts for my change of approach. And I think it's fair to say that they came late in my career.

At the time they were particularly challenging for me and forced me to confront my character and question why I was playing the game. Eventually, they allowed me to see what was important about playing cricket and, as a consequence, my love of the game returned - very slowly at first and then in a flood.

The first event was my first Test as captain of New Zealand. I had taken over the captaincy of the team from Ross Taylor and, to put it mildly, it was a controversial decision - played out constantly in the national media. To give you an example of the depth of feeling in New Zealand, the late Martin Crowe, a magnificent player, announced to the media that he had burned his New Zealand blazer in disgust. Strong stuff.

In early January 2013, we played South Africa at Cape Town. It was a gorgeous day, but the pitch at Newlands looked a little bit green. I'd read about 'the table cloth on Table Mountain'. If there was no table cloth - no cloud cover - then the theory was that you bat first on winning the toss. But if there is cloud on the mountain then the rule is to put South Africa in. I stared at the mountain looming over the city and saw bright blue sky, not even a wisp of cloud. So when I went out out to the pitch to toss the coin with Graeme Smith, I'd decided that if we won the toss, we'd bat. I wanted to make a strong statement, particularly to my team but also to the opposition.

Nineteen overs and two balls later we were all out for 45. I'm not sure what happened to the table cloth - it felt like Steyn, Morkel and Philander had whipped it away under us.

The tenth lowest total in 2069 Tests.

If an innings of 45 all out doesn't force you to reconsider what you're doing, I guess nothing will.

After returning to my room that evening, there was a knock on my door. It was the coach, Mike Hesson. Soon after we were joined by Mike Sandle, the manager, and then Bob Carter, the assistant coach. This uninitiated meeting was to play a significant part in what was to unfold over the next few years.

We grabbed beer from the fridge and talked. We didn't 'white-board' it, we just spoke from our hearts; about who we were as a team and how we were perceived by the public. It was agreed that we were seen as arrogant, emotional, distant, up-ourselves and uninterested in our followers.

The environment that the younger players were being welcomed into was really poor - there was a very traditional hierarchy, where senior players ruled the roost.

Ultimately, we concluded that individually and collectively we lacked character. The key for all of us was the team had no 'soul'. We were full of bluster and soft as putty.

It was the first time I had really stopped to consider this in 11 years of international cricket.

The significance of what occurred that evening day was that we recognised that we had to change. We wanted to personify the traits that we identified in New Zealanders - to be humble and hardworking. We wanted to be respected by our long-suffering fans in New Zealand. We wanted to be respected by our opposition; and before we could demand this we had to learn to respect them.

A lot has been written about how the New Zealand team played in subsequent years. I think that no one has captured it better than former Middlesex captain, Ed Smith. Writing for Cricinfo, he said: The manifestations of that contribution are well known - freedom, openness, sportsmanship, the embrace of risk and adventure, and rowing back from the toughness-is-sledging delusion. But how did McCullum reach the insights that led to those characteristics and opinions? And why was he able to stay true to them on the big stage?

He went on to say: Athletes and sports teams waste huge space and energy on external motivators - mission statements about trying to be the best team in the world by 2057; blueprints for global dominance; strategic flow charts about key performance indicators. In fact, if every sportsman simply tried to be the best he could be, and attempted to behave decently along the way, you've pretty much summed up every available optimal strategy in one simple sentence. After all, you can't be better than your best. And nothing matters more than how you feel about the way you've lived your life.

I couldn't agree more with Ed's comments. The things that worked for us may not work for everyone. In changing the way we approached the game, and respected the opposition, we wanted to be true to our national identity.

In terms of that, New Zealanders identify with strong silent types. Perhaps our greatest hero is Sir Edmund Hilary - the first person to climb Mt Everest.

He had a chiselled jaw - he never spoke boastfully about his remarkable achievements and he devoted a considerable part of his life seeking to improve the quality of life of the Nepalese people he loved so much.

Ed Smith recognised in his article the fact that sports people can spend an awful lot of time deep in analysis - every breath they take is analysed, nothing is left to chance. For us as New Zealand cricketers we wanted to remove a lot of the analysis; we wanted to be 'blue collar' in how we went about things, not aloof and superior. We reduced the various theories that had dominated so much of what we did; we planned less, had fewer team meetings and we tried to be the very best we could be. We wanted to be a team that people could be proud of; and if in doubt we wanted to play the game aggressively, not fear failure. I have been given far too much credit for what we achieved - the approach was taken by every member of the squad. Everyone bought into it and lived and breathed it.

And the joy of respecting the opposition was a revelation. There are times in a game where you simply have to enjoy the skill of the opposition and acknowledge it appropriately. Recently I played for the Gujarat Lions in the IPL. We took on the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who batted first. After three overs RCB were 10 for 1 with Chris Gayle back in the pavilion. From there followed a slaughter of our attack by AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli - they broke the world record for the highest T20 partnership, scoring 229 runs between them. We tried everything to remove them; we bowled full, short, wide, into the pads and so on. The quicks tried taking the pace off the ball. Nothing worked. AB and Virat's batting that day was breathtakingly skillful.

Fielding at cover or mid-off for most of the innings the fan in me, the cricket lover, had the best seat in the house. Rather than admonish our bowlers for what occurred this was a time to celebrate genuine mastery.

In a similar vein, I was interested to see the reaction to Alastair Cook's very considerable achievement of becoming the youngest player to score 10,000 runs. In an age where superlatives are thrown about willy-nilly, Alastair's achievement is truly remarkable. But much of the coverage that followed focused on whether he can beat Tendulkar's record tally of Test runs - with calculations being undertaken of how many Tests he may play, how many runs per season he could score and a prediction being provided accordingly.

It is, I suppose, only natural that people would want to speculate in this way; but in doing so, in my view they risk failing to enjoy the moment; to reflect on what has been achieved here and now by a very fine player.

I want to talk now of the other really significant happening that affected my approach to the game. The events leading to it took place at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 25 November, 2014. On that day, Phil Hughes suffered injuries that were to prove fatal, playing for New South Wales against South Australia. Phil was a good man. He was likeable both on and off the field. The outpouring of grief that followed the tragedy were testimony to how much he was loved at home in Australia.

The New Zealand team was in Sharjah playing in a Test series against Pakistan when the news came through that Phil had been hit and was in intensive care.

We were about to begin the third and final Test against a dominant Pakistan side; they had recently demolished Australia 2-0 at the same venues as we were playing. We had been well beaten in the first Test at Abu Dhabi. To put the thumping we received in context, it was the largest winning margin (by runs) by Pakistan against any New Zealand team; and we took just five Pakistan wickets in the match.

We drew the second Test but certainly performed better.

Going into the third Test, we were very conscious that we hadn't lost a test series since 2012, and we desperately wanted to preserve that record by getting a win at Sharjah to level the series. But even as an eternal optimist, I had my doubts that a Test win in the UAE is possible.

Misbah won the toss and at the end of day one Pakistan were 280 for 3. Just before the start of play on the second day, the bombshell arrived - Phil had died.

On hearing the news, my initial attitude was that we shouldn't be playing. I looked around the dressing room and felt that no one wanted to be playing cricket. It had lost all meaning. There was also the realisation that it could have been any one of us. None of us ever anticipated that someone could die from a cricket ball, not in this day and age. I always wanted our fast bowlers roaring in, having a winning attitude; intimidating, ready to exploit any lack of certainty or technique in a batsman, but not at the expense of someone's life. Cricket was meant to be a game, not a life or death struggle. It hit us all hard that for Phil, it had become exactly that.

Mike Sandle, Mike Hesson and I spoke to the match referee, Andy Pycroft from Zimbabwe. We told him we didn't want to play. The umpires were Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker, both Australians. They were broken and barely able to leave their room at the ground.

It was decided that we should take the day off and see how things looked the following day.

That night I rang Gilbert Enoka and told him that I didn't know what to do.

Gilbert is a sports psychologist in New Zealand who is held in very high regard. He has worked with the All Blacks and New Zealand cricket teams for years.

I explained to Gilbert that we had a group of men who were shattered and wanted to get on a plane home as soon as possible. It didn't feel right to continue playing, but we knew there was a good chance we'd have to. We were the only international game underway at the time and I felt we had to plan for the fact that we may be told we had to carry on.

Gilbert was incredible. He said we should not judge anything that anyone did during the week, and that people should grieve in their own way and concentrate their energy and emotions on themselves rather than the team.

He told me to try and bring everyone together; to try to lighten the mood if at all possible. Most meaningfully Gilbert said: 'All your preparation, all you have ever thought about in cricket, just throw it out the window for this one game.'

In saying this, it was like Gilbert took the weight off my shoulders and gave me a way to deal with what was happening - to realise that there were no rights or wrongs and the rule book could be thrown away.

That night most of the team shared a few beers in my room. The mood lightened at times but there was such a profound sense of disbelief, shock and sadness. We knew had to be at the ground the next day but deep down I think we all hoped the game would be abandoned and we'd be heading home.

Soon after arriving at the ground we were told that the game was going ahead, like it or lump it. The decision had been made for us. Looking back, I think this was the right decision but, at the time, it seemed wrong. In our dressing room there were a number of players weeping uncontrollably. It was to remain a common theme - as we walked onto the field the tears rolled down the faces of many of the lads and this continued sporadically during the day.

As a captain, I felt unable to protect the team and, as we stood in the middle before play began, I apologised to them for having to play.

I fell back on Gilbert's words; 'All your preparation, all you have ever thought about in cricket, just throw it out the window for this one game.'

I reminded the team that there would be no harsh judgement on any player's performance and no consequences for failure. I believe that what motivated us was Phil Hughes. We knew we had to play and we would do that as best we could, to honour Phil and the game itself.

The outcome of the 'uncaring', no-consequence play was a revelation to me. I suspect it was something I had been trying to achieve on a personal level for years; but I had been unable to do so, except for fleeting moments. Here there was a release of many of the external factors that can creep in and influence a player. There was an instinctiveness that took over - no fear of failure, just playing and being 'in the moment'.

From 281 for 3 at the end of day one, and 311 for 5 at drinks in the first session of what was effectively day two, Pakistan lost their last six wickets for 40 runs; and that opened the door for us, a little.

We put together 690 runs, the biggest total ever by a New Zealand side and the second-highest score against Pakistan by any team. As a team we averaged nearly five runs an over and we hit 22 sixes; a world record number in a Test innings. In my new-found mental freedom, I managed a double-century and Kane Williamson scored a much finer 192.

Pakistan were all out for 259; a splendid win by an innings and 80 runs and the Test series was squared.

This test was New Zealand's first win against Pakistan in Asia in 18 years, and the first innings win by New Zealand against any team in Asia in 30 years.

The way that Phil's death affected what happened didn't go unnoticed by those who witnessed it. Cricinfo saw it this way: 'The Kiwis were badly affected by the incident and didn't even celebrate any of their achievements. A remarkable thing to note here is that they barely applauded a wicket. Consider this: just the two bouncers bowled today and no close-in fielders in front of the wicket! Takes some doing and still they won the game in four days to level the series 1-1... full marks and hats off to the Kiwis for the spirit they have shown throughout the series. Certainly an example set for all the other sides to follow and act upon. Long live their attitude!'

The realisation of how we achieved the result through the manner of our play came sometime later. The team had drawn strength from one another and Gilbert Enoka's 'no consequences' brought a 'joy of life' in a cricketing sense that was richly ironic but, nevertheless, liberating. The big thing I took away from this Test is the way Phil's death affected our mind-set and the way we played in the rest of the match. It was so strange, and yet it felt so right, that after Phil's death we didn't really care any more about the result. Because nothing we could or couldn't do on the field really mattered in comparison to what had happened to Phil. Our perspective changed completely for the rest of my time playing Test cricket for New Zealand, and we were a much better side as a result.

Many observers have said that we were playing the way it should be played; as gentlemen who respected the history of the game. People undoubtedly warmed to the fact that we no longer sledged the opposition.

We worked out what would work for us, based on the traits of being Kiwis. To try to be humble and hardworking and to enjoy what we were doing. It is vital that you understand that we were never trying to be 'nice guys'. We were just trying to be authentic in how we acted, played the game and carried ourselves. For us, sledging in an abusive manner just didn't fit with who we believed we had to be. It wasn't authentic to being a New Zealander.

This is not the time to go through a microscopic examination of 'what is sledging' and to seek to define it. Everyone has a view of how the game should be played and everyone is entitled to their view - Jeff Thomson probably shouldn't have called Colin Cowdrey 'fatso' and told him to 'piss off '. But it's a great story and Colin had broad shoulders from all accounts.

The truth is that cricket is unique - you spend a lot of time out there, 'in the middle'. Humorous comments made in the heat of battle are gold. And when Colin Cowdrey's funeral took place at Westminster Abbey (with 2,500 people in attendance), it was Thommo who carried the Australian flag. Enough said.

In terms of our New Zealand side, we weren't righteous in our stance and demanding that other teams follow our lead, but for us it was so good to play free of the shackles - to genuinely love the game again, to acknowledge and enjoy the opposition. And for me, when I pulled back the curtains in the morning, wherever we were, I smiled when the sky was blue and felt the same anticipation I did growing up in Dunedin.

And so, in reflecting on my 14 years of international cricket, I again acknowledge my numerous failings and mistakes throughout my career. But I also celebrate that when I retired from international cricket the New Zealand team, through the contribution of everyone, has rediscovered its soul. It's now a team that our country is proud of. Our followers know that New Zealand won't win every game or be the world's best team, but I think they are able to look at the team as a representation of our culture. The team now has a magnificent player and leader in Kane Williamson - he will rightly stamp his own leadership style on the environment but I am certain he will always play the game with a strong influence of being a New Zealander - humble and hardworking. Like Sir Edmund Hilary.

I have talked about the final three years of my career in particular and the fact that during that time, I rediscovered my love of cricket. It wasn't, however, all 'beer and skittles'. Throughout much of that period the spectre of the allegations of match-fixing by Chris Cairns hung over me - and then, of course, the trial at the Southwark Crown Court, London, when Cairns faced charges of perjury.

I have no doubt that you will be very familiar with the evidence I gave in the trial in London last year. Namely that Cairns, my former hero, approached me to fix matches in 2008; once in Kolkata when I was playing in the IPL for the first time, and again during the New Zealand tour of England when we were in Worcester.

At the outset, I think it is appropriate, standing here at the 'Home of Cricket', to confirm that I stand by everything said in my statements and the evidence I gave at the Southwark Crown Court.

I did not initially report Cairns' approaches to me. As I said in the witness box when under cross-examination, it's not easy 'ratting' on someone I regarded as a mate. And, frankly, I was scared; and, frankly, I felt completely out of my depth. I unreservedly accept that I should have reported the approaches at the time that Cairns made them; but it was a dreadful situation to be in.

In any case, before the New Zealand team's first game in the World Cup of 2011, John Rhodes, a representative of the ICC's anti-corruption unit, addressed us. He told us that if we had been, or were, approached about match-fixing and we did not report it then we were, in the eyes of the ICC, just as guilty as the person who approached us. I had told other people about Cairns' approaches - one of them was my captain and friend, Dan Vettori.

After John Rhodes completed his address I approached Dan and we went and saw Rhodes, telling him I had something to share with him. Rhodes took us to his hotel room where I detailed the approaches made by Cairns. Rhodes took notes - he did not record our conversation. He said he would get what I said down on paper and that it would probably end up at the bottom of the file with nothing eventuating.

Looking back on this, I am very surprised by what I perceive to be a very casual approach to gathering evidence. I was reporting two approaches by a former international star of the game. I was not asked to elaborate on anything I said and I signed a statement that was essentially nothing more than a skeleton outline.

Needless to say, by the time I sat in the witness box in London in October 2015, I had made three statements in relation to the issues. The second statement was requested by the ICC's anti-corruption unit much later on - a clear indication that my first statement was inadequate - but how on earth could I have known that. As a player I had reported an approach - and it was recorded sparsely by the person I reported to.

My third statement was requested by the Metropolitan Police - later still - and, suffice to say, they were streets ahead in terms of professionalism. They asked me so many questions, testing my memory, and took a much more comprehensive brief.

Cairns' lawyer made much of the fact that I had made three statements and, when I was cross-examined, he hammered me on the basis that my evidence was unreliable because I did not say everything at the outset when interviewed by John Rhodes.

In fairness to Rhodes, I don't think either of us could ever have foreseen that my first statement would be used in a perjury trial in London four years after it was made. But the point I wish to make is that it must have been feasible that I would have to give evidence somewhere, sometime. I think players deserve better from the ICC and that, in the future, the evidence-gathering exercise has to be much more thorough, more professional. In my opinion a person taking a statement should ensure that the witness is advised about what may occur - that if evidence were to be given in the future and the witness did not put everything in that initial statement or changed what they said in any way, then this would likely impact on their credibility. When I made my first statement to the ICC, my impression was that it would be put in the bottom draw and never see the light of day again. No attempt was made to elicit a full and comprehensive statement from me on that occasion.

I had no legal obligation to turn up in London and give evidence against Cairns. Living in New Zealand, I could not have been compelled to give evidence and, frankly, I would much rather have stayed at home. But I believe I had a moral obligation to tell the truth - and I believe that the interests of the game of cricket and common decency demanded my attendance. But I do wish that the ICC had handled my initial approach more professionally for the reasons I have given.

Worse still (in May 2014) my testimony was leaked to Ed Hawkins at the Daily Mail. Everything I had said was in the newspapers for everyone to see.

I do not wish to dwell on the personal effect that the leak had on me - suffice to say it was, however, a dreadful situation as the media attention then focused on me. No witness who has provided evidence to the ICC should ever have to go through such a scenario again. The leak has never been explained to me; to my knowledge no one has been held accountable and, in those circumstances, it is difficult to have confidence in the ICC. To report an approach and to give evidence requires considerable courage - players deserve much better. How can the game's governing body expect players to co-operate with it when it is then responsible for leaking confidential statements to the media? It goes without saying that if players do not have confidence in the organisation, they will be reluctant to report approaches and the game is worse off. If we are to get rid of the scourge of match-fixing, a robust governing body is essential.

The other aspect that I want to touch on very briefly before closing is the position Lou Vincent is in - I played with Lou for a number of seasons. As will have become apparent during the course of his testimony in the Cairns' trial, Lou has his demons. He was always a vulnerable character; there are many similar characters who play the game. While loathing the fixing activities Lou took part in, I have nothing but admiration for him for the way in which he accepted responsibility for his actions and acknowledged guilt. I also think he demonstrated remarkable courage in giving evidence against Cairns.

The insight that Lou was able to provide into the dark and sinister world of match-fixing was, I think, invaluable. It would have been very easy for Lou to say nothing - to refuse to co-operate - but instead he laid his soul bare at considerable personal cost.

Lou's punishment from the ECB was to receive 11 life bans; one for each offence which carried that penalty. Lou is banned from having any involvement whatsoever in cricket. Perhaps the worst part is that Lou is unable to go to a cricket ground anywhere in the world. He can never watch his children play at any level. I struggle with the severity of this when a player has co-operated fully and accepted responsibility. While it was reported that Lou had agreed to the 11 life bans, I suspect that sitting in New Zealand without a dollar to his name, he was unable to do anything else. In the criminal law in New Zealand a defendant is given some clemency for co-operation and entering a guilty plea. It seems to me that Lou did not receive any such acknowledgement but, rather, had the book thrown at him.

I raise this issue because if we are to expect players to feel able to come forward and confess all, then there has to be some recognition of this. Many of the players who become involved in match-fixing in the way that Lou did will be weak or vulnerable; it is well known that the people who seek to engage players in this way will look for players of a similar disposition. If players co-operate with the authorities and provide the game with a rare and critical insight into the workings of this pernicious influence, then there must surely be something that can be done beyond giving them the maximum ban available. I have no doubt that the ECB's severe punishment of Lou has robbed the game of a golden opportunity to have him provide education to players, something I feel could have made a difference in the future. Further, it ignored his extreme vulnerability in a callous way.

In conclusion, none of what I have said changes my view that all players must report any approaches. It is a fundamental responsibility that we all share for the greater good of the game. But it is equally vital that players who do report are treated professionally and that their report is kept confidential.

Unless players can have confidence in the authorities and their processes, then I am sorry to say that the game will be the loser. Similarly, it is vital that players found guilty of offences having acknowledged wrongdoing are shown a degree of clemency - failing which there seems to be very little incentive for them to come forward.

I have talked for far too long and it is time to close. Before doing so, I would like to acknowledge the considerable assistance I received from New Zealand Cricket throughout the period that I have referred to in my address. In particular I acknowledge the Chief Executive, David White, for his unwavering support of me - I remain eternally grateful.

If I may be permitted to make one final comment - then it is this. Cricket is a wonderful game that is played in many parts of the world. It is unique and it should be treasured and preserved; players and administrators alike are guardians.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have played the game for so long and to have had the experiences I have had. While I have earned more than a pie, a pint and a punt per day through being a professional cricketer, I have retired from first-class and international cricket without memories of aggregates, runs, wickets, catches or matches won. Rather, I treasure the memories of playing with and against so many wonderful people - as my father did before me.

Phil Bennett: 'Look what these bastards have done to Wales', pregame Wales v Engalnd - 1977

5 March 1977, Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

Look what these bastards have done to Wales. They've taken our coal, our water, our steel. They buy our homes and live in them for a fortnight every year. What have they given us? Absolutely nothing. We've been exploited, raped, controlled and punished by the English — and that's who you are playing this afternoon.

Is the speech apocryphal? Here is Bennett's explanation.

Jim Telfer: 'You are privileged. You are the chosen few', Everest speech - 1997

21 June 1997, Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa

The easy bit has passed. Selection for the Test team is the easy bit. You have an awesome responsibility on the eight individual forwards’ shoulders, awesome responsibility. This is your f***ing Everest, boys. Very few ever get a chance in rugby terms to get for the top of Everest. You have the chance today.

Being picked is the easy bit. To win for the Lions in a Test match is the ultimate, but you’ll not do it unless you put your bodies on the line. Every one jack of you for 80 minutes. Defeat doesn’t worry me. I’ve had it often and so have you. It’s performance that matters. If you put in the performance, you’ll get what you deserve. No luck attached to it. If you don’t put it in, then we’re second-raters.

They don’t respect you. They don’t rate you. The only way to be rated is to stick one on them, to get right up in their faces and turn them back, knock them back. Outdo what they do. Outjump them, outscrum them, outruck them, outdrive them, outtackle them, until they’re f***ing sick of you.

Remember the pledges you made. Remember how you depend on each other at every phase, teams within teams, scrums, lineouts, ruck ball, tackles.

They are better than you’ve played against so far. They are better individually or they wouldn’t be there. So it’s an awesome task you have and it will only be done if everybody commits themself now.

You are privileged. You are the chosen few. Many are considered but few are chosen. They don’t think f*** all of us. Nothing. We’re here just to make up the f***ing numbers. No one’s going to do it for you. You have to find your own solace — your own drive, your ambition, your own inner strength, because the moment’s arrived for the greatest game of your f***ing life.

The Lions won the first Test 25-16

Ian McGeechan: 'Today will determine what we are", 3rd Test v South Africa - 2009

5 July 2009, Ellis Park, Johannesburg, South Africa

They’ve said there’s nothing to play for, that it’s a dead series. I’ll remind you of what Gats (assistant coach Warren Gatland) said on Wednesday – I think we’ve got everything to play for.

Because today will determine what we are. It will say everything about us. The biggest thing you earn in this jersey is a respect and a reputation, and to any person, that’s the biggest thing you can have, for what you do and what you stand for.

We can leave a legacy…in this last game, in this jersey, for the players to pick up in four year’s time. For four years, we leave something that makes sure that when people think about the Lions, they think about the good. They’ll think about you, they’ll think about this performance and they can live with it for four years.

Some of you might be there to pick up the next jersey in four years time. Some of us won’t be. Please, please give them something to play for and something to understand.

Good luck, but play for everything we want that jersey to be and everything you’ve made it so far. All the best boys.

The Lions won the test, 28-9

Neil Warnock: 'Any injuries?', half time rant, Huddersfield v Shrewsbury Town - 1995

22 April 1995, New Meadow, Shrewsbury Town, United Kingdom

Any injuries? How  can there be any fucking injuries, silly question, hey?

look at me while I'm talking.

The second goal! The fucking first goal. You [expletive] are {expletive] as soft as shit!

You're letting him fucking back into you all fucking day, you!

You're all having a laugh ere!

We're third in the fucking league and we've got 2000 fans, and they're getting pissed on, and we haven';t got as much passion.

Simon, let's have someone who'll put his fucking head in. You go on boys runs for the throws.

Second ball,  you got in every time.

Now listen we're going to change 4:3;3

Oh jesus, how many times have we heard I know I know I know, we don't want you to know.. We want us to fucking [inaudible] out there!

Don't try and do everything. Just into the box, back, fucking tackling.

Tackling now.

Listen, we aint got where we are, mid table, by not playing as a team. We weren't a team then were we.  Now we've got forty five minutes, I'm not worrying about the result, we've lost the game as far I'm concerned, I'm worried about Neil Warnock's side out there, 2000 fans out there, one goal and they will panic. Now everyone concentrate ... don't be soft as shit, and let's [expletive] [inaudible]

John Sitton: 'F*ck the technical shit', Leyton Orient v Brentford rant - 1995

26 December 1994, Griffin Park, London, United Kingdom

John Sitton was coach as Leyton Orient faced fanancial collapse in 1994-5 season. This rant appeared in the documentary Orient: Yours for a Fiver. Language warning.

I’ll tell you the fucking truth

I said to him on the bench, there’s no fucking players anymore! I want to say, I’ll fucking, do with you. From me to Lee Shearer you’re saying, go on,you have a six yard run at me.

You can’t mark like that in the fucking box!

He’s popped it in, that’s the fucking second goal. The third goal, I know I’ve told you to stay up, but you’ve gone from one extreme to the other ...

[game description]

Well now I'll tell ya! I'll fucking tell ya! What this fucking geezer wants. But you, you'd have sussed him out. He's looked at it, and there's about six or seven of you in ere, he's eight, Westys nine, who are on 35 grand a year plus.

You've all gotta go. You've all gotta go. Any of yer on 35 grand and all that, you've all gotta go. He [the chairman] wants to bring players in on 250 pound a week. He wants a wage bill of 5 grand a week. That's what he wants.

But who's gonna fucking come and take ya? On that performance. What he don't know, he's playing with the big boys now it's a different ballgame.

he don't realise that contracts mean something

But what he's thinking about, because he's got the clout, he's thinking about offering you settlements. That's what he's thinking, and I said to him, out on the sideline, I hole me hands up ... I'm beginning to think the geezers right!

Because I know if Shearan'd be in a kit, you'd be off!

And I know if Wilkie be in a kit, you'd be off!

Because I'd get more out of them fucking kids! Bernie there is holding the back four together, and the only one who's done any work is the goalkeeper.

So I'm beginning to think he's right. Let's get people in on 200 pound a week and 250 pound a week. They might fucking listen. And then we can get the back right, and then we can get the midfield right, and then we can move to the forwards.

He might be right! I think he is right! Because none of you, except for those two, have done anything to justify the money that you are being paid. None of you!

You're a fucking disgrace!

Fuck the technical shit, it's down to this [taps heart]

In the words of Graham Taylor, to his fucking crew, when he was coach of Aston Villa, you got us into the is fucking mess, now you get us out of it!'

John Sitton: 'And if you come back at me, we’ll have a f*cking right sort out in here', half time v Blackpool - 1995

7 February 1995, Brisbane Road Stadium, East London, United Kingdom

Sitten's Leyton Orient 1-0 down at half-time against Sam Allardyce’s Blackpool in February '95 and exasperated with his team, Sitton sacked defender Terry Howard before offering to fight two of his players, Barry Lakin and Mark Warren. Tirade appeared in documentary, 'Orient: Yours for a Fiver'. Language warning.

I spoke to you the other day about a new contract. About the possibility of a new contract. And all I’m saying is, when it pops out, you’ve got to be crafty, you’ve got to drift off. And when it pops out, you’ve got to establish possession ... for a red shirt.

And all I’m saying to you is get your body ... you is lucky that you go the free kick.

Now don’t be coming back at me, when I’m shouting at ya, above the crowd and above the [inaudible]

Because I’ll run this fucking football club until I’m told otherwise by the fucking circus upstairs. If you come back at me, you’ll be off the field, and you’ll be following Terry down the rope.

You come and see me because you’ve already got a fortnight’s notice, because that performance is the straw that broke the camel’s back!  And that will not be tolerated in this dressing room ... while I’m charge, with Chris Turner.

That is the fucking straw that broke the camel’s back, that is typical fucking Leyton Orient,

You sit, ‘you fucking too intense, nobody can talk to you, you’re this your that’. I never fucking followed two good games up with a fucking game like that. The reason I was fucking intense was that I wanted to play well again.

But I’m wasting me breath on some of ya. I’m wasting me breath on some of ya.

What did I say to ya, about good players, they want to be good players all the time? Don’t you know how profound that is, are you’re not examining the fucking words.

Because you’ve had two good performances and you think I’m ‘Bertie Big Bollocks tonight, I’ll fucking play how I like.’

But you won’t play how you like, because if you play how you like, I’ll fucking stick the youth team in. If I’m going to take abuse from a bunch of cockroaches behind me, I’ll take abuse by doing it my way.

And that is fucking conformity, not fucking non conformity.

So you, you little c*** when I tell you to do something and you, you fucking big c*** - when I tell you to do something, do it. And if you come back at me, we’ll have a fucking right sort out in here.

‘And you can pair up if you like. And you can fucking pick someone else to help you, and you can bring your fucking dinner. Because, by the time I’m finished with you, you’ll fucking need it. Do you fucking hear what I’m saying or not?'

[To Terry Howard] You see me in the morning.

Dane Pound: 'You are doing my head in! Get back to the footy club!' VAFA Divisons Coach of the Year - 2017

4 December 2017, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia

Dane's team came back from 56 points down to win the Grand Final

Cooper Cronk: 'Because while football is very important, life is way more important', Retirement speech - 2017

The farewell speech to end all others 💜 #ThanksCooper pic.twitter.com/74ZnuucOLK

— Melbourne Storm (@storm) October 4, 2017

3 October 2017, Melbourne, Australia

On Craig Bellamy

Craig sets an agenda or an example of what it takes to be successful but he also has this side of humility that makes you a better person and some guys have come to this club that have been really good players, way better than some of the other ones that have come through the door. “Some of the lunatics get out the door real quick because they just don’t fit and that’s because of Craig.

His humility from where he’s come from and what he has is something that I’ve learnt. The two lessons that I’ve learnt from Craig is that hard work pays off and humility is a trait that you want to have.

Craig thank you, you’re the biggest influence on my rugby league career. I thank you for the person you are and I wish you all the very best with your ever growing family with a couple of grandkids now and that brings a smile to my face, knowing that you’re very happy with your life and where it’s at and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

On Cmeron Smith

To Cameron and Bill — I tell you what we balled our eyes out the other day when we presented each other jerseys, it is emotional once you develop relationships over a long period of time and we all met in 2001.

Cameron used to drive me in his hotted up HG Holden car when I didn’t know the difference between a windscreen wiper and a mud flap but he would absolutely fang the thing on the Gateway Motorway and I remember one day it was teeming down with rain and he aquaplaned it at about 160km/h and I was holding on for dear life. So thanks for almost killing me ...

Thank you for doing the things we did.

On Billy Slater

We all know Billy’s story about driving down from Innisfail but we all don’t know the story that he used to drive a maroon Magna with roof racks — and who has surf in Innisfail, there is no surfboards.

He had moo cow seatcovers and I had a Nissan Pintara and we used to go down to the Gold Coast and race each other down there. Let’s just say I’d beat him hands down all the time.

We met each other in 2001 at Brisbane Norths and it’s now 2017 and what’s been done is, I would never have thought the moments we had back in 2001 that we’d all be standing here today.

The thing that I’m most proud of is not that we’ve won some competitions or some individual medals or represented our states and our country.

I’m proud that I’ve been a part of both of them getting married, both of them having kids, both of them having a life that they can be tremendously proud of. Not only in the things that they’ve achieved but the people they are and the example they are for other people in this room and everyone at Melbourne Storm.

On partner Tara

People used to get up here and thank their wives and their girlfriends for their influence on them as people and the way they play.

I used to sit there when I was 19 and think, they don’t help you tackle or run. So why are you thanking them?

But after meeting Tara a few years back I understand why you say thank you now. Because while football is very important, life is way more important.

So she’s not here tonight but Melbourne Storm is the second best thing that’s ever happened to me, Tara’s number one and I thank you very much everything you’ve ever done for me.

Shane Lennon: 'Climb the mountain, one more time!' 3\4 time address, RFL Grand Final - 2004

2004, Riverina Football League, New South Wales, Australia

Shane Lennon coached the Ganmain Grong Grong Matong Football Netball Club team. They won this premiership, and 2005-6 too.

Keep the engine goin keep the kettle boilin'.

Rightio boys that's three.

We always know, that our second half is better than our first. We always knew, that as the game progressed, we were goin' to get better.

Fresh legs.

We've done the work, haven't we? And we've done it together.

We're gonna climb the mountain one more time, boys. Climb the mountain one more time!

Pay the price, pay the price!

We'll take whatever they want to dish up.

We'll take the whacks in the head. We don't care.

Over there is where it matters!

Three gone, boys, one to go! Three gone, one to go!

Let's climb the mountain again, ay!

Quarter by quarter, ball by ball!

A game of footy, is like buildin’ a house, innit? Brick by brick. A game of footy is won a contest at a time and that’s how we’ve done it so far and that’s how we’re gunna do it again this quarter.

Remember the marathon runner? The whistle went, and he runs, doesn't he? And he runs, and he's focused and he keeps runnin' and when it gets hard he pushes through it and he pushes through it, and when he gets to the winnin' line he faints, because he's that rooted.

That's what we're gonna do! Like the boxer. We fight one more round. We get knocked down, we get up! We fight one more round.

And I'll tell ya something else boys. We've got em on the ropes! So we're gonna knock em out!

[Fucken oath]

Related content: Nigel 'Occa' Dransfeld, 'There was this marathon chick', 2002

Brian Taylor: 'It's just first instinct', three quarter time, VFA Qualifying Final - 1992

30 August 1992, North Port Oval, Melbourne, Australia

Scores finished tied at the end of the final quarter. First ever game of extra time footy in VFA/VFL/AFL history.

It’s just first instinct, keep the game flowing, get the ball off, that sort of thing , Dave Lucas doing a fantastic job ... but no job is fantastic unless the bloody game has finished, now Dave big job now, because now’s the time he likes to get out and lurk [inaudible]., so you’ve got to really tighten up. You guys that we haven’t got quite enough from, they’re doing okay, a bit more from Pose, a bit more from Mick Sinni, a bit more from Rees, a bit more from Tommy Keipert and Tommy Shelton, now guys, you guys haven’t given us everything yet, and we’re still in front on the scoreboard. Now if you really give us something here, that is going to give us the opportunity to get into a good situation early, We cannot go fifteen minutes, goal for goal, let them creep back on us. We must get the early one, like we did in that quarter. You know the reward, it’s great enough to be worth striving for.

All year, think back to Walhalla (pre season training camp), how far you pushed yourself mentally,  and physically. You’re not going to go anywhere near that here today. Nowhere near it!

Shona MacInnes: VAFA Womens Awards Night - 2017

14 August 2017, Melbourne, Australia

Wow! Look at all you beautiful people! I hardly recognise some of you without your footy jumpers & braids.

Thank you everyone for coming to another historic event for the Amateurs.

Speaking of history, we like celebrating historical milestones. This is the 125th year of men playing footy in the Victorian Amateur Football Association & it’s year number 1 for women.

I want you to cast your minds forward to 2067. It will be the 175th year of the VAFA and, more significantly, the 50th year of women playing footy in the Amateurs.

I’m sure they will have a gala event, even bigger & better than this, and someone will tell the story of when this all began. There won’t be a microphone like this but there will be an old screen like that because they will show snippets of the very first game of women’s footy played in the amateurs on Friday April 7th, 2017, between Hampton Rovers and Ormond.

It will seem like so long ago.

The audience will find the grainy old two Dimensional images slightly amusing. Someone will point out Kate MacQueen running around for Ormond. They will all know her because she had been a famous AFL player.

They will marvel at how we used to drive our own cars to the footy, and that there was this round thing called a steering wheel and we used to go like this and use pedals to make the car go where we wanted it to. They will find it hard to believe that it took an hour to get from Mentone to Marcellin.

And they will be intrigued by how we had things called phones & how we looked at them constantly. And these phones had screens and we used to use our fingers to do something called typing which was touching letters on the screen to writemessages. And we couldn’t be with-out them or else we’d get lost.

On this night in the future they may chuckle at our primitive technology, our phones and our segregated toilets but what they won’t giggle at –  is us.

They will look back on us with great respect and fondness, as we look back on the good people in history who were adventurous & progressive & who changed things for the better. They will be grateful to the men & women of the VAFA for starting this competition and for the sound foundations we put in place for them.

They will talk about a Board who made the most courageous decision in the 125 year history of the amateurs and, once made, unreservedly and without question supported this venture.

They will mention the small band of staff who, despite already running a competition with 10,000 players, took on the extra work load with enthusiasm and diligence. They will be grateful for the type of competition we ran and how we welcomed and included everyone.

They will listen in disbelief that 2017 was the first year a female umpire had officiated at an AFL match because by then umpiring will be a gender-neutral occupation.

They will thank the progressive & courageous Presidents & Committees of the foundation clubs who had the foresight & energy to see that women’s footy was the way forward.

They will talk about the coaches, who were mainly men in the beginning, who championed our women’s game and without hesitation shared their experience & knowledge.  

But above all they will applaud the brave young women who joined up to play, many of whom had never played before.  And how, at the start of the season, they turned up to training, awkward & unsure, but who listened and learned and worked hard to mould the competition into what it would become in the future.

They will note those women who went on to play AFL football, become famous coaches & administrators of the game and leaders in all fields in the community as a result of this competition. They may even point out the person who went on to become the first female to run the AFL. They will mention how this competition changed the lives of many of those girls and bettered the community as a whole.

Now, think of this:  Some of you players here tonight will be at this function in 2067, you will be in your 70’s and you will be guests of the VAFA and revered as pioneers and legends of the competition.

So: In 50 year’s time remember this night, and this year, and what all of us here have collectively achieved. Look back on it with great pride and truly appreciate what you were part of.

And as voices from the future we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

Jack Charles (by Tony Wilson): 'It's a month where moments become monuments', AFL Finals rituals - 2016

released 1 September 2016

It’s a month

A month when the mowers rattle on suburban nature strips and we smell the cut grass

A month when the warmth re-enters the earth

A month when we gather

 in anticipation

in celebration

in despair

A month of walking in the steps of our ancestors

Colours flying

Tribal colours

Colours of hope, of belonging

a common language

The inescapable colours of spring

It’s ten thousand at training

Suburban grounds filled to the brim

It’s ‘this is your captain speaking ... best of luck in the big game tomorrow’

It’s making the trip

It’s getting there, no matter how far

A month of cities divided,

 Cities united

A month for cheer squads staggering under the biggest banner for the year

Those last ten seconds of the national anthem

In joyful strains

Straining to contain the excitement

Overflowing into a roar that shakes the very foundation

A month for entertainers

The whole thing bigger than television can ever explain

The thump of sound hitting your body

A month for making new aquaintances

And for saying goodbye.

It’s a month where moments become monuments

Jezza’s mark

Shaw’s smother

Harmes has run faster than the kick!

Scarlett’s toe

Nick Davis ... Nick Davis!

Buckenara and poor Jim

“I was there you know. I was there”

Goddard’s mark

It’s a month

No... it’s the month

LaDanian Tomlinson: "On America’s team, let’s not choose to be against one another" pro football Hall of Fame: 2017

 5 August 2017, USA 

If this was my last day on Earth, and this my final speech, this is the message I’ll leave with you. The story of a man I’ve never met, my great-great-great grandfather George. 170 years ago, George was brought here in chains on a slave ship from West Africa. His last name, Tomlinson, was given to him by the man who owned him. Tomlinson was the slave-owner’s last name. What extraordinary courage it must have taken for him to rebuild his life after the life he was born into was stolen. How did he reclaim his identity, his dignity, when he had no freedom to choose for himself?

I grew up on the land of a former slave plantation. And although I didn’t know this as a child, it is where my great-great-great grandfather tilled the soil. A few years ago, I visited that same plantation with my family and stood in the slave quarters where he lived. It’s now named Tomlinson Hill.

My name began with the man who owned my great-great-great grandfather. Now it’s proudly carried by me, my children, my extended family. People stop me on the street because they know me as L.T. the football player, but after football, people have begun to recognize me as LaDanian Tomlinson, not simply for what I did as a football player but for who I am as a man. The family legacy that began in such a cruel way has given birth to generations of successful, caring Tomlinsons.

I firmly believe God chose me to help bring two races together under one last name, Tomlinson. I’m of mixed race, and I represent America. My story is America’s story. All our ancestors, unless we’re American Indian, came from another country, another culture.

Football is a microcosm of America. All races, religions and creeds living, playing, competing side by side. When you’re a part of a team, you understand your teammates — their strengths and weaknesses — and work together toward the same goal, to win a championship. In this context, I advocate we become Team America.

In sports, we’re evaluated on our desire, ability and given a chance to compete. America is the land of opportunity. Let’s not slam the door on those who may look different from us. Rather, let’s open it wide for those who believe in themselves, that anything is possible, and are willing to compete and take whatever risks are necessary to work hard, to succeed.

I’m being inducted into the Hall of Fame because my athletic ability created an opportunity for me to excel in the sport I love. When we open the door for others to compete, we fulfill the promise of one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.

 Let’s choose to be for one another. My great-great-great grandfather had no choice. We have one. I pray we dedicate ourselves to be the best team we can be, working and living together, representing the highest ideals of mankind, leading the way for all nations to follow.

One of the most eloquent orators of all time said it best in his farewell address. Paraphrasing and humbly building upon what President Obama said, we all have to try harder, show up, dive in and stay at it. I am asking you to believe in your ability to bring about change. To hold fast in the idea whispered by slaves. “Yes, we can.”

Bob Uecker: 'When he called me about wrestling, I didn’t really want to do it', WWE Hall of Fame: 2010

27 March 2010, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Thank you very much. Thank you Richie (Dick Ebersol), long time friend. I had a lot to say but that (Antonio) Inoki guy (who spoke in Japanese) said the same stuff I was going to say. I was back there saying, ‘What’s he doing? He stole my stuff.’

Anyway, I wasn’t always a great player. People say, ‘You can talk the way you do because you were always a great ballplayer.’ Well, I wasn’t. Signed for a very modest $3000 bonus with the Braves. Which aggravated my old man because he didn’t have that kind of money to put out. But the Braves took it. And from there, I went on, was with the Braves twice actually. they didn’t believe I was as bad the first time, the second time I proved it . St Louis Cardinals where I showed up for every game, which i think showed great team spirit. And those I didn’t show up for I always tried to catch on the radio.

I played for the St. Louis Cardinals, where I won a world championship in 1964. Bing Devine was the general manager of the Cardinals at that time. He asked me to do him a favor that would really help the club. I said, ‘Sure, I’m a team guy.’ He said, ‘We want to inject you with hepatitis. That will allow us to call somebody up to take your spot.’ I said, ‘Can I sit on the bench?’ He said, ‘Yeah, we’ll put a plastic thing around you. Maybe you can go over and shake hands with some of the Yankee players and infect them.’ We went on to win the World Championship that year.

Actually, the first sport I tried when I was a youngster was football. My dad didn’t know a lot about sports but he wanted me to do what all the other kids were doing. He gets me this football. We were passing it and trying to kick it. I couldn’t throw it. He can’t throw it. We were really getting aggravated and stuff like that. Then a nice-enough neighbor came over and put some air in it, and it made a huge difference.

Actually, I took an interest in wrestling, in high school. I wasn’t a very big guy. I was about 5-11. I weighed, I don’t know, maybe 75, 80 pounds. A couple guys used to wear my supporter as a wristband. I came from a family that didn’t have a lot of money. My mother made my supporter out of a flour sack. Little specks of flower came dropping out of it. In the front, it said ‘Pillsbury’s Best.’

Tonight, I wore my Hall of Fame ring from wrestling. They gave everybody one from the WWE, thank you very much. All the other wrestlers got a diamond. I got a zircon. And theirs is not adjustable like mine. At the awarding of the championship rings the following year, that’s what every player’s dream is, a world championship. I remember opening night in St. Louis, 1965, they’re presenting the rings and they threw mine out in left field. I found it and put it on. Nobody else got theirs thrown. They had to hand it to them (shrugs).

I set a lot of records. I never stole a base in the major leagues. I never attempted to steal a base in the major leagues. I showed up for every game, which I thought showed great team spirit. The ones I didn’t show up for, I always tried to catch on the radio.

Meeting (NBC Sports and Entertainment Chairman) Dick Ebersol a long time ago. Midnight Special. Saturday Night Live. All those shows through Richie I participated in. When he called me about wrestling, I didn’t really want to do it. I was doing baseball Spring training was when Wrestlemania III was going to take place in Detroit. I kept telling him no but he came out there and we finally agreed to do it, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life.

I remember going to Los Angeles to do the promotion stuff. It was Hulk Hogan, (Andre) the Giant, (Bobby) the Brain (Heenan), Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, who coincidentally said, ‘Uke, why don’t you take a picture with Damian?’ I said, ‘Who’s Damian.’ He said, ‘He’s in the bag.’ I said, ‘So am I. Give me a couple more beers.’ So he took the snake out and I put him around me. He said, ‘Don’t worry. He’s big and he's strong.’ He got his tail around my leg and I’m holding him and I’m looking at Jake and he’s got this huge scar right here (on his chest). I said, ‘What is that?’ He said, ‘That’s where Damian bit me.’ I said, ‘Oh, what a great time that must be. I hope he bites me, too.’

I remember the one thing with Jake with Donald Trump’s wife, Ivana. He put that snake down at her feet and she left Wrestlemania so fast, she just left Donald there and she ain't seen him since, I guess.

We did the promotional stuff. I got to work with Mary Hart. Beautiful lady, great sport and all that. When we go to Detroit to do the show, I’m having the time of my life. And when the Giant came out and choked me, and let me go, I didn’t know he was going to do that. I really didn’t. I was supposed to talk about Vanna White. He didn’t care about Vanna White. He wanted to kill somebody. When he choked me and let me go, now if the camera stays on, you see me on top of Andre. Oh yeah. Vince McMahon was screaming, ‘Get off him. He’s got a match.’ I got him in a step-over toe hold, I don’t really know what it was. It wasn’t all Andre. I remember later on, when I was changing underwear (laughter)… I wasn't going to let that guy get away with that.

As I said earlier, some of the greatest times I’ve had in sports, entertainment, anything else, was to be around Richie, Vince McMahon and all these wrestling greats. The old-timers back there, back when I wrestled, I think got more interested in wrestling, when I was 8 or 9 years old, my mother started taking in wrestler’s laundry to make a couple extra bucks. I remember taking Dick ‘The Bruiser’s’ tights and putting them on. They were tight, nice. He came in the booth one day. I was doing play by play, imitating Dick ‘The Bruiser.’ (Gruff voice) Swing and a miss, struck him out. One day he came in and said, ‘Let’s see if you think you’re funny now.’ He was a football player with the Green Bay Packers, Dick ‘The Bruiser.’ All the wrestlers that came to Milwaukee in those years wrestled at the (indistinguishable) Hall. I started becoming a wrestling fan. I got a kick out of that. I still do today. Unbelievably strong, athletic. It reminds me of myself when I was younger.

When I look back, I was a right-handed-hitting, strikeout artist. Sooner or later, I was going to hit .200. It tied me with another sports great, Don Carter, one of our top bowlers. To have been a member of baseball team, to broadcast baseball today, to mess around with television shows and movies and all of this stuff, and tonight especially to be here with you. When I walked in here tonight and looked around, I said, ‘Man, this pace is jam packed.’ I know it will be tomorrow, too, for Wrestlemania. I'll be there, too.

Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your time tonight and patience. To all the members of the WWE, like I said before, great athletes, unbelievable entertainment. I don’t know how you guys do it, I really don’t All the body punches you take. That’s why I didn’t want to play and get hurt. Getting a hit once a month was OK. Hitting .200, that was OK. If you did more, they’d expect more of you. One hit a year, let’s leave it at that. Anyway, thank you very much for your time. Thank you."