Stan Mikita Quotes

Every team, in some sense, plays dirty. The game of football is dirty.

I just don't like when guys come and do dirty plays.

In all sports, people get competitive; things happen that shouldn't happen.

I like to bump people, to feel me getting into somebody's jersey. I'm just different. I like contact, like physical play, like pushing and holding. But I'm not dirty.

I'm always a player who has taken fairly rough treatment, to be honest. I think my time in Scotland typified that because I think there was one game where I set a record for being fouled ten or 11 times in a game.

The Russians are the dirtiest players I’ve ever seen.

On the pitch, I argue, I shout, I talk rubbish and generally do anything I can to get ahead.

The Sharks board agree red cards and dirty play cannot be condoned, and it is unacceptable that this behaviour be associated with the Sharks brand.

I've seen elbows that broke eye sockets. I've seen a German goalkeeper just level a French guy. His teammates thought he was dead lying on the ground. This was in 1982 at my first World Cup. But a bite is outside any kind of contact collision: dirty foul play. A bite is a bite.

My whole life I've hated to lose, no doubt about it. I've been guilty of that since I was 6 years old, at camp. I have always played to win. That's who I am. But I never hurt anybody. The problem is when you're perceived as being too aggressive where you hurt somebody or do something improper.

I was surprised I won the award because I've always been a very aggressive player and I earn my share of fouls on the court. I play rough, and because I'm an older player, of course I use tricks on the younger players.

If someone makes contact with you, it is a foul, and you are going to go down.

When we were playing, it was rough and tough. Even superstars like me fouled out a lot.

I've done it before, and I might do it whenever we need to as a big guy... I'll take it. A hard foul is part of the game, which is good.

Am I afraid of Madrid's violent play? No, every team plays according to their possibilities, and there's a referee who should judge.

There's shouting, there's blood, there's boogers, there's a whole thing. I mean, there's spitting, there's fighting, there's ripped jerseys. There's someone grabbing someone's throat. I mean, it's why you have football.

You can't do something stupid at any time. If you do, you're going to get technicals or flagrant fouls, or you're going to get kicked out of the game or whatever.

I can't be a nice man on the field. I try to laugh, but whenever I start laughing or be jovial, I get smashed.

It is okay to play tough and try to hit guys hard in the course of the play - that's fine - but I don't like unnecessary roughness or things that happen after the play.

Every time Luis Suarez is close, he pushes defenders around.

They better not put me in the All -Star Game. I won't shoot, but I'll dominate that easy game. I'll be playing hard defense. I'll be foulin'. I'll be flagrant fouling. Everyone will be like, 'What are you doing?'

Would I - or any defender - tell the referee to give a penalty if I made a foul in the box but it was deemed a fair tackle? No chance.

Being an agitator gives me an opportunity to draw penalties against the other team. That's one part that brings emotion to my game.

Opponents know how to get the fouls and it's gone against me a couple of times.

I have heard what has been said, but most of the time, I recover the ball without making a foul.