Coach McKay had a way with words

HE SAID IT

Here's a sampling of some notable quotes from former Bucs coach John McKay:

After a 51-0 loss against Notre Dame while he was at USC:

"I told our players there were 700 million Chinese who didn't even know the game was played. The next week, I got five letters from China saying, 'What happened, Coach?' "

"When the game starts, there are two idiots. When the game ends, there's only one. The idea is to make sure that idiot is not you."

"Please inform Mr. Rajecki that I plan to attend all games."

"Our first guy on the field limped noticeably. The second was almost winded by the time he made it to the bench. And the third came out so slow I thought we'd get a delay-of-game penalty. If it had been a league game, it would have been 100-0."

"Like the fans, I figured at the start of the season we would go 14-0. Then we had the first kickoff and didn't score and I said, 'Well, I'll be damned.' Just give us time, we'll win. I don't know when. I hope it's in this century."

"I'm in favor of it."

"Anyone who needs a shower, take one."

After another uninspiring effort:

"We didn't tackle well today. But we made up for it by not blocking."

"They were absolutely horrible, and that's the best thing I can say. Besides that, they were bad. These people are not poorly paid, you know."

Asked where he stood on an upcoming game at Pittsburgh:

"With Custer."

"When he reads about it, maybe he'll leave town."

After being told his teams didn't play with emotion:

"Emotion is overrated. My wife is very emotional. She can't play worth a damn."

"They were too busy officiating. They were standing there with their hands raised like an Italian during World War II."

After driving inside the New York Giants' 20-yard line five times in 1977, but failing to score:

"We couldn't score against a stiff wind."

"Maybe that will distract the other quarterback."

On ending the franchise's 26-game losing streak by beating New Orleans in 1977:

"Three or four plane crashes and we're in the playoffs."

"I don't need to do it because I've been on Johnny's show before. I set a ratings record."

"There was no penalty called on the play. So Doug must have bit himself on the lip and broke his jaw."

"Capece's kick? No, I've never seen anything that gutty. Oh, once in World War II, I saw a guy pull nine people out of an airplane. Besides that, it was the most courageous thing I've ever seen."

"Capece is kaput."

"I said on my TV show they didn't know a quarterback from a banana stand, and someone sent me a crate of bananas. This week, I'm going to say most sports writers don't know a quarterback from a Mercedes."

"If the new uniforms are helping the Bucs win, I hope next year they change again. Really, I think you can play in overalls if you win."