11 Questions with Willem Weijs

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Willem Weijs:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

I was in San Francisco for training sessions during a summer camp. I met some youth coaches from PSV over there and they asked me to come to PSV for an internship. When I heard that news a real dream came true. I decided to join them and it was a good chance to grab my chance. 

What attracted you to coaching/data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

What attracted me the most in coaching is the mysterie of creating a real team. Every person has his owns interests and background and I see it as a challenge to know the players better and build a strong relationship. The challenge to create your typical way of playing with the team is interesting every time when you start again. There are always situations during a season that you have to make decisions as a coach which you didn't learn on a course or by reading a book. To make the best decision in these situations is what attracts me!

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

In general I like it when a player has real weapons and I strongly believe in the fact that a team needs a lot of qualities and weapons to win games. But when I have to choose one position it's the number 6 on the midfield. The one who helps the two central defenders to build up. In my opinion Sergio Busquets is the best in the world on this position. He has everything I ask from a player on this position. He's skilled in receiving and passing, good in possession game, good eye for space, strong in taking position for second balls and can control the whole midfield with these qualities. I think the 6 is the most important player in the way how I want to play.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

That talent is calculable. It surprised me so often that I have a strong believe that you need some weapons and work hard and then there's possible so much. For sure not everything but a lot. 

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

The way how to manage and coach a team. I think as a coach you can learn really fast a lot of theoretical stuff but the way how to work together with your players and staff is much more complicated and takes more time.

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

For sure curiosity because I believe that when a person is curious knowledge will be a logical resumption. Besides, curiosity will take care of your growth mindset which is crucial to achieve your (personal) goals.

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

As a temporary head coach of NAC Breda we won against PSV Eindhoven in our cup game at home. It was a fantastic night in which everything came together. A good game plan, nice goals and amazing support that night.

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

I should give Pep Guardiola a lifetime contract because of two reasons. One, his game plan and way of playing is very clear, attractive and dominant. Two, he's a top coach who asks a lot from his staff, the players but also from his self. That shows me the belief that a lifetime contract isn't a problem at all.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

My favorite athlete is Lionel Messi. His quality and his weapons in the game are amazing and his personality with his calmness and balance in a world with so many temptations is admirable.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard.

11 Questions with Eoin O'Brien

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Eoin O'Brien:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

I haven’t had a role working directly in football at this point. I’ve started producing some of my own work in recent months, but I’ve been following data analytics in football for a long time. I’ve had a few very kind offers that I haven’t been able to accept right now, as I’m focusing on finishing a master’s degree within the next few months. I’d love to take up a role in football afterwards if an opportunity arises.

What attracted you to media/data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

I’ve always been interested in numbers. Football has been a massive part of my life, so the two just ended up crossing over. My undergrad was a maths degree, so I’d always try to apply things that I learned to football.

I don’t think that you can separate the names from the numbers. For all of the great uses of data in football, you have to be able to recognise it's limitations. The best analysts are the ones who can look at the broader picture.

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

It fascinates me when the data doesn’t seem to match the eye test for a player. I think that these types of players are particularly interesting because it can either highlight shortcomings in our metrics, or highlight biases that we have when watching players. It’s not always an easy task trying to work out which one it is! Either way, it presents an opportunity to learn more about how we evaluate players. 

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

I would say the idea that people who work with data are detached from others areas of the game. There’s an idea in some parts that data people don’t watch games, or consider the tactical side of the game enough. Good analysts can consider the broader picture and draw on the expertise of people in other areas.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

I would probably try to persist with R/python earlier. I have a lot of experience with both languages now, but it wasn’t easy to begin with. There is a steep learning curve at the beginning when you’re trying to learn a programming language and source data. I became a bit demoralised and ended up wasting time that I could have spent producing work. I wish that I had known that it gets a lot easier once you’re over that initial hill! 

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

It’s good to have a combination of both and I think that they often overlap. Being curious and exploring new things often leads to a accumulation of domain knowledge. It’s always good to standard out with some original ideas too.

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

I would have to say the 2005 champions league final in Istanbul. I liked football from an early age but I really fell in love with It and Liverpool as a club around that time. 

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

That’s a tricky one.. I feel like an obvious answer here is a young Messi or Ronaldo. But a player could also get a serious injury and never be the same again, so plenty of risks to consider. I’d go for Pep as a manager. 

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Don’t be afraid to put your work out there for fear of not being the most knowledgeable or experienced person in the field. You can still make a positive contribution. 

There are plenty of people willing to lend a helping hand. Everyone has to start somewhere. 

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

Messi. I just think that it’s hard to even grasp how good he is. He can make some of the most phenomenal athletes in the world look incredibly average. I'm delighted I got the chance to see him play live. 

What is your favorite quote or saying?

In keeping with the theme of this.. “All models are wrong. Some models are useful.” - George Box

11 Questions Peter a. Løhmann

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Peter Løhmann:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

I don't work in football :-)

What attracted you to media/data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

I guess I have an analytical approach to most things and my day job is as an analyst in the health and elderly care department of my local municipality.

I'm drawn to numbers and I like the challenge of trying to read them.

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

Players with a high level of tactical discipline. Players who exhibit tactical intelligence and play as though they're running a second or two ahead of everyone else.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

That numbers alone settle debates.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

As an analyst I'd love to have done proper statistical training (I've a master's degree in political science). I don't really have a "toolbox" as such, but sometimes that limitation can be an advantage, as being well-versed in many techniques can lead you to treat everything like a nail for your hammer rather than focusing on the problem you're trying to understand.

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

Curiosity!

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

Denmark winning Euro 92. That's how I got into football as an interest, not just playing myself.

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

I don't actually know my answer to that question. Rather than skill, though, I'd be looking towards someone who could be the harbinger and keeper of a successful culture.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Let the questions guide you, not the answers :-)

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

I don't think I have a favourite athlete, actually.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

I've loads! :-D At the moment I really like Eisenhower's "Plans are useless, but planning is invaluable".

11 Questions with Steven Scott

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Steven Scott:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

My first professional level opportunity in football came out because I simply put myself out there and impressed someone. I impressed him by creating a book, which showcased my knowledge and what not. I sent it to someone and then he replied saying that he was impressed but couldn't help me out right now. However, he kept me in the back of his mind and when something came up I was ready. From there you roll with it and do your best. One thing leads to another. Without that opportunity I wouldn't be where I am today. 

What attracted you to data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

To answer your question, it was just the game. I was attracted to the game. First it started out with watching it religiously, then it turned into coaching, then writing and analyzing it, then data came into play, etc. I am attracted to the game and all of the surrounding aspects around it. It's quite fascinating when you dig deeper into not only the gameplay, but when there's socio-economic, religious, etc., etc. aspects that give each nation, club, federation an identity. As an advertising/branding student - I can't get enough.
To cop out, I think it's impossible to have one without the other. No one should recruit a player or make tactical decisions solely on numbers or video. I believe there HAS to be both in order to be successful. For example, if you don't truly understand how data is evented (or gathered) you wont fully understand what the limitations and/or opportunities you'll have with data. With video, it's knowledge of the game and understanding what to look for. That being said, if you're into soccer/football analytics you should obviously have domain knowledge as well. 

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

I am always interested in the player that either you look over because he's executing every action as one should (Lahm, Busquets, etc), or the one that sees and reacts to things quicker than to everyone. To me, that's the difference between class and form, which is an important distinction.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

This one is tough to answer for me. I think I'd have to say that the recruitment process for players isn't as organized as what people think it is. Being the person I am though (OCD on efficiency and try to make systemic, sustainable, and repeatable frameworks) I'm hoping to change that.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

Math. I honestly think I'm terrible at math. I have good ideas but I don't know how to execute them. 
For others, I'd say work on communication. I've always had issues with people who can't communicate properly and effectively. If you can't convey an idea simply, it's no use to anyone.

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

I think curiosity leads to domain knowledge. At least, that's how I got mine. To answer your question, I'd say in the end it's domain knowledge. However you need curiosity to get that domain knowledge.  I'm realizing now this is a chicken and the egg question.

For example, I have lots of knowledge of the game because I was obsessed over understanding everything I came across. Tactical concepts, movement, techniques, etc., etc. One thing led to the other and it just hasn't stopped.

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

My own sports moment, going to my first ever Bundesliga game in Berlin when I lived there. Was absolutely fantastic. 
In terms of a neutral standpoint, it's probably between the UCL shootout between Chelsea and Manchester United and Nottingham Forest winning the league after promotion then winning two European cups back to back.  The UCL shootout has such a great story behind it, it's worth looking up why Van Der Saar pointed to his left when Anelka went up to take his penalty.

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

Coach: KloppPlayer: Messi
DoF: Promote Arsene Wenger

Why Messi? Because he's without a doubt the best player in the world and you can build a team around him.

For Klopp, I think I'd give it to him because his strength isn't his tactical understanding, it's actually his ability to understand the human he's coaching and get the best out of them. Pure and simple we're dealing with people, not robots, and I think he's the best man manager in the game. I do think the next step after the augmentation of tracking data on event data will be focusing on the type of human the player is. It'll be as important as understanding what that player brings to a football field.

I need to include Wenger on this list because his ability to understand and effectively do various things is quite remarkable. His ability to understand talent development, understanding people and getting the best out of them, and understanding football as a whole and when to buy/sell players thanks to his Economics masters degree. Without a doubt I'd put my faith in him if I was an owner. Just give him a support staff to help him make decisions. 

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

The question I ask people is always, "How bad do you want this?"

There was a time where I had 4 jobs, all in soccer/football, barely getting by, working from the moment I got up to the moment I went to bed. If I didn't go through that period, I wouldn't be where I am today. Put simply: work hard.

The other thing I'd say is study, study, study. Know everything inside and out. The moment you think you know everything is the moment you get left behind.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

This one is tough for me because I don't really have a favourite athlete. But if I had to say someone, I'd probably have to give a few. 

So here are my few and why:
Vivianne Miedema: Unreal talent, helped Arsenal win the title last year, and will probably break Christine Sinclair's record of most international goals scored

Roger Federer: The level of talent, humility, and ability to adapt has always astounded me. Just a gentleman who has an incredible ability.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

I have a few:
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." - African Proverb

"Rome wasn't built in a day...but I wasn't on that particular job." - Brian Clough

"The only possible moment of happiness is the present. The past gives you regrets. And the future uncertainties. Man understood this very fast and created religion. It absolves you of what you’ve done wrong in the past and tells him not to worry about the future, because he’ll go to paradise. It means make the most of the present. Man “self psychoanalysed” himself very quickly through faith." - Arsene Wenger

"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
    If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son"
- Rudyard Kipling

11 Questions with Joe Donnohue

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Joe Donnohue:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

My first opportunity in football came through Scouted Football. I was initially looking to get involved with some professional scouting courses as I'd always enjoyed watching youth football and youth international tournaments and stumbled across the Twitter account at the time. I got in touch with Stephen Ganavas and Tom Curren who still run things at Scouted and asked to get involved. From there, it has been great to learn alongside some great writers and fantastic analysts, all sharing knowledge, tips and information.

What attracted you to media/data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

As I say, watching youth international tournaments and youth football had always piqued my interest. There's something about identifying a top player before everybody else that's quite exciting and can be rather gratifying - it's the scouting equivalent of a Eureka moment, if you will. Numbers are always intriguing because they can point you in the right direction of players you perhaps hadn't come across or would never have watched without seeing them stand out in certain metrics. They allow you to narrow the pool of players you could watch, down to a select few you can watch as it's impossible to watch every player. I would never make a judgement on a player based solely on their numbers, there is so much to take in when watching a game with a specific focus on one player, you notice things that metrics will not be able to pick up.

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

All kinds of players fascinate me for a variety of reasons but particularly those with great awareness and manipulation of space, especially at a young age. At youth level in competitions such as the UEFA Youth League, it stands out when a player has that innate knowledge of where to be, when to release the ball, how to position himself to facilitate a quick counter-attack etc. That goes for defensive and attacking players. The best example off the top of my head I can think of is Adil Aouchiche, currently 18 years-old at Paris Saint-Germain; his movement is one of his best qualities and he always seems to find himself in space between the lines which having watched him extensively is no coincidence. As a direct result, he's been involved heavily in creating chances and scoring goals in whichever side he plays in.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

The biggest misconception I have encountered is a difficult one. I'd say a lot of people project players' careers and development to take a linear path, whether that be on an upward or downward trajectory. Player development is not linear, particularly if the player in question is younger. Just because a teenager or young player who moves to a foreign country and underperforms, that does not mean he should be cast off as a failure, there are a multitude of reasons as to why his performances may have dipped. 

With young players, their progress must be tracked over a number of years as it is difficult to predict how certain individuals will adapt to different environments, as even football players are human beings. They are not immune to criticism, homesickness, loneliness and feelings of alienation, all of which contribute to how a player will perceive him/herself on the pitch and thus directly correlate with how they will perform.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

If I could start over, the skill I'd build first is to work on being diligent. Watching lots of games can be tedious and you can lose focus or motivation at times, but if you are diligent and persevere - as is with most things in life - you should reap the rewards. Years ago I would perhaps tire of watching a certain player if they were going through a bad patch, or avoid the game altogether in lieu of watching a more exciting player, but I'd say diligence and perseverance to stick with it are key to accurately being able to give a comprehensive appraisal of a player.

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

Domain knowledge and curiosity are both very important and I don't think either is more or less important. Without the curiosity and intrigue to learn more, you aren't going to amass the knowledge that allows you to be an authority on a certain topic/player/league. Both are just as important, in my opinion.

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

My favourite sporting moment is Gary Caldwell's goal for Scotland to beat France 1-0 at Hampden Park in 2006. France were World Cup finalists months earlier but were beaten by Scotland in front of a capacity stadium. It's one of my most personal memories as it was incredible to witness, as well as being hugged and held aloft by strangers. I have never experienced emotion like it in a football stadium since.

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

It is perhaps an obvious choice but I would give a lifetime contract to Julian Nagelsmann. He is meticulous, innovative and one of football's greatest contemporary coaching minds, as well as being just 32. He could potentially build a dynasty over forty years, that's value for money on that lifetime contract.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

I've found that advice about getting into scouting or football journalism can often be cheap and unintentionally can be guilty of tokenism at times, so I don't want to come across that way. I was lucky to get into the position I have found myself in currently, alongside a great team who've afforded me the time to make mistakes, build my knowledge and learn as I've gone along, which I'm not sure I would have got elsewhere - as there have been a lot of mistakes and questionable judgements. 

The best anyone can do is work as hard as they can at doing what they feel is right for them. Everybody's path into this is different and there's no set way of making inroads, because a great deal of it is luck. If you want to write and your work to be noticed, keep writing and keep plugging it, don't be discouraged, it only takes one person to notice it.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

I wouldn't say I have a favourite athlete but I have a favourite type of athlete; those who are humble and ethically and socially responsible for their own actions. Colin Kaepernick is perhaps the best example as he has forfeited immense wealth and acclaim for doing what is right.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

My favourite saying is 'The faintest ink beats the strongest memory'. Writing things down whenever I think of them has saved me countless times.

11 Questions with Joseph Lowery

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Joseph Lowery:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

One day, with very little writing experience and relatively little experience watching soccer, I decided to email Drew Olsen, the editor of American Soccer Analysis, with a pitch about doing a piece on Jesse Marsh's New York Red Bulls team. Drew gave me the go ahead and I was able to sort of get my foot in the soccer world with ASA. 

Then, I started making a few analysis videos right around the start of the 2018 World Cup just to post on Twitter to see what feedback I would get and what I could learn about the video making process. I remember making one about Carlos Vela man-marking Toni Kroos. Later that day, I was listening to the Total Soccer Show and all of a sudden I hear Daryl and Taylor talking about that video, using it in their analysis of the game, and giving me credit for making it and for the insight in that video. 

A few days later, The Athletic Soccer's managing editor George Quraishi reached out to me to see if I would be interested in writing some tactical pieces for The Athletic during the rest of the World Cup. I said, "of course!" and I've just sort of stuck around as a freelancer there ever since - COVID-19 notwithstanding.

What attracted you to media/data/scouting? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

Let's start with the data/scouting/(and I'm going to throw tactics in there as well) side of things first. I've always appreciated the "why" behind things, especially in sports or other games. Why does one team or one player approach something in one way versus another way? Why does one coach choose to play with this system versus another system? I like asking myself those questions and then actually figuring out answers - or figuring out possible answers - to those questions. That's why I appreciate numbers and visual analysis. The media side of things came in as a way for me to actual have opportunities to answer those questions. It was my way to sneak into the soccer world and I would have been silly not to take it! Plus, over the last few years I have learned that I really enjoy making things and thinking creatively and producing a piece of work that I'm really proud of. I'm grateful that I can make things, especially things about soccer.

To hit at the second question, I would say neither of those, actually. I'd take blank magnets on a soccer field whiteboard to illustrate tactical setups and patterns of play over names or numbers. They all have value and they're all interesting to me in different ways, but for now at least, my mind wanders to tactics before the other two. 

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

I feel like it's almost a meme at this point because I talk about this literally whenever somebody gives me the chance, but dribbling center backs are absolutely fascinating to me. The value that an offensively-inclined center back can have has been clearly documented with center backs developing into better and better passers as teams around the world continue to emphasize possession and buildup over playing long. So, if we already know that center backs can contribute with the ball, why not take it one step further and have them move forward a bit with the ball. Forward runs from a center back could create consistent numerical advantages in midfield and provide something different in the attack, something that opposing defenses aren't prepared to defend. Drop a midfielder in to cover that open center back space or pinch the other members of your backline in to close any major gaps left behind by the center back and you're good to go. (I know it's more complicated than I'm making it sound, but I'm not actually sure that it's that much more complicated.) As far as why caught my eye, there's just something beautiful about center backs striding forward and through defensive lines with the ball at their feet.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

I've heard this a few times, and I'm grateful that it's becoming less and less of an issue, but at the very first soccer game I ever covered in person (the U.S. men's national team in Gregg Berhalter's first game in charge of the national team), someone told me straight to my face that since I never played soccer as a professional, I shouldn't be writing about tactics. For most people that isn't an issue, thankfully. Still, that moment sticks out to me and definitely motivates me to learn more about the game, especially since I'm already well aware that people who don't have an extensive playing background are largely at a disadvantage in the soccer space and are definitely at one in the soccer tactics/analysis space.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

It's a three-way tie between learning Spanish (I should have stuck with it after high school), learning to code, and learning more about video and audio production. Maybe outside of Spanish, I definitely don't blame myself for not learning the other two when I started in media. Honestly, I didn't know what I was doing and I certainly didn't know that those skills would become at least tangentially-related to my work. 

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

I think the right answer here is curiosity, because  if you're not curious about something in the first place you really have no motivation to learn and acquire knowledge. Especially in soccer, where the sport is constantly evolving - if you're not curious about new developments, or even interested in learning about old ones, you're eventually going to know less than the people who are.  

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

My favorite personal sports moment is definitely when I slotted the game-winning penalty kick into the back of the net in one of our state playoff games in high school. I was sixth in the order (decidedly outside of the top five in terms of skill) and sat through the first five penalty kicks praying that the game would be decided (ideally in our favor) before it got to me. Well, it wasn't. Pretty much shaking because of the nerves, I strolled on up there and rolled it very - and unintentionally - slowly into the bottom left corner and somehow it snuck its way past the goalkeeper. That was a fun one. As far as more relevant sports moments go, my favorite would probably be sitting in an apartment in Spain and watching Robin van Persie score that diving header versus Spain in the 2014 World Cup.

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

Jurgen Klopp. He seems to have a really exceptional blend of man-management and tactical knowledge. He also seems fully willing to allow smart people to come into the club and do smart things (see: Thomas Grønnemark and his throw-ins and their club data analytics department). I don't think his style of management will ever go out of style.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Make things and write things and talk about things that you like making and writing and talking about, but also find a gap somewhere. What aren't people doing? Are you able to do that thing? And better yet, are you able to fill that gap with one of those things that you like? That's my advice. 

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

T.J. McConnell. He went to the University of Arizona down in Tucson and now plays as a point guard for the Indiana Pacers in the NBA. I remember watching McConnell play for UofA and I just fell in love with how he played basketball for them. He ran a ton and was a defensive pest and passed the ball like nobody's business. That's the kind of basketball player that I tried to be, because, uh, I wasn't very good at the important things like shooting or dribbling. Yet somehow, T.J. McConnell turned his skillset into an NBA career. That alone should be enough for him to be anybody's favorite player!

What is your favorite quote or saying?

"Think before you speak."