Winning Isn't Everything (1950)

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On Tue, 21 Jan 2003, Laurence Horn wrote:
> "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."  The bio traced the
> line to UCLA coach Red Sanders (IIRC--I was only half-listening at
> that point) and then played an excerpt from a John Ford movie,
> _Trouble Along the Way_, in which a child--not the ex-big time
> college coach fallen on hard times but maybe his young
> daughter--unmistakably utters the infamous line.

The earliest anyone has found this Red Sanders quote is in the 1953 movie
_Trouble Along the Way_.

Fred Shapiro


   This 1950 LOS ANGELES TIMES citation looks like a good one.


(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)(Los Angeles Times)
1.
Charger Job for Sid Rumored Near
PAUL ZIMMERMAN. Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.: Dec 26, 1959. p. A1 (1 page):
   (Pete--ed.) Elliott's won-and-lost record belies the coaching proverb that "Winning isn't everything.  It is the only thing."

2.
INDIANS FAR FROM BASHFUL AT CHOW
ART ROSENBAUM. Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.: Oct 18, 1950. p. C3 (1 page):
   Here's one on Red Sanders, as told by himself this summer at Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) physical education workshop.  Speaking about football victories, Sanders told his group: "Men, I'll be honest.  Winning isn't everything.  (Long pause.)  Men, it's the only thing!"  (Laughter.)

3.
THE SPORTS PARADE; Collapse of Our Local Football Teams May Cause All-Year Club to Take Some Kind of Drastic Action
BRAVEN DTER. Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.: Nov 8, 1937. p. A16 (1 page) :
   It's all very well for you to say that winning isn't everything and that Tom Howard Spaulding is a good guy but there are more than 2,000,000 people around Los Angeles who have a lot of pride in this section of the State and they're getting pretty tired of seeing their colors trampled under foot come every Saturday afternoon.


(WWW.NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM)
Lancaster Eagle Gazette -  3/10/1960
...Base KOs Sparse In Chicago Ring Scraps WINNING ISN'T EVERYTHING A few weeks ago when.....increasing his skill at the game so tha: he ISN'T strictly a shooter, Wednesdav {ne c..
Lancaster,  Ohio     Thursday, March 10, 1960   713 k

Frederick Post -  11/17/1927
...of the word, universal serHowerer, since WINNING ISN'T EVERYTHING from the collegiate.....Starring Complete Change Of Program; EVERYTHING New Including TOMORROW..
Frederick,  Maryland     Thursday, November 17, 1927   552 k

Ironwood Daily Globe -  11/19/1927
...teum Is stale and suffers, c Howvcr, since WINNING ISN'T EVERYTHING fi'om the..
Ironwood,  Michigan     Saturday, November 19, 1927   656 k