Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Speech ·338 of 348
"Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing. — Vince Lombardi"
They never said that.
What people say
"Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing. — Vince Lombardi"
What was actually said
Winning is not everything — but making the effort to win is. — Lombardi, 1967 interview. Vince Lombardi — NFL Films interview, 1967
Why it stuck
Lombardi himself disowned the catchier version. He is thought to have borrowed the line from coach Red Sanders (UCLA, 1950) and then spent years trying to walk it back.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.