The best sporting quotes of 2013

"No matter how excited I try to sound my voice always sounds boring - that's just my voice, I'm sorry.'' - Andy Murray. Photo / Getty

AAP takes a look at the best sports quotes of 2013

January

Jan 15: "I received an 'I wish you were dead' tweet just now. My dear friend, I am in my 80s, just be patient.'' - Australian cricket veteran and commentator RICHIE BENAUD bats away a Twitter troll.

Jan 17: "I know the truth. The truth isn't what was out there, the truth isn't what I said ... This story was so perfect for so long ... you overcome the disease, you win the Tour de France seven times, you have a happy marriage, you have children. I mean, it's just this mythic, perfect story. And it wasn't true.'' - Confessed doper LANCE ARMSTRONG in his much-anticipated interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Jan 29: "We have the best batsman/captain in the world in @MClarke23 (Michael Clarke) - He needs current cricket people to help him out not muppets.'' - SHANE WARNE hits out at Cricket Australia's top dogs.

February

Feb 7: "It's cheating, but it's worse than that. It's cheating with the help of criminals.'' - Justice Minister JASON CLARE at the release of the landmark Australian Crime Commission report into drugs in sport.

Feb 7: "This is not a black day in Australian sport, this is the blackest day in Australian sport.'' - Former Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) boss RICHARD INGS.

Feb 8: "He stands, if I may use the phrase, as a sacrificial lamb on the altar of sport which this country worships and adores on a day to day basis.'' - Lawyer GREG STANTON on his client sports scientist Stephen Dank, the man at the centre of the doping scandal.

March

March 3: "I've got a plan to stop him, it's called a machete. Plan B is a machine gun!'' - Manchester United manager SIR ALEX FERGUSON on stopping Cristiano Ronaldo.

March 4: "That is the miracle of Hyderabad. If he was wearing a white shirt he would be a sight screen.'' - TV commentator ALLAN BORDER after Merv Hughes caught a David Warner six in the stands during Australia's second Test in India.

March 29: "I really don't think I have an alcohol problem but sometimes alcohol doesn't agree with me.'' - Wallabies star KURTLEY BEALE after being suspended indefinitely for punching his Melbourne Rebels captain Gareth Delve and teammate Cooper Vuna.

April

April 11: "Plenty of them have ridden against her before, and they're probably still using vaseline to cover up the windburn.'' - Trainer PETER MOODY talks up Black Caviar's unbeaten record ahead of her first Sydney race at Randwick.

May

May 1: "Names have already been named so my reluctance to name names has been taken away by the names naming themselves.'' - Businessman JOHN SINGLETON on what led to his spectacular falling out with More Joyous trainer and longtime friend Gai Waterhouse after the horse finished seventh in the All Aged Stakes.

May 8: "I don't wake up and think I've won the Masters. But when I walk in the closet and I put the green jacket on every morning, I do.'' - Golfer ADAM SCOTT.

May 25: "She's 13 years old, still so innocent, I don't put any blame on her. Unfortunately it's what she hears and the environment that she's grown up in that has made her think that it's okay to call people names.'' - Sydney AFL superstar ADAM GOODES on the young Collingwood fan who called him an 'ape' late in last Friday night's match.

June

June 14: "There's not a lot that is good that happens at 2.30 in the morning at a pub or a nightclub.'' - Cricket Australia chief executive JAMES SUTHERLAND after Dave Warner punched English batsman Joe Root in the face at a nightclub.

June 22: "I wanted to run faster, because you get the adrenaline from watching the females run.'' - American athlete TYSON GAY after running 9.75s, the best time in the world this year, to win the 100m at the US athletics championships.

June 24: "You live and die by the sword ... the disappointing thing is I thought we were nearly there to cracking it, I really do.'' - Sacked Australian cricket coach MICKEY ARTHUR.

July

July 3: "Israel Folau's away game is in Cape Town. In rugby league, his away game would be Campbelltown.'' - ARU boss BILL PULVER, confident the code hopper will stay in rugby union.

July 13: "I always walked...bit hard to stand there with all 3 stumps lying on the ground.'' - Former cricketer GLENN McGRATH, not exactly known for his batting, after the Stuart Broad Ashes affair.

July 25: "You win Olympics, Paris-Roubaix and now all of that is going to be tainted by this action ... That's the hardest thing to swallow out of all this.'' - Cycling great STUART O'GRADY after admitting to doping ahead of the 1998 Tour de France.

August

Aug 13: "You put your hand on the inside of his legs and if it slides up and his nuts are at the end of it, well, what do you do?'' - Souths legend GEORGE PIGGINS shares his view on the 'squirrel grip' that earned Sam Burgess a two-game NRL ban.

Aug 14: "It's like putting a big gun in front of Bambi on this one.'' - Legendary coach KEVIN SHEEDY on the AFL's decision to charge veteran Essendon club doctor Bruce Reid.

Aug 30: "I might not look happy but I am.'' - Newcastle coach WAYNE BENNETT after his side all but wrapped up an NRL finals berth with a come-from-behind win over Brisbane.

September

Sept 4: "He can talk for himself but he doesn't want to right now.'' - Boxer ANTHONY MUNDINE, speaking on behalf of cousin and wayward NRL star Blake Ferguson while sitting next to him in a bizarre press conference.

Sept 18: "I was wearing a mouthguard. There's no way I bit him on the dick.'' - Former NRL utility ANTHONY WATTS after being suspended by the Gold Coast Rugby League over claims he bit the penis of an opponent.

Sept 25: "Bugger.'' - New Zealand prime minister JOHN KEY's one-word tweet after Team USA beat the Kiwis to the America's Cup in one of the greatest ever sporting comebacks.

October

Oct 15: "When the team loses you can't pin the blame on just Lucas Neill, and when the team wins, Lucas Neill doesn't take the credit ... it's not about Lucas Neill.'' - Socceroos captain LUCAS NEILL, on himself, amid calls for him to retire.

Oct 22: "Mark Bosnich was a terrible professional. We played down at Wimbledon and Bosnich was tucking into everything: sandwiches, soups, steaks. He was going through the menu. I told him, 'For Christ's sake, Mark, we've got the weight off you. Why are you tucking into all that stuff? Is there no end to you?''' - Former Manchester United manager SIR ALEX FERGUSON rips into former charge and ex-Socceroos goalkeeper Bosnich in his new autobiography.

Oct 23: "It seems like they're still behind the times with their boxing. It's almost like the mafia days.'' - American great SHANE MOSLEY takes a swipe at Australian boxing after walking out on his fight with Anthony Mundine in Sydney.

November

Nov 13: "I was a full-blown cokehead.'' - Former boxer MIKE TYSON reveals all in his new autobiography.

Nov 23: "England are on the back foot and it does look like they've got scared eyes. The way Trotty (Jonathan Trott) got out today was pretty poor and pretty weak.'' - DAVID WARNER pulled no punches in his criticism of England's performance with the bat in the first Ashes Test.

Nov 24: "Get ready for a broken f*cking arm.'' - Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke's warning to England's Jimmy Anderson in the closing stages of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane.

December

Dec 1: "If there was a Harlem Globetrotters of rugby league, he'd be in it.'' - BRETT MORRIS on teammate Jarryd Hayne, whose volleyed kick set up a memorable try for Morris in Australia's 34-2 win over New Zealand in the Rugby League World Cup final.

Dec 16: "No matter how excited I try to sound my voice always sounds boring - that's just my voice, I'm sorry.'' - British tennis player ANDY MURRAY after winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

-AAP