--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: These guys have been criticized the last…" description: "\"These guys have been criticized the last few years for not getting to where we're going, but I've always said that the most important thing in sports i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/jerry-sloan-60862_example_these-guys-have-been-criticized-the-last_1220429.jpg" --- # These guys have been criticized the last few years for not… ![“These guys have been criticized the last few years for not getting to where we're going, but I've always said that the most important thing in sports is to keep trying. Let this be an example of what it means to say it's never over.” quote by Jerry Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/jerry-sloan-60862_example_these-guys-have-been-criticized-the-last_1220429.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/jerry-sloan-60862_example_these-guys-have-been-criticized-the-last_1220429.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/jerry-sloan-60862_example_these-guys-have-been-criticized-the-last_1220429.jpg) > “These guys have been criticized the last few years for not getting to where we're going, but I've always said that the most important thing in sports is to keep trying. Let this be an example of what it means to say it's never over.” [Jerry Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-sloan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Persistence in sports is vital; even when progress stalls, the commitment to keep trying defines success and prevents giving up. **In simple terms:** Never give up, keep trying. Key Takeaway Keep trying, never surrender. Themes persistence determination resilience sportsmanship Mood determined optimistic inspirational Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - team sports - personal training - career setbacks - project development Key Concepts growth mindset long‑term effort motivation Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to continue after repeated failures? - How can you balance persistence with realistic expectations? A Different Perspective Success may still be elusive despite effort; burnout risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [NBA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nba/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [I've criticized myself over the years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cenk-uygur/i-ve-criticized-myself-over-the-years/) [Cenk Uygur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cenk-uygur/) > [We have no union at Barstool Sports. Nobody is trying to make a union at Barstool Sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-portnoy/we-have-no-union-at-barstool-sports-nobody-is-trying-to-make-a-union/) [Dave Portnoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-portnoy/) > [The thing about sports movies is, they can't help but feel epic - putting music to images, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-shaw/the-thing-about-sports-movies-is-they-can-t-help-but-feel-epic/) [Lindsey Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-shaw/) > [I look at a lot of guys who stay with their teams a long time and it's a special thing in sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-vucevic/i-look-at-a-lot-of-guys-who-stay-with-their-teams-a-long-time-and-it/) [Nikola Vucevic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-vucevic/) > [The most important thing about sports is that it gives you the chance to relate with other people, to share in something together and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danilo-gallinari/the-most-important-thing-about-sports-is-that-it-gives-you-the-chance/) [Danilo Gallinari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danilo-gallinari/) > [The only thing about sports is making sure you don't read the papers too often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-reinsdorf/the-only-thing-about-sports-is-making-sure-you-don-t-read-the-papers/) [Jerry Reinsdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-reinsdorf/) > [The hardest thing to do in sports, I think, is to hit a home run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-mantle/the-hardest-thing-to-do-in-sports-i-think-is-to-hit-a-home-run/) [Mickey Mantle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-mantle/) > [The best thing about sports is the sense of community and shared emotion it can create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/the-best-thing-about-sports-is-the-sense-of-community-and-shared/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [I love the military, of course, but it wasn't my thing. Sports was my thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-knox/i-love-the-military-of-course-but-it-wasn-t-my-thing-sports-was-my/) [Kevin Knox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-knox/) > [That's the great thing about sports - nothing's guaranteed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buster-posey/that-s-the-great-thing-about-sports-nothing-s-guaranteed/) [Buster Posey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buster-posey/) > [“The thing about sports, at least for guys, is that nobody ever defines the rules, not even in gym class. Asking what a penalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/the-thing-about-sports-at-least-for-guys-is-that-nobody-ever-defines/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [That's the good thing about sports - it's very clear-cut. You either win, or you don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-griffin/that-s-the-good-thing-about-sports-it-s-very-clear-cut-you-either-win/) [Blake Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-griffin/) > [Hitting's the hardest thing to do in sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-kershaw/hitting-s-the-hardest-thing-to-do-in-sports/) [Clayton Kershaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-kershaw/) > [The great thing about sports is you constantly have to prove yourself. You constantly have to go out there and do it, day in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-hill/the-great-thing-about-sports-is-you-constantly-have-to-prove-yourself/) [Grant Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-hill/) > [The thing that all sports have in common is that they have no fantasy elements, which is a little weird.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-schell/the-thing-that-all-sports-have-in-common-is-that-they-have-no-fantasy/) [Jesse Schell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-schell/) ## More by Jerry Sloan > [Heart is what makes a difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-sloan/heart-is-what-makes-a-difference/) [Jerry Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-sloan/) > [In my prime I could have handled Michael Jordan. Of course, he would be only 12 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-sloan/in-my-prime-i-could-have-handled-michael-jordan-of-course-he-would-be/) [Jerry Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-sloan/) > [In 19 years Stockton never once lost a suicide drill in practice. Well, there was one day. He was sick. But he still ran it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-sloan/in-19-years-stockton-never-once-lost-a-suicide-drill-in-practice-well/) [Jerry Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-sloan/) > [I don't need my players to like me. I need them to play for me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-sloan/i-don-t-need-my-players-to-like-me-i-need-them-to-play-for-me/) [Jerry Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-sloan/) [Explore all 5 Jerry Sloan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-sloan/) ## More Example quotes > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I think leading by example is important, as I know the next generation is watching us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-skolnik/i-think-leading-by-example-is-important-as-i-know-the-next-generation/) [Michael Skolnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-skolnik/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [Men trust rather to their eyes than to their ears; the effect of precepts is therefore slow and tedious, whilst that of examples is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/men-trust-rather-to-their-eyes-than-to-their-ears-the-effect-of/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [You can have examples of reasons to hate people, but if you analyze those reasons it's like, Oh, I'm hating that person based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlyne-yi/you-can-have-examples-of-reasons-to-hate-people-but-if-you-analyze/) [Charlyne Yi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlyne-yi/) > [The protestant world is in great need of examples (like these) that will beckon us to the fullness of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-bickle/the-protestant-world-is-in-great-need-of-examples-like-these-that/) [Mike Bickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-bickle/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I'm not the most vocal guy, but I try to lead by example every single day with how I work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-ingram/i-m-not-the-most-vocal-guy-but-i-try-to-lead-by-example-every-single/) [Brandon Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-ingram/) > [But actually theory is very practical. Gravity is a theory, for example. It allows you to predict that if you step off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/but-actually-theory-is-very-practical-gravity-is-a-theory-for-example/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [I had the best example set by my parents for what a couple can - and, in my opinion, should - be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-young/i-had-the-best-example-set-by-my-parents-for-what-a-couple-can-and-in/) [Brett Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-young/) > [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [America's freedom is the example to which the world expires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/america-s-freedom-is-the-example-to-which-the-world-expires/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) Browse all 5,618 Example quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "These guys have been criticized the last few years for not getting to where we're going, but I've always said that the most important thing in sports is to keep trying. Let this be an example of what it means to say it's never over.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jerry Sloan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-sloan/these-guys-have-been-criticized-the-last-few-years-for-not-getting-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Example" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-sloan/these-guys-have-been-criticized-the-last-few-years-for-not-getting-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/jerry-sloan-60862_example_these-guys-have-been-criticized-the-last_1220429.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/jerry-sloan-60862_example_these-guys-have-been-criticized-the-last_1220429.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/jerry-sloan-60862_example_these-guys-have-been-criticized-the-last_1220429.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“These guys have been criticized the last few years for not getting to where we're going, but I've always…” — Jerry Sloan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jerry Sloan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-sloan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "These guys have been criticized the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-sloan/these-guys-have-been-criticized-the-last-few-years-for-not-getting-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-sloan/these-guys-have-been-criticized-the-last-few-years-for-not-getting-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```