--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know being a linesman is a thankless…" description: "\"I know being a linesman is a thankless job, especially with guys like me around.\" — John McEnroe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/587/john-mcenroe-11362_guy_i-know-being-a-linesman-is-a-thankless-j_2232261.jpg" --- # I know being a linesman is a thankless job, especially… ![“I know being a linesman is a thankless job, especially with guys like me around.” quote by John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/587/john-mcenroe-11362_guy_i-know-being-a-linesman-is-a-thankless-j_2232261.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/587/john-mcenroe-11362_guy_i-know-being-a-linesman-is-a-thankless-j_2232261.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/587/john-mcenroe-11362_guy_i-know-being-a-linesman-is-a-thankless-j_2232261.jpg) > “I know being a linesman is a thankless job, especially with guys like me around.” [John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being a linesman is often undervalued, especially when surrounded by difficult personalities. **In simple terms:** Linesmen get little praise, especially with tough teammates. Key Takeaway Recognize and appreciate support roles. Themes teamwork recognition sportsmanship Mood reflective appreciative Type sports social When to use this quote - team sports - event staffing - volunteer coordination Key Concepts role theory social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can we better honor behind‑the‑scenes work? - What motivates you in a thankless job? A Different Perspective May overlook the importance of the role itself. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Know Linesman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-linesman-5026973/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Like me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-me/) [Linesman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linesman-1147400/) [Linesman Thankless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linesman-thankless-5026972/) [Thankless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thankless/) [Thankless Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thankless-job-796023/) ## Related quotes > [We need to reward the 'thankless job' of substitute teaching with better pay and chances for permanent positions. I look forward to the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/we-need-to-reward-the-thankless-job-of-substitute-teaching-with/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [Raising kids may be a thankless job with ridiculous hours, but at least the pay sucks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/raising-kids-may-be-a-thankless-job-with-ridiculous-hours-but-at/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [A mother does a thankless job; they take care of their children unconditionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shoojit-sircar/a-mother-does-a-thankless-job-they-take-care-of-their-children/) [Shoojit Sircar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shoojit-sircar/) > [“Sounds like a thankless job. Sometimes the most important ones are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-jennings/sounds-like-a-thankless-job-sometimes-the-most-important-ones-are/) [Regina Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-jennings/) > [“You tell us the shit we don't want to hear—that we need to hear. That's a thankless job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-rocha/you-tell-us-the-shit-we-don-t-want-to-hear-that-we-need-to-hear-that/) [Kit Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-rocha/) > [Being a good embalmer is a thankless job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-groening/being-a-good-embalmer-is-a-thankless-job/) [Matt Groening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-groening/) > [“it’s a thankless job, telling people it’s a hard, hard Universe they’re in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/it-s-a-thankless-job-telling-people-it-s-a-hard-hard-universe-they-re/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Death is a linesman sees wide we can't cheat on him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkem/death-is-a-linesman-sees-wide-we-can-t-cheat-on-him/) [Nkem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkem/) > [Four times out of five the linesman gets a better view of the ball near him than the player himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-wills-moody/four-times-out-of-five-the-linesman-gets-a-better-view-of-the-ball/) [Helen Wills Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-wills-moody/) > [It was lucky that the linesman wasn't stood in front of me as I would have poked him with a stick to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-holloway/it-was-lucky-that-the-linesman-wasn-t-stood-in-front-of-me-as-i-would/) [Ian Holloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-holloway/) > [Being a linesman is probably the hardest job in football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gylfi-sigurdsson/being-a-linesman-is-probably-the-hardest-job-in-football/) [Gylfi Sigurdsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gylfi-sigurdsson/) > [The linesman flagged initially because he thought I was an Oldham player. Fair enough, I did have a replica shirt on - but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-williams/the-linesman-flagged-initially-because-he-thought-i-was-an-oldham/) [Kevin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-williams/) > [One day when a linesman starts to laugh I swear I will hit the guy over the head with my racket. I think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilie-nastase/one-day-when-a-linesman-starts-to-laugh-i-swear-i-will-hit-the-guy/) [Ilie Nastase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilie-nastase/) > [It's a thankless job for police officers, period, but specifically for men and women of color protecting and serving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-david-washington/it-s-a-thankless-job-for-police-officers-period-but-specifically-for/) [John David Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-david-washington/) > [I am just an actor, but there are these other people who are really selfless. I come from a long line of nurses in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-jaeger/i-am-just-an-actor-but-there-are-these-other-people-who-are-really/) [Sam Jaeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-jaeger/) ## More by John McEnroe > [I haven't seen a professional player come out of New York in over 20 years since my brother Patrick came out. Blake spent a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/i-haven-t-seen-a-professional-player-come-out-of-new-york-in-over-20/) [John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/) > [Believe it or not, I was a pretty shy youngster growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/believe-it-or-not-i-was-a-pretty-shy-youngster-growing-up/) [John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/) > [The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose. Life is a learning process and you have to try to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/the-important-thing-is-to-learn-a-lesson-every-time-you-lose-life-is/) [John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/) > [The 1980 Wimbledon final with Borg - that's the one I was most proud of to be part of. It's talked about as one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/the-1980-wimbledon-final-with-borg-that-s-the-one-i-was-most-proud-of/) [John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/) > [I'd like to think I could have and should have won more, but that's not the point. 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I can be a diamond; I can be a spade. Whatever you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-healy/wild-card-got-it-duncan-said-just-like-in-crazy-eights-i-can-be-a/) [Christopher Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-healy/) > [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/) [Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/) > [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/) [Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/) > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/we-cannot-change-the-cards-we-are-dealt-just-how-we-play-the-hand/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) [Browse all 59,646 Football quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know being a linesman is a thankless job, especially with guys like me around.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John McEnroe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/i-know-being-a-linesman-is-a-thankless-job-especially-with-guys-like/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Football" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/i-know-being-a-linesman-is-a-thankless-job-especially-with-guys-like/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/587/john-mcenroe-11362_guy_i-know-being-a-linesman-is-a-thankless-j_2232261.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/587/john-mcenroe-11362_guy_i-know-being-a-linesman-is-a-thankless-j_2232261.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/587/john-mcenroe-11362_guy_i-know-being-a-linesman-is-a-thankless-j_2232261.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I know being a linesman is a thankless job, especially with guys like me around.” — John McEnroe", "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": "John McEnroe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I know being a linesman is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/i-know-being-a-linesman-is-a-thankless-job-especially-with-guys-like/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/i-know-being-a-linesman-is-a-thankless-job-especially-with-guys-like/#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 } } ] } ```