---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If cows wouldn't eat it, I won't play on…"
description: "\"“If cows wouldn't eat it, I won't play on it.”\" — Willie Mays"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/willie-mays-14362_quote_if-cows-wouldn-t-eat-it-i-won-t-play-on_1271452.jpg"
---

#  If cows wouldn't eat it, I won't play on it.

![“If cows wouldn't eat it, I won't play on it.” quote by Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/willie-mays-14362_quote_if-cows-wouldn-t-eat-it-i-won-t-play-on_1271452.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/willie-mays-14362_quote_if-cows-wouldn-t-eat-it-i-won-t-play-on_1271452.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/willie-mays-14362_quote_if-cows-wouldn-t-eat-it-i-won-t-play-on_1271452.jpg)

> ““If cows wouldn't eat it, I won't play on it.””

[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A humorous way to say I won’t use something that’s already damaged or undesirable.

**In simple terms:** I won’t use what’s already spoiled.

Key Takeaway

Avoid using compromised resources.

Themes

humor pragmatism sports

Mood

lighthearted practical

Type

anecdotal motivational

When to use this quote

- game strategy
- equipment choice
- team decisions

Key Concepts

risk assessment quality control

Questions to Reflect On

- What criteria do you use to deem something unusable?
- How can you turn a “won’t” into a “will”?

A Different Perspective

May overlook potential improvements in flawed items.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cows/) [Cows Wouldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cows-wouldn-4077547/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Won Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/won-play-652868/)

## Related quotes

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> [We won a lot of games, we brought play'off games to the city of Pitts'burgh, we won play'off games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cowher/we-won-a-lot-of-games-we-brought-play-off-games-to-the-city-of-pitts/)

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> [I'll play what you want or I won't play at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/i-ll-play-what-you-want-or-i-won-t-play-at-all/)

[George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/)

> [I won't play a teenager.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-thompson/i-won-t-play-a-teenager/)

[Scott Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-thompson/)

> [If I was to win the U.S. Open or something, I won't play again for the rest of the year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-kyrgios/if-i-was-to-win-the-u-s-open-or-something-i-won-t-play-again-for-the/)

[Nick Kyrgios](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-kyrgios/)

> [I won't play for a penny less than fifteen hundred dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honus-wagner/i-won-t-play-for-a-penny-less-than-fifteen-hundred-dollars/)

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> [If you don't deserve to play, you won't play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calipari/if-you-don-t-deserve-to-play-you-won-t-play/)

[John Calipari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calipari/)

> [The thing that bothers me the most is the recklessness and greed of the local ranchers, who run too many cattle back here, choking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-haggard/the-thing-that-bothers-me-the-most-is-the-recklessness-and-greed-of/)

[Merle Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-haggard/)

> [Sometimes you look in a field and you see a cow and you think it's a better cow than the one you've got in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-ferguson/sometimes-you-look-in-a-field-and-you-see-a-cow-and-you-think-it-s-a/)

[Alex Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-ferguson/)

> [To isolate mathematics from the practical demands of the sciences is to invite the sterility of a cow shut away from the bulls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pafnuty-chebyshev/to-isolate-mathematics-from-the-practical-demands-of-the-sciences-is/)

[Pafnuty Chebyshev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pafnuty-chebyshev/)

> [My dad's idea of punishment was to dress me up in all green to disguise me as grass, and then throw me in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-callen/my-dad-s-idea-of-punishment-was-to-dress-me-up-in-all-green-to/)

[Bryan Callen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-callen/)

> [In most agencies, account executives outnumber the copywriters two to one. If you were a dairy farmer, would you employ twice as many milkers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/in-most-agencies-account-executives-outnumber-the-copywriters-two-to/)

[David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/)

> [ Gonna rain like a cow pissin' on a flat rock" \[drugstore clerk to detective Virgil Flowers\] Dark of the Moon, p.7 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sandford/gonna-rain-like-a-cow-pissin-on-a-flat-rock-drugstore-clerk-to/)

[John Sandford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sandford/)

> [Cows are a lot smarter across the board than bulls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-haden-church/cows-are-a-lot-smarter-across-the-board-than-bulls/)

[Thomas Haden Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-haden-church/)

> [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/)

[Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/)

## More by Willie Mays

> [I'm not the type of guy to go out and just say, 'Hey, I'm raising my fist to do this and do that.' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/i-m-not-the-type-of-guy-to-go-out-and-just-say-hey-i-m-raising-my/)

[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

> [I didn't say I was that smart, I said I went to class and I enjoyed what I was doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/i-didn-t-say-i-was-that-smart-i-said-i-went-to-class-and-i-enjoyed/)

[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

> [I don't mean to be bashful, but I was](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/i-don-t-mean-to-be-bashful-but-i-was/)

[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

> [When I'm not hitting, I don't hit nobody. But, when I'm hitting, I hit anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/when-i-m-not-hitting-i-don-t-hit-nobody-but-when-i-m-hitting-i-hit/)

[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

> [Youngsters of Little League can survive undercoaching a lot better than overcoaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/youngsters-of-little-league-can-survive-undercoaching-a-lot-better/)

[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

> [I was a baseball player, I taught baseball, and all of a sudden I was in the business world. Now I used the baseball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/i-was-a-baseball-player-i-taught-baseball-and-all-of-a-sudden-i-was/)

[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

> [What you are thinking, what shape your mind is in, is what makes the biggest difference of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/what-you-are-thinking-what-shape-your-mind-is-in-is-what-makes-the/)

[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

> [I think I was the best baseball player I ever saw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/i-think-i-was-the-best-baseball-player-i-ever-saw/)

[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

> [I think I was programmed to do good things when I came into the majors. I knew how to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/i-think-i-was-programmed-to-do-good-things-when-i-came-into-the/)

[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

> [I always enjoyed playing ball, and it didn't matter to me whether I played with white kids or black. I never understood why an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/i-always-enjoyed-playing-ball-and-it-didn-t-matter-to-me-whether-i/)

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> [And my father didn't have money for me to go to college. And at that particular time they didn't have black quarterbacks, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/and-my-father-didn-t-have-money-for-me-to-go-to-college-and-at-that/)

[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

> [Congratulations to Alex Rodriguez on his 660th home run, milestones in baseball are meant to be broken and I wish him continued success throughout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/congratulations-to-alex-rodriguez-on-his-660th-home-run-milestones-in/)

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> [At ten I was playing against 18-year-old guys. At 15 I was playing professional ball with the Birmingham Black Barons, so I really came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/at-ten-i-was-playing-against-18-year-old-guys-at-15-i-was-playing/)

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[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

> [I didn't teach you that. Catch the ball with your glove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mays/i-didn-t-teach-you-that-catch-the-ball-with-your-glove/)

[Willie Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

[Explore all 47 Willie Mays quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mays/)

## More Cows quotes

> [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/)

[Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/)

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[Thomas Haden Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-haden-church/)

> [ Gonna rain like a cow pissin' on a flat rock" \[drugstore clerk to detective Virgil Flowers\] Dark of the Moon, p.7 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sandford/gonna-rain-like-a-cow-pissin-on-a-flat-rock-drugstore-clerk-to/)

[John Sandford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sandford/)

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[David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/)

> [My dad's idea of punishment was to dress me up in all green to disguise me as grass, and then throw me in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-callen/my-dad-s-idea-of-punishment-was-to-dress-me-up-in-all-green-to/)

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> [To isolate mathematics from the practical demands of the sciences is to invite the sterility of a cow shut away from the bulls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pafnuty-chebyshev/to-isolate-mathematics-from-the-practical-demands-of-the-sciences-is/)

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[Edgar Wilson Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wilson-nye/)

> [Talking to animals' isn't a matter of words used, it is a matter of your thoughts, your expression, and above all the tone of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-woodhouse/talking-to-animals-isn-t-a-matter-of-words-used-it-is-a-matter-of/)

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> [Learning is like a cow of desire. It, like her, yields in all seasons. Like a mother, it feeds you on your journey. Therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/learning-is-like-a-cow-of-desire-it-like-her-yields-in-all-seasons/)

[Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/)

> [The velocity of light occupies an extraordinary place in modern physics. It is lèse-majesté to make any criticism of the velocity of light. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-standen/the-velocity-of-light-occupies-an-extraordinary-place-in-modern/)

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> [The friendly cow, all red and white, I love with all my heart; She gives me cream with all her might, To eat with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-friendly-cow-all-red-and-white-i-love-with-all-my-heart-she-gives/)

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> [We are shut up in school and college recitation rooms for ten to fifteen years, and come out at last with a bellyful of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/we-are-shut-up-in-school-and-college-recitation-rooms-for-ten-to/)

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