WIST Quotations

Shakespeare, William -- Hamlet, Act 5, sc. 2, l. 304 (5.2.304) (c. 1600)

Dave — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 18:50:40 +0000

OSRIC: A hit, a very palpable hit.

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) English dramatist and poet
Hamlet, Act 5, sc. 2, l. 304 (5.2.304) (c. 1600)

Orwell, George -- Essay (1945-05), “Notes on Nationalism,” Polemic Magazine (1945-10)

Dave — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 15:22:53 +0000

Although endlessly brooding on power, victory, defeat, revenge, the nationalist is often somewhat uninterested in what happens in the real world. What he wants is to feel that his own unit is getting the better of some other unit, and he can more easily do this by scoring off an adversary than by examining the facts to see whether they support him.

George Orwell (1903–1950) English journalist, essayist, writer [pseud. of Eric Arthur Blair]
Essay (1945-05), “Notes on Nationalism,” Polemic Magazine (1945-10)

Dunne, Finley Peter -- (Attributed)

Dave — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 17:01:16 +0000

There are no friends at cards or world politics

Finley Peter Dunne (1867–1936) American humorist and journalist
(Attributed)

Rupp, Adolph -- Comment (11 Jun 1958)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

If you don’t play to win, why bother to keep score?

Adolph Rupp (1901–1977) American college basketball coach
Comment (11 Jun 1958)

Rupp frequently returned to this phrase, usually in response to someone quoting to him from Grantland Rice's "Alumnus Football" (paraphrased, "It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, but how you play the game").

Variations:

"If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then what in the hell is that scoreboard doing up there?"
"If it doesn't matter, then why does every school have a scoreboard? If it doesn't matter who wins why do 25,000 football fans follow a team 400 miles and sit in eight inches of snow to watch the game?" [Source]
"If winning isn't so important, why do they keep score?" [Source]

Rupp wasn't necessarily the originator of this thought. Clair Bee, another US college basketball coach, said during the CCNY Point Shaving Scandal that ended his career, "If the kids aren't playing for keeps, why keep score?" (20 Feb 1951).

Sometimes attributed to Vince Lombardi.

More discussion of this quotation: The Big Apple: “If winning isn’t important, why keep score?”