If you don't come walking back to the pits every once in a while holding a steering wheel in your hands, you're not trying hard enough
The day of parochialism in sports is over. The world is too small for what people like to call 'the good old days.' Fans want the best, wherever they come from.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that fans today seek the highest quality in sports, regardless of geographical origins.
Mario Andretti's quote reflects the evolving landscape of sports fandom, highlighting how fans are no longer confined by local or regional allegiances. Instead, they are eager to embrace talent and excellence from around the world. This shift signifies a broader appreciation for diversity in sports, where the era of parochial, or narrow-minded, views is being replaced by global recognition of athletes and teams that exemplify skill, regardless of their origins.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a sports talk where fans are discussing the impact of international players in local teams.
More from Mario Andretti
All quotes →A goal isn’t something you just arrive at and stop. You have to stay curious and hungry and foolish...
All of the courses that run through real streets are very demanding. There is no room for error, no shoulders to lean on. If you go off the road, you're into somebody's shop-window or front porch.
Al Unser Sr. was one of the smartest drivers I've ever raced against. And I often said, I wish I could've had some of his patience. I know it would have worked for me many times.
The United States is the only country where a driver can have a successful career - either in stock cars or IndyCar - and he won't need a passport.
If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.
Similar quotes
Football is mesmerizing, because it's a figurative war. You go in one direction till you get there, but you get there as a team, not as an individual. Players bond whether they're black or white, much as soldiers do.
In futsal, you see whether a player is really talented. You notice the small details in quality, class and tactical understanding.
I didn't know there was such a thing as professional soccer, but I knew that Brazil had a women's team that competed against other countries, and I wanted to be on that team.
I played when I played, and played, I think, against the greatest players in the greatest time in the history of basketball.
Football is now all about money. There are problems with the values within the game. This is sad because football is the most beautiful game. We can play it in the street. We can play it everywhere.
One of the key qualities that you need to be a great hockey player is fantastic anticipation and feel for the game - if you know where the puck is going before it is hit, that is half the battle.