Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing

Cultural  

1. Attributed to the professional football coach Vince Lombardi, this proverb stresses the importance of reaching a goal no matter what effort is required. (Compare It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.)

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Example Sentences

Coach Vince Lombardi was famously misquoted as saying, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”

From Seattle Times

A campaign for the law firm Jacoby & Meyers took the “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing” approach to the goal of legal action.

From New York Times

“Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”

From Los Angeles Times

His acquisition, along with infielder Trea Turner, was more statement than trade, in the vein of the old “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” Yankees under George Steinbrenner.

From New York Times

One of the most famous quotes in sports, often attributed incorrectly to football coach Vince Lombardi, says it all: “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.”

From Washington Post