OT - Favorite [Lord] Horatio Nelson Quotes

Submitted by Hab on March 26th, 2019 at 4:48 PM

In honor of the advent of OT season in three weeks time, I thought about a premature thread dedicated to Lord Nelson and some of his best quotes.  Frankly, I could see Harbaugh adopting a few:

No captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of an enemy.

Desperate affairs require desperate measures.

Time is everything; five minutes make the difference between victory and defeat.

In honor of Brexit (no politics!), this one seemed apropos

Firstly you must always implicitly obey orders, without attempting to form any opinion of your own regarding their propriety.  Secondly, you must consider every man your enemy who speaks ill of your king; and thirdly you must hate a Frenchman as you hate the devil.

And my personal favorite:

Gentlemen, when the enemy is committed to a mistake we must not interrupt him too soon.

Sam1863

March 26th, 2019 at 5:02 PM ^

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” - John F. Kennedy

“You do not lead by hitting people over the head -- that's assault, not leadership.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower

“The day the soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” - Colin Powell

Merlin.64

March 26th, 2019 at 5:05 PM ^

I do like that last one, though it seems more appropriate to politics than sports.

Still, it provides exercise for the imagination as the season winds down (doldrums?), and I suppose that politics is a bigger part of sport than most of us are comfortable about.

But we're not there quite yet. Go Blue!

Romulan Commander

March 26th, 2019 at 5:50 PM ^

"If I should die at sea place my body in a cask of brandy and tow it back to England." He didn't actually say that, but that's how Lord Nelson's crew preserved his body after Trafalgar and brought it back home.

Markley Mojo

March 26th, 2019 at 6:34 PM ^

Jeannie: "Master is football more important to you than I am?"
Major Nelson: "Of course not, that's like comparing oranges and lemons."
Jeannie: "And I'm the lemon."

Rasmus

March 26th, 2019 at 6:38 PM ^

“Never mind maneuvers, always go straight at ’em.”

That seems about right for Harbaugh. The quote is featured throughout the Aubrey/Matarin novels, including the first one, Master and Commander. It’s a real Nelson quote, said to Lord Cochrane, who is the inspiration for Jack Aubrey in the novels. 

ThomasSowell

March 26th, 2019 at 6:55 PM ^

“I had waaay too much vodka last night. I think the Russians interfered with my erection.”

- Ronald J Pump

Navy Wolverine

March 26th, 2019 at 7:20 PM ^

I cannot command winds and weather.

Time is everything; five minutes make the difference between victory and defeat. 

I could not tread these perilous paths in safety, if I did not keep a saving sense of humor.
 

Gulogulo37

March 26th, 2019 at 7:41 PM ^

The first quote was said before Trafalgar. Probably wouldn't want that to apply to all battles. He said it for that one because they were coming at Spain from the side and splitting their line and he wanted close combat because he thought it favored his troops.

chatster

March 26th, 2019 at 8:07 PM ^

“But it's all right now, I’ve learned my lesson well.  You see, you can't please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself.” – (Lord) Rick Nelson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAHR7_VZdRw

chatster

March 26th, 2019 at 10:22 PM ^

"Over? Did you say over? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans  bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! And it ain't over now! 'Cause when the going gets tough.. The tough get goin'. Who's with me?" -- (Lord) John Blutarsky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8lT1o0sDwI

mi93

March 26th, 2019 at 11:33 PM ^

Too soon.

Somehow, pre-opening OT season with a post about a potential OT season topic feels like trying to convince the family to open Christmas presents after the Macy's parade because you saw Santa.

grumbler

March 27th, 2019 at 9:37 AM ^

The Neapolitan officers did not lose much honour, for God knows they had not much to lose - but they lost all they had.

- Horatio Nelson after a rout of the Neapolitan army, 1798

 

RGard

March 27th, 2019 at 9:54 AM ^

“Ask him about the cemeteries, Dean!"

In 1966 upon being told that President Charles DeGaulle had taken France out of NATO and that all U.S. troops must be evacuated off of French soil President Lyndon Johnson mentioned to Secretary of State Dean Rusk that he should ask DeGaulle about the Americans buried in France. Dean implied in his answer that that DeGaulle should not really be asked that in the meeting at which point President Johnson then told Secretary of State Dean Rusk:

"Ask him about the cemeteries Dean!"

That made it into a Presidential Order so he had to ask President DeGaulle.

So at end of the meeting Dean did ask DeGaulle if his order to remove all U.S. troops from French soil also included the 60,000+ soldiers buried in France from World War I and World War II.

DeGaulle, embarrassed, got up and left and never answered.”


― Lyndon Baines Johnson

 

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/375563-ask-him-about-the-cemeteries-dean-in-1966-upon-being