Before tipoff of a Nov. 2003 game played at midnight at the Liacouras Center:
“I’m sleepy. I’m going to make me some tea.”
-Philadelphia Daily News
Following his 1,000th career game and first against Princeton, in Dec. 2004:
“I’ll be laughing in my grave if I ever see them again. If I get them in the NCAA [Tournament], I’ll mail them a little card, because I ain’t showing up.”
-Philadelphia Daily News
On the Owls’ Nov. 1998 win over No. 5 Michigan State, a tightly contested game won on two free throws by Pepe Sanchez with 0.5 seconds remaining:
“I just don’t know how they keep doing it. It’s been three games in a row now. I just don’t like the idea of taking my nose and throwing it in somebody’s fist.”
-Philadelphia Daily News
On being forced to put walk-on players into a Dec. 1995 game because of injuries and foul trouble:
“There’s a difference between apples and lemons. Walk-ons are lemons. You can’t win with them. Oklahoma State recognized it and took advantage. They smelled their prey.”
-Philadelphia Inquirer
On Mardy Collins, following a Jan. 2005 game:
“The word is out that he’s a great point guard, so somebody’s always going to be right into him [on defense]. It’s like the old Wild West. When the bad guys came to town, they were looking for the toughest gun in town to kick his ass. That’s what they’ll do with Mardy – try to kick his ass.”
-The Temple News
From December 1995 press conference, on continuing a series with No. 3 Memphis:
“I hope the series continues, but if not, we’ll pick up another heavyweight. It’s tough to get people to play us because people don’t like to slow dance. But didn’t we fill the place up tonight? We’ll fill it up again and we’ll tear their ass up next time.”
-Philadelphia Daily News
On why he didn’t switch to a man defense against Saint Joseph’s in Jan. 2004:
“The NBA is complaining now [a days]. They want to stop playing zone. The scores are low. I don’t want to entertain anybody. I just want to win games. I’m not here to show you monkey shine. I’m not here to do that. Man-to-man ain’t [bleep].”
-The Temple News
On his post-retirement plans, following his 700th career win in Jan. 2004:
“I’m going to get a guitar and a mule. I’ll put the mule right outside and tie it to the hydrant next to the building. When they walk out of here, they’ll say, ‘Damn, coach is leaving us.'”
-The Temple News
On Victor Carstarphen, a Temple guard who fouled North Carolina’s King Rice as Rice drove to the net in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Tournament in 1991:
“He’s a midget. You’re a midget. How do you expect to block another midget’s shot? How high can a midget jump?”
-Philadelphia Inquirer
Following a December 2003 game, in which physical play dominated:
“If someone is hugging and kissing you, let them do the other thing, too. You know what that is, don’t you?”
-The Temple News
After a banner had been raised at the Liacouras Center in Nov. 2001, honoring his Hall of Fame induction:
“People look at it differently. Even my family, they’re like, ‘You deserve it.’ Deserve it, my ass. When I quit, I don’t want [bleep]. Just make a sweet potato pie.”
-Philadelphia Daily News
On Antywane Robinson’s defensive play against Fordham in a February 2004 outing:
“He’s just like an usher at the movie. We should get him some popcorn, so he can serve the [opposing] team popcorn. Guys dribble right down the middle of the court and he says ‘Where would you like to sit?'”
-The Temple News
After a win over Vanderbilt in March 1993 had advanced the Owls to the Elite 8:
“I had already made reservations at Shenk’s, in South Philadephia, for tomorrow. I had no faith in my boys at all. Now, I’ll have to cancel. And they were going to have a nice pork sandwich waiting for me, with cheese on it. And soup.”
-Philadelphia Daily News
On humility, from his Hall of Fame induction speech in Oct. 2001:
“I can remember coming out of my house and getting into my car. I have a very small house, in a row home. [I’ve] been there all my life. A bus had been rerouted, they had some kind of construction going on, and now it was coming down my street. [It was] filled with people.
“The bus stops. And the bus driver gets off the bus and says to me, ‘Aren’t you John Chaney?’ I said yes. He said, ‘I thought you’d be living in a mansion.’ The people on the bus said, ‘Damn, John Chaney, we’re going be late for work. Get your ass back on the bus.’ If that don’t tell you what kind of person you are, nothing will.”
-Philadelphia Daily News
On the bathroom situation at Penn’s Palestra, after a Dec. 2005 game:
“Do me a favor – try to make sure the coaches don’t come in the door and have to go with the paying customers. Then paying customers, while you’re using the urinal, are asking for your autograph. Always happens to me. …I’m an old man, I don’t want to talk. How many times do you think old people go to the toilet in a day – 50?”
-The Temple News
The First and Last Chaney-isms:
After a Nov. 30, 1982 win over George Washington, his first game as Temple’s coach: “I’m not that smart. Actually, I was trying to call a timeout. But the kids couldn’t hear me. I was too hoarse from hollering. That just goes to show you how smart coaches are. The kids make you breathe. We don’t do a damn thing.”
– Philadelphia Daily News
At his retirement press conference in March 2006, speaking of long-time friend and civil rights activist, the late Marcus A. Foster:
“He fought against [segregation] and for what he believed in [so much], that he left this country and went to Russia. He came back and, later on, he died right here in Philadelphia without people even knowing he had even existed. I would hope that I would do that one of these days, without someone paying attention – just walk away from it all.”
-The Temple News
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