When Muhammad Ali, or Jim Brown, or Bill Russell, or Bill Walton, or Billie Jean King took firm, courageous, and deeply informed stands on civil rights or progressive issues, many in the stands responded with a grumble: shut up and play.
Courtly and soft-spoken, Mr. Annan has been a firm and courageous leader.
Hartmann spent the war years in internal exile, refusing to allow his music to be published or performed in Nazi Germany, and it is easy to hear his later music as an expression of his firm and courageous personal principles.
They should be selected from the most firm, temperate, prudent, courageous and conciliatory men the country can afford.
We need adequate funding, firm political commitment, courageous and creative programming, and the involvement of diverse actors, including faith-based, civil society, and private sector partners.
When working with multinational firms, creating a "courageous culture" is often just as important as aligning the geographic ones.
Mr Buhari "would not be a good economic manager", wrote the politician who won two presidential elections for the PDP after 1999, but "will be a strong, almost inflexible, and a courageous and firm leader".
Stojanović was generally pleased with the Grmeč Partisans, describing them as courageous, enthusiastic, firm, and trustworthy but somewhat inexperienced.
Jeremy Corbyn faces an onslaught of criticism for his opposition to UK military action in Syria, but he is right and courageous to stand firm.
Vadim Malkin, director of research firm Russian Axis, said the "courageous minority" of companies that have already invested or set up shop in Russia would probably use their clout to prevent trade relations from deteriorating, which he doubted would happen anyway.
An obituary published shortly after his death described him as "courageous, outspoken and firm in dealing with his criminals".
