I came across the gem in an article by Judge Miner (CA2), Federal Courts, Federal Crimes, and Federalism 10 Harv. J. L. & Pub. Pol’y 117 (1987):

Some lawyers describe the present-day courts of appeals as courts for the correction of district courts’ errors, and for the perpetuation of their own. District judges compare circuit courts to soldiers who come onto the battlefield after the battle is over and shoot the wounded. One of my district judge friends swears that he once read a court of appeals opinion containing these words: “We reverse, substantially for the reasons stated in the decisions of the court below.”

LOL.