Woody's 'punch' still packs a wallop (Woody Hayes 25 years later)

Dayton Daily News ^ | December 31, 2003 | Eddie Pells

[fooman]

I dont get some freepers sometimes.

I guess you all condon being punched in the face when you win, especailly in team sports.

So, you are saying you want to be decked out on the floor next time you win at something?

[AD from SpringBay]

The next time an old man punches you, and it doesn't really hurt or cause an injury, press charges.

[fooman]

That is not the real principle here. Wood boy was the loser and a sore one at that.

The principle is that the loser gets to beat the crap out of the winner. That is what you are advocating.

You are also advocating thug-ball by extension, because old coaches are supposed to teach kids NOT get into melees.

Wood man never admitted he was wrong. If the player had defended himself and beat the crap out of the old man would you be of with that?

[Dan from Michigan]

Charges? You gotta be kidding me.

1. If it is a harmless punch like that, sometimes walking away and letting go is best. It took care of itself anyway, and the price was Coach's job.
2. If the punch is a threat, the best thing to do is respond appropiately in kind.

Unfortunatly too many people have to be candyass litigators running to courts nowawdays. How weak and sad.

[AD from SpringBay]

The context is that an old man punched a young man and there was no real harm done. If the athlete had, in turn, beat the crap out of the old man, in self defense, I'd be ok with that too. It might teach everybody a lesson. At the end of the day "Wood Boy" learned his lesson.

Go ahead and press charges - you might even want to sue the univeristy while you're at it.

[Skip Ripley]

Woody would have been one hell of a Freeper. Growing up in Ohio, I appreciated what the man did for Ohio State University and college football in general. I consider him to be the second greatest college football coach in Ohio history. He runs a close second to Bowling Green State's own Doyt L Perry.

When Woody was forced out at Ohio State, he travelled to Doyt's house for an afternoon visit with Bo Schembechler.
That house in Bowling Green held three of the Midwest's greatest football minds. I'd have loved to been on a fly on the wall that day!

[fooman]

I agree with you on the candy@ss lit, but there should be justice.

We cant have top ten coaches advocating assault by example.

I would have been happy with allowing the player to retaliate instead if we want to keep it out of the courts, but I dont think the sore loser would have fared well.

This is the worst group think I have seen here. Even worse than when some of us first put forth the theory on the shuttle foam(which happened to be right in that case) We can all agree to disagree, but no one has followed thier position to its natural conclusions.

[fooman]

Ok, here is the deal.

We have LSU play USC (Cal) for the national championchip. Then whoever losers gets to punch out anyone on the other side they choose. Then the teams "clear the benches" all on pay per view!

[Dan from Michigan]

We cant have top ten coaches advocating assault by example.

I agree(that litigation and charges comment really stuck a cord with me though, as I have a personal resentment for ambulance chasers). I coached for 4 years(high school). I've never hit a player, unless you count football related limited contact in a drill - blocking, tackling, etc.

I think walking away there was the best thing, and justice was delivered by the firing. If he retaliated(which I normally support), the rest of the players at OSU would jump in and defend their coach, the other Clemson players would defend their player, and all hell would break lose.

It was handled in house, as it should have been IMO. It also set the example of hitting a player will get a coach fired, even if you are Woody Hayes. Even Bob Knight got fired.

[fooman]

I separate slip and fall stuff with willing criminal acts.

We would not want to do away with murder trials would we?

As a Catholic and a worker in the fund industry, I see the damage the trial lawyers can do.

Knight was likable guy and he *only* hit and choked his *own* players, so one could use the tough love doctrine(right!).

But when a head coach hits a member of the opposing team, all the "he is jolly good fellow" goes out the window.

Halas or Landry he is not.

[fooman]

Right on 29 it is your basic game theory.