A little over a year before Woody’s career ended after he slugged Clemson’s Charlie Bauman in the 1978 Gator Bowl, there was this. Late in the 1977 Ohio State-Michigan game, ABC cameraman Mike Freedman got a little too close to Hayes. So? So the old man decked him right in the chest.
The TV audience saw Woody take the swing but didn’t see much after that. Freedman was jolted but wasn’t seriously injured.
Naturally, you can count on Steve “Dr. Sap” Sapardanis who found the clip. Wait for it!
Whoa– you gotta hand it to the old man, he could still bring that thunder!
When confronted about the punch in the postgame presser, Hayes didn’t apologize and told reporters, “Go ahead and write it.” As he stormed off he got the in face of a reporter and said, “You have somebody stick it in your face every week and see how you like it.”
In the papers, Bo defended his mentor by noting his own issues with his temper. And Schembechler admitted he wasn’t crazy about the cameras roaming the sidelines either.
Finally, I loved this. The Daily quoted AD Don Canham talking about why he felt TV reporters belonged on the sidelines:
“Oh, $600,000, that’s why. When you guys (writers) give us 600 grand, we’ll put your fannies on the bench if you want.”
Michigan went onto a 14-6 victory in the ninth edition of the Ten Year War Mandatory–Ricky Leach’s touchdown from that 1977 game.
What a scene!!
2 Comments
Bando
The Woody-decking-cameraman clip has been used a lot in those Michigan-Ohio State documentaries. I think it’s definitely on that Ten Year War VHS tape. I know I’ve seen it, it’s only a couple seconds of Woody lunging at the lens.
Kurt
After the MSU upset in East Lansing in 1974, a Spartan fan (friend of mine) was among those rushing the field. He approached Woody from behind and said: ” Hey, you f—ers lost today!”
Woody elbowed him in the mouth, enough to draw blood. The fan walked around campus the rest of the evening, feeling no pain, announcing to one and all as he pointed to the dried blood on his face: “Woody did this to me!”