ant80
Think less, feel more.
Saw this article about Jesse Owens, Gerald Ford and Willis Ward online and thought I should share.
Decency, justice and the Michigan-OSU rivalry: The story of Jesse Owens and Gerald Ford
Started a new thread because I didn't see one exclusively dedicated to the rivalry in my perfunctory search, and thought there should be one.
On a separate note, new players <cough>Jeremy Ruckert</cough> should be reminded of this.
Decency, justice and the Michigan-OSU rivalry: The story of Jesse Owens and Gerald Ford
It’s quite true that for much of the year, Michigan’s hatred for all things Ohio State never goes away. And vice versa. That’s true today, and it was certainly true back on Nov. 26, when the Wolverines and Buckeyes tangled in one of the most epic football games in their long and storied rivalry.
So in the face of all that, here’s a story about a Wolverine and a Buckeye who came together to right a historical wrong. It’s a story of respect and racial justice and friendship, and most of all, basic human decency.
It happened 41 years ago, and it’s evidence that yes, while we hate them and they hate us, at its core, this rivalry is truly rooted in respect and decency. It’s a story about two great Wolverines (Gerald Ford and Willis Ward) and one great Buckeye (Jesse Owens). It’s a story about a Michigan man who did a great thing for an Ohio State man, and when you hear it – if you’re a Michigan fan – it’ll hopefully make you feel even more proud that your blood runs maize and blue. And if you’re a Buckeye, it’ll serve as proof that not everyone from “That School Up North” is evil.
The story starts in the fall of 1934, when Gerald Ford and Willis Ward were senior starters on Michigan’s football team. If you’ve seen our documentary, “Black and Blue,” you know this part of the story well. Coming off back-to-back national championships in 1932 and 1933, Michigan was scheduled to host Georgia Tech in the fall of 1934. Athletic director Fielding H. Yost scheduled this game despite knowing full well that like all teams from the south back then, Georgia Tech would refuse to play the game unless Michigan benched Ward, an African-American end from Detroit who was the team’s best player.
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Started a new thread because I didn't see one exclusively dedicated to the rivalry in my perfunctory search, and thought there should be one.
On a separate note, new players <cough>Jeremy Ruckert</cough> should be reminded of this.