jcollingsworth
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The Growl and the Scowl: What Links Bear Bryant and Woody Hayes
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
(photo courtesy of Cleveland.com)
As this season began I had the same fantasy that all Buckeye fans did – REPEAT.
Well, obviously, it isn’t happening.
I even went as far as to construct a piece that I would have shared the week of the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes rematch from last year. (Yes – just like the rest of you I saw Ol’ Bama in the final four too. I am shamed by this admission – but it is true).
There will be no rematch.
So let me share it anyway:
On December 31, 1978 in New Orleans the Sugar Bowl was highlighting Alabama and Ohio State, two storied programs, who for the first time in their histories were playing against one another. The stars of the show weren’t the players, which was and is the norm. This day would hold the spotlight over two of the greatest coaches in history – Bear Bryant with his 270 victories and Woody Hayes with his 231. They were at the time college football’s winningest active coaches. They were meeting for the first time.
The press dubbed it as “The Growl” vs. “The Scowl.” The Growl was for Bryant’s rumbling voice. The Scowl represented Hayes’ game day restraint. The two best one-liners surrounding this game came from Bear Bryant. The pre-game one-line gem was: “I don’t know why you people keep making such a big deal over Woody Hayes and Paul Bryant,’’ the Bear growled to reporters. “I can assure you I’m not going to play … and I hope Woody does.’’ The post-game jewel would be: “Winning or losing has nothing to do with how bad or good the coaches are,” he said. “Woody is a great coach. And I ain’t bad.”
Woody, of course, would have his Woody-way-with words especially in the arrangement that showed he was indeed a serious student of history: “When Sadat and Begin got together, it’s the same as when Bear and I get together,” he said. “If you want a good contest or a good agreement, you’d better get the grandfathers involved.’’
The day would not play well though for Woody and his Buckeyes. The final would be 35-6. An irritated Hayes would bellow afterwards, “They beat us with about one-half as much material as we have, and we played them with about one-fourth as much coach as they got — because we sure got out-coached here today. They just outplayed us in every department they could have.’’
The question that surfaced in the game’s final review was: How could a team fumble 10 times against a quality team and still win by 29 points (as Alabama did). The answer simply will never be known. It just wasn’t The Ohio State University’s day, or Woody’s.
Following the game and its post-game press conference Woody would not be seen until the Buckeyes plane arrived in Columbus the following morning. Bear too went into his private world. Certainly they had gone into the circle in which they felt most comfort – Bear’s most probably in celebration while Woody’s was more of a defeated General’s bunker drawing plans to rebuild his army.
But would it not be grand to think that arguably the two greatest coaches in history would slip into a private hotel room for a couple drinks and conversation. And if that had been the case what would they talk about? Would it be Football? Politics? Movies? Or something else?
To be a fly on the wall if this indeed happened!
Hayes: Bear you certainly could have pulled back a bit!
Bryant: What?
Hayes: That was a shellacking!
Bryant: Would you’ve pulled back had it gone the other way?
Hayes smiles. They raise their glasses of freshly poured cold beers.
Bryant: Been to New Orleans before Woody?
Hayes: I have, yes! But not to be mugged as I have today.
Bryant: That wasn’t a mugging Woody. I diplomatically would refer to it as a Gentlemen’s loss. But we know, the warriors that we are, that it was a plain old-fashioned whupping’!
There would be an odd silence.
Bryant: Want to go get some good New Orleans grub?
Hayes: I could always do good grub!
Bryant: I know this place called Commanders Palace. The head chef, Paul Prudhomme, is the absolute best. I hear he has this apprentice that may even be better. He’s got an odd name – Emeril Lagasse – something like that.
Hayes: We should wear disguises if we go. We’d never finish our first bite. The press, fans, we would be pounced on.
Bryant: I agree!
Hayes: I’ll go as Carter.
Bryant laughs robustly.
Hayes: You can be Rosalynn.
Bryant: Me being Rosalynn? That’s an insult to her. How about I’ll be Aykroyd and you can be Belushi.
The post The Growl and the Scowl: What Links Bear Bryant and Woody Hayes appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
(photo courtesy of Cleveland.com)
As this season began I had the same fantasy that all Buckeye fans did – REPEAT.
Well, obviously, it isn’t happening.
I even went as far as to construct a piece that I would have shared the week of the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes rematch from last year. (Yes – just like the rest of you I saw Ol’ Bama in the final four too. I am shamed by this admission – but it is true).
There will be no rematch.
So let me share it anyway:
On December 31, 1978 in New Orleans the Sugar Bowl was highlighting Alabama and Ohio State, two storied programs, who for the first time in their histories were playing against one another. The stars of the show weren’t the players, which was and is the norm. This day would hold the spotlight over two of the greatest coaches in history – Bear Bryant with his 270 victories and Woody Hayes with his 231. They were at the time college football’s winningest active coaches. They were meeting for the first time.
The press dubbed it as “The Growl” vs. “The Scowl.” The Growl was for Bryant’s rumbling voice. The Scowl represented Hayes’ game day restraint. The two best one-liners surrounding this game came from Bear Bryant. The pre-game one-line gem was: “I don’t know why you people keep making such a big deal over Woody Hayes and Paul Bryant,’’ the Bear growled to reporters. “I can assure you I’m not going to play … and I hope Woody does.’’ The post-game jewel would be: “Winning or losing has nothing to do with how bad or good the coaches are,” he said. “Woody is a great coach. And I ain’t bad.”
Woody, of course, would have his Woody-way-with words especially in the arrangement that showed he was indeed a serious student of history: “When Sadat and Begin got together, it’s the same as when Bear and I get together,” he said. “If you want a good contest or a good agreement, you’d better get the grandfathers involved.’’
The day would not play well though for Woody and his Buckeyes. The final would be 35-6. An irritated Hayes would bellow afterwards, “They beat us with about one-half as much material as we have, and we played them with about one-fourth as much coach as they got — because we sure got out-coached here today. They just outplayed us in every department they could have.’’
The question that surfaced in the game’s final review was: How could a team fumble 10 times against a quality team and still win by 29 points (as Alabama did). The answer simply will never be known. It just wasn’t The Ohio State University’s day, or Woody’s.
Following the game and its post-game press conference Woody would not be seen until the Buckeyes plane arrived in Columbus the following morning. Bear too went into his private world. Certainly they had gone into the circle in which they felt most comfort – Bear’s most probably in celebration while Woody’s was more of a defeated General’s bunker drawing plans to rebuild his army.
But would it not be grand to think that arguably the two greatest coaches in history would slip into a private hotel room for a couple drinks and conversation. And if that had been the case what would they talk about? Would it be Football? Politics? Movies? Or something else?
To be a fly on the wall if this indeed happened!
Hayes: Bear you certainly could have pulled back a bit!
Bryant: What?
Hayes: That was a shellacking!
Bryant: Would you’ve pulled back had it gone the other way?
Hayes smiles. They raise their glasses of freshly poured cold beers.
Bryant: Been to New Orleans before Woody?
Hayes: I have, yes! But not to be mugged as I have today.
Bryant: That wasn’t a mugging Woody. I diplomatically would refer to it as a Gentlemen’s loss. But we know, the warriors that we are, that it was a plain old-fashioned whupping’!
There would be an odd silence.
Bryant: Want to go get some good New Orleans grub?
Hayes: I could always do good grub!
Bryant: I know this place called Commanders Palace. The head chef, Paul Prudhomme, is the absolute best. I hear he has this apprentice that may even be better. He’s got an odd name – Emeril Lagasse – something like that.
Hayes: We should wear disguises if we go. We’d never finish our first bite. The press, fans, we would be pounced on.
Bryant: I agree!
Hayes: I’ll go as Carter.
Bryant laughs robustly.
Hayes: You can be Rosalynn.
Bryant: Me being Rosalynn? That’s an insult to her. How about I’ll be Aykroyd and you can be Belushi.
The post The Growl and the Scowl: What Links Bear Bryant and Woody Hayes appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...