The media cheering on bad behavior by coaches isn't new... For instance, Hayes' violent tantrums dated 20+ years back by the time he punched an opposing player. It wasn't winning that made him a jerk.
Human nature doesn't change, only the environment that channels it does. Prominent imperfection is the hallmark of great figures, of which Hayes is indisputably one.
That's silly. "Don't hit people around you" was a thing in the 70s too. He was fired for it, in the 70s.
Fun fact that the referee Hayes was screaming at and who signaled the unsportsmanlike conduct, was Jerry Markbreit. He went on to be the most-recognized NFL referee of the 1980s and 90s.
I don't disagree and didn't claim otherwise. But it's entirely irrelevant to my point.
Come on man, you can see from what I quoted vs what you just shared, you pretty heavily edited what you said after and are doing the gaslighting.
Don't kid yourself, none of the coaches you mention were as demonstrative as Woody on the sidelines. But they were definitely as defiant with referees, just not as boisterous. As for Woody being abusive of his players or assistants, that's not way most of his former players tell the story. You might want to check out what Brian Baschnagel had to say about Hayes when he was with the Bears. The press ? Well there are a number of NCAA coaches that are dismissive of the press. Abusive? Bobby Knight appears to be the only coach that I can remember being directly abusive to reporters.
Hayes also punched his own offensive lineman in the incident that got him fired. He also slapped and punched his players. "if he didn't punch you he didn't want to make you better" ages super well...
Hear you - but I think you were referring to sports reporters not camera men (side line aspects) and I stand by what his former players remember him as. What was acceptable in the '60s and '70s is not acceptable today. But I don't see any of his former players calling him abusive.
How do you read "punched the brother of a journalist by mistake over a tough question" and "used to punch me in the stomach and slap me in the face" and not say that's abuse? Joe Paterno's players stand by him, should that player support really be the measuring stick?
