35 Years Ago: Minnesota Brawl

[Steve19]

Originally Posted by brodybuck21

my dad has told me about this mugging on more than one occasion. I usually have to tell him to stop talking about it because he gets real worked up about it and in turn gets me worked up. i have never seen footage of this but i despise minny all the same. The fact that it was racially motivated makes my blood boil...

No need to despise them, those guys are gone. We just need to remember, so it doesn't happen again.

[OregonBuckeye]

This works.

Fandome Ohio State Buckeyes, Minnesota Golden Gophers=>1972 Ohio State vs. Minnesota Brawl

[Steve19]

I downloaded it to save it. Perhaps some others could do that. It is not the video that was available before, which was shot at a higher perspective and showed the fan involvement and the multiple places where numerous Minnesota players and fans were beating up on lone Buckeye players. But, at least it is some record.

By the way, it seems rather silly to characterize Minnesota today by the actions of those players and fans then.

[OCBuckWife]

Thanks for finding that. That kick in the groin that started it all was terrible. The whole concept of offering to help and using the moment of distraction to attack, wow.

[BuckeyeBill]

I remember watching the game when I was a kid and just sitting there with my jaw on the floor. As outrageous as the incident was, I was more outraged by the response of the Big Ten and tOSU. With Minny, we already knew what we were dealing with. They had clearly demonstrated who they were. But for our own administration and league officials to act as if it was some minor skirmish, that was borderline criminal. Truly shameful. Still makes me sick to think about it.

BTW - the uploaded video is not the broadcast video of that night. The broadcast video would give a much better appreciation for the player/fan participation. I wonder if a copy of that exists anywhere.

[WoodyWorshiper]

[quote=Steve19;730039;]With all due respect, it clearly was. He was always rather thin but when he returned to play, he played like a different man. He was tentative and shied away from contact after that attack.

If I recall correctly, his average points per game, rebounds, and blocked shots dropped dramatically after the attack. As a result, he averaged less than 14 points a game compared with about 20ppg in his sophomore year.

Witte played tentatively throughout the rest of the season and his short pro career in which he averaged 4.5 points in his best year and less than half that his last two years.

As Woody always said, from every bad thing you get a good thing. Maybe all of this focused Witte on a ministry that helped others and maybe that made him happier than a pro career ever might have made him.

Thanks for the backup on the post I made over a year ago, Steve.

I'd pretty much forgotten about it, but whenever the topic is brought up, I'm ready to go off. Like I stated earlier, I was 10 when this happened, yet it's still so crystal clear. Luke Witte was an absolute STAR before this crap happened. And he was never the same after. The poster who disagreed with my original post stated that through Luke's ministry he's learned to forgive. Thats fine and wonderful, but my point was that there was tension between him and Brewer when they were with the Cavs, and that they were never "buddies" as I stated. Luke may have "forgiven" but I'll guarantee that to this day that he doesn't "like" the guy, or any of the other thugs that showed up that night, nor is there any way in hell that he should like them. Useless bunch of "thugs-turned-mugs" by the most [censored] poor Coach in the history of basketball. When [censored] Stepien brought Musselman up here to coach the Cavs back many moons ago, the Cavs pretty much died in the eyes of most fans. It took his dismissal and a few years to get the fans back.

Peace.

[RJman101]

I know this isn't a football link but I think all buckeye fans should see this. I can't believe how violent the Minnesota team is during this clip.

Huge Brawl