Fife on Woodson

[jermhoosierfan]

16 hours ago, go iu bb said:

Woodson graduated in 1980 which is 45 years ago. I turn 48 next month and, while I was alive while Woodson was at IU, I was too young to remember him. Even someone born in 1975 (50 years old this year) would have been only 5 when he graduated and highly unlikely to remember him at all. If they did remember him, it would likely just be vague impressions.

I will be 54 next month, and I don't really recall him.  I remember the 1981 faintly because that is the team that I remember watching on Channel 4 in Princeton with my dad.  It will take a while for his reputation to recover a bit, but they will welcome him back in a few years and the crowd will cheer when he will be introduced.  There will be a lot of people though who will slowly clap and will be muttering how he sucked as a head coach while he was at IU.

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

I could easily see Woodson pulling a Knight and refusing all contact.

[HoosierHoopster]

21 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

I could easily see Woodson pulling a Knight and refusing all contact.

And unlike with RMK, in my mind that might actually be a good thing. 

His level of importance to IU is greatly inflated in his own mind.

[HoosierHoopster]

1 hour ago, jermhoosierfan said:

I will be 54 next month, and I don't really recall him.  I remember the 1981 faintly because that is the team that I remember watching on Channel 4 in Princeton with my dad.  It will take a while for his reputation to recover a bit, but they will welcome him back in a few years and the crowd will cheer when he will be introduced.  There will be a lot of people though who will slowly clap and will be muttering how he sucked as a head coach while he was at IU.

58 now. I remember him as a player, but not in the same class as I remember guys like May, or I Thomas, etc. He was a really good college player, but not like those guys to me.

[cthomas]

1 hour ago, HoosierHoopster said:

58 now. I remember him as a player, but not in the same class as I remember guys like May, or I Thomas, etc. He was a really good college player, but not like those guys to me.

Woodson was a very good college player. Very smooth. That 1980  team had the pieces to contend for a national championship. Injuries to Wittman and Woodson derailed the season. It's probably true for a lot of programs, but IU has been positioned to make a run several times only to have key injuries take them out. I. Thomas, to me, is the best player I have ever seen at IU..

[HoosierHoopster]

1 hour ago, cthomas said:

Woodson was a very good college player. Very smooth. That 1980  team had the pieces to contend for a national championship. Injuries to Wittman and Woodson derailed the season. It's probably true for a lot of programs, but IU has been positioned to make a run several times only to have key injuries take them out. I. Thomas, to me, is the best player I have ever seen at IU..

Agree -- I've seen a lot of great players at IU, Cal, Henderson, May et al, but Isaiah was just incredible -- and he went on to be one of the best point guards to have played in the NBA. Some of those guys are close in my mind, but IT? What an amazing guard.

[steubenhoosier]

1 minute ago, HoosierHoopster said:

Agree -- I've seen a lot of great players at IU, Cal, Henderson, May et al, but Isaiah was just incredible -- and he went on to be one of the best point guards to have played in the NBA. Some of those guys are close in my mind, but IT? What an amazing guard.

Maybe you guys aren’t old enough to have seen the one year George McGinnis played at IU. A man among boys. 

[HoosierHoopster]

Just now, steubenhoosier said:

Maybe you guys aren’t old enough to have seen the one year George McGinnis played at IU. A man among boys. 

Not old enough. I know the history but never saw him play. But for IT regardless, it was all skill, a 'little' guard who could destroy anyone. That's part of the equation for me.

[str8baller]

21 hours ago, Hoosierfan2017 said:

People warmed back up to Crean in part because Woodson was such a disaster/ahole. Woodson’s not changing his stripes in his late 60s. Maybe the old timers will warm back up to him, but he earned his reputation with the under 45 crowd during his coaching tenure. I’d prefer for him (and Buckner) to never set foot within city limits again. 

 

(not calling anyone over 45 an “old timer,” just using that as a divider of people who would have no memories of Woodson as an IU player). 

That might be it for some people. IDK… 

For me, I couldn't stand Crean at the end and wanted him gone for a while. But once he was gone, I literally didn’t think about him. And now that he’s kind of a media voice and speaks fondly of IU, I appreciate his attitude towards the fans and IU. Davis seemed to get there too.  Comparisons with Woody have nothing for me because they all mentally go in the same box: “failed IU coaches.”
 

Woody is old news to me. I just wanted him gone. 

3 hours ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

I could easily see Woodson pulling a Knight and refusing all contact.

Same. And that’s kind of what I’m hoping doesn’t happen. I’ve never really been a “unite the fan base” guy, but it was kind of nice for the 18mos or so that the RMK hatchet was officially buried and there was no drama.  If him and Buckner want to play victim, then whatever….  Just don’t let either near the levers of IU basketball power again. 

[cthomas]

1 hour ago, steubenhoosier said:

Maybe you guys aren’t old enough to have seen the one year George McGinnis played at IU. A man among boys. 

I remember Big George very well. The high school state finals game between Washington and Marion, both undefeated, was one of the best high school games I ever saw. I just wish he could have played at least one year under CBK. McGinnis was an athletic specimen who was way ahead of his time.

[Hoosier DaDa]

Reading through this thread brought all the emotions back up for me wanting Woodson fired so bad it literally almost made me root for Ls.  Made me wonder was there ever Fire Woodson T-Shirts made so I Google search.  Now I know this shirt (which popped up on Walmart website) isn't directed at Woody and he is no longer here.  However I'm still going to buy it for $20 because I still want him FIRED not retired!

 

[Hoosier DaDa]

On 8/17/2025 at 10:08 AM, Home Jersey said:

Yep I have no doubt the IU admin / community at large will try to reclaim Woody. Will he ever accept that and return though? Not sure. He seemed to be pretty aggrieved about his time here. I suppose if Knight eventually came back, Woodson could too... lol 

Difference is we wanted Knight to come back...Woody can kick rocks and never come back. 

[Rico]

I'm thinking about buying some tix for when the Kings come to Indy.  Try to get them behind Sacto's bench so I can pelt Woodson's head with cigars...

[Hoosier DaDa]

1 minute ago, Rico said:

I'm thinking about buying some tix for when the Kings come to Indy.  Try to get them behind Sacto's bench so I can pelt Woodson's head with cigars...

Do it with this T-Shirt on LOL...and record it or it never happened.  Are you willing take one for the team and be kicked out NBA arenas for ever?

[Rico]

4 minutes ago, Hoosier DaDa said:

Do it with this T-Shirt on LOL...and record it or it never happened.  Are you willing take one for the team and be kicked out NBA arenas for ever?

Let me get back to you on that when I am under the influence...

[pumpfake]

15 minutes ago, Rico said:

I'm thinking about buying some tix for when the Kings come to Indy.  Try to get them behind Sacto's bench so I can pelt Woodson's head with cigars...

Big, green rubber ones? lol

[Hoosier DaDa]

6 minutes ago, Rico said:

Let me get back to you on that when I am under the influence...

Under the influence of what?  Asking because I just need to know what to send you.

[Hoosier DaDa]

I just found this one Etsy and I do believe it's directed at Woody.

 

[jermhoosierfan]

1 hour ago, Hoosier DaDa said:

I just found this one Etsy and I do believe it's directed at Woody.

 

Now, if you can get the flame next to his head, you might have something there.

[HoosierHoopster]

3 hours ago, Rico said:

Let me get back to you on that when I am under the influence...

So, later tonight then...