The Late Richard Lewis, an Avid Ohio State Fan, Once Went on Epic Rant About Michigan
Before he was one of America’s great sardonic comedians, Richard Lewis was an Ohio State student who graduated from the school with a degree in marketing in 1969.
Like all Buckeyes, Lewis—who died Wednesday at the age of 76—maintained a hatred of Michigan that persisted his entire life. Upon his death, fans quickly remembered a segment he shot for College GameDay breaking down why he hated the Wolverines.
“I hate Michigan. I have total distrust for anyone who went to school there,” Lewis said ahead of the two teams’ gridiron meeting in 2022. “I know a handful of people who graduated from the University of M. They didn’t like to have fun.”
Lewis gradually escalated his anti-Michigan antagonism as the theme from Curb Your Enthusiasm—the long-running HBO sitcom where he played a fictional version of himself—played in the background.
“Look at Coach (Ryan) Day. Look at his beard. Look at that beard. He looks like Houdini,” he said, praising Day’s warm-up spiel and imploring him to “never stop doing that psychotic dance before the game.”
Ohio State may have lost that game 45-23, but the Buckeyes definitely won the comedy battle.
