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.”
Richard Lewis rants on why he hates Michigan 😅
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 26, 2022
"I have total distrust for anyone who went to school [at Michigan]." pic.twitter.com/obAdoecQ1l
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.
