Woody Hayes still top enemy in Michigan

Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 5, 2004

COLUMBUS - Sixteen years after his death, Woody Hayes is still a marked man in that state up north.

In this week's Sports Illustrated, Ohio State's 28-year coach is listed as ''Enemy of the State'' in balloting by Michigan natives.

Hayes received 15 percent of the vote with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and former Colorado Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy each receiving 13 percent.

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Hayes is the first posthumous selection in the balloting, which is part of the magazine's survey of the 50 states, their greatest sports moments and their greatest heroes and villains.

Not surpringly, in voting for the state's most hated foes, Ohio State's Buckeyes are listed No. 1 with 54 percent. The Avalanche, chief rivals of the Detroit Red Wings, came in at 18 percent with the Green Bay Packers, longtime nemesis of the Detroit Lions, third with 7 percent.

The state of Ohio was profiled in the August 4 issue of SI. Ohioans chose the man who moved the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore, Art Modell, as the Enemy of the State with 52 percent of the vote. Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown was next with 6 percent - followed by Hayes' chief adversary at Michigan, Bo Schembechler, with 5 percent of the vote.