Last night, as I tweeted yesterday, NBC affiliate WMC-TV, Channel 5, in Memphis aired an exclusive interview with the Memphis doctor who handled Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ liver transplant. Unfortunately, video of that segment isn’t on WMC’s site today. At least not yet. Bummer, right?
So what video is on WMC’s site? How about this other November sweeps piece, about how their weather guy got punched in the face in the 70s!
Yep, another unbearable segment whether the local newscast lets itself become the story. Here we go:
The story is a tall tale as famous as Brown’s forecasts, and people remember it quite differently. Many Mid-Southerners swear they were watching television when the famous punch happened.
“A man was in a convertible and it rained on him, and he came in and hit him,” Patricia Tucker recalled.
“The story I remember is when somebody threw a Coke in his face,” Memphian Joy Frederick said.
Famous Memphians remember versions of the story as well.
“Dave immediately went on the defensive. He leaped in the air with a flying drop kick,” professional wrestler and WWE commentary Jerry Lawler said.
“I mean, he had two black eyes, his nose was swollen…that’s the day that Dave’s hair turned white,” he laughed.
Uh-huh. That’s the Jerry Lawler, the Andy Kaufman/WWE/MidSouth rasslin’ Jerry Lawler.
The 36-year-old story, presented in a lighthearted manner with whimsical graphics of Brown getting, you know, punched in the face, is undercut by the cold truth behind this Memphis urban legend: the puncher was mentally ill, and Brown hid under a table during the attack. Also, small detail: Brown wasn’t actually punched in the face.
As the man approached Brown, he took a swing, but he did not hit the famous forecaster in the face.
“As he swung kind of a hay maker, he caught me with his forearm, and I went down and went under a table,” Brown said. “Again, not knowing if he was armed and not knowing what he wanted. But he didn’t hurt me. I was not injured – nothing like that.
WMC, leaving it all on the field during November sweeps.
Meanwhile, where’s that Jobs video?
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Read the story of Jobs’ stay in Memphis in the Memphis Flyer.
