I am a woman, and totally agree with Richard Fuller's review. First of all, anyone who watches the whole scene at the football game see's Helen's niece, who's quite larger than Opie, interfere with his football pass. When he calls it, she argues with him and shoves him with quite a bit of force, as she was a very strong girl. He shoves her back, barely moving her. Towering over him and threatening him in front of his friends she says, "You hit me!", as if shocked that a boy actually challenged her right to physically attack and experience nothing in return. Opie does shove her back, as his friends are watching, and she gives him a black eye. He didn't knock her out, which he could have done after she punched him. He refuses to hit her again because she's a girl, and she is triumphant in that. She tells some convoluted story to her Aunt Helen who repeats it to Andy-- that Opie started the fight, shoved her first, and maybe he wouldn't have if she wasn't better at everything than him. Duh...he shoved her back, because she shoved him like a dude--twice.