Bob Knight Halftime Speech

[Spret42]

I have had this as an .wmv file on my computer forever.

As others have said the whole thing is a fantastic look into Knight. Listen to what is making him most angry. He is mad at how their poor play affects HIM. It is all about how he "had to sit around for a year with an 8-10 record in this blanking league." "You will not do that to me again." etc etc. The man really should have been a football coach, with all the bluster and wanna be commanding general of troops going into battle BS.

My take on Coach K and Knight is that K was smart enough to employ all of Knights genius for basketball, ref intimidation and defense while letting loose any connection between his teams record and his own self worth. He knew that to drill them hard was important. But I also think he saw the genius in John Wooden's ability for understanding people and how to bring out the best in individuals. I think that is why K is so great. He melds the best parts of the two schools of coaching into one person.

[Vincetaylor]

I think the only reason people are saying they like this is because of Knight's ties to Coach K. Although I think it is funny and entertaining, he totally comes across as an ego maniac and a bully.

[BD80]

Reminds me of the story that ends with the youngest boy alone at the breakfast table, having seen his two older brothers punished so severely, replying:

"You can bet your sweet ... that I won't ask for the ... corn flakes!"

[ndkjr70]

"When I'm retired and my coaching career is in the past, I want them to bury me upside down so my critics can kiss my I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this."

[Cameron]

This is awesome. What's the problem here?

As they say, some things aren't for the faint of heart. Another one: if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.

I imagine that similar speeches have rang inside Cameron's bowels...

[BD80]

... I imagine that similar speeches have rang inside Cameron's bowels...

But not the bowels of the Dean Dome, those bowels are too full to echo

[hedevil]

Does anyone here really believe that coach K has never gone off like that in the privacy of the locker room? Come on!

If coach Knight was recruiting me for his team, I think I would take that (the angry verbal scoldings) into consideration when choosing whether to commit or not. Who doesn't know Knight's tendencies?

Players who play for Knight know who's recruiting them. Let's not treat the players like victims. If you choose Duke, it probably has alot to do with coach K (Kyrie Irving for example). If you had chosen to play for Knight, it might have been because of the coach that he is (flaws and all). I respect Knight because, like him or not, he is who he is, calls it like it is, and doesn't put up a front for anyone. The way I see it, the world needs more straight forward people as it is. I know I like his honesty when it comes to discussing Duke, as opposed to hating on Duke every opportunity like some people.

[Big Pappa]

Does anyone here really believe that coach K has never gone off like that in the privacy of the locker room? Come on!

If coach Knight was recruiting me for his team, I think I would take that (the angry verbal scoldings) into consideration when choosing whether to commit or not. Who doesn't know Knight's tendencies?

Players who play for Knight know who's recruiting them. Let's not treat the players like victims. If you choose Duke, it probably has alot to do with coach K (Kyrie Irving for example). If you had chosen to play for Knight, it might have been because of the coach that he is (flaws and all). I respect Knight because, like him or not, he is who he is, calls it like it is, and doesn't put up a front for anyone. The way I see it, the world needs more straight forward people as it is. I know I like his honesty when it comes to discussing Duke, as opposed to hating on Duke every opportunity like some people.

There is no doubt that Coach K has profanity laced locker room speeches and yells at referees, but there is a huge difference between K and Knight and that is: control. I am not naive enough to say I think K only cusses out of anger and it doesn't happen all that often. I do, however, think that K has a purpose for everything he does, profanity laced speeches included.

No team is better coming out of half than Duke and that is because K is a great motivator but he also knows when and where to use it.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I like it mainly because if I was a basketball coach, I would be the same way. Sometimes its not about trying to motivate your players, but to simply get your point across. There were times after a few games this past year (NC State, GTown) where I know I would've gone ballistic and I think most coaches would too. A poster earlier nailed it though and said its all about having control. Would I have it? Who knows? If I was in that position facing my team after getting drubbed where we converted 20+ turnovers and allowed 50% shooting, maybe not. Thankfully I can rest easy knowing my real team's coach knows exactly what he's doing in those tough positions. Thanks Coach K!

[oldnavy]

Having been on the receiving end and on the giving end of those type of speeches, my take is that they are only effective if employed correctly. A good leader needs many tools to effectively lead and motivate. I am a recovering cusser myself (20+ years in the Navy), and I found that leaders that rant and rave as a standard method were not nearly as effective as those that remained firm, fair and in control. HOWEVER, when a leader that usually exercised restraint, went off like Knight did, it most certainly made an impact. I had to use that tactic twice that I remember with my sailors over the 20 years. Both times it was after the message I was trying to convey did not get through the first couple of times with a more reserved, calm approach. Once in my first tour, and once while on deployment in the Horn of Africa near the end of my career. The one in Africa was funny, I almost passed out because I was yelling so loud and for so long, and it was about 130 degrees! I actually had to stop for a second, bend over an place my hands on my knees, and get my Senior Chief to hand me a bottle of water before I could continue! But I got their attention and they stopped doing the stupid stuff, and we all came back alive, by God's good grace!

[Zeke]

My experience with this type of thing is: 1) when as coach you don't know anything elase to do - tell your team to play harder 2) when you really don't know what else to do - add swearing. If you pound hard enough you reallly can fit a square object into a round hole.

[Devilsfan]

I think the General is a great on TV. He was first to mentioned that Jon should be the point for Duke back in February 2009. Who knows maybe he suggested that Zoubs become a starter back on February 13th.

[JG Nothing]

Warning - Not For Children.

George Takei - "OH MY!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw7Ki...re=grechttp://

I heard basically the same thing playing high school football in Alabama during the 1970s. I think Knight is an arrogant bully, but not because of "motivational" speeches like that.

[Lord Ash]

Having been on the receiving end and on the giving end of those type of speeches, my take is that they are only effective if employed correctly. A good leader needs many tools to effectively lead and motivate. I am a recovering cusser myself (20+ years in the Navy), and I found that leaders that rant and rave as a standard method were not nearly as effective as those that remained firm, fair and in control. HOWEVER, when a leader that usually exercised restraint, went off like Knight did, it most certainly made an impact. I had to use that tactic twice that I remember with my sailors over the 20 years. Both times it was after the message I was trying to convey did not get through the first couple of times with a more reserved, calm approach. Once in my first tour, and once while on deployment in the Horn of Africa near the end of my career. The one in Africa was funny, I almost passed out because I was yelling so loud and for so long, and it was about 130 degrees! I actually had to stop for a second, bend over an place my hands on my knees, and get my Senior Chief to hand me a bottle of water before I could continue! But I got their attention and they stopped doing the stupid stuff, and we all came back alive, by God's good grace!

I've learned the same thing through both coaching and teaching... the rant and rave is MUCH more effective when it is not the norm, and personally I prefer when it is not "selfish" in nature.

[hedevil]

Knight did play a huge role in paving the way for coach K, right?

Coach K does credit coach Knight with steering his way (in part) to getting where he is today, right?

I don't think coack K credits Knight with helping to make him the coach he is today just for the hell of it, do you?

That's enough for me. Dude (Knight) knows how to coach, period!

[Jarhead]

What a terrific orator. He didn't stumble over a single word, and he did it in rhythm, and without a teleprompter.

[Huh?]

Warning - Not For Children.

George Takei - "OH MY!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw7Ki...re=grechttp://

He was pissed.

[4decadedukie]

A good leader sculpts and optimizes both his massage and his delivery-mode to best fit the circumstances and the audience. Any of us who have led youngsters as coaches, military officers, teachers, parents, etc. know this is true. Coach Knight’s halftime, motivational speech was appropriate for the circumstances and for his team at that time; obviously, this does not suggest that it would be universally suitable. It is my opinion that, far too frequently, individuals are criticized by self-anointed pundits, who neither understand the context nor have any real experience in similar situations.

[duke79]

LOL. Glad is he NOT my boss. LOL. I wonder how many parents, if they heard this rant from Bobby Knight, would have let their sons play basketball from him? I mean basketball is a GAME. We're not talking about the D-Day invasion of Normandy here.

[4decadedukie]

I mean basketball is a GAME. We're not talking about the D-Day invasion of Normandy here.

Perhaps, but the self-discipline, the teamwork, the leadership, the character development, the tenacity, and the self-sacrifice developed through athletic competitions have substantial, pervasive applicability in the military -- both during combat operations and in less-demanding circumstances. This is the precise reason why General Douglas MacArthur had the following quotation carved in stone over the entryway of West Point’s gymnasium:

"Upon the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds, that upon other fields, on other days, will bear the fruits of victory."

It is also why the service academies make constant athletic competition (intramural or intercollegiate) mandatory.