Bob Knight resigns

[allenmurray]

never worried about PR, did a few stupid things.

He sure didn't worry about PR - he assaulted a police officer in Puerto Rico, and they finally gave up on trying to extradite him. Oh, you meant he didn't care about public relations . . .

[Mal]

I can't believe the ESPN poll rthomas noted doesn't include the Connie Chung "just sit back and enjoy it" interview, or any of the countless post-game media room tantrums Knight threw.

Personally, I'll always remember this (serious language alert): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZD1vkzYmyI
Edited version with just one of many hilarious sections (language alert still in effect): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPE_FUZFeLM

As golf is the game that reveals your true character, I submit Bobby Knight is awfully lucky he wound up in the world of college basketball - the man is so incapable of self control as to be unadaptable to 99% of the real world. He is a 9-year-old child. I respect his accomplishments, but will never respect the person.

[mpc]

My girlfriend just emailed me to see if I was sad b/c Knight retired and Hoosiers is one of my favorite movies. So for anyone who doesn't know (including me) I guess he will be remembered for that too.

But in any case I wonder if he will come back in a year or so when he gets bored after some time off, like Sutton or Majerus. Or maybe he's like Dean and when he's done, he's done.

[rthomas]

My girlfriend just emailed me to see if I was sad b/c Knight retired and Hoosiers is one of my favorite movies. So for anyone who doesn't know (including me) I guess he will be remembered for that too.

But in any case I wonder if he will come back in a year or so when he gets bored after some time off, like Sutton or Majerus. Or maybe he's like Dean and when he's done, he's done.

Was he in Hoosiers?

[throatybeard]

By and large, I've given up on moral high-horsery when it come to other people's coaches and players, unless something really absurd happens. I don't have the energy anymore. Memphis is winning with Calipari. Fine, whatever. Huggins is at WVU? Well, I ain't gonna stop rooting for WVU.

What I've always loved about RMK is his refusal to play by the rules of the press conference. You can tell a lot of coaches would like to hit the press back, but they don't. When someone asks an asinine question, RMK would respond honestly. I think that honesty is what I liked best about him. I also liked how he would give long, nuanced answers with a lot of context in an interview.

[Shammrog]

He sure didn't worry about PR - he assaulted a police officer in Puerto Rico, and they finally gave up on trying to extradite him. Oh, you meant he didn't care about public relations . . .

Well, DON'T count me as a defender of Bob Knight - I think he is a world-class bully and a jerk.

But, as I recall having read in a couple books (Feinstein/Coach K (who was there)/etc.), there was a lot more to the whole Puerto Rico incident -- i.e., it was a cop out to "get the Gringo"; the whole thing from the "incident" itself (in which Knight and the cop got into an argument over gym space, cop gets mad and goes on rant about "this is PUERTO RICO!, cop pokes Knight in eye, scuffle ensues (no punches) when officer tries to handcuff Knight, Coach K tells Knight to just let him put cuffs on so they can get this over with sooner, etc.) right up through the trial smacks of a Kangaroo-court style railroading.

Again - Knight has done plenty of things to be accurately called a jerk. But, the Puerto Rico matter probably shouldn't be among them.

[OldPhiKap]

moral high-horsery

Sorry, I couldn't get to the rest of the post after that. Nice phrase!

[BD80]

NO player was ever misled about what life would be like playing for Bobby. Neil Reed was a disgruntled player who had been voted off the team by his teammates and came forward with allegations in 2000 about an incident that supposedly occured in 1997. Bobby's other players have been uniformly gruntled (although some may have been plussed).

I greatly admire what Coach Knight stood for - teamwork and STUDENT athletes, and how he supported his players and was as generous a person as one will ever find. I do not admire his personal conduct and do not believe he should ever have represented this country. I also understand how Miles Brand felt he should not represent IU.

I would rank the coaches other than Coach K:

Iba
Knight
Smith
Allen
Newell
Wooden
Haskins
Bennett
Chaney

[alteran]

My girlfriend just emailed me to see if I was sad b/c Knight retired and Hoosiers is one of my favorite movies. So for anyone who doesn't know (including me) I guess he will be remembered for that too.

As far as I can tell, there's no connection between the movie OR story it's mostly based on and Bobby Knight except for the state of Indiana.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoosiers

[Classof06]

By and large, I've given up on moral high-horsery when it come to other people's coaches and players, unless something really absurd happens. I don't have the energy anymore. Memphis is winning with Calipari. Fine, whatever. Huggins is at WVU? Well, I ain't gonna stop rooting for WVU.

What I've always loved about RMK is his refusal to play by the rules of the press conference. You can tell a lot of coaches would like to hit the press back, but they don't. When someone asks an asinine question, RMK would respond honestly. I think that honesty is what I liked best about him. I also liked how he would give long, nuanced answers with a lot of context in an interview.

I agree with that as well. Personally, if I had a son that could play Division 1 basketball, I would love for him to play for Bobby Knight. Knight is not a saint, I think we all know that. But the guy is one of the best to ever grace his profession and the bottom line is that he loves his players and those around him. I also think it's hilarious that people use the media to judge Knight. I'd equate that to asking a UNC fan to tell you about Gerald Henderson; they go by what the public sees and run with it. Again, I'm not saying Knight was a saint, he had his demons just like everyone else (even you). It still doesn't outweigh the things he's done for the game, IMO.


"I made it hard and difficult for kids because they don't get anything out of it if it's easy. Kids have to get used to somebody telling them what to do because, when you leave college and go to work, there's always somebody telling you what to do. By learning that, they learn how to tell others what to do when they get into positions of leadership. I always laugh at people who get on me for getting on a kid. I wonder how many of them have ever gotten anything back from a kid saying, 'You were the biggest positive influence in my life.' That's why I never changed. It's interesting to me that I don't see much said about coaches who are not graduating their players or not teaching them how to play or not getting them ready to compete in life."

[allenmurray]

Well, DON'T count me as a defender of Bob Knight - I think he is a world-class bully and a jerk.

But, as I recall having read in a couple books (Feinstein/Coach K (who was there)/etc.), there was a lot more to the whole Puerto Rico incident -- i.e., it was a cop out to "get the Gringo"; the whole thing from the "incident" itself (in which Knight and the cop got into an argument over gym space, cop gets mad and goes on rant about "this is PUERTO RICO!, cop pokes Knight in eye, scuffle ensues (no punches) when officer tries to handcuff Knight, Coach K tells Knight to just let him put cuffs on so they can get this over with sooner, etc.) right up through the trial smacks of a Kangaroo-court style railroading.

Again - Knight has done plenty of things to be accurately called a jerk. But, the Puerto Rico matter probably shouldn't be among them.

First, I really don't know all that much about the incident in Puerto Rico. My post was supposed to be a play on the abbreviation PR - which fits for either Public Relations or Puerto Rico.

However, even given how little I know about the incident, given what we know about Knight's behavior over the years it isn't too hard for me to imagine that he might have just played a tiny little role in the whole thing.

I have family in Puerto Rico, and I have visited there quite often. I've been told by my family members (who are not Puerto-Rican) to be very careful and never get in an auto accident. "If you are not from the island it will be ruled your fault. The other person could be falling down drunk, run you over while you were getting out of your legally parked car, back over you 47 times, and it will still be ruled your fault". I am more careful driving there than anywhere else ever. I can easily imagine a Puerto Rican police officer starting out with a negative attitude towards Americans there for a basketball tournament.

On the other hand, I'm always amazed at the attitude American tourists take toward Puerto Ricans. Given that Puerto Rican's are US citizens the amount of abuse they take from their stateside counterparts is amazing. "Why don't you speak English like a real American?", etc., etc., Given Knight's propensity to bullying, and his ever-present attitude that he is above the rules, it is just as easy for me to imagine him as the instigator of the incident. Besides, he has done a number of other, quite similar, things, hasn't he?

[Acymetric]

First, I really don't know all that much about the incident in Puerto Rico. My post was supposed to be a play on the abbreviation PR - which fits for either Public Relations or Puerto Rico.

However, even given how little I know about the incident, given what we know about Knight's behavior over the years it isn't too hard for me to imagine that he might have just played a tiny little role in the whole thing.

I have family in Puerto Rico, and I have visited there quite often. I've been told by my family members (who are not Puerto-Rican) to be very careful and never get in an auto accident. "If you are not from the island it will be ruled your fault. The other person could be falling down drunk, run you over while you were getting out of your legally parked car, back over you 47 times, and it will still be ruled your fault". I am more careful driving there than anywhere else ever. I can easily imagine a Puerto Rican police officer starting out with a negative attitude towards Americans there for a basketball tournament.

On the other hand, I'm always amazed at the attitude American tourists take toward Puerto Ricans. Given that Puerto Rican's are US citizens the amount of abuse they take from their stateside counterparts is amazing. "Why don't you speak English like a real American?", etc., etc., Given Knight's propensity to bullying, and his ever-present attitude that he is above the rules, it is just as easy for me to imagine him as the instigator of the incident. Besides, he has done a number of other, quite similar, things, hasn't he?

What, pray tell, does your imagination have to do with what actually happened?

[allenmurray]

What, pray tell, does your imagination have to do with what actually happened?

Nothing, but as I said quite clearly, I don't know what happened. Or didn't you read that part. Try the sentence: First, I really don't know all that much about the incident in Puerto Rico.

I have a lot of experience in Puerto Rico - enough to be familiar with the animosity that sometimes exists between Puerto Ricans and stateside Americans. Given that animosity, it is not difficult to see how this could have been an overzealous police officer who started the incident. However, given Knight's history of similar behavior it is also not difficult to see how he could have been the instigator in this. That is what my post said.

Since I wasn't there, and didn't witness the incident, the phrase it isn't too hard for me to imagine is meant to indicate just that. I wasn't there. There really isn't any good definitive version of what did happen. So, I used my imagination to look at possible scenarios.

I know you love BK, but lighten up.

[Clipsfan]

NO player was ever misled about what life would be like playing for Bobby. Neil Reed was a disgruntled player who had been voted off the team by his teammates and came forward with allegations in 2000 about an incident that supposedly occured in 1997. Bobby's other players have been uniformly gruntled (although some may have been plussed).

I greatly admire what Coach Knight stood for - teamwork and STUDENT athletes, and how he supported his players and was as generous a person as one will ever find. I do not admire his personal conduct and do not believe he should ever have represented this country. I also understand how Miles Brand felt he should not represent IU.

I would rank the coaches other than Coach K:

Iba
Knight
Smith
Allen
Newell
Wooden
Haskins
Bennett
Chaney

I can't believe that you'd put Wooden so low...

[rthomas]

Nothing, but as I said quite clearly, I don't know what happened. Or didn't you read that part. Try the sentence: First, I really don't know all that much about the incident in Puerto Rico.

I have a lot of experience in Puerto Rico - enough to be familiar with the animosity that sometimes exists between Puerto Ricans and stateside Americans. Given that animosity, it is not difficult to see how this could have been an overzealous police officer who started the incident. However, given Knight's history of similar behavior it is also not difficult to see how he could have been the instigator in this. That is what my post said.

Since I wasn't there, and didn't witness the incident, the phrase it isn't too hard for me to imagine is meant to indicate just that. I wasn't there. There really isn't any good definitive version of what did happen. So, I used my imagination to look at possible scenarios.

I know you love BK, but lighten up.

Are you sure you weren't there?

[BD80]

I can't believe that you'd put Wooden so low...

I'm on record as believing that Wooden benefitted greatly from boosters who rather notoriously paid players at UCLA and from the early NCAA tournament format which basically gave UCLA a bye to the final four while East powerhouses such as Maryland or NCState wouldn't even make the tourney. He was a great coach, but I think 5 or 6 of the other coaches would have done as well in the same circumstances.

[dukie8]

how do all the knight naysayers feel about k crediting knight before anyone else for where he is today? he also specifically said what a great friend knight has been. i'll go with k's judge of character over anonymous internet posters who don't even know knight any day.

[rthomas]

how do all the knight naysayers feel about k crediting knight before anyone else for where he is today? he also specifically said what a great friend knight has been. i'll go with k's judge of character over anonymous internet posters who don't even know knight any day.

So I am one of the "Knight sucks, sucked and will suck" crowd. And that was long before Duke beat Indiana (I can't remember the exact date) and Knight refused to shake Krzyzewski's hand. I know that Coach K gives props to Knight (and he should) but that doesn't mean Knight is the reason Coach K is an awesome coach. I (personally) don't see alot of Knight in Krzyzewski.

[dukie8]

So I am one of the "Knight sucks, sucked and will suck" crowd. And that was long before Duke beat Indiana (I can't remember the exact date) and Knight refused to shake Krzyzewski's hand. I know that Coach K gives props to Knight (and he should) but that doesn't mean Knight is the reason Coach K is an awesome coach. I (personally) don't see alot of Knight in Krzyzewski.

you might not see it but k does. fortunately, his opinion matters a lot more than yours.

[cspan37421]

That was a nice tribute to RMK from K. Coach K has been quiet on RMK over the years, but now that Knight has stepped down, it may be easier to speak well of him. It may have also been an olive branch, and maybe with the pressures of coaching off, RMK can accept it. I think both coaches find it tough to be friends with an opposing coach whose team you are trying to destroy. It is hard for most people to turn that killer instinct on/off so quickly.

K may seem frosty with other ACC coaches but I think that's almost exclusively because they're in the same conference. I forget all his closest friends in the fraternity, but Boeheim of Syracuse is one. If Syracuse were in the ACC, that wouldn't be happening, IMO. Same with scheduling games against his teams coached by his proteges. It's hard, emotionally.

BTW, I think there's more of RMK in Coach K than many people think. K may have more public control of his emotions, true, but I think it was demonstrated by a sneaky Chronicle reporter back in my days that in the locker room, he's as fiery and as in command of a sailor's vocabulary as the best of them. Also, RMK cares deeply about his players' education and future success, and as a result, there's tremendous loyalty to both coaches from the players who have played for them. So yes, they are distinct, but there's more than a passing similarity.