Well, it appears Bobby Knight’s temper has gotten the best of him again. I know this comes as a great shock to all of you; hopefully everyone is sitting down while reading this. It seems Knight just loves to be in the headlines, and fewer and fewer of those headlines are a result of his coaching. Instead, he has been landing in the news for acting like a spoiled four-year-old child. First it was his profanity-laced rant on ESPN. Now he’s quarreling with his boss in a grocery store.
There was a time when Knight’s rampages were amusing. Who hasn’t laughed at “If you’re not going to get back on defense, Greg Graham …” or recited the “Bury me upside down” speech? But these days, frankly, like the midsections of those poor sweaters straining to brace his gut, his act is growing thin.
It’s really a shame, because there is good somewhere inside of Bobby Knight. At times it seems like there is a decent side to him. Clearly the man can coach. “The General” is one of the best coaches of all time; no explanation is needed to back up that claim. Just take a gander at Knight’s coaching resume. He won at Army. He won at Indiana. He turned around the struggling Texas Tech program, and once again he has his Red Raiders in the top 25 and challenging in the Big 12.
He obviously cares about academics. His players graduate to the tune of almost 98 percent. Only two players who suited up for Knight for all four years at Indiana did not graduate. That might actually be the same number of “Hug’s Thugs” at Cincinnati that have actually donned a cap and gown. He is obviously dedicated to preparing his players for a life after basketball. The problem is, at what cost?
On one hand, he is instilling life lessons into the young men he coaches, and on the other, he could be emotionally scarring them for life. What is Neil Reed going to remember more: that hard work and dedication breed success, or that his college coach tried to strangle him? I don’t care if Reed was a malcontent, as some said after the incident. Choking the guy is not going to improve his attitude.
Do not, even for a minute, try to tell me that Knight’s temper tantrums are a necessary evil for him to be a successful basketball coach, because that is an absolute load of garbage.
Sam Okey and Dick Bennett appeared to be at odds from the time the McDonald’s All-American stepped foot on the UW campus. But did Bennett attack Okey? Of course not. Bennett was above that. He is living proof that it is possible to instill values, play fundamental basketball and not be a full-fledged jerk.
Dick Bennett is the type of coach every parent would want his or her child to play for, and, more importantly, to be like. Knight, on the other hand, is someone I would not want to take my dog for a walk. That human beings consent to turn their children over to Bobby Knight for four years is beyond me. I know that some parents and ex-players will swear by “The General” and his methods to the death, but I would not want to take that risk.
Sure, every coach needs to drop the hammer now and again — I know just from attending press conferences not to mess around with Bo Ryan — but there is a big difference between being tough and being Bob Knight.
Knight is the classic case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Clearly he has a problem, and he needs help. Normal people do not start shouting wildly in the supermarket. That is what young children and lunatics do.
Luckily for Knight, he has some friends in high places. I’m not talking about any religious thing here; I don’t think any major religion would claim Bobby Knight. I’m talking about Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers, who is willing to put up with his buddy’s maniacal rages.
Exactly why Myers does that is a mystery to me. Knight is nothing more than a bully. He treats the media as if they were subhuman and he is some sort of great and powerful deity. Watching his tirade on ESPN was one of the most pathetic things I have seen from a grown man. As Steve Alford sat head down next to his former coach like an embarrassed middle schooler whose dad was arguing with the principal, Knight tried to blame all his problems in life on the media.
Who in the heck is Bobby Knight to think he is better than anyone else? He is simply a man with some emotional issues that happens to be good at his job. Those reporters are trying to make a living just as Knight is; but unlike him, if they snapped every two months they would be unemployed. If anything, Knight is the one who should be looked down upon for being the bitter, enraged piece of trash that he is. Get over yourself, Coach Knight. You are 63 years old. I think it is about time you grew up.
