Bobby Knight

[Eric]

What's the big deal? He was just telling his player to keep his head up. It was a quick action, but he didn't mean anything by it. Maybe it was a little hard, but still.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2661594

[..fanatic]

I think he's a jerk, has always been a jerk, and will always be a jerk. Lord knows how many men he has taught to believe it's okay to belittle the kids that they coach. I hold him highly responsible for the violence we see today by grown men at Pop Warner and Little League games. Knight has no reason to be respected and just once, I'd like to see one of his players choke him, punch him, or head-butt him. He's a multiple offender of human dignity and should have been banished from the coaching ranks long ago. Anything positive that he has done can not outweigh all the negative, pompous, self-righteous, egotistical, physically violent garbage that we've been forced to endure from him. He is the quintessential bully of coaching.

[Eric]

I agree, ..fanatic. No school should have given him another chance with that choking incident. That was way across the line and then some. He shouldn't even be in the game.

I'm referring to this incident though. It was just a spurt of anger but it isn't like he punched him or slapped him. I'm just under the impression that this shouldn't be added to his long list of mistakes.

[wvjohn]

IMO, I think he should be let go and not work in college Sports again.

[RedRaider]

Bobby Knight doesnt bow to political correctness. He is undoubtedly an excellent coach, and yes, he did nothing wrong in lifting someones head up. Prince's parents, Prince, and Bobby all say Bobby did nothing wrong. Another attack by the drive-by-media against Bobby IMO.

[Spence]

Welcome to CFP RedRaider.

[RedRaider]

Thank you!

[RedRaider]

Also:
-Bobby Knight is the third most successful coach in the men's division with the third highest wins.
-Bobby Knight has had among the highest graduation rates among the college coaching fraternity.
-Since becoming the Texas Tech head coach Knight has propelled us from a disgusting 150th ranking, working his way up to a competetive 26th ranking.
-I think Prince was 'Knighted.'

[..fanatic]

I dont' care how succesful he is - how many games you've suddenly won is no excuse to defend the thug. The player, parents, athletic director, etc., aren't the first people in history who've been in denial about abuse.

I've coached Little League baseball for several years, and have never had a losing team. I also never even had to lay a hand on a kid to get their attention, or embarrass them publicly.

I once saw an opposing coach forearm one of the ballplayers on his 9-12 year old team into a fence as he tried to leave the dugout to escape a screaming tirade that could be heard across the baseball diamond - "just getting his attention" was his excuse when I confronted him.

I filed a police report for abuse charges. Three witnesses signed it. Still, the parent denied anything even happened when police questioned her and she refused to press charges. The coach wisely agreed not to ever come back.

Knight did not lift his chin up. He smacked his chin up and the player could plainly be seen exercising his jaw after the incident.

I suppose he also didn't choke the player in practice at Indiana, or head-butt the player on the bench, or verbally assault a student for simply saying "What's up Knight" to his higness, instead of bowing down at his feet and saying :"Welcome thee, my lord".

And you want to point to statistics of how many games you've now won because the thug of all coaches proudly represents your school?
You want to label any backlash as "political correctness"?

I could lose this argument to any room full of morons, but the winners would still be morons.

[Derek]

I can say that after reading all of these replies. And trying to give the benefit of the doubt.

That he should just be fired. I dont care what he's done for Texas Tech, I dont care how many wins he has. WINNNING IS NOT IMPORTANT when you treat people like crap the way he does.

Fire him!

[RedRaider]

"I've coached Little League baseball for several years, and have never had a losing team. I also never even had to lay a hand on a kid to get their attention, or embarrass them publicly."

-Dont compare Little League to College. I think you should attend a high school football practice one day.

"I once saw an opposing coach forearm one of the ballplayers on his 9-12 year old team into a fence as he tried to leave the dugout to escape a screaming tirade that could be heard across the baseball diamond - "just getting his attention" was his excuse when I confronted him.

I filed a police report for abuse charges. Three witnesses signed it. Still, the parent denied anything even happened when police questioned her and she refused to press charges. The coach wisely agreed not to ever come back."

-Im not sure how this relates to Bobby Knight; but Prince is an adult and I am fairly sure he can determine whether or not he was 'smacked.' I think you should watch the video of it.

"And you want to point to statistics of how many games you've now won because the thug of all coaches proudly represents your school?
You want to label any backlash as "political correctness"? "

-These statistics ARE important, Bobby Knight obviously knows what he is doing, I dont see how having high graduation rates is a bad thing. No one is forcing any of these kids to play for Bobby, they choose to.

- “ I've spent a lifetime doing what I think is best for kids collectively and individually. I've done it my way and while my way irritated some people, so be it. â€

[..fanatic]

-Dont compare Little League to College. I think you should attend a high school football practice one day.

Been there. Done that.

The fact here is simple - Bobby Knight is a serial abuser of young adults in college (who are someone's kids).

How can you NOT get the association between Little League and Bobby Knight in my analogy? The Little League coach offered the same lame excuse as Knight. The parents refused to admit anything was wrong.

Tell you what - come to my house. I'll teach you how to play basketball the Bobby Knight way. First, I'll choke you - then I'll head-butt you, then I'll "lift" your chin up. And, don't worry - I'll scream a stream of spit in your face for several minutes, too.

What's your first reaction to my above paragraph? Sounds like I'm picking a fight, or threatening you, doesn't it? Doesn't sound like a very interesting way to learn basketball, does it?

Wouldn't it be interesting to know how many good kids didn't come play for Knight because of his antics? Wouldn't it have been nice to see how many titles he could have won if he weren't a thug?

Winning games, graduating kids - none of it matters - if you're leaving a trail of abuse along the way. And if there are enough incidents that are publicly known to create a short list, one can only imagine how long the real list is.

[..fanatic]

I think you should watch the video of it.

Been there. Done that, too.

[Spence]

I have had coaches that coach through intimidation. I have had coaches who lose their temper. I have had coaches who didn't do any of that and just taught. I think a mix of all three are necessary. I'm not talking about some of the things Knight has done. Some of the stuff he does is nothing any other coach wouldn't do. Some of it crosses over the line ("leaps" is a better word). What BK did with the player in this case (I didn't see it) sounds like something a coach would do, but his actions in totality are what sets him apart.

I had a highschool coach throw a basketball and hit me in the head from behind. (I was screwing around) I grabbed the ball and busted him with it. I told him that he wouldn't ever do it again. He kicked me off the team.

He was also the girls track coach and did something similar to one of the girls. That got him fired. That is the difference between a guy like Knight and another coach. It is at least the public perspective of him as a coach. There is no place in coaching for that kind of behavior, even if the kid had some kind of disipline coming. Which was the case with me.

[..fanatic]

You know what I say to that? Let Bobby Knight be Bobby Knight. College coaching is different than high school. No one made any of these kids play for Knight. They surely knew there was a chance of this type of behavior when the signed that LOI. Now I'm not suggesting that he should be allowed to do illegal things or what not, but I'm sure that kid thought to himself, self theres a good chance that this SOB might hit me a time or two if i sign with TTech. Hmm but he sure does win games, so its worth it to me.

The point is that he shouldn't be allowed to coach anywhere. The choice you outline isn't one that 16 and 17-year old kids should have to make. And yes, they are 16-and 17-year old kids when they make a commitment, sometimes even younger. The assertion that college is different from high school has no place here - no one forces a kid to play high school basketball, either. Abuse is abuse, and shouldn't be tolerated, no matter where it takes place.