<p>It doesn’t take much digging to figure out that a man who throws a chair onto a basketball court is far out of line.</p>
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<p>You’re creating a false dichotomy. There are coaches who do all the good things Bobby Knight did AND are successful AND don’t do the bad stuff.</p>
<p>I’m sure it was all centered on [family</a> values](<a href=“http://images.despair.com/products/demotivators/nepotism.jpg]family”>http://images.despair.com/products/demotivators/nepotism.jpg).</p>
![http://images.despair.com/products/demotivators/nepotism.jpg]family](http://images.despair.com/products/demotivators/nepotism.jpg%5Dfamily){kind=link}
<p>“and a game film would reveal that he was right about the ref’s call”</p>
<p>So what, makes no difference. I’ve gone to hundreds upon hundreds of sporting events (as many of us have), from Super Bowls to kindergarten soccer and everything in between. I’ve NEVER seen the perfect game called…long as refs are human it ain’t happenin’. Further I doubt I’ve ever seen a game where there wasn’t at least one bad call. Hey screaming at the refs is part of the game. What does it teach his players when Coach throws a temper tantrum at a bad call?? </p>
<p>The guy’s just out of line too often— I don’t care how much money he’s raised; glad to see him finally go.</p>
<p>Good riddance is right. I lived in Bloomington for years and had the misfortune of encountering Knight in public numerous times. The guy was a loud, foul-mouthed bully, who never missed an opportunity to belittle or verbally abuse those around him. Whenever I had my kids with me, I made it a point to keep them out of earshot of the coach.</p>
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<p>How many did he lose who didn’t stay a member of his team? I can think of one player who didn’t put up with his shennanigans–Larry Bird, who quit to pump gas in French Lick for a year and then re-surface as a star with Indiana State.</p>
<p>The fact is that in our result-oriented society, we put up with a lot of awful stuff from people who produce results…Bobby Knight is Exhibit 1.</p>
<p>He lost a few. All coaches do. It didn’t work out for Larry Bird. It did for about 99.9%.</p>
<p>So, your contention is that there is an almost 1000:1 ratio of love:hate for Coach Knight?</p>
<p>My H was amused by the report that he is handing over the reins to his son. Reminded him of a 3rd world dictatorship ruling system.</p>
<p>Another Bob Knight fan, here. He has done a lot for the game, for the kids he’s mentored AND for the universities for which he’s coached! The best part IMO: he’s done it all HIS way–like it or not–HIS way and on his terms. The rebel in me loves that piece! He doesn’t care AT ALL if people like him; must sleep really well, knowing he’s done it his own way. No doubt he’d admit to mistakes, but doesn’t answer to anybody but himself. Maybe not for everybody, certainly not for every player; but his former players–and he’s had lots of them in his 40 plus years of coaching–aren’t often critical. At the end of the day, they acknowledge the discipline he imposed was good for them in many ways, on and off the court. {BTW, his most rabid critics are those who really don’t know much about the game. I’m guessing he cares even less about what they think.} </p>
<p>Two men who served as student managers for the IU hoops team are now head coaches–one in the nba and one at U of New Orleans–because of his mentorship, his strong knowledge of the game/player motivation and his willingness to teach them the game. These were managers, not players. One source I found noted that one of these guys didn’t even play high school basketball! Suppose he had a passion for the game and decided to learn from the best basketball teacher he could find.</p>
<p>Bottom line: He’s contributed to the development of lots of young people and they think the world of him! He could give a rat’s pitooty about what anybody on this forum thinks!</p>
<p>I’m also perplexed by this idea that it’s a virtue not to care what others think of you, even if your behavior makes them think you are a foul-mouthed oaf. I guess it’s true that jerks don’t care if other people think they are jerks.</p>
<p>“I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!” Theodore Roosevelt</p>
<p>So the fact that an obnoxious jerk doesn’t care that others think he’s an obnoxious jerk somehow makes him better? Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living–it seems to me that the fact that lots of people are saying that you’re a boor and an oaf is something a wise person might want to examine.</p>
<p>And yet, “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” - also TR</p>
<p>Thank you, Beil. I was getting very lonely here.
You are correct. Those who know basketball and know something about the inner workings of this man and his teams are supporters. Those who buy everything the press says are not. The man who lived in Bloomington has some valid points. Bobby isn’t the most charming person in some settings.</p>
<p>He’s gotten along with tons of other people quite nicely. Had no problem getting another head coaching job after being fired and built yet another outstanding basketball program in fairly short order. Winning 902 Division I basketball games and having the respect of those closest to him sounds like success to me. Maybe his social skills aren’t what you want them to be, but he must have gotten along well with others!</p>
<p>Hunt: Whatever happened to live and let live? Who’s to say he hasn’t examined his life and is happy with it? He doesn’t care if you think he’s an oaf. He’s happy with his life and that’s what matters. Who are we to judge another man’s life? Why must he conform to our way of thinking?</p>
<p>MOWC: Happy to help! He was a head basketball coach! He didn’t teach at charm school! </p>
<p>We tell our children to pursue their passions; it’s OK to follow a different drummer, but when that doesn’t conform with a given set of social standards, we balk.</p>
<p>What I am having a hard time swallowing is the hyperbole. And before shadows of the late unlamented LAX thread surface (again), I have similar issues with how athletic luminaries at Duke are beheld at well. It is important to look at the totality of someone who’s had as big an impact on as many people as Coach Knight has, and to take an unvarnished look at the pros and the cons.</p>
<p>He’s had incredible successes as a head coach and developed terrific relationship with many of his former players, assistants, and managers. On the other hand, he assaulted a student - not one of his players - for not calling him “Coach Knight,” and there are various other allegations and confirmed events including putting his hands around Neil Reed’s neck, throwing various pieces of courtside equipment, etc. I believe he has vey loyal supporters who know him well. I have no belief at all that the number approaches “99.9%” however.</p>
<p>I agree that in the general public his enemies far outweigh his fans. We are talking about his student-athletes when we say there is close to unanimous support for him.</p>
<p>“enemies”? That’s a bit “Oliver Stone” isn’t it?</p>
<p>mommusic post #29—> exactly my first thought. Isn’t there an athletic director who might have a say?</p>