Bob Knight
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My grandpa wanted me to meet Bob Knight after an Indiana game at Carver. I must have been like six or seven. The General came around the corner in the depths of Carver and my Grandpa asked if he would sign my program. Bob said that he had to address his team in the locker room but would come back. Five minutes later, he comes out of the locker room and Indiana’s media guy was trying to usher him to the press room. Bob waves him off, comes over to my Grandpa and me, signs the program, takes a picture, and talks to me for a minute about basketball. I’m decked out in all Iowa gear. You don’t forget stuff like that!
That is a compelling story….he certainly came off to the average college basketball fan as an arrogant prick, but there are certainly similar stories or accounts of genuine kindness by him.
What’s amazing is everyone I’ve ever talked to who has actually met Knight in person says how pleasant and personable he was.
What he did while coaching pales.....PALES in comparison to Fran’s tantrums. And, he was lauded for it. The old, fiery General.
Kind of shows the different eras. What was accepted and what is now condemned.
Hell, if the news did a piece on Knight now, they’d still be singing his praises.
Kind of shows the different eras. What was accepted and what is now condemned.
Hell, if the news did a piece on Knight now, they’d still be singing his praises.
That's awesome. Not a great human overall but the guy could coach. Our HS hall of fame coach was a RMK disciple and we were raised on his man to man, in your face, ball denial defense.....a concept totally foreign to Fran. Frustrating, to say the least
Went to one of his Basketball Clinics years ago. Got more useable information and ideas than any clinic I ever went to and I went to many over 27 years. I am an Iowa fan etc. but he was amazing.
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Great coach. And A season on the Brink is one of my favorite sports books.
He did a NW Iowa coaches clinic the fall before they were undefeated champs. Our basketball team at BV demonstrated drills. Knight was talking about motivating players. I was first in line and he came over and asked me to shoot a lay up. I came back in line, half dozing because it was Saturday morning. He got right in my face and screamed, "Now move!" I went 100 mph to shoot the layup. Not rehearsed at all. He said, "Now that's motivation!"
Met BK once at an IU get-together. I was invited by II friends. Knight joked about IA and me when he made his presentation. All good fun! Following his presentation he invited me and a guest to be his guests at the next IA-IU game in Bloomington. IA won the game. I was not a big BK fan but he handled our interaction with alot of class. I was impressed!
He defended his players to the last. He was a disciplinarian about education for his players also. Game Bob was different from off court Bob. Would have loved to meet him.
Grew up on 70’s and 80’s IU and Big 10 basketball. What great times!!
Have heard so many stories like those above about RMK through the years. His charity and philanthropy work that he never made public (others would years later, usually coming out when he was in one of his many less than favorable situations).
I never had any 1 on 1’s with him, but to this day, he is probably the most engaging/effective communicator/public speaker I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. Be it at the occasional open practice or when he used to do a 60-90 minute address to students each Fall at the IU Auditorium. His wit and intellect (prior to his Dementia) was so in tune, so on point with his audiences.
Have heard so many stories like those above about RMK through the years. His charity and philanthropy work that he never made public (others would years later, usually coming out when he was in one of his many less than favorable situations).
I never had any 1 on 1’s with him, but to this day, he is probably the most engaging/effective communicator/public speaker I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. Be it at the occasional open practice or when he used to do a 60-90 minute address to students each Fall at the IU Auditorium. His wit and intellect (prior to his Dementia) was so in tune, so on point with his audiences.
Woodson likes to negatively comment on McCaffery's behavior, but has conveniently forgotten what playing under Knight was like. He had a front row seat to his asshatterry.
I have to admit that your post is either extremely off base , or your confused on how you posted this. Are you actually saying that the guy who literally THREW a chair across the court, (one of his lesser tantrums), was NOT as big a red ass as Fran, because thats how your post comes across when you say his actions pale in comparison to Fran.
Yeah, I think there was no arguing with the results and success of wins v losses and X's and O's. In addition, his conduct that was generous and cordial (when people were aware of it) was almost shocking because of the kind of tactics he used in coaching.
The guys was beyond just being an asshole. He was cruel, vindictive, physically assaultive, and generally harsh in the sense of being an extremist. I recall that there was at least one incident where he actually left a player/players at an away game/venue because he was pissed at them. Think of that! A college kid getting reamed out for the world to see on TV (because he made mistakes on the floor) in a manner that makes Fran look like a piker. Not to mention his choking Neil Reed and other incidents of abuse.....and of course tossing a chair across the floor during a game.
And punched a police officer in Puerto Rico , and allegedly stuffed an LSU fan in a garbage can among other things.
How do you suppose the media today would react to the bull whip or the rape comment
Bob Knight is a very complex person. Charming one minute, a bully the next. Charitable and giving sometimes, other times he's choaking one of his players.
Funny, smart, arrogant, dismissive - he's one very interesting dude.
Funny, smart, arrogant, dismissive - he's one very interesting dude.
Could you clarify for me. Sometimes my reading comprehension is not the best (brain fog due to meds at times)
Are you saying Fran is worse than Knight was?
Just don’t ask Bob for an autograph on that book. When I was like 10 I made that mistake.
People laugh at Lou Holtz. Same class, was at a speech he gave, several fans wanting autographs, pics, etc...
After his speech 2 handlers were trying to rush him out the door, Mr. Holtz, we will be late we have to go now.
He said, well we will be late then. Signed and talked to the fans for 20 minutes until everyone had what they wanted.
So gracious and nice.
Forever won me over as a fan.
Absolute nicest guy you would ever meet.
Wanted to play for him back in the day. Of course I was never even close to that level though. Coached his defensive principles for many years. Other coaches thought I was crazy teaching young players "in your face" man to man and help defense. Zone defense's were becoming the main style to coach.
Thats the way I read it as well. If so that's way beyond ridiculous. Never seen Fran throw the furniture across the court, or strike someone......
lighten up Francis He just got it backwards yet we understood what he was saying. Not everyone is as perfect as evidently you think you are .
Ah, the original "lighten up francis" comment? Some of you guys need some new material. I certainly wasn't the only person who was confused, AND he later commented again and didn't clarify having it backwards but said they were both "aggregious", which didn't explain having it "backwards", at all. Thanks for your comment though Sgt Hulka, or big toe whichever you prefer.......
Once I scalped a couple tickets to the IA-IN game in Assembly. The tickets were supposed to be in the first row behind Lute Olsen and the IA bench. We were relatively early to take our seats. An usher asked if we were in the correct seats. I was wearing my black and gold bibs with a black and gold striped shirt. He confirmed we were in the correct seats. I asked why did he ask. He shared that we would be sitting right behind Bob Knight. OMG, that would never work. I waited til close to tip off and traded our seats with an IU couple who would have been sitting directly behind Lute and the Hawks.
God, no. My comparison is meant to display what Knight got away with and what Fran gets chastised for. And, it’s not just Knight. There’s all kinds of violent coaches walking the sidelines. I see an unfair amount of focus on Fran’s antics, and I don’t approve of them, either. No need to bury a guy for being passionate. It’s the going beyond that drives me nuts.
