I don't care how many championships a guy has won, he's a total arse and has embarrassed his school, the NCAA and his country with the acts he has displayed year in and year out for the past 20 years. You can love him all you want but I cannot stand the guy. His volatile temper has lead to many, many disgraceful events over the years and his complete disregard for the institution he worked for, the fans, the NCAA, the media, the fans of college basketball in general, his own players, his superiors at his schools, the officials of basketball games, his peers, etc. has completely turned me off to him many a year ago. The end does not justify the means all by itself. There ahve been amny a coach who has had class and has won without 1% of the crap that Knight has done. Has Saban ever attacked his own players, threw stuff acroos the the football field, treated his own son in an undignified manner in front of a national T.V. audience, no I think not. Yelling at a player is much different than the extent to which Knight has gone too. Not getting along with the media is one thing, taking the microphone and cursing out and berating all media members and fans who don't like what he's doing is going way overboard and is the sign of a very destructive person. His bad points outweigh his good points by one heck of a lot.
I don't like Knight either. I think he has good intentions of showing his players how to act but couldn't live by those rules himself. Nothing's wrong with treating the media like he does but there IS something wrong with the way he handles relationships with his peers (coaches/faculty) and subordinates of his (primarily his players). He thinks he's preparing them for the "real world" he's way off the mark.
Winning and graduating your players excuses you for being a reprehensible lout? There are other coaches in the country who win and play clean AND conduct themselves as if they had a shred of decency and dignity - unlike Knight.
Lets see, Dean Smith of the past, Billy D, Coach K, Rick M, Patino.... Yes you can be a "decent" human being and a winning coach at teh same time
Who are these other coaches and which ones are as successful as Knight? Also, his former players do quite well in the "real world" - bottom line, when he is a part of something it gets better. He has his hang-ups, more than most others, but he wins and he makes fans and players happy. Oh yeah, he fills the seats, but I'm sure that is not important either because of his "antics"
What Sums this thread up very well is the recruiting class that got away from LSU, Louisiana kids going to Tulane, Bama and Texas Tech of all places......
You sir get the worst comment of the day award. Knight is a breath of fresh air to the sport. His teams are well disciplined and they graduate somewhere near 100%. Knight is what many young men need. He is stern, fair, and fatherly. I met him once and he was very cordial and polite. He talked basketball with me for about 15 minutes.
Here is a Bob Knight bio...pretty darn impressive. Please note he is from Massollin, OH, which is the birthplace of football, home of Paul Brown, yet he is an icon in the world of basketball. This guy is not a bad person, no matter how hard people try to make him out to be one. http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/Knight.htm
Wait - you are telling me he is a nice guy and kids actually want to play for him. But, but, but he yells and he is so mean - but, but, but his antics and yelling and, but, but. Wait just a minute, he wins and graduates players - but, but, but he is mean and he yells and he is mean and he yells and his antics and he yells... Give it a rest. A winner is a winner...
