NCAA: Good-Knight Bobby!!

Good-Knight Bobby

Finally, Yes, finally. I am sure those were the words muttered by Myles Brand yesterday. On Sunday, September 10th, 2000, Bob Knight was officially handed the pink slip. It didn’t take long for the students to protest outside of Assembly Hall, the same hall that Bob Knight brought national recognition to Indiana University. I don’t think most of the kids at IU even like Coach Knight, it is just how the public relations handled the situation, is what could have been better. I have a few suggestions.

First of all, President Myles Brand seemed like he was attending a funeral. What Brand should have done, is run right through the room yelling and screaming about how it is Indiana University’s Independence Day.

Next, Brand should have burnt the infamous red sweater, and all those horrible jerseys. Yeah, now IU basketball players will actually look like they are wearing basketball jerseys, not tights. Memo to Bobby: This is not 1975, you could have invested in some new uniforms. Yeah, the spandex look-a-like shorts were a nice touch.

Finally as Brand was closing, the staff of the University should have blared “Na na na na, na na na na, hey, hey, hey, GOODBYE over the speakers. The one thing that Bobby doesn’t understand is that he is definitely replaceable. It is not like Knight had a superior regime, you have to go back to the 1993 season to see when Indiana made it anywhere in the post-season.

The one plus Bobby brings, is pretty good basketball. Now without Coach Knight what is CBS going to do? On those blustery Saturdays, I will be watching episode after episode of Bob Vila’s This Old House, you know the real ratings monsters.

In 1994, Knight lost in the Sweet 16. From 1995-2000, a span of 6 years, Bobby couldn’t make it out of the 1st or 2nd rounds in the Tournament. In 1995, Bobby was fined and reprimanded by IU. He was also fined $30,000 for ripping a media liaison a new butthole, after he insisted Knight would not be attending the press conference. In 1997, Jason Collier transfers to Georgia Tech at the midseason semester break, he says that he no longer enjoys basketball at IU, and is sick and tired of the verbal abuse from Bobby. In 1999, that is when things went from bad to worse for Bob Knight. Numerous reports of abuse, and racism were thrown at IU’s way. Finally President Myles Brand issues a “zero-tolerance” statement to Bob Knight, who said he would calm down. Finally on September 7th, 2000, Bob was accused of grabbing a freshman and cursing at him after he said, “Hey, What’s up Knight.” Finally Myles Brand had no other option than to ask Bobby to resign. Surprise, surprise, Bobby declined. Myles then dropped the “You’re fired” smack.

This was long overdue. Knight earlier in his career got into an altercation with an LSU fan, and the LSU fan was deposited in the trash can at the hands of Coach Knight. There is a role model for you. Probably the most famous incident in Knights career was the “chair throwing” incident where Knight launched at plastic chair across the floor, almost hitting people in the wheelchair section. Knight has pulled his team off of the floor, stood at center court and cussed out the Big Ten Commissioner, after a “poorly officiated game” in Knight’s terms, and the best of all, Knight fires a blank shot from a starter's pistol at Louisville Courier-Journal reporter Russ Brown. Knight said he did it "to keep from going nuts."

I’ll tell you the best thing that Indiana could do for Bobby Knight, build a psychiatric ward, and name it Bobby Knight Hospital. This guy is a psycho. IU should have canned him along time ago. If we can all learn a lesson from this, let us remember who signs the paychecks. Hey Bobby, go pull a Throeau, and vanish from the earth for a while, or forever, which ever is most punishing.