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He was a winner
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00:25Hi, I'm Brian Kenney, and welcome to ESPN Classics Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame.
00:30A series that takes a fresh look at sports personalities who are remembered largely for their mistakes, controversial moments, or
00:36questionable decisions.
00:37So many critics over the years have mounted the soapbox to chastise legendary coach Bob Knight for his outbursts on
00:44and off the court.
00:45But like Knight, we don't necessarily buy the prosecution's case.
00:48In this show, we'll give you our top five reasons why you can't blame Knight for his repeated outbursts.
00:54I'm going to review why Coach Knight is such a popular target.
01:07Nobody knew that much about Bob Knight other than he came from this military background, and he'd been a member
01:13of the Ohio State Championship team.
01:17Indiana has had just a tremendous history and tradition in basketball.
01:21And won the first NCAA championship in 1940, then again in 1953.
01:28With Coach Knight coming to Indiana University and winning the championships that he did,
01:32he set a precedence for Indiana basketball and set a standard that has been hard to ask.
01:59He brought Army basketball to levels that it had never been before and to which it may never be again.
02:05From the points holes of discipline, Knight went to Indiana in 1970 and began employing measures more for MillCamp than
02:12a college.
02:14Bought away by Bob.
02:16Transformed Indiana into the best team in the nation.
02:19To have a national chip go on an entire, say, two years in one game, that's a tremendous accomplishment.
02:26But with success, Blitz likes it one-bustable.
02:28The Indiana picture of Knight in full range, poor old Jimmy Wissman off the floor,
02:34it was perhaps the first real example of the fact that there was this other side of his personality that
02:42wasn't likable.
02:45He's like a movie star.
02:47Whatever he does, you know, he gets magnified.
02:51Bobby Knight, the Indiana basketball coach, was involved in controversy again today.
02:55Knight, coach of the U.S. basketball team in the Pan American Games, had a scuffle with a local policeman.
03:01The 81 Final Four was the Final Four where Knight supposedly threw the LSU fan in a garbage can.
03:07If it happens again tomorrow, I'll be wrong again tomorrow.
03:10I think he has warped the truth so much.
03:14The throw shooter will have the honor of shooting the technicals.
03:17Look at here, look at here.
03:19Bobby Knight just threw his chair.
03:21Chair across the free throw lane.
03:24After he threw that chair, that was like, you know, people would say, hey, he's gone far enough.
03:32Speaking to the two, and he hits the telephone over on the scorer's table.
03:36There's no question about his coaching ability.
03:38Let's set that straight.
03:39For a 15, 20-year stretch, Bobby Knight was the best basketball coach, pro or college, we've ever seen.
03:46How can you deny that?
03:48The Hoosiers have won the national championship!
03:51But also, how can you deny the guy's a real butthole?
03:55I think we've seen plenty of examples of that.
03:58I don't think you can say that the end justifies the means.
04:02They bring the Russians over here when the wall is still up and everything else.
04:08And who makes a horse's ass out of himself in that game?
04:12Knight was thrown out of the game.
04:14He refused to lead, but eventually said if he had to go, the Hoosier lineup would go with him.
04:20I think we may have to lock the man up.
04:22He's going off the deep end.
04:24Bobby Knight is coaching out of probably a rather egocentric place in the sense that when he's cussing out his
04:32players, it's all about him.
04:47I wanted to quit every year I played for him.
04:50Matter of fact, my junior year at Coach Knight said, why don't you quit?
04:54He kicked us out of practice all the time, you know.
04:57If you wanted to give him 100%, you didn't come prepared that day.
05:01Sometimes he would say, well, you on your period today, AJ?
05:05He's the most reprehensible teacher-coach of my generation.
05:10There's nothing more to be said other than that he's a brute and he's an arrogant pig.
05:15The hitting, the grabbing, the head-butting, the kicking, the choking, those things are beyond discipline.
05:22Whether they're the sports information director or the TV announcer or the sports writer that covers the team,
05:30I think he revels in the fact that he makes their life hell.
05:33I'll handle this the way I want to handle it now that I'm here.
05:36You f*** it up to begin with.
05:37Now just sit there or leave.
05:39I don't give a f*** what you do.
05:43When I look at what goes on with Bob Knight, I see negativity.
05:48When I see oppressive, abusive behavior.
05:54Well, Jesus, what the f*** do you expect me to do?
05:57When I see authority run amok.
06:00I see self-promotion.
06:04Because these incidents continue to pile up,
06:07pro-knight people started to go the other way and say,
06:11look, why does this always happen to him?
06:13In 2000, after nearly three decades marked largely by victory, glory, and volatility,
06:20Knight came under heavy fire, including snipes from some of his players.
06:24Indiana practices are a pretty secretive thing,
06:26but now we're taken inside, we get to see the videotape,
06:29you know, and watching a coach walk up and grab a player by the neck.
06:32You know, that's inexcusable.
06:34I've told him many a time that I felt that some of the things he did
06:37were what makes him a right to put a hand on anybody.
06:40He lays a hand on a player.
06:42With grabbing the arm of a student and be reading him a charge that he denies.
06:47When he grabbed you, knew you immediately.
06:49Yeah, I was. He's a big guy.
06:51I notified him that he was being removed as basketball coach,
06:56effective immediately.
06:57I just tried to think, you know, where to go somewhere,
07:00but it just seemed like there was, uh, there was just nowhere to put it.
07:04This is without question the most comfortable red sweater I've had on in six years.
07:10I can't tell you.
07:12In 2001, after a year away from coaching,
07:15Knight resurfaced on the college hardwood,
07:17this time in a culture historically more tolerant of his hair-trigger temper.
07:23Texas Tech basketball coach Bob Knight
07:25got involved in a verbal altercation with school chair David Smith on Monday.
07:29Who knows when the next explosion will occur in Texas Tech.
07:32People in the news media, all you f***ers,
07:36dwell on some negative piece of bulls*** like that.
07:39And I don't know how Steve feels about it,
07:41but it just f***ing pisses me off.
07:43And you don't have to bleep one single f***ing word of this.
07:48Even if you just had the mute button on,
07:50you saw Bob Knight's frequent fits of rage.
07:52Before we give you our top five reasons why you can't blame Bob Knight,
07:56here's a few reasons that didn't make the short list.
07:58We call them the best of the rest.
08:03Referees.
08:03Their fallibility often lit Knight's fuse.
08:08They should do their job.
08:09I would say we all make mistakes.
08:13So, in that respect, I could say,
08:16yes, you can blame the officials on occasion.
08:19I had been ejected from a game
08:21for going out on the floor to check with an injured player.
08:25They got a guy down.
08:27What is he doing?
08:28Valentine just called a technical about a night,
08:31and he's being told that Luke Wright is down.
08:33What is he doing?
08:34Here's a coach in a critical game
08:37ejected from the game
08:39for following the rules of the game.
08:42Bob has the most thorough knowledge
08:46of the rules and how they should be applied.
08:50Some officials just refuse to listen, plain and simple.
08:54And Valentine was sticking with what he called.
08:59Another best of the rest, Woody Hayes.
09:02The passionate Ohio State football coach
09:04was in his prime
09:05when Knight was playing basketball for the Buckeyes.
09:09Woody throws his clipboard.
09:11Woody hits a football player.
09:12Woody Hayes was pretty much a lunatic.
09:17Bob Knight throws a chair across the court.
09:21I suppose you could draw an analogy
09:22to the Ohio State connection being one of those from Ohio.
09:24I always found him willing to listen,
09:29ask him a question.
09:30He always had a really good answer.
09:32I had a really, really good relationship with Woody.
09:36There were absolutely a lot alike.
09:38He'd go over to Woody's spring practices
09:40and observe Woody,
09:42and he'd sit on coaches' meetings with him.
09:44And Woody liked Bobby.
09:48West Point.
09:49Its culture of discipline
09:51turns Knight into a Martinet.
09:52The military environment at West Point
09:56had a deep effect on him.
09:59As somebody,
10:00you said how high,
10:01and then you jumped as high as you could.
10:03His preparing his players
10:04to compete for the academy
10:07to get the academy to go to war.
10:09West Point never left Bobby Knight.
10:12Some of that is very good.
10:14Because of the superiority
10:15that at times the service academies
10:17can breed into a graduate,
10:19you get another sign
10:20where you can't really
10:22You can't say that.
10:24What do you mean stiffen?
10:26Half of these kids
10:26have never heard the word
10:27no anymore, you know?
10:29No, you can't stay out past 10 o'clock.
10:31No, you're not gonna eat that food.
10:33No, you can't have the car tonight.
10:34Well,
10:35Jimmy doesn't have to be in at 10 o'clock.
10:37Why do I have to be in at 10 o'clock?
10:39Well,
10:39the main reason, Johnny,
10:41that you have to be in at 10 o'clock
10:43is because damn it,
10:44I tell you to be in at 10 o'clock.
10:46And he went off
10:47like a Roman candle or whatever.
10:48I could probably understand
10:49that better than anybody
10:50because it's the same thing.
10:51You are a dictator.
10:52This is not a democracy here.
10:55Did reason number five suit you?
10:57If not,
10:58try this one on for size.
10:59Reason number four.
11:01Scared straight.
11:02Knight's incendiary temper
11:04served to keep his players
11:05out of trouble
11:06and in good academic standing.
11:08He also touched the students
11:10who attended his class
11:11in coaching basketball.
11:13The very first day of class,
11:14I say,
11:15I want you to write down
11:15the two best teachers
11:16you've ever had.
11:17Now,
11:18beside those two teachers,
11:19write down the two
11:20most demanding teachers,
11:22the two that got the most out of you,
11:23the two that you were really scared
11:25not to screw up anything with.
11:27The same two teachers
11:28almost all the time.
11:29So kids understand
11:30the benefits of demand.
11:33People know
11:34that his players graduate,
11:36that he insists that they go to class.
11:37He even has a list of professors
11:38on the campus.
11:39He doesn't want his players
11:41to take classes from
11:42because he thinks they're too easy.
11:43Damon Bailey and I were roommates
11:45our freshman year.
11:47Well, our first two weeks
11:48of college didn't go to class.
11:49And we thought,
11:50this is great.
11:50We got, you know,
11:51300, 400 students for class.
11:53You know,
11:54met some girls
11:55that take notes for us.
11:56We're like,
11:56this is great.
11:57We get called in the office.
11:58I mean,
11:58he and us.
11:59And we rant.
12:00They're on out.
12:01Why would you
12:02if Bob Unite
12:03was going to let you
12:04off the hook?
12:06You know,
12:06we made sure
12:07that I fucked me
12:08because skills were bad
12:09and he expected me to read more.
12:10He'd give me books
12:11and he would make me read.
12:13Those people
12:14who thought he was doing
12:14the wrong thing,
12:15I think a little screwed up
12:17because he was the one
12:18who certain the kid spoke correctly.
12:20He was the one
12:21who was prepared
12:22when he left him.
12:23The kid didn't always like it,
12:25but I didn't always like
12:26what my best teacher
12:27said to me either.
12:29He was teaching basketball,
12:30but yet he was also teaching you
12:31how to handle life situations.
12:33If you buy into a system
12:34and you buy into the idea,
12:36I want you to be better
12:37than what you want to be.
12:38You're going to be successful
12:39in games
12:40or when you get out in life.
12:45He wins.
12:46Thriving within Knight's dark fire
12:48is a tactical
12:49and motivational genius
12:51who has won
12:52three NCAA championships,
12:5411 Big Ten titles,
12:55and four Coach of the Year awards.
12:58Whenever I think of Coach Knight,
13:00I don't think of him
13:01throwing a chair.
13:02I think of him winning.
13:04He is able
13:05I had no idea Coach K was
13:08playing under Bobby.
13:09To get more out of
13:11the he is
13:12and is not as good as
13:14some of the other top programs
13:16than any other coach
13:17in the country.
13:18Talk to your feet.
13:20Tell your feet
13:20to get your ass there.
13:21Case in point,
13:23he's out of it.
13:23He plans a very few successes
13:25at Texas Tech.
13:27He does a year 13-1.
13:29He's incredible.
13:30He's a winner.
13:30Love if he doesn't
13:31stick back on tonight.
13:33Biggest win
13:35of his first year yet.
13:38When he puts the team
13:39in a breakdown drill,
13:40he can stop a sequence,
13:42step in,
13:43make a salient point
13:44to his team
13:45and get them playing
13:47faster than any coach
13:48I've seen.
13:49You've got to go into him
13:50and you've got to
13:51get your butt into it.
13:53You've got to hit him.
13:54He is not going to hit you.
13:55And then turn around
13:56and go down to the other end
13:57and know exactly
13:58what had happened
13:59and make the exact
14:00right point.
14:01Spacing on offense,
14:02position on defense.
14:03Let's think.
14:04There may not have been
14:05a person
14:07that could get
14:08the team
14:09to do it once
14:10as much as Bob Knight.
14:11Here's a better idea
14:12of what he's doing
14:12than most people think.
14:13And that's
14:14kind of what
14:15I think he likes
14:16keeping people off balance.
14:18He was great
14:18at keeping the distraction
14:19and attention to him
14:20until he's heard
14:21about his win.
14:29Have we begun
14:30to change your mind yet?
14:31If not,
14:32take a look
14:32at reason number two.
14:35Indiana University.
14:37The school
14:38and the entire
14:39hoops-crazed state
14:40nurtured Knight's
14:41peccadellos.
14:42The university
14:44and the people
14:44around him
14:45are at fault
14:46without question.
14:48We see the same thing
14:48in politics today.
14:50Athletic department
14:51officials don't see
14:52seem real concerned
14:52about the whole thing.
14:53In fact,
14:54they haven't even
14:54talked to Coach Knight yet.
14:55And they say
14:56even when they do,
14:57there will be
14:58no action
14:58taken against him.
14:59I used to refer
15:00to it as
15:01the Bloomington bunker
15:04because anytime
15:04there would be
15:05an incident,
15:06there would be
15:06people in Bloomington
15:08diving to get
15:08in that bunker.
15:09You hear no evil,
15:10see no evil,
15:10speak no evil.
15:11A lot of people
15:12told him what
15:13he wanted to hear.
15:14And I think
15:15his intimidating ways
15:16somehow,
15:17maybe his close
15:18friend didn't tell
15:19him as much,
15:19hey, you've got to
15:20change some aspects
15:22of your life.
15:23In 1987,
15:24to keep him
15:25when he was wooed
15:27after the national
15:27championship,
15:28the school offered
15:29him total control
15:30of the basketball
15:31program.
15:32Coach Knight did
15:32have that provision
15:33in his contract.
15:34Sometimes he had
15:36the unrestricted
15:38right to do things
15:40with respect
15:40to the men's
15:41basketball program.
15:43That total control
15:44that was granted
15:44him created an atmosphere
15:46where there were
15:46few people that could
15:47say, hey, Bob,
15:48back up.
15:49this isn't right.
15:50He had that
15:51incident in which
15:52he choked Neil Reed
15:53or put his hands
15:54around Neil Reed's
15:54throat.
15:55Now, the interesting
15:56thing was, you know,
15:57when it first came out,
15:58it didn't stick at all.
15:59It just shows that
16:00you have not
16:02developed into a man,
16:03and I think that's
16:04the main reason why
16:05this guy, Neil Reed,
16:07is coming out
16:07with these statements.
16:08All of those blackies
16:10in Indiana just fell
16:11right in line and said,
16:12didn't happen,
16:12didn't happen,
16:13didn't happen.
16:14Indiana University
16:15and the state
16:16of Indiana created
16:16a monster.
16:17There's no doubt
16:17about that,
16:18and they wouldn't
16:19have created it
16:19if he wasn't as
16:20successful.
16:21It's the old sports
16:21story.
16:24We love the show.
16:26In my entire adult
16:27life, I've never used
16:29the expression game
16:30face.
16:30I have no idea
16:31what it means
16:32or what you're
16:33supposed to mean.
16:37He's the kind of guy
16:38that you walk into
16:39the arena,
16:40and no matter
16:41what you do,
16:42you have to remind
16:43yourself to stop
16:44looking at him
16:45and watch the game.
16:46Bob Knight is on fire.
16:48He's all the way
16:48down at the baseline
16:49screaming at one
16:50of the referees.
16:51Let's face it,
16:52that's what makes
16:53him so fascinating.
16:54You know,
16:55the fact that all
16:55this attention
16:56is focused on him
16:58is because of
16:59these huge swings
17:00in behavior.
17:01Knight is furious.
17:03It's one of the
17:04reasons that a book
17:05about him was atop
17:07the bestseller list
17:07for weeks.
17:09Beyond a bestseller,
17:10Knight's journey
17:11has generated
17:12a television movie
17:13a reality series
17:14and action dolls
17:16and garnered him
17:17commercial endorsements
17:18and cameo roles
17:19in feature films.
17:20But there is nothing
17:21quite as exhilarating
17:22as Knight holding
17:23forth at the live
17:24press conference.
17:26I never carry a gun
17:27with me.
17:28If I've ever shot a kid,
17:29I'd be scared
17:30to play for me.
17:31If I walked out there
17:32and I'm saying,
17:33boy, that's something
17:33that shot three guys
17:34last year.
17:35I think Bob Knight
17:37gets a genuine
17:37kick out of it.
17:40as well.
17:41Sometimes he's
17:42doing a parody
17:43on the theater,
17:46the absurd.
17:47You gotta sink
17:48the tip
17:48and get it wet.
17:50I get this...
17:51You don't mind
17:52if I prepare
17:53for practice here
17:53while we talk,
17:54do you?
17:55I think he has fun
17:57kind of poking
17:58or twisting,
18:00digging the media.
18:02The chair's broke.
18:05That's the furthest
18:06I've thrown a chair
18:07in a long time.
18:10I remember he...
18:12He would just rip into...
18:14He would just be
18:15just furious,
18:16ripping into official
18:17and then as soon
18:17as he'd get back
18:18to the huddle,
18:19he just completely...
18:20You realize
18:21it was all show.
18:22He creates great scenes
18:24and we critique.
18:26The same way
18:27that a movie critic
18:28goes to a bad movie
18:29and critiques.
18:30I would give
18:31Bob Knight's career
18:32two thumbs up.
18:33I'd actually give
18:34his tantrums
18:34two big thumbs up
18:35because let's face it...
18:36Get that sign
18:37and put it down!
18:39It's the fact
18:40that he has
18:40these meltdowns
18:41that makes him a legend.
18:43I think the hypocrisy
18:44is that we as a society
18:47like to create our heroes.
18:48You build them up
18:49just so you can
18:49tear them down.
18:50You cannot blame him
18:51for continuing his actions
18:53because we keep watching.
18:56When my time
18:58on Earth is gone
19:00and my activities
19:01here are past,
19:03I want they bury me
19:05upside down
19:06and my critics
19:07can kiss my ass.
19:12Well, there you have it.
19:13Maybe we've adjusted
19:14your opinion,
19:14maybe not.
19:15But hopefully
19:16we've made you think
19:16about Bob Knight
19:17in a slightly different light.
19:18I'm Brian Kenney.
19:20Thanks for joining us.
19:21That's Bob Knight.
19:21My only...
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