Yeah, I understand that he was on something like probation. Still, even if you are on probation, I think that you should only be punished if you actually do something that could, as a single incident, be considered an offense. Holding someone who just provoked you by the arm and telling him how to behave does not quite seem enough.
What is the point of probation then? If a guy is put on probation, he has to live up to the rules of the probation. Once a person is on probation, the rules are far more strict. Indiana should've fired Knight five months ago instead of putting him on probation. The fact that they gave him one more chance is more than I would've done given the circumstances. ------------------ HoustonSportsBoard.com SpiritOfTheBull.com The Best Houston Texans Fan Site [This message has been edited by mrpaige (edited September 10, 2000).]
I don't think an investigation would've even taken place to begin with if the team had still been winning.
I agree. They had to take action. From all of the previous actions, Indianna was really out on a thin legal limb giving him a second (actually, what, 20th) chance. If they didn't take action, they open themselves up big time for negligence for not only the past things he has done, such as the choking incident, but anything he might do in the future. Remember, they were accused of negligence before, for allowing him to continue to work, without punishment, after all of the other things he's done. If they let him go after implementing a zero tolerance policy, they would be cutting their own throats on any such lawsuit. He had his chance(s) and he blew it. ------------------ Stay Cool...
"If Bobby Knight was going to be fired, it should have been because of something he did wrong. Correcting a student for failing to show proper respect is not the straw to break the camel's back. The stepfather has an ax to grind and is screaming about it. This is a great chance for a local news hack to make it big by blowing a nothing issue out of proportion. Maybe he should have spent some time teaching his son proper etiquette. Knight has had a good run and has made more than his share of mistakes. Fire him for choking Neil Reed, fire him for hitting someone, fire him for throwing the vase, but don't fire him for scolding a teen-ager for not showing the proper respect to his elder. " Someone posted this at http://www.sportingnews.com/voices/voice_of_the_fan/20000910.html and it is exactly what I was trying to say.
I think they fired him for being an ass. ------------------ I am so exasperated that I could expectorate.
I think they fired him cause his jumper was two sizes too small or Cause he thought it was good manners to throw a chair on the basketball court He should really go into wrestling, he could be The RED KNIGHT, and What a great Pay per View event it would seeing the RED KNIGHT go up against SPREE, in CHOKEATHON 2000 ------------------ Discombobulation Imminent
Well, Andy Katz is reporting that Bobby Knight was on the way out any way : http://espn.go.com/ncb/news/2000/0910/735663.html Det The Threat : I have a question. What has Bobby Knight done to deserve my respect? ------------------ Who would've thought Don Nelson would pass up Olumide Oyedeji not once, not twice, but thrice?
any professor who grabbed a student would be treated just as sternly as knight was- if they had been previously found to have engaged in the conduct in the past, and officially put on a "last straw" policy, they would have been fired. you can have a violent temper, and be unsuitable to rear other parent's children, but still have interesting things to say, as knight does, ans as many people in prison do. ------------------
You know, what Bobby needs to realize is... if you're going to get raped, you need to lay back and enjoy it... Bobby always makes the victim look like the bad guy and his adoring hordes always swallow it hook line and sinker. Believe everything he said about the most recent incident and he still did something wrong. He'll never admit any failure and always blame everyone else. He got what he deserved, it just took them entirely too long to give it to him. ------------------
I didn't know about all these incidents. I guess you could have fired him for most of those, but not for just holding the boy's arm. Seems like he is a jerk and ultimately deserved it, but this is kind of funny: 1980-81: In Philadelphia for the Final Four, Knight was involved in a hotel shoving match with a Louisiana State fan, who said Knight stuffed him in a garbage can. Sounds like something Sir Charles would do. Maybe they will get along in their commentator booth after all .
Isiah Thomas said he'd give Knight a job : http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/wire/stories/0,1169,2762244_54,00.html I wonder what would happen when the Pacers went to Madison Square Garden, or Philadeplphia? ------------------ Who would've thought Don Nelson would pass up Olumide Oyedeji not once, not twice, but thrice?
If Knight does get a job in the NBA, I hope his Life Insurance is paid up. Can you imagine him choking Shaq or Anthony Mason? ------------------ In order to be a success in life, you need 2 things: 1. Don't tell everything you know.
Interesting chronology of major Bobby Knight events over the years -- and it's not short: http://www.charlotte.com/observer/sports/docs/knightchrono0911.htm Published Monday, September 11, 2000 Knight Chronology -- A chronology of events involving Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight, who was fired Sunday: 1979: Was charged, and later tried and convicted in absentia, for hitting a Puerto Rican policeman before practice at the Pan American Games. Knight was sentenced to six months in jail but Puerto Rico decided in 1987 to drop efforts to extradite him. 1979-80: Playfully fired a blank shot at a reporter. A week later Knight and his wife took turns at the microphone and chided the Assembly Hall crowd for not cheering enough during a game against Northwestern. 1980-81: In Philadelphia for the Final Four, Knight was involved in a hotel shoving match with a Louisiana State fan, who said Knight stuffed him in a garbage can. 1982-83: Critical of Big Ten officiating, Knight stood at midcourt cursing at Big Ten Commissioner Wayne Duke, who was in the press box. 1984-85: Tossed a chair across the court during a game against Purdue. Knight was ejected and suspended one game by the Big Ten. 1985-86: Received a technical foul for shouting at the officials during a game against Illinois, then kicked a megaphone and chewed out the Indiana cheerleaders for disrupting a Steve Alford free throw. 1986-87: Banged his fist on the scorer's table after being assessed a technical foul during an NCAA regional tournament game against LSU. The university was fined $10,000 by the NCAA and Knight received a reprimand. 1988: In an NBC interview with Connie Chung, who asked how he handles stress, Knight replied, "I think that if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it." He explained he was talking about something beyond one's control, not the act of rape. The remark triggered protests and a march of about 300 people on the campus. 1990-91: Asked not to be nominated again to the Basketball Hall of Fame, calling the voters' rejection of him in 1987 a "slap in the face." He was elected and inducted in 1991. 1991-92: Canceled the annual team banquet after a loss to Purdue cost Indiana a share of the Big Ten championship. 1993-94: Was suspended for one game after a sideline tirade in a 101-82 victory over Notre Dame. Knight screamed at his son, Pat, and kicked him in the leg. When fans behind the Indiana bench booed, Knight turned and responded with an obscenity. 1993-94: Accidentally head-butted freshman Sherron Wilkerson during a timeout at Michigan State. After the next game, the Hoosiers' home finale against Wisconsin, Knight took the public address microphone and recited a profane verse directed at his critics. 1994-95: Was reprimanded and fined $30,000 by the NCAA for an outburst at a news conference during the NCAA tournament. Miffed that an NCAA media liaison erroneously said he would not attend the news conference, Knight lashed out at him. 1999: Investigated for possible battery after allegedly choking a man at a restaurant. The man reportedly confronted Knight as he was leaving, contending he heard Knight make a racist remark. March 2000: Was investigated by the university after former player Neil Reed said Knight choked him during a practice in 1997. A videotape of the practice appeared to support Reed. Reports then surfaced of other confrontations. In one, a university secretary said an enraged Knight once threw a vase in her direction. May 2000: Was fined $30,000, suspended for three games and placed under a "zero-tolerance" behavior policy. Sept. 7, 2000: Accused of grabbing a student by the arm and lecturing him about manners after the coach was addressed solely by his last name. Sept. 10, 2000: Fired for violating the "zero-tolerance" policy and for what university President Myles Brand called a "pattern of unacceptable behavior." ------------------ Stay Cool...
Another letter to the Sporting News had this to say: Dear Voice of the Fan, For too long in this country, we have had the attitude that if a person is extremely talented, he or she can get away with being a total jerk as a human being. One of the unfortunate repercussions of the latest Bobby Knight confrontation is that the considerable good that he accomplished in terms of winning basketball games and, more importantly, the high college graduation rate of his players will be undervalued as the media have their say. But unfortunate as that may be, Knight brought his fate upon himself. ------------------ Stay Cool...
Here's an outstanding editorial from MSNBC / The Washington Post. http://www.msnbc.com/news/458181.asp It has links to an interactive timeline, even more detailed than the one above. Honestly, the soiled toilet paper incident last year is what tipped the scales for me. (In case you missed it -- He took some soiled toilet paper, showed it to his players, and told them that was how they played.) He's the last person that should be preaching about dignity and respect. ------------------ Stay Cool...
