I personally don't see the big deal... but apparantly it has caused a commotion... Knight pushes player's chin during timeout LUBBOCK, Texas -- As Bob Knight moved one win closer to catching Dean Smith, his temper flared once again, when he used his hand to push a player's chin during a timeout, as if to make him look the coach in the eye. With more than four minutes to go in Texas Tech's 86-74 victory over Gardner-Webb on Monday night, Red Raiders forward Michael Prince was called for a foul. During the ensuing timeout, Knight approached Prince, and as the player lowered his head, the coach made contact with his chin. Knight gave a brief statement at the postgame news conference and then answered one question before exiting the room. The incident with Prince was never addressed. It was win No. 871 for Knight, who is five away from passing Adolph Rupp for second place on the all-time list. He needs nine more victories to surpass Smith for the most wins in Division I history. Knight's career has featured three national championships, all at Indiana, and plenty of temper outbursts, including run-ins with players. In 1992, Knight kicked a chair on the bench while son Pat, then a player for him at Indiana and now his assistant and successor-to-be at Texas Tech, was sitting in it. When fans behind the team bench booed, Knight turned and responded with an obscenity. He was accused of grabbing a player by the throat during a practice in 1997, an episode that was caught on videotape and created the whirlwind that eventually led to his firing from Indiana in September 2000. Knight was fired for what Indiana officials called a violation of a zero-tolerance behavior policy shortly after he grabbed the arm of a student who greeted him on campus by saying "Hey, what's up, Knight?" His most infamous moment came in a game against Purdue in 1985, when he threw a chair across the court after being assessed a technical foul. Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press
The only reason this is a big deal is because of Bobby Knight's history. If any of the other 320-ish DI college coaches did the same thing, no one even notices. Let's let this one go as well.
I'm sorry but coaching is one thing, and putting your hands on someone regardless is uncalled for. I don't think you shoud be allowed to touch a player, student or anything like that. Does a proffessor have the right to do that to a student if they don't understand something and they are not paying attention? The coach is in the same position as a proffessor in some ways. That's unacceptable regardless if is Bobby Knight or any other coach for that matter.
When I was in 8th grade, my swimming coach, who shall remain nameless* slapped me across the face. It was a light slap, but a slap nonetheless. *Coach Vernon Webb who coached at Bleyl Jr High on Jones Road in NW Houston around 1984
I think that is unacceptable. A 'hey fool, look at me when I talk to you' would have been sufficient.
I think that yall are a bunch of damn sissies and I have no problem with it at all. I guess it's just the way I grew up playing sports. I actually think that there isn't enough of it today and that our kids are coddled way too much. They aren't playing patty cake.
i cant believe people defend this jackass.if that guy put his hands on me, i dont care how many basketball games he has won, im swinging.
Knight's 100% pure bully. The acceptance of his repeated behavior is sad. And those saying if this wasn't Knight it wouldn't be an issue are wrong. If it wasn't Knight there already would have been an apology, probably a fine, and possibly a suspension or a firing.
I do think that in some ways players are coddled but that doesn't make me a sissie for believing that he shouldn't put his hands on a player. He can yell and cuss the **** out of a player but to put your hands on him that's another thing. I grew up all my life playing sports and i had hard ass coaches but no one ever touched a player or went out of line.
This is a none issue...ESPN is making a big deal of it...Unless the kid comes on TV and says he feels humilated and it shouldn't have happened...Even then, i'd call him a wussy...
It's probably more embarrassing to the kid to have ESPN make a story about it and show the video to the nation. Not a big deal, like someone said, only making news because it's Coach Knight. A bigger deal should be his ineffectiveness as a coach since joining Tech.
Somewhere along the line people decided that "putting your hands on ____ " is wrong. And I don't get it. This was a light tap. A little "listen up" nudge. A physical reminder with no painful ramifications. Nothing justifies choking, or punching, or biting, or whatever inflicts pain. But a little smack like this? Come on.. they need to grow up and accept it. And.. see that the kid has said that he defends Knight's actions.
really? you don't have a problem with someone slapping you to get your attention? he's put his hands around a player's neck too. i'm sure you wouldn't have a problem with your boss doing that to you when you don't live up his expectations.
That wasn't much of anything. It's fine. I had a teach in junior high that would push kids for misbehaving. That was worse than this little slap. I'd be more concerned with what he says to his players than contact of this variety. If he's verbally abusive, I can see the slap as complementary to the crime. If he isn't, the slap isn't going to hurt anyone.
