In the March issue of Playboy, former Indiana coach Bob Knight spoke with the magazine about Indiana's "zero tolerance" policy, the university's administration and the events that led to his firing. As you can see, The General still has a few bones to pick. ESPN The Magazine's Gene Wojciechowski laments that Knight still hasn't learned the value of silence. The following excerpts are posted by ESPNMAG.com with Playboy's permission:

PLAYBOY: How did you become so much bigger than life? You've rarely had a player who's drawn more attention than you have. When other teams played you, they wanted to beat Knight more than Indiana. What is it about you?

KNIGHT: I don't know. I'm not those people. This may be an answer to that: One of the strengths I have had is a lot of the negative press I've received. It has established some kind of an aura about me that sets me apart. I've never tried to please everybody.

PLAYBOY: You certainly didn't please the current Indiana administration. Do you think you've been treated unfairly by the university?

KNIGHT:The administration and the trustees have been deceitful right from the beginning. Their approach has been one of enormous duplicity. They've been dishonest in their presentation of things and reasons. They put a spin on everything they can in an attempt to explain why I've been dismissed as the basketball coach. The people who have made these decisions are the most dishonest people I've ever dealt with. And yet, I'm not sure I blame them as much as I blame myself for not having followed my feelings and certainly my wife's feelings, which would have been to leave five years ago. The key positions at the university changed six years ago. Back then there were people in those spots who I got along with extremely well; they never had a problem with me that wasn't quickly or readily solved. I just didn't fit in with the new people, with their approach to things, their self-interest, their agendas. I have yet to see anything they've done that's been of any benefit whatsoever to either the faculty or the students.

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PLAYBOY: Was [IU freshman Kent Harvey] wrong in saying anything about you?

KNIGHT: The kid's stepfather used me. He talked about how I said "[expletive] this" and "[expletive] that" and "[expletive] this" and "[expletive] that." The total content of what I said was this, verbatim: "Son, I don't call people by their last names. My name to you is Coach or Mr. Knight, and you should remember that when you're dealing with elders." And I walked away. Would it piss you off?

PLAYBOY: What?

KNIGHT: Would what was said by the stepfather piss you off?

PLAYBOY: Didn't the stepfather also say he didn't think you should be fired over this incident?

KNIGHT: [Bangs the center of the steering wheel with his fist] Jesus Christ! This is [expletive]! I'm not here for a [expletive] inquisition! And if that's what this is, then get the [expletive] out and hitchhike back home! The [expletive] stepfather was a [expletive] [expletive] [expletive] [expletive] from the word [expletive] go! He [expletive] lied and he lied and he lied! Jesus Christ! I mean, this is my [expletive] life we're talking about! My [expletive] heart was ripped out by this [expletive] [expletive]!