|
|
|
Friday, April 27, 2001
See what 2.3 seconds spawned?
By Pat Forde
Special to ESPN.com
|
With the latest, greatest Bob Knight brouhaha slowly fading into Old News,
let us do a final recap of the high points and low points of ChokeMania.
OK: low points and lower points might be more accurate.
Point One: CNN/SI airs its investigative report alleging that the Indiana
University coach choked former player Neil Reed, played show-and-tell with
soiled toilet paper and told the president to take a hike from one practice.
It holds off on a second report alleging that Knight is an erratic flosser
who could use an occasional breath mint -- especially when screaming into
the faces of his players.
|  | | Have we seen the last of sideline outbursts like this from Knight? |
Counterpoint One: IU holds a press conference counteroffensive on the eve of
the NCAA Tournament to denounce Reed, accusing him of everything but joining
the Communist Party. (That allegation is left to the fans, one of whom
attended a subsequent rally in support of Knight holding a sign urging
Reed's deportation to Cuba. I am not making that one up.) Trainer Tim Garl
suddenly surfaces to pledge that, as the omniscient observer of Indiana
basketball practices over the past 19 years, Knight never choked Reed.
Charlton Heston offers to bring a few NRA marksmen to Bloomington to take
care of Knight's enemies, but The General says he doesn't want any pity from
a Northwestern graduate.
Point Two: The Hoosiers are detonated by Pepperdine in the first round of the
NCAA Tournament. Jan van breda Kolff scores his first career NCAA victory by
scorching Knight.
Counterpoint Two: How, Indiana fans want to know, can a team be expected to
perform after being sabotaged by CNN/SI on the eve of the tournament? Appeals
to the NCAA men's basketball committee for a do-over rematch with
Pepperdine, scheduled at Knight's convenience -- and preferably in
Bloomington -- are denied. Committee head Craig Thompson and CNN/SI honcho
Steve Robinson are added to the Enemies List, which is just slightly shorter
than the voter registration rolls in California.
Point Three: During Final Four Week, the Indianapolis Star reports that
Knight and his boss, athletics director Clarence Doninger, had an altercation
after the Hoosiers' February loss to Ohio State. Knight's son, assistant
coach Patrick, reportedly also joined the fray, marking the first
significant duty anyone has seen young Knight perform since joining the
staff. The Star decides not to report that Knight has a habit of changing
lanes without using his turn signal.
Counterpoint Three: Doninger had it coming, Knight backers said. Can you
imagine the nerve of the A.D. trying to console the head coach
after a bitter loss? If Doninger hadn't learned not to stick his hand in the
lion's mouth by now, he deserved to lose the hand.
Point Four: CNN/SI airs The Tape, showing that Knight did indeed slap a hand
on Reed's throat during a practice. It also shows that Reed erred when
alleging that other coaches had to separate Knight from Reed. Instead,
assistant Ron Felling saunters by without breaking stride. Michael Lewis,
one of those who stood up and told the world that the incident never
happened, is seen standing nearby on the videotape. Garl resurfaces to amend
his earlier statement, saying that perhaps there were moments of practice in
the past 19 years that he did miss. CNN/SI elects not to air videotape of
Knight cutting ahead of an old lady in a checkout line at Kroger.
Counterpoint Four: Armed with stopwatches and blinders, Knight backers
calculate the motivational caress of Reed's neck as lasting 2.3 seconds.
Hard to kill, maim or even shut up a whiney college kid in 2.3 seconds,
isn't it? Coach was "teaching." Coach was applying "discipline." Coach was
checking to see if Reed needed a manual tonsillectomy. (Not enough has been
written about Coach's contributions to the medical profession, you know.)
Former player Joe Hillman wonders what candy-sissy modern player wouldn't be
honored to receive such personal attention from Coach.
Point Five: Excerpts from a book co-written by former Indiana player Butch
Carter allege that Knight used the n-word when addressing an
African-American player some 20 years ago. Carter follows up this allegation
by threatening to sue New York Knicks forward Marcus Camby for slander.
Going for the Triple Crown of sensationalism, Carter says he was abducted by
aliens as a boy.
Counterpoint Five: Clearly, Knight backers say, the aliens inserted an idiot
chip in Carter's brain.
Point Six: Allegation Week begins with a bang: A former athletic department
secretary tells the Indianapolis Star that Knight smashed a flower pot near
her many years ago, and cussed her out and intimidated her just two years
ago. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Knight not only fired Felling, but
attacked him as well. Another report details Knight cold-cocking sports
information director Kit Klingelhoffer ages ago. Another story reports that
Knight roughed up older son Tim on a family hunting trip. Sensing a
movement, the Weekly World News goes with a story that quotes Knight's
second-grade teacher in Orrville, Ohio, as saying that little Bobby had a
potty mouth on the playground.
Counterpoint Six: With the lynch mob mobilizing, Hoosiers head for the
bunkers. Former player Brian Sloan announces that the second-grade teacher
doesn't know a thing about loyalty.
Point Seven: The IU board of trustees is scheduled to meet on a Sunday to
discuss the Knight situation, including new revelations that Knight leaves
the seat up in the bathrooms at home. But wait! The day before, plumes of
white smoke appear above Assembly Hall -- Knight has released a statement to
an IU fan web site, apologizing and acknowledging his temper problem. Cold
water is poured on the loins of the Fire Bobby brigade. Tremulous school
president Myles Brand is handed a way out of the woods.
Counterpoint Seven: Knight backers nominate their newly contrite man for
sainthood. Former player Isiah Thomas says that men who put the seat down
don't know a thing about discipline.
Point Eight: With a large section of the nation's media literally scoffing
in his face, Brand announces in Indianapolis that Knight has allowed him to
remain on the job -- oh, no, wait a minute, other way around. But in his
sternest possible voice, Brand announces that the school will no longer
refer to itself as Bob Knight University on corporate letterhead or in any
official capacity.
Counterpoint Eight: Knight whisks off to Scotland before he can violate his
new zero-tolerance conduct policy by strangling any of the several thousand
new additions to the Enemies List. He leaves the seat up in the airplane
lavatory.
Pat Forde of the Louisville Courier-Journal is a regular contributor to ESPN.com
 Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
|
|
ALSO SEE
Another ex-IU player alleges abuse by Knight
IU won't probe new Knight accusation
Brand says he made right call on Knight
Knight's son on ordeal: 'This will never be over'
May 15: Knight to remain as Indiana's coach
Bob Knight career timeline
|
|
