What was a terrible showing of media exploitation has ended with justice. Bob Knight, a respectable man, a role model for Indiana University and all young athletes, a person who is not afraid to discipline and teach responsibility to an America who has become misled by irresponsible parents, is going to continue his outstanding leadership. He will make a clear statement to all his naive critics with an NCAA Championship in 2001. Neil, you know what they say, maybe the third time you bring up your ridiculous accusations, it will be a charm?

Phil Stawski
Grand Rapids, Mich.

Shame on Indiana University for allowing this boorish brute to continue coaching. His non-apology over the weekend should have been the last straw.

Robert Valero
Alexandria, Va.

Please name me a company that would give me as many chances as Bobby Knight has had. There is an obvious sacred cow at IU and the fact he has broken rule after rule in all of his 29 seasons and not be fired is living proof of that.

Kurt Winkelman
Huntington, Ind.

Bob Knight is just plain bad for college basketball. He always has been and always will be bad for college sports. He has disgraced himself and his school time and time again, and even disgraced America with his conduct at the Pan-Am games. For Indiana University to merely put him on probation is gutless and cowardly. What parent would want their child playing for him, or even attending IU?

Todd Nash
Belmond, Iowa

I wonder how president Brand would of felt if HIS son had a hand placed on his throat. One good things has happened. The college has at least taken is hands away from their eyes. IU and the state should be ashamed.

Doug Little
Memphis, Tenn.

If Knight is so terrible, why do players want to keep playing for him? It is because they know that they need the discipline to graduate while playing Division I ball.

Joe Yusko
New Market, Md.

I hope you people in the "media" -- and I use the term loosely -- can find some real news to report on. It baffles me the way you people use "unnamed" sources as the gospel truth. Classic example, last Thursday on my way home from Detroit, ESPN Radio is reporting that Knight will be reprimanded "tantamount" to dismissal. What a bunch of crap! Then you bring on Mike Davis and question his word. You people need to get a life! Go cover the Elian Gonzalez fiasco. I heard he's riding a bike now, there's a sport you can cover!

signed,
an unnamed source!

Mike McKinney
Rochester, Ind.

Indiana's decision speaks loudly to show that years after Vince Lombardi first said it, "Winning isn't everything, winning is the only thing." Apparently, as far as Indiana is concerned, the end justifies the means. One wonders what the verdict would have been if the coach in question was a sub-.500 coach, with less than three years tenure. I'd bet "the video tape" would have only been played once before the coach was getting hit by the door on the way out.

Chuck Sorce
Rochester, N.Y.

Is Mr. Brand and Indiana University saying they did not have a zero tolerance policy against faculty choking students, harassing co-workers and consistently embarrassing the university before today? Unbelievable.

Tom N.
San Diego, Calif.

There is an old Chinese Saying: "It is easier to alter mountains and rivers than to change a person's traits."

Joseph Xie
Chicago, Ill.

In a world obsessed with political correctness, coach Knight's straightforwardness and no-nonsense approach to his job are refreshing. Thank you coach for turning out good men from undisciplined boys and graduating your players at a rate far superior to the average. As for those poor, hypersensitive souls who may be offended by his sometimes abrasive comments... GET OVER IT! Give 'em hell coach!

Tracy Ritchie
Kingston, Pa.

Bob Knight has made mistakes which is part of being human The fact that he has been prodded by the media and his every move is now know has brought all of these to light. If you investigated Clinton as much as Bobby you would probably have gotten a lot more on him. He has graduated 98 percent of his recruits when the average is only probably 50 to 60 percent. He also has not dropped his standards of recruits, which is the main reason they stay. Bobby has made mistakes and there is no excuse for them. But now leave him alone and let him try to get his aggressive nature under control and maybe to the level of his character and being truthful to himself.

Matt Fox
Bloomington Ind.

Sad and Pathetic. IU is like an ostrich with its head in the sand, except that ostriches don't have Knight repeatedly kicking them while they keep their heads underground.

Mike
San Francisco, Calif.

I'm a former college player and coach. I know what demands are foisted upon both. I also know that both are ambassadors of the university they represent. It should be up to the Board of Regents, sponsors of the basketball program, as well as the student body and alumni, to decide upon Knight's fate. He represents them directly and should be accountable to them alone.

John Caestecker
San Clemente, Calif.

One Bob Knight is worth 1,000 of the media mongrels now attacking him. Who among the mental midgets of the media could endure an examination of the last 29 years of their life for any "inappropriate" behavior?

John McKeever
Ocala Fla.

When are the sportswriters of this country going to forget their bias against Bob Knight and finally print what was really going on at Indiana these past few weeks. It was a classic power struggle between Knight and AD Clarence Doninger. Do you really think all those timed leaks and press releases were an accident? This was a carefully crafted media event, with Doninger and his henchmen calling all the shots. Knight needs to clean up his act and do something about his temper. In many respects, he has become an embarrassment to IU. However, all this old stuff thrown out this week did nothing but allow the sportswriters of America to prove once more that they don't have a clue where Knight is involved. In closing, my favorite Bob Knight quote concerning sportswriters, "Most of us learned how to read and write in the third grade, many of us were capable of going on to other things!"

Jim Bates
Treasure Island, Fla.

Why is Knight apologetic? It is because of the abusive behavior he has exhibited all these years, or because he finally has gotten "caught"? It's evident IU authorities have been aware of this for years, and the reason they are disciplining him is because they also have been "caught." I have no respect for Knight OR the Indiana University administration, which has closed its eyes to his reprehensible conduct for years.

Jim Pratt
Burlington, Iowa