[Husker] Bobby Knight resigns

[Nick Chevance]

On Feb 5, 2008 1:02 AM, jon johnston <jon.johnston at gmail.com> wrote:

> I've loved the guy for years. He's been fun to hate while at the same
> time being very good at what he did, both as a coach and a foul-
> mouthed uncompromising son of a bitch.

Jon has summed it up for me, too.  I was born following Indiana
basketball, I was raised in the state, and it even came to the point
where my mother apologized to my new bride on our wedding day that
while she couldn't take the blame for everything wrong with me, my
passion for IU basketball was all her fault (we were married on Final
Four weekend, a bad mistake - I'll always remember my anniversary, but
I'm often not focused on that).  And of course, loving IU basketball
meant loving Bob Knight.

As far as a master of the game of basketball, there are few that can
compare.  Knight has to go down with the likes of Rupp and Wooden in
terms of contributions to the sport.  Much like Nebraska football
until recently, relying on the "old ways" of option football, Knight
kept IU in that match up man-on-man defense where the scheme was
basically to be inside the other guy's shirt the whole time.  When you
played IU you knew what you were going to get, and it wasn't going to
be easy.

In terms of a person, I wouldn't have wanted to meet him.  His
behaviour both on and off the court was often boorish, bullying, but
as Jon said, uncompromising.  Trouble was, there were lots of time
when compromise and restraint would have served him well.  He always
said exactly what he meant, and at the same time had trouble conveying
a message.  He never quite recovered from the Connie Chung interview,
for instance.  And while he was chastised consistently in the media
and by fans for some of his actions (the infamous chair, the choking,
etc.), a lot of the complaints were made without being fully aware of
the situation in which they took place.

I'm sorry he's decided to retire, but glad at the same time.  The game
has lost a master, but at the same time, a guy who just wasn't going
to be good enough to be likable, and in the end was as much a
detraction from the sport as an addition.  He does leave behind
several successful coaches and assistants, including Mike K at Duke
(player), Dan Dakich (player and coach), and son Patrick (player and
coach).

Nick
-- 
"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the
impurities in our air & water."
D. Quayle