COLLEGE BASKETBALL KNIGHT FANS EMBARRASSMENT.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI The University of Indiana has determined it can do without the embarrassment Bob Knight brought to that august institution for much of his three decades as basketball coach. Of course it can. The school's administration, students and boosters are fully capable of embarrassing themselves. They demonstrated that over and over on Sunday, for all the world's cable subscribers to hear and see. There was Myles Brand Myles David Brand (born May 17, 1942) is executive director of the United States' National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and prior to that served as the sixteenth president of Indiana University. , the slack-faced university president, stating a strong case that Knight deserved to be fired for his recent angry run-in with a 19-year-old student - but unwittingly making a stronger case that he deserved to be fired weeks ago for a ``consistent pattern'' of boorishness. ``We were moving toward termination when this (latest incident) happened,'' Brand insisted, unconvincingly. There was a pack of sign-waving students protesting their hero's dismissal, and one buzz-cut young man, the one with ``Bobby Knight Lives'' scrawled on his bare chest, exhibiting his priorities by saying he'd transfer out of Indiana as a result. ``For 29 years, Bobby Knight has brought pride and a winning attitude to the University of Indiana,'' another student bellowed into a CNN CNN or Cable News Network Subsidiary company of Turner Broadcasting Systems. It was created by Ted Turner in 1980 to present 24-hour live news broadcasts, using satellites to transmit reports from news bureaus around the world. microphone. And there was an apparently grown-up grown-up adj. 1. Of, characteristic of, or intended for adults: grown-up movies; a grown-up discussion. 2. woman driving up to the athletic department door and dumping a collection of red-and-white clothing on the ground, as if to say she no longer supports the school that would do this to poor Bobby. She said nothing worth quoting. I don't mean to condemn all of Bloomington, Ind., for the behavior of a few citizens. Here in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , we know what it's like to be misjudged based on the actions of a small group of idiots. Still, you have to wonder what's wrong with these people. It's a better question than what's wrong with Knight. I think these are the monsters the Indiana administration created by coddling In cooking, to coddle food is to heat it in water kept just below the boiling point. The eggs added to a Caesar salad should ideally be coddled. However, coddled eggs are not fully cooked and still present a salmonella risk. Knight for as long as it did. For 25 years, ever since the first time Knight manhandled a player, his employers have perpetuated the impression he was above the laws of common decency. It's no surprise that more recent administrators - and many fans of the coach and his team - came to believe he always would be. Reality must have come as a shock. As one student put it: ``I'm in absolute disarray.'' The firing came four months after the university lightly fined and suspended Knight following the release of a videotape that showed Knight grabbing player Neil Reed by the throat during a 1997 practice. And four months after the university laid down the ``zero tolerance'' behavior guidelines that Knight promised to follow. Sunday, Brand revealed matter-of-factly that Knight had violated his promise in ``many instances'' since then, acting ``in a way that is both defiant and hostile.'' Brand said he was ``saddened'' by Knight's new troublemaking, ``and somewhat surprised.'' Only somewhat. So why hadn't he fired Knight for any of the ``many instances''? One suspects he'd hoped to sweep them under the Hoosiers-red rug, and was forced to act only after the student went public with the latest accusation. (The student reportedly has since been the target of telephone and e-mail threats from Knight apologists.) That's the other monster Indiana has created - skepticism over its desire to punish Knight. It will be hard to replace a coach who led Indiana to 661 victories and three NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association titles. On one hand, I feel sorry for an intelligent, talented man with a fatal flaw. I remember Phil Jackson's expression of sympathy for Knight in May, the Lakers coach's remark that until lately society celebrated its militaristic mil·i·ta·rism n. 1. Glorification of the ideals of a professional military class. 2. Predominance of the armed forces in the administration or policy of the state. 3. coaches, his fear that the public-opinion pendulum had swung too far the other way. On the other hand, the pendulum has swung, and Knight has become a man out of time. A coach today must touch his players' emotions without grabbing their throats. Jackson does it. In his defense this week, Knight said that ``I would have to be an absolute moron'' to be guilty of the latest charge. As his loyalists showed Sunday, one more moron mo·ron n. A person of mild mental retardation having a mental age of from 7 to 12 years and generally having communication and social skills enabling some degree of academic or vocational education. is something Indiana can do without. Kevin Modesti's column appears in the Daily News three days a week. He can be reached at (818) 713-3616. KNIGHTMARE A chronology of events involving Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight, who was fired Sunday: 1975-76: Upset over two turnovers, Knight grabbed sophomore Jim Wisman by the jersey and jerked him into his seat. 1979: Was charged, and later tried and convicted in absentia in absentia (in ab-sensh-ee-ah) adj. or adv. phrase. Latin for "in absence," or more fully, in one's absence. Occasionally a criminal trial is conducted without the defendant being present when he/she walks out or escapes after the trial has begun, since the accused , for hitting a Puerto Rican Puer·to Ri·co Abbr. PR or P.R. A self-governing island commonwealth of the United States in the Caribbean Sea east of Hispaniola. policeman before practice at the Pan American Games Pan American (Sports) Games Quadrennial sports festival. The games, conceived in 1940 as an event for the nations of the Western Hemisphere, were first held in 1951. . Knight was sentenced to six months in jail but Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (pwār`tō rē`kō), island (2005 est. pop. 3,917,000), 3,508 sq mi (9,086 sq km), West Indies, c.1,000 mi (1,610 km) SE of Miami, Fla. decided in 1987 to drop efforts to extradite ex·tra·dite v. ex·tra·dit·ed, ex·tra·dit·ing, ex·tra·dites v.tr. 1. To give up or deliver (a fugitive, for example) to the legal jurisdiction of another government or authority. 2. him. 1980-81: In Philadelphia for the Final Four, Knight was involved in a hotel shoving match with a Louisiana State fan, who said Knight stuffed him in a garbage can. 1981-82: Ohio State guard Troy Taylor said Knight cursed him after he thought Taylor flagrantly fouled a player. Knight denied the charge and sent films of what happened to the Big Ten and Ohio State. Ohio State later supported Knight. 1982-83: Critical of Big Ten officiating, Knight stood at midcourt cursing at Big Ten commissioner Wayne Duke, who was sitting in the press box. Two days later, Knight assailed the referees for the ``worst officiating I have seen in 12 years.'' 1984-85: Tossed a chair across the court during a game against Purdue. Knight was ejected and suspended one game by the Big Ten. He later apologized. 1985-86: Received a technical foul technical foul n. Sports A foul, especially in basketball, that is called on a player, coach, or team for unsportsmanlike conduct or infringement of a rule and does not usually involve physical contact with an opponent during play. for shouting at the officials during a game against Illinois, then kicked a megaphone and chewed out the Indiana cheerleaders Notable cheerleaders
1986-87: Banged his fist on the scorer's table after being assessed a technical foul during an NCAA Tournament NCAA Tournament can mean: Men's Sports
LSU Large Subunit LSU La Salle University (Philadelphia, PA) LSU La Sierra University LSU Link State Update (OSPF) LSU Learning Support Unit . The university was fined $10,000 by the NCAA and Knight received a reprimand REPRIMAND, punishment. The censure which in some cases a public office pronounces against an offender. 2. This species of punishment is used by legislative bodies to punish their members or others who have been guilty of some impropriety of conduct towards them. . 1987-88: Refused to let his team finish an exhibition game against the Soviet Union after he was ejected for arguing with a referee. He was later reprimanded by the university. 1988: In an NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. interview with Connie Chung Constance Yu-Hwa Chung Povich (Simplified Chinese: 宗毓华; Traditional Chinese: 宗毓華; Pinyin: Zōng Yùhuá , who asked how he handles stress, Knight replied, ``I think that if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it.'' He explained he was talking about something beyond one's control, not the act of rape. The remark triggered protests and a march of about 300 people on the campus. 1990-91: Asked not to be nominated again to the Basketball Hall of Fame For Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, see Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. For other uses, see Basketball Hall of Fame (disambiguation). The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame , calling the voters' rejection of him in 1987 a ``slap in the face.'' He was elected and inducted into the Hall in 1991. 1991-92: Playfully gave a mock whipping to Calbert Cheaney Calbert Nathaniel Cheaney (born July 17 1971 in Evansville, Indiana) is a veteran basketball player in the NBA currently a free agent. He was selected 6th overall by the Washington Bullets in the 1993 NBA Draft. His last team was the Golden State Warriors in the 2005-06 season. , an African-American player, during practice for the NCAA West Regional. Several black leaders said they were offended. Knight denied any racial connotations. He noted the bull whip was given to him by the players, including Cheaney. 1993-94: Was suspended for one game after a sideline tirade in a 101-82 victory over Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame . Knight screamed at his son, Pat, and kicked him in the leg. When fans behind the Indiana bench booed, Knight turned and responded with an obscenity. 1993-94: Accidentally head-butted freshman Sherron Wilkerson during a timeout at Michigan State. After the next game, the Hoosiers' home finale against Wisconsin, Knight took the public address microphone and recited a profane verse directed at his critics. 1994-95: Was reprimanded and fined $30,000 by the NCAA for an outburst at a news conference during the NCAA Tournament. Miffed miff n. 1. A petulant, bad-tempered mood; a huff. 2. A petty quarrel or argument; a tiff. tr.v. miffed, miff·ing, miffs To cause to become offended or annoyed. that an NCAA media liaison erroneously said he would not attend the news conference, Knight lashed out at him. 1997-98: Was fined $10,000 by the Big Ten for berating referee Ted Valentine, whose officiating Knight called ``the greatest travesty'' he had seen in his coaching career. Knight received three technical fouls and was ejected by Valentine during the second half of a loss to Illinois. 1999: Investigated for possible battery after allegedly choking a man at a restaurant. The man reportedly confronted Knight as he was leaving, contending he heard Knight make a racist remark. March 2000: Was investigated by the university after former player Neil Reed said Knight choked him during a practice in 1997. A videotape of the practice appeared to support Reed. Reports then surfaced of other confrontations. In one, a university secretary said an enraged en·rage tr.v. en·raged, en·rag·ing, en·rag·es To put into a rage; infuriate. [Middle English *enragen, from Old French enrager : en-, causative pref. Knight once threw a vase in her direction. May 2000: Was fined $30,000, suspended for three games and placed under a ``zero-tolerance'' behavior policy. Sept. 7, 2000: Accused of grabbing a student by the arm and lecturing him about manners after the coach was addressed solely by his last name. Sept. 10, 2000: Fired for violating the ``zero-tolerance'' policy and for what university president Myles Brand called a ``pattern of unacceptable behavior.'' Bob Knight's Coaching Record W L Pct 1971-72 Indiana 17 8 .680 1972-73 Indiana 22 6 .786 1973-74 Indiana 23 5 .822 1974-75 Indiana 31 1 .966 1975-76 Indiana-x 32 0 1.000 1976-77 Indiana 16 11 .593 1977-78 Indiana 21 8 .724 1978-79 Indiana-y 22 12 .647 1979-80 Indiana 21 8 .724 1980-81 Indiana-x 26 9 .743 1981-82 Indiana 19 10 .655 1982-83 Indiana 246 .800 1983-84 Indiana 22 9 .710 1984-85 Indiana 19 14 .576 1985-86 Indiana 21 8 .724 1986-87 Indiana-x 30 4 .882 1987-88 Indiana 19 10 .655 1988-89 Indiana 27 8 .771 1988-90 Indiana 18 11 .621 1990-91 Indiana 29 5 .853 1991-92 Indiana 27 7 .794 1992-93 Indiana 31 4 .886 1993-94 Indiana 21 9 .700 1994-95 Indiana 19 12 .613 1995-96 Indiana 19 12 .613 1996-97 Indiana 22 11 .667 1997-98 Indiana 20 12 .625 1998-99 Indiana 23 11 .676 1999-00 Indiana 20 8 .714 Total 661 239 .734 x-NCAA champion Career Highlights 1971 _ Became head coach at Indiana after compiling a 102-50 record at Army in six years, including four NIT A measurement of luminance. One nit is equal to one candela per square meter (1cd/m2). Ten thousand nits are equal to one stilb. See candela. appearances. 1975 _ Was a unanimous selection as Coach of the Year. 1976 _ Won 200th game with a 93-56 win over Georgia. Won NCAA championship with an 86-68 win over Michigan. Named Coach of the Year by the Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. 1981 _ Won NCAA championship with an 63-50 win over North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. . 1984 _ Won 400th game with a 81-68 win over Kentucky. Coached the United States to a gold medal in the Summer Olympics. 1987 _ Won NCAA championship with a 74-73 win over Syracuse. 1988 _ Became the winningest coach in Big Ten history with his 214th win, a 74-73 win over Purdue. 1991 _ Selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Won 10th Big Ten title. 1992 _ Made 16th NCAA appearance and fifth in the Final Four with Indiana. Has a post-season tournament record of 46-15. 1995 _ Selected as Conference's all-time coach at Big Ten Centennial celebration and 1976 team selected as best in league history. 1997 _ Won 700th game with a 70-66 victory over Wisconsin, one of only 13 coaches in college basketball history. CAPTION(S): 3 photos, 3 boxes Photo: (1 -- color) Bob Knight's 30-year tenure as basketball head coach at Indiana came to an end Sunday when he was fired by university president Myles Brand. Ted S. Warren/Associated Press (2 -- color) no caption (protestors) Robert Sheer/Associated Press (3 -- color) no caption (protestors) Frank Polich/Associated Press Box: (1) Knightmare (see text) (2) Bob Knight's Coaching Record (see text) (3) Career Highlights (see text) |
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