Knight's Early Days @IU

[hookyIU1990]

Not making judgements about anyone, but please take this shit to the cooler. Plenty of opportunities to argue about non-hoops BS there.

 

[BusdriverE]

I think it's a pretty well known fact the media, in general, didn't care for Bob Knight. It may have started with his infamous quote, "Most of us learn to read and write in fourth grade and then go on to other things." A lot of what they wrote as truth was distorted reality. Players consistently backed Knight's side of the story vs what the media printed Ex.-Knight stuffed an obnoxious LSU into a Bourbon St. trash can. Another ex.- A Puerto Rican security guard named de Silva was "accosted" by Knight after he demanded Knight's Pan Am team vacates the high school gym they were practicing in. How about the media guy who announced Knight would not be attending the NCAA tournament press conference? I could go on with examples of media slanted incidences involving our coach.

One of the well known TV sports personalities predicted that once Bob Knight started losing at the insane percentage IU fans were used to, the fans (and people across the country) would turn on him. The media was certainly included in that group, too, and the prophesy turned true.

What got Knight fired wasn't due to his lack of caring. He had a couple of years of bad luck with recruits not panning out as hoped and some unlucky breaks in the NCAA tournament leading to early upsets (see Kirk Haston in-game injury). I think the media's way of emphasizing the negative really pissed Knight off towards the end. Parity in college basketball also helped in the relatively slight decline in his winning percentage and tournament success. Parity was in the early stages, brought on my changing rules to even the playing field, AAU ball 24/7, etc. but it wasn't recognized as such back then and more blame was put on Knight for supposedly not being able to relate to youth of today. IU fans started thinking a pro style game was more conducive to the ballers of NBA dreams and another coach might be better instead of Knight's more disciplined style of motion offense. In other words, Knight became expendable. We were spoiled by our own success. Today, 20+ years later, we are still hoping to get back to where he had us.

I remember the quote about learning to read and write,etc..and I think it was Curry Kirkpatrick that said “like learning how to play basketball in the 4th grade and moving on?” which really pissed RMK off

 

[Crayfish57]

I remember the quote about learning to read and write,etc..and I think it was Curry Kirkpatrick that said “like learning how to play basketball in the 4th grade and moving on?” which really pissed RMK off

Look at the dude! Knight really disliked him and he looks like Ron Howards little brother after a tornado went through. How could you possibly he even took himself seriously? Like Murry , is anyone going to take you serious looking like that?