Once Woody is terminated, be it this year or next, what becomes of the Bob Knight Legacy? It took so long to heal that rift and get RMKs blessing on the program--which most agreed was vital to any hope of IUs return to glory. Now many are hoping a man who refers to himself in 3rd person will be humble enough to step aside for the good of old IU. Having hoped for this myself, it now seems more likely the reins of the basketball program he is so badly managing will have to be torn from his hands by the AD that hired him.
Not fogotten is the major caveat that came with the job offer--"Special AD in charge of MBB Thad Matta" (may that position RIP). This is why I give Dolson some leeway and would trust him with replacing Woodson. He KNEW Woodson wasnt "the guy" before Mike Woodson ever Called himself Mike Woodson 14 times in his introductory remarks.
I digress. The players who won championships for RMK are loathe to admit hiring Woodson was a bad idea. The will rally around him, and in an ironic twist, become a hump any new regime will have to overcome. It is incumbent upon fans of those teams finally to put the good of our IU above the nostalgic reverence we hold for them. We will have to rally the new group through the back-channel bickering that is inevitable.
To so many folks like me who grew up idolizing IU basketball in the 80s and 90s, Coach Knight was the be-all and end-all. When he was fired, he became like the estranged father who, after a nasty divorce, moved across country and started a new family. Many facets of that melodrama could have been handled better by those involved, but bottom line is that lines were drawn and sides were taken.
We are old now and RMK is gone. Time to grow up. The scabs are still fresh over the wounds healing from his return to Bloomington, but they are healing. Hoosier Nation, lets take pains to make sure to that the INDIANA on the jersey remains the focus. While the RMK patch is a fitting tribute to a well-loved legend, my hope is that when Woody is finally let go, we will be freed from the influence of ghosts from the past. Honor them by refusing to accept less than greatness, but let them rest.
IU Baskeball is all but dead. We have been hoping for a resurrection when what we need is a REBIRTH. Dolson should interview young candidates like May and Schertz and Moser and Lewis and others who may not he on the radar. As enticing as it sounds to hire a Pearl or a Donovan, we dont need another stop-gap. I hope the interview process reveals the character to handle the pressures of the IU program and the skill and will to prepare to win. And I pray the end comes sooner than later.
Not fogotten is the major caveat that came with the job offer--"Special AD in charge of MBB Thad Matta" (may that position RIP). This is why I give Dolson some leeway and would trust him with replacing Woodson. He KNEW Woodson wasnt "the guy" before Mike Woodson ever Called himself Mike Woodson 14 times in his introductory remarks.
I digress. The players who won championships for RMK are loathe to admit hiring Woodson was a bad idea. The will rally around him, and in an ironic twist, become a hump any new regime will have to overcome. It is incumbent upon fans of those teams finally to put the good of our IU above the nostalgic reverence we hold for them. We will have to rally the new group through the back-channel bickering that is inevitable.
To so many folks like me who grew up idolizing IU basketball in the 80s and 90s, Coach Knight was the be-all and end-all. When he was fired, he became like the estranged father who, after a nasty divorce, moved across country and started a new family. Many facets of that melodrama could have been handled better by those involved, but bottom line is that lines were drawn and sides were taken.
We are old now and RMK is gone. Time to grow up. The scabs are still fresh over the wounds healing from his return to Bloomington, but they are healing. Hoosier Nation, lets take pains to make sure to that the INDIANA on the jersey remains the focus. While the RMK patch is a fitting tribute to a well-loved legend, my hope is that when Woody is finally let go, we will be freed from the influence of ghosts from the past. Honor them by refusing to accept less than greatness, but let them rest.
IU Baskeball is all but dead. We have been hoping for a resurrection when what we need is a REBIRTH. Dolson should interview young candidates like May and Schertz and Moser and Lewis and others who may not he on the radar. As enticing as it sounds to hire a Pearl or a Donovan, we dont need another stop-gap. I hope the interview process reveals the character to handle the pressures of the IU program and the skill and will to prepare to win. And I pray the end comes sooner than later.
