Vitale vs Knight
- Thread starter elijawon
- Start date
When we see that the feistiness in Knight is gone, we’ll know that Knight is truly gone. His playful interaction with his good friend, Dick Vitale, was nice to see. Call it someone else’s act of bullying if it makes you feel better about yourself.
It looked as though Knight got pretty angry for a few seconds. He’s obviously not well, and he’s been declining for some time. That sort of behavior isn’t unusual for someone in his condition.
At first I thought he was kidding around but after further review I think he was mad about Vitale grabbing him by the head.
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Knight for sure thought he was in war. Dick said about 100 times how sad it is to see knight in this condition.
He is in very bad shape and doesn’t have much time left. Glad he finally got to come back publicly before his time on earth is up.
He is in very bad shape and doesn’t have much time left. Glad he finally got to come back publicly before his time on earth is up.
One word: Dementia
I have seen somebody go through this up close. It’s very sad. CBK didn’t recognize DV and he thought he was being attacked. His mind is mostly gone and that could have been a good day for him...
Truly terrible disease to witness and just devastating for those closest to somebody going through this.
Dean Smith also suffered from dementia. It’s sad to see anybody go through that, including our all-too-human legends.
As others have said, I’m so glad RMK got to have this day while he’s still relatively present. This awkward (but ultimately minor) incident with DV may have been related to Coach’s condition. But, all in all, he clearly knew where he was and why he was there. And he felt the love of so many of his former players and 17,000 fans and reciprocated it in kind.
Some of you are complete and utter useless morons. Rumor starting idiots. The entire thing was staged. Pat even told Vitale to “**** with Bob”
Agree, this is what's wrong with the internet and the world today. Let's try to find some facts before we go spreading our ideas.
https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/lis...depth-on-his-fathers-return-to-assembly-hall/
This was not staged. If it was ESPN would have been more in on it.
Instead we come out of halftime (just after this) and Vitale is in tears talking about Knight and referring to "seeing him like this"
If it was staged there would have been a replay and Vitale would have elluded to the incident more directly
I think Knight was confused.
I think it hurt Vitales’ feelings, but he handled it well.
Anyone without an ulterior motive understands this.
I think it hurt Vitales’ feelings, but he handled it well.
Anyone without an ulterior motive understands this.
It obviously wasn’t, if you pay attention. It’s not uncommon for people in his condition. Very sad.
Everything gets scrutinized on social media ad nauseam. I choose to believe it was harmless play, Bob Knight-style, until someone asks Bob and Dick their thoughts on this particular court side interaction.
It is well established that Bobby is in the latter stages of dementia....though not the final stages. He has good and bad days and moments for that matter. Put that reality in the context of Bobby inside a packed, loud and highly active AH surrounded by many former players. It is fortunate that he didn't have a breakdown under those conditions. People with dementia are easily overwhelmed by much less active surroundings. Negative consequences are inevitable....fortunately, they were isolated in this event.
Think it was the other way around according to Pat. I thought I heard him say he told his Dad to F with DV, when he asked Pat what he should do. Regardless, I'm not sure if it was staged, or if that's just Pat covering up for his Dad. It didn't look that way and I for sure don't think DV knew or expected that reaction. My Grandpa was a bit fiery and he had Alzheimers and could get combative. Looked like that was what was going on to me, but regardless, it was a great day for Hoosier Nation... until our team came back on the floor!
VanPastorMan
Hall of Famer
It was either Knight being feisty or perhaps if he wrestled in high school his mind went back to that for a second.
VanPastorMan
Hall of Famer
It also shows how Vitale still has a sharp mind. I know a lot of people think he is annoying. And to some degree it is true. But he was recalling names and events etc during the telecast. We all should have minds like Vitale at that age.
I don't get why it matters to anybody whether Knight was playing around in fun or lashing out in a startled reaction. It was a minor incident that's only being discussed at all because it happened to be captured on camera.
If it was the latter, it's entirely understandable: the man has dementia.
It took a lot of guts for Karen, Pat, Tim, and Coach to even have him make a public appearance -- let alone one televised and in front of 17,000 people. Because of the uncertainty of how people afflicted with that condition sometimes behave in otherwise normal situations, it's pretty rare for public figures afflicted with dementia to make appearances.
I remember one time when Bob Hope, not long before he died, made a public appearance -- with a microphone even. I felt terrible for him and his family, because he made some comments that were clearly borne of a fading mind. But he was just trying to be the Bob Hope everybody knew and loved. I think his wife Dolores had to come and gently lead him away from the mike...and, I don't know for sure, but I bet it was the last time he ever appeared in public. Nobody wants to see a loved one embarrassed -- particularly when millions of people might see it and many just wouldn't understand.
So let's just leave this alone. It really doesn't matter why he did what he did. Let's just be glad that the appearance happened while it still could. The meaning of it goes far beyond Coach himself.
If it was the latter, it's entirely understandable: the man has dementia.
It took a lot of guts for Karen, Pat, Tim, and Coach to even have him make a public appearance -- let alone one televised and in front of 17,000 people. Because of the uncertainty of how people afflicted with that condition sometimes behave in otherwise normal situations, it's pretty rare for public figures afflicted with dementia to make appearances.
I remember one time when Bob Hope, not long before he died, made a public appearance -- with a microphone even. I felt terrible for him and his family, because he made some comments that were clearly borne of a fading mind. But he was just trying to be the Bob Hope everybody knew and loved. I think his wife Dolores had to come and gently lead him away from the mike...and, I don't know for sure, but I bet it was the last time he ever appeared in public. Nobody wants to see a loved one embarrassed -- particularly when millions of people might see it and many just wouldn't understand.
So let's just leave this alone. It really doesn't matter why he did what he did. Let's just be glad that the appearance happened while it still could. The meaning of it goes far beyond Coach himself.
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I would have rather seen RMK go over and done something with Fisch than Vitlale. I am glad to see coach Knight have his moment at AH but incredibly sad to see that his condition has gotten so bad. DV tried to bring it up several times to his ex-players, but they wouldn't talk about it. Really wished his return would have been when he was in better health.
Thank you all for the comments. I will remember that day the rest of my life. The Vitale thing will always be in my memory too. At the moment, I didn't know how to take it. Now, after reading all of this, I will just treasure the whole event. I am glad Coach Knight had a final moment in Assembly. As with many of you, his coaching was a part of our lives. I have great memories of watching his teams with my parents. It feels like a goodbye, closure, and celebration of part of my childhood. I hope his final days on this planet are peaceful and quiet. Now all I have left is Go Hoosiers. Time to go forward and right this ship.
I saw Knight's condition and thought...golly, he's only ten years older than me and age 79 is like, late Friday night before a date with the Grim Reaper after church on Sunday. I think once a person get's older, the smart thing to do is just believe whatever it is you want to believe, as long as it hurts no one else. If you want to think Bob battled Vitale and it was embarrassing, good for you! If you think Pat Knight and the other players took advantage of Bob by bringing him back to AH without his proper mind, so be it. I choose to think the day was spectacular, other than that daggone final score, and am just thrilled for Bob Knight, his players, family and friends. Bob Knight is going out on a good note with the university and I like that.
Pat did say this exactly when asked about it. I think Pat lovingly covered for his Dad a few times in that podcast. Pat was talking about how Bob could now go to lots of different sports at Iu with much less circus. I struggle seeing this.
He never mentioned dementia...just being slow to get going and dealing with old age. But it was a great interview.
All you had to see was the smile oh BK's face in the player group hug to dismiss any notion that he was taken advantage of. There were awkward moments, but it was the right thing for all concerned.
Every body ages at a different rate, physically. The same goes for the brain, mentally. My dad had dementia for four years. Of course, on the street it was "Alzheimer's", but his doctor didn't think it was technically that. He was never hostile, always the same mild-mannered spirit, but he wasn't quite with it in an extremely quiet detached way. It's different for everyone who has it. Pat might be somewhat in denial, which is a normal grieving stage. I can understand him wanting to cover for his dad's failings. He wants his dad to be strong in the eyes of the public.
Even if the exchange between the two was real it was still a good day for RMK.
I think no more or less of him based on that 5 second exchange.
People who want to believe it was staged will continue to thinks so and those who think it was real will continue to think so.
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I will always remember him as the best bb coach in my life. Having watched coach and DV in time, DV wanted to throw his arms around coach for a hug. He never in his life got by with it. I think it was a reaction by coach, nothing more. DV had seen this many times. This has never kept their friendship from failing. That moment would never happened if coach did not consider DV a friend.
Definitely not staged. He was confused and didn't recognize Vitale for a moment. That's why Vitale was teary when they returned from halftime break. I've had a parent suffer through dementia and pass, I know that look of momentary confusion, it's very sad and heartbreaking. Good to see Knight get the welcome back he deserved, but also surprising at how much he has declined.
It was not a playful interaction on Knights part. Dickie went in for a hug or tap and Knight didn’t know who he was at that moment and took a swing at him. Dickie tried to play it off.
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