Bobby Knight Strikes Again
Certain people have the ability to warp your expectations. LeBron James, for instance, has a so-so night if he "only" scores 20. Peyton Manning throwing for "only" 250 yards and a TD makes you scratch your head. You're surprised to see Tiger win "only" one tournament in a month. And who would call Albert Pujols a success if he "only" hit .290 with 25 homers?
Bobby Knight has also changed our understanding of what to expect and, especially thanks to his temper, what to accept. At 872 wins, Knight sits just seven behind all-time coaching wins leader, Dean Smith. Knight is indeed a legend. He's also thrown a chair across the court and choked a student-athlete in practice. So thank God he "only" struck Texas Tech player Michael Prince under the chin this time.
Should he really be excused from all punishment after he again used physical contact on a player?
Fran Fraschilla of ESPN downplayed the incident, saying that because this involves Knight, people are blowing it out of proportion. In reality, Knight needs to be punished, even if he intended to motivate rather than harass (it's funny how the line between those often blur with coaches). This was not just an act of coaching, although Fraschilla claimed otherwise. This is no slap on the butt or pull of the jersey, this is hand-to-face contact -- since when is that acceptable, no matter the severity? Even if it was in the heat of the moment? And even if, as Knight and Prince have stated, it was to encourage him?
Pat Forde of ESPN (who called for a one-game suspension of Knight, at least) stated that this was "only" a bop under the chin, not a choke-hold or bodyslam. Great. So because a man's killed in the past, he has every right to stab someone and receive nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
Now, that analogy might be a little extreme, but what else can be expected when Knight, after all, has redefined the player-coach boundaries? If Knight's past actions didn't come into play (a rather impossible thing to suppose), then maybe Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers would step up to the podium, take charge and reprimand Coach Knight when it's appropriate. If only.
posted by Jay @ 10:02 AM
3 Comments
3 Comments:
Bobby Knight didn't do much this time. If any other coach did this, nobody would be making a big deal about it. If the player said it's okay, why should he be punished>?
Last time i checked, Knight was fired from his last job after he got away with a few things first. he needs to do alot more than this to be punished.
technically, this was battery, which is illegal. there are many other ways to motivate a player, you dont have to punch them in the jaw. his ways of motivation are outdated and in todays society battering a player should not be tolerated. coaches chew out players all the time- tom coughlin, parcells, etc... they dont attack their players physically. knight, as we all know has a history of this and he should be taken care of. it does not matter what he did, all that matters is that he hit the player. there is no difference in the eyes of the law between a punch to the jaw and a full out swing to the face.
marino.
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