 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bob Knight has been the basketball coach at Indiana University for twenty-nine years. He has accomplished many things as a coach. He has won a national championship and has one of the higher graduation rates in the country. He does however have a terrible temper which has gotten him into trouble a number of times. A couple of months ago a video of coach Knight choking former Indiana basketball player Neil Reed led to an intense investigation by the board of trustees.
The board of trustees looked into many incidents regarding coach Knight. The choking incident was the worst and the video was not entirely clear. I feel that it definitely shows Bob Knight choking Neil Reed. A member of the board of trustees said that Neil Reed’s head snapped back. Bob Knight was asked about this and he said his hand was on Reed’s shoulder area. A couple other incidents that were investigated were: allegations that he pushed a member of the athletic department because he did not like the press release that was sent out. Bob Knight also pushed an assistant coach against a shelve of tapes after the assistant coach questioned how Bob Knight handled the team after a win over Notre Dame. The assistant coach was fired on the spot. Even Knight’s own son talked about a hunting trip where his father broke his nose and dislocated his shoulder in fit of rage. These are just a few of the many incidents regarding Knight and his fiery temper.
The board of the trustees and the president of Indiana University, Myles Brand laid out these guidelines that Knight must follow:
1. Knight is suspended for three games in the 2000-2001 season.
2. Knight is fined $30,000.
3. Knight is given a no tolerance ultimatum for all practices, games, media sessions and any other University sanctioned events.
4. Knight was ordered to apologize to certain individuals he offended.
The bottom line is that Bob Knight the coach is bigger than Indiana University. He gets to keep his job. In all of the incidents mentioned previously Knight could be put in jail for assault a number of times. However, Indiana University did not have the courage to do what was right and deserved. What message does this send to people, that it is acceptable to hit when you disagree or someone makes a mistake? Everyday in the news we hear of a wife being beaten by her husband, a child being beaten by a parent. Is this the kind of message we want to send to our children?
Indiana University has made a terrible decision. The board of trustees had grounds to fire Bob Knight, but did not, why? Were they afraid some players would transfer? Did they not want to go through some losing seasons? Did the school feel that Bob Knight had earned a second chance? Some of these things might have happened. Maybe some players would transfer. Maybe the team would have some losing seasons. Coach Knight was given so many chances because things were not dealt with when they occurred. Had these things been dealt with, maybe Knight would have realized sooner that he has a major issue with his temper. Possibly, some of the recent incidents might not have occurred at all. It is better to have the integrity of the university intact than to risk a few shortcomings in the basketball program. Knight needs to realize he is being watched by impressionable people. The university must see how key it’s role is in the development of young people. Would you send your child to a university where this action is tolerated?
I watched an interview that ESPN did with Bob Knight about a week after the guidelines were given to him. Not once did he apologize for any of the things he did. If Knight really wants to straighten his life out, one of the first things he needs to do is apologize to the people that he hurt and not just the ones that the university is ordering him to apologize to. Knight needs seek help from others to help him control his temper. He needs to be remorseful, to understand that his actions were not acceptable under any circumstances.
The university, president Brand, and the trustees had a job to do. A tough one no doubt about it. Nobody had the courage to stand up and say what this man has done for years will not be tolerated and we as an institution of higher learning feels that by keeping Bob Knight as coach we would jeopardize that responsibility to the students and graduates of the university. This is the wrong message to send that his behavior while unacceptable is not punishable. The guidelines laid out for Bob Knight are a joke. The president and trustees did not have the courage to do what was right before what makes any of us think that they will do the right thing when something happens in the future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
