WBN Kentucky Wildcat Basketball Roundtable: The Final Say on Bobby Knight (for now)

Look, here’s what I can do.  I can choke you, horsewhip you, or bring out the chair.  If that does not work, I will just slander the hell out of you.  Now are you gonna rescind that technical?

We kid about Bobby Knight because we love him, right?  Anyway, one of the big stories this week was the Bobby Knight blasting Kentucky and most specifically their players in a speech he made last weekend.  I know that this can come off as overkill but I wanted to get the final word on the Knight situation from our esteemed panel.  And nothing says Easter morning like a Bobby Knight story.  So without any further adieu, let’s get into this week’s roundtable:

All UK indignation aside, how big a deal do you REALLY think Bobby Knight’s comments were? And do you think that the 10 loss seasons for the decade before his retirement, the fiasco at Indiana and how he left there, and his recent comments will tarnish his legacy as a Hall of Fame coach?

Glenn Logan:  A Sea of Blue:  Well, in an absolute context they were meaningless “red meat.” But when they got picked up and it became national news, Knight’s comments became a pretty big deal.  ESPN has a business relationship with the SEC and Kentucky. They have to be careful not to be seen as unfairly biased, either by action or inaction, against a team with as much national prominence as UK. I have no doubt that they have had or will have a conversation with Knight about this kind of inappropriate commentary, and how it impacts his value to the network.  I expect that Knight will be rather more circumspect in his public comments about Kentucky while he continues as an ESPN analyst after this kerfuffle. The day that relationship ends, all bets are off. 

Greg Edwards, Wildcat Blue Nation:  As far as his comments go, Bobby Knight can be baited into insulting God, so maybe he was just taken advantage of by a sly and somewhat intelligent college kid. He seems to have a weakness for insulting or attacking those types. The man is entitled to his opinion, but ESPN is dead wrong for letting him get away with it.Whether they like it or not, he represents them when he speaks now. Look how others have been publicly scolded for their actions who worked there.  As for the rest, the only thing anyone is going to remember about Bob Knight is those wins and all of the public stupidity he has displayed. I, for one, am completely tired of the man and his antics. When old horses come up lame, they shoot them. Bobby Knight they put on national TV. Go Figure.

Brian Eldridge,  Kentucky Sports Report:  His comments were a big deal, basically, to UK fans, administration, coaches and players.  What he said was completely outrageous and false.  UK did what it had to do to defend these young men and their honor.  Bob Knight shows that he’s a bitter man who’s not willing to admit that the game passed him back two decades ago.  With that said, he’s still a Hall of Fame coach, despite the feelings of UK fans, certain members of the national media and his own reluctance to accept the modern version of basketball culture.  Bob Knight would have been better off to take the John Wooden approach and be seen and not heard over the last few years. 

Paul Jordan, Wildcat Blue Nation: The rest of the nation may have thought it was petty, but it was a big deal for two reasons:  1)  this is his second rant against Calipari in 18 months and 2)  this time, he bashed players.  Now it’s one thing if Bobby Knight was out there bashing a different coach every week or if he attacked other coaches like Jim Calhoun or Bruce Pearl.   He stays quiet on that and just attacks Kentucky.  And the fact that ESPN continues to have not only one staffer with a personal vendetta against Kentucky on their staff, but two (Forde) is inexcusable.  ESPN really should have fired Knight and they would not let any of their analysts go after say, Coach K like that.  On the other question, no, it does not tarnish Knight’s accomplishments, but it does affect his public perception.  In stead of this amazing coach, he will be remembered as a coach that lost all touch with reality and the game, that had just one sweet 16 appearance his last 13 seasons as a coach, and as a crazy old man that walks around ranting about John Calipari.  The truth hurts, but Bobby Knight has lost touch with the game that he once mastered and he really needs to just fade away and bask in his accomplishments in retirement. 

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