The Maverick Conservative

Nope.  bob Knight is not a hero (for purposes of this entry for winning 900 Division I men's college basketball gabmes (as a coach).  He is not a hero for the incredible record the athletes and assistant coaches under him have compiled (including, for example, the coach of Duke, Mike you-know-who--I make enough typos without trying to spell the name).   He is not even a hero for the incredible record his athletes have compiled in GRADUATING from college.  Nor is he a hero for the humanitarian things he has done. 

Contrary to what people who read this blog might think, Bob Knight is not a hero for his rather regular outbursts of self-destructive temper, which eventually cost him his job at Indiana (where he should have ended his career on his own terms, instead of in exile at Texas Tech).  

Bob Knight is a HERO (for purposes of this entry) because of the way he treats "journalists"--with total contempt.  Aside from this blog (which is not nearly so eloquent), no one else in the entrie world has the media pegged the way Bob Knight does.  No, it is NOT just "temper".  Anyone who listens to a Bob Knight "interview" with "journalists" gets treated to the most entertaining spectacle around, as Knight puts "journalists" in their place--outclassing them in his answer to every question (excepting only those whrere he totally blows up).

You doubt me (you FOOL you!!!!).  Consider the poor lady reporter from ESPN interviewing Bob Knight after his Texas Tech team had just DESTROYED the no.9 team in the country, Texas A&M, for Knight's victory #900. 

The lady asked nothing terrible.  But the questions were insipid.  It was a great night for Knight, and most people would have gone with the flow.  Not Bob Knight. That is why he has always been one of my heroes.  The woman asked:  "I know it is important to you to be known as a teacher.  You spent a lot of time preparing for this game, and teaching your players the game plan.  Was it especially gratifying to you that your players went out and executed what you taught them?"

Classic Knight answer:  "I don't know about "gratifying" for me, but it is a damn good thing for THEM that they did."

If the woman had any shame, she would probably leave "journalism" after that.  However, we know that "journalists" today have no shame.  Plus, in fairness, her question was not any worse than any other sports "journalist" would have asked.  Bob Knight has done it to them all. 

That is the main reason he is a HERO to me, despite all of the other good reasons from him to be so regarded.

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